《Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother》


 1 Chapter 1

    11.00 P.M.


    Chloe waited for her husband¡ª Vincent, toe home for dinner to celebrate their daughter''s 7th birthday, yet he was nowhere to be seen despite already promising Mackenzie¡ª their daughter, that he would return home before 5.


    Chloe had put her daughter to bed at 9. She was especially gentle and careful while taking care of Mackenzie, knowing that Mackenzie was so disappointed and sulked for the whole night after realizing Dad lied to her.


    She checked the clock and couldn''t wait any longer. She went on her phone and called her husband.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    "Hello?" Vincent picked up the call, and the first thing she noticed was his heavy breath, as if he was in the middle of a heavy exercise. God knew what kind of exercise he did before midnight.


    But Chloe didn''t show any reaction except a little disappointment, something that she was used to hearing.


    "Vincent, when will you return home?" she asked.


    "Huh? Uh¡­"


    It was a simple question, but there was a long pause from him on the call. Chloe knew that wasn''t a good sign.


    She knew how much of a cheating bastard he was, but she didn''t expect him to cheat on the day their daughter turned 7!


    "You''re fucking crazy, Vincent. Mackenzie''s been waiting for you to return home! All she wants for her birthday is a beautiful cake with us by her side!" Chloe started yelling on the phone, expressing her frustration to her husband.


    "Oh, shut up, Chloe! Just get her something from Amazon. I gave you my credit card so you can take care of her!" Vincent retorted. "Buy her something expensive, or things that she likes, I don''t know. Whatever makes her happy!"


    "You¡ª" Chloe was speechless. She knew that her husband didn''t care about her anymore. This marriage was doomed after 10 years. Yet, she didn''t expect her husband to ignore their only daughter, the fruit of their passionate love.


    "Vincent, who''s on the phone? Is it your fat wife again?"


    "Sshh!" Vincent tried to silence the woman he was with right now.


    "Geez, Vincent, why do you need to hide it anyway? She literally caught us fucking in your office. She knows everything already," the woman snatched the phone from Vincent''s hand and talked to Chloe.


    "Hey, fatdy~ Vincent and I are in the hotel. We''re having a loooot of fun~."


    "¡­"


    The woman realized that Chloe must''ve been so shocked right now, "Why the silence, blobby? I thought you''ve seen us plenty of times already."<sub> </sub>


    "¡­"


    "Oh well, I''m going to hang up now. We''re in the middle of the fun. Don''t disturb us!"


    BEEEEEP.


    Chloe''s body trembled. She clenched her phone and bit her lower lip until it bled. She didn''t want to cry in the night and woke Mackenzie up.


    She didn''t want her daughter to know about this problem. The more she tried to cover it, the more painful it was in her heart. It felt like a knife plunged into it the more she was processing what was happening right now. A tear dropped from the edge of her eyes, falling to the ss of white wine in her hand.


    It was stupid to even think about, but Chloe wanted her marriage to be intact. She wanted to mend things and work it out with Vincent, because they were married from love. Chloe always idolized a stable married life with her husband.


    Vincent rarely came home these days, saying that he went on a business trip. "Fucking his secretary in the office or a hotel." seemed to be part of his business trip now.


    She thought she could tolerate everything, but when he refused toe home for their daughter''s birthday dinner, that was the end of the line.


    She could tolerate it no more. She was done, sick and tired of everything.


    She wanted to break free from this unhappy marriage.


    She didn''t know if she would find another man after this, nor did she want to have one after such a painful experience. And she would be a divorc¨¦e, something frowned upon in her big family.


    She was also worried for Mackenzie. She didn''t know how Mackenzie would react, knowing that her parents would be separated. What would she think of them? How would this affect her, even?


    But¡­


    "I can''t. I can''t stay like this forever. I will go crazy if I let him torment me with his bullshit."


    Chloe drank the wine in one gulp to drink her tears. She put the ss on the table, right beside a divorce paper filled for her part.


    There was only one spot left, the signature.


    She stared at the divorce paper for a while and picked the pen.


    She signed the divorce paper with her maiden name since she wouldn''t be Mrs. Gray any longer;


    Chloe Carlson.

 2 Chapter 2

    Vincent returned home, his head was banging as he stepped out of the car. He had a stst night in the hotel room with Prisci¡ª his secretary and a longtime affair of 4 years.  Prisci mentioned something about the wedding ring, but he shook his head to ward off the thought, maybe he had too many drinks in the morning.


    "Just divorce your fatass wife already. You don''t like her anymore, right? Heck, you can''t even look at her for more than 10 seconds!" Prisci shouted, which pricked a sensitive topic for Vincent.


    "She is still a good wife. Just became ugly after getting pregnant and giving birth to our daughter," Vincent replied. As crazy as it sounded, he still took his wife''s side when he got cornered by Prisci.


    "Oh,e on, if it''s just cooking, washing dishes, doing theundry. You can just hire maids!" Prisci rolled her eyes. "I''ve been with you for 4 years, don''t be a wishy-washy little bitch!"


    ¡­


    Vincent stayed silent, seemingly ignoring her, much to Prisci''s disdain.


    "Urrgh! Fine, I''m audi! I don''t like going like this forever, you bettermit to our rtionship! Oh, I want my ring, and make sure it''s a diamond!"


    He didn''t give her a look by the time she wrapped her hair into a ponytail, took her bag, and left, making her remark by smashing the door. Meanwhile, Vincent just stared at the city below from the balcony, with another shot of gin for breakfast before he returned home.


    **


    Vincent parked his car in the garage. He might''ve hit the bumper. He wasn''t sure. But he didn''t care. For now, he just wanted to see his daughter, Mackenzie.


    He felt guilty for missing out on his daughter''s special day. He was so caught up in the mood with Prisci that he had abandoned everything elsest night.


    Vincent opened the door leading to the living room. His eyes scanned around and saw his wife¡ª Chloe Gray - sitting on the couch, casting a look that could be described as a mix of anger and disappointment.


    "Wee home," Chloe greeted with a cold voice. "I''m surprised you found your way back here. I thought you''d forgotten already. It''s already past noon, by the way."


    Vincent held his head as he got dizzy, walking toward Chloe, "Where''s Mackenzie? I will bring her to the Mall."<sub> </sub>


    "She''s in my mom''s house right now," Chloe replied. "She didn''t get the birthday she deserved, so I told her that she could celebrate with her grandma and cousins there."


    Vincent frowned, "Why''d you do that? We''d always celebrate Mackie''s birthday together. I just missed a day!"


    "A day?!" Chloe red at him. "Vincent Gray, do you not realize that you''ve been away for Months!? I can count with my fingers how many times you have returned home in the past 3 months! If you want to spend your time with that harpy of a secretary, JUST GO!"


    "Oh, shut up, Chloe. I ain''t got time for this shit! So what? I toy around with her on the job, don''t fucking ignore the fact that I can be exhausted with work alone! Hell, arguing with you exhausts me even more!" Vincent was annoyed now. He came home today to celebrate his daughter''s birthday, not listen to Chloe yelling about the same thing repeatedly.


    "Exhausted?" Chloe bit her lower lip. Her fists had been clenched the whole time as she was so close to punching this estranged husband of hers.


    But she was ready for a bigger hit than just a punch. She was ready for everything after she spent the whole night crying about it, thinking that the family she painstakingly tried to keep together finally crumbled down when she signed that paper.


    She hadn''t slept the whole night. No matter how many times she closed her eyes,  they would burst open whenever she heard the sound of a car outside, hoping that it was Vincent''s car.


    But it was never Vincent, because that bastard of a man was spending his time ravaging his secretary in the hotel room, ignoring his real family.


    Chloe took the divorce paper from the table and shoved it on Vincent''s chest.


    Vincent was taken aback, frowning. He was still dizzy and could hardly read such small words.


    "What the hell is this?" he asked.


    "I''m making you exhausted? Fine, let that thing be your remedy," Chloe said. "That''s a divorce paper. I''ve filled in my part and signed it. You do your part, or should I call your secretary to help, seeing how you''re drunk as a dog?"

 3 Chapter 3

    "Divorce?"


    Vincent''s mind, alongside his sight and hearing, sharpened instantly. He frowned and peered at Chloe.


    "Yes. I will not repeat myself after this." Chloe confirmed, speaking with venom in her mouth. She tried hard to stay strong as she didn''t want to look desperate in front of her cheating husband, who had cheated on her since she was 7 months pregnant.


    But God knew how much her heart was bleeding when she shoved that divorce paper to Vincent.


    Divorce.


    That word triggered Vincent. He blinked a few times to skim through the paper. It was all legit. Chloe wasn''t lying when she said that she wanted a divorce, and the idea of divorce was out of Vincent''s mind.


    He would never divorce this woman!


    Vincent thought that he had a stable life with her, despite him cheating, he had always given her afortable life, a life that almost all women dreamed of.


    In a life of riches, she could get all that she wanted. She could get a yacht if she wanted to!


    However, Vincent also acknowledged that Chloe wasn''t as extravagant as he expected. He wished that Chloe could be more wasteful of their money, so he could also have a reason to call her out.


    But that was all he got as a man¡ª money.


    "Tch, is this about money? If you''re angry at me just because I slept with another woman, just buy yourself something nice. I don''t know, new bag, dress, car. Heck, you can even raid Louis Vuitton or Hermes if you want! Whatever floats your boat, so, stop messing around with something like this¡ª" Vincent waved the divorce paper with a dumbfounded face. "If this is a joke, then I''m notughing, Chloe Gray."


    "I am not Chloe Gray anymore, dumbass!" Chloe snatched the divorce paper waved in front of her and turned it around, pointing with her index finger to a spot she had signed on. "I''m going by my maiden name. You can see it for yourself. I don''t want anything to do with you, ever."


    Vincent squinted and saw the name written under the signature. It really was Chloe Carlson.


    Chloe was serious about divorce, and he didn''t understand why.


    "Fuck this, I''m not really in good shape right now," Vincent cursed. He gritted his teeth to endure the headache. "Stop talking about weird stuff, Chloe. I gave you everything. I gave you money! What else do you need!?"


    Chloe covered her gaping mouth. She was left speechless, and she realized that Vincent still didn''t understand how serious this was. How serious the pain he had inflicted on Chloe''s heart.<sub> </sub>


    10 years of marriage, and 8 years were nothing but torture. Where Vincent forced her to be a good little housewife, taking care of their daughter while he fucked around with every woman he found.


    "I gave you a stable life, a luxury house, and a daughter! Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want already!" Vincent yelled at her.


    "I WANT A DIVORCE! I WANT A FUCKING DIVORCE, YOU BASTARD!" Chloe started hitting Vincent''s chest with all her might, but she was a smalldy, nothingpared to the man in front of her


    Vincent got annoyed by Chloe hitting his chest. He grabbed Chloe''s wrists and clenched them tightly, "Ah!"


    Vincent looked down at Chloe and leaned in until his face was only a few inches away from hers. He repeated his question as if he still didn''t understand what went wrong.


    "Let me remind you where you came from, you little bitch. I picked you up from poverty. You were dirt poor when you''re in high school. I helped you pay your student loan, and we got hitched soon after. Do you think you can go out there and live well without me?"


    "Chloe, use your small brain for a second.  I know you''re just a dumb housewife, but I''m doing you a favor," Vincent said, thinking that it would be enough to intimidate and deter Chloe from a divorce. "Sure, I''m sleeping around with another woman, but did I ever do it inside our house? Did I ever let Mackie saw my affair? Did I stop giving money to you and Mackie?"


    "So, tell me, what do you need to stop this whole divorce thing, Chloe. You''ll have nothing without me if you decide to go through with this divorce."


    Chloe stared at the man she had loved for 15 years, with whom she had shared her bed. The man who gave her an adorable daughter and promised that he would love her one and only.


    Her eyes started pooling with tears, and a drop streamed on her cheek, "Love."


    "What?"


    "I need love, Vincent Gray," Chloe replied firmly.


    ¡­


    This time, Vincent was the one who got speechless. That word sounded ancient in his ear, as he hadn''t heard that from Chloe for a long time.


    "Vincent Gray, look into my eyes and tell me truthfully, do you still love, and think of me as your rightful wife?"

 4 Chapter 4

    "Vincent Gray, look into my eyes and tell me truthfully, do you still love, and think of me as your rightful wife?"


    Vincent went silent instantly. He wasn''t sure how to answer the question that was shot out of Chloe''s mouth. When they first got married, he thought that he would love her forever and had many children with her. Having a family of his own was nice, but when she got pregnant, Vincent got impatient waiting to have sex, so he went outside and started fucking around to relieve himself.


    That one time started the spiraling ecstasy of cheating that drowned him, making him addicted to repeatedly cheating with many women while ignoring his real family. Even after Mackenzie was born, his habit only got even stronger.


    If he said he loved her, she might tear through it and call him out as insincere.


    Chloe bit her lower lip, and the tears started streaming freely from the edge of her eyes, "Fine, I''ll ask you a simple question!" She stammered. "Are you willing to fuck me just like you did before I got pregnant?"


    ¡­


    Another question was left unanswered.


    Vincent wouldn''t lie that he felt so gross to even think about fucking Chloe when she got fat from pregnancy. Plus, the years of mothering Mackenzie made Chloe fatter and unkempt, giving Vincent more reasons to sleep with his secretary and even more women outside.


    Even after Chloe had reverted back to her original body... he thought deeply.


    Vincent gulped. He was absolutely tongue-tied right now, unable to answer any question from Chloe.


    Chloe''s heart sank when she realized that Vincent couldn''t say anything now. She knew that she was already undesirable to him. There was no reason to stay.


    "I''ll take your silence as a no then." Chloe spat out, her face red with anger. "Fine then. That''s a good reason for a divorce. Sign the paper. I''ll handle the rest¡ª"


    "No."


    Chloe was astonished when Vincent still firmly refused.


    "What do you want then? What do you want from this kind of loveless marriage? If it''s about Mackenzie, we can take turns parenting and make her feel there''s nothing wrong between us. Simple as that," Chloe said. She shook her head out of disbelief, she just couldn''t handle this man at all. "I just can''t, Vincent. You don''t desire me at all and you forced me to y little house while you fuck around outside. Do you think I''m just furniture in this house, your fucking mad!?"


    Chloe struggled again, and Vincent finally released the grip on her wrists. She looked at Vincent still with eyes zing with tears.


    Vincent took a deep breath. He looked away and replied, "Do you think I''m stupid? I know that you just want to take my money from the divorce settlement, and you can sleep with other men, ain''t that right?" Vincent said. He sounded calm when he used Chloe of such a thing. "Leech."


    "How dare you! I don''t need your fucking money, not after all this!" Chloe yelled. "I will only take my belongings and my daughter. Nothing else!"


    Chloe walked off from Vincent and went to their bedroom. She had already packed everything in big luggage¡ª containing only her clothes and a few bags and shoes.<sub> </sub>


    She returned to Vincent, who stood still, eyeing her like a hawk.


    "Sign the divorce paper. I can''t wait for us to officially end in the court," Chloe said. She walked to the front door, and Vincent finally reacted.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    "Anywhere not here, I will bring Mackenzie''s stuff with me after finding a ce to settle. It won''t take long." Chloe said firmly.


    "You won''t survive, Chloe. You won''t be able to work anywhere. You''re 35 years old. Nobody wants an old woman like you-" Vincent said ruthlessly.


    Chloe halted her step and looked over her shoulder. She was so hurt that she wanted to cry again. But there were no more tears to be shed. She was done with him.


    "I hope you won''t say the same thing to your next woman, Vincent Gray."


    Chloe finally left the house, leaving Vincent alone in the home they built together. She called a taxi and asked the driver to go to the nearest motel because she didn''t have much money.


    Chloe turned her head and watched the beautiful home she treasured so much. She had a lot of memories there, but the bad memories outweighed the good ones.


    ''My beautiful family¡­.'' Chloe mumbled,menting over her shattered family.


    **


    Meanwhile, Vincent was still trying to process what had just happened. He sat on the sofa and put the divorce paper on the table.


    He grumbled and ced his hands against his head. Did he really say those hurtful things to Chloe just to vent out his anger? His instinct told him not to divorce her, despite him being unsure if he still loved her or not.


    The divorce settlement wasn''t an issue. He had so much money from hispany and inheritance. Even if Chloe had to get half, he would still be filthy rich.


    Signing this paper would mean that he could be free from the guilt of cheating. He could sleep with anyone he liked without repercussions, and Chloe had already said that she would take Mackenzie with her.


    He would be free...


    "But why?" Vincent asked himself as he continued pondering. "Why can''t I sign this divorce paper?"

 5 Chapter 5

    Chloe sat in a daze in the taxi. She kept thinking about Vincent and her daughter. She was forming the right n in her head, so Mackenzie wouldn''t be too shocked once she realized that her parents would be separated.


    Because Mackenzie was the true victim here, in every separation, the one who would suffer the most was the children. Chloe would understand the pain really well because her parents were also divorced when she was 15.


    ''Vincent was my safe haven when my parents divorced.'' Chloe thought. ''I found sce in him, and I''m at peace, but now-''


    "Ma''am, this is the nearest motel. Quite far from your expensive gated neighborhood if I have to be honest. '''' The taxi driver said as he took a left turn to stop right in front of the motel lobby.


    "Ah, thank you," Chloe paid the taxi driver and grabbed her bag. She stood for a while, looking at the shabby motel in front of her. No, she wasn''t scared of what awaited her in the motel. She was never the kind of person who sought after luxury. As long as she had a normalfortable andplete family, she would be more than happy.


    She was just worried about her daughter. Since Mackenzie was used to living in their luxurious home, living in such a shabby motel might stress her out.


    ¡­


    "''I''ll have to let her stay at Mom''s for a while, at least until I can find a permanent residence for us," Chloe said to herself, then she walked inside the motel lobby.


    She checked in for a week and hoped tond a job right after three days, whatever that was, cause she didn''t have enough savings for herself. Chloe unlocked her motel door and sat on the bed for a while, gazing at the wall. She turned to her left and saw her reflection in a tall mirror inches away.


    She stood up and pressed her oversized shirt to entuate her waist as she continued checking on herself in the mirror.


    She wasn''t fat¡ª well, she used to be 4 years after she got pregnant. It was mostly because of pregnancy and the difficulty controlling her weight after giving birth. Taking care of baby Mackenzie wasn''t an easy task as well. Combined with Vincent''s disgust upon seeing her body, she lost all her will to lose weight.


    However, as Mackenzie grew up and her marriage was on the brink of destruction, three years of depression drained Chloe of her weight.


    She couldn''t eat because she remembered how Vincent ridiculed her for being fat shit the moment she ate something. She developed an eating disorder, and ate very little, even to this day.


    It wasn''t a healthy way to lose weight, but she did return to her original shape. In fact, she got even thinner as time went by, that depression and eating disorder really started to eat her up.


    Chloe chuckled mirthlessly, "What''s the point of returning to my original shape when Vincent still refused to touch me? He didn''t even want to look at me before."


    It had been a while since Chloe paid attention to herself in the mirror. Before, Vincent continuously degraded her as a filthy woman (perhaps worse than filthy), undeserving of being his wife. So, she dared not look at her reflection further, afraid she would hate her appearance even more.


    She walked closer to the mirror.


    She looked at her face and noticed the trace of sadness, baggy eyes, and a somewhat downturned face. She tried to perk her lips up, hoping it would lighten her face a bit.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s been a while since I saw myself smiling¡­." Chloe mumbled. She might not be the most beautiful woman on Earth, but she wasn''t bad-looking at all. She was just burdened with a lot of sadness in her life, which made her look unkempt.


    "I think I can wear make-up to cover the dark spots and that tired eyes, maybe I should ask Allie about good skincare products if I have saved enough moneyter. And hopefully, that''s enough tond me a good job, plus my university degree, of course."


    Chloe sighed as she wondered about her future. As much as she hated it, Vincent was right. She was just a housewife for 10 years straight, and without him and his money, nothing wouldn''te her way.


    She could get a job when she was 24 and graduated from university. But Vincent proposed to her right after she graduated with him, "And I stupidly say yes. That''s tragic, Chloe. You could''ve worked on your dream job as a teacher."


    ¡­


    "Anyway, I can''t stay like this for too long. I need to quickly get a job for me and Mackenzies future. Hopefully that bastard signed the papers so I can just move on. Since I won''t take a single dime from him, I guess the court process will be faster," Chloe said. "Right, time to check on Mackenzie."


    She fished out her phone from her handbag and called her mom. It was thetest model of phones, a pricey one at that, more than she could ever afford. The phone beeped twice before her mom picked up the call:


    ¡ª


    "Chloe?"


    "Hi mom. Is Mackie still in your house?"


    "Slow down, dear. You sound worried. Is there something wrong?" Judith¡ª Chloe''s mom asked.


    Chloe paused for a moment, thinking that she shouldn''t tell such a shocking event to her mother too quickly because it might affect her declining health.


    "Nothing''s wrong mom, I just¡­need a breather that''s all"


    "I see."


    "Mom, Mackie is still with you, right? Can you let her stay for a sleepover? I can''t take her home. I have a little trouble right now," Chloe said.


    "Ah, Vincent picked her up about 10 minutes ago," Judith replied. "I thought you were the one who asked Vincent to pick her up. He said they were going to the mall to buy Mackie a birthday gift."

 6 Chapter 6

    "What?!" Chloe raised her voice, but toned it down.


    "Goodness!" Judith said, taken aback. "Why are you so surprised? Vincent also apologized to Mackie because he was too busy at work," Judith added. "You have such a good husband, you know?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened out of reflex. She never expected Vincent to pick Mackenzie up from her Mom''s house. It was such a shock because she thought Vincent was already ignorant about Mackenzie''s existence at this point. The booze and fucking he had done all this time messed up his brain, but for him to act like cares¡­.


    She didn''t know what caused Vincent to suddenly act like this, bringing Mackenzie to the mall for her birthday, and she got worried.


    Judith noticed the long silence and asked, "Chloe, what''s wrong?"


    "Ah¡­ it''s nothing, Mom," Chloe replied with a lie. "I was just having trouble on the road. I''ll call you againter, bye."


    Beep.


    Chloe ended her call with her Mom. She didn''t like having to hide things, but what choice did she have? She clenched her phone for a second, unable to contain her anger. Bad thoughts started swirling in her head, as she was scared that Vincent might do something to her daughter to vent his anger.


    She hated to call that bastard right after she left, but she had no choice.


    She dialed Vincent''s number, and only after one beep Vincent already picked it up.


    ¡ª


    "Yes?" Vincent asked as if there was nothing wrong between them just a few hours ago.


    "Where''s my daughter?" Chloe asked with a sharp tone, unable to hide her panic and anger.


    "You mean our daughter, Mackie?" Vincent looked to his left and grinned, "She is still choosing whatever toys she wants for her birthday. We''re in a toy store."


    "Give the phone to her, NOW!"


    "Sure," Vincent gave the phone to Mackenzie and told her about it.


    "Hi, Mommy!" Mackie sounded so jolly because her dad didn''t forget about her birthday. "Where are you now, Mom? I thought you''d pick me up at Granny''s home."


    "Ah, M¡ªMackie, are you good there?"


    "Yup! I''m with Daddy! Why aren''t you here? I want to celebrate with Mommy and Daddy together!"


    "Ah¡ª Uh¡­ Mom has a little trouble on the road. You should have fun with your dad first, buy anything you want there," Chloe tried to act as if nothing was wrong. So, Mackenzie wouldn''t notice any difference.


    Mackenzie might be seven-year-old, but she was smart and often asked too many questions that Chloe couldn''t answer.<sub> </sub>


    "Dear, would you mind giving the phone back to dad?"


    "Okay!"


    Mackenzie returned the phone to her dad, Vincent, and then resumed picking a new toy she wanted.


    "So, what else do you need?" Vincent asked, his light tone infuriated Chloe. This man seriously had no conscience. Even after she mustered up her courage to sign that divorce paper and reveal her angry voice, Vincent acted as if nothing bad ever happened.


    They were just the two souls entangled in a cold rtionship. It had been like that for the past 7 years, after all.


    "What the hell do you want, Vincent?" Chloe asked, full of suspicion.


    "What do you mean? I missed Mackie''s birthday because I was busy. Of course, I have to keep my promise to her," Vincent replied. "What? Just because you left, that you can cut me out of my daughter''s life? I''m not stupid, Chloe. If we get a divorce, I bet you''ll do anything to prevent me from seeing Mackie, unless I send child support money. It''ll happen sooner than you think. You should remember that you need me if you want the best for yourself and Mackie. Otherwise, you''re nothing."


    Chloe closed her eyes as she tried to curb her anger over Vincent''s degrading words, but this was Vincent''s normal way of speaking, though. He was always condescending and underestimated everyone in his life.


    Yet, Chloe stupidly put up with it for a long time.


    "Vincent, just tell me which mall you''re at right now. I will take Mackie with me-" Chloe said.


    "To where? A shabby motel where it''s dirty and god knows who''s crawling around there? Yeah sure, good luck leaving the luxury ce we had." Vincent said.


    "Any ce is better than to live with you," Chloe retorted. "Just tell me where you are. I will bring Mackie!"


    "Well, if you insist¡­." Vincent grinned as he leaned on the wall. Seriously, he didn''t know what got into him right now. He was still disgusted with Chloe, obviously. He couldn''t even look at her face the way he did when they were dating, but a part of himself still refused to sign that divorce paper.


    "If you want to meet with your daughter, either return home or you can meet her at my Mom''s Birthday party tomorrow. I''ll be there with Mackie."


    "You!"


    "Not like I wanted it, but my mother invited you, right? After all, you''re her good daughter-inw," Vincent said, and his tone got even more condescending. "Oh, how wrong she is."


    Chloe bit her lower lip. Vincent put her in such a difficult situation.


    Obviously, she couldn''t return to the house because it would be difficult to exin to her daughter the whole problem. Mackenzie might even beg her to stay. She didn''t know what Vincent would do in the home.


    So, the only choice she got was at Irina''s¡ª Vincent''s Mom, birthday party tomorrow. She could bring Mackie somewhere before telling her slowly that they would live separately from her dad.


    "So, where do you want to meet Mackie? Home, or my Mom''s birthday party" Vincent asked. "It''s either one of those ces or you don''t see her at all."

 7 Chapter 7

    The moment Vincent made his offer, Chloe gritted her teeth. This man still had the audacity to y a little taunting game with her when she was so done with him. Obviously, she wouldn''t return to Vincent''s house because Vincent would use Mackenzie to hold her hostage, telling Mackie to start questioning her Mom until Chloe didn''t have the heart to leave.


    "You''re so funny, Vincent. I thought I''d given you the golden opportunity to fuck your secretary all you want. Hell, you can fuck anyone without feeling guilty¡ª not that you can feel guilt in the first ce," Chloe mocked.


    "Hmm? I will still fuck my secretary after this whole ''running away'' thing you did. I just don''t want my daughter to think that she lost her Mom," Vincent replied lightly, seemingly nonchnt to any mockery that Chloe tried to utter.


    "She will never lose her mom, but she already lost her dad a long time ago!" Chloe retorted as she realized that Vincent didn''t take her seriously. "Fine, I will go to your mother''s party, and I will take Mackenzie with me!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Chloe clenched her phone and threw it on the bed as she covered her face with her palms. She thought she would quickly separate herself from the Gray family after this, but Vincent roped her in, easily using her daughter as a solid reason.


    "Fuck, now I have to y the good wife and happy family with Vincent again," Chloe cursed her own misfortune.


    The thing that she disliked the most about her mother-inw was her expectations, as she always expected Chloe to behave well because she was a woman, that all of herints would be dismissed.


    If Chloe dared to voice any displeasure about Vincent''s treatment or the man himself, Dorothea Gray¡ª Vincent''s mother, would scold her and call her out for disrespecting the man of the house.


    Chloe took a deep breath to calm down before giving herself a small encouragement, "It''s okay, Chloe. This will be thest time you will meet and get involved with the Gray family. All you need to do is to take Mackenzie and put on a fake smile, so she won''t notice the divorce too soon."


    ¡ª


    Vincent scoffed when Chloe hung up the call abruptly. He knew that Chloe wouldn''t ignore her daughter, so it was easy to rope her back to attend his Mom''s birthday party.


    "Heh, dumb bitch," Vincent mumbled.


    "Daddy, I want this one!" Mackenzie returned with a baby doll that had the function to make crying noises and ask for her pacifier.


    Vincent smiled and checked on the toys, "You want this? My little princess wants to take care of a baby now?"


    "No, Daddy, that''s for Mommy!" Mackenzie exined. "Mommy and I will take care of the baby together!"


    "Hmm? Only Mom? Daddy can take care of the Baby too, you know," Vincent said as he picked the baby doll from Mackenzie''s hand.


    "Nah, Daddy can''t do that."


    "Why not?"<sub> </sub>


    "Because Daddy is not a good daddy for this baby, Daddy''s never home!" Mackenzie huffed innocently.


    **


    Chloe put on her small earring before getting ready to attend Dorothea''s birthday party today. She called an Uber and called Vincent as she headed towards the party location, the Gray mansion.


    The phone beeped a few times before Vincent picked it up;


    ¡ª


    Vincent felt the phone ring. It wasn''t too long after he took Mackenzie to the mall. He grinned.


    "Yes?" Vincent picked up the call lightly.


    p "Vincent, where are you right now? I''m heading to your Mom''s mansion," Chloe informed as she checked the road to estimate her arrival at the mansion.</anda>


    "Oh, Mackie and I are already at the party. Mackenzie is with her grandma right now. My Mom has been asking about you many times," Vincent replied. He smirked and lowered his voice for his next sentence, "She said that you''re azy woman who can''t take care of yourself and your family. I mean, she''s not wrong."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Chloe hung up the phone call again. She wanted to fight with Vincent on the phone but then realized there was no use in it. Since she and Vincent would separate soon, it would be better to cut all the toxicity as soon as possible.


    Chloe arrived at the mansion after 30 minutes. She looked at the rows of expensive cars parked around the mansion. It didn''t surprise her, though. She knew that The Gray family was old money. They were filthy rich for generations, and Dorothea Gray became the current matriarch after the death of Vaughn Gray¡ª Vincent and Vernon''ste father.


    "Wow, all these expensive cars, haha¡­" the uber drivermented nervously as he drove Chloe to the mansion''s front porch.


    Chloe gave a sigh, "You get used to it after a while. They''re nothing but bootlickers."


    Chloe stepped out of the car after arriving at the front driveway. The party was full of chatter. People in expensive suits and dresses talked in groups, on their jobs, lives or who''s got the higher ie.


    Chloe ignored the judging eyes of a few women who realized that Chloe''s dress wasn''t as expensive as theirs. Some of them pointed at her and whispered to one another. Chloe paid them no mind. Chloe didn''t take any expensive gowns from her wardrobe because they were all Vincent''s gifts. So, she wore an old ck dress she had before getting married, good thing it fit.


    She strutted straight to the main hall, and a man suddenly stepped in and blocked her way, "You actually came, huh?"


    Her ears burned at the voice. Chloe looked up and saw Vincent smirking at her, "That old dress looks good on you though¡­ Reminds me of that crazy time we had in my car back in college."

 8 Chapter 8

    "Ditch your shitty nostalgia, Vincent. Where is Mackenzie?" Chloe asked while ring at Vincent.


    But the man''s eyes were full of arrogance. In fact, it seemed that Vincent saw everything as nothing but a joke. He didn''tugh, but a small smile was there.


    "Mackie is with my Mom right now," Vincent replied smoothly. "She''s been waiting for you in her room."


    Chloe looked at the cake in the middle of the hall that had been sliced. Dorothea had returned to her room, allowing the rest of the guests to enjoy the party.


    She clicked her tongue and left without saying a word. Vincent watched her back. Chloe was wearing a dress that revealed her back. Chloe had a voluptuous figure when she was young. Sadly, it changed after she gave birth.


    But the continuous depression and eating disorder gave her that original bombshell beauty body that all men like.


    "See? I''m doing her a favor," Vincent chuckled lightly before emptying the wine ss in his hand.


    **


    Chloe strutted towards a long corridor whose marble tiles were covered with red carpet. She saw the huge door at the end of the corridor. The security who guarded the door recognized Chloe immediately.


    They opened the door for Chloe, and she entered without hesitation.


    She saw her mother-inw eating snacks with her daughter. She stopped smiling when she saw Chloe, though.


    "Happy birthday, Dorothea," Chloe said with a thin smile.


    Dorothea didn''t say a word. She scanned Chloe from head to toe and patted Mackenzie''s head, "Dear, would you mind leaving for a moment? You can return to your dad in the main hall or just ask the security outside to carry you everywhere."


    "Oki, Granny! I''ll take the cookies!" Mackenzie snatched a bag of cookies and ran toward her Mom. "Mommy! Where have you been?"


    Chloe crouched and cleaned the chocte stain around Mackenzie''s lips with her palm, "Mommy had some things to do. I need to talk with your Grandma first, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    After Mackenzie left, there were only two women in the room. They observed each other. Honestly, Chloe already knew how sophisticated Dorothea was, she wore essories that didn''t show any brand in her blue dress, but it was sure to be damn expensive. She wore a dangling diamond earring and also a fur shawl.<sub> </sub>


    Dorothea only had a few wrinkles despite celebrating her 56th birthday today.


    But Dorothea didn''t give the same energy as Chloe. She looked at Chloe head to toe before speaking.


    "Today is a special day for me, so out with it. Did youe here just to shame my son?"


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t y dumb with me. He bought you a lot of good dresses, and all you wear is that thing from years ago. That''s so old-fashioned, ugh!" Dorothea fretted.


    Chloe turned around for a moment. After ensuring that Mackenzie had already left, she boldly imed, "I won''t take anything from him, Dorothea."


    "Him? You mean your husband, Vincent?"


    "He''s not my husband, not anymore," Chloe imed. Since there was nobody around them, she didn''t need to hold back. "I''ve decided to file for divorce. You heard me right! I''m waiting for him to give his signature on the divorce papers, so I can leave that bastard as soon as possible!"


    Chloe expected Dorothea to look surprised, yell and curse at her like she was the trashiest bitch ever existed. Because Dorothea loved her sons so much, and Chloe was ready for that.


    but Dorothea only chuckled, as if she just heard a joke.


    "I¡ªI''m not lying, Dorothea. I''m here to take Mackenzie with me and leave!" Chloe threatened, and yet, Dorothea only replied with another chuckle.


    "Oh, Chloe Gray, you''re so funny," Dorothea said. She looked straight at Chloe with a smile, but her smile didn''t reach her eyes. "Your problems aren''t my problems. You think I care who my son would marry? That I care how he runs his life? I don''t give a damn if Vincent married you or whatever. I just need him to continue histe father''s legacy and give me a grandchild."


    "Well, obviously, Vincent is a great son and man. He maintained control and stability over all of his father''s businesses, and he gave me a beautiful granddaughter," Dorothea sneered at Chloe. "Thus, your job here as a woman is done. You''re not needed anymore."


    "But¡ª"


    "Chloe, let me tell you something since we''re both women. You aren''t like those rich, educated youngdies that my friends have, nor are you a movie star that makes everyone drool," Dorothea said as she lit up a cigarette. "You''re just another poor woman to a useless degree. You can''t be called educated for that. So, the only thing you got that''s worth something is between your thighs."

 9 Chapter 9

    Dorothea''s words felt like poison for Chloe''s ears. They were stated as she blew cigarette smoke towards Chloe. "If you want to live a good life, stick with my son. Kiss his feet if needed because that''s the ce where you can live."


    ¡­


    "Even if he is a cheating bastard that ignores his family?" Chloe said. She thought Dorothea must''ve not known about the adultery that Vincent did for 7 years straight. Because Chloe never talked about it to anyone.


    Dorothea paused for a second. She smoked again and looked away, dodging Chloe''s gaze, "A powerful man like Vincent needs to wind up a bit, even from his responsibilities as a husband. One woman¡ª especially an uninteresting woman like you won''t be enough for him."


    "So, he sees other women, that''s his business. It''s regr behavior for men, especially a sessful one like him. You feel it''s out of control? Just ignore it and live your life as usual," Dorothea said. She looked up and stared at the family picture, her husband¡ª Vaughn Gray, Vincent, Vernon, and herself. "You know, even myte husband often cheated on me so many times in his life, maybe more than Vincent. Loyalty didn''t matter as long as he gave me money and the luxury I needed and wanted. Isn''t that the most important thing for us women? We need money to get through life"


    "Even so¡­.," Chloe said. She clenched her fist as she was holding so much anger right now. "But I don''t want to live my whole life trapped with someone who doesn''t love me."


    "Whatever, Chloe. You''re being so immature right now," Dorothea shrugged. "Vincent''s given you money and a luxury life and you''re whining about love. I won''t have my birthday be tarnished with this conversation.  Leave, now."


    "You don''t need to say it. I already want to leave this hellish mansion in the first ce," Chloe turned around and opened the door, leaving Dorothea Gray alone as she busied herself staring at the family picture.


    **


    Chloe ran into the empty corridor, wiping the tears that started to stream on her cheeks. She felt so powerless as she realized that she had no support here. Even Dorothea was no different than Vincent.


    ''This family, they are all bastards!'' Chloe cursed in her heart. ''I need to find Mackenzie and leave. This will be thest time I will entangle with this crazy family!''


    Thud!


    "AH!" Chloe fell to the ground after hitting something tough in front of her. She thought she had hit a wall, but when she saw expensive shoes and slim-fit ck trousers right in front of her, she looked up instantly.


    She saw a man with a perfect facial feature sculpted by God looking down at her with a pair of jet ck pupils. He stared down at Chloe with such a deep gaze that would drown anyone in the abyss of fantasy.


    "Sister-inw! Are you alright?" he asked in his deep and somewhat husky voice. He grabbed Chloe''s hand and pulled her up.


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe jolted a little when the man suddenly put his hand on her back. She could feel his hot palm because her dress exposed her back, and the man even slid his finger between the strings that tied the dress from behind.


    The man smiled and put his hand away after Chloe stood still as if he just wanted to make sure that Chloe could stand on her high heels and act gentlemanly after that.


    "Be careful. You''re wearing high heels," he said.


    ¡­


    Chloe recognized the man instantly, but that was because she saw him often on television as he was a celebrity because he dated a lot of female celebrities, and he happened to be the second son of the Gray Family-- Vincent''s younger brother.


    "Vernon? Vernon Phoenix Gray?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, it''s me," Vernon nodded. He smiled at Chloe, "You still remember my full name even. It''s been a while, Sister-inw."


    Too long, Chloe thought she would never meet this man anymore. Ever since he had a rift with his family, this would be the first time after 10 years that he finally attended his mother''s birthday party.


    To her, Vernon was like a little brother when they first met, when he was 7 years old, but he suddenly left to study abroad a few days after Chloe and Vincent got married. He was never heard from again after 7 years when he finally returned to the state to start a business here, and he was 25 years old now.


    Though, Chloe never talked with him even after he returned, because she was too busy dealing with her own problems.


    "Vernon, why are you here?"


    "Well, it''s my mother''s birthday. I just want to say hello and leave, cause business." Vernon replied lightly. He stared at Chloe beforementing, "But enough about me, I saw you crying after leaving my mother''s room. Did something happen?"


    "Ah, it''s¡­ it''s nothing, just a little argument there," Chloe replied as she quickly wiped the tears at the edge of her eyes. "Then you should meet her soon. Your mother must''ve been waiting for you. I''ll have to leave now. I have something to do."


    Chloe sidestepped Vernon as she wanted to leave this hellish ce as soon as possible, but Vernon suddenly grabbed her wrist, "Sister-inw, wait!"


    Chloe turned around spontaneously, "Yes?"


    Vernon fished his business card out of his pocket and put it on Chloe''s palm, "We''ve never talked even after my return to the state. I want to catch up with you, maybe you can call meter? I can always help you if you need anything, including a job."


    ''A job?'' Chloe frowned. ''Why would he offer me a job? Did Vincent tell him about our divorce, or is my face saying it all?''


    "Well, if you need anything, call my office. I''ll be off to see mother now, take care, sister-inw."


    Vernon released Chloe''s wrist and walked away with his confident¡ª and somewhat arrogant gait. Chloe looked at his back until he entered Dorothea''s room, and the door was closed.


    "Vernon, why did he suddenly attend the party? I thought he already cut contact with everyone¡­." Chloe wondered. She checked the business card that Vernon handed.


    ¡ª


    Vernon Phoenix Gray


    President & CEO


    Goldenstar Inc.


    Office: (212) 193 - 1987


    ¡ª

 10 Chapter 10

    ¡ª


    Vernon Phoenix Gray


    President & CEO


    Goldenstar Inc.


    Office: (212) 193 - 1987


    ¡ª


    "19¡­ 3¡­ 1987? Isn''t that¡­" Chloe frowned when she read the office phone number. But she shook her head quickly to dispel the thought. "No, that couldn''t be. That''s probably just a coincidence."


    Chloe put the business card in her small purse and searched for Mackenzie. She didn''t want anything to do with this goddamn family anymore, including Vernon.


    She walked around the crowd, and she looked around to find her daughter, but she couldn''t find her.


    ''No, Mackie visited her grandma a lot. She must''ve known her way around the mansion. There''s no way she''d get kidnapped knowing she is definitely guarded by security,'' Chloe thought as she kept searching.


    Chloe felt her phone was vibrating from inside the purse, she checked the caller and rolled her eyes, but she still picked up the call;


    ¡ª


    "What now?" Chloe asked rudely. "I''m still searching for Mackie, don''t bother me."


    "Searching for our daughter?" the man across the phone call chuckled. "Well, she is with me. We''re in my room,e and fetch her."


    "¡­ Fine, don''t go anywhere. I will take Mackie and leave."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "Shit, now I have to meet him in that room," Chloe cursed again. But she had no choice, so she braced herself and walked towards Vincent''s old room in this mansion before they got married.


    Chloe still remembered the path she needed to take because she had already visited that room often when she was in high school and university.


    Chloe took a deep breath as she grabbed the door handle and opened it.


    Vincent was on a sofa. He leaned on the backrest and crossed his leg as he saw Chloe open the door, "Why are you standing still like that? Come in and talk with me."


    "Where''s Mackie?" Chloe asked, straight to the point. She had a lot of memories in this room with Vincent, and despite it being a bunch of sweet memories, she had no intention of reminiscing about the past.


    "Mackie is in another room, she''s waiting for you, but I won''t specify which room she is in right now," Vincent replied, knowing well that this mansion had a lot of rooms. "Come here. Let''s talk for a moment before you leave."


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    Chloe advanced a few steps into the bedroom but dared not get close to Vincent.


    "Close the door."


    "No, I don''t know what you''re going to do if I close the door," Chloe said.


    "HAHAHA!" Vincentughed freely as if he had just heard a funny joke. "Chloe Gray, you know that I''ve fucked many women more beautiful than you. You''re nothingpared to them, especially after you aged and got pregnant with Mackie! You know what they say, men aged like wine and women aged like milk."


    Chloe clenched her fist again, Vincent had already said the same thing to her a lot of times in the past, but it still triggered her so much. Those kinds of words only made her question her self-worth.


    "Just tell me where Mackenzie is, and I''ll leave," Chloe said.


    "Chloe, do you still remember this bedroom? This is the ce where you and I fucked for the first time, a ce where you lost your virginity," Vincent said.


    "Vincent, if you''re holding me here just to say bullshit like that, we can save our time and tell me where mhy daughter is."


    "Oh,e on, I''m just reminiscing about the past. Have you forgotten who you were before you married me? You''re the one who begged to marry you, since you''ve lost your virginity," Vincent got up from the chair and walked toward Chloe. "And I married you even if some of my family disagreed. You should be grateful. Don''t ever forget that."


    Chloe spontaneously took a step back, ensuring that she was unreachable for Vincent, "Step back, Vincent, or I will scream."


    "Scream for what? This is my mansion, remember?" Vincent chuckled, but his eyes darkened as he started to lose his patience. "Do you not realize what an idiot you are, Chloe Gray? I''m being patient enough with you, especially you! Tell me what you want, and I''ll get it, so you can stop being a bitch."


    Chloe bit her lower lip, mustering her courage as Vincent''s broad figure and scary gaze naturally scared her, "My¡­ My decision is final, Vincent. I don''t want to be with you anymore, not after you''ve ruined my life and our marriage that I desperately cling to. I am simply done with you."


    Vincent took a deep breath. He didn''t understand how a submissive woman like Chloe could be so erratic and stubborn. She used to be so epting and tolerant about his cheating ordeal.


    ''She wants to learn the hard way huh?'' Vincent thought as he raised an eyebrow.


    "Fine. Mackie is in the next room. She already has big luggage full of her clothing and other necessities. Make sure that she is well fed, understand? Otherwise, you can always go back to me for money." Vincent looked down at Chloe, and his gaze became even more hostile, "This is thest warning, Chloe Gray. Don''t think there won''t be any consequences after you turned away from me."


    "Anything is better to face than being with you." Chloe turned around and looked over her shoulder, "And it''s Chloe Carlson for you. I don''t need your surname or your money. You Grays can rot for all I care."


    Chloe strutted out of the room and closed the door. She breathed in relief. She was under so much pressure under Vincent''s hostile gaze.


    She went to the next room and opened the door.


    "MOMMY!" Mackenzie screamed.


    "Mackie!" Chloe crouched as Mackenzie ran towards her, and they reunited with a warm hug.


    Chloe checked on Mackenzie, hoping that nothing had happened after the whole day of not seeing her.


    "I''m sorry, Mackie. Mommy had a problem yesterday, so I couldn''t take you with me," Chloe said as she patted her daughter''s head.


    Mackenzie nodded, "It''s okay, Mommy. Daddy took me to y in the mall! But I''m tired now. Can we go home, Mommy?"

 11 Chapter 11

    "It''s okay, Mommy. Daddy took me to y in the mall! But I''m tired now. Can we go home, Mommy?"


    Chloe''s face paled instantly.


    She looked at her daughter, and her words were stuck in her throat.


    She hesitated for a moment since Mackenzie was too young to know about the problem that forced them to leave their beautiful home.


    "S¡ªSweetheart, what do you think about a little vacation?"


    "Vacation?" Mackenzie tilted her head as she got confused. "Mommy, Mackie has school tomorrow. Mackie can''t go!"


    "Ah, this is just a short vacation, like a pic! We''ll live somewhere else for a while, but not too far from your school!" Chloe tried to keep up with the smile, just enough to fool her daughter.


    "Oh, that sounds fun! Daddy will go pic with us too?"


    "Ah, your Dad is busy as always¡­." Chloe nced at the baggage beside her daughter and pulled it towards her side. "That''s why he brought your bag! Because I already told him that we will go to a pic for a while!"


    "Aw¡­" Mackie pouted. "Daddy never ys with us¡­."


    "Well, he is busy working for you," Chloe said, though she was absolutely disgusted whenever she talked about Vincent. "Let''s go now."


    Mackenzie nodded, and they left the party through the backdoor. Chloe ordered an uber, and they hopped in.


    They arrived in front of the motel, and Chloe carried the baggage while they entered the motel lobby.


    Chloe gave a thin smile to the receptionist and headed straight to her room.


    Mackenzie was looking around. She didn''t understand why her Mommy would bring her to an old ce like this. There were many dirt, dust, and creepy people that Mackie wasn''t used to.


    "Mommy, why is this hotel so scary?" Mackie asked as she hastened her small steps to hog on Mommy''s hand.


    "Ah, well, we''re not going to the usual hotel vacation, remember?" Chloe said. She unlocked her room and entered with Mackenzie.


    Mackenzie looked around the shabby motel room, "Mommy, this room is so small¡­."


    "It''s fine. It''sfortable for two of us, right?" Chloe tried to ignore her daughter''s various questions that choked her, and she opened Mackie''s baggage.


    She sighed in relief because at least Vincent had put all the necessary school uniforms and clothes for Mackie, including all her school books.


    Though, she also noticed that Vincent didn''t pack any of the toys and luxurious clothes that he bought for Mackie;


    ''Maybe he wants to force me to return, in case Mackie wants the toys and all her expensive stuff back.''


    ''Fine, if that''s how he wants to y this. I will try to find a good job, enough to provide for us both.''


    Mackie climbed the bed and sat on it. She was a little disappointed because the bed wasn''tfortable, but her attention was shifted to her Mommy.<sub> </sub>


    "Mommy is getting skinnier again¡­" Mackenziemented.


    "Ah, ahahaha¡­ it''s fine, Mackie."


    "Mommy should eat. Mommy throws up a lot!" Mackie said. She might be young, but she witnessed her mother going in and out of the toilet almost every day because she would throw up all her food.


    Mackie didn''t understand why would her Mommy do that, but whenever Daddy was home, Mommy''s gagging up schedule would double.


    "We will eat after this, okay?" Chloe said.


    p "Um!"</anda>


    **


    This was the first time her Mommy had ever brought her to a shabby ce like this. But she didn''t mind, as long as Mommy was always with her. Though she already missed her Daddy, she could live for a while without her Daddy''s presence because she was used to his absence.


    Chloe changed her dress to a regr shirt and jeans, and they walked to the nearest 7-Eleven and bought two sandwiches.


    Chloe and Mackie sat at the table inside the store. Chloe kept ncing at her daughter, afraid that her daughter wouldn''t like the store-bought sandwiches. Since Chloe always cooked for her family, especially for Mackenize. Even when they were eating out in a restaurant, they always went to an expensive one.


    "Do you like it?" Chloe asked.


    "Umm¡­ Mommy''s food is better!" Mackie said. But she still ate the sandwich. She saw her Mommy only eating half of the sandwich. "Mommy, eat more!"


    Chloe shook her head and pushed the sandwich to Mackie, "You eat it. Mommy is not hungry anymore.''


    Mackenzie puffed her cheeks. Her Mommy always did this whenever they were eating anything, but she always ate everything because Mommy would vomit again if she ate more than that.


    Chloe bought a few necessities before returning to their motel. She locked the door and told her daughter, "Do you have homework, Mackie?"


    Mackenzie nodded.


    "Then I will check your homework after you''re done."


    "Okay!" Mackenzie took out her book from her bag and sat on the carpet, doing her homework.


    Chloe''s smile faded a little when she saw her daughter. She couldn''t stay like this. She refused to let her daughter live a difficult life because of her choice.


    ''I need to get a job in less than three days,'' Chloe thought. She opened her phone and started checking the job application on the inte. She had already sent a few of her online curriculum vitae to somepanies. She was willing to work on anything, even as a cleaning service. Because all she could care about right now was money and her daughter''s wellbeing.


    She also searched for a few ces that epted a walk-in-interview. She was a little hesitant about a walk-in interview, knowing those usually expected youngsters than a woman in her thirties like her.


    But she would try anything, anything for her daughter!

 12 Chapter 12

    "Thirty-five years old?" the HR interviewer frowned when she read Choe''s curriculum vitae. She looked at Chloe sitting on the chair in front of her and then at the document in her hand.


    "Wow, I have to admit that you look younger than your age, but¡­" the interviewer put the paper down and sighed, "I can''t hire you."


    "Ah, don''t worry, I can work in anything here¡ª"


    "No, there is only one opening here, to be the receptionist, and the age limit is twenty-seven years old. You''re way past that," the HR interviewer said. She put the document on the table and pushed it to Chloe. "I suggest you search somewhere else for work. Maybe to a daycare? I mean, they would certainly ept a thirty-five years old woman with little jobpetence."


    Chloe sighed. She thanked the interviewer and left the office.


    Chloe drank from a water bottle that she refilled from the nearest water fountain and checked her phone.


    "It''s been three days," she said. She started to lose hope as she had been job hunting around to no avail. Of course, they could take her even though she had nopetence for some low-paying jobs.


    But there was always a better candidate, younger, more beautiful, more vigorous, and a university graduate.


    "I don''t have much savings as well¡­" Chloe mumbled. Of course, she got a text from Vincent this morning;


    ¡ª Bastard Vincent ¡ª


    Giving up now?


    I know that you''ll return anyway. A little dumb bitch like you think you can get a job outside? Come on, how can you be so naive?


    Return to me with Mackie. As long as you beg, I will forgive you.


    ¡ª


    "In your dream, asshat!" Chloe cursed as she texted back. She saw that it was already evening and she had to pick up Mackie from her school.


    ¡­


    Chloe waited in front of the gate for Mackenzie to return. She thought that Mackie would greet her with a smile on her face, but Chloe could see the sulking from far away.


    Mackie sulked as she walked out of the gate, and she sulked even more, when she saw her Mommy.


    "Oh, dear, what''s wrong?" Chloe asked as she caressed Mackie''s head.


    "Mommy, I pushed Jaden today."


    "Jaden? Your friend? Why?"


    "He said that her Mommy kissed Daddy¡­." Mackie reported. "It''s not true, right? Why would Daddy kiss Jackson''s Mommy? I don''t understand¡­."


    ¡­


    Chloe could only stay silent because that was true. Jada Jackson was one of Chloe''s acquaintances. She met her during a teacher-parent meeting in school about a year ago.


    She attended that event with Vincent back then, and his eyes were always on Jada Jackson. So it wasn''t surprising when Jada called Chloe about a year ago and said Vincent and her had a fling, apparently.


    Jada said she wanted to inform Chloe because Vincent said that his wife was used to seeing him cheating, so it didn''t matter. Of course this news hurt her so much when she heard it for the first time, but she grew nonchnt overtime.


    Jada Jackson was just one of Vincent''s flings anyway, she didn''t matter.


    No woman mattered for him.


    "Mommy? It''s not true, right?"


    "A-Ah, of course, it''s not true, dear," Chloe held Mackie''s hand, and they walked to the Uber that Chloe had ordered. They drove back to the motel.<sub> </sub>


    Mackie was still pondering, "But Jaden said that he saw it with his own eyes. He said that Daddy kissed his Mommyst night in their living room!" Mackie said as she followed her Mommy inside.


    Chloe finally turned around and crouched in front of Mackie, "Maybe Jaden is just ying pranks on you. Don''t think about it too much, okay? Your Daddy is busy, as always."


    ¡­


    "Okay, Mommy¡­"


    Chloe had to admit that she didn''t feel much knowing that Vincent was sleeping with Jada Jacksonst night. Knowing how much of a bastard he was.


    When you got used to something, you saw it as something trivial;


    ''Heh, I would be more surprised if Vincent suddenly decides to be a good husband and father. That''d be more shocking than him sticking his dick everywhere."


    ¡­


    "Mommy, when will we leave this ce?" Mackie asked as they were watching TV together.


    "Hm? Why do you ask? Do you not like it here?" Chloe returned the question, and she nced at Mackie, who was still sulking.


    "No, I don''t like it. So many scary people in here¡­" Mackie replied. "Can we return home instead? I don''t want this pic anymore¡­."


    "We can''t return home, Mack. Daddy is uh¡­ leaving to another country this morning. He told us to go on a pic..."


    "Then, can we go to a pic somewhere else?"


    "¡­ That would need to wait, okay?"


    Mackenzie sulked again after realizing that she would be stuck here for a while. She stopped watching the TV and pulled the nket instead, ending the conversation immediately without any answer.


    Chloe sighed. She knew that she was already at her wit''s end. She didn''t have enough money to stay in this motel for more than a week. She couldn''t return to her mother because her little sister and her family were already living in her mother''s house right now.


    Besides, if her mother knew about this whole thing, she would be calling Vincent and be the one who begged Vincent to take her daughter back to the house.


    ¡­


    Chloe slid into the drawer beside her bed and picked up the business card handed to her by Vernon on Dorothea Gray''s birthday.


    "That man¡­" Chloe started imagining the face of that man again. Of course, she could see his face on the inte. Vernon Phoenix Gray was infamous for dating various actresses.


    But seeing his face in real life, she realized that Vernon was a lot more¡­ charismatic. He had short ck hair and jet ck eyes. He was clean-shaven, so Chloe could see all of his facial features.


    His facial features reminded her of one actor, Henry Cavill.


    His eyes were deep, and he had this¡­ somewhat dangerous aura, even if he tried to be nice in front of her.


    "That dangerous aura¡­." Chloe looked up, staring at the ceiling as she tried to process what would she do next. "Maybe because he is Vincent''s brother, it''s the same dangerous aura I sense with Vincent."


    ¡­


    "Maybe they''re the same bastards. They''re brothers, after all. But I have to take any job that I cannd. But, I think Vernon and Vincent aren''t close, even before Vernon left for a long time. Vincent told me once that Vernon never likes to talk with him.""


    Chloe turned her head to the left, staring at Mackenzie, who was already sleeping.


    "But I need to take the chance."


    Chloe decided to put Vernon''s office number on her phone. She nned to call his office tomorrow morning.

 13 Chapter 13

    "Remember to ignore Jaden if he says something weird, okay?" Chloe said as she walked her daughter to the front gate of the school. "Don''t get into trouble."


    "But, Jaden is wrong, Mommy¡­."


    "Well, sometimes, you should not react to someone ying pranks on you. Jaden will forget about you once he realizes that you''re not paying attention to him, understand?"


    "Un¡­" Mackenzie nodded. She still felt that Jaden was the wrong one, but her Mommy was never wrong, so she just followed her words.


    After sending Mackie to school, Chloe sat inside the nearest convenience store and called Vernon''s office number.


    After a few beeps, the call was connected.


    ¡ª


    "Goldenstar CEO''s office, good morning. This is Diamond speaking. How may I help you?" the secretary answered the call professionally.


    "Ah¡ª uhm¡­" Chloe got tongue-tied suddenly because she didn''t expect the phone call to directly connect to Vernon''s office. She thought that it would be connected to the main receptionist.


    "Hello?"


    "I¡ªIs this Vernon Phoenix Gray''s office?" Chloe asked awkwardly. She was trying to find good words to say that she wanted to meet him.


    "Yes, Ma''am, this is Mr. Phoenix Gray''s office. How may I help you?"


    "I¡ª I uh¡­." Chloe swallowed her saliva hard and mustered her courage. "I want to meet with Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    "Do you have a meeting scheduled with Mr. Gray, Ma''am? May I know your name and yourpany? So I can match it in myputer."


    "I¡­ I don''t have a meeting scheduled. But he said that I can always call him since he gave me his business card."


    ¡­


    The secretary across the call went silent for a few seconds. Chloe heard the sound of typing on theputer keyboard on the line, which made Chloe even more nervous, "Hello?"


    "Ma''am, may I know your name?"


    "Chloe¡­"


    "Which Chloe? There are so many Chloes here," the secretary asked.


    ''So many Chloes? What does that mean?'' Chloe wondered. But she dared not waste the secretary''s time, worried that it might annoy the secretary. "My name is Chloe Carlson."


    "Chloe Carlson? I''m sorry, Ma''am, there is no Chloe Carlson on Mr. Phoenix Gray''s list. I cannot direct you to him."


    ''What list?''


    The more she heard it, the more confused she got. But she felt that she had to use that cursed name once more. Maybe it would help her since she was bearing the important name of Vernon''s family.


    "How about Chloe Gray?" Chloe asked.


    "Wha¡ª Chloe Gray?!" the secretary panicked instantly. Chloe heard even louder keyboard typing, and the secretary''s voice turned sweeter than before. "Mrs. Chloe Gray, Mr. Phoenix Gray''s sister-inw?"


    "Yes."


    "A¡ªAlright, Mrs. Gray. You cane anytime you want. Do you need a car to pick you up?"


    "Eh? N¡ªNo, I cane on my own."


    "Okay, the address is¡ª"


    The secretary gave out the office''s address, though Chloe already knew it. After they talked, the secretary asked if Chloe woulde today, and she said yes.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay, Mrs. Chloe Gray, I will wait in the lobby for your arrival."


    "Isn''t that a bit¡­ too much?" Chloe wondered. Vincent also owned a fewpanies, and in his mainpany, Chloe was free to use his private lift to reach Vincent''s office.


    But none of Vincent''s secretaries would wait in the lobby like Vernon''s secretary did to him.


    "Not at all, Mrs. Gray. It''s just how we operate."


    "Uhm, okay¡­ I would probably arrive around nine," Chloe said as she checked her Lyft.


    "Okay, I will be waiting, Mrs. Chloe Gray."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "Huh, that secretary is so weird. Did Vernon tell her that I woulde? But he is a busy man. There is no way that he would remember about me too much," Chloemented as she ordered a Lyft and hopped in. She pondered during the whole ride.


    ''Maybe Vernon already expects my arrival?''


    ¡­


    ''Nah, that''s not possible. He is too busy for that.''


    The car stopped in front of the office. Chloe got off and stared at the tall building in front of her.


    She clenched her bag strap and walked in.


    She saw a gorgeous African-American woman with long hair and a slim-fit zer already standing in the middle of the lobby. She was probably in her mid-twenties and had a nametag on her chest.


    - Diamond J.


    Secretary. -


    Diamond approached Chloe immediately and offered her hand, "Good morning, Mrs. Gray. My name is Diamond. I''m the secretary you talked with on the phone before."


    Chloe epted the handshake, "I''m Chloe¡­ Gray."


    "Yes, please follow me, Mrs. Gray."


    Diamond led Chloe to the private lift, and they went to the top of the office building. Diamond brought her to a spacious office, bigger than Vincent''s office, for some reason. There was also a wide ss pane that showed the city view below.


    "Please sit down, Mrs. Gray. Do you want tea or coffee?"


    "Ah, I don''t need one, thank you," Chloe refused politely. "Where is Vernon¡ª I mean, Mr. Phoenix Gray?"


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray has a meeting right now, but he will be avable in about twenty minutes. Please sit patiently, do not touch anything."


    Chloe nodded, and Diamond finally left her alone in this office.


    Chloe sat for a while and looked around. The office was wide, decorated with beautiful ornaments like expensive paintings and weird, a few artistic statues that she didn''t understand.


    But the main attraction in her eyes was a door at the corner of the room. It was a beautifully carved door,plete with that fingerprint door lock. She had this ominous feeling as she continued staring.


    Her imagination started running wild, thinking that Vernon might be hiding something crazy there. Nobody in the family knew what Vincent was doing other than everything told on social media. Many people, including Vincent, said that Vernon had so many secrets they didn''t know.


    ''He¡­ he didn''t keep a corpse inside, right?'' Chloe thought of many crazy ideas. She got up, wanting to check the carved door. But before she could take one step towards the carved door, she heard a voice from behind;


    "I thought my secretary told you to sit down and wait, Sister-inw."

 14 Chapter 14

    "I thought my secretary told you to sit down and wait, Sister-inw."


    Chloe heard a voice from behind. She turned her head and froze on the spot when she saw Vernon Phoenix Gray standing at the opened door.


    "Ah, I''m sorry, Vernon. I was just¡­ just¡­." Chloe got tongue-tied now as she got nervous. She was unsure on how to make it less awkward as Vernon caught her prying around the room, even wanting to check a door.


    Vernon looked at her with a smile, but his eyes were dangerously staring at Chloe, making sure that Chloe didn''t move an inch from her position, "Sit down, and I will talk to you."


    "Y¡ªYes!" Chloe reacted spontaneously. She sat on the seat again and heard Vernon''s steady footsteps as he walked past her. Vernon sat on the opposite seat, only a few inches away from hers.


    He leaned on the backrest and crossed his legs as he stared at Chloe with his brooding gaze, a gaze that made Chloe feel even more nervous than before.


    Vernon was still in his suit, with his short hairbed to the back. He was wearing rimless sses at work. Vernon still had a thin smile as he opened his mouth, "I''m d that you called, Sister-inw. It''s been a long time since we talked, right?"


    "Y¡ªYou can call me by my name¡­." Chloe requested as she felt awkward when Vernon continuously called her sister-inw.


    They hadn''t been in contact for years, more than ten years, in fact. So it felt a bit awkward for him to keep addressing her as sister-inw.


    Other than that, Chloe wouldn''t be his Sister-inw after she divorced Vincent.


    "No, I like to call you sister-inw. It reminds me that you''re married to my brother," Vernon replied. His thin smile disappeared for a split second before he smiled again, but his eyes darkened as he mentioned ''marriage.''


    Chloe felt ufortable talking about her marriage. She wanted to say that she was already in the divorce process with Vincent.


    ''But I am going to ask for a job from Vernon, which is Vincent''s little brother. Would he give me a job if he knows that I''m going to leave Vincent?''


    Chloe started weighing the pros and cons of her decision and decided not to tell Vernon about it.


    She needed a job badly. She didn''t care whether Vernon would fire her after knowing the truth. At least she could save a lot of money before that happened.<sub> </sub>


    But of course, she had to y it safe, making sure that Vernon wouldn''t notice her desperation too quickly. Maybe a little chitchat would help.


    "Vernon, you were like¡­ a teenager when thest time I saw you before you left? Maybe you''re around thirteen to fourteen years old? Look at how you''ve grown to be such a dashing man!" Chloe praised Vernon, hoping that would make the CEO rx a bit.


    But Vernon didn''t react much. He only grinned and replied, "Do I look handsome and big now?"


    "U¡ªuh, yea, you''re a big man now, hahaha¡­" Chloeughed awkwardly. She felt that Vernon''s eyes were too focused on her and her body, making her nervous and self-conscious. She looked down to avoid his gaze and checked on her appearance.


    ''Did I wear the wrong outfit? No, I''m wearing a tucked striped long shirt and jeans. It shouldn''t be too shabby.''


    ''Maybe he thought that I''m too old or ugly to work here. He is Vincent''s brother, so he must be judging me from my body right now, just like Vincent usually did.''


    "I''m a big man, indeed," Vernon finally rxed. "Sister-inw, what brings you here?"


    "Ah, I just want to catch up¡ª"


    "Catch up? Youe here only for chatting? Both of us know that you have a more urgent matter, right?" Vernon said. Chloe raised her head immediately and saw Vernon smiling meaningfully at her. "I mean, it''s just a little illogical that you would call your estranged brother-inw just to chat, right? I gave you my business card in case you need help."


    Her breath stiffened for a few seconds. She really thought that Vernon already knew about the whole thing. But he made sense because Vernon was seriously estranged from his family, let alone with a mere inw like Chloe.


    Toe here only for chitchat sounded stupid.


    "Don''t worry. I''m always open to listen to your request. We''re a family, after all," Vernon assured.


    Vernon was right. She had to strike while the iron was hot. Vernon seemed to be more reasonable than Vincent. Surely, he would help, right?


    Chloe took a deep breath, prepared herself, and uttered her real reason, "I¡­ I need a job."

 15 Chapter 15

    "I¡­ I need a job."


    "A job?" Vernon raised his brow. "Why would you need a job? My brother has given you anything that you want, right? His inheritance alone would be enough to give you avish lifestyle, and he is also good at managing his business."


    Chloe swallowed her saliva hard. Vernon was undoubtedly correct. Vincent''s money was enough to give her avish lifestyle until her old days.


    But that wasn''t really what Chloe wanted.


    Chloe married Vincent for his love. Money was just a bonus. But now, even the bonus wouldn''t be able to cover the hole in her heart.


    Vernon noticed that Chloe got tongue-tied suddenly. Thus, he fished for more information, "Is there any problem with him?"


    "A¡ªAh, no, not at all¡­." Chloe tried to dodge it. But her nervousness should be telling already. "I¡ªI just want to work. I''ve been a housewife for so long, I want to work to keep myself busy."


    "Being a housewife is already hard work, is it not? You have to take care of everything in the house, on top of caring for your daughter," Vernon said. He was satisfied as he saw Chloe getting more and more nervous. "Don''t you think you should focus on raising your daughter first? I can give you a jobter¡ª"


    "N¡ªNo! I need it now!" Chloe reacted as she was about to get turned down by Vernon. But she zipped her mouth instantly as she saw the smirk on Vernon''s face as if she had been led by her nose.


    "What''s with the urgency? I can always give you a job if it''s urgent, but¡­." Vernon got up from the seat. He walked past Chloe and stood right behind her seat.


    Vernon put his hands on the backrest of her chair. His finger touched Chloe''s shoulder, which made her hunch her shoulder immediately, trying to avoid his touch.


    She knew that Vernon wasn''t interested in her. He haddies in stock. He could sleep with anyone he wanted. But to feel Vernon''s aura behind her already made her heartbeat elerate.


    She looked down and felt even smaller, with Vernon''s eyes burning through her skin as she felt his hooded eyes looking down at her.


    "I want your honesty, sister-inw," Vernon said. He stared down at Chloe, and his pupils dted, "Do you have trouble with Vincent? I know he can be reckless in his pursuit of pleasure."


    ¡­


    "I will guarantee you a job after you''re telling the truth to me, isn''t that fair?"


    ¡­


    Chloe was desperately trying to hide her marital problem because she didn''t want Vernon to drop her request as soon as he heard about the divorce between her and Vincent.


    But his offer was tempting¡­


    "Y¡ªYou promise to give me a job after telling you the truth?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, I can give you the one with good pay, of course," Vernon said. He already had guesses about Chloe''s problem but still wanted his sister-inw to say it.


    Chloe started fiddling with her fingers, finding the correct word to bring in the terrible news.


    "I¡­ I''m in dire need of money because I''m going on a divorce with Vincent," Chloe said. "I already left the house with Mackenzie and living in a motel with my saving right now. I need money to give my daughter afortable life."


    "You''re not going to ask for money from my brother?"


    "Never," Chloe said without hesitation. She might not be the strong woman in movies. She was just a housewife in the process of breaking free from an unhappy marriage. But she was 100% sure that she wouldn''t take a dime from Vincent.


    It was a matter of pride since Vincent would call her names and mock her for it. But Vincent could also weaponize it in the court. Knowing him and his connection, anything that would disadvantage you in a court could be fatal.


    Vernon''s grin grew wider, "Your situation is regrettable, Sister-inw. I can always give you a job, and I can also give you nice pay. I can also provide you with the office''s facility. But the job is quite¡­ unconventional."


    "I¡ªI will take any job, Vernon¡ª I mean, Mr. Phoenix Gray!" Chloe finally braced herself and looked up. Vernon was looking down at her, and their gazes met.


    She held her breath instantly because, from this angle, Vernon looked like the devil holding her in his grasp.


    Chloe looked down instantly, hunching her shoulder even more. She felt so small as the devil looked down on her.


    Vernon chuckled upon seeing Chloe''s reaction. It was truly the reaction that he wanted.


    Vernon gently put his hot hands on his sister-inw''s shoulder, making her shudder instinctively.


    "Are you sure you want to take the job? Whatever that is?"


    "I¡­ I will do whatever for money! You don''t understand how desperate I am right now," Chloe convinced Vernon of it. She was ready to take any job, even if it was a hard one.


    Maybe he would tell her to work as a cleaningdy that would scrub the office toilet or serve coffee or tea to all the employees in this building.


    As long as she got money, she didn''t care.


    "If you''re that desperate, I can give you one job. This is the only job that is currently open in my office."


    "W¡ªWhat is it?"


    "You can be my personal assistant, Sister-inw. Taking care of all my daily needs," Vernon slowly leaned in, whispered in her ears, like the devil chanting his charm, "Especially in bed."

 16 Chapter 16

    "You can be my personal assistant, Sister-inw. Taking care of all my daily needs," Vernon slowly leaned in, whispered in her ears, like the devil chanting his charm, "Especially in bed."


    Chloe''s breath stiffened. She lowered her head even more, almost curling at this point, because she wanted to avoid Vernon''s lips that were so close to his ear and nape.


    She wasn''t sure if she heard it right, or maybe her mind was ying tricks on her. Because she just heard Vernon whispering that he wanted her to be his personal assistant, taking care of his daily needs¡­ especially in bed.


    ''That means he wants me to¡­.'' Chloe warded off the thought immediately. ''No, no! That is simply ridiculous! How could he¡ª a¡ªah, he must''ve been joking.''


    Chloe felt the joke was inappropriate, though. They were technically still inws despite her already separating from Vincent. Even after getting the divorce she wanted, wouldn''t that be weird to joke around?


    ''Maybe I''m just too old for this crude joke,'' Chloe thought. But she was the one who needed the job, so she had to y it off.


    "A¡ªAhahah¡­ that''s funny, Vernon," Chloe gave out her awkwardugh. "I was a little scared when you said that. But then I realized that''s impossible, haha¡­ good joke¡­."


    Vernon had expected the reaction from his sister-inw. After all, she was always the modest type who still believed in traditional love and loyalty after marriage.


    Which was also why her marriage with his ever adulterous big brother failed, was it not?


    "Maybe this would convince you," Vernon said. His left hand suddenly wrapped around Chloe''s shoulder, locking her in ce. While his right hand slowly crawled from her corbone to her neck.


    Vernon''s big and hot hand wrapped around her fragile neck, making sure that Chloe wouldn''t be able to escape while he was whispering something in her ear, "I want you to work under me, spread your thighs and greet me as your Boss. Both in the office and in bed."


    Chloe felt a jolt inside her body when Vernon gently licked her earlobe. She struggled, trying to break free from the grasp of this evil bastard.


    But Vernon''s hands were tightly wrapped around her shoulder and neck. The more she struggled, the tighter it was, choking her slightly as Vernon continued speaking;


    "I''m not done yet," Vernon whispered with a sneer in his voice.


    "V¡ªVernon, you''re crazy! I''m still your sister-inw!" Chloe yelled as she tried to break free once more. "¡ªAck!"


    Chloe stopped struggling when Vernon gently pressed his thumb on her esophagus, making it difficult for her to breathe. "


    "Any deal with me is a high risk but has a high return. I can give you anything you want, but everything has its price. Think about it, Sister-inw."


    Vernon finally released his grip around Chloe''s neck and took a few steps back as Chloe coughed a few times.


    She turned around and saw Vernon shrugged and raised his brow light as if he didn''t just say something absolutely disgusting to her own sister-inw!


    Although she was in the process of divorce, she was still legally his inw!


    It was also such a shock to Chloe, who was a conservative woman. She had only been in love once and married the same man who took her virginity.<sub> </sub>


    She knew that Vernon was infamous in the gossip news and social media as a yboy who likes to break women''s hearts for nothing but pleasure.


    She thought it was all exaggeration, but he¡­ he wanted toy his hand on her?!


    Chloe got up from the seat and took a few steps back to distance herself from Vernon. The devil kept on smirking while crossing his hands. He seemed to see this as a game, a joke, perhaps.


    "You¡­ did you not realize what you just said? Vernon, we are¡ª"


    "We''re inws, yes. Not for long," Vernon interrupted. "You''re probably going to divorce my brother soon. But, even if you''re not, I don''t really care. I''m just a little curious about you, that''s all. Since you can actually make Vincent stay for¡­ two years?"


    "You¡­ you''re unbelievable," Chloe clenched her fist. "I''m here to find a job to feed my daughter! I''m not here for sex!"


    "It''s not just sex. I will pay you for that, and I will give you all you need. Isn''t that convenient?" Vernon said. "I happened to end my rtionship with a woman about thirty minutes ago. She''s been nothing but a nuisance."


    "I also don''t wantmitment right now. It''s too tiring when I have a big projecting up. That''s why I want to hire you to work under me," Vernon said.


    Everything that Vernon said was so unbelievable for a traditional woman like Chloe. She was ready to work a hard job just to provide for her daughter, not to sell her body¡ª HELL, it didn''t even make sense! She was 35, and he was 25!


    He could obviously get any woman he wanted, but now he suddenly wanted to feast on an olddy like her?!


    Chloe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.


    "Vernon, I''m thirty-five years old, you know that? Why would you mess around with a woman like me?"


    "I don''t have any obligation to tell you," Vincent shrugged with little to no care.


    "C¡ªCan you Just please, give me a proper job. I can even be a cleaningdy in your office!" Chloe insisted. Hoping this would melt Vernon''s heart. "This is for my daughter. I''m begging you¡­."


    "The only job I can give is to be my personal assistant," Vernon replied. "You can leave now if you don''t want it, Sister-inw. Though, I can tell that you''re very desperate for this job."


    After realizing that Vernon only gave her one choice, she bit her lip and shook her head fervently, "All I need is a job, not to be your bitch! You''re crazy, Vernon Phoenix Gray!"


    Chloe stomped her feet as she wanted to leave.


    But Vernon blocked her way with his imposing broad shoulder and tall body.


    "What? What do you want now? I said I don''t want your offer!" Chloe yelled.


    "Aw, don''t get so worked up, Sister-inw," he took out a business card from his suit pocket. He grabbed her wrist and put the card in her hand, "This card has my private number. Remember to call me when you change your mind."

 17 Chapter 17

    "This card has my private number. Remember to call me when you change your mind," Vernon said with a sneer on his lips.


    Chloe gave him a stern look, "You''re a bastard, Vernon. Just like your brother."


    Chloe sidestepped Vernon and walked away from the CEO''s office.


    Vernon turned around and watched as Chloe entered the elevator and finally left for good. He scoffed, "Just like my brother? Sister-inw, I can be a lot worse."


    Diamond, his secretary, slowly approached her Boss, who didn''t seem to be in a bad mood after that woman named Chloe left.


    "B¡ªBoss¡­"


    "What?" Vernon responded curtly, his eyes still staring at the elevator.


    "You sure you want to let her go? Isn''t she¡­"


    "Don''t worry. I am herst savior," Vernon said. His rxed gaze turned darker as he finally shifted his eyes at his secretary, who got terrified of him. But the smirk stayed, giving the impression of the devil already snared a maiden into his trap, "She wille crawling back to me. Just make sure you prepare the room."


    Diamond knew instantly what Mr. Phoenix Gray meant about ''the room.''


    She nodded obediently and did what she was told to do.


    "Understood, Boss. I will prepare it."


    Honestly, Diamond was also terrified of Mr. Phoenix Gray. She had been working with him for almost two years, so she naturally knew many things about him, and it wasn''t pretty.


    She had cast away all of that idea of romance with her Boss. She focused on her job because Mr. Phoenix Gray paid her really well, twice the amountpared to what a secretary in otherpanies usually gets.


    But other than that? Nope, she didn''t want anything to do with his activity. She didn''t even understand how those women could throw themselves into a viin''s embrace like Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    ''Who the hell wants to have a deal with the devil?'' Diamond thought.


    **


    Chloe stomped her feet as she left the office building. She was pissed off and felt humiliated.


    "I might be desperate, but I didn''te here only to be looked at as a prostitute! You bastard, you''re just like your brother!" Chloe yelled aloud and flipped off in front of the building. She checked her phone and found out that she had gotten an email from twopanies. They were offering a job as a secretary and receptionist respectively.


    "See? I will get a job soon, so fuck you, Vernon Phoenix Gray!"


    Chloe ordered an Uber and headed straight to thepany that offered a job as a secretary. She hit the end of the age limit since they only epted women from twenty-five to thirty-five years old.


    ''That means I have a chance!'' Chloe thought positively.


    **


    She walked into the receptionist and asked about the interview. The receptionist brought her to their CEO''s office.


    But when Chloe opened the door, she saw the old CEO sitting in his chair, seemingly thinking about something heavy.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe excused herself and sat in the opposite seat because the old CEO didn''t seem to respond at all. He just continued staring at her with a troubled gaze.


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Lawson. I''m Chloe Carlson, one of the candidates for the new secretary," Chloe introduced herself. She expected the CEO to start the interview, but he asked a different question instead.


    "Your name is Chloe Carlson or Chloe Gray?"


    "Huh?" Chloe thought he heard it wrong. "Mr. Lawson, how did you know about¡ª"


    "Answer me. Is your name Chloe Gray?"


    "T¡ªThat''s my ex-husband''s surname, Sir."


    "Ah, I see," the old CEO sighed. "Your application is rejected. You may leave now, Mrs. Gray."


    ¡­


    Chloe was astonished by the sudden rejection. She hadn''t even started the interview yet!


    "Mr. Lawson, why did you suddenly reject my application? We haven''t started the interview. Please give me a chance!" Chloe begged. She was at her wit''s end right now. If she didn''t get any job today, she might not be able to feed Mackenzie next week.


    Mr. Lawson looked pissed. He clicked his tongue, "Because your surname is Gray. I just got a call from the Gray, telling me to reject your application or I will face the consequences."


    "Seriously, a powerful family like The Gray wants to bully my smallpany over a woman like you. Get out now before I get into trouble!" Mr. Lawson yelled. He got up and walked toward Chloe.


    He grabbed Chloe''s arms and dragged her out. He pushed Chloe out of his office roughly. Chloe lost her bnce and fell to the floor. She looked up, and the door was mmed, ensuring that Chloe didn''t think about a second chance.


    Mr. Lawson''s secretary saw everything, but she was glued to her seat. She also didn''t dare to help Chloe because this was the first time she heard Mr. Lawson getting that angry.


    "M¡ªMa''am, I suggest you leave now. I don''t think Mr. Lawson is in the right mind now," the secretary advised.


    Chloe didn''t respond. She just got up from her ground and hobbled as she left the office. She sat on a bench to rest because everything was shocking for her.


    Chloe was still trying to process what just happened as the realization hit her when she got an email from the otherpany. She was supposed to have an interview today.


    ¡ª


    Mrs. Chloe Carlson; Mrs. Chloe Gray;


    Due to a sudden change of decision from the HR Department, we have to regretfully reject your application to work as a receptionist in ourpany.


    We also implore you not toe to our office today, and this is a direct order from the higher-ups.


    Thank you, and good luck with your application.


    ¡ª

 18 Chapter 18

    Chloe''s hand was shaking as she waspletely heartbroken after reading the email. She thought this job interview would be herst chance, hoping it would be enough to bounce back and provide for her and her daughter.


    But a certain man dared to ruin her already messed-up life even more! He couldn''t just sit still and let her live as a middle-aged woman trying to piece her life together!


    She clenched her phone, trying her hardest not to cry because it would show that she had failed to live independently.


    "That piece of shit!" Chloe cursed. She searched her ex-husband''s contact and pressed call immediately. "Fucking jerk! How could he¡ª I know he is a cheating bastard, but how could he do this to his own daughter?! Does he not realize that doing this to me will also hurt Mackenzie?!"


    Chloe was so sure that Vincent stopped those twopanies from epting her. Vincent was the one with the power to do this kind of thing. Hispany had a lot of branches and cooperation with other corporations, so it wouldn''t be difficult for Vincent to tell those smallerpanies to discard her job application if they wanted to continue the cooperation.


    Naturally, thosepanies decided to save their asses first.


    The phone beeped many times until there was a long beep. Vincent didn''t pick up the call.


    "Damn it!"


    Chloe tried calling him a few more times, hoping that he would pick up the call. She didn''t know what she would say to that bastard, but she wanted to vent her anger first.


    Unfortunately, Vincent was uncontactable right now.


    Chloe scoffed, "Maybe that bastard isughing his ass off right now, thinking about how desperate I must be to get a job to feed Mackenzie¡­."


    ¡­


    "Am I really a useless woman who can''t do anything?" Chloe asked herself. She started to have doubts, maybe even fear. Fear about how she might need to return to Vincent and kiss his feet, begging for his forgiveness¡­


    Chloe bit her lower lip, trying hard not to cry as she refused to return to the same tormenting life with Vincent.


    She got up defeatedly and bought two sandwiches from the nearest 7-Eleven for Mackenzie''s dinner. She had little to no money to pick Mackie up from her school with Uber, but her school was private, and there was no bus stop.


    She arrived at Mackie''s school and saw the little girl standing in front of the school gate. She looked pissed. Maybe it was that Jaden boy messing around with her again.


    Chloe got out of the car and approached her daughter, "Mackie, what''s wrong?"


    ¡­


    Mackie looked up to her Mommy and grabbed her hand instantly, "Mommy, I wanna go home¡­."


    "Okay, let''s go home, okay?"


    Mackenzie obediently followed her Mommy to the Uber car, and they returned to the Motel. Mackenzie was silent the whole time, even after changing her clothes and eating a sandwich as dinner in the Motel room.


    "Mackie, what''s wrong? Can you tell Mommy?" Chloe asked.


    Mackenzie finally looked up to her Mommy, and tears started zing in her eyes.


    "Oh no, don''t cry!" Chloe kneeled in front of Mackenzie and wiped the tears building at the edge of her eyes. "What''s wrong? Is it Jaden again?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, Mommy¡­" Mackenzie nodded weakly. "He said that he heard his Mommy, Auntie Jada, was kissing with Daddy, and Daddy told Auntie Jada that he¡­ Uhm¡­ he won''t pay for my school."


    "Mommy, Jaden said that Mackie will be expelled from the school because I can''t pay¡­." Mackenzie stared at Chloe, begging for an assurance, "Mommy, it''s not true, right? Why would Daddy do that?"


    Again, Chloe was torn between telling Mackenzie the truth about her cheating bastard father or continuing to defend him. Had she followed her ego, she would say outright that Vincent was a cheating bastard with no remorse or love, even for his own daughter.


    But at the same time, she didn''t want to scar Mackenzie for life.


    Chloe hugged Mackenzie gently and caressed her hair, "Of course, it''s not true! You will continue going to school every day, of course."


    "But, what about Jaden¡­"


    "He is just speaking nonsense! Just ignore him!"


    "Um¡­" Mackenzie rested his head on her Mommy''s shoulder. "Mommy, I want to go home."


    "We''re at home now."


    "Not here, I mean¡­ our home with Daddy! I want to meet Daddy!"


    "That¡­ we can''t do that, Mackie. Your Daddy is still too busy," Chloe said. "Just stay here for a while, okay?"


    "I don''t wanna!" Mackenzie started struggling and pushed her mother away. She looked mad and threw a tantrum, "I wanna go home!"


    "D¡ªDear, we will stay¡ª"


    "I wanna go home! I wanna go home! I wanna go home!" Mackenzie started stomping the floor and cried out loud.


    "Sshhh! Not too loud¡ª"


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Chloe and Mackenzie were shocked when a loud banging noise came from the wall, followed by a loud yell, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"


    Mackenzie trembled as she had never felt as much fear like this. She hugged her Mommy for protection, and Chloe immediately put her on the bed. "Don''t be too loud, okay?"


    "M¡ªMommy, who is that?"


    "That''s a stranger, of course. You can''t be too loud because they also need rest."


    "W¡ªWill he hurt us?"


    "No, as long as you''re not yelling and crying, of course," Chloe said. She kissed Mackenzie''s forehead. "Sleep early tonight. You must be tired, right?"


    "Um¡­" Mackenzie stopped sobbing because she was more terrified than ever, afraid that her voice would be heard. She whispered, "Mommy, I want to leave this pic and return home. I''m scared¡­."

 19 Chapter 19

    "Mommy, I want to leave this pic and return home. I''m scared¡­."


    Chloe smiled bitterly and caressed Mackie''s hair. She had no answer to that because there was no way in hell she would return to Vincent.


    But if she said no to Mackie, she would probably throw another tantrum. So she asked, "What if we moved to a better home instead? We can''t return home because Daddy is still busy. But we can always move to a better home¡­."


    "Ah! I would love that!" Mackenzie nodded happily. She was too ustomed to her old home, where she didn''t need to shush-shush. "When will we move, Mommy? Tomorrow?"


    "D¡ªDon''t worry. It won''t be long," Chloe said.


    "Promise?"


    "Promise."


    "Okay, Mommy, good night," Mackenzie felt a lot better after getting the promise that she wanted. She closed her eyes and fell asleep after such a long day.


    The smile on Chloe''s lips faltered after Mackie fell asleep. She sighed deeply because the worry in her heart grew even more. She was worried about her saving, her job hunting, Mackie''s demand to move somewhere else, and also her school tuition.


    Mackenzie''s tuition fee was paid per semester, and the semester was about to end. Chloe needed to get a big sum of money to pay for that tuition through any means.


    "Should I¡­ call that bastard?" Chloe asked herself. She hated to call that bastard, but this was for Mackenzie''s study. So it was a shared responsibility.


    Chloe braced herself and grabbed her phone. She dialed a number, and after a few beeps, the man finally picked up.


    ¡ª


    "Calling me now?" Vincent asked as he picked up the call. He chuckled as he had already guessed that Chloe was desperate.


    ¡­


    Chloe took another deep breath to calm herself. There was no reason to fight Vincent, at least not when it was about Mackie''s future. She really wanted to curse this bastard for ruining all her chances of getting a job.


    "This semester is about to end. You need to pay Mackie''s tuition," Chloe said coldly.


    "Tuition? Well, of course, that''s my legal responsibility," Vincent replied lightly. "I thought you were the one who would take care of her. The ''brave woman'' is nothing but a deadbeat, huh?"


    "Shut up, Vincent. You''re the one who ruined my chance to get a job!" Chloe went to the bathroom and closed the door so she wouldn''t wake Mackenzie up while she raised her voice towards this asshole.<sub> </sub>


    "Ruined your chance?"


    "I know you''re the one who forbids all of them to take me in!" Chloe used, venting out her frustration. "You know how much of a dirty bastard you are? Does it feel good to see me not able to feed Mackie?!"


    Vincent didn''t really understand what Chloe was talking about. He did nothing so far because he had already expected Chloe to fail. She was nothing but a dumb woman, after all.


    But, he liked that she thought her downfall was his cause. Just thinking of teaching this bitch a few things about humility and obedience gave him the thrill!


    "Well, I don''t care whether you got a job. I know an ipetent woman like you has no chance to work," Vincent mocked. "Anyway, if you want the money to pay for Mackie''s tuition, you have to meet me at home. As long as you beg, I will give it to you."


    "Fuck no!" Chloe responded harshly. "I will never step on that fucking house, not after you''ve done to me, Vincent!"


    "Besides, do you think I can''t bring this to the court? Mackenzie''s future is also your responsibility!" Chloe continued raising her voice while sitting on the toilet seat. This was the only ce where she could vent without waking Mackie up. "They will force you to pay up!"


    "Haha! Chloe Gray, you''re such an idiot!" Vincent ridiculed. "I can always give you the money as long as you''re willing to meet me. Do you think that the court won''t favor me? I''m the husband who wants you back, remember?"


    "I bet they will force you to ''fix'' our rtionship through marriage counseling and consider it done," Vincent said. He smirked as he could sense the dread in Chloe across the call.


    "You''re not going to get anything from me without the divorce, you dumb bitch. And I will never sign that divorce paper. I will even plead for marriage counseling in the court instead," Vincent told his solid n to Chloe, and thetter was too stunned to speak. "Honestly, my track record is so clean, and with the help of a few strings I can pull, you''ll be the one who ended up with nothing but regrets, Chloe Gray."


    ¡­


    "So, I''m just going to say this one more time before hanging up. Crawl back to me, and I will forgive you and your dumb decisions. It''s that easy."


    Beep.


    Vincent hung up the call without waiting for Chloe''s response, leaving her speechless and hopeless.


    Chloe could hear a crack in her heart. For some idiotic reason, she thought that Vincent still cared for Mackenzie.


    Of course, he wouldn''t. He cheated on her while Mackie was still inside her belly. He never actually loved his own daughter.


    Chloe lowered her head, staring at the tears that started dropping from his eyes to her thighs, "There is no point in calling that bastard in the first ce. I''m all alone¡­."

 20 Chapter 20

    Chloe sat limply on the toilet seat for a while. She felt hopeless, too hopeless, that she started thinking if she could ever escape from that bastard Vincent Gray.


    He blocked her way out. She had no job, no way to pay for her daughter''s tuition, and no money, even if she filed awsuit for child neglect. Technically, what Vincent said was true. He would give her all the money, as long as she was willing to meet him again. The court would probably advise marriage counseling instead.


    Because Vincent never hurt her physically, the court would think of this as a regr couple fight.


    But Chloe also felt that meeting Vincent would only lead to her demise, she didn''t know what he would do, but she refused to meet that shithead again.


    Thus, she was already out of options¡­ except that one¡­


    Chloe wiped the tears before leaving the bedroom in case Mackie suddenly woke up.


    Chloe opened her bag and took the business card handed to her before she stomped out of the CEO''s office.


    ¡ª


    Vernon Phoenix Gray


    917 - 111 - xxxx


    ¡ª


    There was no upation, address, et cetera. It was just a simple card that showed the name and number.


    Honestly, Chloe hesitated to call this man. He was no different than Vincent. They were both the same perverts in a different bodies. They also shared the same view of women, thinking they were nothing but a tool to vent their demons.


    "Those Gray brothers really know how to y with a desperate woman like me¡­." Chloe mumbled and preferred if she didn''t need to call anyone right now.


    But she really needed money right now, no matter what. This was for the sake of Mackie''s study and wellbeing.


    Chloe closed her eyes to brace herself before calling the demon who offered her the contract to sell her body. She nced at Mackie, who was sleeping on the bed, and reassured herself, "I will do whatever it takes. This is for my daughter, even if that means I have to¡­ sell my body to the devil."


    Chloe entered Vernon''s number and called. She called her three times until Vernon finally picked up the call.


    ¡ª


    "Good evening, Sister-inw," Vernon greeted with his maic voice. Judging by his yful tone, he seemed to be well aware of something. "I suppose you''re calling me because of that job offer, right?"


    "Y¡ªYeah," Chloe replied. She tried to sound more polite, knowing that she licked her own spit in less than a day and called him out of desperation.<sub> </sub>


    "I¡­ I will ept the offer," Chloe replied. She fidgeted as her body burned out of shame from head to toe. "I will¡­ I will do anything as long as I get the money¡­."


    "Hmm, I mean, I''ve always wanted to know the sensation of fucking my own sister-inw," Vernon replied.


    "Then can I¡ª"


    "¡ªBut I got a call from my Big brother about three hours ago. Now the case is different."


    Chloe''s scalp went numb. She already guessed that Vincent would''ve called his little brother first. They might not have the best rtionship, but they were still brothers. So it was pretty obvious whose side Vernon would take.


    "He called me, saying that he wants me not to ept you had youe to my office. He wants you to make sure that you''re not going to get in my office," Vernon informed. He sounded convincing enough that Chloe believed it instantly. "I''m not sure if I want to y with you now, Sister-inw. I don''t want to get to his bad side. He is the one who owns Gray''s businesses, not me."


    "P¡ªPlease, Vernon, I really need your help! Please just ignore Vincent''s words and let me work in your office instead!" Chloe said on the phone. "Vincent has stopped twopanies from hiring me, preventing me from getting any job for Mackenzie!"


    "Damn, he would abuse his power to stop anyone from hiring you?" Vernon gawked, ying alone with Chloe, who was desperate for the job she turned down a few hours ago. "What a vile man. I didn''t know that my brother would use his power to bully you!."


    "That''s why¡­." Chloe leaned on the wall, trying to stay calm as she felt her chance was getting slimmer. "Please take me in. I really need the job¡­."


    "If I hire you, that means I will be facing my brother''s wrath," Vernon said. "But, let''s see if you''re worthy of all the troubles. Come to my office tomorrow morning. I will have to test you first."


    "T¡ªTest? What kind¡ª"


    "Have a good sleep, Sister-inw."


    Beep.


    "Damn it!" Chloe cursed as she felt her knees getting weaker. She sat on the floor, folding her legs and burying her face in her thighs. She was scared of what Vernon would do to her tomorrow.


    She wished that Vernon was not the monster like his Big brother. But at the same time, her gut feeling told her that Vernon was no different than Vincent. He might be even worse than that unfeeling bastard.


    Chloe was so done dealing with the Gray family. But she had no way out now. Nobody would help her except Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    Chloe crawled to the bed andid beside Mackenzie who was sleeping soundly.


    She kissed her daughter''s cheek and reminded herself, "This is for my daughter. Everything is for her, even if I have to¡ª"


    Chloe had no gut to say that she would be a prostitute to the young Gray, especially in front of her daughter. So she closed her eyes and wished that everything was just a nightmare.

 21 Chapter 21

    Vernon hung up the call after he said what he needed to say. He chuckled in mirth as he could clearly hear the desperation in Chloe''s voice.


    "Of course, she would. Since I blocked all her way out," Vernon said as he drank his whiskey. He had no remorse for what he did, "After all, I''ve always wanted to know the taste of a shy and modest woman like her."


    Vernon was the one who did everything, including threatening those executives to reject Chloe''s job application. He might not be as powerful as Vincent¡ª at least not now.


    But he was powerful enough to pull some strings, of course.


    Vernon called another number, and after a few beeps, the call was connected.


    ¡ª


    "Hello, Vernon?"


    "Ah, big brother," Vernon said. "I called just to tell you that I''ve rejected my sister-inw''s request."


    "Really? Did she finally called you out of desperation?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes,"


    "And you refused to give her a job, right?"


    "I don''t want to offend you, big brother," Vernon replied.


    "Good, I need that bitch to give up with her stupid escape. She doesn''t know what kind of idiotic thing she''s doing right now," Vincent said. "Anyway, thanks for your help, Vernon. I hope we can work to sort out our family problem soon."


    "Sure, sure, big brother. Don''t worry about it," Vernon said. "I never have any grudge against you. So we should be able to work together sooner orter."


    "Mhm, sure, talk to youter."


    Vincent hung up the call after that. Vernon threw his phone onto the bed near him.


    He sat on the long sofa and spread his legs. He drank until thest drop of his Dalmore 62 and then put the bottle on his side. He looked at the picture of a beautiful woman in her thirty and her daughter in his phone gallery. His face turned gradually turned reddish, he wasn''t sure if it was the effect of drinking the whole bottle of whiskey, but he felt pretty lightheaded right now, "You have a beautiful family. Too bad I''m going to be involved in your life."


    ¡ª


    "See youter, Mommy!" Mackie waved her hand as she pranced towards the school gate.


    "Study well, Mackie," Chloe said. She waved her hand and smiled, but the smile slowly faltered after Mackie entered her school gate. The woe in her heart grew as she continued thinking of the worst scenario when she met Vernon just an hour from now.


    Vernon was a bastard, and she was convinced that Vernon would not let her off easy. Not after she yelled at him and refused toply at his office yesterday.


    **


    Chloe stood in front of the door leading to the main lobby of Vernon''s office. She saw Diamond¡ª Vernon''s secretary was already standing inside, waiting for her to enter.


    She hesitated for a second but shook her head after that.<sub> </sub>


    Damn it, pull it together, Chloe Carlson! This is for your daughter!'' Chloe chanted in her heart as she approached Diamond.


    Diamond smiled at Chloe and said in a formal tone, "Mrs. Gray, pleasee with me. Mr. Phoenix Gray is waiting for you in his office."


    ''Vernon is waiting for me? Oh no¡­''


    Chloe swallowed her saliva, but she nodded and followed Diamond to the executive elevator. They stood in silence while the elevator went up.


    Chloe was a little ufortable with the silence, especially knowing that Diamond and her would work together in the future. Thus, she tried to start a conversation, "S¡ªSo, how long have you been working with Vernon?"


    "Two years," Diamond replied curtly.


    "¡­ Then, how many women Vernon ever dated in those two years¡ª"


    "Too many to count, Miss," Diamond replied, not wanting to hide the cold, harsh truth to a special victim of her Boss. "I personally managed the contacts of all women he had ever been with. The longeststing rtionship he had ever been with was with the hottest new actress in Hollywood, whichsted for two months."


    "Two months?"


    "Yes, Mr. Phoenix Gray is a man who is easily bored," Diamond said. "Though, his good looks, paired with his sessful venture and¡­ other physical advantages make him popr amongst the Hollywood circle."


    Chloe was somewhat relieved upon hearing that one. He knew that Vernon was a powerful man, just like Vincent, and he was just as fickle as his big brother.


    ''If he can onlyst for two months with the hottest new actress in Hollywood, he will probably only tolerate me in a week at most, and I will get dumped,'' Chloe thought. ''That''s good. I will just take my payment and leave it with Mackie. I''ll never get entangled with this bastard or his brother anymore.''


    Meanwhile, Diamond sympathized with Chloe. She was the one who knew about Mr. Phoenix Gray''s true intention, but she had no right nor obligation to tell Chloe about it.


    She wanted to save her ass from Vernon''s rage as well.


    Ding!


    The elevator reached the highest floor, and Diamond led Chloe to the office. She knocked on the door and opened it slowly, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, Mrs. Chloe Gray is here."


    "Let her in," Vernon replied.


    Diamond opened the office door, allowing Chloe to enter the CEO''s office.


    Chloe took a deep breath and clenched her fist for a second to muster her courage before stepping in.


    The moment she stepped in, Diamond closed the door behind, locking Chloe with the demon CEO.


    "Wee back, sister-inw," Vernon greeted. Chloe darted her eyes at the figure of a man standing in front of the wide ss pane, staring at the view of the city below.


    Chloe stared at the CEO''s broad shoulder in silence for a while until Vernon turned his head to the left and looked over his shoulder, "Shall we begin with your interview?"

 22 Chapter 22

    Chloe stared at the CEO''s broad shoulder in silence for a while until Vernon turned his head to the left and looked over his shoulder, "Shall we begin with the interview?"


    Chloe took a step back instinctively as Vernon''s eyes framed behind the rimless sses showed a dangerous glint, like a hawk that had found its prey. He seemed to have predicted everything, including Chloe''s desperate return.


    Vernon turned around and walked to his executive chair. He fixed his rimless sses and cupped his hands on the long desk. If Chloe didn''t know what kind of man Vernon was, she would think that Vernon was a proper CEO who wanted to hire her professionally.


    ''Not a pervert who wants to fuck his own sister-inw,'' Chloe thought.


    "Sit down, sister-inw," Vernon said as he pointed at the seat with his chin.


    ¡­


    Chloe stared at Vernon full of suspicion, but she obediently sat on the seat directly facing Vernon. She had braced herself for whatever Vernon would do to her now.


    But the devil was always full of surprises;


    "Your resume?" Vernon asked.


    "Huh?" Chloe was stunned. He thought that Vernon would have his way into her right here, right now.


    But he actually asked for her resume?


    "I¡ªI didn''t bring it with me," Chloe said truthfully. "I¡ªI thought¡ª"


    "Tsk, tsk, what kind of job you want if you can''t even provide me a resume?" Vernon said. He had a devilish smirk as he continued, "How am I supposed to ept you as my assistant with your unprofessionalism?"


    "I¡ªI¡­" Chloe stuttered, and her cheeks reddened out of shame. She lowered her head ashamedly, "P¡ªPardon me, Sir¡­."


    Vernon chuckled. She was so predictable that it became amusing for him, "I will give you lenience for now. But you''re going to work with me as a real personal assistant. You need to know that I''m an impatient man. I do not tolerate this twice, understand?" Vernon dictated.


    "Y¡ªYes, Mr. Phoenix Gray¡­"


    Vernon turned around to hold hisughter once he realized Chloe took this seriously. Of course, he had no intention of turning Chloe to be a regr assistant. He already had Diamond, and she was a verypetent secretary.


    While Chloe¡ª his sister-inw, was a ce for him to try new things.<sub> </sub>


    Though, he was curious about a few things, "Sister-inw, do you know how to cook?"


    "Y¡ªYes, I''ve always cooked for my husband¡ª I mean, ex-husband, and daughter for the past ten years," Chloe replied. She wasn''t sure if this would help her in her new job, though¡­


    "Good," Vernon nodded approvingly. "I assume you can do other housewife duties as well¡ª"


    "H¡ªHousewife duties?"


    "Three tasks," Vernon said. "I need you to cook for me daily and prepare my suit every morning. That will be your job as my personal assistant."


    Chloe looked up. She thought Vernon was joking, "You¡­ you want me to cook and prepare your suit daily?"


    "Yes."


    "Isn''t that a job of a¡ª"


    "Maid?" Vernonpleted her sentence, and Chloe nodded meekly. She would be more than happy to be a maid because that was an honest job for a middle-aged woman like her.


    Vernon knew what Chloe was thinking, and he wouldn''t let her have the relief she wanted, "The first two tasks might be easy, but the third task is what differs you from a maid job."


    "T¡ªThen, what''s the third task?" Chloe asked.


    Vernon said nothing, but he got up from the seat and walked towards the beautifully carved wooden door,plete with the password lock in the door handle¡ª located at the edge of the CEO''s office.


    Chloe was curious about that door before. Because the antique wooden door was so out of ce in this sleek-designed office dominated by ck and white colors.


    Unfortunately, she didn''t have time to check the door in close range because Vernon arrived way too early and called her out for snooping around during their first meeting.


    Vernon pressed his thumb on the door handle, and his fingerprint was detected. The door was automatically unlocked.


    Vernon pushed the door open and leaned on the door while staring at Chloe, "Come here, let me show you the third task."

 23 Chapter 23

    "Come here, Sister-inw, let me show you the third task," Vernon said.


    Chloe looked at him suspiciously. From this angle, she couldn''t see anything inside the room. But she only saw the purple velvet wall, which was already suspicious enough.


    "What is that room?" Chloe asked suspiciously.


    "Your new office," Vernon smiled. "It''s nothing dangerous. It''s just a room¡ª that will be your office after you are hired as my personal assistant."


    Obviously, Chloe wouldn''t believe a thinging from Vernon''s mouth. She had a few theories of what was inside that suspicious room¡ª from the tame one up to the wildest fantasy she had, something that a modest woman like Chloe would never think of entering in her life.


    ''Is it¡­ a sex dungeon?'' Chloe guessed. She had never seen one in real life. She just read a few erotica with descriptions. They said a sex dungeon usually had one master to control the whole thing. In Chloe''s imagination, Vernon was fit to be one.


    ''But, why would he have something so obscene in his office? This is a professional office, right?'' Chloe asked herself.


    "What''s with the wait? Didn''t I tell you before that I''m an impatient man?" Vernon urged Chloe, and she reluctantly obeyed.


    Chloe got up from the seat and slowly walked toward Vernon. Her body was a little stiff because she got nervous.


    Vernon was pleased when Chloe obeyed. He pointed at the room with his chin and said, "Come in first. I will guide you from behind."


    <o>,m Chloe nodded. She took a deep breath to brace herself. She stepped inside the room and was stunned upon seeing what the room was used for.</o>


    Under the dim light, Chloe saw a big bed covered with red velvet sheets in the middle of the room. There was plenty of suspicious stuff hanging on the wall, handcuffs, dildos, vibrators, whips in many forms, choker and dog cor, and red ropes dangling from the ceiling.


    Everything looked like stuffing from a novel, Chloe had read a few eroticas, and she could only see this stuff and how it functioned with google, but she never saw them in real life.


    Chloe''s body shook, the shock was too great for her, and she stepped back out of reflex.


    But the moment she stepped back, her shoulder hit something behind her.


    Chloe looked up and saw Vernon already standing behind him. With his devious smile, he asked, "Why are you so surprised, sister-inw? You''re an adult, right? A few sex toys shouldn''t be shocking."


    "B¡ªBut, but I¡ª" Chloe stammered, but she couldn''t utter anything in the end. She imagined Vernon must have a perverted hobby, knowing he still had the Gray blood in him.<sub> </sub>


    But she never thought that her imagination could be true.


    "I¡ª I need to take a breather. Please excuse me¡ª" Chloe said. She needed time to recover from the shock, and standing inside this ce already scared her.


    Vernon''s gaze darkened almost instantly, and the devious smirk disappeared from his face. He pushed Chloe until she lost her bnce and fell to the velvet bed in front of her.


    "Ah!" Chloended boobs first on the bed. She groaned for a second. But Vernon didn''t give her time to recover, heid right beside Chloe on the velvet bed, and his hand crawled from her waist up to her boobs.


    Vernon slipped his fingers inside her shirt and started fondling her boobs covered with a bra;


    "Ah!" Chloe felt her whole body shuddering upon getting touched by Vernon. She had never been in a rtionship except with Vincent in her whole life, so getting touched by another man felt strange for her.


    "V¡ªVernon, what are you doing?! This is inappropriate!"


    "Inappropriate?" Vernon chuckled. "This is your third task as my third secretary; to please me in bed with your body. Don''t act so innocent. You should''ve expected this already."


    "Ah¡­ Uhm¡­" Chloe gasped as Vernon got braver and used his other hand to pull her closer until there was no gap between them. Vernon''s hand started caressing her thigh, making Chloe''s whole body tremble out of mixed fear and strange excitement.


    Vernon leaned in and whispered, "This is yourst chance, sister-inw. Be obedient and ept me, or leave."


    Chloe was stunned and could say nothing as Vernon''s big palm and long fingers continued fondling her boobs.


    ''S¡ª should I leave now? Vernon gives me thest chance to leave, but¡­.''


    ''There is no way I could get a job out there.''


    ''Not when Vincent is holding my life with his power.''


    "I take your silence as a yes," Vernon kissed her neck, satisfied with her obedience. "You can''t escape now, sister-inw."

 24 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 24

    "I take your silence as a yes," Vernon kissed her neck, satisfied with her obedience. "You can''t escape now, sister-inw."


    Chloe felt that she was being embraced by the devil, all Vernon''s words were hypnotizing and domineering, but she could do nothing about it.


    She nodded weakly and murmured, "P¡ªPlease be gentle¡­."


    Vernon chuckled, "Look around you. Do you think I can be gentle with all of these things?"


    Chloe lifted her head and looked around once more. She swallowed her saliva nervously.


    Vernon was right. With his hobby, there was no way he could be gentle.


    But, that wasn''t her concern currently;


    Her concern was down there, where she could feel something big¡ª almost like a police stick poking her from behind. She bit her lower lip as she tried to muffle her gasps more and more.


    She said that Vernon should be gentle because of the size of his dick. It was too big, even bigger than Vincent. She was already whimpering and almost crying when doing it with Vincent. Though, it was mostly because Vincent refused to be gentle to her and was always so rough during sex.


    If Vernon was just as rough and uncaring as Vincent, she would probably die out of shock when that thing mmed inside her.


    "N¡ªNo, I mean, your¡­ your¡­." Chloe couldn''t say it. She felt it was too vulgar. Even Vincent only fucked and left her after that. There was no dirty talk and such.


    "My what?" Vernon chuckled. He teasingly rubbed his hard-as-rock dick against Chloe''s plump ass, and the friction from his underwear and boxer gave him even more stimtion.


    "I can do it to you right here, right now," Vernon said, and Chloe started having a cold sweat all over. She never had sex anymore after getting pregnant with her daughter, so that was already eight years of no sex.


    She didn''t know if she was ready now¡­


    "You''re nervous about this? I thought my brother must''ve done you many times," Vernon said.


    Chloe shook her head shamefully. She buried her face on the bedsheet, "E¡ªeight years¡­."


    "Huh?"


    "H¡ªHe hasn''t touched me¡­ for eight years¡­." Chloe said truthfully. She wanted to see if Vernon would let her off, for now, knowing that she basically returned to being a virgin after no sex for eight years.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon''s eyes widened, and he stopped grinding his dick, "Are you serious?"


    Chloe nodded weakly.


    "Pfft¡­ Hahaha!" Vernonughed freely. He finally released Chloe and got up from the bed. He looked down at the woman at his mercy on the bed, "I didn''t know that my brother would be that stupid. But fine, I''m an impatient man, but a few things can wait. I will teach you slowly with everything in this room."


    Chloe gulped again, but she only nodded and resumed her same position, waiting for Vernon to do something to her body.


    But contrary to her expectation, Vernon suddenly said, "Why are you stillying there like a dead fish? Get up and fix my suit. I have a meeting in ten minutes."


    "Eh?" Chloe turned her head towards Vernon. He looked impatient as he checked his watch. Their gazes met when Vernon also looked in her direction, "What? Are you deaf? Get up and fix my suit!"


    "Y¡ªYes, Mr. Gray!" Chloe got up hastily and fixed his cuffs, cor, and belt.


    Chloe saw that Vernon was still half-erect down there. Even half-erect was still so obviously big. Her cheeks reddened. She said nothing and tidied the shirt around his hips and waist.


    Vernon chuckled. He wrapped his hand around Chloe''s waist and pulled her towards his embrace. He pinched her chin and lifted her head up. They stared at each other again, under the dim light of this secret room of the CEO. Vernon had a lot of ideas in his mind, knowing that Chloe was basically a virgin again at this moment.


    "You should return home and prepare everything before dinner. I have a lot of meetings today," Vernon said.


    "H¡ªHome?" Chloe was flustered. "Ah, you mean your home. Y¡ªYes, I will clean everything and cook for dinner, Sir."


    Vernon said nothing but had a mysterious smile while staring at Chloe, "Talk to my secretary after this. I don''t have to exin everything."


    Vernon released Chloe and walked out of the CEO''s office, leaving Chloe alone in this¡­ she wasn''t even sure how to call this sultry room. She walked out quickly and shut the antique door. The door was automatically locked, much to her relief.


    Chloe wobbled towards her chair, her cheeks still had a tint of red, and she was spacing out the whole time, trying to process what just happened and the fact that she had sold her life to the devil.


    She didn''t know if it was the correct decision.


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray¡­ what are you going to do with my life?"

 25 Chapter 25

    Chloe stayed inside the CEO''s room for a while to collect herself. She sat on the same seat, staring at the executive chair for a time until she heard the door getting knocked from outside.


    She looked over her shoulder and saw Diamond open the door and walk in with a cup of tea. The secretary approached Chloe and slowly put the cup of tea in front of Chloe, "You should drink this, Mrs. Gray. Mr. Phoenix Gray must''ve been going wild on you," Diamond said with sympathetic eyes towards Chloe.


    Chloe looked at Diamond and asked, "Did you know what is inside that room?"


    "Yes, I do."


    "So he has used that room with so many women before?"


    "Not many, just women that Mr. Phoenix Gray found interesting," Diamond said. "He has many flings in the past, but he only took a certain female demographic inside that room."


    "Certain female demographic?"


    "I cannot disclose the information, Missus," Diamond said.


    Chloe instantly imagined all those toys being used by so many women, and it would get inside her. She shuddered out of fear and disgust. Who would''ve expected that Vernon had such a disgusting hobby and also switched with so many women?


    ''Isn''t he afraid of STDs?'' Chloe thought.


    Diamond sensed what was on Chloe''s mind just by looking at the disgust on her face, so she cleared up a little misunderstanding, "Don''t worry about the props, Mrs. Gray. Mr. Phoenix Gray always reced all the props with brand new ones every time he switched partners."


    <o>,m "Really?"</o>


    "Yes, so you don''t need to worry about STDs. He is clean as well," Diamond gave out more than enough information. But she pitied Chloe so much, knowing that she would have to face Mr. Phoenix Gray''s torment.


    Though, she fabricated one piece of information; Mr. Phoenix Gray was not someone who would treat a random woman with care and gentleness. He never actually reced the props he had inside that room; until yesterday. Diamond had to rece the whole props down to the bed under the order of the demon CEO yesterday.


    Mr. Pheonix Gray didn''t say anything about why they had to rece everything inside his Velvet room, but he just told Diamond to rece everything with brand new, so it would be clean.


    Unfortunately, Mr. Phoenix Gray forbade her to say anything to Chloe. This was already the stretch she could do without igniting Mr. Phoenix Gray''s wrath.


    Chloe was a little relieved that Vernon wasn''t aplete nasty man like she expected. But still, changing partners like it was nothing¡ª that kind of thing must''ve been a gic trait of the Grays.


    "Anyway, Mrs. Gray¡ª"


    "You¡­ can call me Chloe¡­." Chloe said. She felt a little uneasy that Diamond would refer to her as Mrs. Gray because she was in the divorce process with Vincent.


    "Ah, that would be impolite of me," Diamond refused. "Mr. Phoenix Gray said you need to be addressed as Mrs. Gray."


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    "You can call me Chloe in private then," Chloe said.


    "That''s¡­ fair," Diamond hesitated a bit. But Chloe seemed to be morefortable with her name rather than being addressed as ''Mrs. Gray.''


    "Well, Chloe, Mr. Phoenix Gray already told me you epted his term, right?" Diamond asked.


    "Yes¡­"


    "That means I can give you this," Diamond fished out something from her zer pocket and put them on the table.


    Chloe stared at the items on the table. Obviously, she knew what they were, but she wasn''t sure why would Diamond put them in front of her, "And this is for?"


    "It''s office facility," Diamond said. She pointed at a car key, "There is a car for you in the VIP parking spot. It''s a silver Bentley Continental GT. You can show the key to the security guard in the lobby, and he will lead you to your new car."


    "What?!" Chloe''s eyes widened. She didn''t know that she''d get an office facility. But even if she got one, why would it need to be a luxury car?!


    But Diamond didn''t let her speak as she continued exining;


    "And for those two¡ª" Diamond pointed at two cards, one white with a name on it, and the other one¡­


    ¡ªWhite card¡ª


    Phoenix Tower


    20.02


    ¡ª ck card¡ª


    American Express


    3775 1978 xxxx xxxx


    Vernon Phoenix Gray


    ¡ª


    "The white card is a card key for your new apartment in Phoenix Tower. It''s on floor 20, room number 2," Diamond exined. "And for the ck card¡­ it''s Mr. Phoenix Gray''s ck card. He issued one more card for you, so you can use his credit card for the necessary purchase."

 26 Chapter 26

    Chloe''s eyes widened as she heard the exnation from Diamond. She didn''t know that Vernon would facilitate his employee with such luxury.


    "Diamond, did you get the same facility?"


    "No," Diamond shook her head. "I don''t get that kind of luxury as an office facility. But I do get paid a lot, much more than the sry from otherpanies."


    "I see¡­." Chloe looked at the stuff on the table. She wasn''t sure whether she was worthy of such a facility. But if she refused this¡­


    "Do you think Vernon will be mad if I refuse the facility?" Chloe asked.


    "And why do you have to refuse the facility?" Diamond asked back. "Many women would kill for this luxury, you know?"


    "I know, but¡­."


    "But?"


    "I feel that everything won''t be so simple after epting the facility¡­." Chloe said. "I''m afraid he will want something more if I take the luxury he offered."


    "Don''t worry about that, really," Diamond sighed. "I may not get the same luxury, but he gave the same thing to the previous women he dated. It''s just part of the deal."


    "Ah, okay then," Chloe let out a relieved breath. "If his other women got the same luxury, I can feel at ease."


    "I don''t understand you, Chloe," Diamond said. "You don''t want to be treated special?"


    "No," Chloe replied curtly. She had a bitter smile on her lips. "My experience with my ex-husband told me¡­ that a man would only treat you well when they feel like it, and they will ditch you after that. It''d be better if he treats me like a regr employee if he''ll probably ditch me in a month at best."


    ¡­


    Obviously, what Diamond said was another lie. All of Mr. Phoenix Gray''s ex-girlfriends only got pocket moneypared to what Chloe got. But after seeing her reaction, it seemed that treating Chloe as a special woman wasn''t the correct thing to do.


    She had to report this to Mr. Phoenix Gray to ensure he didn''t make a wrong step.


    ''I need to ask for a raise from him. I''ve saved his ass plenty of times in front of Chloe,'' Diamond thought.


    After Chloe left the office, Diamond waited for Mr. Phoenix Gray to return to the CEO''s office and reported.


    "How''s her reaction?" Vernon asked while he entered the office.


    Diamond tailed him from behind and answered, "Mrs. Gray is shocked by the facility you provided, Sir."<sub> </sub>


    "A good kind of shocked?"


    "No, Sir."


    Vernon halted his step immediately, "And why so? Is it not enough for her?"


    Vernon knew that Vincent was currently more powerful and richer than him. So he expected that what he offered might not be enough for Chloe.


    "No, Sir. She is overwhelmed. She doesn''t want to be treated special," Diamond reported.


    Vernon''s brows creased as he didn''t understand what was on Chloe''s mind. He turned around and lowered his head to look straight at Diamond, "She doesn''t want to be treated special? What kind of idiot is she?"


    "I''m not sure either, Sir. But she said it''s an experience from her ex-husband. She wants to be treated just like another employee," Diamond reported.


    ¡­


    "Heh, what an idiot," Vernon scoffed. He turned around and walked to his chair. He looked at Diamond, who stood in front of him, "Is this a new kind of fetish? Or is it humiliation? Masochism?"


    Diamond almost rolled her eyes in front of Mr. Phoenix Gray, but she shook her head, "I''m not sure, Sir. But didn''t you say that you just want to try her for a few weeks?"


    "Yes, that''s my n," Vernon said ruthlessly. "But I guess I need to be slower because I didn''t know that she hadn''t been touched by my brother for more than eight years. Probably a month at best."


    "Then, you don''t need to think too much about her needs, isn''t that right, Sir?"


    "True, but I want to make sure that she got her best experience with me," Vernon said. He had a smile on his face, but that smile turned devious at some point, "I bet it''ll be interesting to see my family''s reaction. She can be a fun toy to pass my boredom."


    ¡­


    p Diamond wasn''t sure how she was supposed to help Mr. Phoenix Gray. Because his action was so different towards Chloepared to the rest of his ex-women.</anda>


    He was hot-and-cold towards her.


    Sometimes Mr. Phoenix Gray acted as if he had at least a little interest in Chloe.


    But other times¡­ he acted as if Chloe was just a toy for him to pass his boredom, not so different from the rest of his previous flings.


    ''Whatever that is, I just hope he doesn''t hurt her much. I kinda pity her a little,'' Diamond said in her heart.

 27 Chapter 27

    Chloe left the CEO''s office and gave the car key to the guard in the lobby.


    The guard bowed at her respectfully, and he left for a while, only to return with a brand new silver Bentley Continental GT. How did she know it was brand new? Because the guard boasted about it.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray bought this about three days ago, Missus. He ordered me to take care of it until he gave the key to someone. Turns out that someone is you," the security guard said. "It''s ready to use, and all the documents are inside the car."


    "T¡ªThank you¡­."


    Chloe walked towards her new car awkwardly and opened the car door. She sat inside her car for a while. Honestly, it wasn''t her first time ever driving a luxury car.


    Vincent had a lot of luxury cars with astronomical prices, and Chloe drove one or two for her daily transportation.


    But she felt more pressure sitting in this car, to the point that she felt pricked with hundreds of needles on the (supposedly)fortable seat.


    Because she knew that she obtained this through sex work, no matter how you said it, it was still sex work. Even worse, she worked for her brother-inw!


    Chloe was dazed for a while until she shook her head, "Chloe, this is not the time toment. You told yourself that you''re willing to do anything for Mackie. Even if that means you have to sell your body¡­."


    Chloe took a deep breath and turned on the car. She stepped on the gas and drove to the motel. She had to pack their stuff and put it inside the new apartment in Phoenix Tower.


    After she was done, she went to the Phoenix Tower. She carried their (hers and Mackie''s) luggage to the lobby and spoke to the receptionist;


    "Uhh¡­ Mr. Phoenix Gray told me to live here. May I ask to be escorted?" Chloe asked.


    The receptionist looked at Chloe from head to toe, and she was doubtful that Mr. Phoenix Gray would take an early 30s woman to live in his apartment.


    ''Maybe a maid?'' the receptionist thought. ''I guess she will live on the lower floor.''


    "Do you have any rmendation letter or something?" the receptionist asked rudely. "I can''t bring you in without any rmendation."


    "Ah, I don''t have that, but I have the key¡­." Chloe fished the white card from her pocket and put it on the counter.


    The receptionist frowned when she saw the card.


    ¡ªWhite card¡ª


    Phoenix Tower


    20.02


    ¡ª


    ''Floor 20? Isn''t that a bit¡­ too expensive for a maid?'' she thought. ''Maybe Mr. Phoenix Gray wants that room to be cleaned for a special someone?''<sub> </sub>


    Feeling unsure, the receptionist flipped the apartment card, and she jolted out of shock when she saw Mr. Phoenix Gray''s signature behind the card.


    This was legit, and of course, Mr. Gray wouldn''t let a maid use a private card like this. He would give her the staff card instead if she was a real maid.


    The receptionist gulped, "P¡ªPlease wait for a moment."


    The receptionist quickly called Diamond¡ª Mr. Phoenix Gray''s secretary for confirmation, and the only thing Diamond said was¡ª


    "If her name is Chloe Gray or Chloe Carlson, treat her with respect, or you''ll get fired by Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    ¡ª


    The receptionist quickly changed her expression in front of Chloe, "Miss, may I know your name?"


    "Chloe Carlson," Chloe replied, not wanting to bring her ''Gray'' surname here.


    "Ah! Y¡ªyes, my name is Anna, Miss. I''m the receptionist for Phoenix Tower. Let me escort you to the floor. Please follow me," Anna, the receptionist, said. She looked at Chloe''s luggage, so she told a janitor to carry it.


    Anna used a VIP lift and went straight to the 20th floor, "Miss, you can always use this VIP lift. This lift will take you straight to the 20th and 21st floors. I will give you a cardter,"


    "Thank you, Anna¡­."


    They arrived on the 20th floor, and Anna led the way. She started exining while walking, "This floor only has two big rooms.


    "The room on the left is used for Mr. Gray''s second office. Only Diamond¡ª his secretary and the maids ever entered the office."


    "And on your right¡ª" Anna used the white card from Chloe to unlock the door, "¡ªIs an empty apartment. This apartment has been empty since Mr. Phoenix Gray bought this building. He renovated it to make a new apartment, but it''s not listed, so it can''t be bought or rented. But he made sure that the staff cleaned it daily."


    Anna opened the door and allowed Chloe to enter first.


    Chloe walked in and halted her step once she saw the size of this apartment; she expected a small studio room, at least enough for her and her daughter.


    But what she got was a huge apartment, it was basically a luxury apartment, fully furnished, and everything was brand new.


    Anna walked in and started exining like a real-estate agent, "This apartment has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen with a direct central park view. There is also entry to a long balcony if you want to have an evening tea while looking at the central park. Miss Chloe will be the first to live here, so all the facilities are guaranteed to be brand new. There will be two housekeepers who clean this apartment every morning, and if you need anything, you can just call me on the phone. The receptionist desk phone code is 3."


    Chloe looked around in awe until she forgot to breathe. Of course, this wasn''t her first time ever looking at an expensive apartment. Vincent had everything, twice the amount that Vernon had.


    But what shocked her was that Vernon owned this apartment building, "Is everything under Vernon''s name?" Chloe asked.


    "The building is under Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray''s name, but he listed many of the apartment rooms from 5th to 19th floor, Miss Chloe," Anna replied.

 28 Chapter 28

    Anna saw Miss Chloe Carlson was still busy looking around her new apartment. She didn''t want to disturb the new mistress, so she bowed her head and said, "I will put the key on this table, Miss Chloe. Call me if you need anything. Please excuse me."


    Chloe turned around and politely thanked the receptionist.


    The janitor put Chloe''s luggage near her before closing the door.


    It was a luxury apartment, but it wasn''t as luxurious as her home with Vincent, their vis, or everything else.


    But Vernon''s apartment building¡ª and his whole achievement was a lot more impressive than Vincent''s.


    Because Chloe knew that Vernon was a self-made, a pr opposite of Vincent, who had everything from the very start, and was told to manage and expand the ever-powerful Gray family''s businesses.


    She heard from Dorothea that Vernon refused any mary aid from the Gray family, and people assumed that Vernon just wanted to cut the ties with his family.


    So he started from the bottom, and his entertainment and investmentpany skyrocketed in five years.


    "What an amazing man¡­." Chloe murmured. "No wonder all women are crazy over him."


    But not for Chloe, though. She knew her ce and knew that Vernon was just ying around. Just like how Vincent fucked almost every attractive woman he met, they were blood brothers, after all.


    Chloe felt a growing self-loathing in her heart, wishing she would never be involved with Vincent, and all the regrets starteding to her.


    But she quickly dispelled the thought before the negative thoughts affected her spirit, "Not now, Chloe. Focus on your daughter''s well-being first. That''s the most important."


    Chloe carried the luggage and started exploring her new apartment. She had two bedrooms set up each for her and Mackie and then started checking the bathroom,undry room, and the kitchen, especially the fridge.


    "They have everything here¡­" Chloe muttered. "Should I restock the grocery myself, or the staff will restock it?"


    Chloe remembered that Mackenzie had her own favorite drink, snack, and a few niche spices that the staff probably wouldn''t know, "I need to talk to Vincent about groceryter."


    While checking everything, she found a stair leading to the upper floor, the penthouse that became Vernon''s main residence.


    Chloe instinctively climbed the stair without hesitation. Vernon told him that she would be responsible for two things;


    1. Cooking.


    2. Cleaning his office suits.


    3. Bed stuff.


    "I need to check his dirtyundry, at least," Chloe said. She climbed the staircases and found that the stair was connected to the kitchen.


    She immediately checked Vernon''s fridge and frowned when she saw the messy fridge and dirty dishes, "Did the housekeepers forget to clean today?"


    Chloe did her duty by arranging the stuff inside the fridge and putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.


    Since the dishwasher would take a while, she checked the dirtyundry and found something strange in theundry basket¡­


    Chloe grabbed the only dirtyundry that hadn''t been washed, but it wasn''t a shirt or even underwear.


    It was female ck lingerie.


    "Vernon lives alone, right?"<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Don''t tell me that he likes to crossdress?" Chloe theorized. But in the end, she warded off the thought, threw the lingerie back into theundry basket, and checked the bedroom. She guessed there must be a few more dirty shirts and suits there.


    The bedroom door was half-open, but the room was dark, so she couldn''t see anything from outside. But a strong scent of alcohol from the room got Chloe dizzy for a moment.


    Chloe pushed the door open and turned on the light.


    "AHHHHHH!" Chloe jolted and screamed out of shock when she saw a naked man and woman sleeping on the bed. They were sleeping heavily, and there were many bottles of expensive alcohol around them.


    The woman woke up first when she heard the scream. She grumbled before opening her eyes.


    The woman stared at Chloe in a daze before sighing and asking, "Are you the new maid? Did Vernon not tell you about anything?"


    ¡­


    Chloe was too stunned to react. She kept staring at the woman who gently pped the sleeping man''s cheeks a few times for him to get up, "Babe, wake up."


    "Urgh¡­ what?" the man asked.


    "Vernon hired a new maid. She is shocked because we''re sleeping in his room."


    "Ah¡ª"


    The man opened his eyes wide. He looked at Chloe and forced a smile, "Are you Vernon''s new maid? Ah, he must''ve forgotten to tell you about our nned threesome."


    "P¡ªp¡ªnned threesome?" that kind of word was so out of the world for Chloe, but the man said it so lightly.


    "Yeah, we nned a threesome, and we had a stst night, but he is strangely passive," the man said.


    "Oh yeah!" the woman agreed. "He just watches, and he seems pissed for some reason. But well, we still had a st being watched by him!"


    The pairughed happily, and they got up. They dressed and walked past Chloe, "Oh, by the way¡­."


    The woman returned to Chloe and took money out of her wallet, "I feel bad for startling you. This is just pocket money for you. Don''t tell anyone about us, okay?"


    Chloe stared at the woman, and in closer inspection, she recognized her, "Wait, aren''t you Gwen Sa¡ª"


    "Sshh," the woman put her index on her lips and winked, "I''m just Vernon''s acquaintance. I will leave with my boyfriend now. Goodbye."


    Gwen and her boyfriend walked out of the room and used the lift down to the parking lot. Chloe was still too shocked to react.


    First, the ck lingerie in theundry basket, now a pair of a celebrity couple supposedly having a threesome with Vernon.


    Chloe shook her head, trying to adjust to her new life as a maid, "How am I supposed to give a good environment for Mackie like this? I need to talk to Vernon. Maybe he will allow me to live somewhere with my sry."

 29 Chapter 29

    "I need to talk to Vernon. Maybe he will allow me to live somewhere with my sry," Chloe mumbled. "Ah, speaking about sry¡­."


    Chloe wasn''t sure how to talk about sry with Vernon. But she needed to pay for Mackenzie''s semester tuition since Vincent refused to say it. She absolutely despised going on marriage counseling with Vincent, knowing he could pull up some strings to do that.


    Thus, she needed her sry to be paid forward.


    "I need to talk with him about that too¡­."


    **


    Chloe busied herself by cleaning the bed and washing the rest of the dirtyundry. Once the cleaning was done, she prepared the ingredients for cooking dinner.


    She didn''t know what Vernon liked, but she remembered when Vernon was a teenager, she often cooked in Gray''s family kitchen for Vincent. Little Vernon would request a few things that he liked, such as corn soup,sagna, and many things that couldn''t be cooked because of their dietician.


    After Chloe had cooked everything, she checked the time, and it was time for her to pick up Mackie from her school.


    She finished everything and put her cooking in the fridge, so she could reheat it again tomorrow.


    Chloe went out to pick Mackie up, and when she arrived in front of the school, she saw her daughter with red and puffy eyes. Her hair was messy, and she also had scratches on her arms.


    "Mackie!" Chloe opened the car door and rushed to her daughter. Mackie turned her head towards her Mommy, and she bit her lips but said nothing as Chloe hugged her.


    "Oh God, what happened?!"


    "It''s nothing, Mommy."


    "Mackie, you have to tell me! Did someone bully you? I will talk to your homeroom teacher¡ª"


    "Mommy¡­ Mackie wants to go home. Let''s leave¡­."


    ¡­


    Chloe picked her up and carried her daughter to the car. She put her on the seat and strapped up the seatbelt before driving away.


    They were silent for a while until Chloe couldn''t hold it anymore, "What happened, Mackie? You need to tell Mommy."


    Mackie lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, "Mommy, is it true?"


    "What truth?"


    "That Daddy is sleeping with Jaden''s Mom and Mia''s Mom too¡­." Mackie said.


    ¡­


    "Did Jaden say something again today? Did he beat you up?"


    "No, Mommy. Mia came to me and said that Daddy is the reason why her Daddy and Mommy are separated," Mackenzie replied. "Daddy is sleeping naked with her Mommy, and now Mia''s daddy left her."


    ¡­


    Chloe clenched her grip on the steering wheel. That bastard never learned. No matter how often Chloe told him not to screw around with people, that might affect Mackenzie. But he didn''t even give a shit about her daughter''s wellbeing.


    "And Mia picked a fight with you?"


    "Mmn¡­" Mackie nodded. "Mia pushed me, so I pushed her back, then we fought¡­."


    "Miss Alisha didn''t do anything to separate you two?" Chloe mentioned the homeroom teacher.


    "She did, but it''s toote, Mommy¡­." Mackie rested her back on the seat and asked again, "Mommy, why did Daddy sleep naked with Mia''s and Jaden''s Moms?"


    Chloe bit her lower lip, trying to contain her anger as she was 100% sure not going to cover up for that bastard Vincent for what he did, not even in front of their daughter.<sub> </sub>


    But she had to be careful of her words. Telling everything without a filter would only shock a child''s mind.


    "Daddy and Mommy are going through a difficult time together. That''s why we have to move out for a while," Chloe said as she tried to be as gentle as possible.


    Mackie went silent for a while and continued asking, "Would Daddy let us return home someday?"


    "That depends on Daddy. If he wants us to return home, he has to stop sleeping naked with Jaden''s and Mia''s Mommy."


    "But Daddy told Mackie once that he loves Mommy the most¡­."


    ''Ah, what kind of bullshit is he spewing in front of our daughter?'' Chloe thought. ''That''s just straight up the worst lie I''ve ever heard in my life.''


    Chloe got even more annoyed with Vincent and all of his crap. But she had to keep her calm in front of her daughter.


    "Well, I hope he meant that," Chloe said. "Well, don''t worry about your Daddy, dear. I will treat your wound once we reach home, okay?"


    "I don''t want to go to that scary ce again¡­" Mackie said. She pouted and was about to throw another tantrum.


    "Who said we will go there? We have a new house now!"


    "Wah!?"


    Mackenzie looked excited. This was probably the most exciting thing she had heard since a few days ago. She turned her head to Mommy and asked, "Is it bigger?"


    "Oh, a looooot bigger! So you can run around freely!"


    "With my own room?"


    "Yes! Big room, just like in our home before!"


    "And kitchen and snacks?!"


    "Yes! There are a lot of snacks! We can buy moreter!"


    "WEEEE!" Mackenzie forgot about her woes immediately. She got so excited that she almost jumped out of her seat.


    "Mommy, I want to eat your cooking again! I don''t want to eat sandwiches and burgers every day!"


    "Okay, okay, Mommy has cooked dinner for you. Let''s go to our new home, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    **


    They arrived at their new apartment, and only two words came out of Mackie''s mouth.


    ''Wah!'' and ''Wow!''


    She was so happy with everything that she jumped around happily around the big apartment. Chloe had to chase her around the apartment because her scratch wounds hadn''t been treated.


    It wasn''t until nine that she fell asleep, and Chloe went up to Vernon''s room to wait for the young CEO.


    She reheated the dinner that went cold and prepared it for Vernon.


    Chloe kept looking at her phone to check the time, and the front door of the penthouse was finally opened around two in the morning.


    Chloe got up from her seat to greet Vernon, "Vernon, do you want me to reheat dinner¡ª"


    Chloe halted her step immediately because she saw Vernon return home drunk with a woman in his embrace.

 30 Chapter 30

    Chloe halted her step immediately because she saw Vernon return home drunk with a woman in his embrace.


    The woman that propped him was not just a nobody. She was the hottest rising star that starred in a new box office movie, Elise Summer.


    "Ah, are you a new maid?" Elise asked.


    ¡­


    Chloe said nothing. She was still trying to process what had happened. Because this hit so close to home.


    To see a drunk man who looked simr to Vincent being propped by a beautiful woman. It unlocked the memory that she had tried to bury for so long.


    Because when Vincent started cheating, he was only around 28 years old, and Chloe was seven months pregnant then.


    She was devastated that she thought she''d get a miscarriage because of shock.


    ''Why is my life always revolve around that bastard¡­.''


    "Hey, HEY!"


    "Ah¡ª""


    Chloe snapped out of her daze when she saw Elise''s annoyed face.


    "Come and help me! He is so heavy, damn it!"


    "Y¡ªYes!"


    Chloe helped Elise by taking Vernon''s other arm. They carried him to his bedroom, which Chloe cleaned in the afternoon. Chloe gently put Vernon on the bed. Vernon was already intoxicated, so he felt nothing and only mumbling about incoherent stuff.


    "I will prepare a towel for him¡ª"


    "Ah, no need. I will be the one who helps him pass the night," Elise said. She unbuttoned her shirt in front of Chloe and took off her shirt, exposing her beautiful slim body and a cute pink bra covering her nicely shaped boobs.


    Elise nced at Chloe and frowned, "Why are you still here? Out now, I need to help him!"


    "Ah¡ª o¡ªokay¡­."


    Chloe felt everything was on autopilot, from carrying Vernon to his bed and allowing the other woman to please him. Everything was so simr to her experience with Vincent.


    Chloe left the room and shut the door slowly, leaving a tiny gap so she could hear whatever happened inside. She stood in front of the door and listened carefully to the suspicious soundsing from inside.


    Slurp. Slurpp! Slick, slick, slick!


    "Ugh¡­ urgh! Shh¡­ sss¡­ sii¡­ ugh¡­." Chloe wasn''t a baby. Of course, she knew what the sound meant. She continued listening and heard even more moaninging from Vernon.


    He seemed to be mumbling about something incoherent while Elise gave him a blowjob, so Chloe didn''t know what he wanted to utter.


    The blowjob continued until Vernon gasped, and there was nothing but silence after that.


    ''Ah¡­ this is so nostalgic. Vincent and Vernon''s habits and hobbies are uncannily simr,'' Chloe smiled bitterly. She felt that familiar pain she experienced whenever she faced Vincent.


    ''This is not my problem. Vernon is not my problem,'' Chloe said.


    She gently shut the door until there was a click and went downstairs to her apartment.


    She checked at Mackie, who was already asleep and worried about her even more.<sub> </sub>


    "This ce is not suitable for us. I don''t want Mackie to identally discover Vernon or his wild guests doing stuff. I need to ask for early payment¡­.''


    **


    Vernon woke up groggily the next morning. His head was banging like crazy, and his muscle ached all over.


    "Ugh¡­" Vernon groaned and massaged his temple. He opened his eyes, blinked twice, and realized he was in his room.


    ''Who brought me here?'' Vernon asked himself. He drank heavily yesterday. It was to celebrate the new contract for one of his talents in the entertainment industry, Elise Summer.


    So he thought he would still sleep on that long sofa in the club.


    ''So, who brought me? Was it Diamond?'' Vernon pondered. ''No, I already told Diamond to return home if she wants. I don''t think she will stay for the whole night.''


    But his pondering was cut short when the bathroom door was opened, and naked Elise Summer came out from the bathroom.


    "Ah, I thought you''d sleep for the whole day," Elise said. "Since I sucked your dick to relieve your morning wood as well."


    Vernon was dazed, still trying to process the stuff happening right now.


    He looked down when Elise mentioned dick and jolted when he saw himself naked from hips to toe. His thick 8-inch was still erect and covered with saliva.


    "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Vernon jumped out of bed and distanced himself from Elise immediately.


    Elise also got startled by his reaction, "What?"


    "You¡ª what did you do when I was unconscious?!"


    "Geez, I just sucked your dick twice! No need to get so worked up about it!" Elise rolled her eyes. "What''s with your reaction? We did it often, aren''t we? I thought I was your current girlfriend and sex partner."


    "FUCK! I didn''t consent on this one, you bitch!" Vernon opened the door and yelled, "LEAVE!"


    Elise Summer was astounded by Vernon''s sudden personality change. He was such a party animal who drank heavily during the party yesterday, and he even hugged and kissed her in front of everybody.


    But now he suddenly yelled and kicked her out? They fucked three times already!


    "Ugh, I guess you''re still too drunk," Elise Grumbled. She dressed up sloppily before leaving the room. "Thank you for the celebration. By the way,st night was amazing."


    "For fuck sake, just leave!"


    "I know, I know! Geez, what a weirdo," Elise walked out and identally came across the maid who helped her yesterday.


    It seemed she was carrying a bowl of chicken noodle soup for Vernon.


    "You should be careful of him. He is not in the right mood today," Elise said, and she strutted away.


    Chloe''s eyes followed her back until Elise left and then turned around.


    From one shock to another, he saw Vernon massaging his temple while leaning on the wall. He looked at Chloe and dodged her eyes when their gazes met, "Why didn''t you kick her outst night? Didn''t I tell you this is my private residence? I was intoxicated, and that bitch sucked me while I was unconscious. That bitch seriously has galls."


    ¡­


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?"

 31 Chapter 31

    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Vernon asked. "At least tell me if that bitch did something more than just a blowjob."


    ¡­


    "Are you deaf? I''m talking to you!" Vernon lifted his head and looked at Chloe.


    But he found out that Chloe was looking away. Her face and ears were flushing red as if she had seen something embarrassing.


    Vernon frowned, "What? What''s wrong?"


    "T¡ªThat¡­ your¡­"


    "Were you shocked about the whole thing? I will exin it to you."


    "N¡ªNo, your¡­ your¡­"


    "Look me straight in the eyes and tell me what''s wrong. I''m your boss!" Vernon said sternly.


    <o>,m But Chloe''s face got even redder, and she pointed at Vernon''s hips, "Y¡ªYou''re not wearing pants."</o>


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "AH, FUCCKK!" Vernon slipped inside his room and mmed the door. He forgot that he was butt naked from the waist down.


    The bowl of chicken noodle soup in Chloe''s hand trembled. She hastily put the bowl on the table before it fell. Seeing Vernon''s erect dick in the morning was truly a mental shock.


    It was long and had a thick girth, definitely a lot bigger than Vincent''s. It was also majestic with bulbous tip¡ª


    Chloe shook her head to ward off the thought, ''Why did you be so lecherous, Chloe? Is staying around Vernon for a few days enough to turn you into a pervert?''


    Vernon was so embarrassed he wanted to die. He thought he could y it cool in front of Chloe, despite feeling guilty.


    But the supposedly heavy mood turned into an embarrassing mess.


    Vernon wore sweatpants and went out. He acted as if nothing had happened and went to the dining table to eat the chicken noodle soup.


    "This is for me?"


    "Um¡­" Chloe nodded weakly, but the redness in her cheeks couldn''t hide her embarrassment, "I heard amotion from your room, so I prepared a chicken noodle soup to cure your hangover. I put a little spice there. It''s good if you have a bad hangover. I hope you can tolerate a bit of spice¡­."


    Chloe put a ss of water on the table, "And please drink first before eating¡­."


    Vernon drank the ss of water in one gulp before eating the soup. The aroma of the homemade soup was pleasant, and the warmth spread inside his body once he tasted it.


    Vernon started eating in silence while Chloe watched beside him. After he was done, he drank the broth until nothing was left. He burped without care and nced at Chloe again.


    "Elise Summer works for me in the industry. Mypany works in both investment and entertainment, and Elise happens to be the rising talent for now. Don''t think too much about it."


    ''I''m not thinking anything about it,'' Chloe said in her heart.


    "Did you see meing with herst night?"


    Chloe nodded.


    "Did you see what she did to me?"<sub> </sub>


    "I heard¡­."


    "Then why the hell did you not do anything!?"


    "I¡­ I thought she was your girlfriend¡­." Chloe replied. She took a step back instinctively. "Y¡ªyou have a lot of flings. After all, I''m afraid she is actually your real girlfriend¡­."


    "Tch, I have no intention to date any woman, for now, remember that," Vernon said. "I''m too busy with work, and many projects areing. I have no time to look after those women."


    "Also, remember that nobody can enter floors 20 and 21 except us and the housekeepers."


    "But I saw Gwen with her boyfriend sleeping on your bed yesterday, and I¡­ uh¡­ I saw ck lingerie in theundry basket."


    "WHAT?!"


    "Y¡ªyeah, I already washed it. Maybe it''s your girlfriend''s¡ª"


    "NO! URGH!"


    Vernon ruffled his head out of frustration. This was the first day, and there were already so many crazy shits.


    "Look, my apartment is open for a select few. I rarely return to this penthouse because I''m always busy with work. So I let a few of my good friends use it and a few exes¡­." Vernon said. "But I''ll ensure this ce will be clean from intruders. And you shouldn''t allow anyone enters this ce, even if they''re a fucking¡ª prince or princess from Europe, and throw away that lingerie."


    "Understood¡­"


    The atmosphere between them was a little awkward right now. Vernon checked the clock on the wall, "Where''s your daughter? My niece. It''s the weekend. She should be here, right?"


    "Mackie has a piano lesson and math tutoring today. She won''t be here untilte afternoon," Chloe said. She fiddled with her fingers, trying to find the right moment to utter what was on her mind.


    Vernon caught her hesitation and asked, "What? Do you have something to say?"


    "It''s¡­ about my daughter¡­."


    "And what about her?"


    "I¡ªI love the apartment. It''s spacious and well maintained. Mackie also likes it, but I don''t think it''s suitable for her to live here," Chloe said.


    "Not suitable? Is it not big enough to your liking?"


    "N¡ªNot that, it''s just¡­ I''m afraid she will identally discover your indecent act with your flings or girlfriends. Since the stairs are connected here. It''s not good for a kid like her¡­."


    ¡­


    "A¡ªAlso, can I¡­ um¡­ request my sry be paid earlier? Mackie''s school semester tuition needs to be paid soon. Vincent refused to pay it unless I went to marriage counseling with him. That''s why I need my sry early, to pay for Mackie''s tuition and move out to a smaller apartment," Chloe lowered her head, hoping that her reasoning was enough for Vernon.


    Meanwhile, Vernon listened to everything, and there was a trace of annoyance in his eyes.


    "I gave you my credit card, isn''t that enough?"


    "B¡ªBut that''s for your necessity. I¡ªI will use it to¡­ um¡­ buy groceries if you want me to, or if you want me to order anything else¡­."


    "You can use that credit card to pay for her tuition, and no need to think about sry. It''s a necessity. Call it a bonus from me."


    "But¡­ Mackie''s tuition is very expensive. I''m afraid it will¡­ um¡­ it will burden you if you didn''t subtract my sry to pay it."

 32 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 32

    "But¡­ Mackie''s tuition is costly. I''m afraid it will¡­ um¡­ it will burden you if you didn''t subtract my sry to pay it."


    The annoyance in Vernon''s eyes turned into hostility right after Chloe stated that. He glowered at his docile sister-inw and scoffed, "So this is what you mean, huh?"


    "W¡ªwhat?" Chloe lifted her head to see Vernon, and she got nervous instantly. Because Vernon''s eyes showed that he was annoyed¡ª angry even.


    Chloe took a step back, but Vernon quickly reached her arm and pulled her in, "Ah!"


    Chloe lost her bnce and fell to the front,nding on Vernon''s chest. Vernon inserted his fingers inside her hair and yanked her head, so their eyes met.


    Vernon''s face was so close to hers that their noses almost touched. But that angry eyes only scared Chloe even more.


    "You think I''m not as good as my brother, right?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She never said that!


    "I¡ªI didn''t¡ª"


    "Oh, cut the crap, Chloe. I know that you think I''m not as good as my brother. You think paying goddamn tuition will make me broke?!"


    "I never said¡ª"


    "SHUT UP! DON''T ARGUE WITH ME!"


    Chloe zipped her lips instantly. But she was so scared by Vernon''s explosive anger that her body started trembling involuntarily, and a pool of tears zed in her eyes.


    Vernon gritted his teeth and pushed Chloe until she fell to the hard floor. She grimaced in pain, but Vernon didn''t care. He just got up and grabbed his car key.


    "Pay my niece''s tuition with the card I gave you. But you''re not allowed to find another apartment. This is your only ce to stay if you want to work with me," Vernon said. He left in a hurry, still with his messy shirt and sweatpants.


    Chloe watched his back until he mmed the main door shut. Chloe couldn''t understand the extreme reaction that Vernon gave. She didn''t want to burden him, especially knowing that Mackie''s tuition was really expensive.


    But, he didn''t seem open to further discussion, "So I can''t move out of this apartment¡­."


    Chloe sighed. She really had no control over her own life. All she wanted was to live with her daughter independently and in peace.


    She was grateful for Vernon''s help, but that didn''t mean it was for free. Vernon helped her because he also wanted something.


    "Ah, I guess there''s no helping in this. I must watch over Mackie closely, including her mental health, since that bastard Vincent is ruining everything."


    **


    Vernon was in a terrible mood right now. After leaving his penthouse, he exploded at everyone, including the receptionist and even the security guard in the underground parking lot. He told everyone to never ept someone other than him, Diamond, and Chloe on Floor 20 and 21.


    After that, he drove aimlessly to vent his anger.


    He wasn''t a patient and soft man in the first ce. But what Chloe did was way out of the line.


    Vernon wouldn''t lie. The sess of his businesses was also attributed to his brother, Vincent Gray.


    He might refuse his help¡ª and the Gray family''s help in general.


    But Vincent did nothing when hispany was climbing up. Even though Vincent could call a few people to crush Vernon''s growingpany if he wanted nopetition.<sub> </sub>


    But that also made him feel small because he was tolerated by his big brother.


    "Why the fuck would she needs topare me with my brother? Is it because I''m not as powerful and rich as Vincent yet? That bi¡ª!"


    Vernon was so aggrieved that he wanted to curse at Chloe, calling her slurs that shed in his mind. But he held off out of respect for her.


    "As expected, my brother will always be on the lead," Vernon mumbled.


    But he took it as a race. Of course, he wouldn''t lose.


    "I will show her once my brother is vulnerable enough."


    Vernon decided to call his big brother, whom he had just recently contacted.


    After a few beeps, Vincent picked up the phone.


    __


    "Yes, Vernon?"


    "Ah, Big brother, it''s the weekend, and I''m free right now. I want to meet you. Do you have time?"


    "Well, I''m in a hotel right now. But I''ll give you the address. We can meet in the hotel''s rooftop restaurant," Vincent said.


    Vernon heard exhaustion in his big brother''s voice for some reason, but he agreed and hung up the call.


    Vernon drove to the hotel where Vincent stayed right now, and he went to the rooftop restaurant after saying he had a reservation with Mr. Vincent Gray.


    The waiter escorted Vernon to a private spot with Vincent standing in a daze while watching the river view.


    Vernon approached his big brother and patted his shoulder from behind, "Big brother, I''m here."


    "Ah¡ª" Vincent turned around and opened his arms to hug Vernon. "Vernon, you''re finally here!"


    Vincent patted Vernon''s back and told him to sit. They sat while the waiters arranged their dishes based on Vincent''s request.


    Vernon stared at his big brother. It had been a week since they met again. Thest time they met was during their mother''s birthday in the Gray Mansion.


    But at that time, both Vincent and Vernon were busy with their respective business partners.


    But in only a week, there seemed to be a drastic change in Vincent.


    Vincent was always handsome and charismatic with a deep hooded gaze and jet ck eyes. It was the strong inherited gene of the Gray family.


    But Vernon could see a trace of exhaustion in Vincent''s eyes, something he didn''t see when they met. Which made Vernon quite curious.


    "I heard that yourpany is doing well, Vernon," Vincent started the conversation. "Tell me if you need any help. I can support you with funding or connection if you need one. You''re still my little brother, after all."


    "Ah, thank you, big brother. But I just want to chat with you right now," Vernon refused carefully.


    "How about you, big brother? Are you doing well?"

 33 Chapter 33

    "How about you, big brother? Are you doing well?" Vernon asked. He didn''t usually ask this, but his Big brother seemed more exhausted than usual.


    "Am I doing well?" Vincent scoffed. "Well, depends on what''s your definition of doing well. But I had a threesome with two of my new secretaries. They''re still in the hotel room right now. I don''t need to listen to that bitch Chloe yelling at me whenever I return home, and my business is doing very well these days."


    "Life is perfect, Vernon," Vincent said. But there was a trace of exhaustion in his face, even if his answer said otherwise.


    "Are you sure, Brother? You don''t look well," Vernon said bluntly. He wanted to test whether Vincent was actually affected by Chloe''s absence. "Is it because sister-inw left?"


    "Me? Getting affected by her leaving? Hahaha! That''s one funny joke, Vernon," Vincentughed mirthlessly. In fact, he looked more pissed than before.


    ''So he is affected by Chloe''s absence,'' Vernon suspected in his heart.


    Vincent''s exhausted face turned stern as if he was only an inch away from exploding.


    "Chloe is still out there, trying to escape. Does she not know that she is one ungrateful whore? After all, I did for her, I gave her all my money and told her to buy whatever. But it''s still not enough," Vincent said. He turned his head towards Vernon again, but this time, he stared at his little brother with a dangerous gaze, "You rejected her job application, right?"


    "Obviously," Vernon lied through his teeth. He acted calm, even under the scrutinizing gaze of his big brother. "Why would I y with fire? I know you don''t want sister-inw to get any kind of job, right?"


    "Yes," Vincent replied curtly. "I want her to know there is a consequence when defying me. I''ve told my secretaries to contact almost allpanies in New York, telling them not to ept her. If there is a sign of her applying for a job in other states, I want them to strike whateverpanies hiring her as an employee."


    Vernon had a thin smile on his face. That threat wasn''t just a bluff. Based on Vincent''s face, it was obvious that he wanted Chloe to die out there, crawling back to him and begging for forgiveness.


    Which was weird, even for Vernon. He was the type of man who would forget whoever woman he ditched.


    "I thought you don''t love her, big brother," Vernon said.


    "Who said I love her?" Vincent said. He got even more irritated when Vernon assumed that his action was based on love. "I just want her to obey me. She can''t escape, not after using my money for 10 years of our marriage."


    Vernon was absent during ten years of marriage between Vincent and Chloe. Thus, he assumed that Chloe was a gold-digging whore.


    ''So that''s why she doesn''t want to stay with me. Because I''m not rich enough for her, huh?'' Vernon concluded in his head.


    "Brother, what if sister-inw came to me and begged for money?" Vernon asked, wanting to test Vincent even more.


    "Then you kick her out, spit on her face if you want to," Vincent replied instantly. "Make sure she knows that she couldn''t just lick the shoes of other Gray family members to help her."


    "I see¡­" Vernon murmured. He wouldn''t lie. There was a little fear in his heart. As bold as he could be, Vernon was still logical. He knew what kind of person Vincent could be when he got angered, Vernon also knew how powerful his family was.


    Yet, this was the thrill that excited him. The thrill of losing everything because he offended the wrong people. The thrill of getting hunted to oblivion because he kept a woman owned by his brother.


    He just couldn''t wait to return home and touch his sister-inw, making sure that Chloe had his marks around her body and knowing she was under his mercy now.<sub> </sub>


    ''This will be exciting,'' Vernon thought.


    "Brother, do you not have a n to divorce her? Is it because of the divorce settlement?" Vernon asked. He also found this weird because Vincent was obviously so rich. Even with divorce, he would still be an ultra-rich billionaire.


    "It''s not about that. It''s about the pride of a man," Vincent replied. He checked Vernon from head to toe andmented, "You''re still young. You don''t understand for now, but you will learn about this kind of pride eventually."


    "Yeah, maybe I will understandter, Big brother," Vernon replied.


    Vernon knew that he couldn''t push his big brother with more questions. He seemed in a terrible mood now since Vernon kept asking about Chloe.


    "Big brother, I have a meeting with someone in thete afternoon. I''m going to return to my apartment now," Vernon excused himself. He got up from the seat and patted Vincent''s arms twice before walking away.


    "Vernon¡ª"


    Vernon halted his step immediately, waiting for Vincent to continue his sentence.


    "¡ªYou''re part of the Gray family. We''re blood brothers. If you''re in any difficulty, just tell me. I will help."


    "Thank you, big brother. I''ll keep that in mind," Vernon replied.


    After that, Vernon drove back to his apartment, the Phoenix Tower.


    He rushed to the lift and tapped the lift floor with his shoes impatiently. He burst out when the lift opened at 21st floor.


    He mmed the door open, searching for his sister-inw.


    "Sister-inw, where are you?"


    Vernon looked around his apartment. Everything had been cleaned, probably by Chloe, because this level of cleaning wasn''t done by a professional. Even the small seats and couch pillows had been arranged in a more¡­ womanly manner.


    But the woman was nowhere to be seen.


    "Where is she?"


    Vernon looked around to no avail. He looked at the stair leading to Chloe''s apartment on the lower floor.


    Vernon decided to go down, checking whether Chloe was in her apartment.


    Once he went down, he continued looking around until he heard the bedroom door click open, and Chloe walked out only wearing a towel that covered her body from chest to thighs.

 34 Chapter 34

    [Warning: Author uses explicit words in any smut chapters, readers have been warned.]


    Vernon continued looking around until he heard the bedroom door click open, and Chloe walked out only wearing a towel that covered her body from chest to thighs.


    "Wow¡­"


    "AH¡ª!"


    Chloe was shocked when she saw Vernon standing in front of her. She stepped back and lost her bnce, falling butt first on the floor.


    Chloe groaned in pain for a moment, then looked up.


    Vernon approached her and stared down at her. Chloe quickly clenched the towel around her boobs, ensuring she didn''t show indecent stuff.


    But Vernon saw a different thing.


    He saw Chloe was startled and fell to the back. Her tits jiggled when shended. And when he approached, she was still groaning in pain.


    Chloe clenched her towel around her chest tightly, but really, from this angle, Vernon saw the pale pink nipples peeking under the towel, creating a sultry image.


    Vernon didn''t know whether this was an ident or intentional. But whatever¡ª it was just damn effective towards Vernon because he got hard immediately.


    "V¡ªVernon, you scared me. Why are you in this apartment?" Chloe grumbled.


    "This is also my apartment, do you not remember?"


    "Ah¡­ yes¡­" Chloe remembered that. "W¡ªWell, I just took a bath and want to take my shirt to theundry room."


    Chloe tried to get up by grabbing the door handle to prop herself up. But Vernon suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.


    "AH¡ª Vernon?!"


    Vernon yanked Chloe into his embrace and wrapped his hand around her waist. He was already horny, thinking he needed to mark his sister-inw.


    But this was basically an invitation for him.


    "Is this an invitation?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe didn''t understand what he meant by that. Obviously. She just lost her bnce and nothing more.


    "I¡ªI don''t understand," Chloe looked at Vernon with her sweet doe eyes. "Please release me, Vernon. I need to wear my clothes. This towel is too thin."


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He had no more patience. It was all fun and game before when he wanted to mark Chloe. But this had been mixed with a lot of lust at this point.


    Vernon nced at the long sofa beside him.


    He pulled Chloe towards the sofa, making thedy worried, "Vernon, what are you going to do?"


    "You know well what I''m going to do with your body," Vernon pushed Chloe to the long sofa.


    "Ah!"


    Chloe''s body bounced as shended, just like her tits jiggled. She forgot about her towel, and the towel knot was untied when shended, showing her bare body for Vernon to see.


    "Look what we got here, haha¡­."<sub> </sub>


    "D¡ªDon''t look!"


    Vernon raised his brow when Chloe desperately tried to cover her tits and pussy. Her cheeks instantly flushed red like a tomato, which was undeniably cute for Vernon.


    For him, there was a certain charm of a woman that didn''t seem to know how sultry her body looked. This was an ultimate treat for him, "Who told you to cover your tits?" Vernon asked, his scrutinizing gaze looking down at Chloe, making her feel even more embarrassed.


    "B¡ªBut¡­"


    "This is your third task when working with me, remember?" Vernon said firmly. His eyes had been tainted with lust, and he was eager to start ying with her. "Or do you want to break the deal between us? I will not let that happen, by the way."


    "I¡­ I¡­"


    "Come one, what are you ashamed of? This is not your first time, right?"


    ¡­


    Chloe went silent instantly. True, this wasn''t her first time.


    But that didn''t mean she wasn''t embarrassed. In fact, she was even more embarrassed being looked on by Vernon much more than Vincent.


    Because Vincent didn''t seem to be that impressed with her body, he didn''t say it outright, nor did his eyes show how eager he was.


    While Vernon was very vocal about his likes and dislikes. His eyes also said it all. Under that lustful gaze, she couldn''t help but turn red, like a virgin that got naked in front of a man for the first time.


    "Move your hands away from your tits and pussy. I want to see¡­." Vernon said firmly. He got even more impatient. He was so close to just grab her wrists to lift her hands.


    Chloe swallowed her saliva. She slowly lifted her hands, showing her nude body from head to toe. She squirmed nervously under Vernon''s eyes.


    "Your body is more beautiful than I thought," Vernonmented. He leaned in and put his knee between Chloe''s thighs, forcing her to open her thigh.


    Vernon''s knee almost touched her pussy lips, and she blushed even more.


    Vernon put his left hand beside Chloe''s shoulder to prop himself and used his right hand to grab Chloe''s boob without warning.


    "Ahh!" Chloe was shocked, so shocked that she froze immediately. But Vernon didn''t give Chloe time to calm down. He started fondling her boob and then making a circr motion on her nipple with his thumb, teasing the sensitive nipple even more.


    "Just like your tits, it''s so round and full. Your reaction is nice as well, sister-inw," Vernonmented.


    "V¡ªVernon¡ª I¡ª uhhhhnn¡­." Chloe started wriggling as she felt a strong stimtion around her body. She couldn''t lie that she got so turned on by Vernon''s touch.


    She closed her eyes and dared not look at Vernon. But Vernon didn''t care, "Do you know why I did this to you?"


    "W¡ªWhy?"


    Vernon leaned in until their lips were only an inch away for a kiss. He put his mouth near her ear and whispered, "I just think I deserve a prize for saving someone''s life."


    Vernon licked Chloe''s earlobe before he started kissing her jaw down to her smooth, slender neck.


    Vernon nted a kiss on Chloe''s neck, but he wasn''t satisfied¡ª not until he made an obvious mark of ownership on Chloe''s body.


    "After all, I''m your benefactor, right?"

 35 Chapter 35

    [Warning: Explicit.]


    "After all, I''m your benefactor, right?"


    "Mmmhh¡­ Ah!" Chloe jolted when Vernon suddenly kissed the same spot on her neck, but this time, he sucked on it, like suckling on the sweet fruit.


    Vernon did this for ten seconds until he finished sucking and clicked his tongue in awe. He marveled at the work that he had done on Chloe''s skin.


    Chloe had a thin skin, she could get red easily, and any kind of touch or, in this case, kiss around her body would leave a mark that wouldst for a while.


    "What a nice hickey that you got there, sister-inw," Vernonmented with a smirk on his face. "Get used to it because the marks would never fade when you''re with me."


    Chloe was breathing heavily. She looked at Vernon, who seemed to be enjoying himself, ying around and getting a little bit too excited. It felt like Vernon had two personalities inside him, the scary and the yful one.


    ''What made him so excited?'' Chloe wondered.


    Thus, she asked, "W¡ªWhy are you suddenly¡ª"


    "Suddenly doing this to you?" Vernon chuckled. He didn''t reply immediately, but his left hand started caressing Chloe''s body, from her cheeks down to her neck, until his hand grabbed Chloe''s untouched boob and started fondling that as well.


    Now, both his hands were busy ying with her boobs. At first, he started by caressing her cleavage, making Chloe gasp and squirm uncontrobly.


    "Umhh¡­ ah¡­ ahnn!" Chloe tried to hold her moan. But Vernon was so skillful that she started feeling too weak to ask more questions.


    Of course, Vernon had no n to tell Chloe why he started marking her. But this feeling made him feel giddy in his heart, like a child that had given his newest toy. Now he wanted to y with her all day, whatever the risk.


    Vernon started fondling both nipples with his thumb, ying it like a joystick.


    "Ah! V¡ªVernon, s¡ªstop rubbing¡ª!"


    "Hm? I''m just ying with your tits. Besides, it''s so plump, and your nipple is so big, Chloe. Reminds me of a yStation joystick, HAHAHA!" Vernonughed with mirth, like a child just ying around, and it felt so embarrassing for Chloe.


    Never in her life had she ever heard someone describing her nipples as a joystick. Though, she only had experience with Vincent¡­ eight years ago.


    She read stuff like this in the novel, but Vernon was still way out of her expectation.


    She wasn''t turned off by it. It was just¡­ weird, yet a little hot for her.


    Her brain was a mush right now. She couldn''t think straight. She tried to protect herself, but Vernon suddenly leaned in again and, this time, started kissing and sucking around her neck, corbone, down to the upper part of her boobs.


    Kiss. Suck.


    Kiss. Suck. Suck.


    Kiss. Suck. Suck. Suck.


    Chloe realized that Vernon''s sucking longer as he moved from one spot to another after making each mark, and she started panicking;<sub> </sub>


    "Ahh! Vernon, d¡ªdon''t suck for too long!" Chloe protested. "I¡ªIt''ll take a long time to fade¡­."


    Vernon stopped sucking, and his hawk eyes looked up at Chloe, "And?"


    Chloe was speechless upon hearing his light response, "You¡­ you''re unbelievable¡­."


    Vernon raised his brow, finding Chloe''s distress to be quite funny.


    "What are you worried about? You''re in the process of separating from my brother, and you''re not taken by another man right now, do you?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Exactly," Vernon grinned in satisfaction. "Nobody will be mad if I give you a lot of deep kiss marks. And I''m free to do whatever, including this¡ª"


    Vernon separated the two mountains of tits in front of him. He stuck his tongue out and then licked the cleavage¡ª the inner part of Chloe''s chest.


    "Ah¡­ uhhhh!" Chloe moaned sweetly. She felt a jolt of electricity around her body as Vernon continued licking from her cleavage down to her belly button. Apanied by his hands that also trailed from her boobs down to her waist.


    The mix of Vernon''s wet tongue and thin stubble around his chin creates a sensation Chloe had never felt before.


    Vernon stopped once his tongue reached Chloe''s belly button. He looked up again and saw that his sister-inw was already turned on, her tits raised up and down as she kept breathing heavily, and her body was colored warm red.


    She quickly closed the gap between her thighs once Vernon lifted his knee, as she didn''t want Vernon to touch that sensitive spot.


    "Heh~ ying with your body is fun, sister-inw. It''s great," Vernonmented. He knew that Chloe was already at his mercy. He could just fuck her right here, and she probably wouldn''t struggle much.


    But¡­


    "Just by your reaction, you''re even more sensitive than a virgin," Vernon added. He got up, leaving Chloeying on the sofa naked, trembling with many hickeys around her neck and corbone.


    Again, he marveled at his work but didn''t want to finish her now. He still had a little conscience not to fuck her pussy before training her slowly.


    Though, he still needed some way to relieve himself since he was already hard as a rock pir down there.


    Vernon grabbed his sweatpants and pulled them down. His eight-inch dick bounced as he pulled down his sweatpants. The scene of bouncing dick hypnotized Chloe, especially when it was rock hard and throbbing.


    ''It''s so big¡­.'' Chloe thought. ''It is thick in girth, and the head is slightly bigger than the shaft, like a mushroom. It''s also leaking precum¡­.''


    Chloe didn''t know where this promiscuity came from, but when she realized it, she had already described Vernon''s dick in detail. It was almost unbelievable for a modest woman like Chloe.


    Vernon saw Chloe was in a daze, and he was quite pleased. Because she obviously liked it just by looking at her reaction.


    He grabbed his dick and started stroking it slowly, "What do you think, sister-inw? Which one is bigger, my brother''s or mine?"

 36 Chapter 36

    "What do you think, sister-inw? Which one is bigger, my brother''s or mine?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe zipped her mouth instantly, thinking that question was just ridiculous. Topare dick size, was he a teenager?


    Vernonughed full of ridicule, "It''s okay if you don''t want to answer it now. You will be honestter on, after all."


    Vernon continued stroking his dick and started leaking precum from the tip. He wasn''t always this hard, though.


    Most of the time, he couldn''t even reach full erection no matter how beautiful the woman he yed with. Sometimes, he got so bored while ying that he couldn''t even ejacte while his partner was already squirting like crazy.


    Thus, the fact that he could be crazy hard while ying with Chloe was already a blessing on its own.


    Chloe didn''t know what should she do next. She had limited experience. The only thing Vincent did to her was kissing, followed by him inserting his dick inside and then starting fucking her.


    She thought that was how sex worked¡ª until she started reading a few erotica.


    Chloe tried to get up from the long sofa, but Vernon stopped him, "Stay like that, sister-inw."


    Vernon''s order was stern, and Chloe couldn''t refuse. Shey on the long sofa while Vernon continued jacking off right on top of her body.


    He stretched his knees between Chloe''s hips and started stroking even harder.


    Vernon''s breath got heavier, and sweat started trickling down from his temples.


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    "Ughhh!" Vernon felt his cum was already in his shaft, ready to be ejacted. He aimed his dick down and stroked quickly until he couldn''t hold it anymore.


    "Ugh! Cumming! FUCK!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    "Ah! Mmhh!" Chloe saw white juice shooting from the tip of Vernon''s big dick aiming towards her eyes. She closed her eyes and mouth so she wouldn''t identally swallow it.


    "Fuck!" Vernon continued shooting and aimed the rest of his hot cum on Chloe''s shoulder and boobs.


    "Ugh¡­" Vernon was spent after hisst shot. He looked at Chloe, who still closed her eyes and shut her mouth.


    Her beautiful face, slender neck, and big boobs were all covered with hickeys and cum, making a beautiful vie for Vernon.


    This was the first time for him to be this excited about forey¡ª and they weren''t even going full-blown intercourse yet. Most of the time, he had casual sex with many women to pass his free time and trained a few women that he found interesting in that velvet room.


    But with Chloe, he felt that sex couldn''t be casual, especially with so many emotions and passions mixed into one.


    He wasn''t sure if he got excited because of her or because he was snatching someone from his big brother.


    But whatever, as long as he had fun, it didn''t matter.


    Vernon patted Chloe''s cheek before getting up, "Let''s do this more often, sister-inw. Remember, this is part of your job as my personal assistant. I expect you to cooperate in the future as well."


    Vernon walked away and climbed the stair leading to his apartment on the upper floor, leaving Chloe alone, lying on the long sofa, covered with cum and hickeys.<sub> </sub>


    She was still trying to collect herself after such a stimting activity with Vernon.


    Honestly, she thought she''d hate it, knowing how promiscuous and crazy Vernon could be.


    But she enjoyed the most part of getting yed by Vernon, making her worry about her moral ground.


    ''Is it really okay for me to y with a mad devil like him? Why am I enjoying it more than I thought?''


    ''Am I actually as perverted as him?'' Chloe wondered.


    While pondering, the cum started trickling down, passing her tightly shut mouth.


    ''Good thing I closed my mouth in time. Or else, I have to swallow his cum,'' Chloe was relieved. Vincent never did something more than just regr pration, no forey whatsoever, so she never knew if she had to swallow a man''s cum.


    She got up and returned to the bathroom, washing her body twice. The cum was proven to be so sticky and thick.


    **


    After a bath, Chloe dried herself and stared at the bathroom mirror, checking the kiss marks around her neck and shoulder.


    It was so obvious, and knowing her skin, it would take a while to fade. The best she could do was use ayer of foundation and concealer to cover them.


    She sighed full of woe, "What''s wrong with him, seriously? He was angry with me in the morning and even used me of looking down on him. But then, he suddenly returned and yed with my body in various ways, including making deep hickeys. His mood swing is seriously unpredictable."


    "I really don''t know how what that madman is thinking."


    **


    Chloe wore a regr shirt and jeans. She climbed the stairs to Vernon''s apartment and paused before stepping to thest staircase.


    She was worried about Vernon''s unpredictability.


    But she still had to cook lunch, Vernon''s apartment kitchen was bigger, and the ingredients were moreplete, despite it being a little messy.


    ''Come on, Chloe, brace yourself. This is part of your job to cook, remember?'' Chloe chanted in her heart.


    She stepped at thest staircase and walked to the kitchen.


    Her eyes darted at the living room and saw Vernon was sitting there.


    He was wearing new sweatpants and a ck shirt. He had just taken a bath, as proven by his damp hair.


    He seemed to read something from his iPad, which Chloe predicted should be about work since he looked serious.


    "Are you going to cook dinner, Chloe?" Vernon asked, but his eyes were still glued to the iPad screen.


    "A¡ªAh, yes, I''ve prepared the ingredients before¡­." Chloe replied meekly, afraid that Vernon would suddenly yell at her for whatever reason.


    Vernon had a grin at the edge of his lips, yet he still hadn''t moved his eyes from the screen, "Tell me if you need help, I can cook a little."

 37 Chapter 37

    "Tell me if you need help. I can cook a little," Vernon offered.


    Chloe feared this might be another trap that would set Vernon off. She was afraid to make a mistake and identally offended him.


    ''Oh, I would rather cook by myself, than get yelled at by Vernon again,'' Chloe thought.


    "Thank you, but I can cook by myself," Chloe refused politely, and Vernon chuckled.


    Vernon finally lifted his head and looked at Chloe, who stood awkwardly. She was quite far from his position, so he picked up his round-rimless prescription sses from the drawer and took a good look at her.


    Once he got a clearer view, he could see Chloe looking away nervously, trying to dodge his gaze. The grin at the edge of his lips turned into a smirk, "Why are you so nervous? I was done ying with you today. Or maybe you want to y again?"


    "N¡ªNo! I need to cook lunch now!" Chloe dashed straight to the kitchen and started busying herself.


    Vernon found Chloe''s nervousness to be a little endearing. He put down his iPad and walked to the kitchen.


    Chloe looked down as she prepared the ingredients on the long marble kitchen counter when Vernon suddenly barged in and sat on a chair directly facing her.


    He propped his cheek with his hand and asked, "What are you going to make for lunch, sister-inw?"


    Chloe was focused on preparing lunch. She was a lot more serious when cooking because it was one of her hobbies as a stay-at-home mom. She didn''t know what Vernon liked, but she still remembered that Vernon liked the homemade pot roast that she made when he was still a kid.


    Whenever she visited the Gray Mansion, Vernon always hogged on her and asked for a pot roast,sagna, or even fish and chips with gravy on the side.


    "I don''t know if you still like it, but¡­ I will make a pot roast for lunch. Autumn is near, and the wind starts getting chilly, so it will warm you up," Chloe said. She had a thin smile while preparing the meat. "You love pot roast that I made as a kid. I don''t know if you still remember, though.."


    Vernon raised his brow, and a smirk lingered on his lips, "Do you know that I''ve been personally served by many top chefs from around the world? Even some celebrity chefs cooked for me sometimes."


    "T¡ªThat''s amazing¡­." Chloe mumbled nervously.


    "It is," Vernon found that Chloe got a little sloppy when he mentioned those top and celebrity chefs. He chuckled as he found her reaction interesting, "I''ve tasted so many dishes. Do you think a homemade pot roast from ten years ago will still be my favorite?"


    "I don''t know¡­." Chloe was at a loss. She was just a regr stay-at-home mom. She cooked many traditional dishes that she learned from her mother and recipes from cookbooks and the inte.


    But she was definitely not on par with those top chefs.


    "I¡ªI can cook a few dishes from other countries if you want. I can also, um¡­ search a recipe on the inte. I will try to replicate the top chefs'' recipes¡­."<sub> </sub>


    "No need. I don''t think you can match them. Since they''re the original cooks of those dishes," Vernon replied curtly, shooting down Chloe''s hope. "Just stick with your pot roast first. I will check if it''s good enough to eat."


    "I¡ªI will try my best¡­." Chloe tried to encourage herself.


    Vernon scoffed. He got up from the chair, "Well, since you don''t want me to help, you''re on your own. Make sure you make a good pot roast because if it''s bad, then you might lose your job."


    "Wha?!" Chloe lifted her head and looked at Vernon, who smirked at her.


    "What? Why are you so shocked? Cooking is part of your job, remember? Of course, I expect you to be a good cook that meets my expectation," Vernon said. "I can hire a top chef to cook for me, so if you will be the one who cooks for me daily, that means you got to meet my expectation. I won''t eat any disgusting dishes just because you make them."


    "B¡ªBut¡ª I''m not a chef¡ª"


    Vernon shrugged it out and refused to listen to Chloe''s nervous rambling. He returned to the living room and read the stock chart from his iPad again.


    Chloe got nervous now. She knew how to make a perfect pot roast, even with the side dish if he wanted to.


    The kid Vernon would love her cooking, but what about the adult Vernon? The adult him had many experiences during ten years growing up alone in the UK.


    ''Okay, take a deep breath, Chloe. Just make your usual, and hope it''s passable for Vernon.''


    Chloe started getting busy in the kitchen, and Vernon could smell the spices that Chloe used to cook the meat to tender. Something very nostalgic to him.


    ''So she didn''t change her recipe even after more than ten years, huh?'' Vernon thought. ''Makes me wonder why my brother never seems to eat her cooking.''


    Vernon busied himself analyzing the stock market. Since he knew that the pot roast would take around three and a half hours to cook.


    He also started texting Diamond¡ª his secretary, telling her to start preparing for Chloe''s exclusive contract that should be ready on Monday morning.


    Since Chloe wanted to work with him ''professionally,'' she even went as far as asking for her ''sry'' to be paid early so she could move out and pay for her daughter''s tuition.


    It was a direct insult to Vernon''s financial capability that still annoyed him. He might be in a good mood because he just yed with her, but that didn''t mean he forgot her insult.


    ''Let''s see if you will like the contract I will offer you, sister-inw. Since you''ve wasted my kindness to just use that ck card to buy whatever you want.''

 38 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 38

    It took almost four hours for Chloe to finish her pot roast. Because she had to check the taste and prepare for the ting. She was scared that Vernon would not touch the food once if she didn''t make it aesthetically pleasing.


    After putting everything at the dining table, she walked to the living room and saw Vernon was still working on his iPad. He seemed to be fully focused, so before she called him, she peeked a little to know what he was working at.


    As expected, Vernon was checking his personal stock and also studying the stock market since hispany was also operating in investment.


    However, Chloe gasped loudly when she saw the amount of money inside Vernon''s portfolio.


    She had never seen that much money in her life, to the point that she couldn''t count the amount of 0 on the screen.


    Vernon looked over his shoulder. His hawk gaze looked displeased because Chloe was checking his stuff.


    "Did I give you the permission to peek at my work?" Vernon got up from the sofa and turned around, towering and covering her with his broad shoulder.


    Chloe was a shortdy, and she instantly shrunk in front of him, "I¡ªI''m sorry, I was¡­ I just want to tell you that lunch is ready!"


    Vernon was still displeased. He never liked seeing someone peeking at his work because the money would always incentivize people to be nice to him, including Chloe.


    He opened his mouth, ready to yell at Chloe;


    "You¡ª"


    Gruuukk¡­.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Both of them went silent when they heard Vernon''s stomach growling loudly, a sign that he was really hungry right now, that chicken noodle soup wasn''t enough to fill him.


    "W¡ªWe will continue thister. I''m a little hungry," Vernon said. His cheeks reddened, his anger deted instantly because of hunger, and he walked to the dining table, acting as if he hadn''t almost burst out, yelling at Chloe again.


    Chloe sighed in relief. Thanks to that growling stomach, she was free from scolding, for now at least.


    Vernon sat on the chair and looked at the pot roast in front of him.


    He wanted to ask first, but she quickly moved by taking off the pot lid and then started preparing everything for Vernon''s te.


    The delicious aromaing from the pot almost made Vernon''s stomach rumble twice. Luckily, his stomach didn''t actually rumble again because that would be damn embarrassing after the first one.


    Chloe put the meat, mashed potatoes, roasted green bean, diced carrot, and cherry tomatoes on the te before serving it in front of Vernon.


    "You like cherry tomatoes and carrots covered with gravy, right? I¡ªI put extra for you¡­." Chloe tried to remember all that Vernon liked when he was a child. "Would you like more for the meat?"


    Vernon only stared at her in silence, reminding him of what Chloe usually did when she was still in high school and university. He was only a ten-year-old kid. She did and asked the same thing.


    His mood gradually improved, but he still said nothing.


    Chloe took his silence as a yes. She added more of the meat to the te.


    "Would you want a ss of ice or warm water?" Chloe asked.


    "¡­ Warm."


    Chloe nodded. She put a ss of warm water on the table for Vernon. She wanted to take a step back and let him enjoy the food, "If¡­ you need anything, you can just tell me¡ªAh?!"<sub> </sub>


    Chloe was startled when Vernon suddenly wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer.


    "I want my first bite," Vernon said.


    "Huh?"


    "I said I want my first bite. That should be the part of your service," Vernon repeated his request, and Chloe was confused.


    Vernon clicked his tongue, "Do I need to make it clearer? I want you to feed me the first bite."


    "Ah¡ª Okay¡­" Chloe thought it was so weird that a Vernon-- the unpredictable, ruthless CEO wanted to be spoonfed by her. But she conceded and picked the spoon and fork.


    She mixed the tender meat and mashed potato on the spoon and a cherry tomato on the fork.


    "Remember, if it''s not good, you will be fired and I will kick you out of the apartment. I don''t want to eat nasty food every day," Vernon warned her.


    "T¡ªThis is how I always cook it. I hope you find this eptable¡­." Chloe said.


    "Good."


    Vernon opened his mouth, ready for his first mouthful of pot roast with mashed potato.


    Chloe felt strangely nostalgic when she saw Vernon opening his mouth. She put the spoon first and then the fork for Vernon to bite his favorite cherry tomato.


    Vernon munched slowly to savor the taste while his hawk gaze was eyeing Chloe. Chloe gulped nervously. After Vernon finished swallowing, she asked, "How is it? I¡ªis it passable for you?"


    ...


    Vernon said nothing. He just grabbed the spoon and fork and started eating in silence.


    "V¡ªVernon?"


    ¡­


    "Vernon?"


    ¡­


    "Vernon¡ª"


    "Silence, sister-inw. I''m not supposed to speak while eating," Vernon said. But since he had already opened his mouth, he looked at Chloe, standing behind him like a servant. "Just sit beside me, and where is your te? Do you think I can finish everything by myself?"


    "I¡ªI will eat after you''re done¡ª"


    "Nonsense, sit here, eat with me, and stop making me talk. I need to eat first!" Vernon grumbled.


    ¡­


    ''How could I sit still and eat with you when my job is on the line?! You could just say yes or no. No need to make me nervous like this! What a brat!'' Chloeined in her heart but dared not voice it out loud.


    Chloe picked a te and picked very little meat and mashed potato. She also picked none of the side dishes and the gravy.


    Despite the taste, she ate very slowly and seemed to have no appetite. Of course, it tasted really good, but she couldn''t eat much, or she would puke it all, unfortunately.

 39 Chapter 39

    Vernon realized that Chloe was eating very slowly. Too slow, in fact, that it started bothering him.


    He nced at her while she was busy munching a slice of thumb-sized meat in her mouth. She munched it so slowly and even stopped a few times. Vernon counted that Chloe took at least ten minutes to chew that small bite of meat.


    Vernon said nothing, but he kept observing by giving her a side-nce while eating his portion. Chloe ate the cherry tomato and mashed potato in a tiny portion and then started her ten-minutes chewing again.


    At some point, Vernon had already finished with his big portion of food, while Chloe was eating maybe about 4 spoonfuls of the pot roast at most.


    Vernon continued eyeing her until he couldn''t help to get aggravated by her slow eating.


    "Why are you eating so slowly? Do you not realize that you took at least ten minutes to chew?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe went stiff instantly. Of course, she knew that she ate very slowly. Hence, she wanted to refuse to eat with Vernon at first because eating with her would make any food look unappetizing.


    "S¡ªSorry¡­" Chloe apologized meekly and stopped eating, leaving most of the food on her te untouched.


    "Why are you apologizing?"


    "S¡ªSorry¡ª"


    "Damn it, stop apologizing and start eating now!" Vernon raised his voice, and Chloe jolted in fear. It was like an ordering from his mouth. Thus, Chloe grabbed the spoon despite not having any appetite.


    She tried eating another thumb-sized bite of the tender beef and then started chewing again.


    Yet, Vernon got even more aggravated after looking at Chloe, who chewed so painfully slow. It actually got him so annoyed.


    He had to put up with women he dated that tried to act like elegant princesses whenever they went on a dinner date. He had already crossed them out of his list because he didn''t like a woman who pretended too much.


    Now he had to put up and tolerate Chloe, who tried to pull off the same thing as well? Oh, he was already so tolerant of her.


    ''Come on, I''ve dated a real princess secretly, and she doesn''t even eat like that! This is so damn irritating,'' Vernon cursed in his heart. He continued staring at Chloe, who got nervous. She even started counting her chewing, hoping it shouldn''t be too slow.


    Gulp.


    Chloe swallowed the tender meat that had been slowly chewed almost fifty times in her mouth. How could she know that she chewed it slowly fifty times? Because she consciously counted every bite, of course.


    "Why are you eating like a little princess in front of me?"


    "Ah¡ª I''m not¡ª"


    "Do you think you can impress me by eating like this? I''ve been with so many women, and many of them tried to impress me by eating so slow in a tiny portion," Vernon said. He seemed to be absolutely pissed just because Chloe ate so slowly.<sub> </sub>


    "I¡ªI¡ª" Chloe was tongue-tied. She was also speechless by Vernon''s mood swings. She wasn''t intentionally trying to ''impress'' him by eating slow.


    In fact, she also med herself for eating so slowly. She would eat quickly if she could, of course.


    But her stomach seriously couldn''t handle eating so fast¡ª


    "I know you''re eating normally when I was a child," Vernon said. He got up and crossed his arms, "Eat fast before I return to my work. You''re making me annoyed!"


    Chloe started panicking. She ate a spoonful of meat and chewed it quickly¡ª at least by her standard now, she was trying her best.


    Vernon continued watching her eating quick, from one spoonful to another, until her te was cleaned.


    Vernon nodded approvingly, "See? What''s so hard about that? You don''t need to act so elegantly in front of me. It peeves me out."


    "Y¡ªYes¡­" Chloe said weakly. Her face was already pale and sweating coldly all over her body.


    ''Why does she looks sick by eating normally?'' Vernon wondered. But he had no time to think about it, as long as he saw Chloe eating just fine and didn''t pretend. He turned around and grabbed his iPad to his bedroom.


    After ensuring that Vernon entered his room, Chloe covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom near the kitchen.


    She opened the toilet lead and vomited everything that she had just eaten. She slumped on the bathroom floor while vomiting nonstop until she could feel nothing but burning pain inside her throat and stomach.


    It took a while until Chloe could recover. She grabbed the sink to prop herself up.


    Chloe looked at her expression in the mirror.


    She was ghastly pale, and her face was drenched in a cold sweat. Of course, she knew well what had happened to her because she had already done the same routine for a long time, especially when her depression was at its peak.


    She would constantly cry and vomit anything she ate, to the point that she almost ate nothing but liquid, like an elderly.


    What Vernon didn''t know was that¡­ Chloe had a long-time problem with body image and two eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia, all stemmed from her depression and the fact that Vincent always called her a ''fat bitch'' or ''whale'' so ruthlessly. As if Chloe was nothing but a piece of meat waste in front of him.


    Vincent even allowed his secretary to call her ''blobby'' many times without ever reprimanding his secretary. Chloe was so devastated that she started dieting, but her obsessive diet turned into anorexia and bulimia, and she would automatically puke everything she ate if she ate too fast or too much¡ª by her standard now, of course.


    She was thin now, even thinner than her original weight before marrying Vincent.


    But, she was also on her way to keep shedding her weight until she might be truly anorexic.


    "Ah, what should I do? Vernon cannot hear about this," Chloe mumbled while staring in the mirror. "If he knows I have a problem with my body, he might find me annoying¡­."

 40 Chapter 40

    "Ah, what should I do? Vernon cannot hear about this," Chloe mumbled while staring in the mirror. "If he knows I have a problem with my body, he might find me annoying¡­."


    "Maybe he will even kick me out after finding me not suitable to work for him. He is very unpredictable after all¡­."


    Of course, everything that she said just now was a mere assumption.


    But knowing how Vernon could be so easily irritated and angry, she didn''t want to take her shots.


    All she wanted was to save a lot of money for her daughter, and maybe she could do another job, or open a storeter, just any way to support herself.


    She could get money from the divorce settlement, but Vincent refused to divorce her, and knowing his and all of his corrupt, powerful connections, Chloe would be the one in the wrong and suffer the most damage.


    She had no n to woo Vernon whatsoever. She didn''t even believe in love anymore¡­


    "Staying with Vernon is temporary," Chloe said to herself.


    **


    Vernon fixed his cuff as he got out of his room. He looked around to find Chloe and frowned when he saw the dirty te still on the dining table.


    "Where is she?" Vernon wondered.


    "Sister-inw?"


    ¡­


    "Chloe?"


    ¡­


    "Chloe!" Vernon raised his voice and finally got a response from a bathroom near the kitchen.


    "Y¡ªYes!" Chloe opened the bathroom door and shambled to reach Vernon.


    Vernon''s brows scrunched when he saw the pale expression, wet face, and hair but didn''tment.


    "I have a meeting untilte at night with one of my partners. Restock the fridge and buy it in Grand Central or Citare Gourmet Market. I always told Diamond to buy there. Use the card I gave you," Vernon instructed, hinting that the groceries in his penthouse were restocked by Diamond and also hinting at the fact that he tolerated her cooking, much to her relief.


    Chloe nodded meekly and hesitated a bit as she asked, "Um¡­ Vernon, may I know if I can take a little money from your card?"


    "Huh?"


    Chloe quickly exined her reason, "M¡ªMy daughter, Mackenzie. She has been through a rough time in her school. I want to treat her a little by going to her favorite restaurant¡ª P¡ªPlease just cut my sry. I will save all the bills and give the total I took from your card¡­."


    ¡­


    Vernon scoffed. He thought it was ridiculous¡ª even downright insulting for him.


    Did she not realize that she had Vernon''s ck card? Or this was a hint that she wanted her own card? Forcing Vernon to dump a lot of money into a new ount under her name so she would be satisfied?


    Whatever he didn''t want to think about it now.


    "You can do whatever," Vernon said. He walked away, and Chloe kept thanking him.


    "Thank you! Thank you so much!"<sub> </sub>


    "Tch¡­" Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. Chloe really liked to insult him, making it seem like Vernon was some kind of monster that would yell at her for spending on stuff.


    ''She is no different than the rest of them,'' he thought.


    **


    Chloe waited until Vernon closed the door and sighed in relief. She was scared that Vernon would yell at her again.


    She did the same when she was with Vincent, though. Because Vincent would always call her out and even mocked her for days if she spent something moderately expensive with his card.


    Even if she bought a dress for 100 bucks, Vincent would ridicule her, saying she wasted a lot of money on something she couldn''t use because she was fat and ugly.


    "Vincent always told me to spend whatever with his card since he is rich. But alwaysughed and ridiculed me, even bringing up the fact that I spent his money whenever we have an argument," Chloe mumbled as the memories of Vincent ridiculing her over and over shed in her head.


    "The pattern happens so often, it makes me wonder if Vincent deliberately persuades me to buy whatever with his card, only tough at me, so I constantly feel guilty¡­." Chloe assessed.


    She might not like Vernon for his mood swing, unpredictability, and his madness in general.


    "But at least he is willing to be professional and subtract my sry to buy things. That''s better, so I don''t feel guilty spending his money¡­."


    **


    Chloe picked up Mackie from her math tutor and drove to the upper east side.


    "Where are we going, Mommy?"


    "We''re going to restock our grocery!" Chloe replied.


    "Wahh!" Mackie always loved going grocery shopping because Mommy would always allow her to buy any kind of snacks¡ª ice cream, cookies, potato chips, and many more!


    "And I know you must be very tired today, so we will go to your favorite restaurant!"


    "WAHHHH! Is it in Uncle Daryl''s The Brown Hut?!" Mackie asked¡ª mentioning her favorite restaurant. They visited that ce so much that they were recognized by Daryl, the restaurant''s owner.


    It was kid-friendly, and Mackie loved eating the strawberry shortcake and mille-feuille in that restaurant.


    "Yes, we will go there for dinner! I will allow you to order not only one but two desserts!"


    Mackie was so happy that she started making cute dances with her arms.


    Chloe chuckled. She was happier whenever she saw her daughter happy, even dancing around. At some point, she was already suicidal with all the cheating, insult, and emotional abuse done by Vincent¡ª she started being suicidal.


    She had no idea why she had to live when the man she loved and devoted to used her as an emotional punching bag for his entertainment.


    But she remembered that her daughter still needed her.


    Vincent could go to hell for all she cared for, but Mackie needed her presence, and her daughter became her sole support system for her.


    "Mackie, are you happy now?"


    "Umm, yes! Mackie was sad before, but I''m happy now!" Mackie replied cheerfully. "Why are you asking, Mommy?"


    Chloe shook her head as she continued driving, "It''s nothing, dear."

 41 Chapter 41

    Chloe and Mackie went to Citare Gourmet Market to buy groceries for Vernon. It was alreadyte noon when they arrived, so it wasn''t as crowded.


    "Yay, yay! Grocery, grocery~," Mackie hopped happily as she followed her mommy putting a list of raw ingredients, spices, and dairy for the grocery.


    Actually, Chloe and Mackie also went grocery shopping here. They would drive far from their mansion to the Upper east side, where Citare and Grand Central Market were located.


    Then, they would go to The Brown Hut for dinner, only the two of them.


    Vincent rarely came home since he was busy with his business¡ª with the side activity of sticking his dick to any chicks he met.


    Sometimes, Chloe was tired of driving Mackie every morning and evening to her school, followed by buying groceries. When she was home, she had to cook and doundry.


    Though, at least there were a few female housekeepers and gardeners to clean the mansion every two days. Thus, Chloe was only obliged to cook for Mackie and wash the family''sundry.


    But she did those by herself amidst her depression and intentional starvation for her diet, making her feel so weak, even nauseous at times.


    She asked Vincent if it was possible to get a chauffeur, at least. But he refused, calling Chloe a thirsty whore because she would definitely fuck with the chauffeur in private.


    Thus, the only man in their big house was Vincent.


    ''Ah, I think he also fucked a few of the maids. Maybe that''s why he kicked me out of the house with Mackie a few times when he was in the house because he is fucking the maids in the living room,'' Chloe reminisced the painful memory again.


    "Mommy, Mommy!"


    Chloe snapped out of her daze when Mackie called her, gently pulling the hem of her shirt, "Yes, dear?"


    "Mommy, I want that!" Mackie pointed at a long fridge in front of them, specifically at yellow milk.


    "Banana milk?"


    "Un!"


    "Okay," Chloe picked up banana milk for Mackie and then checked her shopping cart, "Ah, I also need to buy milk and yogurt."


    Chloe started looking around in the dairy section. She hadn''t seen milk in Vernon''s fridge before, so she didn''t know the brand he liked.


    "I''ll just take my usual," Chloe mumbled. "I hope he will like it."


    Chloe picked two cartons of milk, but she suddenly heard someonementing from behind, "That''s not the brand that Mr. Phoenix Gray likes."


    Chloe turned around and was surprised by the ebony beauty in front of her.


    She was wearing a pink tank top that contrasted with her beautiful dark skin and short denim, carrying a shopping basket filled with groceries for one person. She looked very youthful when dressed like this,pared to her usual zer style in the office.


    "Diamond?"<sub> </sub>


    "The one and only," Diamond responded with a thin smile on her luscious lips. She nced at the shopping cart and asked, "Are you shopping for Mr. Phoenix Gray right now?"


    "Yeah, I need to restock his fridge."


    "Well, that means you have to start over. You bought many brands that he doesn''t like. Mr. Phoenix Gray is a very picky eater. So he will throw away anything unsuitable for his te," Diamond informed.


    "Eh? He is a very picky eater?" Chloe was a tad surprised. Because if she remembered correctly, Vernon would eat absolutely anything that Chloe made, even the stuff a kid should''ve hated, like broli, green bean, or carrot.


    "You don''t know?" Diamond was even more surprised than she was. "He often criticized any food he ate, even if it was made by top chefs. He is so picky that I have to drive far to a restaurant he liked just to get his lunch. He would even notice if the seasoning was a tiny bit off!"


    ¡­


    ''Sounds like a hell of a boss to work with,'' Chloe said in her heart. It made her wonder how much Diamond got paid to put up with all the craziness that Vernon did.


    "Then, who cooks for him every day?" Chloe asked.


    "Either he cooked his meals himself, or he would go to the restaurant that he was a regr, or told me to bring the food from the restaurant to his office," Diamond replied.


    "Eh? You need to be the one who bring it to his office? No Ubereats?"


    "He refused to use Ubereats. He said the taste would be different if it''s delivered by random people he doesn''t know! Like, damn, I''m working as your secretary, not daily food delivery!" Diamond started venting about her work burden. To put up with Vernon''s shenanigans wasn''t for the faint-hearted.


    Even Chloe felt her pain just by how her tone and expression changed when she started talking about work-rted stuff.


    Diamond fixed her expression after realizing she was being a little emotional, "I can help you. I was the one who restocked his grocery in his penthouse before you came."


    "Ah, thank you, Diamond!" Chloe was relieved that Diamond was here. She feared Vernon would yell at her if she bought the wrong stuff.


    However, she didn''t expect Vernon to be a picky eater either.


    ''I have to ask him what''s his likes and dislikes for food, so I won''t make mistakes when cooking for him."


    Chloe put the milk cartons back in the long refrigerator and picked the correct one under Diamond''s instruction.


    Before they left the dairy section, Diamond noticed the little girl that had been eyeing her while hiding behind Chloe''s legs, "Is that your daughter?"


    "Ah, yes, her name is Mackenzie, or people usually called her Mackie. Mackie, go and say hi to Miss Diamond," Chloe said as she gently pushed Mackie to the front.


    Realizing that Mackie was scared and shy, she confirmed, "Don''t be scared. Miss Diamond is Mommy''s friend in the new job."


    Mackie clenched her Mommy''s jeans as she kept staring at Diamond, "G¡ªGood afternoon, Miss Diamond¡­."

 42 Chapter 42

    "G¡ªGood afternoon, Miss Diamond¡­."


    Diamond smiled and kneeled in front of Mackie. She knew she was tall and could be intimidating to little kids, especially shy ones like Mackie.


    "Good morning, Princess. My name is Diamond Johnson. You can call me Aunt Diamond instead. What is your name again?"


    Mackenzie paled instantly when she heard the word ''Aunt.'' She quickly hid behind Chloe''s legs again and buried her face in her thigh.


    Diamond frowned. That wasn''t a normal reactioning from a child.


    p "Mommy, I''m scared!"</anda>


    "I¡ªit''s okay, you can just call her Miss Diamond. She is not your Aunt, right Miss Diamond?" Chloe stared at Diamond with pleading eyes, and Diamond got even more confused.


    But she finally gave in, "I''m sorry, Little Princes. I''m not your aunt. You can call me Miss Diamond instead, okay?"


    "Um¡­" Mackenzie nodded weakly. "M¡ªMy name is Mackenzie Rose Gray. Miss Diamond can call me Mackie¡­."


    "Okay, Mackie, nice to meet you," Diamond smiled again, hoping that Mackie would rx.


    Chloe breathed out relief. Diamond stood up and asked Chloe in a low voice, "What''s wrong with your daughter, Chloe?"


    "There is something bad happening between her and the Gray Family. I will tell youter," Chloe replied with the same low voice, as she didn''t want Mackie to get even more scared.


    Diamond nced down at Mackie, who seemed really scared when she heard the word aunt, and she sympathized with Chloe and her daughter.


    ''Mr. Phoenix Gray and his entire family are seriously fucked up in the head. I''m so d I have nothing to do with him personally,'' Diamond thought.


    Diamond put her shopping basket in Chloe''s shopping cart and grabbed the handle, "I will push the cart. You should pick your daughter up."


    "Ah, thank you so much, Diamond!" Chloe picked up Mackie and carried her while they were grocery shopping together.


    Diamond told her about every brand Vernon liked or disliked, and Chloe tried to remember everything because it was just her luck to encounter Diamond today. She couldn''t rely on her every time.


    Diamond also told Chloe that Vernon refused to eat many vegetables and absolutely refused to eat fish.


    "Fish? That''s weird¡­." Chloe mumbled.


    "Yep, he hates fish the most. Though, I don''t think it''s because of the fishy smell. Because he still eats caviar or any fish eggs just fine," Diamond exined. She saw Chloe was thinking about something and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Ah, nothing. I was just thinking about something in the past," Chloe shook her head.


    They continued grocery shopping until the cart was full of stuff and spent more than two hours inside.


    Chloe left with a shopping cart full of groceries. Diamond apanied her to her Bentley. After putting everything in the car trunk, Chloe turned around to face Diamond, "Diamond, do you still have time tonight?"


    "If you mean by free is that I have no date tonight, then the answer is yes. I''m just nning to cook something and watch Orange Is the New ck in my apartment," Diamond replied thoroughly.


    "Then how about we have dinner in a restaurant nearby? It''ll be on me," Chloe offered. This was thest she could do to show his gratitude to Diamond.<sub> </sub>


    Diamond smiled thin and nodded, "Sure, it''s been a while since thest time I ate out."


    **


    Chloe, Mackie, and Diamond drove to The Brown Hut and entered without reservation. Good thing Daryl, the owner, already knew Chloe, so he provided a seat in a good spot with a street view from the ss pane.


    "Chloe! Where have you been?" Daryl said as he shook her hand. He looked at Mackie and patted her head, "And you too, Mackie."


    "Good evening, Mr. Daryl!" Mackie greeted happily as he gave the little girl a little hug.


    Daryl opened his arms for Chloe, but she indirectly refused by quickly sitting on the seat, turning Daryl down.


    Daryl looked lost, but he regained hisposure quickly and put the menu on the table, "You guys should see the menu first. I will return in ten minutes, okay?"


    "Okay, thank you, Mr. Daryl!" Mackie said.


    "Thank you, Daryl," Chloe said with a thin smile.


    Daryl seemed hesitant as he nced at Chloe for a moment before walking away. Not once did he say something to Diamond. All of his attention was on Chloe only, which was strangely intimate.


    Diamond observed everything and asked Chloe, "Who''s that guy?"


    "Ah, he is Daryl, the owner of this restaurant. We''ve known each other since Mackie was only four. Since this is Mackie''s favorite restaurant."


    "I see¡­" Diamond hummed for a moment, leaned toward Chloe, and whispered, "Do you not realize that he has his eyes on you the whole time?"


    "I know," Chloe replied without hesitation. Her eyes were still on the menu as if getting fancied by the owner of the restaurant that you were a regr wasn''t concerning enough.


    "He''s been like that for years, actually. So I took his flirting as apliment but refused to have any physical contact other than a handshake," Chloe said in a low voice to prevent Mackie from listening. She clearly gave boundaries between her and that man.


    "For years? Even when you''re still married to Vincent?"


    "Mhm, we nevere here together, so he never knows," Chloe whispered. "But I''ve never done more than just a handshake with Daryl because I was married to Vincent."


    "Then you''re trying to divorce him now, right?"


    "I tried, but it''s difficult. The Gray Family has too much power¡­." Chloe sighed as she continued whispering in Diamond''s ear. "I don''t know what that guy wants, really. Clearly, if we are divorced, he can fuck with whoever he wants. Yet, he still wants me to be his legal wife for whatever reason."


    Diamond knew nothing about Vincent Gray other than the news about him through social media.


    But there was one thing to be sure about him;


    People saw Vincent Gray as a mature family man. Because he was never caught cheating. Either Chloe was lying about him, or Vincent Gray''s PR team was amazing at their job.


    ''I think the second one is more usible, knowing his little brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray is also a big yboy who fucks around.''

 43 Chapter 43

    ''I think the second one is more usible, knowing his little brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray is a big yboy who fucks around as well," Diamond thought.


    Funnily enough, the media rarely saw Chloe and Mackie, despite being the wife and daughter of a handsome, young billionaire. Though, whenever asked by the media about his wife''s absence, Vincent always said that his wife is a deep introvert that doesn''t like media attention.


    People thought that was because Vincent wanted to protect his family from the media''s eyes to living a normal life.


    "And why aren''t you apanying him in many events?"


    "Vincent forbids me from meeting any random person or showing myself in public. I''m basically trapped in our house. My activity is just taking care of Mackie, cooking, and doingundry," Chloe replied. She had a sad smile, "At first, I see nothing wrong with it since I know he is the jealous type. But once I know that he has been fucking around nonstop, I know that I''m nothing but a furniture in his house. That''s why I got terribly depressed, even suicidal at some point¡­."


    "Ah, please don''t say this to Vernon, okay? I don''t want him to think that I''m just a burden. I don''t want to get fired so soon¡­." Chloe pleaded. Getting fired in this harsh situation was basically a death sentence for Chloe.


    Diamond bit her lower lip. She thought that Chloe was just a spoiled, ungrateful woman at first.


    But after knowing this, it was hard to pin the me on her for leaving Vincent. That guy was an absolute monster.


    ''I want to report this to Mr. Phoenix Gray. But¡­ he is always unpredictable. What if he decided to kick Chloe because he thought of her as a burden? I will die out of guilt,'' Diamond thought.


    "Okay, I''ll keep your secret from Mr. Phoenix Gray, I promise," Diamond said, much to Chloe''s relief.


    Mackie saw her mommy, and Miss Diamond was whispering for a while. She got curious, "Mommy, are you talking about Daddy?"


    "Ah, n¡ªnot at all, dear. Miss Diamond and I are just talking about work," Chloe said as she shifted Mackie''s attention to the menu instead, "Have you decided what you want to eat?"


    "Yes! I want this, and this, and this!" Mackie pointed at one meal and two desserts, also a drink.


    Normally, Chloe wouldn''t let Mackie eat too many sweets, but she wanted to treat her daughter after so much, so she nodded, "Okay, dear."


    "Really? Thank you, Mommy!"


    Daryl returned after ten minutes and took the menu and their orders. Again, he kept stealing nces at Chloe, but Chloe intentionally acted dumb and ignored him, much to his disappointment.


    After Daryl left, Diamond whispered, "Did you tell him you''re married?"


    "Yeah, I told him I''m married, but he knew my marriage is not good."


    "Wha¡ª how could he know?!"


    "When I was at my lowest, I couldn''t handle it anymore. So I sat here until the restaurant closed, not eating my food. I broke down in tears once he approached me and asked what was wrong¡­."


    Chloe also felt guilty because she broke down in tears in front of a random man.


    But she had nobody to talk to. Even her family supported Vernon more.<sub> </sub>


    Diamond felt heavier in her heart as she continued listening to Chloe''s story. She wanted tofort her in some way, but she knew that might make Chloe feel small and pitiful. Thus, she sat in silence as she stared at Mackie, who was drawing imaginary things with her finger on the table.


    "Mackie Honey, are you doing well in school?" Diamond asked Mackenzie, thinking it would lift up the somber mood around her.


    Mackenzie lifted her head, and her round, ck pupils stared at Miss Diamond, "I''m doing well! Mackie always gets A in any exams!"


    "Really? That''s great!"


    "Un! Daddy, told me that we will go to Disnend again if I do good in school. Since Mackie is always doing good, we will go to Disnend six times!" Mackenzie said innocently.


    "Six times?"


    "Since Daddy never fulfilled his promise to me to go to Disnend.


    Mommy said that Daddy is busy, and we will go when Mackie is twelve years old! That will be five years from now, and that would be six visits to Disnend!"


    ¡­


    Diamond shifted her gaze towards Chloe, and thetter smiled bitterly and replied with a helpless gaze.


    ¡­


    ''Oh my god, these two are so pitiful! How could¡ª How could someone be this evil to his own wife and daughter!'' Diamond pitied both Chloe and Mackenzie.


    ''Alright, I will fuckin help both of them! I will protect them in any way possible from Mr. Phoenix Gray''s wrath!'' Diamond swore in her heart.


    She couldn''t believe that she would actually dedicate herself to helping someone else, but seriously, Chloe deserved happiness in her life.


    Chloe didn''t know what was in Diamond''s head. All she saw was her expression changing from sadness, anger, calm, and suddenly spirited, as if she was determined to do something.


    ''Well, I''m just d that Diamond is a good person. I thought she would be like Vernon, who is unpredictable and crazy,'' Chloe thought.


    **


    Chloe, Mackie, and Diamond ate in silence until it came to the dessert. They waited for Mackie to eat and started chatting in a low voice again.


    "How about your daughter? What makes her scared of the word Aunt? That''s definitely got to do with the Gray family, right?" Diamond asked.


    "Yes, you see¡­ that family is a big one, with many branch families and rtives. They''re constantly trying to bootlick Dorothea Gray, Vincent, and even Vernon at some point. But all of them treated those rtives hot-and-cold."


    "When Mackenzie was born, she was instantly Dorothea''s favorite grandchild, which creates jealousy among the rtives," Chloe exined. "One of them is called Aunt Mary, and she is Dorothea''s niece from her sister. She kidnapped Mackie and took her hostage."

 44 Chapter 44

    "One of them is called Aunt Mary, and she is Dorothea''s niece from her brother. She kidnapped Mackie and took her hostage."


    Diamond''s eyes widened, "KIDNA¡ª"


    "Shh!" Chloe covered Diamond''s mouth and pointed towards Mackie with her side-nce, signaling Diamond to be careful because it was traumatizing for Mackie.


    "Mary kidnapped her when Mackie was in the Gray mansion with Dorothea. I almost died out of panic once I got the news that my daughter had been kidnapped. I thought I would follow my daughter to the afterlife if Mary killed Mackie¡­."


    "And, how does it get solved?"


    "Mary wants Dorothea to fulfill her demands to get a hundred million of cash as ransom, but Dorothea and Vincent tracked her down in less than four hours after Mackie kidnapped her," Chloe exined. "Mackie said that Aunt Mary pped her and clenched her arms until it''s red. She was so traumatized by her face and how she forced Mackie to shut up because ''Aunt'' Mary would choke her to death if she didn''t zip her lips."


    "And what happened with Mary after she got caught?" Diamond asked.


    "In prison, serving an unnatural life sentence," Chloe replied while staring at Mackie.


    Again, Diamond was shocked, "Life sentence? For kidnapping?"


    "The Gray Family has a lot of people working for them and lots of powerful connections as well¡­ that''s why Mary could get an unnatural life sentence for kidnapping," Chloe sighed, full of woe, "Now you know why I can''t just divorce him without his agreement, right? The Gray family will somehow turn the tide on me and make me the guilty instead¡­."


    Now Diamond was the one who felt trapped. Just listening to Chloe''s story made her feel heavy in her heart.


    Diamond cupped Chloe''s hand and said, "I will support you. At least I will be your help in the office, making sure that Mr. Phoenix Gray won''t give you too much trouble, okay?"


    Chloe didn''t understand what made Diamond suddenly want to help her, but any help was necessary during tough times!


    "Thank you so much, Diamond. You¡­ you are my first friend for years, you know¡­." Chloe said. She hesitated a bit, afraid that Diamond wouldn''t like to befriend an old, uninteresting woman like her. "If¡ªIf you don''t want to be called my friend, then we can backtrack¡ª"


    "What are you saying about? I want to be your friend. Girl, we will be besties!" Diamond showed her warmer side as she wanted to hug Chloe.


    Chloe hugged her back, and Mackie saw this. She jumped off her seat and tried to join with the hug, "Mommy, Mommy, don''t leave me out! I want a hug too!"


    "Ahahah! Okay, dear," They were hugging as three, it was a little embarrassing, but Chloe felt warmth in her heart for the first time in years.


    To have a friend again after Vincent isted her from the outside world for so long. It was such a strange feeling, but Chloe didn''t hate it at all.


    **


    Diamond gave her phone number to Chloe as they walked out of the restaurant, saying, "Remember to call me if you need anything, especially if it involves Mr. Phoenix Gray. I will help you in any way I can!"


    "I will. Thank you, Diamond."<sub> </sub>


    They returned to their respective cars and drove off in a different direction. Chloe drove to the Phoenix Apartment and asked Mackie, "What do you think about Miss Diamond?"


    "Um¡­ Miss Diamond is so pretty!" Mackie replied. "I want to y with her againter!"


    "Sure thing, dear."


    **


    Chloe and Mackie returned to their apartment in Phoenix Tower. Mackie washed her face, brushed her teeth, and changed into pajamas before sleeping.


    Chloe was left alone again. She restocked her fridge before going up with the groceries for Vernon''s fridge.


    Like a good maid, Chloe restocked everything inside the fridge while waiting for Vernon toe home. She had the receipt from The Brown Hut restaurant, showing the amount of money she spent eating out.


    It was actually a little out of her budget because she was treating Diamond, but it was a great exchange because now she could befriend Diamond, which would ease her burden when dealing with Vernon and all his madness.


    Chloe waited until it was almost midnight when she heard the penthouse door was opened.


    Vernon went home looking ragged. He seemed to have a rough day and was in a terrible mood.


    <o>,m "Vernon, do you want¡ª" Chloe tried to greet him, but he just gave her a nce before sidestepping her and walking towards his room. He mmed the door, leaving Chloe alone in the dim living room.</o>


    Chloe was afraid that Vernon could snap at her any moment if he found her annoying. So she tiptoed towards the kitchen and silently heated the food she bought for him from the restaurant. She also wrote a note behind the receipt before returning to her apartment, falling asleep quickly after such a long day.


    **


    Vernon walked out of his room wearing his grey pajama. He had a rough day with one of his new clients about their uing entertainment project together. The problem was solved, but it took a toll on him.


    "Sister-inw?" Vernon called as he looked around. He thought that Chloe must''ve been in the kitchen or living room, waiting for him.


    But she was nowhere to be found.


    "Huh, I was thinking about ying around with her a bit," Vernon mumbled. He noticed something on the kitchen counter, so he checked it out.


    "Hmm¡­ dinner and¡­ a receipt?" Vernon picked the receipt first and realized it was just a regr receipt from a restaurant called The Brown Hut, and Chloe paid 300 bucks for it.


    "Why is this on the kitchen table? What''s the point of this?" Vernon asked, thinking that it was unimportant. Chloe could use that ck card for whatever she wanted, even if she wanted to buy a new car or empty some branded store of her choice.

 45 Chapter 45

    Vernon flipped the receipt and found a note written on the back of the receipt.


    ¡ª


    ? Vernon, this is the receipt of my spending. Please subtract my sry in exchange.


    Thank you for letting me use your card.


    Ps: I bought you food from the restaurant for your dinner.


    ¡ª Chloe.


    ¡ª


    "Nonsense," Vernon crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash can. He was already in a bad mood, and just reading that made him even more annoyed.


    "She still tries to say about sry this and that, even subtracting sry. Does she think I can''t give her all that my brother can? Fuck, so annoying."


    Clearly, she was being so frugal and modest because she wanted to insult him. Vernon thought, "Just because I''m not as rich as my brother, you think of me so lowly? Tch, I bet you never did this to your rich husband, huh?"


    Vernon couldn''t think of any other reason for her doing this other than just humiliating him.


    Obviously, Vernon gave that ck card for her to use. So she could have the same life quality as she got with Vincent.


    But she refused the ck card for personal use and insisted on getting a sry from him.


    "Fine, I will give her what she wants. I''ve prepared a contract to shock her on Monday," Vernon had a smirk on his face. He already imagined the shock and helplessness on Chloe''s face once she realized what kind of contract would he give her. It would be a fun little revenge from Vernon to Chloe.


    "It''s just a small price for looking down on me," Vernon said.


    He was a little hungry and curious about what Chloe had bought. So he opened the lid and found a roasted chicken that had been heated not long ago.


    It looked tempting, and the smell was pleasant, but Vernon was a picky eater. So he doubted he would like this restaurant food.


    "It was bought by my sister-inw. I think it will be good," Vernon pinched the chicken and pulled a strip of meat. He opened his mouth and ate the chicken meat.


    He munched it three times before spitting it out, "Fuck, that''s nasty!"


    **


    Chloe got up on Sunday morning. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and tied her hair to a bun. As she opened the next bedroom door, she checked on Mackenzie, who was still sleeping soundly.


    She closed the door silently, not wanting to wake the little angel.


    Chloe went up to Vernon''s penthouse to cook for breakfast and cleaned a little bit before the housekeeper came in thete noon.


    She did everything on autopilot because this was what she often did in her home daily.


    Chloe made five stacks of fluffy pancakes for Vernon first and would make one for Mackieter once she woke up. After she was done making it, she knocked on Vernon''s door a few times;


    Knock. Knock.


    Knock. Knock.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmm? What?" Vernon answered from inside.


    "Vernon, breakfast is ready. I made you a pancake. You can eat it while it''s still warm," Chloe said in a gentle voice, just to ensure that Vernon knew she had done her job.


    Chloe busied herself by cleaning and then went to Vernon''sundry room to wash his suits and formal shirts.


    Vernon got up a momentter when he heard the sound of the washing machine. He yawned a few times before washing his face and then opened his bedroom door to the dining table.


    He saw a stack of fluffy pancakes on the table with a few syrup bottles.


    Honestly, Vernon rarely ate this kind of sugary, starchy thing for breakfast. He would just drink a smoothie before his morning exercise.


    But the smell of the pancakes reminded him of that time when Chloe cooked pancakes for him. He still liked it despite knowing it wasn''t good if he ate too much.


    So, he sat and poured maple syrup and a few dried berries. He started eating in silence while listening to the low sound of the washing machine from theundry room.


    ''Feels like living inside a small family,'' Vernon thought.


    **


    Mackie woke up quitete today because when she slid the curtain, the sun was already rising.


    "Um¡­ Mommy?" Mackie knew that her Mommy must''ve woke up earlier to prepare for breakfast. Mackie walked with her small feet to the bathroom and stepped on the small stool, washing her face and brushing her teeth before searching for her Mommy in the living room.


    "Mommy?"


    ¡­


    "Where is Mommy?" Mackie asked herself. She continued searching until she stood near the spiral staircase leading to the upper floor.


    Mackie asked her Mommy about the stair and if she could y upstairs. But her Mommy forbade her, saying it''s someone else''s house, not ours.


    But she also saw her Mommy climbing upstairs a few times. Thus, Mackie thought that the neighbor upstairs must have been a good person!


    She heard the noise of the washing machine upstairs, so she thought her Mommy must''ve been doingundry with their neighbor.


    "Whaa! Mackie never had any neighbors before. I want to see it too!" Mackie said in full spirit. Since they lived in a mansion, the distance between one house to another was so far that it wasn''t even possible for her to y with her neighbor.


    Heck, even Mackie didn''t know the family''s name on the mansion beside hers!


    Mackie wanted to help her Mommy and see the new neighbor, so she climbed the spiral staircase slowly until she reached thest staircase.


    She could see the view of a clean kitchen, but nobody was there.


    However, Mackie clearly heard the washing machine near the kitchen, "Mommy!"


    Mackie called her mommy and walked toward theundry room. However, she didn''t realize the presence of someone else sitting at the dining table or far from the kitchen, looking at her while frowning.


    "Stop right there, kid," Vernon said. Mackie halted her tiny steps, and she turned around slowly.


    "What are you doing here?"

 46 Chapter 46

    "What are you doing here?"


    Mackie saw a man sitting at the dining table, his eyes were like a hawk''s, and his brooding gaze only scared her even more.


    He looked like her Daddy, but without the trace of his Daddy''s kindness. He was also bigger and scarier than her Daddy!


    Mackie took a step back immediately. She was always aware of stranger danger and feared random, scary-looking adults.


    "W¡ªWho are you?!" Mackie asked loudly, almost screaming as she became so guarded.


    Vernon scoffed, "That should be my question. This is my house, do you not know? It''s not good to walk in without permission."


    "B¡ªBut¡­" Mackie didn''t understand why would her Mommy visit and work with this scary uncle that looked like Daddy.


    ? "W¡ªWhere is my Mommy?"


    "Your Mom is in theundry room," Vernon pointed with his chin before returning to his pancake breakfast. Mackie saw the fluffy five stacked pancakes with maple syrup and dried berries and pointed at Vernon;


    "T¡ªThat''s Mackie''s pancake!" Mackie yelled.


    "Huh?" Vernon swallowed the pancake inside his mouth and turned his head towards the little girl again. She saw Mackie pointing at the pancake.


    "That''s Mackie''s pancake!" Mackie repeated.


    "And why is that?" Vernon asked. He gave the little girl a deep gaze, thinking it would scare her. But much to his disbelief, Mackie got even braver, as if her life depended on that pancake.


    "Mommy said that she will make five fluffy pancakes for Mackie!"


    "You think your Mom is the only one who can make a pancake?"


    "But that''s Mommy''s Pancake! I know it!" Mackie insisted. "Scary uncle is a thief!"


    STAB!


    Vernon''s lips twitched out of annoyance. He felt a stab in his heart when he got called a thief by a little girl. He never liked kids¡ª in fact, he hated them most of the time, and the hate was mutual. Because all the kids would be scared of him for an obvious reason.


    Vernon had a simr appearance to Vincent, but Vernon was taller and had a bigger frame, also apletely different aura and behavior. Vincent would smile and look amiable in front of kids, just like he did in front of the press.


    But Vernon never hid his true expression. If he disliked something, everything would be exposed just by looking at his face.


    And he disliked a lot of things most of the time.


    However, Chloe''s daughter was more interesting than he thought because she seemed adamant about iming a pancake.


    A mischievous thought popped in his head, and Vernon stabbed the five stack of pancakes with his fork and sliced it with a knife.


    He grabbed the maple syrup and poured it on the pancakes before showing it to Mackie, "You''re right. Your Mom cooked this for you. But I''m the first to find it, so it''s mine now!"


    Vernon fit the whole thing inside his mouth before chewing it, deliberately showing an expression of delight as he ate the pancake.


    After he gulped it, Vernon looked at Mackie, whose eyes were already zing with tears, "What can you do about it? Your pancake is mine now."


    "I¡ªI will tell my Mommy!"


    "Go on, tell her," Vernon said. His pettiness showed, and he took delight in Mackie, who got upset.<sub> </sub>


    "Wu¡­ wu¡­ WUAAAAA!" Mackie ran towards theundry room and rushed towards her Mommy, who was loading theundry into the dryer. "MOMMY!"


    "Wha¡ª" Chloe almost lost her bnce when Mackenzie suddenly stormed in and jumped on her thighs. "W¡ªWhat''s wrong, Mackie? Why are you crying?"


    "Wuu¡­ wuuu¡­ my pancakes, a scary uncle stole my fluffy pancake!"


    "Scary uncle?"


    "Yes, um¡­ he looks like Daddy, but bigger and scarier!" Mackie reported.


    Chloe got the idea of the person immediately. Mackie must''ve been talking about Vernon.


    ''Mackie must''ve thought that pancake was her breakfast since Chloe promised to make pancake as breakfastst night,'' Chloe thought.


    But she didn''t make one for Mackie because she was still sleeping, and the pancake wouldn''t be tasty anymore if it got cold.


    "Mackie, no need to be mad¡ª"


    "Mommy, scold the thief! Mackie wants the pancake back!"


    "W¡ªwait¡ª" Chloe had no time to exin when Mackie suddenly jumped out of her thigh and grabbed her hands.


    Mackie tried to pull her Mommy towards the living room.


    Once Mackie was able to bring her Mommy in front of the man that looked like her Dad, she quickly hid behind her Mommy''s legs.


    Mackie pointed at the man still sitting on the same spot, leaning at the dining chair while spreading his legs like he was some kind of boss.


    "There he is, Mommy! The pancake thief!"


    Chloe was a little scared when she had to face Vernon like this. But when she saw Vernon didn''t seem to be in a bad mood, she tried to clear things out;


    "V¡ªVernon, I''m sorry for my daughter''s words. She thought that pancake was¡ª"


    "She used me of stealing pancake," Vernon suddenly interrupted. "Obviously, you make it for me, right?"


    "W¡ªWell, yeah¡­."


    "Then I''m the rightful owner of that pancake!"


    "But Mommy promised it was for me! You must''ve forced my Mommy!"


    "Who forced her? She made it for me!"


    ¡­


    Somehow, Chloe felt she was standing between an argument between two kids. Vernon was beyond petty, even to a little kid. Rather than saying sorry and acting guilty in front of Mackie, he decided to challenge her in an argument.


    After hearing enough, Chloe sighed and raised her voice, "Okay, stop!"


    Vernon and Mackie stopped their argument once Chloe raised her voice, "I will cook for Mackie the same thing. There is a banana- apple and milk smoothie inside the fridge."


    "Huh? How do you know that I drink a banana-apple smoothie for breakfast?" Vernon asked. He was a little surprised because it''s actually his favorite. Any kind of banana and dairy product was his favorite. Combining them into a smoothie with other fruits was a great mood booster for him in the morning.

 47 Chapter 47

    "Huh? How do you know that I drink a banana-apple smoothie for breakfast?" Vernon asked. He acquired this taste when he was in university, so there was no way Chloe knew about it from his childhood days.


    Chloe paused and looked as confused as he was.


    "But that one is for¡ª"


    "That''s for Mackie!" Mackie imed. "I like banana and milk! Um¡­ cheese and yogurt too! Mommy always makes a banana-apple smoothie every weekend!"


    "Wait, is that true?"


    "Ahaha¡­ yeah, Mackie loves banana and dairy products¡­." Chloe replied. "She loves banana milk the most."


    Vernon''s jaw dropped once he realized that he had the exact same preference as that bratty little girl. He had a stock of banana milk inside his office''s fridge, and only Diamond knew about this.


    "So the banana-apple added with milk smoothie is not for me?"


    Chloe shook her head reluctantly, "It''s¡­ for Mackie."


    "Then what are you going to make for me, sister-inw?" Vernon asked. His tone was almost demanding.


    "Um¡­ I''m waiting for you to finish the pancake before serving your morning coffee or tea," Chloe replied. "So, what do you want? Coffee or tea?"


    ¡­


    Vernon imagined that a bratty little girl could get his favorite banana-apple milk smoothie while he drank boring coffee or tea for breakfast.


    Somehow, he felt a little annoyed.


    "I only drink coffee or tea in the evening," Vernon stated. "Do you not realize that drinking coffee in the morning will only hurt your stomach? Do you want me to get a stomachache in the morning?"


    "Ah, I¡ªI''m sorry, I don''t know¡ª"


    "What kind of stay-at-home mom doesn''t know about this?" Vernon started speaking in a vindictive tone, and Chloe lowered her head immediately.


    She stammered while trying to apologize a few times.


    Mackie realized that her Mommy was scared of this scary uncle. Of course, Mackie was just as scared as she was, but she braced herself to protect her Mommy.


    "You''re a serious¡ª"


    "Don''t bully my Mommy!" Mackenzie said as she stood in front of Chloe. Her legs trembled in fear, but she tried to defend her Mommy. "Y¡ªYou scary uncle, don''t bully Mommy!"


    Vernon zipped his mouth instantly, staring down at Mackie standing in front of Chloe. Chloe immediately grabbed her daughter''s arm and pulled her to the side, "I''m sorry, Vernon! P¡ªPlease don''t be mad at Mackie. She is just a kid, I¡ª"


    "Tch, whatever, just make me the same smoothie. You will make that smoothie every morning for me, understand?"


    "U¡ªUnderstand¡­"


    "And you, kid," Vernon pointed at Mackie. "Go sit beside me and let your Mom cook."


    Mackie looked up at her Mommy, asking for her permission. Whether it was okay to sit beside scary uncle, and Chloe nodded.


    "Don''t be scared of him, Mackie. He is your Daddy''s little brother, Uncle Vernon," Chloe introduced the cold-blooded devil to her daughter.


    Though, she knew the first impression wasn''t so nice between them. She just hoped that Vernon would tolerate Mackie.


    "Daddy''s little brother?" Mackie looked at Vernon from top to bottom with her doe eyes andmented, "But he is so scary, unlike Daddy!"


    "Heh, that''s because I''m not him," Vernon replied.<sub> </sub>


    Not wanting to listen to these two brats arguing again, Chloe picked Mackie up and put her on the seat beside Vernon, "Sit here and stay silent, okay? I will make your pancake first."


    "Okay, Mommy¡­"


    Chloe nced at Vernon, but she zipped her lips immediately, not wanting to scold Vernon for being an absolute manchild.


    "Yeah, I know. I''ll stay silent," Vernon responded. He knew what Chloe was thinking.


    Chloe was relieved. She started making Mackie''s pancake and multitasked by making the same banana apple, added with milk smoothie for Vernon.


    After she was done, she served the pancake to her daughter and the ss of smoothie to Vernon.


    "Thank you, Mommy!"


    "Good."


    Mackie and Vernon looked at each other at the same time and looked the other way to show their dislike of each other.


    "Hmph!"


    "Hmph."


    Chloe sighed. She couldn''t do anything about this. Though, she was d that Vernon didn''t seem to be the type of person who would actually hurt a little kid.


    "I will finish theundry first. You should finish your food first, okay, Mackie?" Chloe said. She wanted to get up from the chair, but Vernon stopped her;


    "Eat first. I haven''t seen you eating anything for breakfast since I woke up," Vernon said.


    "Yes, Mommy! You can eat Mackie''s pancakes!" Mackie added.


    "Ah, um¡­" Chloe wanted to say that she couldn''t eat breakfast because she would vomit everything again. But she didn''t want to disgust Vernon. "I''ve eaten before I cook for you, Vernon. I''m fine."


    "¡­ Eat an apple in front of me," Vernon ordered.


    "P¡ªPardon?"


    "I said, eat an apple in front of me. This is an order," Vernon repeated hismand, and Chloe was forced to take one apple and start eating it slowly.


    Vernon watched intently after Chloe finished eating an apple, and she excused herself to go to theundry room.


    Mackie watched it and found nothing wrong with her Mommy, who always ate so little, and usually vomited it all out after eating too much.


    Mommy told her that it was just a normal thing since Mommy''s stomach was very small.


    Vernon and Mackie sat side by side in silence for a while until Vernon said to the little girl, "This ce is not a free stay. Your Mom is working for me, and you shouldn''t try to defy me, or I can fire your Mom easily."


    "Uncle Vernon is weird," Mackiemented.


    The edge of Vernon''s lips twitched a bit. To be called Uncle by his niece felt very strange in his heart.


    Vernon wasn''t close to his family, so he never met any of his nephews or niece from his rtives.


    Though, he knew from one of his informants in the Gray mansion that Vincent and Chloe''s daughter was Dorothea¡ª his mom''s favorite grandchild.


    "And why am I weird?" he asked.

 48 Chapter 48

    "And why am I weird?" Vernon asked.


    "Uncle Vernon is so mean to Mommy, but Uncle also likes to eat Mommy''s pancake," Mackiemented. Her legs iled under the table, happily munching the homemade fluffy pancake. "Mommy''s cooking is so delicious. Uncle must''ve liked it, right?"


    "It''s tolerable," Vernon replied. He sipped the smoothie from a big straw, and his lips tightened for a moment.


    "Then why are you so mean to Mommy? Mackie won''t let you hurt Mommy!" Mackie said seriously, her doe eyes beamed with determination, ready to protect her precious mom.


    "Heh, you need to grow up first if you want to protect her from me," Vernon smirked and looked at Mackie with a mischievous gaze.


    For a split second, Mackie thought she saw Uncle Vernon with wolf ears, like a big bad wolf!


    "U¡ªUncle is like a big bad wolf! Mackie will protect Mommy from you!"


    "Heheh, sure, you should. After all, I can eat her anytime I want," Vernon said and he made a gesture of a big bite towards her.


    "Waaa!" Mackie quickly jumped from her seat and rushed towards theundry room.


    Vernon watched that little girl running in shambles to return to her mother, even though she said she would protect her mommy less than a minute ago.


    "Now I understand why that little girl bes my mother''s favorite," Vernon said, a thin smile perked up at the edge of his lips. But the smile dimmed as he realized that girl''s parents, "Too bad I hate her dad¡­ and her mom."


    Mackie entered theundry room and found her Mommy had just finished drying theundry. Mackie jumped towards her again, "Mommy, Mommy!"


    "Ah!" Chloe lost her bnce and fell to the stack of Vernon''s freshly dried suits and shirts. "M¡ªMackie, you''re going to give me a heart attack!"


    "Wuu, I''m sorry, Mommy. But Uncle Vernon is so evil!"


    "Hm? What did he do?"


    "He¡­ he said that he is a big bad wolf and will eat Mommy!" Mackie reported. She clenched her hug around Chloe''s waist. "Mackie will protect Mommy!"


    Chloe knew that Vernon must''ve been saying stuff towards Mackie again.


    "Don''t mind him, dear. But you''re doing good, right? You shouldn''t make him angry. He is also Mommy''s boss at work," Chloe warned her. She really needed this job, so she couldn''t afford to lose it.


    "Un, I''m doing good!" Mackie said. "But, Mommy, why does Uncle Vernon never show up in Grandma''s house before?"


    "That''s because he was studying in another country. He is smart!" Chloe tried to give Vernon a better light, so Mackie wouldn''t be hostile toward him.


    After all, Mackie hated all of her uncles and aunts except her Granny in the Gray Family.


    "Do you like Uncle Vernon?" Mackie asked.


    "Uncle Vernon is mean! He is also a big bad wolf that wants to eat Mommy!" Mackie pouted as sheined. "But¡­ Uncle Vernon is not like the other."<sub> </sub>


    "Really?"


    "Yup! He is unlike other uncles because he didn''t hurt Mackie when Mommy or Daddy wasn''t around!"


    **


    Mackie returned downstairs with a ss of banana-apple smoothie. Chloe told her to watch her favorite kids'' cartoon while she was busy in Uncle Vernon''s apartment.


    Meanwhile, Vernon already went to the 10th floor, where there was a gym, leaving Chloe alone in his apartment.


    Vernon entered the gym, and his personal trainer was already waiting for him. He bowed slightly, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, you seem to be in a good mood today. Did something good happen?"


    "No, I just have a good¡­ and entertaining breakfast," Vernon replied.


    ''Entertaining?'' The personal trainer wondered. It was very rare for Mr. Phoenix Gray to be in a good mood. He only had two default moods most of the time;


    1. Grumpy.


    2. Super Grumpy.


    ''Maybe he found a new woman to fuck? I mean, it''s not rare for him to bring a woman and fuck her before tossing her away¡­.''


    The personal trainer didn''t agree with Mr. Phoenix Gray''s lifestyle, but he was just an employee here, so he had no right to say anything.


    Vernon took three hours to exercise on the weekend. He straightened his legs to rest after a rough training regiment, and the personal trainer told him, "You''re doing great, Mr. Phoenix Gray. But I heard you broke up with your girlfriend, Amelia Dunn. I''m sorry to hear that."


    Vernon was morefortable talking to his personal trainer because he was friendly and professional. He knew his boundary and things he couldn''t speak about towards Vernon.


    "She''s just one of those chicks I took for a movie promotion under mypany. She tried to get more from me, but I got bored of her already. So I just kicked her away," Vernon replied.


    The personal trainer wasn''t that surprised by Vernon''s words. Because he already got used to him, though he wondered if Mr. Phoenix Gray ever fell in love in his life.


    He didn''t dare to ask that, though, because Vernon would always re at him if he asked whether the devil CEO had a first love, at least.


    "But you seem to be in a good mood today. Did you find another woman, Mr. Phoenix Gray?"


    "I got a woman in my apartment. But she''s not only a ything," Vernon said. A mysterious smirk appeared as if he was already nning something so devious. "She is a ything for now. But I want to see if she can be useful for me in the future."


    The personal trainer didn''t know what Mr. Phoenix Gray meant by that. But this woman seemed to be different, ''Maybe it''s a daughter from an important family in the world. But he dated a real princess when he was in university, right? How could someone be even more important than that?''


    "Ah, that reminds me. I have to make sure that Diamond did her job," Vernon pointed at his phone on a counter, "Bring me my phone. I will tell her to revise a few things in the contract."

 49 Chapter 49

    [Monday Morning.]


    Chloe woke up early again. She had to cook a lot because she also had to prepare breakfast for Mackie and her boss, Vernon Phoenix Gray. She also had to prepare lunch for Mackie since her daughter was a picky eater that preferred her cooking as lunch.


    Chloe wondered if she also had to make lunch for her boss but remembered that Vernon must''ve had his restaurant food that Diamond mentioned. So, there was no need for Chloe to make lunch because Vernon would just eat outside.


    Chloe prepared the suit for Vernon by putting it in a drawer in front of his bedroom door. He knocked on the door a few times, "Vernon, your suit and shirt are in front of the door¡­."


    "Hrm? Yes¡­"


    After that, Chloe woke her daughter up and told her to wash her face and prepare for school while she found good clothes for Mackie and checked her bag to see if she had all the books she needed for today''s ss.


    Chloe waited in Vernon''s penthouse kitchen with the breakfast ready. Today she made avocado toast with scrambled egg and cherry tomatoes on the side.


    As requested, she gave Mackie banana milk and a banana-strawberry smoothie for Vernon.


    Vernon came out early, looking handsome and dapper with the grey suit. He was wearing rimless sses, His hair wasbed to the back, and he had shaved his stubble. He seemed to be in an okay mood today.


    "G¡ªGood morning, Vernon. I''ve prepared your breakfast."


    "Hm," Vernon sat and started eating the toast silently.


    "Good morning, Mommy!" Mackie climbed the stair after a while, ready with her bag as well.


    Chloe smiled and patted her head gently, "Go sit beside Uncle Vernon, and eat your breakfast, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    Chloe sat in front of the two, watching them eating their breakfast in silence. Her lips slowly perked up;


    ''It feels like we''re a real family of three...''


    Vernon noticed Chloe''s dumb smile, and his brows knitted together, "What''s with your dumb smile? Eat something for breakfast," Vernon said.


    "Ah, okay¡­"


    ¡­


    Chloe ate very slowly, so slowly that it started infuriating Vernon again. But he wasn''t in the mood to yell at someone in the morning. So he got up and picked up his briefcase, "I''ll leave first. Don''t forget toe to my office after you''re done with your daughter''s stuff."


    Honestly, she was a little scared whenever Vernon said she shoulde to the office. Because she remembered that velvet room and all the props inside.


    Her body shuddered out of fear and nervousness, but she nodded submissively, ""O¡ªOkay, I will¡­. I will go to work today."


    "Good," before he left, Vernon noticed something near the kitchen counter¡ª a pink lunchboxplete with the cutlery set.


    "Is that your daughter''s lunch?" Vernon pointed at the lunchbox.


    "Ah, yes, that''s Mackie''s lunchbox. I trust my cooking more than the ones in the cafeteria and such, so I make her lunch daily."


    "I see¡­" Vernon stared at Chloe for a moment. "And mine?"


    "Eh?"


    "Where''s mine?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Didn''t I tell you you''re in charge of cooking?"<sub> </sub>


    "B¡ªBut I thought you''d eat outside¡ª"


    "You will make me my lunch, just like how you make one for your daughter," Vernon gave out his order without hesitation, and Chloe had no choice but to concede. "You will suffer a consequence if you don''t bring me one."


    "Yes..." Chloe nodded meekly.


    "Hey! Don''t bully Mommy!" Mackie yelled.


    Vernon nced at the little girl before ignoring her and leaving his penthouse.


    "Uncle Vernon is so mean to Mommy!" Mackie pouted. "Unlike Daddy, who is very gentle to Mommy!"


    ¡­


    ''I think both of them are just the same,'' Chloe said in her heart.


    "It''s okay, dear. It''s what we call a job. Uncle Vernon is Mommy''s boss, meaning Mommy has to be obedient to him," Chloe said, trying to calm her daughter down.


    Mackie grumbled again.


    She missed her old home because many old toys were still there. She also missed Daddy;


    "If we''re at home, Daddy will protect us from Uncle Vernon¡­."


    ''That''s also impossible. If Vincent had to choose between me and a dor store vase, he would still pick that dor store vase, haha¡­.''


    Chloe''s self-depreciation developed after getting cheated on by Vincent for eight years. He also often made a mocking remarks such as;


    ''You have no use, no function other than taking care of my daughter. You should be d that I didn''t leave you yet.''


    Or;


    You should be grateful that I put up with you. Stop crying just because I fucked the maid.


    ''Well¡­ isn''t that convenient now? He wouldn''t need to be careful when fucking the maid anymore since Mackie and I are out of his mansion¡­.''


    "Mommy? Mommy!"


    Chloe snapped out of her daze when Mackie grabbed her hand, "Mommy, let''s go!"


    Chloe smiled and grabbed the lunchbox. She packed inside a small lunch bag and allowed Mackie to hold it with her free hand, "Okay, let''s go!"


    **


    Chloe drove Mackie to the school. Usually, she would just drop her right in front of the school gate. But she parked her car today because she had to pay for Mackie''s school tuition. She also talked with the secretary and homeroom teacher about the problem between Mackie and her ssmates¡ª the children of Vincent''s side chicks.


    "Mommy, you''re going to meet the Principal?" Mackie asked.


    "Yes, I need to pay for your school tuition and talked¡­ about something with her. You should go to your ss. Remember, ignore Jaden and Mia if they make trouble unless they start hurting you. You must report it to Miss Alicia, your homeroom teacher, okay?"


    "Okay, Mommy!"


    Chloe watched her daughter walking to her ss while she walked in the opposite direction to the principal office.


    She took a deep breath and knocked on the door a few times before the Principal opened the door by herself and greeted her, "Oh! Good morning, Mrs. Gray. Are you here to talk about Mackenzie''s problem with her ssmates?"

 50 Chapter 50

    "Oh! Good morning, Mrs. Gray. Are you here to talk about Mackenzie''s problem with her ssmates?" the old Mrs. Andrew said with a smile. She already expected Chloe toe to discuss the problem that Mackie faced. "Pleasee in, Mrs. Gray. I''ve been thinking about calling you to discuss this problem we faced together."


    Chloe followed Mrs. Andrew as she entered the principal room. Mrs. Andrew sat on her principal seat and looked at Chloe, "Please sit down, Mrs. Gray."


    Chloe sat facing the old principal. Mrs. Andrew cupped her hands as if she was about to deliver bad news, "Mrs. Gray, you''ve heard about this problem with Mackenzie and her friends, correct?"


    Chloe nodded.


    "It''s regrettable, Mrs. Gray. We''ve tried our best to suppress the news about your husband¡ª Mr. Vincent Gray''s adultery, but it''s simply undoable, especially when he slept with two of the student''s mothers."


    "I''ve talked with Mrs. Jada Smite and Maya sslow, Jaden''s and Mia''s mothers, about their children knowing their affair, that meant they were doing it inside their homes, where the children could see them¡ª Jaden and Mia told the other kids that their moms were sleeping with your husband," Mrs. Andrews told everything that happened between Mackie, Jaden, and Mia.


    Chloe stayed silent because she didn''t know what to say here.


    "Mrs. Gray, I don''t know how is your rtionship with your husband, and I respect Mr. Gray so much because histe father¡ª Mr. Vaughn Gray, was the main donator of this school when this school was erected. But, with all due respect, I cannot tolerate what Vincent Gray did to hurt the children. The victim is not only Mackenzie but also all the other students because Mia and Jaden often picked a fight with Mackenzie in the ss, and all students involuntarily heard about their moms'' affairs with Mr. Vincent Gray."


    Now, Chloe was the one who felt stumped after she heard everything from Mrs. Andrew. There was a mix of shame and disappointment in her heart.


    She was ashamed of Vincent''s deed. That guy seriously had no conscience. He knew about Jada and Maya when he met them in a parents'' meetingst year and started texting them.


    Of course, Jada and Maya were unable to resist Vincent''s charm. Even Chloe had to admit that Vincent was very attractive¡ª though his little brother was even more attractive than he could ever be, appearance-wise.


    But Vincent had one thing that Vernon didn''t have¡­ which was the title of the Gray Family heir, including all the wealth and businesses.


    Thus, those women thought they could kick Chloe out of Vincent''s life and be the new Mrs. Gray instead. They didn''t know what kind of hell Vincent gave her, and the ''money'' he had would only drown them into suicidal depression.


    Chloe was disappointed because she couldn''tin about Mackie''s problem here. After all, Mrs. Andrew was also in a terrible situation right now.


    "My rtionship with my¡­ husband is not a public business to talk about. But Mrs. Andrew, shouldn''t you put Jada and Mia in counseling instead? They are being destructive and even went as far as bullying my daughter. That''s not supposed to happen!"


    "Oh, Mrs. Gray, I want to. In fact, I already gave an ultimatum for Jaden''s and Mia''s mothers, telling them if they wanted the kids to stay in this school, they should put them into counseling or they would be expelled."<sub> </sub>


    "And what''s their response?" Chloe asked.


    "They just called Mr. Vincent Gray, and I got a threat from him¡­." Mrs. Andrew sighed pitifully. "He said that he will take thisnd that histe father had given to us because he still had the certificate if I dare to expel Jaden and Mia out of the school."


    "WHAT?!" Chloe''s eyes widened. "He¡ªHe literally wants the school to be demolished if you did that? Why? How?!"


    "This bignd is true, under the name of Mr. Vaughn Gray and now under Mrs. Dorothea Gray. He gave us thend to erect the school as a donation but didn''t give us the certificate. So the school building is owned by the Gray Family for now."


    "This¡­ this is too much¡­" Chloe mumbled, but Mrs. Andrew heard it.


    "That''s why Mrs. Gray. I cannot help much. I don''t know what your husband''s motivation to do this is, but the school is forced to be in this situation because of him," Mrs. Andrew''s wrinkles got deeper as she seemed to worry so much about the school''s future. "Mrs. Gray, you''re the only one who could help us. You''re his wife, right? Please talk him out of this."


    ¡­


    Chloe lowered her head to dodge Mrs. Andrew''s eyes. She fiddled with her fingers, unable to say anything as she didn''t want to disclose her problem with that bastard.


    "I¡­ I will try¡­." Chloe said.


    "Thank you¡ª oh, thank you so much, Mrs. Gray!"


    Chloe nodded weakly. She got up and said, "I don''t think I will talk about anything else here. I''ll go to the school administration office to pay for my daughter''s tuition."


    "Oh yes, Mrs. Gray, your husband called me yesterday, saying that he has given you the money to pay for Mackenzie''s tuition," Mrs. Andrew said. "I told him he doesn''t need to pay because he owned thend and school building. But he said he will keep giving money to you, so you can pay the tuition. He even said that you can pay double¡­."


    ''Oh,e on, that bastard wants to pit me like this?! That''s so low of him!'' Chloe clenched her fist, but her expression remained unchanged while staring at the old principal. "My¡­ husband gave the money to me, indeed. And I will pay for my daughter''s tuition. But he only gave me enough to pay for her, no more than that."


    "I understand, Mrs. Gray. After all, Mr. Vincent Gray also told me that you''re often going on spending sprees, buying expensive stuff even if he already told you to stop. Please be mindful of your spending, Mrs. Gray¡­."

 51 Chapter 51

    "I understand, Mrs. Gray. After all, Mr. Vincent Gray also told me that you''re often going on spending sprees, buying expensive stuff even if he already told you to stop. Please be mindful of your spending, Mrs. Gray¡­."


    ''Oh, FUCK THAT GUY!'' Chloe cursed in her heart. He still had the balls to nder her, even though both of them knew how little Chloe spent for herself.


    It was all for mansion maintenance, including the employees he fucked, and their daughter''s necessity. She barely bought anything that cost more than 50 bucks for herself!


    Chloe forced a smile toward Mrs. Andrew, "I think he is just exaggerating. I don''t think he should speak like that when we both know that he spends a lot to fund his hobby¡ª"


    ''¡ªof fucking his side pieces and paid them.''


    "Please excuse me. I have things to do after this."


    Chloe left the principal room towards the school administration office to pay for Mackie''s tuition.


    Meanwhile, Mrs. Andrew watched her back, and after making sure that Chloe was far from her office, she called a man;


    ¡ª


    "Hello, Mr. Gray?"


    "What?"


    "Mr. Gray, your wife came to the school just now. I''ve told her about the whole situation, including the problem with the other kids and yours," Mrs. Andrew reported. "She seems calm, but I can see that she looks helpless¡­."


    "Have you told the school administrator to increase the tuition fee for my daughter double the previous semester?"


    "Y¡ªYes, Mr. Gray. Your wife will have to pay around forty thousand dors for this semester, or if she wants to pay annually, that would be around eighty thousand dors. Twice the amount of what the other parents have to pay," Mrs. Andrew informed.


    "That''s great. You''ve done a great job, Mrs. Andrew," Vincent said.


    "T¡ªThen, you won''t take this case to court, right, Mr. Gray? The school doesn''t have enough funding for you to demolish the building. We will be forcibly closed if you decide to take thend¡­."


    "Of course not, Mrs. Andrew. But you must work with me if you want to save your school, understand?"


    "Yes, thank you so much for your generosity, Mr. Gray."


    "Good, I''m busy now. If my wife suddenly says something about her current condition, don''t forget to tell me."


    "I will, Mr. Gray¡­."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Mrs. Andrew sighed in relief after he got the confirmation from Vincent Gray that he wouldn''t do anything with thend.


    The school was a private school standing in a gatedmunity. It was a fairly old, prestigious private school with its outdoor sports yard, greenhouse, and many more.


    And they got all that in New York, which was already a miracle of its own.


    Without The Gray Family''s generosity, this private school would never have been erected.<sub> </sub>


    Mrs. Andrew was trying her best to save the school she had dedicated her life for decades.


    But¡­ she didn''t know what would happen to Chloe Gray. Because his husband, the powerful Vincent Gray, was manipting the situation around her.


    "What''s wrong with them? I thought they''re a happily married couple¡ª until I heard about the adultery, unfortunately¡­."


    Mrs. Andrew had no interest in being involved in a married couple''s quarrel. All she wanted was to save this school, even if she had to sacrifice someone.


    "I''m sorry, Chloe Gray¡­." Mrs. Andrew mumbled, and she closed the principal office''s door.


    **


    Chloe went to the school administration office to pay for Mackie''s semester tuition. It should be around twenty thousand dors for one semester, which was already extremely expensive for Chloe''s standard.


    Since it was Vincent who paid Mackie''s tuition before, twenty thousand dors was nothing but pocket money for him.


    ''I hope Vernon wouldn''t mind if I borrow some money, just in case my sry won''t be enough,'' Chloe wished in her heart.


    She stood in front of the counter and said that she wanted to pay Mackie''s tuition, "Mackenzie Rose Gray."


    The clerk typed in herputer and said the amount, "The total for one semester would be forty thousand dors, Mrs. Gray. Would you want to pay in cash or with a card?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened instantly, "F¡ªForty thousand?! Isn''t it supposed to be twenty thousand before?!"


    "The school''s upper management already finalized this decision, Mrs. Gray. You need to pay this amount."


    Chloe was absolutely speechless. How could the tuition fee double in only six months?! She was already prepared to go into debt to Vernon for that twenty thousand. Because she doubted her sry would be that much per six months because she was basically just a maid in his apartment.


    But forty thousand...


    That was so damn absurd!


    Chloe gulped and prepared herself for a negotiation, "I¡ªIs it possible to pay half of it for now? Or maybe¡­ if there is any cut from the upper management, this is a bit shocking¡­."


    "You need to pay it fully every semester, Mrs. Gray. That is the in the contract that has been signed by all parents when their children entered the school. If you cannot pay it in full, then your daughter will be put in a tough spot," the clerk said.


    Chloe''s legs trembled as she felt so weak.


    Forty thousand dors was way too much for her expense, and she didn''t know how to say this to Vernon.


    But she had to ensure that Mackie continued studying, even during this tough time.


    ''I don''t know if Vernon will be angry with this¡­ I feel he will definitely yell at me for using literal forty thousand dors from his ck card.''


    ''I mean, Vincent did the same¡­ he even tried to scold and humiliate me for spending 100 dors on a cheap dress, saying that I''m too fat to wear it¡­.''


    ''Oh god, what is happening with my life?! Why is everything so difficult?!''


    Chloe startedmenting. She was trying to keep her calm even right now. So she took out her wallet and put the ck card on the counter, "I''ll pay with this card."

 52 Chapter 52

    After she was done paying, Chloe walked out of the school building feeling weak from head to toe. She tottered towards her car and entered.


    She sat in the driver''s seat while staring at the front with an empty gaze. The burden of forty thousand dors was on her shoulder now. She had to face Vernon while saying she had used that much money from his ck card.


    Chloe shuddered out of fear. She already imagined what kind of face would Vernon make once he found out about it.


    "Or maybe he already knows about it? I know you can get an email from the bank if your credit card has been used to a certain amount. Oh God, I don''t know how to face him this time."


    ¡­


    "Please don''t fire me, Vernon," Chloe begged alone in the car because she wasn''t sure if she could say it in front of Vernon once she faced himter.


    Her phone vibrated suddenly, and she checked the caller.


    "Why you¡ª" Chloe was frustrated when she saw the caller, who was the devil who threatened the old principal using his family name just to make sure everything was going his way.


    Chloe picked up the call, ready to vent;


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Vincent?"


    "Why are you talking to me so wryly? Do you not realize that I''m still technically your husband?" Vincent taunted, but really, he was smiling while calling Chloe.


    Vincent leaned on the executive chair, staring at his empty office, "Today is the day to pay for Mackie''s tuition, right? If you don''t pay the amount, Mackie''s education will be in trouble. You don''t want her to be expelled from school, right?"


    "She will not be expelled just because of money!" Chloe replied harshly. She felt humiliated because she was trying her best to stay afloat for her daughter, while Vincent just yed around like he never had a family. "Do you know what the principal has told me about you? You used your family''s power to intimidate her! Vincent, you''re despicable!"


    "And? Family''s power and connection are there to be utilized. I don''t care about your opinion, Chloe Gray¡ª"


    ? "¡ªIt''s Chloe Carlson for you!" Chloe insisted on using her maiden name when talking with Vincent, as she felt gross just thinking she would stand beside him as his wife.


    Vincentughed low, thinking that Chloe''s reaction was funny, "I just told that old principal that I can always take the matter of thend to court since thend where the school is erected is still legally myte father''s. I can always take it if I want since my dad only let them borrow it out of generosity, no lending, or giving up the ownership."


    "But you did this to protect your affair with those women! Do you know that your daughter got into a fight with your side chicks'' children? You''re hurting your own daughter!"


    "I''m not hurting her, not at all," Vincent replied lightly. "What I did is showing my daughter there is a consequence because her mother is a dumb bitch who cannot admit defeat and be obedient to her own husband¡ª"


    BEEP.<sub> </sub>


    ¡ª


    Chloe hung up the call instantly. She knew there was no point in talking to an asshole like him. He would only twist her words and turn them into a weapon toward Chloe.


    "Does he even love his daughter? I get it if he hates me, and I don''t care anymore. I don''t even care if he purposely tries to make it difficult for me since there is nothing I can do about it."


    "But Mackie¡­ what he did right now is hurting his own daughter!" Chloe was frustrated. She was so frustrated that she wanted to pull her hair out. "I swear to God, once I have enough money to move to another state, I will fucking do it!"


    Chloe calmed down after a while. Since she knew that she wouldn''t be able to do anything about Mackie''s problem, she nned to let her study in this private school for the whole semester and pass to the next grade before they could move away to a cheaper state, away from New York and the grasp of the Gray Family, especially that waste-of-oxygen man named Vincent Gray.


    "Okay, take a deep breath and rx, Chloe. You still have to face the real monster in his officeter. You have to exin about borrowing that much money from him. That''s your real problem for now."


    Chloe started the car and pressed the gas gently, leaving the school and heading back to Phoenix Tower. She needed to cook for Vernon''s lunch since he demanded her to bring a lunchbox.


    It took her almost three hours to return to the apartment, cook the food, and then go to Vernon''s office building.


    Chloe parked the car in front of the hotel lobby and gave the key to the security guard, "Would you mind driving the car to the VIP parking downstairs? Boss is waiting for his lunch, and I don''t want to be scolded."


    "Sure, Mrs. Gray," the driver epted the car key, and Chloe rushed to the VIP elevator. She checked her watch, and it was already 11.30. She feared Vernon would scold her even more if she waste for his lunch break.


    She was also a little worried that Vernon might not like her cooking.


    ''Okay, Chloe, rx, rx¡­ worrying over this will not change anything, seriously,'' Chloe said in her heart.


    DING!


    The elevator stopped at the highest floor. Chloe straight towards the CEO''s office door in front of her.


    The door was half-open, and she didn''t see the sign of Diamond sitting on her seat in front of Vernon''s office.


    ''That means either Vernon and Diamond had a meeting outside, or they are talking about something inside the office,'' Chloe thought.


    Once she was near the elevator, she suddenly heard Diamond''s voice from inside;


    "Mr. Gray, are you sure about this? Don''t you think it''s a bit cruel for her?"

 53 Chapter 53

    "Mr. Gray, are you sure about this? Don''t you think it''s a bit cruel for her?"


    "No, it''s not cruel at all. She said that she wanted to be treated like a regr worker, so I did," Vernon replied to Diamond. "This is the perfect contract for her. Don''t you have the same contract?"


    "But my sry is not this small, Sir! This is¡ª this is¡ª"


    "Shut up, Diamond. She is working for me, I have all the rights to give her a contract, and if she doesn''t like it, she could just leave," Vernon said.


    Chloe''s heart sunk once she heard that. She had many suspicions growing in her head right now.


    ''Contract? So, it''s like a work contract, right? How bad could it be?'' Chloe thought. She tried to be positive, but that positive idea got dispelled instantly, ''Wait, no. This is Vernon Phoenix Gray we''re talking about. Of course, he will not let me off easy.''


    Diamond took a deep breath to calm herself down. She knew she had no say in this matter, but she was Chloe''s friend. She even said that she would protect her and her daughter. Diamond tried her best to reason with her boss, but really, this was Vernon we''re talking about.


    "If there is nothing I can do, please excuse me, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Diamond said. She turned around and walked to the door.


    Once she passed the door, she turned to the right and saw Chloe was eavesdropping the whole time.


    Diamond''s expression turned sorry. She didn''t know what to say to Chloe other than, "I''m sorry. I can''t do much."


    Chloe was petrified, especially with the sorry expression on Diamond''s face. She didn''t know what was waiting for her, but she didn''t want to make Diamond feel guilty for something she couldn''t control.


    "It''s okay, Diamond. I know you''re trying¡­."


    Diamond smiled bitterly at Chloe and looked over her shoulder to check on Mr. Phoenix Gray, who was busy reading a document.


    "The devil is waiting for you. Just brace yourself and be brave, okay?" Diamond said.


    Chloe swallowed her saliva hard, but she nodded and walked inside the CEO''s Office.


    Diamond closed the door, so Vernon and Chloe could have their time alone.


    Chloe walked in and stood in front of the CEO''s desk. Vernon was still busy with a document until his hawk eyes darted towards Chloe and lifted his head slightly.


    Vernon fixed his sses and asked, "You''re eavesdropping the whole time, correct?"


    "A¡ªA little, Sir¡­."


    "Well, there is nothing to hide anyway," Vernon said. He pushed a red file on the desk towards Chloe. "Open that file. You''ll see the contract we''re talking about."


    "A contract?"


    "Aren''t you the one who said that you want to have a sry?" Vernon sneered. "What? Scared?"<sub> </sub>


    "N¡ªNot at all, Sir¡­"


    Chloe put the lunchbox on the chair and grabbed the file. She opened it and read the contract that Vernon was talking about.


    ¡­


    Vernon observed Chloe''s expression, and her expression turned from nervous to shock, horror, and then nervous again. Just like what he expected.


    "What''s with your expression? Don''t tell me you''re backing off after reading it."


    "I¡­" Chloe was very nervous indeed, and after reading the contract''s content, she got even more nervous and scared. She looked at Vernon, who sneered at her.


    Basically, there were three main points inside the contract;


    1. Chloe would be given a sry per six months. The amount was yet to be disclosed by Vernon in the contract, unfortunately.


    2. Chloe would work on three things, preparing Vernon''s suits every day and doing all of hisundries now, different from the previous agreement that she only had to wash the suits and shirts. Now she also had to wash everything else, including his underwear.


    She also had to cook three times a day, like a maid, and deliver lunchbox.


    Andstly, she had to be ready whenever Vernon Phoenix Gray wanted to use her body for his pleasure.


    3. Car, apartment, and ck card were all facilities for Chloe, but Chloe could not use the ck card for whatever she wanted. Besides necessities like groceries, gas, et cetera, Chloe had to pay ten times the amount back to Vernon.


    However, if she couldn''t pay it back, it would be debt, and Chloe had to pay the amount back in another favor.


    "T¡ªTEN TIMES?!"


    Chloe almost lost footing as she read the amount she needed to pay. She looked at Vernon with hopeless eyes, "S¡ªSir, what kind of favor are you talking about here?" Chloe asked. She already imagined many bad things that she would never want to happen. "Is it¡­ sex?"


    Vernon''s sneer turned into a smirk, "Why would it be sex? It''s already part of your job, correct? Just make sure that you won''t be in debt with me, or you will have to pay ten times the amount. It can be deducted from your sry, of course."


    "T¡ªThen, how much is my sry, Sir?" Chloe asked. She didn''t know how much would she need, but ten times the amount was alreadypletely unaffordable for her, especially with Mackie''s tuition, which was forty thousand per six months.


    "Your sry is nothing tough at. Do you know that the median ie in New York earns roughly around a hundred thousand dors a year? You will earn more than that," Vernon said. "Do you know how much Diamond earns a year by working with me as a secretary?"


    Chloe shook her head cluelessly;


    "She earns seven hundred thousand dors. I am very generous to people who work closely with me, including you, sister-inw," Vernon said, stating an unbelievable amount of money that Diamond earned a year from him.


    So that was the reason why Diamond decided to stay and continue to work with Vernon. Because that amount of money was worth itpared to the amount of work. Vernon might even overpay her at some point, but knowing how rich Vernon was, seven hundred thousand dors was nothing for him.

 54 Chapter 54

    Chloe forgot to breathe for a moment when she heard the amount of Diamond''s sry. It was astronomical for her, and probably for everyone else for a secretary job. Itpletely blew her mind away.


    Now, she knew that Vincent was richer than the rising devil CEO¡ª Vernon and Vincent''s wealthparison should be 1:10, and she didn''t add the invaluable connections that the Gray family had for generations.


    But Vincent was born with all the privileges, while Vernon decided to strip it away and start anew without any help, at least that was what Chloe heard from Dorothea.


    After she heard the amount that Diamond earned, Chloe had a little expectation in her heart. Of course, she hoped that Vernon would give her the same amount because if she got that amount, she could just work with him for a year at most, and then she could resign and leave with Mackie to another state, where they could start a new life and be happy together.


    They might never have the same amount of luxury provided by Vincent or Vernon, but it was for the best, right?


    Vernon noticed the hopeful gaze in Chloe''s eyes. He knew what she was thinking right now;


    ''She must''ve wanted to escape and live far from New York after earning enough money. I will show her who is in control here.''


    "Do you want to know how much will I pay you?"


    "Y¡ªYes!"


    "I am far more generous to you than to Diamond. Despite you not having the same amount of work stress as her, I value you more," Vernon said.


    ''Value me more?'' Chloe gulped. The more she heard about it, the more suspicious she got.


    Vernon leaned in on his desk, and Chloe took a step back because she got intimidated by that hawk gaze, "Sister-inw, I will pay you one million dors a year."


    "O¡ªONE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR?!" Chloe''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She never had that amount of astronomical money given to her. She would literally be a millionaire in just a month!


    She started drooling, thinking about all the benefits she could reap just by working with Vernon.


    Even with Vincent, she would never see that amount of money because she would be shamed for buying something for herself.


    She might be a billionaire''s wife, but she never felt any privilege with Vincent.


    But with Vernon¡­


    Vernon found it ridiculous that Chloe acted so excitedly. Obviously, she was just pretending. She was his brother¡ª Vincent Gray''s wife. She could cash out that amount in less than a day if she wanted.


    One million dors was literally nothing for Vincent.


    Honestly, her reaction was almost like a mockery in Vernon''s eyes. The way she acted so exaggeratedly as if she had never seen a million dors in front of her.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon sneered, ''You think you will get thestugh? I will be the one whoughs, Sister-inw.''


    "But, I cannot give you the sry instantly, I will give it to you per six months, and that should be around five hundred thousand per six months," Vernon said, giving the correct number for Chloe.


    "I¡ªI''m okay with that!" Chloe replied excitedly.


    Vernon smiled mysteriously, "Sister-inw, do you think I don''t know you used the money on my credit card? I got the notification that you used forty thousand dors from my ck card."


    "Ah¡ª I used that for Mackie''s tuition fee¡­ for some reason, the semester fee doubled, so I have to pay around forty thousand a month¡­."


    "And that would be a debt to me, right? You owe me money by using my credit card for personal use," Vernon said. "And you told me you WILL pay any personal expenses using my card with your sry."


    "Y¡ªYes, I said I will pay it back with my sry¡ª"


    "Sister-inw¡­" Vernon got up from his chair and walked around the desk until he stood behind Chloe. He leaned in until his chin rested on Chloe''s shoulder and then pointed at one statement in the contract;


    "Do you see that? Any kind of debt to me, you will have to pay ten times the original amount. Since you''re paying forty thousand for your daughter''s tuition per six months, that means you will always be in debt with me, about four hundred thousand per six months, or eight hundred thousand a year."


    Vernon''s smirk grew wider as he whispered in Chloe''s ears, "That means you will only get two hundred thousand dors annually instead of a million because I will always deduct your sry before giving it to you. If you want to escape this, you must wait for at least a year until you get enough money to pay for your daughter''s tuition."


    ''And I will continue making sure that you cannot escape me. I have a lot of ns for you, sister-inw,'' Vernon said in his heart.


    Chloe went silent instantly, she lowered her head, and her eyes continued staring at the contract in her hand.


    Vernon took this as a shock. She must''ve been shocked that she would only get two hundred thousand dors a year instead of a million.


    It must''ve been very little for her, who was a billionaire''s wife before.


    ''You''re nothing but a gold digger, sister-inw. I will never let you get what you want.''


    "Why did went quiet so suddenly? Do you think two hundred thousand dors is too little for a billionaire''s wife like you? I''m pretty sure that my brother¡ª"


    "Is this for real, Vernon?" Chloe asked in a low voice.


    Vernon raised one brow, "Of course it''s real. You will only get two hundred thousand dors a year. Do you think the amount is too little for you? I''m sorry, I cannot do more than that."


    Of course, Vernon could do more. He might not be as rich as his big brother, not yet. But he was a multi-millionaire, almost reaching a billionaire status at this point.

 55 Chapter 55

    "Of course, it''s real. You will only get two hundred thousand dors a year at most. Do you think the amount is too little for you? I''m sorry, I cannot do more than that," Vernon said. "But worry not. I will handle your tax, so you will get the fixed amount after I deduct your sry to clear your debt to me."


    Chloe continued staring at the contract for a while, and a drop of tear wetted the contract. She wiped it immediately.


    Vernon frowned when he saw the tear;


    ''Was it too shocking for her? Just because I gave her two hundred thousand per year? Is it that humiliating for her? That means she will have to be stuck with me for a year at least.''


    ''Does she not realize that''s already a decent amount of money in New York? I mean, it''s decent earning for one person, considering she doesn''t need to pay for rent. Or she is just way too spoiled by my brother that she can''t imagine living with that small amount of money?''


    Vernon got even more peeved once he started thinking many negative thoughts. He was already annoyed at Chloe, but now he got even more annoyed by her reaction.


    "Listen, Chloe, I don''t care if you¡ª"


    "Thank you," Chloe suddenly said. Vernon went silent instantly. He thought he heard it wrong. Why would she say thank you for this? It was basically a trap to make her feel poor and humiliated. To make sure that Chloe wouldn''t think of mocking him even more.


    Vernon straightened his back while standing behind the petite woman, "My decision is final. If you want to leave, you have no other ce¡ª"


    Chloe turned around before Vernon finished his sentence. She looked up at the devil CEO, who was stunned when he saw her eyes zing with tears. Chloe opened her arms and wrapped her hands around Vernon''s neck, and pulled his shoulder down, so Chloe could give him a warm hug.


    "Thank you so much, Vernon¡­." Chloe murmured as she continued hugging him.


    Vernon was stunned. He allowed Chloe to hug him for a while until he realized that Chloe basically controlled him just now.


    Vernon pushed Chloe to separate himself. He red at Chloe with suspicious eyes, "W¡ªWhy are you hugging me like that? Do you know your position right now?!"


    "Ah? I was just expressing my happiness," Chloe said with a relieved smile. "I thought you wouldpletely strip me out of my right and put an evil contract for me to sign. But this is far better than I expected."


    ¡­


    "What?" Vernon couldn''t believe his own ears. He expected Chloe to beg for forgiveness since she had obviously mocked him many times.


    But he saw Chloe, who had such a pure smile as if the weight had been lifted from her shoulder.


    "What are you talking about? Can''t you read the contract? There is nothing beneficial for you there."


    "Ah, I mean, the contract is very¡­ controversial, especially the obligation to pay my debt ten times the amount. I feel like you''re acting like a giant loan shark here, haha¡­." Chloe chuckled, full of happiness. "But you gave me lenience and allowed me to save two hundred thousand dors annually. If I can be frugal, I can save as much as a hundred eighty thousand dors."<sub> </sub>


    "But I will deduct your sry ten times the amount of your debt¡ª"


    "Yes, that''s true, but as long as I''m careful with my spending, by the end of this year, I can still get that much, even with your ten times debt rule," Chloe replied. "Oh, I can''t believe I will get so much. Thank you, Vernon!"


    ? ¡­


    Vernon was so confused that his brain short-circuited for a while.


    Did he hear it wrong? Two hundred thousand dors was ''so much for Chloe?


    ''Don''t kid me! I know you get much more from my brother!'' Vernon thought, refusing to believe that Chloe wasn''t pretending right now. But seeing the smile on her face made him tongue-tied. He wanted to yell, but at what expense?


    What right did he have to yell at her right now? Especially when he was the one who set up the rules for her.


    "D¡ªDo you know that you will only get two hundred thousand dors a year at most? And added with many things you need to use my credit card, you will be down to a hundred fifty, or even a hundred thousand dors a year."


    "I know, isn''t that great?" Chloe giggled happily.


    "W¡ªW¡ªWait, don''t you think that a hundred thousand dors are too little?"


    "No?" Chloe tilted her head. She didn''t understand Vernon''s concern and what made him react as if he had seen a ghost or something.


    "I can save a lot of money and give Mackie a good lifeter! This is perfect!" Chloe said. She smiled again at Vernon, who was too shocked to react. He stood there like a statue¡ª a tall and handsome statue at least.


    Chloe walked towards Vernon again and tiptoed to hug him, "Thank you so much. I don''t know how to thank you enough for your generosity."


    Chloe was a little disappointed that she didn''t get the one million from Vernon. But she felt that Vernon was just trying to scare her off. It was unreasonable to demand one million for the job that she did. She knew humility, maybe a little too much of humility, because Vincent really dragged her to the ground.


    Besides, a million dors a year for what she did might be too much. She was just an old woman doing a maid job¡­ and another questionable thing¡­


    Two hundred thousand dors, Chloe already nned about staying for a year or two at least, saving enough and moving to a cheaper state with Mackie.


    ''Ah, I didn''t know that Vernon could be this kind. What''s with the ruckus before? Why would Diamond protest about this?'' Chloe thought. ''Hopefully, Vernon will let me work for him for two years in the future.''

 56 Chapter 56

    Chloe hugged Vernon, who was stunned for a whole five minutes. He didn''t know how to react because everything exceeded his expectations.


    Since he only gave his sister-inw two hundred thousand dors annually, that would be only around a hundred thousand bucks per six months at most, not counting the amount she had to pay back if she bought something else, like luxury with his credit card.


    If his calction was correct, Chloe wouldn''t have a dime at the end of the year. Surely, the wife of a billionaire liked to go on a luxury shopping spree, right?


    Vernon had many experiences with women who asked him to buy them many luxury bags, shoes, dresses, et cetera.


    Sometimes, they even asked Mr. Phoenix Gray to empty the store.


    At one point, a few of them also asked him to buy the luxury cars, which Vernon obeyed because he wanted to have fun for a week or two before ditching them. It was more like a fair trade between them.


    He would absolutely despise all women he had ditched and refused to even meet with them. Since he got bored of them in a week or two.


    Thus, he also expected Chloe to waste as much money as possible, and she would be in serious, longsting debt to him. He didn''t expect her to say she would save a lot of money by being frugal.


    ''Frugal, my ass! You''re my brother''s wife. You must be wasting a lot of money for luxury!'' Vernon used in his heart. He collected himself after a while and realized that Chloe was still hugging him tightly.


    He instinctively pushed her away, "W¡ªWhy are you hugging me?! Did I allow you to get close to me?! BACK OFF!"


    Chloe was surprised by the sudden mood change of this man. She backed off immediately, not wanting to anger him even more.


    But when Chloe saw his face, she realized that Vernon was more confused than angry.


    ''What is he confused about? He is the one that makes the contract, right?'' Chloe wondered.


    "Ah, I will sign this contract immediately," Chloe said. She turned around and put the paper on the desk. She picked one of Vernon''s expensive pens from the eagle-shaped pen holder and was ready to sign the contract.


    But before the pen''s tip touched the paper, Vernon suddenly covered Chloe in his embrace from behind. One arm leaned on the table beside Chloe''s arm, and the other hand grabbed Chloe''s wrist.


    "Do you not understand the type of contract you signing into?" Vernon warned. His gaze darkened when Chloe looked over her shoulder, and their lips were close. Even Chloe could feel his breath blowing on her nape.


    "Ah¡ª um¡­ this is the contract you made, Vernon. I think the content is good. I just need to be frugal to save a lot for my daughter and me," Chloe replied. "You''re the one who makes this contract, right? Why are you trying to stop me? Did I do something wrong?"


    Vernon continued gazing at Chloe with his hawk gaze. But he took a deep breath and released his grip on Chloe''s wrist.


    He didn''t even know what he was doing right now.


    Obviously, Chloe already fallen into his debt trap and would never be able to escape him.


    But right now, it felt like he was the one who got trapped identally.


    However, Vernon was a man of his word. Since he was the one who offered the contract, then he couldn''t revise it anymore.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon separated himself and took a step back. He waited until Chloe signed the contract.


    After Chloe was done, she turned around and gave it to Vernon, "This is the contract, Vernon. I epted all the agreements inside the contract."


    ¡­


    Vernon snatched the file and checked the contract that had been signed. After making sure this could be processed legally, he closed the file and threw it on the coffee table behind him.


    Vernon stood in front of Chloe and crossed his arms. For some reason, he became worried that he might be seen as weak by this woman.


    Vernon''s gaze was intimidating, and his aura would suppress anyone.


    But Chloe was a lot more relieved and rxed after she read the contract and realized that Vernon didn''t take advantage of her. At least not entirely. She still got a lot of money in exchange.


    "Why are you looking at me like that, Vernon? Did I do something wrong?"


    "Who allows you to call me by my first name?" Vernon asked, continued being guarded against Chloe. "You''re only allowed to call me Sir or Mr. Phoenix Gray. You''re just an employee, just like Diamond."


    Chloe could sense that Vernon was pissed for no reason. Honestly, dealing with Vernon''s mood swing was like walking on a thin thread across a giant chasm. You had to be very careful not to offend him.


    Though, even Chloe didn''t know what kind of offense she made just now.


    But she obeyed;


    "Understood, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I am sorry for my previous impudence," Chloe bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for the contract, Sir. I am forever grateful for your help."


    "Leave now, join Diamond or do whatever. I still need to work," Vernon said. Chloe nodded obediently and walked past Vernon. She picked up the lunchbox but was stopped by Vernon.


    "Why are you taking my lunchbox?"''


    "Eh, I¡ªI just thought that you would not¡ª"


    "Put it on the coffee table and leave," Vernonmanded.


    Again, Chloe obediently put the lunchbox on the coffee table and walked to the door.


    After the door was closed, Vernon sat on the long sofa, staring in a daze at the lunchbox in front of him. He was still trying to process what the fuck happened just now.


    "I am supposed to trap that woman, making sure that she cannot escape and beg for forgiveness for all the insult she threw to me, Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    "But what''s with this restless feeling in my heart?"

 57 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 57

    Diamond was standing in front of the CEO''s office door the whole time. She clenched her phone while biting her lower lip. She was so nervous, as she knew that the contract offered by Vernon was so unfair towards a billionaire''s ex-wife like Chloe.


    Two hundred thousand dors a year at most, and Chloe would have to keep her budget tight, or that unreasonable 10x debt would hurt her in the long term.


    ''Mr. Phoenix Gray is beyond stingy at this point. I feel like he is making this contract out of petty reason that I don''t know,'' Diamond thought. ''But I doubt Chloe to offended him. She is so peaceful!''


    Diamond knew that Chloe was quite modest in her life, from how she brought herself and always checked the price before buying groceries. She was a lot more modest than a billionaire''s wife should be.


    But it was still unfair to put ten times the amount of Chloe''s expenditure with that ck card as debt.


    ''Come on, girl, reject that contract, and I will help you somehow!'' Diamond wished in her heart.


    <o>,m Then¡­ Chloe came out of the CEO''s office. Their eyes met, and Chloe was surprised by Diamond''s worried gaze.</o>


    Chloe carefully closed the CEO''s office and heard a click, ensuring it was fully shut. She was so relieved and satisfied by the result of the contract.


    She expected the worst from a devil like Vernon, but he was quite reasonable. As long as Chloe kept her expenditure tight, she could save a lot of money.


    "Diamond, what are you doing¡ª Ah!" Chloe wobbled when Diamond suddenly jumped towards her and hugged her tightly.


    "Chloe, my homegirl! I''m so sorry! I''m so sorry that I cannot help you in any way! That guy is a total asshole!" Diamond wept as she poured all her empathy toward her friend Chloe. She tried her best to negotiate with Mr. Phoenix Gray, but that guy was seriously stubborn.


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and she whispered, "S¡ªShouldn''t you speak lower? What if Vernon heard it?"


    "Of course not. His office is soundproof unless the door is open!" Diamond said. She huffed and hugged Chloe tighter, "That guy is a serious bastard!"


    Chloe chuckled and patted Diamond''s back gently, "It''s okay, Diamond. I''m alright."


    "What do you mean you''re alright? You''re signing an unfair contract! What the hell with that ten times the amount of debt you owe! He is not even a loan shark at this point. He is loan megalodon!"


    "And I know that he is seriously rich. I''m the one who helped him with many stuff! One million dors is already pocket money for him, let alone two hundred thousand!"


    Chloe listened to Diamond, who vented out her frustration. She was relieved that Diamond meant well. But she was absolutely fine¡ª even happier than ever right now.


    "Rx, Diamond, I''ve read the term in the contract, and I''ve signed it."


    "You agreed with everything?!" Diamond separated herself and grabbed Chloe''s arms. He shook the petite woman like a rag doll, trying to wake her up, "Oh my god, you DID NOT just sign your life to that devil, right?!"


    "I¡ªI did¡­."<sub> </sub>


    Diamon was speechless. She was already nning 1001 ways to get Chloe out of this trap, so she could have her own life far from that asshole.


    But now she signed her life away?


    Diamond felt a little weak. She staggered to her secretary seat and sat as she tried to process what had happened.


    Chloe didn''t understand Diamond''s concern because she thought there was nothing wrong with the contract.


    "Are you concerned only because of ten times debt settlement from Vernon?"


    "Of course! And the fact that you only got two hundred thousand dors at most if you''re being really frugal. That means you''re not going to spend anything luxurious if you want to keep the money. It''s ridiculous!" Diamond protested.


    "I think two hundred thousand dors is fine," Chloe smiled and sat on a chair in front of Diamond''s desk. "I don''t think you need to worry, Diamond."


    "But¡ª you''re a billionaire''s ex-wife! It will take a while to get used to this kind of frugal life! Even I can''t be as frugal as that!"


    "Eh, I''m already used to it," Chloe replied. Now she understood why Diamond was so upset. "Don''t worry, Diamond. I was much more frugal when I lived with Vincent. Two hundred thousand dors is actually a lot for me."


    "Wait, what?!" Diamond''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. To hear the billionaire''s wife saying that two hundred thousand dors were a lot of money, she must be living in a reverse world or something.


    "Yeah, the most expensive thing I bought with Vincent''s money for myself is a hundred-dor dress, and he still shamed me for buying it, saying it doesn''t fit my ugly ass at all¡­."


    Diamond was again speechless by the revtion. The more she learned about Chloe, the more dedicated she was to helping her in any way.


    "That billionaire Vincent¡­ even shamed you for buying a 100 bucks dress?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "Oh my god, is he that stingy?!"


    "I don''t think he is stingy. He often brought his side chicks to his yacht, toured them to his private ind that my daughter nor I ever visited, and many more. He just doesn''t want me to have good things or to feel satisfied with myself¡­." Chloe smiled bitterly whenever she remembered Vincent and all the bastardly things he did. "That''s why he would shame me for buying a hundred bucks dress. It gave him satisfaction to pull me down, I guess¡­."


    Chloe smiled at Diamond and held her hand, "Don''t worry about me, Diamond. This is a big privilege for me, at leastpared to what Vincent did to me. Vernon is like an angel at this point."


    "That''s because your standard is on the ground, girl. This is not even the bare minimum!" Diamondined. She was seriously tired of those two brothers being jerks.

 58 Chapter 58

    "That''s because your standard is on the ground, girl. This is not even the bare minimum!" Diamondined. She was seriously tired of those two brothers being jerks.


    "Ahahaha¡­ but please don''t tell this to Vernon, okay?" Chloe asked.


    "About what Vincent did to you?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "Isn''t it better for him to know how much of a dick his brother can be?"


    "Ah, please don''t¡­." Chloe tightened her hold on Diamond''s hand. "I''m not close with Vernon, and I don''t know if he will take my side or his brother''s. Though, since Vincent''s businesses and connections were unparalleled. I don''t think he will challenge Vincent if he is not reckless or stupid."


    "But he is the only one that could help¡­"


    "I don''t want to be a burden. No¡ªI just don''t want him to see me as a burden. I just need the money and escape because trying to divorce Vincent is almost impossible, knowing all of the power he held," Chloe said. "I hope you understand, Diamond."


    Diamond stared at Chloe with such a pitiful gaze, "Of course, I understand your situation. If I were in your position, I would also think twice about telling Mr. Phoenix Gray because of the circumstances surrounding them. Besides, we both know¡­."


    Diamond and Chloe stared at each other and nodded in unison as they understood each other, "We both know that Vernon Phoenix Gray is the devil. There is no way to guess whether he will help or throw us hell."


    Diamond knew that Mr. Phoenix Gray could not be trusted. Even for her, who had worked with him for a while, she still couldn''t guess his mind, nor she could trust that man. The way his brain wired was strange.


    So, even if Chloe or Diamond told the whole experience, there was no guarantee that Vernon would help her sister-inw. In fact, he might use this as a weapon or ckmail material.


    "Okay, even if you got bound by a contract with Mr. Phoenix Gray, it doesn''t mean I cannot help you. I will help you in any way possible, girl! Just ask!"


    Chloe smiled thin and stared at her meaningfully, "I don''t know what to ask for now. I just hope that you stay, my friend. I¡­ I don''t have any friends for ten years straight¡­."


    "DUH! That''s given for!" Diamond was aggravated with Chloe, who didn''t seem to demand anything. "Miss girl, why are your standard so low? You deserve a lot more! That bastard¡ª ah, this is making my blood boil!"


    "Hahaha! Rx, Diamond, I''m very realistic at this point in life. After all, I''m not young anymore."


    Diamond and Chloe heard the CEO''s office door click, which was opened from the inside.


    Vernon''s head peeked from the door, and their eyes met. Vernon''s hawk gaze looked sharp and brooding, but his cheeks were a little red as he suddenly said, "Diamond, take my drink from the fridge, make sure it''s cold."


    "Your drink, ah, you mean the bana¡ª" Diamond zipped her mouth instantly when Vernon red at her with a look that could kill;


    "Understood, Sir."


    "Make sure to hide it well, don''t let anyone see it," Vernon said. He nced at Chloe and added, "And don''t let anyone know except us. This is an order."


    "¡­ Yes, sir," Diamond tried her best not to roll her eyes as she thought this was ridiculous. But since it was an order from her boss, she needed to work professionally.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe was staring at Vernon and Diamond simultaneously as they conversed. After Diamond left to take something from the fridge, Chloe''s eyes naturally fell to Vernon.


    "What are you looking at?" Vernon red at her.


    Chloe was still scared with his venomous gaze, so she lowered her head, "It''s nothing, Sir."


    Vernons scoffed, and when Diamond returned with a drink hidden inside her pocket, she quickly entered the CEO''s office with Vernon and returned empty-handed.


    Diamond closed the door carefully and sighed as she sat on her seat again, "That guy is seriously weird, ridiculous."


    "What did you bring to him?"


    "I''m not allowed to tell, but seriously, it''s unimportant," Diamond replied. "He is currently eating the lunchbox that you brought."


    "I see. Did he enjoy it?"


    "Heined there is nothing crispy toplete it," Diamond replied.


    "AH! The cracker!" Chloe remembered that she bought a cracker because it was a bowl of oriental fried rice that would be great with a cracker. She forgot that it was still in her car.


    ? Chloe got up and walked to the VIP elevator, "I will return to get the cracker. I had it in my car."


    Diamond grinned when she realized what would happen next, but she didn''t try to stop her miss gurl because her unreasonable boss lowkey deserved it.


    **


    Chloe returned to CEO''s floor five minutester. She rushed with a bag of crackers in her hand. She walked to the CEO''s office without asking for permission because she thought Vernon was just eating after all.


    Click.


    "Sir, I forgot about the cracker¡ª" Chloe was stunned when she saw Vernon had eaten half of the lunch she brought and was currently drinking banana milk.


    How could she know it was banana milk? Because it was what Mackie drank, it was Mackie''s favorite, so Chloe stocked three big cartons in her fridge. It even had the same cute cartoon character in the small carton that Vernon was holding right now.


    And it wasn''t the first banana milk he had because there were two small empty cartons on the table.


    They were staring at each other for a while. Vernon went silent. With the straw still inside his mouth. He watched in a daze as Chloe silently walked to his table and put the cracker on the table.


    "I¡ªI will take these empty cartons, Sir," Chloe said. She picked up the two empty banana milk cartons and saw rice at the edge of his lips. "Sir, there is rice on your cheek."

 59 Chapter 59

    "Sir, there is rice on your cheek."


    Chloe wanted to pick the rice from Vernon''s cheek, but Vernon grabbed her wrist instantly. He red at her as if he wanted to kill her right now.


    "Who allowed you to touch me?"


    "Ah¡ªI was just¡­."


    "LEAVE!" Vernon shouted and staggered Chloe instantly. She tried to pull her wrist.


    "I¡ªI will leave, Sir. P¡ªPlease release my hand!"


    Vernon released his grip off her wrist, and Chloe lost her bnce. She fell to the ground butt first, "Ah!"


    Vernon watched as Chloe winced in pain and tried to get up. He scoffed, "Don''t act cute in front of me."


    "B¡ªBut I''m not¡ª"


    "Did I allow you to speak? Leave!"


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir!"


    Chloe tried to get up with difficulty, as she was wearing a heel, but she struggled and decided to just take her heels off and scrambled to the door.


    Vernon watched as her sister-inw left his office. He was still trying to process what had just happened.


    Chloe now knew he liked a banana milk that her daughter liked and ate messily.


    It wasn''t a big deal, of course. It could be fun for some.


    But Vernon disliked being seen as fun or adorable. He was disgusted just thinking about it, especially when it was Chloe who saw him. She didn''t want to be seen as fragile or adorable in front of Chloe.


    "Fuck!" Vernon wanted to throw away the lunchbox of an oriental fried race he was eating. But then stopped at thest millisecond and continued eating, "Why is this food so damn good anyway? Fucking hell!"


    Thus, the devil CEO continued to eat while grumbling nonstop. He thought it was unreasonable for him to get addicted to a stay-at-home mom''s homemade cooking.


    **


    Diamondughed when she saw Chloee out of their CEO''s office while carrying her heels in her right hand and two small cartons of banana milk in her left.


    "Did you see it?"


    Chloe looked at Diamond while her heartbeat was still racing, "The secret stuff is banana milk?"


    "Yes! Ahahahah!" Diamondughed more. "That''s why I don''t understand his whole secret thing. He has a whole fridge full of banana milk!"


    "Does he not like coffee or tea? Or even booze?"


    "He likes them all and drinks them on asions. But he always drinks banana milk every noon before or after lunch in the office, hihihi¡­."


    Chloe couldn''tugh freely like Diamond, but she had one thing in mind, ''I wonder if I have to stock big cartons of banana milk in his apartment fridge now.''


    **


    Vernon cleaned the lunchbox and put it inside the lunch bag that Chloe had brought to the office. He had to admit that Chloe''s food was¡­ tolerable.<sub> </sub>


    ''Heh, that''s the only reason I keep her, aside from ying with her body, of course,'' Vernon thought. ''Oh, I also want to use her for my future work with my brother. I think I can use her in some ways to get what I want.''


    ''And after that, I can ditch her.''


    Of course, it was all just Vernon''s ns for now. Because the wheel had yet to start.


    But, he felt something was wrong when Chloe signed that contract. It felt like he was the one who got trapped with her., It made him feel restless for no reason.


    While Vernon was busy with his thought, he heard his phone ringing.


    He checked the caller first, and the edge of his lips perked up;


    ¡ª


    "Yo, big brother!" Vernon picked up and greeted enthusiastically. He had to put enthusiasm in front of someone he wanted to work with. It was a good way to show that you''re always excited about the project.


    "I want to talk about the proposal that you gave. Come to my office, and we can talk," Vincent said.


    "Oh? Are you sure you don''t have any meetings? I thought you were busy."


    "I''ve cleared my schedule this afternoon to talk about your proposal. It''s interesting, and I''ve been thinking about venturing out."


    "Oh, that''s great, big brother. I wille right now," Vernon said. He hung up the call and tidied his shirt before leaving his office.


    He saw Chloe and Diamond sitting and chatting, and they went silent instantly once Vernon came out.


    He started to suspect those two were gossipping about him behind his back. But that was thest of his worry, they could gossip all they wanted, but that didn''t change the fact those two were working under him.


    "I''ll leave to meet someone," Vernon said as he pressed the lift button.


    Diamond followed behind and asked, "Do you need to be apanied, Sir?"


    "No, it''s private. Just stay in the office," Vernon nced at Chloe, sitting on the sofa, looking at him as if she was ready for any order.


    ''Too bad I can''t take her with me for now. I want to see my brother''s expression when I bring her, heh.''


    Chloe saw the smirk on Vernon''s lips, which made her nervous. Whenever Vernon smirked, there must be something devious in his head.


    But surprisingly, Vernon said nothing else and entered the elevator. His eyes didn''t leave Chloe until the elevator closed and went down.


    "Ah, that is right, Vernon. Look at her dumb expression. She is obviously clueless about everything," Vernon said to himself. "She can be a good pawn, just to make sure that it won''t be too obvious."


    **


    Chloe and Diamond stared at each other for a moment, then Chloe asked, "Where is he going?"


    Diamond shrugged, "Not sure. He is always like that. He often had mysterious clients I don''t know and will return with so many bullshits that I got to do until I have to take overtime."


    "Ah, I see¡­ okay then¡­."


    "What''s with you? You look worried."


    "It''s nothing," Chloe replied. She had a gut feeling that made her somewhat worried. "I was just worried that Vernon might be working with my ex-husband for a project or something¡­."

 60 Chapter 60

    Vernon drove to one of his big brother''s offices. As the heir of the powerful old-money family, the Gray Family, Vincent inherited all the lucrative businesses the family owned, so he had a lot of responsibilities as well.


    At first, the decision of thete Vaughn Gray was challenged by the branch families. But once they saw the capability of Vincent Gray, they just allowed him to control everything, as long as they got a profit share every month from stock or other ways.


    "Heh, imagine having to talk with those old bastards every month. I''d rather jump to a crocodile pit," Vernonmented as he drove. He never liked his family, ever since he was a kid because they were either selfish assholes who would push anyone for their gains;


    Or a bootlicking bastard who would do anything to gain favor, even if that meant they had to do terrible things.


    Aside from that, Vernon also had a family of four that was utterly dysfunctional, with his dad as a cheating, remorseless bastard, his uncaring mom who wouldn''t even blink even if she knew their family life was a total mess, and his big brother¡­


    Well, his big brother wasn''t so bad, honestly. But he still resented Vincent because of¡­ something he didn''t want to discuss.


    "The only person I like is her¡­." Vernon''s mind traveled back to when he was seven years old. But before that memory flooded his mind, he quickly shook his head. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and pressed the gas. "There is no need to think about stuff in the past."


    **


    Vernon walked into the office shared with him by his big brother, and he became the source of attention to everyone. He didn''t care much about it, though. It was something very usual for him.


    Vernon walked toward the receptionist and said, "I''m looking for my brother."


    The receptionist was dazed for a good while. Of course, she knew who this man was. His face was on the TV, dating various popr or uing actresses. But who would''ve expected that the devil CEO was much more handsome in real life?


    He had the face of Mr. Vincent Gray, but his facial features were more defined, taller, and broader. Generally, Vernon Phoenix Gray had an intimidating aura that Mr. Vincent Gray didn''t. Mr. Vincent Gray was already such a handsome and charming man who could charm any woman at his will!


    The receptionist was undoubtedly helplessly charmed, unable to return to reality.


    Vernon tapped the receptionist counter impatiently. This kind of reaction wasn''t umon for him; again, he didn''t care much about it. He could fuck any woman he wanted, after all.


    But he wasn''t here for that.


    Before opening his mouth, another woman suddenly pushed the dazed woman. She bowed respectfully, "I am terribly sorry, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Please follow me. Mr. Vincent Gray has been waiting for you."


    "Hm."


    Vernon ignored the dazed receptionist and followed the staff to the CEO floor. While they were on the elevator, he asked the female staff, "Is my brother busy right now?"


    "Not at all, Sir. He is waiting for you in his office."


    The female staff escorted him until he stood in front of a big carved wooden door. The female staff opened the door carefully and allowed Vernon to enter.


    But when the young CEO stepped in, he saw a¡­ rather interesting view;


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    "Uhhh! Ah! Ahh! V¡ªVincent, deeper, deeper! Ahhhh!"


    "Argh! Fucking hell, tighten your pussy, you loose bitch!"


    Vincent Gray, the handsome CEO who was also the heir of the Gray family, was seen fucking a beautiful woman, probably in her mid-twenties. She had a slender figure but round boobs and butt. In conclusion, she had the perfect body that Vincent Gray liked.


    Vincent thrust at least ten more times until the sound of his crotch hitting her ass echoed in the office, and he pulled out his dick and ejacted on the woman''s chest.


    Vernon wasn''t surprised, nor did he try to leave. He just leaned on the wall with an amused smile while watching the whole thing like watching something so trivial.


    Vincent was breathing heavily, and after recovering, he looked at Vernon, who had been waiting the whole time. He was smiling and crossed his arms as he leaned on the wall.


    "Good afternoon, Brother."


    "Ah, you''re here. Sorry to make you wait," Vincent said. He red at the woman still recovering after the wild sex and said, "Why are you still here, leave now!"


    The beautiful woman red back at Vincent but dared not say anything. She got up and turned her head around to see the private guest of Mr. Vincent Gray.


    And she was absolutely stunned¡­


    ''Oh¡­ my¡­ god, Vernon Phoenix Gray is even better looking in real life!'' she thought as she stared at Vernon dazedly.


    <o>,m Vincent pushed her gently, so she would leave sooner, "Don''t waste your time here. My little brother is not interested in you."</o>


    The woman red again at Vernon but just grabbed her dress and bag and walked out naked.


    Vincent washed his hand in the bathroom and zipped his pants before returning to Vernon.


    "You can sit there, Vernon. That sofa needs to be cleaned. That bitch squirted too many times," Vincent said, pointing at a seat facing his desk.


    Vernon sat obediently, and Vincent sat on the executive chair directly in front of him.


    They were silenced for a while, and Vernon didn''t want to start the conversation with a business. So he asked, "How''s your business, Brother? Are you doing well?"


    "I''m doing great, as always," Vincent replied. Though, Vernon noticed the dark eye bags under his eyes said otherwise. But he didn''t dare to mention it. "Though I have been stressed these days, I rxed by fucking one or two women during my break."


    "Oh, about that woman before, she is brazed enough to re at you, do you know her?"


    "¡­ Her name is Prisci. She is my secretary."

 61 Chapter 61

    "Oh, about that woman before, she is brazed enough to re at you, do you know her?"


    "¡­ Her name is Prisci. She is my secretary," Vincent replied.


    "Secretary? A secretary is bold enough to re at you like that? Big brother, you have been too soft on her," Vernon said. He had a thin smile as he added, "I never know that you have a weak spot for your secretary."


    "No, she is just one of that side piece. I just tolerate her a bit more because she is my current condom," Vincent said.


    "Hahaha! Okay, okay, I didn''t know she was like that," Vernon said. They had a tacit understanding of what ''condom'' meant.


    It wasn''t about a real condom. When Vincent said so, it meant that woman was the woman he regrly had sex with, just to ensure he didn''t catch STD. Vincent learned this from his dad. Vincent naturally told Vernon about it when he was only nine years old in such an unnecessary detail.


    Vincent looked at his little brother, who was smirking, "Don''tugh at me. You have a lot more condoms than me."


    Vernon only snickered mischievously as he saw his big brother get more irritated by his teasing.


    "How long have you been using her?" Vernon asked.


    "Four years."


    "Four years?!" Vernon''s eyes widened. "Wow, brother, I didn''t know you''re so loyal even to your side piece."


    "I just don''t have time to find another one. Though I''ve been thinking about ditching her and finding another one, she started demanding more and more until she asked me to marry her. That''s disgusting."


    "Ohh? Then why don''t you marry her, big brother?"


    "Are you crazy? I am already married!" Vincent raised his voice. He found Vernon''s question to be ridiculous.


    Vernonughed low, "Hahaha¡­. Does sister-inw know about this side piece of yours in general?"


    "Of course, she knows. She knows everyone I fucked. It''s not that big of a deal," Vincent snorted.


    "Eh~ but it looks like a big deal to me, brother. I mean, sister-inw left, right? That means she must''ve been sad because of you fucking random woman outside," Vernon said. Of course, he had no intention of fixing the rtionship between these two. He just found this amusing.


    "Hmph, she is just an ungrateful bitch. I gave her everything and allowed her to live as my wife. But she still demands divorce or whatever."


    "And you won''t divorce her? I thought you didn''t like her anymore."


    Vincent went silent immediately. His expression turned stern as if he was holding anger. He red at his little brother, but Vernon just shrugged without caring, "Don''t be too angry, brother. I was just asking."


    Vincent looked away, and his seat turned in the other direction. He was watching the view of a skyscraper and asked Vernon, "Do you not remember what I taught you when I was a kid?"


    "I remember, big brother. Aren''t you who brought me to watch dad fucking mom''s sister while mom was busy adorning her new jewelry in the next room? It''s a surreal experience for me, especially since you showed it to me when I was only ten years old," Vernon said. He was too disgusted to call his mom''s sister ''aunt'' that bitch didn''t deserve that title.<sub> </sub>


    "Indeed, I just want you to remember what our father said back then," Vincent said. "All that women love is money. Just give them money, and they will shut the hell up. It doesn''t matter if you cheat on them or hit them once or twice. Just stuff them with money, and everything will be alright."


    "And it works with mom, right?" Vernon asked. "Oh, and the other women that fucked with dad."


    "It works for us too. Do you think those women will stay with us if we''re not from the Gray family?" Vincent asked.


    Vernon wanted to refute that. He got a lot of women solely by using his charm and looks while studying in Europe. He never told anyone that he was from the Gray family.


    In fact, he had another surname that he adapted, though he didn''t want to mention it.


    Vernon stayed silent as he listened to his big brother.


    "Women are nothing but a headache, especially when they start asking for too much. You need to put them in their ce," Vincent said.


    "Does that include sister-inw?"


    ¡­


    Vincent went silent for a while and added, "If you found a woman like her, ditch her. She is not worth your time. She will act sweet and innocent, but she is just another ungrateful bitch. Keep that in mind, Vernon. I''ve lived with her for ten years straight, not counting the dating stage. I know her."


    Vernon smiled thin. Of course, his big brother knew about Chloe better than he. After all, they dated and married for fifteen yearsbined.


    "I will keep it in mind, brother."


    "Good, I just don''t want you to get a bad influence," Vincent said. "Enough talking about her. I will find that bitch and drag her back to where she belongs."


    Vincent finally turned his chair towards Vernon again and faced his little brother, "Now, since you''re here, let''s talk about business. I am interested in your growingpany."


    "And you want to expand the business? I thought Gray family already has everything in its hand."


    "I do, but some of the fields can be too difficult to expand more without the help of an expert. I found that you''re an expert in entertainment and investment, right, little bro?"


    "Indeed, I am. I build my fortune through investment, stock trade, and joining the entertainment industry. Mypany has many branches in the entertainment, we have talent agency down to high-quality production house."


    "Good, because I am interested in both. We will work together, Lil bro. Don''t worry, you''re my little brother. Of course, I will give you a good contract to benefit us both."


    ''I got you, big brother,'' Vernon said in his heart.


    He smiled kindly and nodded, "I''d love to, brother. "

 62 Chapter 62

    Vernon and Vincent discussed their new cooperation. It went pretty well, mainly because Vernon seemed submissive and tried to give Vincent an advantage over the contract.


    In exchange, Vincent thought Vernon felt reluctant because he wasn''t used to being favored.


    p Despite all the craps that happened in Vincent''s life. He still wanted Vernon to return to the family because Vernon was the only family he trusted in that rotten pile of cesspool.</anda>


    Still, to this day, he didn''t know what caused Vernon to leave abruptly after he married Chloe.


    But it was all in the past anyway, so it didn''t matter.


    "I will tell my secretary to make the contract and inform you in a week. Don''t worry, Vernon," Vincent said.


    "Ah, but¡­" Vernon looked reluctant. "I don''t think I will ept the contract, brother."


    "Hm? Why? Is the share not enough for you?"


    "Not at all! It''s the opposite, in fact! You''re giving me too much, brother! You''re basically getting a pennypared to my profit if we''re signing the contract!"


    Vincent saw that Vernon was even more distressed just by the premise of him getting so little to this nned contract. He was amused¡ª delighted even.


    ''My little brother is still the same, huh? He is still cute and kind, despite being all grown up,'' Vincent thought. He missed his little brother a lot, but since they were all adults now, he couldn''t just hug his little brother like before.


    The Gray family was a big family full of snakes. You couldn''t trust anyone there, not even your mother.


    But for Vincent, Vernon was still his little brother, and the fact that he had ten years of experience outside meant that he was far better than the rest of those bastards in the Gray Family.


    ''Well, I don''t care if I got losses with this contract. It''s just pocket money, after all. But if this will help his business, why not?''


    "No need to worry about my profit. Let''s call this a trial period, shall we?" Vincent said. "If you''re doing a great job, I will involve our twopanies in many bigger projects. Hopefully, it can stand side by side on equal footing in the future."


    "Brother¡­" Vernon felt emotional. He nodded assuringly, "I will work hard. I will make sure that you will see me as an adult. I will make you proud, brother!"


    "Haha! You''re already making me proud with all of your achievements, Vernon. But I want to see how much you''ve grown since you left the family ten years ago," Vincent said.


    The two brothers conversed for a while, mostly talking about their younger days, but Vincent didn''t seem to be in the mood to talk about the woman that filled Vincent''s youthful day, aka Chloe Gray.


    He seemed to continuously dodge the topic, and Vernon didn''t want to force his big brother because it wasn''t the time yet.


    "Okay, I will leave now, big brother. It''s already evening."<sub> </sub>


    "Why leave? Let''s go and have dinner, there is a nice restaurant nearby. You''re a picky eater, right?" Vincent proposed. "This restaurant is brand new, and I know the head chef. He is a top chef from Austria. It will suit your taste."


    Vernon refused politely, "I will just eat in my apartment. I''ve my food waiting there."


    "You''re eating in your apartment? Did you buy a takeout? Or you hire a chef?"


    "I have someone that cooks for me, brother," Vernon replied lightly.


    "Oh? This must be the new woman of yours," Vincent guessed, but Vernon didn''t reply. He had a mysterious smile, though. "I guess you''re dating a top female chef now, huh? I still remember that you''re so picky when eating. The whole kitchen will always be busy trying to cater to your food preference that changes every day."


    "Hahaha! I was such a brat when I was a kid," Vernonughed, and Vincentughed low.


    "Well, let''s have a family dinnerter. I''m always curious about what you''re doing in Europe. Mom always said that you''re doing well and nothing is wrong, but it should be more convincing when ites straight out of your mouth."


    "Yes, brother, I''ll tell you once I got more free time," Vernon said. He finally walked out of the CEO''s office.


    Vincent watched Vernon''s back, and his smile faltered once his little brother left.


    "It''s not her, right?" Vincent asked.


    It was true that Vernon had been a super picky eater since he was a baby. Even at one time, he would starve himself rather than eat something he disliked. He would also throw a temper tantrum often, mostly because he didn''t get the food he liked.


    Since they were born with a silver spoon, they didn''t need to worry about material things. So food was the only thing that Vernon constantly threw tantrums off.


    Until that woman¡ª his wife, Chloe Gray came into his life.


    Vernon dated her in high school. Because of her grades, she could enter the private high school despiteing from a low-average ie family. She was smart and very smart academically. She also won a fewpetitions in junior high. That was why she could be in the same high school as Vincent.


    Like a taleing straight from a romance novel, Vincent was actually enamored by Chloe''s brightness. She was bright like a star, smart, sensible, and beautiful as well. She was a perfect wife material since the first time Vincent met her.


    So he dated her after he had approached her for a while.


    When they were seventeen years old¡ª a sophomore in high school, Vincent brought Chloe to the Gray mansion to introduce her to his parents.


    They were indifferent, as always, and Vincent expected thating from his family.


    But he didn''t expect Vernon, his little brother, to take a liking to Chloe. This usually bratty boy was the jewel in Vincent''s eyes. He actually liked his girlfriend. It was the best oue he could get from his family.

 63 Chapter 63

    But he didn''t expect Vernon, his little brother, to take a liking to Chloe. This usually bratty boy was the jewel in Vincent''s eyes. He actually liked his girlfriend. It was the best oue he could get from his family.


    "And Chloe is a great cook, I have to admit. Vernon liked her cooking so much that he would eat literally anything Chloe made."


    ¡­


    "No, it''s not her," Vincent shook his head. He knew his little brother very well. "Vernon might be a brat, but he idolized me when he was young. He was also very obedient."


    "I already told him not to ept Chloe, so he has definitely rejected Chloe''s plea. That bitch deserved to be punished for running away from me. Divorced is out of questions now," Vincent said.


    Honestly, he wasn''t sure of himself. He just couldn''t sign that divorce paper, no matter what. Maybe he didn''t want to find another woman to remarry because all of them were gold digger whores.


    Vincent shook his head again, "I trust him. He is my brother, so he will not betray me."


    **


    Vernon entered his car and drove away from the office building. "Pffttthh¡­ Heheheh¡­. Ahahah¡­. HAHAHAHAH!" Vernon was holding hisugh the entire time and finally burst outughing. Heughed so much that he started getting stomach cramps.


    "Ouch, ah¡­ haha! Man, that''s so funny!" Vernon continued snickering like a madman. "He trusts mepletely. What an idiot! Ahahahahah!"


    "Well, it''s his fault for doing that. Everything has just started, it will take a while, but I will make sure both of them got destroyed," Vernon said. Of course, he already had a n for Vincent, Chloe, and his family. But everything had just started, and he had to gain more trust and keep Chloe safe until he could utilize her for his gain.


    His eyes cooled down until it was devoid of any emotion. "You''re also on the list, Chloe Gray. Just because I''m keeping you around doesn''t mean I need you to stay. You''re as good as dead, just like my brother."


    Vernon pressed the gas, and his car sped through the highway as he returned to his apartment.


    **


    Meanwhile, Chloe was busy helping and checking on Mackie''s homework. She was d that Miss Alicia¡ª Mackie''s homeroom teacher, made an ingenious idea for a small punishment.


    Basically, if any student were arguing or fighting, they would be punished by giving them homework. The longer they throw tantrums or yell at their friends, the more homework piled up.


    Mackie was getting bullied by Jaden and Mia again, but Mackie was a feisty little girl, she fought back, and they were finally punished. But because Mackie was the one who got bullied, Jaden and Mia got twice the amount of homework that Mackie had to do.


    "Hmph! Mackie can fight them! Jaden and Mia said Mommy and Mackie won''t see Daddy anymore, so I fight them!" Mackie said.


    Chloe sighed, but she patted Mackie''s hair, "Well, let''s just focus on your homework, okay?"


    "Okay, Mommy!"


    Chloe was busy with her daughter in Mackie''s bedroom until she heard the familiar voice calling her from the upper floor, aka Vernon''s penthouse.


    "Chloe, Chloe!"


    Vernon''s voice got louder and louder as he kept calling. Chloe checked the clock and frowned when she saw the time, ''It''s still evening. Didn''t he strike a deal with the client he met today?''


    Chloe had to answer Vernon''s calling. She was his maid, after all. She told Mackie, "Dear, you should go to sleep after this, okay? It''s not good for your health if you''re sleeping toote."<sub> </sub>


    "Okay, Mommy! Is that Uncle Vernon in his apartment?" Mackie asked.


    "Mhm, but it''s alreadyte. You can meet him again tomorrow, okay?"


    "Hmph! Who wants to meet with Uncle Vernon? He is a meanie towards Mommy! Mommy, if Uncle Vernon hurts Mommy, tell Mackie, okay? Mackie will protect Mommy!"


    Chloe smiled and patted her daughter''s head again, "Don''t worry, Uncle Vernon will not do anything to Mommy."


    ''I hope,'' Chloe secretly wished.


    She got up and left Mackie''s bedroom to meet Vernon.


    **


    Vernon was a little¡ª well, very annoyed right now. He refused to have dinner with his big brother because he expected Chloe to cook dinner for him.


    But when he entered the penthouse, Chloe was nowhere to be seen, and the dining table was empty.


    "What the¡ª does she expect me to cook by myself? I paid her to cook!" Vernonined. He started searching for his sister-inw, "Sister-inw? Chloe, Chloe!"


    "Y¡ªYes!" Chloe quickened her pace and climbed upstairs. She saw Vernon sitting at the dining table with an expression that could only be described as upset.


    More like a young boy being upset, actually.


    "Do you need something, Vernon?"


    Vernon gave her a side-nce and clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Is this the way for you to greet me? Do you not understand your job here?"


    Chloe still looked confused, and Vernon pointed at the empty dining table, "Where''s my dinner?"


    "Ah... I thought you would be working untilte at night and have dinner outside¡­." Chloe replied.


    "And? You still need to cook for me even if I''m not at home!"


    "B¡ªBut it would be a waste. The ingredients are expensive¡ª"


    Vernon mmed the mahogany table once he heard Chloe say it''d be a waste of ingredients because it was expensive. His mood was instantly ruined. He got up and stood in front of Chloe like an intimidating beast, ready to devour her, "Do you think I don''t have money to feed you? Huh? I can feed you with all thevish things in life!"


    "I¡ªI never said that¡­." Chloe took a step back to avoid Vernon, who was angered for no reason, and Vernon naturally took a step forward to close their gap.


    Chloe didn''t know why Vernon was always angry because she was just trying to be economical.


    In her life with Vincent, she would cook a lot for her husband, and Vincent would eat for one or two bites before leaving. He would also scold Chloe, calling her a stupid bitch for wasting food¡­

 64 Chapter 64

    Back in her life with Vincent, she would cook a lot for her husband, and Vincent would eat for one or two bites before leaving. He would also scold Chloe, calling her a stupid bitch for wasting food¡­


    ''Even though he is the one who said not to worry about ingredients and such, I cooked a lot for him¡­.'' Chloe looked at Vernon in a daze. His handsome face was stained with anger as if he was really offended by her words.


    His face really reminded Chloe of Vincent. They were brothers, after all. They would also think the same, and when Vernon told him to use the ck card¡­ it was just another trap.


    Another debt trap, another way to hurt her¡­


    ''I don''t understand¡­ what did I do wrong? Why are you so mad at me? Isn''t it correct to save money and ingredients if you''ll just scold me for cooking unnecessarily¡­'' Chloe pondered. ''Or you want me to cook a lot, so you can mock me for being a wasteful bitch? There is no chance for me to retaliate, huh?''


    ''Vincent¡­ you''re truly vile¡­.'' Chloe said in her heart. All the mockery, insult, sneer, and emotional abuse that Vincent afflicted her suddenly flooded her mind, and she saw the trace of Vincent in Vernon''s eyes.


    Vernon was yelling over and over until his throat got dry. Yet, Chloe was unresponsive the whole time.


    She stared at him with her doe beautiful doe eyes as if she didn''t understand what made Vernon angry. Vernon snapped out of frustration. He grabbed her arms with his strong grip and yelled in front of her, "STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT AND SAY SOMETHING!"


    Chloe''s body trembled once Vernon tightened his grip around her arm, and her eyes zed with tears.


    Slowly, a single tear streamed from the edge of her eyes down to her cheek.


    Vernon was stunned when he saw the tear, "Wait¡ª"


    Before Vernon could say more, he felt something hit his temple.


    "What the¡ª"


    Vernon turned to the right and saw Mackie holding pencils, pens, books, and everything she had while ring at Vernon.


    "DON''T BULLY MOMMY! BAD UNCLE!" Mackie threw her belongings one by one to Vernon, and some actually hit his head.


    "Stop! You kid¡ª ouch!" When he saw a pen almost hit his eye, Vernon covered his eyes spontaneously. He released Chloe, who pushed him and ran towards her daughter.


    She grabbed Mackie and carried her as she ran downstairs.


    "WAIT!" Vernon tried to chase Chloe, but once he went downstairs, the woman and her daughter were nowhere to be seen. They were probably hiding in one of the rooms.


    Vernon clenched his fist, wanting to curse loudly, but he knew that little girl was with Chloe right now. He didn''t want his niece to hear some curse wordsing from him.


    Thus, Vernon returned to his penthouse, feeling very annoyed, angry, and with a tint of regret in his heart.


    Vernon sat on the sofa and massaged his temples. He got a headache just thinking about Chloe.


    "Did I go too far?" Vernon asked himself. But then tried to defend his argument, "I didn''t mean to yell at her so much, but she is unresponsive¡­."<sub> </sub>


    "Besides, why does she keep poking on my sore spot? I know I''m not as powerful or rich as my big brother, and I''m working hard on it! Does she not know how difficult it is to start everything from the ground without the help of your family at all?"


    "Does she not remember what she said to me back then? FUCK!" Vernon punched the wall beside the sofa and grew more and more frustrated.


    Yes, he knew that he was an emotional, moody person. His actions were mostly driven by emotion, and he would only use his logic at work. She practically raised him from the age of seven until he was fifteen!


    Chloe should''ve known that!


    "So why would she continuously mock me for what Icked the most?" Vernon continued to punch the wall until his fist was wounded and started bleeding. He didn''t care so much about it, though. He was just angry and frustrated with Chloe''s behavior.


    "Ah, fuck this! I don''t care anymore!"


    Vernon closed his eyes and slept on the long sofa. He covered his eyes with his arm and ignored the stinging pain in his knuckle. He wasn''t a crybaby who would cry over an injured fist anyway.


    **


    Meanwhile, Chloe was hugging Mackie the whole time. She was so afraid that Vernon would break in after she escaped with Mackie, so she entered Mackie''s room and locked the door to save herself and her daughter.


    She hugged Mackie on the bed, but her daughter was still furious;


    "Uncle Vernon is mean! He is so mean to Mommy! He is not like Daddy!"


    ''Oh, trust me, dear. Your father is ten times worse than your Uncle Vernon. He is probably a hundred times worse. Your father is the worst human ever existed, my dear,'' Chloe said in her heart, not wanting Mackie to know about her father''s heinous deeds. ''But I won''t let you know this. I don''t want you to get hurt¡­.''


    "Sshh, let''s just go to sleep, okay?" Chloe said, trying to pacify her daughter.


    "But Mackie saw Mommy crying!"


    "Mommy is not crying. Mommy¡­ Mommy just got pepper in my eyes, and Uncle Vernon helps Mommy," Chloe said. She knew it was a stupid reason, but Mackie trusted herpletely, so she should believe it, right?


    Mackie stared at her Mommy, and her small hands patted her Mommy''s cheek, "Mommy, don''t cry. Mackie is sad now¡­."


    Chloe gently held her daughter''s small hands on her cheek, "Mommy is not sad, so Mackie should not be sad, okay?"


    "But¡­"


    Chloe faked her yawning and closed her eyes, "Ah, Mommy is so sleepy tonight. Why don''t we sleep, hm?"


    "¡­ Okay, Mommy¡­"


    Mackie buried her head on Mommy''s neck and quickly fell asleep in her warm embrace.

 65 Chapter 65

    Mackie buried her head on Mommy''s neck and quickly fell asleep in her warm embrace.


    Chloe caressed Mackie''s hair gently until she made sure she had fallen asleeppletely.


    After being assured, Chloe slowly shifted away from Mackie to separate themselves. She tucked Mackie with a nket before leaving her daughter''s bedroom quietly.


    She tiptoed around the corridor, afraid that Vernon was waiting for her in her apartment. But thankfully, he wasn''t here.


    ''But what about the banging sound I heard earlier?'' Chloe wondered. She indeed heard the sound of banging when she was inside the bedroom with Mackie.


    It was so loud and continuous that it was hard to ignore.


    She looked around, checking if anything was damaged or destroyed in her apartment. But everything was intact.


    So, the most usible exnation was Vernon stopping at the stair before returning to his penthouse.


    Chloe gulped as she stopped in front of the stair. She knew she had to hide from Vernon from his violent streak.


    But she wanted to check on him, she would sincerely apologize for what she did wrong¡­


    "Though, I still don''t know what I did wrong¡­." Chloe murmured. "But he helped me, he is my employer, and I am the one who makes a mistake¡­."


    Chloe took a deep breath to brace herself and climbed the stair while tiptoeing, hoping she didn''t make any noise disturbing Vernon.


    She peeked before she stepped on thest staircase. She expected the penthouse to be absolutely destroyed. But there seemed to be nothing wrong. No ss or tes were destroyed, and no table was overturned.


    As if Vernon had just ended his violent streak right after Chloe escaped with her daughter.


    Chloe didn''t understand this guy, his mood swing was crazy, and Chloe didn''t even know what made him angry. Everything about this man was just so random.


    After ensuring that Vernon was nowhere near the kitchen and dining area, she braced herself and entered Vernon''s penthouse. She looked around and couldn''t find Vernon everywhere until she saw a silhouette sleeping on the long sofa in the living room.


    The living room was dim as the only source of light was the moon showering his handsome face gently. Chloe approached the man and saw Vernon sleeping there.


    He seemed to be in a deep sleep, with his arm covering his eyes.


    Chloe stood at least two feet from the long sofa, staring at Vernon, who was fast asleep.


    "I don''t know what''s on your mind, Vernon. You can be so kind one time and vicious a minute after," Chloe murmured, ensuring her voice was low enough so she wouldn''t wake him up.


    She heard Vernon grumbling about something in his sleep, but it was inaudible. Yet, Vernon repeated that random name continuously, so it must''ve been something important.


    Curious, Chloe took a step forward to check on Vernon and heard Vernon someone''s name in his sleep. Unfortunately, Chloe couldn''t really catch the name he was murmuring in his sleep, but it was definitely a name because he repeated it over and over.


    As Chloe observed the sleeping lion, she noticed something wrong with the wall behind the sofa.


    It had been cracked badly, and blood sttered on the wall. Chloe gasped and held her breath instantly. She covered her mouth, afraid she would wake Vernon up.<sub> </sub>


    She observed the cracked wall with blood again and checked Vernon''s hands.


    The first hand¡ª the arm that covered his eyes wasn''t injured, but when she checked the other hand hanging low, she almost gasped twice.


    "Oh¡­ my¡­ god¡­." Chloe saw Vernon''s fist had been bloodied. It looked so terrible that she wondered if she should call an ambnce.


    ''Wait, I don''t know if he is still mad or not¡­.'' Chloe wondered. She wanted to help him, but his rage made her hesitate. ''Okay, if I can''t call an ambnce, at least I can give him first aid.''


    Chloe climbed downstairs and returned to Vernon with a first aid kit.


    She took a deep breath and carefully sat on the floor while checking the bloodied hand. She took out an alcohol antiseptic wipe, bandage, and a small bucket of water from the bathroom.


    Chloe checked the fist first by carefully holding Vernon''s wrist and slipped her fingers to intertwine with his, so Chloe could spread his fingers and gently wash them with water.


    At first, Vernon cupped his fist tightly, even when he was asleep.


    But once Chloe''s fingers tried to open his fist gently, the tight fist lowered its defense slowly until Chloe could intertwine their fingers and started washing Vernon''s fist.


    The blood had been dry, so it must''ve been a while since he punched that wall. After she was done washing the dried blood off his knuckles, the wounds became visible.


    It was horrible, and Chloe didn''t understand why Vernon would do this to himself.


    ''Okay, okay, rx, Chloe. It''s time to apply the alcohol wipe.''


    Chloe carefully soaked the cotton wipe with antiseptic. She tapped the wound, but Vernon reacted instantly once he felt the stinging pain in his hand.


    "HRHHMM!"


    Chloe quickly ducked when she heard the grumble. She was afraid that Vernon would be angry again if he woke up.


    But contrary to her expectation, Vernon just switched his position a bit. He moved his wounded hand and stretched it on top of his head.


    "Phew¡­" Chloe carefully sat on the bed beside Vernon''s head and grabbed his hand.


    She checked the wound and continued tapping the antiseptic-soaked cotton wipe on the wounds. Vernon''s brows creased, but he didn''t respond until the fifth tap on the worst wound.


    Vernon suddenly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was his sister-inw''s face, staring at him with shock and fear in her eyes.


    ''Is this a dream?'' Vernon pondered in his mind. He had this dream many times, after all.


    The same face, the same expression.


    Vernon chuckled, mocking himself, "Even in my dream, you''re still the same¡­."

 66 Chapter 66

    "Even in my dream, you''re still the same¡­." Vernon said. He grabbed Chloe''s wrist and yanked it towards him.


    "Ah!" Chloe gasped. She thought Vernon was wide awake, and she was scared shitless.


    But soon after, Vernon closed his eyes again while holding her hand. Chloe tried to pull her hand gently to no avail because Vernon tightened his grip around her wrist.


    "Don''t escape me, not in my dream. You left me for so long, can you pity me a bit?" Vernon murmured. He gently put Chloe''s hand on his cheek, so they could share their warmth together. "You''re warm like I always needed you to be¡­."


    Chloe was still trying to process what was currently happening right now. It seemed that Vernon thought he was dreaming. That meant he had a simr dream to a reality like this.


    And it seemed¡­


    ''He had mistaken me for another woman,'' Chloe thought. Because he was wide awake, Vernon would probably yell at her again. But he was exceptionally gentle in his dream, something that would never happen in real life between her and Vernon.


    ''Ah, Vernon has a lot of women in his life. But for a woman to enter his dream and make him act so gentle and loving, that woman must be special, probably the love of his life?"


    Chloe smiled as she watched Vernon, whose expression gradually eased. She caressed his cheek gently.


    While Vernon was still busy with her hand, she used her free hand to continue treating Vernon''s wound until every part of the wound had been treated, thest thing needed was bandaging, but she needed her two hands to bandage Vernon''s fist.


    She tried to pull her hand again, but Vernon tightened his grip until she winced out of pain.


    "Don''t leave. I miss you a lot¡­." Vernon mumbled. With his eyes closed, he said, "Why did you betray me?"


    ¡­


    ''Ouch, that woman must''ve left him. Did she cheat on Vernon? I mean, if Vernon is this gentle, that would be weird if a woman left him.''


    ''And I doubt she left because of money. Even when Vernon was still in Europe, Dorothea once said he was still provided with money, although not much.''


    Chloe could feel Vernon''s grip continue to tighten even more. It was painful that she thought her wrist would be broken, but Chloe didn''t dare to let a sound out of her mouth. She endured the pain, afraid she would wake him up if she screamed and forcefully yanked her arm.


    "Did I hurt you?"


    ¡­


    "If you''re hurt, that''s good. Because you will understand the pain, I bear for so long. I want you to understand all the pain. I want you to know that I love you and hate you at the same time," Vernon muttered.


    Despite his bone-crushing grip on her wrist, he gently kissed Chloe''s fingers one by one, from her finger to her pinky.


    Chloe gasped when Vernon suddenly put her index into his mouth. He lucked and sucked the tip of her finger like candy, "Understand me, I want you to understand¡­."


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    Chloe bit her lower lip, so she wouldn''t identally leak her voice and woke Vernon up.


    Vernon put Chloe''s palm on his chest, so she could feel his beating heart, "The passion in my heart, it burns like fire. "I want to embrace you with this burning feeling inside my heart, so we can burn together¡­."


    "I want us to die together¡­."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The grip on Chloe''s wrist gradually weakened until Vernon truly fell asleep again, and she could pull her hand off his grip.


    "Ouch, that hurts so much¡­" Chloe rubbed her wrist before sliding her away from Vernon, who was asleep. She took the bandage and carefully wrapped Vernon''s hand with it.


    After she was done, she breathed full of relief and got up from the sofa.


    She was about to leave but heard Vernon mumbling, "Don''t¡­ leave me¡­."


    ¡­


    Chloe squatted beside the sofa and wiped the sweat on Vernon''s forehead before caressing his hair, "I will never leave you, Vernon. No matter what, you are still my cute little Vernon, whom I knew fifteen years ago when you were only seven."


    "Don''t be sad about this woman who left you, she is a scum. Your big sister Chloe will apany you," Chloe said.


    Chloe felt relief in her heart as she delivered the words she had always wanted to say since the first time they met again. It was also the same sentence she said whenever Vernon was sad.


    They were separated for so long after Vernon''s abrupt departure to Europe right after she married Vincent, so she constantly worried about her Little Vernon.


    "But you''re doing well now, my cute little Vernon," Chloe smiled as she continued caressing Vernon''s hair. "I hope you find the woman you love and will love you back, okay? I will always support you."


    ''Maybe he had a terrible break-up with the girl in his dream. What he said are extreme things¡­.'' Chloe theorized. ''Maybe it''s also the reason why he became a yboy and treated all women so badly. He was so kind and obedient when he was a kid and teenager with me¡­.''


    ''That woman in his dream must''ve hurt his heart so terribly¡­.''


    Chloe sighed deeply. They have so much pain in their hearts, getting hurt by their loved ones.


    "I can''t do anything other than take care of you, Vernon. But I want you to be happy, don''t be an idiot like me, okay? Nobody will love me any. I am a lost cause. But you deserve someone who loves you wholeheartedly," Chloe smiled and kissed Vernon''s forehead.


    Chloe finally got up, took a spare nket from theundry room, and covered Vernon before leaving with the first-aid kit and the bucket of water.


    She gave Vernon thest look before going downstairs and smiled, "I will act like there is nothing wrong between us tomorrow morning. Please cooperate, cute little Vernon."

 67 Chapter 67

    Vernon woke up the next morning. He felt weak, even a little groggy. But he had a beautiful dreamst night.


    He dreamt of his beloved one whispering many sweet things for him, caressing him gently, even kissing him.


    Which would be impossible in real life, or so he thought.


    He got up and sat on the sofa in a daze for a brief moment. He looked around and realized that he fell asleep on the sofast night, right after he punched the wall many times.


    Vernon checked the wall and saw the cracked wall with blood sttered around it. It looked gruesome, even for Vernon.


    "Urgh, what had gotten into mest night?" Vernon felt guilty because he wasshing out at Chloe and her daughter like that.


    True, it was Chloe''s fault for mocking him. But he wasn''t any better. Heshed out like Chloe did a terrible offense.


    "And that little brat saw it as well¡­" Vernon sighed. He might be a terrible person, but he wouldn''t scare a little kid with violence¡­ if he could control his emotion.


    It was mostly frustration that gaslighted him, a pile of frustration that exploded out of nowhere¡­


    "I have to apologize¡­ I should, but¡­ would I?" Vernon asked himself. He still had pride as a man. How could he apologize to a woman? And this woman was the sister-inw who begged for shelter and safety. He was basically her boss!


    Amidst his dilemma, Vernon looked down and realized that his bloodied hand had been cleaned and bandaged.


    He also had a nket that covered half of his body.


    His heart dropped as the realization dawned on him. His heart started beating loudly, afraid that the worst might have happened.


    "Did she¡­"


    Now he wondered whether he was dreamingst night or if everything was real.


    ''No, no, that can''t be true. Obviously, that''s not true. Imagining her caressing my hair and kissing my forehead¡­ FUCK!''


    As Vernon was busy with the dilemma inside his head. The voice of little girls whining was heard from the kitchen.


    "Mommy, I don''t want to eat here with Uncle Vernon!" Mackie protested, remembering what Uncle Vernon did to her Mommyst night. "Uncle Vernon is mean and evil!"


    "Shush, don''t say that, Mackie," Chloe reprimanded her daughter as she spoke ill of her employer. "You can wait downstairs, okay? Mommy has already prepared your breakfast. Mommy needs to cook for Uncle Vernon''s breakfast and for lunches."


    "But¡­" Mackie whimpered. Mommy had already told her to sit downstairs and eat breakfast alone because she would be busy cooking for Uncle Vernon and preparing their lunchboxes.


    But she was worried that Uncle Vernon would hurt her Mommy while cooking, so she didn''t want to leave her Mommy alone with Uncle Vernon.


    Vernon got up and walked to the kitchen to check on the mother-daughter pair.


    Vernon stood there in silence as he watched Mackie, who clenched the hem of Chloe''s shirt while she busily cooked a healthy breakfast for him.


    "Mackie, don''t get too close to the stove. You might get burned!" Chloe scolded, but Mackie insisted on staying close.


    "Mackie will protect Mommy!"


    Vernon leaned sideways with his arms crossed. He continued watching until Mackie sensed an ominous presence. She turned around and almost jumped out of fright when she saw Uncle Vernon.


    Mackie braced herself and covered her Mommy with her small body, "Uncle, don''t hurt Mommy!"<sub> </sub>


    Chloe was surprised. She turned off the stove and turned around to see Vernon leaning on the wall with his arms crossed.


    He didn''t seem to be in a bad mood, but he wasn''t in a good mood either.


    "Go away, Uncle Vernon!" Mackie yelled at her Uncle.


    Vernon stared at Chloe for a while before he looked down at her feisty little niece and said, "Sit on the dining chair, don''t disturb your mother. She is busy cooking."


    "No! Uncle will hurt Mommy!"


    "¡­ I won''t," Vernon replied short.


    Honestly, he wasn''t sure how to handle this situation. It was so awkward, especially with what happenedst night.


    "I don''t believe you!" Mackie insisted. She hugged her Mommy''s legs, "Don''t hurt Mommy!"


    ¡­


    Chloe realized Vernon was speechless and felt really awkward because of his sudden outburstst night. But she tried her best not to make it that way, so Vernon wouldn''t feel too embarrassed in front of Mackie.


    Chloe patted Mackie''s head and said, "Uncle Vernon is not mad anymore. He won''t hurt Mommy."


    "B¡ªBut¡­"


    "Uncle Vernon apologized to Mommyst night, you know," Chloe said.


    Mackie looked up to her Mommy, who was smiling. She seemed to have no worry, "Is that true?"


    "Yes! Uncle Vernon already said sorry to Mommy, and Mommy forgave him! You don''t need to worry, okay?" Chloe tried to convince her daughter and looked at Vernon, "Right, Vernon?"


    Vernon''s body stiffened, and he nodded reluctantly.


    Mackie looked at Uncle Vernon, who quickly dodged her eyes. She pouted and pointed at her Uncle, "Uncle is forgiven! But if Uncle hurts Mommy again, Mackie will tell Daddy!"


    "M¡ªMackie¡ª"


    Vernon was insulted once her niece told her that she would tell her Daddy about it. No, he wasn''t scared. He was just annoyed because that name was mentioned in his house.


    His petty mind screamed for him to refute the little girl, but before he opened his mouth, Chloe had already looked at him with pleading eyes.


    Chloe shook her head and mouthed ''please'' without letting her voice out.


    Vernon took a deep breath. He disliked tolerating anything in his house. In fact, he disliked to be tied or if he had to obey anyone without reason.


    But he remembered what happenedst night and was ashamed of it. So he conceded and nodded, "I won''t do it again. Now sit and don''t disturb your Mommy."


    Mackie still felt a sense of crisis, so she refused, "No!"


    Vernon was already in aplicated mood, he wanted to yell back at Mackie, but he took a deep breath and said, "If you don''t sit there, I will bully your Mommy when you''re in school."

 68 Chapter 68

    "If you don''t sit there, I will bully your Mommy when you''re in school," Vernon threatened.


    Mackie was shocked by Uncle Vernon''s threat as if she got struck by a giant thunder in a clear sky. She always thought she would protect her Mommy every time, but she forgot that she had to go to school!


    "T¡ªThen, Mackie will not go to school!"


    "Of course, you can''t, Mackie," Chloe chuckled and patted Mackie''s hair. "School is very important, remember? You can''t be smart if you''re not going to school."


    "But¡­" Mackie was conflicted. This thing was moreplicated than what her little mind couldprehend.


    "Well, if you''re obedient, then I will be obedient too. I won''t bully your mommy while you''re in school, okay?" Vernon negotiated.


    Mackie looked at her Mommy, smiling, and then at Uncle Vernon, "P¡ªPromise?"


    "Promise."


    Mackie slowly approached Vernon and raised her hand. She folded her fingers except for her pinky, "Pinky promise me, Uncle! Promise that you will never hurt Mommy!"


    Vernon looked down at the feisty and courageous little brat. She might be a little girl, but she was brave enough to protect her mother and even made promises to make sure she was well protected.


    Kind of reminded Vernon of himself when he was around the same age.


    Vernon crouched and offered his pinky finger. He hooked the little niece''s pinky fingers with his, "Pinky promise."


    "Now go sit on the chair," Vernon said, but Mackie refused.


    "Uncle, go sit with me too! It''s fair! If you don''t wanna, Mackie won''t sit too!"


    ''This kid, seriously¡ª'' Vernon never thought he would be conquered by a little girl who negotiated and bargained with him, the Devil CEO!


    But, he conceded in the end, thinking that an unnecessary argument afterst night wasn''t necessary.


    Chloe chuckled when she saw Vernon and Mackie sitting side by side at the dining table.


    Vernon red at her, "What''s so funny?"


    "Nothing," Chloe held herugh. "I will go downstairs and pick up Mackie''s breakfast."


    "No need, just cook again for three portions here," Vernon said. "And I insist."


    Chloe sighed. She didn''t eat breakfast at all. She ate so little, in fact, because her stomach would just vomit everything anyway.


    So she cooked 2 portions of breakfast instead of three and then served them in front of Mackie and Vernon.


    Vernon saw the food and asked Chloe, "Where''s your breakfast?"


    "Ah, I''m not really hungry¡­." Chloe replied. Which was true. She wasn''t hungry because whenever she imagined food going down into her stomach and making her fat, her gut would spontaneously puke everything out.


    ¡­


    "Eat," Vernon said, short but in amanding tone.


    "I¡ªI can''t¡­." Chloe rejected it carefully, afraid she might offend Vernon again for whatever reason.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon started to wonder what made Chloe so slow and afraid of eating in front of him.


    ''Is it because the ingredients I bought for her are not as good as in her previous home? Or she just missed eating in hervish mansion, so she has no appetite eating here?''


    ''Is she that spoiled? Fuck, thinking about it makes my blood boil!''


    Vernon wanted to curse out loud, but he had already promised not to ''bully'' Chloe in front of Mackie. So he just red at Chloe, which made the already petitedy feel she shrunk even more in front of Vernon.


    Mackie hit Uncle Vernon''s arm with her stic spoon, "Uncle, don''t scare mommy!"


    "What? Do you think that''s scaring someone? I''m just looking at her!"


    "But Uncle''s eyes are so scary! Uncle is like a monster!" Mackie huffed. "Mommy never eats breakfast! Mommy said she doesn''t like eating breakfast like us!" Mackie said.


    "Is that so?" Vernon continued staring at Chloe with his hawk gaze.


    "Y¡ªYes, Vernon. I¡­ um¡­ it''s just a habit of mine. I don''t like eating breakfast because I¡­ I have a sensitive belly," Chloe tried to put up the best excuse she got. "Whenever I eat in the morning, it would give me stomachache¡­."


    "Heh, weak," Vernon sneered. He picked one apple from the dining table and threw it at Chloe, "At least eat fruit, but not sour ones. Just eat something like banana or apple."


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe scrambled to catch the apple thrown by Vernon. "Y¡ªYes, thank you¡­."


    Vernon still couldn''t believe that reasoning because he didn''t remember his sister-inw having any stomach problems when he was young.


    But ten years had passed, and maybe age started catching up to her body.


    Thus, Chloe started eating a te of sliced apples and bananas. She stared at the uncle and niece pair, who were arguing again.


    Mackie saw the same food served to her and Uncle Vernon and realized that Uncle Vernon had a bigger portion.


    "Mommy! Why does Uncle Vernon have more food than me?"


    "Obviously, because I''m the man of the house," Vernon snorted.


    "Man of the house? What is that?" Mackie asked.


    "That means I got to do whatever I want," Vernon said. He grabbed the spoon and scooped some of Mackie''s portion, "Including eating your portion."


    "NOOOOO! THAT''S MACKIE''S FOOD!" Mackie yelled as she saw Uncle Vernon scooping her food and adding it to his te. "UNCLE, YOU ARE BAD! EVIL! MEAN!"


    Mackie started hitting Uncle Vernon with the stic spoon, and Vernon only reacted with an amused chuckle;


    "What? Do you want your Mommy to get eaten?"


    "E¡ªEaten?" Mackie stopped hitting and looked at Uncle Vernon on full alert. "M¡ªMommy will be eaten?"


    "Didn''t I tell you yesterday? I''m a big bad wolf, so I can eat your Mommy whenever I want, and your Mommy can''t fight me since I''m big and strong," Vernon said as he continued teasing his niece. "So if you don''t want your Mommy to get eaten, you need to give me your food."


    Mackie''s eyes widened. She looked at her food and then looked at Uncle Vernon and Mommy. Mackie pushed her food towards Uncle Vernon, "Uncle can eat Mackie''s food, but promise me not to eat Mommy!"

 69 Chapter 69

    "Uncle can eat Mackie''s food, but promise me not to eat Mommy!" Mackie said. She had a deserted look after she pushed her food toward her Uncle.


    "Pffthh! Ahahahahah! So dumb!" Vernonughed out loud. He didn''t even try to be nice to his niece.


    "Mackie is not dumb! Uncle is dumb!" Mackie retorted. "I¡ªI gave Uncle food, so don''t eat my Mommy!"


    "BWAHAHAHAH!"


    Chloe watched the two of them bickering, and she had a thin smile as she remembered the little Vernon.


    "Luckily, I wasn''t dumb like you when I was a kid! AHAHAHAH!"


    "Mackie is not dumb! Uncle, stopughing now!"


    ''Actually, you act just like Mackie¡­'' Chloe said in her heart, afraid she would offend Vernon if she said it out loud.


    The cute little Vernon was very simr to Mackie¡ª personality-wise. He was a little brat that threw temper tantrums often and would listen to certain people only.


    However, he was incredibly smart at such young age, just like Mackie.


    ''Well, maybe he just doesn''t remember what he looked like when he was a kid,'' Chloe thought.


    She finally interfered before Mackie got upset, "Your Uncle is just joking. You''re not dumb at all. Give me your te. I will add a little more for you."


    "But Mackie doesn''t want Mommy to get eaten!"


    "Mommy will not get eaten," Chloe said. ''I think I won''t get eaten¡­ right?''


    Chloe got up and took her daughter''s te. She added more carbs for her daughter, but not too much because it might upset her stomach, and Chloe still had to make sure Mackie ate healthily and in the right portion.


    So Mackie won''t grow up fat, ugly, and gross like her, at least those were the words that came out so frequently from Vincent''s mouth, so she started to believe it.


    Vernon decided to stop teasing his niece, and they ate in silence. Mackie and Vernon returned to their rooms to prepare for school and work, leaving only Chloe, who had just finished her te of banana and apple before she started cooking again. This time, she had to prepare two lunchboxes.


    She was relieved that Vernon seemed to be in an okay-ish mood fromst night. Maybe he felt a little embarrassed because of Mackie, but wasn''t that a good sign?


    That meant he wouldn''t do anything bad as long as Mackie was around.


    ¡­


    Chloe''s body stoppedpletely once she realized Vernon didn''t yell at her because Mackie was around.


    ''Isn''t that¡­ the same with Vincent? Vincent abused the hell out of me until I felt numb. But he would act like a good dad in front of our daughter¡­.''<sub> </sub>


    ''Vernon and Vincent¡­ are blood brothers, so they must be the same at the roots¡­'' Chloe thought.


    She tightened her grip on the spat because her entire body started shaking.


    ''That¡­ that might be true. But I''m here to work and escape¡­'' Chloe thought, trying to find the bright side of her current situation.


    She shook her head and focused on cooking again, ''This is the only thing I can do right now, knowing that Vincent basically blocked all my way to get a proper job in a regrpany. So I have to be serious about my duty as a maid.''


    Vernon left his bedroom after he was done wearing his suit. He peeked from the door and asked, "Sister-inw, where is my tie? I can''t find it."


    ¡­


    There was no response from Chloe, but he saw his sister-inw packing the lunchboxes in a daze as if she was thinking about heavy stuff.


    Vernon''s gaze cooled once he realized the sadness in her eyes, ''She must be thinking about her failed marriage with my brother again. I saw her looking sad a few times.''


    ''Why is she so sad anyway? It''s her fault in the first ce.''


    Vernon decided to grab a new tie in his drawer rather than asking for one from Chloe. Whenever he saw that sadness in his sister-inw''s eyes, it made him so annoyed that he wanted to curse at her.


    ''It''s her fault. It''s her fault in the first ce. You''re the idiot. I''m just here to have fun and look at your suffering.''


    ''What kind of suffering did you get anyway? My brother might not be the best husband. But he must''ve treated you with all kinds ofvishness, and you could buy everything you want, isn''t that what all women want? My mom is alright with dad cheating, as long as she got paid.''


    ''Or maybe that''s what actually matters for you. You just want the money, right? Now that you''re separated from him, you have nobody to support you.''


    ''Did you reject my ck card because it''s not as much as my brother has? Yeah, fuck you too, bi¡ª''


    Vernon stopped right at thatst word, not wanting to call that woman a slur. Maybe it was because of his habit when he was a kid. So he held off whenever he was angry at her.


    All kinds of narration started running inside his head, and that made him even more annoyed than before. He fixed his toe and cuff by himself before he opened his bedroom door.


    He saw Chloe sitting on the long sofa with two lunch boxes on herp. She turned her head once she heard the door open, "Ah, Vernon, I wondered if you want your lunch now orter¡ª"


    Chloe was surprised when she saw Vernon looking at her like he was holding a lot of rage in his heart. She wasn''t sure what she did wrong now, but she kind of got used to Vernon''s crazy mood swing.


    Vernon walked toward Chloe and snatched his lunch bag, "Don''te to the office today, do whatever you want. I don''t care."


    Vernon walked away with the lunch bag in his left hand and his briefcase in his right. Chloe stared at Vernon''s back until he left by mming the main door of his penthouse.


    She sighed and got up from the sofa, ''I don''t understand him at all¡­.''

 70 Chapter 70

    ''I don''t understand him at all¡­'' Chloe thought as she went downstairs. ''One time he can be nice and even generous, then he could be mean, cruel, and snapped at the smallest movement.''


    Of course, Chloe was still scared of him. He was basically a more violent version of Vincent. Vincent was a piece of shit, but he never actually snapped at her.


    He would always be condescending, though, ying down all Chloe''s hard work, and insulting her daily, even nitpicking at the smallest thing just to get the chance to ridicule her until she got extremely depressed and had no self-worth anymore.


    On the other hand, Vernon was not condescending but had violent streaks and terrible mood swings.


    ''They''re brothers, after all. So they''re basically two evils.''


    ''But picking the lesser of two evils is difficult¡­ I don''t think I want to end up with any of them¡­.''


    Chloe sighed as she remembered what Vernon dreamed aboutst night. That woman must''ve fucked him up because Chloe vividly remembered how obedient Vernon was when he was a child.


    He might be a brat, but he would still listen when he got reprimanded, and he was cute back then.


    Chloe shook her head, "There is no use dwelling in the past, Chloe. That bratty but cute and obedient Vernon is gone. That woman he loved so much must''ve ruined his life¡­."


    She said that, but of course¡­ deep in her heart, she wondered if she could help him reconcile with his loved one or ease the pain somehow¡­


    **


    Chloe drove Mackie to her school as usual. Before Mackie opened the car door, Chloe warned her;


    "Remember what we talked about yesterday?"


    "Un! Never give in to the bullies! Mackie is like Mommy! We are strong!"


    Mackie smiled and patted her head, "But don''t fight anymore, okay? If Jaden and Mia did something, report to your homeroom teacher."


    "Yes! See youter, Mommy!" Mackie kissed her Mommy''s cheek before grabbing her lunchbox and opening the car door. She pranced happily as she entered the school gate, greeted a few of her friends, and walked together to enter the school building.


    Chloe''s smile faltered once Mackie entered the building. She felt a little funny when Mackie told her that she was brave.


    "My dear, I love you so much, but please don''t be like Mommy. Mommy is nothing but a failure¡­."


    **


    Chloe didn''t have anywhere to go because Vernon forbade her toe to the office.


    "Maybe I should just return to the apartment and start cleaning a few stuff again¡­." Chloe wondered. But before she could decide, her phone rang.


    She checked the caller and picked up the call. She put it on a loudspeaker as she continued driving.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Mom?"


    "Chloe, I heard you''re fighting with Vincent. What''s wrong?" Judith, her mom, asked on the phone.


    Chloe slowed her car and parked it on the side, not wanting to be distracted while talking about this difficult stuff with her Mom.<sub> </sub>


    But Chloe knew she couldn''t hide for too long, so she confirmed it;


    "Yes, Mom, but it''s not just a fight, it''s¡­." Chloe was unable to utter that ''divorce'' to her mother. After all, her mother loved Vincent so much.


    "We should talk, Chloe. Can youe to my home today?" Judith asked, and Chloe agreed.


    "I''ll be there in an hour," Chloe said.


    "Okay, I''ll be waiting, dear."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Chloe took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. Sooner orter, her mom would discover her fractured rtionship anyway. There was no point in hiding it for too long.


    But Chloe was strangely nervous. She kept it all by herself because she didn''t want to disappoint her daughter and mother, who seemed to like Vincent very much.


    So, although it hurt so much, Chloe still didn''t dare to do anything for so long, scared that it might hurt her daughter and mother.


    Chloe drove to her mother''s home.


    It was her home before, but now that her sister and brother-inw lived with their mother, Chloe couldn''t call it home.


    Because her sister always had this sour look whenever she was there, as if she was not weed in her own house, where she grew up.


    **


    Chloe arrived and stared at her house from across the road. She clenched her grip on the steering wheel and opened the car door.


    She pressed the bell a few times until the door was opened.


    She thought she''d meet her mother, but her sister instead greeted her with a sour mood.


    "Why are you here?" Chelsea¡ª her big sister, asked.


    Chelsea and Chloe were only a year in age difference, with Chelsea being the older one. They had a strong sisterly bond when they were young, up until Chloe was epted with a schrship in her high school.


    They went to separate high schools, and all the sisterly bond just disappeared, with Chelsea bitter over her schrship, and rtionship with Vincent that ended up with marriage.


    "Are you here to drop Mackie again? Oh,e on, what''s so hard about taking care of one daughter?" Chelsea sneered, but Chloe didn''t care about her words. She only smiled and replied politely;


    "I have something to talk about with Mom," Chloe said. She sidestepped Chelsea and walked around her old house with ease.


    Chelsea clicked her tongue annoyedly, "If you want to meet Mom, she is in her room."


    "Ah, thanks, sis. Where are my nephews, by the way?" Chloe mentioned the sons of her sister. She had four sons, all younger than Mackie, so they all saw her like some kind of big sister.


    "With their dad," Chelsea replied. "What? Do you want to say I''m not a good Mom because I don''t look out for them 24/7? Well, I''m not lucky enough to be a wife of a rich man like you. All you have to do is sit and y with your daughter, right? You don''t need to worry about money after all."

 71 Chapter 71

    "All you have to do is sit and y with your daughter, right? You don''t need to worry about money after all," Chelsea suddenly said. She sneered at Chloe as if it was Chloe''s fault in the first ce.


    "I never said that¡­." Chloe replied.


    She should be hurt, of course. But she was actually used to her big sister''s rant. At least when you were given the same dish over and over, you''d get used to it, even find it a little boring.


    "I¡­ I will go to mom''s room now. Talk to youter, sis," Chloe didn''t want to hear Chelsea''s annoying rant for now because she had something much more problematic waiting for her.


    Chloe knocked on the bedroom door twice before pushing it open slowly. She saw her mom, Judith, sitting while watching a random TV channel.


    She looked in Chloe''s direction, and her expression turned worried instantly, "Chloe,e and sit beside me. I need to hear your problem."


    "Mom¡­"


    Chloe entered the room and closed the door shut. She sat right beside Judith, waiting to be interrogated by her mother.


    Judith gently put her hand on top of her daughter''s hand on the armrest and asked, "Chloe¡­ I heard that you have a problem with Vincent. Can you tell me?"


    ¡­


    "It''s not a problem anymore, Mom," Chloe replied. She was scared, so scared that her body turned stiff. She curled her toes inside her shoes as well.


    "Not a problem anymore? Really?" Judith knew a big problem in her daughter''s marriage, and she wanted to know the detail before making a fair judgment. "You should tell me, Chloe. I''m your mother. I will understand you."


    ¡­


    "Well, it''s not a problem anymore because it''s done. It''s over," Chloe replied, not wanting to stretch this out any longer. She felt so guilty just looking at her mother''s concerned face. "I¡­ I''ve filed for divorce¡­."


    Chloe lowered her head. She expected a gasp at least, followed by a more shocked expression from her mother.


    Chloe waited for all kinds of questionsing from her mother. Because her mother was the first supporter of her rtionship with Vincent. In fact, Judith was the first one to say that she and Vincent should get married soon.


    So, Chloe expected her mother tosh out, probably barraging her with questions. But, none of her expectations came true. There was only silence between them, so Chloe lifted her head and looked at her mother.


    She saw Judith Carlson¡ª her mother, sigh full of woe, "Chloe, did you cheat on Vincent?"


    ¡­


    "What?" Chloe thought she had misheard.


    No, she must''ve misheard it. How could her mother use her of cheating! She was the one who suffered here!


    "Chloe, you''re an educated woman. You should be able to know what''s wrong and right. I''m not university-educated, but I know that cheating is just wrong."


    ¡­


    "I don''t know why would you do this to your beautiful family," Judith said. Her tone was actually a little condescending to Chloe''s ears.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe felt weak from head to toe. She stared at her mother, who didn''t seem to be shocked about the divorce.


    In fact, Judith''s eyes were very cold while looking at her, as if she was looking at dead meat.


    "I¡ªIt''s not me. I didn''t cheat¡ª"


    "Stop your bullshit, Chloe. I know what happened," Judith said. All of her gentlenesses suddenly disappeared, leaving only a shell of a woman filled with hatred.


    "¡­ Mother?"


    "Don''t call me mother with your filthy mouth. You used your mouth to suck another man''s cock, right?" Judith said ruthlessly. Chloe had never seen her mother like this in her entire life.


    She was always so gentle and brimming with hope. Despite being a single mother, she worked many jobs in the past to make ends meet for three of them.


    She never remarried after divorce because her husband was a cheating bastard. So Chloe and Chelsea grew up fatherless, with only their mother supporting them.


    So Chloe idolized her hardworking mother so much.


    But now, everything was shattered right in front of her eyes. Because her beloved mother¡ª who was already sixty years old, red at her without pity.


    "I heard everything from Vincent. He came this morning. He looked haggard and sad. You''ve seriously ruined a good husband like him," Judith said mercilessly. "He told me what you did with the gardener, driver, security. YOU SCREWED THEM ALL, RIGHT?!"


    "I¡ªI¡ªI¡ª" Chloe could not mutter even a word to defend herself. Her whole body started trembling as her mother continuously gave her a mocking gaze full of ridicule and anger. She looked at Chloe as if her daughter had no worth at all.


    "And now that he learned everything, you''re filing for divorce to get his money?! YOU''RE A DESPICABLE WHORE!"


    "I didn''t know I''ve raised a whore my whole life! All of my hard work to raise you to be a good woman, and this is what you gave to me?!"


    "GOD, I''VE RAISED A WHORE!"


    Judith continuously berates Chloe, venting all her anger and frustration that just exploded out of nowhere. She couldn''t hold her rage when Chloe acted so sad and pitiful, while she was the one who cheated on her husband!


    Chloe was too stunned and terrified at the same time. She was still trying to recover from the shock. She tried to form a single word but couldn''t.


    Thus, she just stared at her mother with her doe eyes, full of fear mixed with confusion.


    Judith was already angry at Chloe, and now that Chloe kept staring at her, trying to get her pity, she couldn''t handle it anymore.


    Thus, she decided to get up from the chair before standing right in front of Chloe;


    "You''re seriously fucked up, Chloe! I thought you would tell the truth about your adultery and sincerely apologize to Vincent. But you''re filing for a divorce instead?!"


    "I¡ªI''m not cheating! Mom, I didn''t cheat at all! He is!" Chloe got a shot of courage when her mother called her an adulterer. But what she got was¡­


    SLAP!

 72 Chapter 72

    "I¡ªI''m not cheating! Mom, I didn''t cheat at all! He is!" Chloe got a shot of courage when her mother called her an adulterer. But what she got was¡­


    SLAP!


    Chloe was stunned when she felt the sharp pain on her cheek. She covered her cheek that was throbbing in pain with her palm and stared at her mother with eyes zing with tears.


    She never expected to get a p from her mother. She was always a good daughter since she was a child. She knew her mother''s struggle. Thus, she tried her best not to make her mother''s life even more difficult.


    But now¡­


    "I CAN''T BELIEVE I HAVE TO SLAP YOU!" Judith yelled as she grabbed cupped and clenched her hands together. "GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME TO HAVE A WHORE DAUGHTER LIKE YOU!"


    Judith''s chest was undting, rising up and down as she tried her best to hold her rage. She got even more disgusted when she saw Chloe crying.


    "Why are you crying? Don''t act like you''re the victim when you''re the adulterer!"


    "Mom, what did Vincent say to you?" Chloe asked. She already knew that everything stemmed from that bastard.


    "He told me everything, Chloe. He told me he found out about you cheating with so many people about two weeks ago. He tried to be a good husband by confronting you carefully, even wanting to start anew between the two of you," Judith remembered Vincent''s expression as he told everything that happened between him and Chloe. Never in a million years, she would expect his filial son-inw¡ª who was also a billionaire to show such weakness in front of her.


    "But you don''t want it! You refused to reconcile, even filing for divorce to get his money from the divorce settlement! Oh my dearest God, what did I do wrong to raise this kind of woman as my daughter?!"


    "That''s¡ª That''s a lie!" Chloe retorted. She didn''t want to be the one who always is in the wrong here. She never cheated, nor did she ever hurt that bastard.


    <o>,m "I never cheated! And I already told him I don''t need his money, so he''d leave me alone!" Chloe said desperately. "Mom, you have to believe me! You''re my mother. Why would I lie to you!?"</o>


    She thought her mother''s heart would soften as she told the truth.


    But it was far from that.


    Her mother only stared at her coldly and said, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"


    "How¡ª How am I suppose to make you believe me!?"


    "Fine, if you want to make me believe in you, then can you tell me why you refused to go on marriage counseling with Vincent?" Judith asked.


    "T¡ªThat¡ª" Chloe wasn''t sure if she had to answer this in the truest way possible. Surely, Vincent twisted the fact to make himself a victim, right?<sub> </sub>


    "I¡ªI don''t want to reconcile! I just want a divorce from that cheating bastard!"


    Judith''s expression changed, but not for the better. Her lips trembled, and she sat on her bed. Judith covered her eyes with her palms and started sobbing.


    "M¡ªMom?"


    "Why are you doing this, Chloe? I trusted you to have a life that I don''t have. Vincent is a good husband. Why would you betray him?!"


    "Vincent told me the whole thing. He came and cried here, right on the chair you sit on. He told me that you''re cheating so many times that you filed a divorce after you got caught red-handed."


    "He also begged you to start anew, and when you refused, he begged you to go on marriage counseling. But you refused¡­." Judith continued sobbing, and from her sobs, the tears started streaming down her cheek and fell on her long skirt.


    "Mom, it''s him who cheats! He has a lot of women outside, and he doesn''t even try to hide it!" Chloe insisted. This was the real truth because she was the one who knew everything¡ª she experienced it firsthand.


    "Oh my dear, I can''t believe that, Chloe¡­."


    "Why not?! I''m your daughter! You should trust me instead!"


    "Because you''re obviously lying, Chloe," Judith replied. "If he is the one who cheated, then why did I never see any news of it on the TV? He is famous, right? I remember that he always announced on the TV that he was married and had a daughter at home. He is a loving father!"


    "If he was the one who cheated, then why won''t you go to marriage counseling? Chloe, your father and I were divorced because he cheated on me so many times, not once or twice. I forgave him three times before I decided to end it all."


    "But Vincent¡­ you''re the one who loves him, and you have a daughter with him. Are you telling me that you refused to go on marriage counseling if he is the one who cheated?"


    "He told me that he doesn''t want a divorce, not because of money, but because he still loves you! How could you¡ª How could you be so selfish!? Your daughter''s future is on the line! Do you want her to be raised fatherless like you and your sister?!"


    "CHLOE CARLSON, I DON''T HAVE A WHORE AS A DAUGHTER!"


    Her mother''s voice was ringing like thunder that sted Chloe''s heart. Now she knew her rtionship with her mother was already ruined.


    Everything was ruined because of that bastard Vincent Gray.


    Judith continued crying for a while, and the room waspletely silent except for the muffled sound of an olddy sobbing,menting over her daughter. This good daughter cheated on her husband, even though she had a life everyone dreamed of when they were young. She was aplete ungrateful whore.


    Judith got up with difficulty and walked to the door. She opened the door wide, "I can''t look you in the eyes, Chloe Carlson. Not after what you''ve done. You must leave and never return unless you reconcile with your husband."

 73 Chapter 73

    "I can''t look you in the eyes, Chloe Carlson. Not after what you''ve done. You must leave and never return unless you reconcile with your husband."


    Chloe stared at her mother, and her mother immediately dodged her eyes, not even wanting to look her in the eyes anymore.


    Her heart was so heavy that it might burst at any moment.


    Her eyes were zed with tears, but she couldn''t cry, not in front of her mother, who was already crying in the first ce.


    Thus, she got up and walked to the door. Before leaving, she turned her head for thest time, hoping her mother would change her mind and maybe listen to her.


    But it was all just an unreachable wish because her old mother was siding with that cheating, lying bastard Vincent.


    Chloe had a bitter smile as she said, "Mom, this might be thest time we will ever meet again. Because there is no way, I will reconcile with that bastard. Never in a million years."


    "YOU¡ª"


    Before Judith could unleash her rage anymore, Chloe walked away from her. She heard her mother cursing at her from afar, but she tried to keep walking forward despite the excruciating pain in her heart.


    She stood in front of her sister¡ª Chelsea, who was blocking the door with her body. Chloe stared at her for a moment and asked, "Did you know about this whole thing?"


    "Of course, I am the one who got contacted by Vincent. He told me that you two''s rtionships are strained because you''re cheating. Seriously, Chloe, you''re an ungrateful whore."


    ¡­


    "I will leave now, sis. Send my regards to my nephews. Mackie and I might not be able to visit them for a long time from now on," Chloe said.


    Chelsea sneered, "Oh, please, I don''t want my sons to see you. After all, I don''t want you to give them a bad influence."


    "Ah, the only bad influence here is you with your constant quarrel with your husband," Chloe said. She grabbed Chelsea''s arm and pulled her away from the door, "Bye, sis."


    SLAM!


    Chelsea was stunned that she didn''t have the moment to retort Chloe''s shade.


    "That bitch! How unbelievable!"


    **


    Chloe walked calmly to her car and drove away. She had nowhere to go and definitely didn''t want to return to Vernon''s apartment.


    Thus, Chloe continued driving aimlessly until she suddenly realized she was driving in the direction of her old house with Vincent, the mansion.


    She snapped out of her daze and stopped right in front of the gate.


    She observed the mansion from across the road. Unfortunately, the mansion had a big gate that was tightly closed, so she couldn''t see the situation after she left.


    She wondered if the mansion was still well maintained because she was the one who controlled everything there. It was hard work that was mostly unpaid¡ª Well, Vincent paid him with insults and nitpicking most of the time.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe bit her lower lip as she continued staring. It was nostalgic¡­


    "I remember that time again, the sweet memory when we were just married," Chloe mumbled, staring at her old mansion invoked her old memory. This memory became fuel for her to persevere for ten years straight.


    The first two years of her married life with Vincent were bliss, man-made heaven created for Chloe. She was like a princess¡ª Cindere picked from her shabby home to marry the prince charming in a castle.


    For the first two years, she thought that Vincent would never cheat on her, no matter what. So she was confident with herself and their rtionship.


    Until she got pregnant¡­


    Chloe had to admit that she wasn''t a good mother because she resented her daughter for at least three months of Mackie''s life. Because when her daughter was born, Vincent was nowhere to be found.


    She had to call the ambnce alone and went throughbor pain alone. Vincent finally came once the baby was born, and he looked very disappointed when he found out that he got a daughter, not a son.


    <o>,m ¡ª</o>


    ''All that no ultrasound surprise, thinking I could get a strong son as my child. And you gave me a daughter instead? Damn, I guess even your womb is cursed, fatdy,'' Vincent said as he carried his baby for the first time.


    Chloe said nothing, but the baby cried hard as if she sensed that her father didn''t like her.


    ''I mean, I already prepared a lot of names for a son, but a daughter¡­ I''ll just give her the name of myte grandmother''s first name, Rose. She is a great woman.''


    ''Your name will be Mackenzie Rose Gray.''


    Chloe wanted to protest because she didn''t get a chance to give her a name. But Vincent just smiled at her and shoved their newborn daughter to her;


    ''What? Do you want to show your disagreement? I mean, I already tolerated you enough by giving me a daughter instead of a son. Surely, the first thing you could do with your cursed womb is making an unnecessary ruckus.''


    ¡ª


    Chloe vividly remembered everything, the good and bad memory were mixed into one.


    Luckily, Mackie grew up to be a feisty little ball of energy. She was smart, talented in many things, and sensible¡ª well, most of the time. She was still a kid in the end.


    Vincent didn''t like her at first, but after seeing how Dorothea liked Mackie so much that she made Mackie her favorite grandchild, Vincent finally epted Mackie as part of the family.


    She leaned and continued staring at the closed gate.


    Her tears had been dried out because of her fight with her ex husband for so long. So she could only smiled bitterly.


    But her body was trembling, holding the rage, grief, and frustration.


    "Ah, it hurts so much. What can I do now? Even my mother doesn''t want me anymore. I have nobody to rely on¡­." Chloe murmured. "But Vincent has always been so charming, people believed him easily. Even I fell for his charm for years, thinking he is the perfect man¡­."

 74 Chapter 74

    "But Vincent has always been so charming, people believed him easily. Even I fell for his charm for years, thinking he is the perfect man¡­."


    Chloe kept gazing at the mansion''s gate for a good while until she had a little courage to finally turned on the engine and drive away from her old, married home .


    She returned to her apartment in Phoenix Tower and started doing chores again. She did whatever she could to distract herself from thinking about her mother and ruined life.


    There was nothing to cry about, not anymore.


    Chloe was busy doingundry for three people¡ª Vernon, Mackie, and herself then her phone suddenly rang. She thought it was Vernon who called for an errand. Her job was to be a maid, after all.


    But once she saw the caller, she had the urge to just blocked his number.


    ''But if I blocked him, he might do something more extreme¡­.''


    Chloe gulped and finally picked up the call;


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Oh? It''s connected already. Why are you so silent?" Vincent asked. He chuckled lightly.


    Hearing the man didn''t seem to have an ounce of guilt after ruining her rtionship with her mother made Chloe''s blood boil instantly.


    This person was naturally despicable, but she never expected Vincent to do this while chuckling.


    "What did you say to my mother?"


    "Whaaat~? I''m just telling her my part of the story," Vincent replied.


    "YOUR STORY IS ALL FABRICATED, YOU BASTARD!"


    "Hm? And how would you prove it? Maybe everything is inside your head the whole time, Chloe. Maybe I was just a loyal husband who had a whore wife that fucked so many people. Who knows about the truth," Vincent taunted her even more, finding this to be more entertaining than he expected. "Besides, what I said is true, right? I asked you to go on marriage counseling, but you refused."


    "Anyway, isn''t that a fair punishment?" Vincent said. "After all, I learned that you paid Mackie''s tuition fee without begging. Hmm~ makes me wonder which man you sold your body to. I bet he is an old man. You''re old, so I don''t think a younger man would want you, filthy whore."


    Chloe clenched her jaw, but she couldn''t refuse because it was basically true.


    Despite all her other jobs, she still had to be the bed warmer, the toy for Vernon to y around with when he was bored.


    But to be called a whore by Vincent was so disgustingly hypocritical!


    "Anyway, I have no interest in dwelling further into your current situation. I just want to say that everything will return to normal as long as you return with our daughter to me. I will tell everyone we made up, and everything will return to normal, isn''t that easy?"


    "It''s never normal in the first ce, Vincent," Chloe gritted her teeth. "You hate me, right? You are disgusted with me, so let me live my life!"


    "My preference doesn''t matter. Just you returning and resuming your old life with me, and everything will be fixed. It''s that simple," Vincent shrugged it off. "Oh,e on, don''t tell me that you can''t understand something so easy. You can''t be this dumb, right?"<sub> </sub>


    Chloe clenched her phone until her hand trembled in rage. But there was no use in talking with this man.


    He had a glib tongue and always had thest word to say. This was Vincent Gray¡ª the famous heir of the old money Gray family and the one everyone loved because of his mature aura and gentle smile.


    He was well-loved by everyone, except Chloe, of course.


    "Stop meddling with my life and stop calling me! Sign up that divorce paper or just pretend I don''t exist!"


    Beep!


    Chloe hung up the call and sat weakly at the dining chair. She didn''t know what Vincent wanted. Obviously, she was already out of the picture, and Vincent could do whatever he wanted.


    Yet, he still used his spare time to make Chloe''s life a living hell instead of fucking whoever woman he found.


    "I just want to be free. Why don''t you give me my freedom and let us part ways? Isn''t that what you want, Vincent?"


    **


    Beep.


    Vincent scoffed when Chloe suddenly hung up the call, "That can''t do, Chloe Gray. I won''t let you off."


    Vincenty his phone down and looked at his other secretary, not his bitch one¡ª Prisci.


    Her name was Maria, a middle-aged woman in herte 50s who worked with herte father before he died and had assisted Vincent since he took over.


    "What? Why are you here?"


    "Sir, I''ve prepared the contract that will be signed by you and your brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray," Maria said. She put the file on the desk and slid it towards her boss.


    Vincent opened the file and read the contract. He nodded after skimming everything, ensuring it would benefit his little brother more.


    He picked up his pen and signed it before putting it inside his desk drawer. Maria was still standing at the same spot, and Vincent said, "You can leave now, thanks, Maria."


    "Sir¡­"


    "What?"


    "¡­ Are you sure that it''s a fair contract?" Maria asked. "Based on what I read, it will mostly benefit Vernon Phoenix Gray''spany. Even if this cooperation generates profit, it will mostly be nothing but break even for you¡­."


    "That doesn''t matter. I intend to make it beneficial for my little brother," Vincent replied. "He left for ten years straight. He didn''t want to meet me for ten years. This is the least I could do to build our rtionship back."


    Secretary Maria still felt that business was business, even herte boss, Mr. Vaughn Gray, would never let his siblings get in the way of his ambition.


    But maybe, because Vincent and Vernon were close before he married his current wife, their rtionship suddenly strained, with Vernon leaving to attend high school and university in Europe instead.


    "Ah, Sir, speaking about your wife¡­."

 75 Chapter 75

    "Ah, Sir, speaking about your wife¡­."


    "Hm? What about her?"


    "I''ve been absent for a while, and I''m not sure what happened between you and your wife," Maria said. "I thought she was okay with your lifestyle."


    "Oh, she is fine with it. But sometimes, a woman can be defiant, so you need to put her in her ce, so she knows what she can and cannot do," Vincent replied with a sneer.


    "I see. I thought you might need my help someway, Mr. Gray," Maria offered.


    "Oh, no need, I can handle this. I just don''t see the urgency. She will return to me in the end," Vincent said. "After all, this lifestyle of minees from myte father, and it''s widely epted in my family. Even my mom allows me to cheat without repercussion. My wife has no saying in my lifestyle."


    "Indeed, she had been married to you for ten years. Maybe she is just a little tired," Maria agreed.


    "You can leave now. I''m going to call Vernon, so we can meet while talking about this contract."


    "Yes, Sir."


    **


    Vernon had just finished a meeting in the morning. He was dazed the whole time, not because there was something difficult that thepany had to handle.


    Thepany was doing well, so he should be able to rx.


    But in fact, he didn''t.


    He kept thinking about the possibility of the dreamst night¡­ that might not be a dream.


    ''Fuck, what if she heard everything? That''s so fucking gross, dude!''


    ''No, if she heard everything, she shouldn''t act so calm the next morning, right? But howe I woke up with bandaged fist and a nket? She definitely did something while I was asleep.''


    ''No, Vernon, think about it. Maybe it''s all just in your head. You''re panicking for absolutely no reason!''


    Diamond tailed Vernon as they returned from the meeting room to his office. They were inside the elevator when Diamond nced at her boss and observed his behavior.


    ''What''s in his head anyway? I don''t think it''s about work because there''s no trouble at all,'' Diamond wondered.


    ''Besides, what''s with his sudden mood change? He was so peeved in the morning as if a small greeting would make him snap. He had Chloe''s lunch bag in his hand before, but that poor bag almost got thrown to the wall before I saved it.''


    Diamond remembered that Mr. Phoenix Gray went to the office in the morning as if he wanted to unleash all the rage in the world. When Diamond entered the office and asked what was wrong, she caught him checking the lunch made by Chloe.


    Then, when he got caught, he said he wanted to throw this lunch bag away.


    But now, he looked very skittish and anxious, as if there was something that concerned him a lot.


    Diamond rarely saw this expressioning from her boss. Vernon Phoenix Gray was always a risk-taker. He had the devil-may-care attitude about almost¡ª if not everything.


    ''Maybe it''s about Chloe? Ah, I''m not sure either¡­ what makes her different than the rest of the women he bedded? Other than the fact that she is his sister-inw and worked as a maid¡ª and sex partner in bed,'' Diamond pondered.<sub> </sub>


    Honestly, she also wasn''t sure about Mr. Phoenix Gray and all of his antics. There was no guarantee whether the way he treated Chloe was just a part of a scheme, a way to pass the time, or that¡­ he might actually have some feelings for her.


    ''Ah, why am I beating my head over this anyway? I know how unpredictable he is. I just need to make sure that Chloe doesn''t get hurt.''


    "Diamond."


    "Yes, Sir?"


    "I know that you must''ve been warming up to that woman¡ª"


    "¡ªYou mean Chloe?"


    "¡­ Make sure that she doesn''t know anything. You should know what to say and what not," Vernon reminded her.


    Honestly, Diamond didn''t really care about whatever secret it was. At first, she had zero care about Chloe.


    But now that Diamond had already pledged to protect her in whatever way possible, she would only filter out stuff that would harm Chloe. So she might have to spill one thing or two towards her in the future.


    "Understood, Sir," Diamond nodded gently.


    Ding!


    The lift stopped at their floor, and Diamond followed the boss until he stopped in front of the CEO''s office door.


    He opened the door, but before he entered, Diamond asked first, "Sir, you seem to be spacing out and in aplicated mood today."


    ¡­


    "Also, Sir, about your knuckles¡­." Diamond noticed in the morning that Mr. Phoenix Gray''s hand was bandaged. It seemed terrible because his expression would clench whenever he identally hit his knuckle on the table or wall. "Do you have any problem that I can help with?"


    ¡­


    "It''s nothing. I was just stressed by work," Vernon replied. Though, both of them knew that was aplete lie. "About my knuckles¡­ I identally hit the wall until it cracked."


    ''Oh, both are justplete lies. I''ve known him better than he expected,'' Diamond thought. But she didn''t want to hurt his fragile ego, so he bowed her head gently again.


    "Understood, Sir. I''ll return to work on a few documents again," Diamond said. She returned to her secretary''s desk while Vernon entered his office.


    He sat on the long sofa, staring at the lunch bag he almost threw, not because it was unptable¡ª despite being a picky eater, Vernon always thought that Chloe''s cooking was tolerable for his tastebud.


    "There''s no way she knows about it and still acts like there''s nothing wrong. She is, in any way, a woman in need. If I show her too much kindness, she will take advantage of it."


    Vernon tried to convince himself so he wouldn''t feel too nervous, "It''s okay, Vernon. Everything is under your control. Just don''t be soft because she will take advantage of you."


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, remember your mission. You''re here to ruin both of them, your brother and sister-inw."

 76 Chapter 76

    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, remember your mission. You''re here to ruin both of them, your brother and sister-inw."


    ¡­


    Vernon''s confused expression cooled down, just like his eyes went cold.


    "Yeah, don''t forget what you''re here for, Vernon. Not after what they''ve done to you," Vernon said as he remembered what they did to him, all the damage that made him like this.


    However, he also knew that he had to take this step slowly so his big brother¡ª the powerful Vincent Gray, wouldn''t notice his true intention.


    As Vernon got busy trying to find a good strategy for his revenge, he got a call from his big brother and picked it up;


    ¡ª


    "Hello, brother?"


    "Vernon, do you want to grab lunch together? I could call the top chef that usually cooked for me personally in his restaurant. We can go there."


    "I''m sorry, big brother. But I already have my lunch prepared," Vernon replied while ncing at the lunch bag on the table.


    "Oh? Was it your woman who prepared it for you? Haha, you seem to like this woman a lot to eat her food!"


    ''I don''t like her. I hate her just as much as I hate you,'' Vernon said in his heart. But he responded with nothing except a small chuckle.


    "If you can''t go with me, I''ll visit your office then. I have the contract ready for you to sign," Vincent said.


    "I thought you''d just send your secretary here so I can sign it up," Vernon joked.


    "Hm? Are you interested in Prisci? I can give her to you if you want. She might not be a good secretary, but she has good pussy. That''s the most important, right?"


    "Hahaha! Not now, big brother. I already have someone. I''m not in the mood to fuck another woman," Vernon said.


    "Because you love her?"


    "No, I don''t want another problem because I''m busy with work. Women are problems, after all."


    Vincent found his little brother''s statement to be quite endearing. Of course, he knew Vernon was a big yboy, just like him. But it was funny because he actually saw women as a problem because, for Vincent, women weren''t even something worth mentioning.


    Unfortunately, he also had a period of stupidity, when he was in love with Chloe for five years until they married, and then for the first two years of their married life.


    And then she got pregnant¡­ and all the gross things made him want to puke.


    "Well, if you say so. But I''lle to your office today. I want you to sign the contract," Vincent said.


    "Sure, big brother."


    Beep.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon chuckled when he heard that his Big brother thought he was in love with the maid at home.


    ? "Surely, that''s fucking gross."


    **


    Vincent pressed the inte to call for his secretary, and Priscille came knocking on the door a few minutester.


    "What is it, Vincent?" Prisci asked as she entered the CEO''s office.


    Prisci didn''t need to act so formally in front of Vincent, nor did she want to. Because Vincent had already fucked her so many times, it would be funny if she still had some kind of shame in front of him.


    In fact, Vincent should be the one who feels ashamed! Because she was still waiting for Vincent to put on a diamond ring on her finger! Where was that diamond now?! Even after his fat wife left, he still hadn''t brought her a ring!


    "We''re going to my little brother''s office now. Prepare the car," Vincent ordered.


    "Wha! We''re going to Vernon Phoenix Gray''s office?! W¡ªWait a minute, I''m going to retouch my make-up first!" Prisci said.


    "I only told you to prepare for the car first. Just call the chauffeur. Why are you panicking like this anyway?"


    "I need to show my best side in front of him! Who knows, he might like me," Prisci replied shamelessly. "After all, you still haven''t given me a ring I demanded. Of course, I need to find another man who wants to!"


    "And you think he will like you?" Vincent asked with a mysterious smile on his face.


    "I mean, you do. You two are brothers. Of course, you have simr taste!" Prisci imagined the handsome Vernon Phoenix Gray who came to Vincent''s office when they were in the middle of sex, it was a little embarrassing, but Prisci believed that Vernon must''ve been into her if she tried just a little bit.


    "Besides, I saw him in real life yesterday, and he is absolutely handsome! He is like you, but bigger, taller, and his eyes are like hawk''s!"


    Vincent chuckled when he heard Prisci praising his little brother. He was not jealous because he knew what she said was true.


    In fact, Vincent was quite joyed when someone praised his little brother. After all, he cared so much for Vernon.


    "I''ll give you time to retouch your make-up in the car, but you must call the chauffeur now to get ready," Vincent ordered.


    "Ugh, I hate doing it in the car. But fine~."


    Prisci left Vincent''s office to grab her phone and started calling the chauffeur.


    Vincent picked the file inside his drawer. This would be the contract that his little brother would sign.


    He trusted that Vernon would do a good job in their first cooperation. After all, he could build apany without any help from his family.


    "He is smart and capable. It makes me wonder what kind of woman would he like," Vincent thought. "But I reckon that he must''ve liked independent women. I saw on the TV that he dated many actresses, female businesswomen, famous singers, and many more."


    "Well, that''s a good thing. I don''t want him to be trapped in a marriage with a useless stay-at-home wife like Chloe. He would waste his life with her, hahahahah!" Vincentughed freely. Thinking about Vernon and Chloe living together made himugh even more. It was so funny because they were definitely not suitable.

 77 Chapter 77

    Vernon was waiting inside his office for a while. He stared at the lunch bag, and whenever he opened the lunch bag, the delicious smell of food wafted under his nose, and his stomach started grumbling.


    "Ah, should I eat it now?" Vincent wondered. But it would be awkward if his big brother saw him eating, and Vernon definitely couldn''t stop eating once he ate her cooking, plus banana milk. That would be heaven.


    He was already ashamed to be caught red-handed drinking banana milk by his sister-inw. So he called Diamond and said, "Put this in the pantry and reheat it. I will eat after my meeting with my big brother."


    "Meeting? In here, Sir?"


    "Yes, in my office. He texted me just now. He''s on the way," Vernon replied. "Be sure to be avable at your desk. You can eat lunchter."


    Diamond was stunned. This would be the first time for her to look at Vincent''s appearance in real life.


    From what Chloe told her many times, Vincent was just as handsome and charming as he was on the TV. He looked so kind and gentle, but that was just the way for him to get what he wanted.


    After all, he was the heir of the Gray family. He would be eaten clean to the bone if he didn''t know how to control them.


    Diamond nced at Mr. Phoenix Gray for a moment and realized that Vincent and Vernon must have simr personalities. They were brothers, after all.


    "Understood, Sir. I will stay until Mr. Vincent Gray''s arrival," Diamond said politely.


    "You shouldn''t leave after his arrival either. You''ll apany me to my office during the meeting. I have a feeling that he would bring his secretary," Vernon said.


    ''And¡­ what''s wrong with that?" Diamond pondered. Bringing the secretary to a meeting wasmon, so she found nothing wrong with it.


    But since it was her boss'' order, she couldn''t refuse and nodded.


    **


    Vincent arrived about an hourter. Diamond had already contacted the receptionist to give a proper wee to Vincent Gray, so the young billionaire was guided by the receptionist until he entered the executive elevator heading straight up to the CEO''s floor.


    Diamond was already standing about five feet from the elevator. When she heard the ''Ding'' from the elevator.


    Diamond lowered her head slightly to greet him.


    "Wee, Mr. Vincent Gray. Mr. Phoenix Gray has been waiting for you," Diamond said. She lifted her head, and her eyes met with Vincent Gray''s, who smiled at her.


    Like Chloe described, Vincent Gray was handsome¡ª though he wasn''t as physically good-looking as Vernon. He was a little shorter than Vernon but still tall nheless, knowing Vernon was at least 6''2".


    He was well-dressed and had a more posh and sophisticated image than Vernon, who had a more rough and wild exterior.


    Vincent Gray also had this aura that made people submit to him. Not because he looked scary and intimidating like Vernon, but because of his smile.<sub> </sub>


    A gentle yet mysterious smile made you keep guessing what was in his mind.


    It also had the power to make you feel reluctant to confront him because you couldn''t guess what was in his mind.


    Unlike Vernon, whose idea was printed all over his face. Maybe that was just for Diamond because she worked with Mr. Phoenix Gray the longest and knew many of his habits.


    But it was true that Vincent was very charming. Had it not for Diamond, who was used to Vernon, and also all the shitty things this man did through Chloe''s stories, she might allow herself to be taken by Vincent Gray for a night.


    "Please this way, Sir," Diamond said, not wanting to stare at Vincent longer than this. Because she started to imagine everything that Vincent did to her homegirl Chloe.


    She guided the CEO to the office and opened the door, "Pleasee in, Sir."


    "Thank you," Vincent said. He entered with his secretary, who looked at Diamond as if she was ready to kill. Diamond was a little surprised because she didn''t notice the secretary before. She was way too focused on Vincent Gray.


    Diamond entered the CEO''s office thest and closed the door. She saw Vernon and Vincent sitting on the sofa, facing each other, with Vincent''s secretary standing behind him.


    Thus, Diamond walked toward her boss and stood behind Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    Vincent and Vernon stared at each other for a while until Vernon chuckled, thenughed freely, "Ahahahah! Big brother, why are we acting so serious?"


    Vincent chuckled as well, "Not sure, but I guess because we''re apanied by our secretaries. This reminds me of a formal meeting I usually had with other executives."


    "Anyway, I''m here to give you the contract," Vincent said. He raised his hand and used his finger to signal Prisci¡ª his secretary, to put the file on the table.


    Prisci''s cheeks reddened as she stepped forward and gently leaned on the table until her cleavage was shown in front of Vernon.


    Prisci had intentionally unbuttoned the first two buttons of her tight shirt before they entered the building, so she could show a little bit of excitement towards Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    Thus, Vernon saw her cleavage¡ª and basically half of her boobs. The only thing that was left to the imagination was the nipples that were peeking.


    Though there was no need for all of this, Vernon already saw her fucking with Vincent, so no temptation was needed in the first ce.


    Vernon only raised his brow when Prisci stared at him for a moment. The edge of his lips perked up, but he said nothing as Prisci almost jolted out of excitement when she stared at the hawk-like eyes behind the rimless sses.


    Even the sses made him look ten times more intimidating. The mix of sophistication and wild aura of a powerful man made her tremble in excitement.


    "T¡ªThis is the contract, Sir. Please¡­ take a good look at them."

 78 Chapter 78

    "T¡ªThis is the contract, Sir. Please¡­ take a look at them," Prisci said as she leaned a little bit more, wishing she could shove her boobs on Vernon''s face. He would bury his face inside her cleavage, ying with her tits and even sucking her nipples.


    ''Ohhh, that''s so hottt!'' Prisci felt hot all over her body just thinking about it.


    "Them?" Vernon chuckled as she teased Prisci, he found this over-eager woman quite interesting to tease.


    "A¡ªAh, I misspoke. I''m sorry, Sir¡­."


    "It''s fine, thank you," Vernon said. He picked up the file and opened it. Vernon started reading the content of the contract, ignoring Prisci who wished that Vernon would do more.


    Prisci was disappointed that Vernon didn''t just grab her tits and start fondling. She didn''t even mind being seen by Vincent.


    After all, they were brothers, and she didn''t mind being yed by them. They were handsome, rich, and powerful.


    ''Oh, Vincent''s dick is nice too. Vernon''s should be bigger, right? Mmhh, makes me wonder~.''


    Diamond''s body went stiff as she saw what Prisci just did to seduce her boss. No, she wasn''t entertained at all.


    It was trashy and utterly disgusting!


    ''Shit, that''s so trashyyyy! Ew!'' Diamond was screaming in her head. If she could do something here, she would just p that bitch and throw her from the top of this building.


    ''She got nothin''pared to my homegirl Chloe! Urgh, grossss!'' Diamond also remembered that Chloe told her Vincent had a lot of women in his life. Some were just going to be used one time before getting discarded. The other could stay for a while. One of the most longsting was her secretary, Prisci, who had been with Vincent for four years, to the point that she could insult Chloe freely without any repercussion from Vincent.


    At some point, Chloe thought Vincent would finally divorce her and marry Prisci. But there was no such thing even after four years, the situation between the three of them remained the same.


    ''I mean, it''s obvious that she is just a woman used by Vincent to relieve his stress, no more than that.''


    <o>,m Prisci also noticed that Vernon''s secretary was looking at her with that judging eyes, and she red back. She was annoyed that Vernon actually had a beauty by his side;</o>


    ''That woman must''ve been getting all the privilege to get fucked by Vernon. Ugh, I''ll kick her ass once I can rece her!'' Prisci already schemed many things in her head as she and Diamond red at each other.


    Vernon was reading the contract when Vincent suddenly mentioned, "Vernon, are you sure you don''t want to try my secretary here? Her name is Prisci, and she is quite good with her blowjob."


    Vincent casually grabbed Prisci''s boobs and started fondling them right in front of Vernon.


    "Uhh¡­ ahh¡­ B¡ªBoss!"


    "Hm? I thought you were interested in my little brother. I''d give you to him if he wants to," Vincent said.


    Vernon stopped reading the document. He still had his head down, but his eyes looked up and saw his big brother fondling his secretary''s boobs without the slightest care.


    He scoffed and lifted his head, "I don''t mind at all, brother. I''d love to try her," Vernon replied.


    "Really? That''s good, Prisci. Go to Vernon''s side¡ª"


    "But not without a trade, big brother," Vernon added.<sub> </sub>


    "A trade?"


    "Yes, I''d dly take your secretary for a night, but in exchange, you have to take mine as well."


    Diamond''s eyes widened instantly. She red at Vernon and snapped, "EXCUSE ME?!"


    "We''ve agreed on this, Diamond. You have nothing to say here," Vernon said ruthlessly, cutting Diamond out of her escape. "I''ve given you the requisite to be my secretary back then, right?" Vernon signaled toward Diamond.


    Diamond was shocked at first, but she knew that¡ª despite being a ruthless man, Vernon would always refuse any of his business partners who dared to touch Diamond.


    Because it was part of his promise back then when Diamond got hired to be his secretary, working for him.


    ¡ª


    ''We are work partners. I will treat you as my secretary, and there is no need for you to do anything more than just doing all the things I told you to do.''


    ''And don''t worry about those grimy old men who will be my future business colleagues. I will not let them touch you.''


    ¡ª


    Those were the promise that Vernon made to her, which gave her 100% trust in Vernon. She was assured that she''d be safe.


    But this was the first time Vernon didn''t outright reject such a disgusting misogynistic offer. Maybe it was because Vincent was his big brother.


    Diamond bit her lip. Mr. Phoenix Gray must''ve had a n on his own.


    She nced at Vernon Phoenix Gray again and clenched her fist, ''I have to trust him. He might be an asshole, but he already promised not to offer me to some grimy old men.''


    ''And even if he did, I''d just quit right now. There''s no way I''m going to get fucked by a disgusting man like Vincent Gray. His face is really a trap! I thought he''d at least have some human decency!''


    Diamond took a deep breath and nodded, "Just like what Mr. Phoenix Gray said. If Mr. Vincent Gray wanted the exchange, then I do not mind."


    "See, Big brother? My secretary doesn''t mind at all."


    Vincent''s smile faded after Diamond said that. He looked at her from head to toe and sighed.


    He removed his hand from Prisci''s tits and shrugged, "Well, that''s unfortunate. I don''t like your secretary at all. Not my type."


    "Ah, what a missed opportunity. But I don''t want to take your secretary without any trade, so let''s just call it off, right?" Vernon said.


    Prisci almost gritted her teeth as she realized the missed opportunity. She got excited for nothing, just because Vincent wasn''t interested in that woman!


    ''Ugh, you ugly bitch only ruined my opportunity with Vernon Phoenix Gray!''

 79 Chapter 79

    ''Ugh, you ugly bitch only ruined my opportunity with Vernon Phoenix Gray!''


    Diamond raised her brow, taunting Prisci, who red at her. She was relieved that the trade was called off.


    She never expected that Vincent would refuse her because, based on what Chloe said, Vincent would absolutely fuck any attractive woman in sight.


    ''Well, for the first time in my life, I''m so d he doesn''t find me attractive. But shit, that was nerve-racking. I thought the trade would actually happen!''


    ''But¡­'' Diamond nced down at her Boss again, ''I have a feeling that Mr. Phoenix Gray must''ve expected this. Did he do this just to reject the offer indirectly?''


    ''Why would a powerful and daring man like him have to do a roundabout way to reject an offer? Is it because Vincent Gray is his big brother? Or is it because Vincent Gray is too powerful?''


    More and more questions started piling up in Diamond''s mind, but if Vernon¡ª the devil-may-care guy, actually had to use this method¡­ that meant Vincent was THAT powerful, which pained her heart, knowing how difficult Chloe''s situation right now.


    ''How powerful he actually is, I wonder¡­ I mean, Chloe told me a few times. But is he that unbeatable, even in court?''


    ¡­


    "Let''s return to the contract. I have a few things I need to ask, and mostly it''s about the profit share between ourpanies," Vernon said, shifting the topic back to business matters. "Big brother, even if this cooperation is sessful, you will be left with profit that would only break even for yourpany. You''ll generate little to no pure profit from this."


    "I don''t care at all," Vincent said. "You''ve warned me about this many times, Vernon. I don''t care if I lose money. This is just pocket money¡ª no, money to burn away in my leisure time. I just want cooperation between us brothers. Even if you fail, I won''t demand you for anything."


    "And if I seed?"


    "Then we will work even more, I''ll give you a bigger and bigger slice of projects, and I''ll start taking real profit from it," Vincent replied. He seemed dead set about his decision to work with his little brother.


    "Ah, brother, I didn''t know that you could be so kind to me, even after ten years of nomunication," Vernon said.


    "Naturally, because we''re brothers. I''m also proud of your achievement. Just take this as me treating your ice cream when we were going out, okay?"


    "Sure, brother!"


    Vernon signed the contract without a problem and told Diamond to scan and make two copies for the archive before returning it to Vincent.


    "You sure you don''t want to go with me for lunch, little bro? I know a good restaurant that you won''t vomit your heart out, haha!"


    "I already ate a homemade lunch, big brother. Didn''t I tell you before?"


    "I know. It''s just surprising that you like someone''s cooking," Vincent chuckled. "Well, I''ll leave now. Let''s hang out againter. You can alwayse to my office. I can invite a few girls for you to try if you want."


    Vernon and Diamond escorted Vincent and Prisci to the elevator until the door closed.


    Prisci was in a bad mood the whole time, though she didn''t show it in front of Vernon.


    But once the elevator door was closed, she startedining, "Ugh! That bitch secretary! Why don''t you fuck her too, Vincent? So I can have a shot with your little brother!"<sub> </sub>


    "You really think that you have a shot with Vernon?" Vincent chuckled. "That''s funny."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "When he insists on trading, it''s his way to indirectly reject you. He doesn''t want to fuck you, that''s why," Vincent replied. "I''m not an idiot. I know his method."


    "Ugh! Obviously, I''m sexier than his secretary!"


    "Maybe he acquired taste after living in Europe for ten years. I don''t know what he experienced there. Nobody in my family knows. So it''s better for you to just shut up and not bother him again. A woman like you is just a part of his collection."


    "What do you mean by that?!" Prisci protested though she knew what exactly Vincent meant.


    **


    "Diamond, reheat my lunch, and don''t forget my banana milk. I''ll be waiting in my office."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Diamond reheated the food and served it on a te. It smelled amazing and looked like it had been carefully made. Just by the portion and food range, she could see that Chloe ensured everything was bnced for Vernon.


    "Damn, if I have a wife like Chloe, I''d never cheat on her. That Vincent guy is just stupid¡­ and horny, but mostly stupid."


    Diamond returned to Vernon''s office with the lunch and three small cartons of banana milk and served it on the table, "Your food, Sir."


    "Thanks, Diamond," Vernon said. His stomach started grumbling again as he saw the appetizing food.


    But he had to address a few things first before eating. He looked at Diamond and apologized, "Sorry for what happened before. But it had to be done, so my big brother won''t get offended."


    "I have a few questions about that, Sir," Diamond said. "I wonder if you already know that Vincent Gray will refuse me."


    "Yes, I already know he will refuse you because of your skin color," Vernon replied.


    "What the¡ª"


    "Yes, he is a racist," Vernon said. "He has absolutely zero interest in a non-white woman. Whether they''re African, Asian, or even some part of European. If they don''t have any caucasian features, he would refuse them."


    Diamond never expected a rich and educated man like Vincent would be a fucking racist who would refuse someone just because of their skin color.


    p That was absolutely despicable!</anda>


    Vernon scoffed and looked away, "Actually, I also had a simr mindset to him before I left the Gray family. You see, ourte father¡­ grandfather, and great-grandfather all believed in race purity. That''s why you''d be looked down on if you marry a woman or man that''s not white."

 80 Chapter 80

    "You see, ourte father¡­ grandfather, and great-grandfather believed in race purity. That''s why you''d be looked down on if you marry a woman or man that''s not white," Vernon exined. "I have the same mindset, but after I left for ten years, I met many new people from the circle that the Gray family knows. I also had my fair share of befriending or dating women from other races. I found there''s nothing wrong with dating them. Even engaging in a sexual rtionship with them is no problem."


    ? ''Wow, what kind of sick, old-fashioned way of thinking,'' Diamond thought. ''I know that Vernon is an ass. But I didn''t know that his family is worse than him.''


    "Is that also why you hired me in the first ce?" Diamond asked again. "Because I''m ck?"


    "Sort of. You have the qualification to be apetent secretary. But since you''re ck, that also eliminates your chance of getting harassed by my brother. I don''t want anything bad to happen to my mostpetent employee."


    "It''s difficult to handle him, at least not within my current position. Vincent Gray is absolutely powerful with all of the old deep-rooted connections of the family and the connections he built by himself."


    "So, I''m sorry for putting you in that position. I willpensate you by giving you a bonus for your sryter," Vernon said. It was the only way topensate Diamond for the humiliation she had experienced before. At least, that was all he could think of.


    Diamond was thinking about other things right now, though¡­


    "Sir, if I''m allowed to ask if¡­ Mr. Vincent Gray knows about Chloe working for you?"


    "He doesn''t know. So does my sister-inw. She also doesn''t know I''m working with my big brother right now," Vernon replied. "Nobody knows about this except Vincent, his secretary, and us."


    "But you said Mr. Vincent Gray is very powerful, but why would you take Chloe inside your house, Sir? Isn''t that very risky?"


    "Obviously, I have my own reason," Vernon replied with a smile. Though he didn''t tell Diamond about his n, nobody knew about it because he trusted no one, even Diamond.


    ''Then, maybe I should tell Chloe about this,'' Diamond pondered the idea. ''At least it would give her closure, right?''


    "Also, Diamond, I know you''ve developed a friendship with Chloe. You should think twice before you have the funny idea of telling my sister-inw about my cooperation with her ex-husband. You know what I did to Chloe, right?"


    Diamond shuddered when Mr. Phoenix Gray suddenly peered at her with his hawk gaze and a thin smile that would make people piss themselves out of fear.


    Diamond knew what he meant by that. Because she was forced to cooperate and search all thepanies that Chloe applied to, Vernon could call the boss individually to ensure they wouldn''t employ her.


    "If you told her anything about this, I''ll make sure that you''ll never recover, Diamond. You won''t be able to get a job for the rest of your life, and I can do the same with your families too."


    "Your father, mother, and even your brother. All of them will lose their jobs and will never be able to get another job. It''s that simple," Vernon threatened. But he still looked calm, and Diamond could see a trace of Vincent in Vernon''s expression.


    Both Vernon and Vincent, they were scum.


    "U¡ªUnderstood, Sir, please excuse me then," Diamond bowed her head slightly before turning away and leaving Vernon alone with his lunch.


    Diamond closed the door and sighed, full of pity, "I''m so sorry, girl. I don''t think I can help you with this. He never joked about this. If I tried to spill it to you, he might ruin my family."<sub> </sub>


    Vernon watched Diamond''s back until she left the office and closed the door. He scoffed, "Heh, do you think I don''t know that you and my sister-inw have be friends? That woman must''ve used her charm to make Diamond siding with her. What a snake."


    "But I will make sure to use her first before she used me, just like what she did to me before," Vernon said ruthlessly.


    Then, he looked at the food in front of him. His stomach had been burning inside, wanting to be fed, and Chloe''s cooking was seriously appetizing.


    "Well, I''ll take her downter. I guess I can keep her around. Her food is¡­ tolerable for my pte after all."


    **


    Vernon had many meetings today and a few projects that he had to observe until he returned to his apartment at around eleven.


    He opened the door and walked inside his penthouse.


    It was already dark, with only a few dim lights on. Maybe it was a way for Chloe to greet her.


    He was exhausted today since so many things were happening in the office.


    People always thought that CEO''s job was easy. He just had to read documents and sign them, and also had a meeting with many powerful people to lobby and make a business deal.


    But that was just a small picture of what he actually did. It was exhausting, and the only way for him to rest was either sleep or sex.


    Too bad he hadn''t gotten both for a while. Of course, he could sleep with a woman of his choice, but he just wasn''t feeling it these days.


    He walked to the kitchen for a bottle of gin or wine.


    But he stopped when he saw Chloe sitting at the dining chair. She rested her head on the dinner table and was asleep.


    "What is she doing here?" Vernon frowned. He approached her and kicked the table lightly to wake her up.


    "Hey, wake up," Vernon said.


    Chloe jolted and opened her eyes instantly. She saw Vernon standing in front of her, and she got up immediately.


    "W¡ªWee back, Vernon. I''ve prepared dinner for you, but it went cold already. I''m going to reheat it."

 81 Chapter 81

    "W¡ªWee back, Vernon. I''ve prepared dinner for you, but it went cold already. I''m going to reheat it," Chloe said. She took the bowls of food covered with aluminum foil to the dinner table.


    She had to reheat it first, maybe recooked some because it wouldn''t look appetizing even after reheating with the microwave.


    "No need, I''m not hungry," Vernon said.


    "Huh?" Chloe stopped on her track, looking confused at Vernon. "You¡­ are not hungry?"


    "I''ve had dinner with my business partner. We went to my favorite restaurant," Vernon replied ruthlessly. He smirked when he saw the lost expression in Chloe''s eyes.


    Honestly, Vernon also noticed the sadness in her eyes. It seemed that she had been crying so much. But he reckoned that she must''ve been crying because she didn''t get all thevish lifestyle she expected from marrying Vincent.


    Now she had to work as a maid every day. A spoiled woman like her would''ve cried daily because of that, right?


    ''See? It''s your fault in the first ce, and this is what you did to yourself,'' Vernon sneered in his mind. He always hated that sad expressioning from her.


    "But¡­ I''ve cooked many things for dinner¡­." Chloe said weakly. She looked down at the cold braised beef stew she made for Vernon.


    "Then you can eat it yourself. I''m just gonna grab a bottle of wine from the wine fridge," Vernon said.


    "B¡ªBut¡­" Chloe protested weakly. She thought that at least Vernon would appreciate her dinner. She made a mistake yesterday because she forgot to cook for dinner, and Vernon sted at her.


    She cooked a lot of food for dinner, hoping that Vernon would forgive him for her mistake.


    But she got a cold shoulder instead, and he acted as if it wasn''t important, even though he was the one who sted Chloe for not cooking dinner yesterday.


    She wasn''t important at all.


    ''Well, it''s not wrong, but¡­'' Chloe''s heart ached when Vernon just ignored her like this.


    "Y¡ªYou could at least try a little. I can cook more if you want¡­."


    "Huh? How often do I have to tell you I''m not hungry? When I say I''m not hungry, I do not intend to eat! Stop being such a fuss. It''s just food anyway."


    "You act like your whole life only revolves about cooking food. You''re not even a chef," Vernon sneered, mocking her for what she thought was important.


    He ignored her and grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine fridge.


    Meanwhile, Chloe''s heartache got worse, especially when Vernon said those sentences, downying her effort and making it as if she didn''t have any worth.


    It reminded her of Vincent and all the things that Vincent did to make her feel so worthless.


    ''They are brothers, after all. What did I expect?'' Chloe thought that she was being ridiculous here.


    Vernon was about to leave the kitchen when he noticed Chloe, who started sobbing. Her body trembled, tears started flowing down from her eyes and cheek, then dropped to the bowl of braised beef.


    "Really? Stop crying and wash those dishes. It''d smell bad if you don''t wash it," Vernon said.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe continued sobbing, but she said nothing to Vernon. As she had no power nor any right to scold him.


    Vernon sat on the chair not far from the kitchen. He popped open the wine bottle and started drinking straight from the bottle.


    He sat in a daze, trying to distract himself from listening to her sister-inw sobbing.


    He was annoyed at her. He returned home to rx after such a tiring day, and now he had to listen to a woman crying just because he refused to eat her cooking.


    Vernon continued drinking from the bottle. He drank without care. So his eyes started to get blurry.


    He wasn''t a heavy drinker in the first ce, but he could manage if he didn''t drink too much in a short time.


    But Chloe''s sobs made him want to drink more and more, hoping it would silence the sobs.


    Yet, what he experienced was different.


    The sobs actually echoed inside his head. Whenever Chloe sobbed, it was as if his whole head was filled with her voice, and her sadness also started to affect his mood.


    He clicked his tongue annoyedly and got up from the chair.


    He saw Chloe washing a few dishes, but there were still a few tes of food on the dinner table left untouched.


    "Will you shut up? Why are you crying over food anyway?"


    Chloe continued crying while she continued washing the dishes. But she was facing away from Vernon, so Vernon didn''t have to see her ugly crying face.


    Chloe knew that she had overreacted. After all, it was just food, and Vincent had done this to her constantly for the past ten years.


    But what made her cry was the umtion of everything that happened today, from her mother and sister, who cut her off from their life to Vincent, who taunted her.


    She cooked a lot of food for Mackie and Vernon because she thought¡­ looking at them eating and smiling would give her the strength to continue despite all the pain she experienced alone. Since the only thing she could do right now was take care of both of them.


    Mackie ate her dinner, but Vernon only came to mocked on her like her effort was nothing.


    ''I know I''m being dramatic. Why do I have to cry over dinner?'' Chloe asked herself. ''Vernon is a busy man. He has a lot to do, just like Vincent.''


    ''Why do I have to cry myself over food I cooked? It''s worthless.''


    Vernon was peeved since Chloe didn''t answer his question, but he just couldn''t hear the voice of her crying anymore. It somehow made his heart aching for whatever reason¡ª


    And the weird heartache made him annoyed, very annoyed.


    "Urgh, fine!" Vernon sat at the dinner table and opened all the aluminum foil covering the tes and bowls, "I''ll eat your dinner, so stop crying and reheat some of this first!"

 82 Chapter 82

    "I''ll eat your dinner, so stop crying and reheat some of this first!" Vernon said.


    Chloe stopped what she was doing and looked at Vernon, who checked the food that she made at the dinner table.


    Unfortunately, she had already washed away half of the food she made tonight¡­


    She quickly dried her hands and wiped her tears. She approached Vernon and grabbed the tes, "I''ll reheat it first. Please wait."


    Vernon watched Chloe, who was busy reheating the food by microwave or stir-frying some on the pan. She seemed happier when cooking, and Chloe returned to the dining table and put the food in front of Vernon.


    She also served him a te and a ss of warm water, "You should drink the warm water first before eating. I can smell the alcohol from your mouth."


    "Heh, so what if I drink alcohol? You''re going to reprimand me? I''m not a teenager anymore, sister-inw," Vernon replied. But he still obediently drank the warm water before adding a variety of food to his te.


    Chloe sat on the opposite seat, staring at Vernon, who was eating. He said he wasn''t hungry because he had already had dinner outside. But he was still eating like a hungry hippo.


    Vernon noticed that his sister-inw was smiling while staring at him. He frowned and asked, "What now? Why are you smiling like that?"


    "Ah, I was happy you ate my cooking," Chloe replied. "It might not be much since you must''ve been used to seeing many powerful women working on the same ground with you, but taking care of my family is what I see as my duty. I want to make sure that everyone is well taken care of."


    Chloe knew it might sound pathetic in this age of empowered women where women could be everything they wanted, but her drive was to be a stay-at-home mom and take care of her daughter.


    If she


    "But your rtionship with my brother has turned south," Vernon said ruthlessly. "That means you''re not doing well at caring for your family."


    "Ah¡­ that''s¡­." Chloe''s smile faded as Vernon rubbed her wound. "I¡ªI just think that I can at least take care of my family here¡ª"


    Vernon stopped eating and peered at Chloe with displeasure.


    "Don''t call me your family. That''s repulsive. I gave you a contract to work with me, and I paid you sry," Vernon stated. "Just because I still called you sister-inw doesn''t mean that you can outright say we''re family. I called you sister-inw to honor my big brother, who still sees you as his wife."


    "S¡ªSorry¡­" Chloe lowered her head. She felt disheartened as she always thought of Vernon as her family member. Since he was just a kid, Chloe never saw him as a stranger. He was always her cute little Vernon.


    <o>,m But now, the cute little Vernon had grown up and resented her for no reason¡­</o>


    Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. Again, she had that sad expression that made him ufortable again.


    "Damn it, stop making that sad expression. You''re annoying me!" Vernon yelled.


    "I¡ªI''m not making a sad expression¡­ at least I don''t remember making one¡­." Chloe replied.


    Vernon snorted. Whenever Chloe made that sad expression, his heart would be mixed with rage and an unknown feeling of sadness.


    He was angry because she still had the gut of making that sad expression after picking her choice.


    But at the same time, the ache in his heart got more painful the more Chloe got sadder.


    ''But we''re not family,'' Vernon thought in his heart. ''I will never be your family, not anymore. I fucking hate you, sister-inw.''


    Chloe knew that they weren''t going anywhere with this. She didn''t want to dwell in her sadness, not in front of Vernon.


    Because she knew Vernon already disliked her for some reason, maybe he already disliked all women.<sub> </sub>


    So the only thing she could do was not to push his button and make him snap.


    Chloe noticed the bandaged fist and realized, "Ah, I need to change your bandage!"


    "What?"


    Chloe pointed at the bandaged hand, "It''s not good to keep one bandage over a period of time. I''ll put a new bandage, but you should finish dinner first, okay?"


    ¡­


    Vernon looked at his bandaged hand and remembered the million-dor question that haunted him for the whole day.


    Did Chloe hear him talking about something? Or maybe that whole dream was not actually a dream?


    "Sister-inw¡­"


    "Yes?"


    "When did you bandage my hand?"


    "Ah, at night, I checked your condition because I heard loud banging on the wall plenty of times, so I thought it must''ve been pretty bad¡­." Chloe said, telling the truth that happened the previous night.


    "And you treated my hand while I was sleeping?"


    "Yeah."


    "¡­ Did you hear anything?" Vernon asked.


    "Heard anything?"


    "Yeah, maybe me mumbling about something."


    Of course, Chloe knew what he meant because Vernon didn''t even mumble at that point. He outright talked about his love life with this woman that hurt his heart so much that he wanted to destroy both of them with his passionate fire.


    It was tragic and sad, but Chloe had no right to tell Vernon about this, knowing it would only embarrass him.


    Though, she was curious about the woman''s identity that could have such a special spot in Vernon''s heart.


    "I heard you mumbling about something, maybe a name? But it''s mostly inaudible," Chloe replied. "Is it a girl''s name? Like¡­ your loved one or something¡­."


    Vernon''s gaze sharpened towards Chloe, "She''s dead."


    "D¡ªDead?!"


    "Yeah, she is dead in my heart, and I hate her. You don''t need to know about her identity, sister-inw," Vernon replied. "She''s long gone."


    Chloe was a little lost from his extreme reaction. It seemed that he truly hated this woman. But if he really hated him, why would shee to his dream frequently?


    However, she didn''t want to press further and shifted the topic, "Well, you should finish your dinner first. I''m going downstairs to grab the first aid kit."

 83 Chapter 83

    "Well, you should finish your dinner first. I''m going downstairs to grab the first aid kit," Chloe said. She got up and went downstairs.


    Vernon''s eyes followed Chloe until she went downstairs.


    Vernon then looked at his hand and the dinner that Chloe had made. His heartache worsened, so he clenched his fist, "Don''t be weak, Vernon. You should use her. You''re the one who told her that she is nothing but a maid and a woman you''ll use for sex. Don''t fall into her honey trap."


    Vernon clenched his fist to shift the pain from his heart to his hand. His fist started bleeding, but he didn''t care. It was far better than feeling this strange feeling in his heart again.


    "Vernon, are you done with dinner?" Chloe asked as she climbed back to Vernon''s penthouse.


    She saw that Vernon had already eaten his fill and had already moved to the sofa.


    "I''m done with dinner. You can return to your room now, sister-inw," Vernon said.


    "I will, but I need to take care of your hand first," Chloe said. She walked to the living room towards Vernon.


    Chloe sat right beside Vernon on the long sofa, but Vernon quickly slid his butt away from Chloe.


    "No need, all is good. You can go downstairs now," Vernon said.


    "All is good after I treated your hand, show me your hand now," Chloe said.


    Vernon gritted his teeth, "Damn, why are you so nosy? I told you to go back to your room!"


    Chloe was startled, but she had a feeling that something was wrong. So she asked again, still gently, "Vernon, I need to see your hand. I need to treat it."


    "Urgh!" Vernon was annoyed, but in the end, he conceded and showed his bandaged hand in front of her.


    Chloe was shocked when she saw the blood seeping out and turned the white bandage red. It was so grotesque that Chloe couldn''t help but react strongly.


    She grasped Vernon''s wrist and checked the bandaged hand, "What happened to your fist?! I left you for ten minutes, and you''re already bleeding again!" Chloe scolded. She was worried there might be an infection on his knuckles, so she unwrapped the red bandage and saw the wounds opened again.


    "Oh my, what did you do, Vernon?!"


    Vernon gritted his teeth, "It''s not your problem! Just shut up and leave!"


    "How am I supposed to leave you like this?! Don''t be unreasonable!" Chloe had a shot of courage again, she might not be the strongest, badass woman, but her family was the most important to her. When she saw Vernon getting hurt, she also felt that she was the one who got hurt instead.


    Chloe busied herself treating the opened wounds while she kept scolding Vernon as if he was a child.


    "You shouldn''t be careless. Even if you''re mad, that doesn''t mean you can hurt yourself."


    "If you have trouble, you should speak with me. I don''t know if I can help in other ways, but letting out the negative emotion will make you feel better, right?"


    "Hah! You act like you care about me!"


    "I do!" Chloe retorted. "You''re my¡­. My¡­"


    Chloe wanted to say that he was still her cute little Vernon. But that would probably hurt his male ego, so she went silent after that and focused on treating Vernon''s opened wounds.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon stared at his sister-inw with hatred, so much hatred that he held himself not to hit her. His hatred doubled when Chloe acted fake like this.


    ''Stop your innocent act. You''re 35 already! I know you''re acting like this to get male''s attention, right?''


    ''Come on, show me how you seduce my big brother. Stop with this act. You''re not going to trap me!''


    Vernon tried to yank his wrist off her grip, but Chloe tightened her grip around his wrist and scolded, "Don''t move! I''m trying to treat the opened wounds!"


    "Stay still for a moment, will you? I promise it won''t take long," Chloe said, still focused on treating his wounds.


    Vernon knew that he had been nothing but rough and condescending towards her, and he thought all of them were deserved, knowing what she did and said about him back then.


    But she didn''t expect his sister-inw to not retaliate back. She acted like a doormat!


    "Heh, no wonder my big brother doesn''t like you. You''re acting like aplete doormat!" Vernon yelled. "You''re so annoying, you know that?"


    ¡­


    Chloe felt her heart pinched from inside. It hurt to be called aplete doormat.


    But, she also realized that she was powerless against Vincent.


    But it was mostly because of her position. She knew she had nothingpared to Vincent. Vincent always talked her down whenever she said she wanted to work outside, at least if he didn''t allow her to work within hispany.


    Thus, she moved her interest to being a stay-at-home mom, cooking,undry, taking care of their kid, even acting like a private tutor for Mackie, and managing the expense for the mansion.


    But Vincent never appreciated her and told her that a mere maid could do all her job without a problem.


    Because she was only a stay-at-home mom, a worthless job for a worthless woman.


    "Vernon, you can yell at me whatever you want after this, okay? I¡­ I just need to treat your wounds first¡­." Chloe said weakly as she started bandaging Vernon''s hand with a new bandage.


    "See? You''re acting as if this kind of wound is so serious. Stop acting like a weak littledy!" Vernon yelled.


    ¡­


    Chloe ignored him in the end, which made him feel even moreplicated.


    But in the end, he waited until Chloe finished bandaging his wound.


    "Okay, it''s done," Chloe said. She picked up the first aid kit and said, "Don''t hurt yourself again, okay? Your knuckles need to recover, or it might go bad."


    "And so what if it went bad?"


    "¡­ That''d be painful, and we will have to go to the hospital. Medical expenses are not cheap, you know¡­."

 84 Chapter 84

    "¡­ That''d be painful, and we will have to go to the hospital. Medical expenses are not cheap, you know¡­."


    "Again, with that bullshit, do you think I can''t pay?!" Vernon snarled again. By this time, Chloe should know that he was annoyed with her constantly ying down his achievement.


    He might not be as rich as his big brother yet, but why did she need to keep bringing him down?! What was her intention other than hurting him?!


    ''So it''s justified for me to fight back. You and your scorn towards me, Chloe Gray!''


    ¡­


    Chloe sighed. Vernon didn''t seem to understand what she meant.


    It was actually her method to calm Mackie down when she started to retaliate when she identally injured herself.


    Chloe would try to treat Mackie by herself, so they didn''t need to go to the hospital.


    Because if Vincent got notified, Chloe would be his target for being a bad, stupid, and uncaring mother who let her daughter get injured, even if it was idental.


    So, whenever Mackie got small injuries, she''d treat her daughter by herself, and told Mackie that they couldn''t afford hospital bills, so she shouldn''t be a bad kid.


    Which worked well¡­


    ''Maybe it''s my fault for using that kind of reason towards an adult like Vernon¡­'' Chloe thought.


    Thus, Chloe turned toward Vernon and said, "Well, I''m sorry then. I was just worried about you."


    ''Now you''re worried about me, huh? Are you worried because I can''t afford anything? Worried that a fucking hospital bill will make me go broke?! You''re so fucking narrow-minded!''


    "Leave now! I SAID LEAVE!"


    Chloe jolted slightly, and she quietly retreated and returned downstairs.


    Vernon waited until Chloe left andy on the long sofa, just like he didst night.


    He stared at the ceiling with an empty gaze, trying to process what he had just said.


    Honestly, he regretted many of the things he yelled at Chloe.


    But he just couldn''t hold it. The anger in his heart was like tons of dynamites exploding consecutively.


    She was also the firestarter that made everything worse, making Vernon unable to think straight.


    Vernon raised his bandaged hand and stared at it for a while. Her warm touch still lingered in his hand.


    ¡­


    Vernon wanted to clench his fist again, but he stopped halfway, remembering that his wound was still recovering. If his wound opened again, his sister-inw would have to treat his wounds again.


    He didn''t want that because his heart burned in rage whenever Chloe acted as if she cared for him.


    "You acted kindly and gently to me, but you still scorned me for being lesser than my big brother. Sister-inw, I fucking hate you¡­ and I will make sure to use you when the timees."


    "Stop acting like you care for me. It''s not going to work. Not for the second time."<sub> </sub>


    **


    Meanwhile, Chloe returned to her room and washed her hand. Shey on her bed in a daze. Her tears had dried for so long. She cried too much today, after all.


    But her heart continued to ache¡­


    She was still sad about many things that Vernon said to her. But at the same time, she knew that she expected too much from him.


    "I know that I shouldn''t have overstepped my boundary. After all, he made it clear that I''m nothing but a working employee. Despite using my body for his pleasure and making me act like a housewife again, in the end¡­ I''m nothing but a maid and sex toy for him¡­."


    Chloe was well aware of everything, but maybe it was just her wishful thinking.


    Thought that Vernon would at least treat her more humanely, so she would feelfortable working for him.


    "Ah, I wished too much," Chloe mumbled. "I hope he can find the woman that''s in his heart. So he would feel better and treat his sister-inw more humanely, at least¡­."


    Chloe patted her cheek, trying to give herself a morale boost;


    p "Okay, Chloe, stop being dramatic. You must continue to work and save money for your daughter. Fake it until you make it. Act like there''s nothing wrong between you and Vernon, so it''ll be less awkward. Maybe he will forget this whole thing after a while, right?"</anda>


    **


    Vernon woke up a bitte than usual today. Luckily, he had already moved to his bedroomst night, so he didn''t need to have that embarrassing moment of getting tucked with a nket by Chloe again.


    He rubbed his eyes and stretched on the bed before walking out of his bedroom.


    "UNCLE, YOU WOKE UP LATE!"


    He was surprised by the voice of his niece, Mackie, who ran around his living room while waiting for her Mommy to finish making breakfast.


    Mackie ran around Vernon, standing in a daze, and then grabbed Vernon''s hand with her two small hands, "Uncle, let''s sit at the table! Mommy is almost finished making our breakfast!"


    "Huh¡­"


    Vernon sat beside Mackie at the dining table as usual. He was still trying to process what was happening right now.


    ''It''s¡­ another mundane day with her and her daughter¡­'' Vernon thought.


    He stared at Chloe''s back¡ª she was still busy cooking healthy breakfast for them, and that made him wonder;


    ''Why does she always act like there''s nothing wrong between us? Even after our fightst night, she still cooks and acts like a diligent housewife¡­.''


    ''Even if this is her job, she could just cook and leave the food on the table before returning to her apartment downstairs, right? What is she thinking?''


    "Vernon, do you want to drink your banana-apple smoothie first? I already made two for both of you in the fridge," Chloe said as she continued chopping a few veggies.


    "Me! I want mine, Mommy!" Mackie said. She grabbed her Uncle Vernon''s arm and shook it, "Uncle, Mackie can''t reach the fridge. Please help!"


    "¡­"


    Chloe stopped chopping veggies and said, "It''s okay, Mackie. Don''t ask something your uncle like that. Mommy will bring it for you."

 85 Chapter 85

    "It''s okay, Mackie. Don''t ask something your Uncle like that. Mommy will bring it for you," Chloe said. She was about to walk to the fridge when Vernon suddenly got up and opened the fridge instead.


    He gave Chloe a side nce, "What? Continue cooking."


    "Ah¡ª Y¡ªYes!" Chloe returned to her cooking activity. She thought that Vernon was still angry at her. That was why she tried not to push his button in any way possible.


    But it seemed that he had returned to his cold, unfeeling attitude.


    ''What a weird guy¡­.''


    Vernon put two sses of banana-apple smoothie on the table for himself and Mackie.


    "Uncle, you look so grumpy today," Mackiemented while sipping her smoothie.


    "Hm¡­"


    "Gee, Uncle should smile more! Mommy said that you look handsome when you''re smiling!"


    "Mackie!" Chloe turned around instantly. She stared at her daughter, who was hogging Vernon''s arm while he was unresponsive the whole time.


    She was scared that Vernon might get peeved by Mackie''s overfamiliar attitude, even though she was just a child.


    "M¡ªMackenzie, sit on your chair, don''t make a fuss to Uncle Vernon, okay?"


    "Humm? But Mommy told Mackiest night that Uncle Vernon is not always scary. Mommy said that Uncle Vernon is really handsome when smiling andughing!" Mackie said.


    "Hmm? Is that so?" Vernon shifted his gaze towards Chloe, who was petrified instantly.


    ''Using your daughter to gain sympathy, huh? That''s so low, sister-inw,'' Vernon thought.


    Chloe swallowed her saliva nervously. She started having cold sweat being stared at by Vernon like this.


    She had no bad intention when telling Mackie that her Uncle Vernon wasn''t always scary. Because Chloeined that she ''hated'' her Uncle Vernon because he never seemed to smile orugh, and he was always angry and yelling at her Mommy.


    Chloe knew that wasn''t a good mindset, especially for a little girl like Mackie. Mackie was a feisty, confrontational little girl. She would be in trouble if she suddenly mocked Vernon as intimidating or scary, like a monster.


    So, Chloe told her daughter Uncle Vernon wasn''t always so scary. He would look handsome when he was smiling andughing.


    So, Mackie didn''t need to be scared of hostility around her Uncle.


    But it seemed to have backfired because Vernon continued staring at her with that hostile gaze.


    "Uncle, stop staring at my Mommy like that! You''re scaring her!" Mackie stood on the chair and covered Vernon''s eyes with her two small palms.


    Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly, but he didn''t want to yell in front of her niece. So he grabbed Mackie''s body and forced her to sit on hisp, "Have you not been taught manner by your Mommy? It''s not polite to stand on a chair, sit still and drink your smoothie!"


    "But Uncle also cannot scare Mommy with your eyes! Mackie won''t allow it!" Mackenzie insisted on protecting her Mommy, even if she had to face the big bad wolf in front of her!<sub> </sub>


    "Tch, fine, just sit here and drink your smoothie."


    "Okay!"


    Thus, Chloe saw Mackie sitting on Vernon''s p as they drank their banana-apple smoothies.


    She sighed, full of relief. At least Mackie and Vernon were in a good term. She didn''t care about herself, but as long as Mackie wasfortable around Vernon, everything was alright.


    Chloe served breakfast, and they ate together as three¡ª of course, with her eating only sliced apple and banana for breakfast, even eating this kind of light breakfast already made her feel nauseous.


    After they were done, Mackie and Vernon returned to their respective room and prepared for school and work while Chloe continued cooking for lunch.


    Vernon took a bath as he didn''t take onest night. Under the warm shower, he closed his eyes and felt the water washing out his body, including the fist, whose bandage he unwrapped.


    The wound had been dried, though he still couldn''t use it to punch things for now.


    After he was done, he took the suit from the drawer. It seemed that Chloe had arranged everything yesterday because all his suits were hanging with a nice smell, even the tie had been arranged in the drawer.


    His lips thinned as he noticed the effort that Chloe made. But in the end, he chose to ignore them all and grabbed whatever suit he found best before opening the bedroom door.


    Again, he found Chloe sitting on the sofa with his lunch bag. Chloe turned around once she heard the sound of the door clicking.


    He smiled at Vernon, "This is the lunch bag. I''ve put a small box of dried fruit inside. It would be good as a snack while you''re drinking banana milk."


    Chloe stood up and extended her arm to offer the food to Vernon, thinking that Vernon didn''t want to see her face again, just like yesterday.


    ¡­


    Vernon looked at her and then at the lunch bag before saying, "Why are you giving it to me now? Do you think I''m supposed to reheat it myself?"


    "Ah¡ª Um¡­ I¡ªI thought you wouldn''t."


    "Come to the office. It''s your job to provide lunch for me after all," Vernon replied as he fixed his cuff and tie. "Don''t make me work twice. I''m always busy in the office these days."


    "O¡ªOkay¡­" Chloe agreed. ''Now you want me to go to work and serve this food for you for lunch. I seriously don''t know how to make you satisfied, Vernon.''


    Vernon walked away, leaving first to his office. His mind was muddy since he woke up in the morning, and his heart was heavy with aplicated mood.


    "I can''t go on like this. She is controlling me with her act. Everything she did is just an act, so I can''t fall," Vernon warned himself.


    Then, he remembered the velvet room in his office. It had been a while since he used that room, despite it being the first thing he introduced to Chloe.


    "Oh, that''s right, I can use her to y inside that room. Isn''t that my original intention to use her body only?"

 86 Chapter 86

    "Oh, that''s right, I can use her to y inside that room. Isn''t that my original intention to use her body only?"


    As if he had returned sober, he steeled his might, "Yes, why did I forget about that part of me hiring her? I want to taste her body and fuck her just like I fucked those random women I dated."


    "My first intention is to y with her and ensure she felt being used. I will ditch her once I''m satisfied with her body. The intention is that simple!"


    "Then why did I suddenly forget about all those?" Vernon asked himself.


    Then, the realization dawned upon him once he realized that he didn''t feel like his cold self whenever he was around his sister-inw.


    Of course, there was an obvious reason behind his emotional turmoil. He expected himself to y around her until she came begging, and he would kick her out, showing that she was nothing but a discarded piece, just like how she discarded him.


    But in this current situation, it seemed that his sister-inw had more control over his emotion and turned him into aplete idiot.


    He clenched his jaw and smacked the steering wheel with his palm, "Shit, I got sucked into her emotional game! She yed me with all of her emotional maniptions!"


    "I will show her who controls this cooperation between us. She is nothing but a woman for me to y with!" Vernon said to himself, assuring himself that he was in total control.


    He had faced a lot of women in his life, and he had never failed to be the winner of each bad breakup. So Chloe was no different since she acted just like the other women in his life.


    "She acted exactly like what my big brother said. Why do I need to treat her gently?"


    **


    After Chloe drove Mackie to her school, she drove to Vernon''s office. Chloe''s office job might only be preparing lunch for Vernon.


    But she took the job seriously nheless.


    Ding!


    The executive elevator arrived at the top floor where Vernon''s CEO''s office was. Once the lift door slid open, she met with Diamond, who had just closed Vernon''s office door.


    They stared at each other for a while, and Chloe smiled at her best friend, "Did I miss something yesterday?"


    "OMG, GURL!" Diamond dashed towards Chloe and hugged her tight inside the elevator.


    "W¡ªWhoa¡ª Diamond, we need to get out first. It''s still in the elevator¡­."


    "Oh, I forgot," Diamond separated herself. She and Chloe walked out of the elevator.


    Diamond resumed her tight hug, and Chloe patted Diamond''s shoulder.


    "I don''t know that you can be this clingy, Diamond. Did I miss something yesterday?"


    "I can''t tell you, girl. It''s apany secret. But it sure is crazy," Diamond replied. "I thought I''d be sold to a random handsome but grimy CEO that has a business deal with Mr. Phoenix Gray. I''m d that he is a racist bastard, though. This would be the first time I''m so d that someone is a racist because he didn''t want to do anything with my body because of my skin."<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    ''Sounds like Vincent,'' Chloe said in her heart.


    She knew that Vincent was absolutely racist when it came to skin color. He only treated his non-white business partners with fake hospitality. He scolded Chloe, telling her his mansion would be robbed in the middle of the night if they hired ck or Latina workers.


    ''But I don''t think Vincent and Vernon would work together. They''re estranged, right? Vernon has been away from his family for ten years and never once tried to contact Vincent or me.''


    ¡­


    ''I wonder if Vernon told Vincent about me. Though, I don''t think that so¡­ because if he did, then Vincent would work together with Vernon to make my already miserable life even more miserable.''


    "You can''t say anything about the guest yesterday to me?" Chloe asked.


    "I can''t. I''m so sorry, girl. I don''t want to take the risk," Diamond said. She still felt guilty because she thought Chloe should know about her ex-husband''s whereabouts. She could use this information to dodge him, at least, since Chloe told Diamond before that she didn''t want to meet her ex-husband anymore.


    Chloe sighed, but she understood that Diamond also had her risk while working with Vernon.


    "It''s fine, Diamond. Your safety is still the most important."


    While they were hugging tightly like a pair of care bears, the CEO''s office''s door was opened from inside, and Vernon''s head popped out from the gap. His eyes darkened when he saw Chloe and Diamond hugging tight.


    "Chloe,e to my office in ten minutes," Vernon said.


    Diamond and Chloe quickly separated themselves, and Chloe bowed her head gently, "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Yes, I wille to your office in ten minutes. Do you want me to bring anything? Or do you want me to bring the banana milk from the fridge?"


    "W¡ªWhy would you mention banana milk? Juste in, damn it!" Vernon mmed the door after that. Chloe chuckled lightly;


    "It''s cute that he would get flustered whenever you mentioned his banana milk."


    "Ahh, I wouldn''t call him cute, never," Diamondughed dryly. Of course, because she knew how much of an ass Vernon was, calling him cute had the same equivalent as calling a turd beautiful.


    "That''s because I grew up watching Vernon since he was a kid, around seven years old when I first met him in the Gray mansion," Chloe said, reminiscing about the old past.


    "And he was cute back then?"


    "Oh, very!" Chloe replied with delight as she reminisced about cute little Vernon. "He is still a big brat that throws temper tantrums so often over almost everything."


    "So he been nitpicking even since he was a kid?"


    "Mhm, kind of. He has always been a picky eater, so he would throw a huge tantrum every day if he didn''t find any food he likes."

 87 Chapter 87

    "Mhm, kind of. He has always been a picky eater, so he would throw a huge tantrum every day if he didn''t find any food that he likes," Chloe added.


    "Like salmon or any fishes?"


    "Hmmm¡­ honestly, nobody really knows his pte. His tastes always change every single day, it seems. The number of head chefs resigning from the Gray mansion just because of the stress of coping with the little prince''s demanding tongue pte was too much for them."


    "Wow, imagine resigning from a high-paying job just because of a little devil called Vernon," Diamondmented.


    "Haha! Well, he is still the devil, even now, right?"


    "Yep," Diamond agreed without hesitation. Vernon was an unreasonable devil most of the time, even as an adult.


    Now imagine the little version with little to no reason in his head, creating tantrums everywhere every day¡­


    Diamond shook her head. It wasn''t good for her sanity.


    "I don''t know how could you cope with him when he was a child," Diamond said. "Did you not get the stress as well?"


    "Well, most of the time, Vernon can be absolute hell for everyone. But most of the time, he is very obedient towards me and my ex-husband, his big brother."


    "He was obedient to you before?"


    "Oh yes! He is like a cute little angel in front of me, but I think most of ites because he is often left alone with me to take care of him, haha!" Chloe replied.


    "Like a babysitter?"


    "Yeah, because nobody¡ª I mean, literally nobody can manage to control him. No nanny¡ª no matter how experienced they were could handle him. He is only obedient to his big brother and me. So I took care of him often."


    "Also, I never have any problem cooking for him. He always eats a lot whenever I''m the one who cooks. Maybe that''s why he hired me to be his maid, hahaha¡­."


    ''I don''t think that''s the only reason, though¡­'' Diamond said in her heart, but it wasn''t her right to voice her opinion. Definitely not when it involved Vernon and all the risk ready to gut her.


    ''Besides, you''re literally looking at small Vernon in your rose-tinted sses. He is obviously a hell of a kid to take care of. He deserved a special episode in Super Nanny.''


    The CEO''s office''s door was opened again, and Vernon yelled, "I know you two are talking about me! Sister-inw, what took you so long?!"


    "Ah, I''m sorry! I''lle in!" Chloe said.


    "Hmph!"


    SLAM!


    Chloe and Diamond stared at the office door. They shrugged, "Well, I don''t think there''s any change in him."


    "He did retain a bit of his childlike personality, I guess¡­." Chloe added. ''I mean, he is still an absolute manchild.''


    "I''ll meet him. Maybe he wants to scold me again today," Chloe said.


    Diamond rubbed Chloe''s hand, "Stay strong, sister."<sub> </sub>


    Chloe smiled and bravely walked to the CEO''s office, facing the devil.


    Diamond couldn''t help but feel a little emotional, "She''s so brave despite her situation¡­.''


    **


    Chloe closed the door and walked toward Vernon, reading a document on the long sofa. He fixed his sses and lifted his head, "Have you taken a bath today?"


    "Eh?" Chloe thought that was a weird question. But she had a habit of taking a bath twice daily, every morning and evening, so she nodded. "I took a bath before cooking breakfast today."


    "Hm¡­ good," Vernon observed Chloe''s body from head to toe. He had to admit that his sister-inw had a seductive body. Even though she always covered herself pretty modestly. But when Vernon started imagining her figure, her lovely perky boobs and plump ass like peaches, he got hard easily.


    Chloe also had that hourss figure he likes, though it seemed that she had gotten thinner than before when Vernon was only fifteen years old.


    ''Hmm¡­ I should force her to eat more. I don''t know why she is doing a weird diet. It''s not good if she got too thin,'' Vernon thought.


    Chloe stepped back when she noticed the lecherous leer from Vernon''s hawk-like eyes.


    "W¡ªWhat?"


    The edge of his lips perked up as he saw the nervous expression from his sister-inw, "Why are you nervous? We did it already, right? Well, I''m still kind enough not to put it inside, but you should''ve expected it at this point."


    Chloe instinctively closed the gap between her thighs, "I¡ªI''m not ready for that one since yours is¡­."


    However, Vernon already knew that would be the answer from Chloe. So he signaled with his head, pointing at the wooden door with delicate carving, "Come to the Velvet room. I will y with you today. I''m in the mood."


    Chloe nced at the door, and she gulped. She did it with Vernon once. Even though he didn''t stick it inside, she had to admit that making out with Vernon was different than with Vincent.


    Fucking with Vincent was like a chore that she had to do, and there was no passion in it.


    But with Vernon¡­ everything stemmed from passion, and it was so hot that it might burn their bodies together.


    However, Chloe''s mood was a littleplicated. Because she witnessed Vernon''s mood changes, angry, sad, cold, and horny on the same day. How was she supposed to adapt to his crazy mood swings and still have the urge for sex!?


    "I¡ªI don''t think this is a good time, Vernon. Aren''t you¡­ angry with me?"


    Vernon clicked his tongue, "And what''s that to do with your job? This is your job, remember?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, but¡­"


    "Or you''re not willing because you don''t like doing it with me? Thest time isn''t as good as you expected?"


    "T¡ªThat¡ª"


    Chloe bit her lower lip. Should she admit she liked it because it was her first time ever having a wild make-out session? But a modest woman like her¡ª saying stuff like that was way out of her dictionary!


    "You''re a demanding woman, sister-inw," Vernonmented. He got up and walked toward Chloe. "Fine, I''ll make sure you''ll experience something even better today."

 88 Chapter 88

    [Mature Scene.]


    "You''re a demanding woman, sister-inw," Vernonmented. He got up and walked toward Chloe. "Fine, I''ll make sure you experience something even better today."


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean by that?" Chloe asked. She wasn''t naive. She knew what Vernon meant. She just hoped that Vernon would be more merciful.


    "You know what I want, sister-inw," Vernon said as he stood before her.


    "I don''t have much time. Let''s not waste this with your fake reluctance," Vernon lowered his shoulder, wrapped his arm around Chloe''s waist, and pushed her stomach toy onto his broad shoulder.


    Then, he got up and walked to the velvet room.


    "W¡ªWHA, VERNON! PUT ME DOWN!" Chloe started panicking once she heard the sound of the velvet room opening with Vernon''s fingerprint.


    Vernon kicked the door open and walked in;


    The sweet and slightly spicy scent inside the room wafted under Chloe''s nose instantly. She got a little dizzy just by smelling this for an unknown reason, which made her feel even more alert. Thest time she went in here with Vernon, there was no such sweet-spicy aroma.


    "I¡ªI don''t remember smelling this aroma before¡­." Chloemented. She continued struggling, but Vernon suddenly pped her ass this time until the sound echoed inside the velvet room.


    SLAP!


    "AH!" Chloe screamed reactively. She went silent after that, not because it hurt, but because she was battling against her own pride right now.


    She might not be a domineering woman, but she remembered pping Vernon''s butt when he was a kid. But it was justified by her idea because Vernon intentionally burned her long essay paper assignment with Vincent because she didn''t give him attention for a day. It was also a light p on the butt to show him that everything had a repercussion.


    But now, she felt the same p on the butt¡­


    Vernon raised his brow as he rubbed on Chloe''s ass, who was still hanging on his shoulder, "You went quiet so suddenly. Was it too shocking? I remember that you pped my butt once when I was a kid, sister-inw. I guess it''s a payback, but my payback is 100x worse, HAHA!"


    <o>,m Vernon carelessly threw Chloe''s body onto the velvet bed. The bed was soft and bouncy, and once Chloe''s body bounced, her tits also started jiggling up and down, "Uh! Ouch¡­"</o>


    Vernon allowed Chloe to recover for a moment, he murmured amand, and the google assistant inside the velvet room started ying a song that Chloe had never heard before;


    [Song: Two Feet - I Feel Like I''m Drowning (slowed ver.)]


    It took a while for Chloe to recover, and she sat at the edge of the bed. After she did, Vernon closed the gap between them until he stood right in front of her with his bulging crotch, only two inches away from her face.


    Chloe swallowed her saliva nervously. She looked up and met with Vernon''s devilish smirk.<sub> </sub>


    "I wonder what should I do with you today. Thest time we did it, you werepletely stiff and passive. That''d be boring if we did that again."


    Vernon''s fingers slowly traced from the edge of her eye to her cheek and ended around her chin. He lifted Chloe''s chin with his finger, and that devilish grin grew deeper. He brushed her lips with his thumb andmented, "Maybe we should do something with these pink lips of yours."


    Chloe retreated slightly to separate his fingers on her lips and chin. She looked up at the devil whom she called cute little Vernon when he was a kid;


    Now he acted like a careless devil who didn''t give a shit about the familial bond between them.


    Or maybe, the said familial bond was the only thing she remembered about him.


    Vernon''s smirk faltered. He looked a little pissed when Chloe tried to dodge him. But his smirk appeared again and even more malicious now, "I''ve always wondered what could you do with that small lips of yours. Did you give my big brother a good blowjob with that mouth?"


    "That¡ª" Chloe wanted to say that she had never done something with her mouth. Because Vincent didn''t touch her more than he should. Vincent only told her toy down while he did the missionary position, and that was it. They barely kissed, let alone did something more than two minutes of sex.


    ''But I don''t think Vernon would believe that¡­.'' Chloe thought.


    ¡­


    Vernon got no answer from Chloe, so he assumed that Chloe did everything with Vincent;


    Which was a natural thing to happen because they were husband and wife. But Vernon somehow got even more pissed just thinking about it.


    He clicked his tongue annoyedly, "Well, I want to know your BJ skill, sister-inw. You act so innocently and naive, but I bet you can give a good head, HAHAHA!"


    Vernonughed carelessly as always. He always treated everything like a game, unlike Vincent, who was so cold during sex. Vernon was brash and vulgar, yet¡­ Chloe wouldn''t lie that she felt a little¡­ hot.


    ''Maybe¡­ I want to know how it feels to give a man a blowjob¡­'' Chloe thought. She lowered her head in shame because she noticed her cheeks got hotter.


    "Hm? Why are you looking down like that? Is there something you dislike?" Vernon asked yfully. He pinched Chloe''s chin to ensure she wouldn''t escape him this time. He forced him to look up until their eyes met, and Vernon noticed the ruddy cheeks.


    He chuckled, satisfied, "Look at you, sister-inw. You got shy just thinking about sucking a dick? Now you make me doubt your skill."


    "I¡ªI don''t think I''m good with it¡­." Chloe said truthfully. "Um¡­ this would be my first time trying that¡­."


    Chloe said the only experience she got of giving a good head was when she read a few adult books on her phone. She doubted that the guide written inside that erotica was true.


    Such as... Don''t use teeth, don''t force yourself to swallow everything the first time, and use your hand to y with the base shaft and balls if he was too big.

 89 Chapter 89

    There were a few instructions written inside one erotica that Chloe read, such as¡­ Don''t use teeth, don''t force yourself to swallow everything the first time, and use your hand to y with the base shaft and balls if he was too big.


    ''I don''t know if I can trust that guide inside the erotica. They always make everything so unrealistic¡­'' Chloe pondered.


    But she had no time to ponder more as Vernon got impatient with her.


    "First time giving a head? Oh,e on, even a whore would tell a better lie than that!" Vernon said. " Are you telling me that you were married to my big brother for ten years and had never given him a BJ at least once?!"


    ¡­


    Chloe shook her head, thinking it was necessary to be honest, to keep his expectations low.


    "Tch, lies, as usual," Vernon mumbled.


    Zrrrtt!


    Vernon unbuckled his belt and unzipped his trousers. His big, veiny, mushroom-like dick sprung right in front of Chloe and rested on her face, giving her another day''s shock.


    "I know that you''re lying, sister-inw. Give me a good blow, or I will punish you," Vernonmanded with his overbearing tone.


    "P¡ªPunish?"


    Vernon smiled mysteriously, "Yes, and you will regret it if you keep pretending like an innocent, sweet virgin in front of me. So give me a good head before I lose my patience."


    Chloe gulped. With thatmand, she tried her best to remember all the scenes written inside erotica she read once and started by holding the long and thick shaft of Vernon''s dick with her small hands.


    ''I have to use two hands to fully cover his shaft. It''s too big¡­'' Chloe thought. She naturally had a small body, so she shuddered when she imagined this big thing ramming inside her pussy, ''I might die at that point¡­.''


    Chloe was thinking hard about how to start because the tip was too big. She started by kissing it a few times.


    Vernon took a deep breath to calm himself. He didn''t expect Chloe to start slowly by kissing the tip, ''Fuck, she starts with teasing. And she said she had never given a BJ before? That''s a bull!''


    However, he stayed silent as he wanted to enjoy this.


    There was only the song that yed on repeat as Chloe started focusing on servicing Vernon, putting them both in the mood.


    ~~ You''re a poison, and I know that is the truth


    All my friends think you''re vicious


    And they say you''re suspicious ~~


    "Umh¡­ ah¡­" Chloe continued kissing the tip until she felt that Vernon''s tip got hotter and started visibly throbbing. She looked up to check on Vernon, afraid he might get mad at her for being slow.


    However, Vernon only stared at her in a trance, and once their eyes met, his breath stiffened, and his gaze sharpened, "Who told you to stop? Continue."


    "Y¡ªYes¡­"


    Chloe kissed the tip until it was all wet with her saliva. Then, she started jacking the shaft while her mouth sucking the tip slowly, trying to get used to the size without hitting her teeth.


    ''No teeth, remember that guide, Chloe. No tip,'' Chloe repeated in her head.


    "Fuck¡­" Vernon''s breath got heavier as he saw Chloe start sucking the tip. She didn''t put everything inside her mouth instantly.<sub> </sub>


    Instead, she yed it slow and gave him more teasing by stroking his shaft with her hands while using her tongue to lick his horse eye*.


    [Note: horse eye: the slit/ pee hole of the urethra for men.]


    Vernon clenched his fist so he wouldn''t feel too stimted. This was also a matter of pride for him!


    The song continued ying as Chloe continued with her service;


    ~~ I feel like I''m drowning


    I''m drowning


    You''re holding me down and


    Holding me down¡­ ~~


    "Umhh¡­" Chloe''s warm breath tickled Vernon''s dick as she opened her mouth wider, thinking she was ready to swallow the big tip.


    "Urghh¡­ Fuck¡­" Vernon murmured as Chloe opened her mouth and swallowed the tip. She moved slowly, but she made sure that she didn''t hit the tip with her teeth.


    She continued stroking his shaft while trying to move her head back and forth.


    "Uck¡­ umh¡­ ack¡­."


    Chloe constantly felt that the tip had already hit the depth of her mouth because it was too big, so she could only swallow 1/4 of Vernon''s dick before she felt a little dizzy.


    Though, strangely, it was a lot addicting. She never thought that having this full feeling¡ª getting a dick stuck inside her mouth could feel so good.


    ''It tastes like nothing, a little salty, I guess. But it''s strangely addicting. I don''t know why I want more of this¡­'' Chloe thought. ''I want to swallow more¡­.''


    Vernon saw how Chloe started to swallow until the tip fully fit inside her mouth. Vernon was surprised because he didn''t feel her teeth scratching his dick, which was almost impossible for the first-timer.


    "And you said this is your first time. You''re a bad liar, sister-inw," Vernon chuckled. He gently caressed Chloe''s hair andbed the hair on her forehead behind her ear, "But, I won''t say I dislike this. You''re doing great. Continue," Vernonmanded.


    ~~ You''re killing me slow


    So slow, oh no


    I feel like I''m drowning


    I''m drowning¡­ ~~


    <o>,m Chloe was relieved that Vernon liked her first blowjob and was also quite happy. Maybe it was something that she wanted all along¡­ to get praised for doing something, even if it was a sexual activity that should''ve been taboo.</o>


    Suck¡­ suck¡­ suck¡­


    Chloe''s saliva had already wetted the tip of Vernon''s dick, which was also helped by Vernon, who kept leaking precum inside her mouth. She got even more excited and tried to swallow at least half of his dick to no avail.


    "Heuk¡ªUCK!"


    Chloe retched as she felt the tip start hitting her throat. Vernon wiped the beads of sweat on Chloe''s forehead, "Take it slow, my love. You''re already doing way better than I expected."

 90 Chapter 90

    "Take it slow, my love. You''re already doing way better than I expected," Vernon said while gently wiping the beads of sweat on Chloe''s forehead. Even the air conditioner couldn''t cool down the heat around them.


    Chloe looked up instantly as she was shocked by Vernon, who called her ''my love,'' because it was something definitely impossible toe out of his mouth, at least not for her.


    She saw that Vernon was in a trance for a while. He stared down at her as if he was actually in love, just by looking at his gentle gaze. That gentle gaze gave an illusion that Vernon actually appreciated what she did right now.


    ''Ah, that kind of gentle gaze while he is in a trance¡­.''


    ''Is he thinking about that woman in his dream again?'' Chloe pondered. ''I guess, even if he hates her so much, the trace of love still runs deep inside him.''


    ''What a lucky woman...''


    "Did I tell you to stop?" Vernon asked. "Continue."


    "Sh¡ªsho¡­ wy¡­." Chloe apologized while she still had a big dick inside her mouth, which he thought was funny.


    He chuckled and continuedbing her hair, "Continue, I like it."


    "Mhh¡­ hmhh¡­"


    Suck. Suck. Suck. Suck.


    ? Chloe was a little disappointed that she couldn''t fit at least half of Vernon''s dick inside her mouth. But this was actually her first time giving head, and Vernon seemed to be generally satisfied with her service, which also gave her satisfaction.


    "Ugh... Damn¡­" Vernon clenched his fist, trying his best not to grab Chloe''s head and shove it all inside her mouth like some wild beast. Well, he did that a lot to his previous girls, but not with Chloe because her mouth was small. He didn''t want to hurt her because of that.


    However, her mouth was warm, and her tongue skilfully yed with his horse eye.


    ~~ My life''s okay


    Just when you''re not around me


    My life''s okay¡­


    I feel like I''m drowning


    I''m drowning


    You''re killing me slow


    So slow, oh no¡­ ~~


    Soon, Vernon felt the surgeing from the base of his shaft, working up to his tip. He was close to cumming. He felt it was too quick for him, as he was someone who needed a long roley and blowjob session to cum.


    Yet, when with her, the stimtion was strangely powerful, so powerful that he couldn''t hold back.


    "Open your mouth, now!" Vernon said.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe was surprised, and she was even more surprised when Vernon suddenly grabbed her jaw with one hand and forced her to open her mouth wide. Chloe was forced to release the tip of the big dick she liked, and Vernon pushed her to the bed.


    "Ah!" Chloe winced and closed her eyes reactively. But when she opened her eyes again, she saw Vernon stroking his dick right on top of her and aimed at her face.


    "Urgh, fuck! FUCK!" Vernon stroked harder. He cursed himself for being too stimted, especially when looking at Chloe and her dazed expression.


    She saw that his mushroom tip twitched a few times before he ejacted thick, hot semen strains on her face.


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    "Ah¡ª Mmmph!" Chloe gasped and immediately closed her eyes and mouth when Vernon''s cum identally entered her mouth. The rest of his cum stained her beautiful, ruddy face. Her boobs were rising up and down as she recovered from the shock.


    Meanwhile, Vernon also breathed heavily as he sat beside her on the bed, still with his dick fully erect. Chloe thought Vernon''s dick would turnid after ejacting since she remembered that Vincent''s would stop being erect after two minutes of sex + ejacting session.


    Vernon nced at his sister-inw, who was still in a trance after getting a hot facial on her face. He clenched his fist because his dick got rock hard again, ready for round two after looking at her.


    Vernon got up and zipped his trouser again¡ª with difficulty, of course.


    He nced at his sister-inw for thest time and said, "Clean yourself in the bedroom, and spit the one inside your mouth, don''t swallow my cum¡ª"


    ''Because I don''t know if I can control myself if you did,'' Vernon added in his heart, dared not say it out loud.


    He left the Velvet room and closed the door, leaving Chloe alone.


    Chloe looked at the closed door and slowly swallowed the cum inside her mouth. The taste was a little salty but with a sweet aftertaste, which was pretty weird because it was her first time swallowing it.


    Yet¡­


    "That makes me want more¡­" Chloe murmured. She also dared not to say it out loud in front of Vernon, thinking that would make her look like a real whore.


    Because whenever she asked Vincent if they could do other positions during sex, or at least do a little roley that she found on the inte or erotica, Vincent would ridicule her, calling her out for acting like a whore.


    She hesitated for a moment, but she gave in to the intrusive thought and used her tongue to lick the cum that stained her lips. Again, the salty and sweet aftertaste of thick cum made her feel even more hungry, hungry for more.


    But Chloe shook her head after that, not wanting to be drowned in this desire, "No, no! You can''t do this, Chloe! This isn''t right!"


    Chloe got up from the bed and wobbled to the bedroom. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and realized that Vernon''s cum was so thick that it looked like condensed milk.


    Her intrusive thought told her to lick the cum dripping from her cheek, but she shook her again and quickly washed her face, not wanting to let her urge win this time.


    She washed her face five times to ensure she washed out all the sticky cum on her face.


    After she was done, Chloe checked her wet face in the mirror. The ruddy cheeks still hadn''t disappeared, which scared her, as she didn''t want to be seen as a cheap whore¡­

 91 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 91

    Chloe checked at her wet face in the mirror. The ruddy cheeks still hadn''t disappeared, which scared her, as she didn''t want to be seen as a cheap whore¡­


    "Chloe, Vincent called you a cheap whore just because you asked for a second round after two minutes of sex. He told you that no woman was lusty and disgusting like yourself because of that¡­." Chloe reminded herself, not wanting to give in to the lust inside her body. "You don''t want to be seen as filthy by another man¡ª and that man is the cute little Vernon you cared for, right? So stop asking for more!"


    Chloe pped her cheeks lightly a few times to wake herself up. She fixed her shirt and dried her face with tissues before leaving the Velvet room.


    She saw Vernon sitting in his executive chair while sping his hands on the desk, seemingly in deep thought about something.


    Her cheeks reddened again, thinking about what they had done ten minutes ago.


    Vernon saw Chloe standing awkwardly near the exit door as if she was waiting for the next order. He sped his hands harder and chided, "Why are you standing like an idiot there? Leave!"


    "Y¡ªYes, I''m sorry¡ª" Chloe quickly grabbed the door handle, but before she could open it, Vernon stopped her¡ª


    "Wait!"


    Chloe slowly turned her head towards him, "Y¡ªYes, Vernon?"


    "About things I said in the Velvet room, you know that just bullshit, right? You don''t think I''m in love with you, right?" Vernon asked.


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe smiled at her cute little brother-inw and replied, "Of course not, it''s just a pillow talk, right?"


    Chloe knew Vernon didn''t directly mean those words to her. Maybe he imagined the woman he loved while Chloe gave him a blowjob. Which wasn''t wrong, really¡­


    Because Vernon had no interest in her, it was already lucky that Vernon tolerated her presence in the apartment plus gave her a job that paid so well.


    However, she still thought that the woman in Vernon''s heart was damn lucky because Chloe always thought that Vernon was never a bad kid or adult.


    Just¡­ a little mean¡­ very mean-spirited and emotional, actually.


    ¡­


    Vernon was a little dazed because Chloe replied to it so lightly and carelessly. The veins around his forehead popped, and he mmed the table with his fist.


    BAM!


    "GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!" Vernon yelled so loud and hostile, giving Chloe a mini heart attack.


    She said nothing, quickly opened the door, and left to save herself from his rage.


    She took a deep breath, felt a little weak, and sat on the sofa in a daze. She heard a few things getting kicked and destroyed inside the office for no reason, making her wonder what was happening inside his head.<sub> </sub>


    "Why is he so mad? Did he think about the woman in her dream again?" Chloe asked herself. "I remember that he hates her and loves her simultaneously, wishing they could burn together¡­."


    **


    BAM!


    Vernon smashed the desk with his fist for the second time after Chloe left his office. His knuckle was red, and the mahogany desk had an obvious crack.


    He also didn''t know why he called her ''my love'' when she was servicing him.


    When the realization dawned upon him, he knew that he had made a grave mistake because lust had clouded his judgment.


    He med himself for it, but he also wanted to have thestugh, so he told her that everything he said was all just bullshit, hoping that his sister-inw would look hurt and cry, so he couldugh at her stupidity.


    So she knew that all he wanted was to use her body, there was nothing more than that, and he seeded¡­ somehow¡­


    Vernon wanted his sister-inw to cry full of humiliation, hoping she could die just because she made the mistake of being entangled with him.


    "But what''s with your smile, huh? Why are you smiling like that? And why aren''t you crying?! Why did you take it so lightly? DO YOU THINK THIS IS JUST A JOKE?!" Vernon yelled at the empty chair in front of him, imagining Chloe was sitting there, waiting to be abused, and cried like the stupid gold digger she was, so she could show her true nature as a lowly woman who cared for nothing but money and status!


    ¡­


    Obviously, there was no answer because his sister-inw was outside, with that dumb smile on her face, which infuriated him even more.


    "ARGH! FUCK THIS! SCREW YOU, YOU BI¡ª"


    Again, Vernon stopped right before he could say that word. No matter how angry he was, he just couldn''t say it because he had this subconsciousness nted deep inside him that he should never call his sister-inw ''evil and mean words'' when he was a kid.


    Now it had be a habit, which frustrated him even more.


    Unable to find relief, he got up and started kicking thempstand, followed by the statue, painting, and coffee table. He punched and kicked everything he could see to appease his rage.


    CRASH! CLANK! BAM! SMASH! CLATTER! THUMP!


    "FUCK YOU! I¡ªI MEAN, N¡ªNOT IN A SEXUAL WAY, BUT FUCK YOU!" Vernon yelled as he destroyed everything. He felt even more stupid as his brain automatically imagined his sister-inw''s face and tits while saying ''fuck you'' to appease his anger, which was something he often med her for haunting his dreams.


    Vernon was breathing heavily as he looked around his office. Every piece of furniture he could find had been destroyed, but he still hadn''t lost that dissatisfaction inside his heart. He knew he couldn''t appease this rage unless he destroyed the source, making sure that she suffered.


    "You make me like this, and I will make sure you pay for it, sister-inw!" Vernon said to himself. He was already nning the downfall of his big brother and sister-inw for so long, and he didn''t want everything to be ruined just because he got swept out by desire.

 92 Chapter 92

    "You make me like this, and I will make sure you pay for it, sister-inw!" Vernon said to himself. He was already nning the downfall of his big brother and sister-inw for so long, and he didn''t want everything to be ruined just because he got swept out by desire.


    Malicious ideas swirled inside his head, and an insidious smirk perked on his lips, "I will¡ª"


    Gruuukkk¡­


    However, before he could go on with his n, his stomach started to grumble. He checked his watch and clicked his tongue annoyedly, "Oh,e on! It''s only been half past ten. Why am I hungry already?!"


    Vernon had magically developed a habit after having his breakfast-lunch-dinner prepared daily by a certain woman. His body would react at certain hours, asking to be fed. He was a troublesome picky eater, which made him too dependent on one woman''s homemade food.


    "Fuck, what a killjoy," Vernon murmured. His immersion had been broken as his mind quickly switched to starving mode. He needed to eat something delicious to appease his anger. Then, he could assess the situation and devise a better n to drag his sister-inw to hell.


    Vernon gritted his teeth, "I''ll call my chef to cook something for me. There''s no way I will eat that woman''s cooking, not after she humiliated me like this!" Vernon snarled.


    Gruuukkk¡­


    However, when he imagined the food that his sister-inw made, his stomach grumbled even more, and his picky tongue wanted to taste nothing but her food.


    "Shit¡­" Vernon cursed. He was in a dilemma for a while, but before his stomach was sounded again, he made a quick decision, "Just this time, I''ll enjoy her maid service until my n has been fully set in motion."


    **


    Chloe was sitting stiffly on the sofa outside of Vernon''s office. She was scared when she heard the sound of furniture being destroyed inside the office. She imagined Vernon unleashing his rage as he was thinking about that woman in his heart.


    Chloe should be scared¡ª of course, she was still scared whenever she heard him yelling and smashing something to appease his anger.


    But, she pitied him at the same time.


    She knew how painful it was to love someone so deeply, yet that person betrayed your trust and dragged you down to hell.


    ''I even had a child with that monster¡­'' Chloe thought.


    She always loved Mackie, but at the same time, she couldn''t help to have pain in her heart whenever she saw Mackie smiling at her. Because it always reminded Chloe of the time when Vincent also smiled at her. They were father-daughter, after all, so they had simr facial features.


    Chloe wanted to console Vernon to soothe his pain. She might not be much of a help, but she was willing to listen if it would calm him down.


    ''But I don''t want to get beaten to death by him. He doesn''t seem to tolerate any woman other than this particr girl in his heart,'' Chloe thought, silently burying the urge to soothe her little brother-inw.


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    "Girl, why are you here? Is it done already?"


    Chloe looked up once she heard the voice of Diamond as she walked out of the elevator. She had just finished a few documents works in the other division. She approached Chloe and checked her from head to toe to ensure that Mr. Phoenix Gray didn''t do too much to her or that she might actually throw her hands to protect her homegirl.


    Because physical abuse wasn''t part of the contract, and that was what Diamond held on tight, making sure that Chloe was safe despite having to service that beast as part of her job.


    "Girl, were you hurt?" Diamond asked to make sure.


    "A¡ªAh, not at all¡­." Chloe''s cheeks reddened as she remembered what she did with Vernon inside that Velvet room just now, and she added shyly, "I¡ªI like it, a bit¡­."


    Diamond was relieved, and shemented, "This is not my line to cross, but if he physically hurt you during that, you must tell me, okay?"


    "I¡ªI will, thanks, Diamond¡­."


    Diamond walked to her secretary''s desk and put all the documents on the desk. She sat on her chair andmented lightly, "Well, I expected you to stay much longer with him, probably three hours at least."


    "T¡ªThree hours?!" Chloe gasped as she had never imagined having sex for three hours. The most she could get from Vincent was ten minutes, and eight minutes of those were just himmenting how disgusting her stretch marks were.


    "This is Mr. Phoenix Gray we''re talking about, after all," Diamond shrugged. "I pitied the girls who had sex with him because he is¡­ uh¡­ a marathoner instead of a sprinter, I guess?"


    Chloe was still surprised by the three hours that Diamond mentioned. Because she spent like¡­ thirty minutes ying with Vernon until he ejacted, which was already impressive when youpared it with her ex-husband.


    She was also surprised that Diamond could openly speak about her boss'' sexual activity.


    "Don''t give me that look, girl," Diamond chuckled. "I''ve worked for him for two years, and I''m the one who provided those toys in the velvet room based upon his request, also checking the background of all the women he hooked up with. At some point, I''ve grown numb and adapted part of his devil-may-care attitude."


    "I¡ªI see¡­." Chloe still felt that the boss-secretary rtionship between Vernon and Diamond was too oundish, especially with how abnormal Vernon could be.


    However, Chloe had to thank Diamond because how she reacted to the whole thing eased the tension in Chloe, making her a lot more rxed.


    "Anyway, do you like the Google assistant I just installed inside the Velvet room?" Diamond asked.


    "Google assistant?"


    "Yeah, so you can listen to music while you two are in it," Diamond replied. She leaned on her chair and added, "Geez, I also have to add a stereo speaker and better air conditioner inside that room. He really went all the way."

 93 Chapter 93

    "Geez, I must also add a speaker mounted on the wall and a better air conditioner inside that room. He really went all the way," Diamondmented, which seemed to have turned into venting. "Can you imagine that he also demands me to rece the velvet bedsheet with a customized one to make it softer, recing the light, all the toys, and every little thing¡ª even the frikin toilet paper! How am I supposed to keep up with his stupid demands?!"


    Chloe watched as Diamond''s expression turned from rxed, distraught, annoyed, and ended up looking frustrated. She sympathized with Diamond, but at the same time, Chloe also wondered about something.


    "Diamond, about the stuff you just mentioned. Did he rece everything whenever she got a new woman inside that Velvet room?" Chloe asked.


    Because Chloe thought it would be pretty weird of him to suddenly treat her specially, he even went as far as recing the stuff inside that room.


    ''It just feels so out of character for him,'' Chloe thought. ''After all, he saw me as nothing but a maid, and to relieve his sex drive, that''s it.''


    Diamond''s eyes widened as her body stiffened. She just realized that she spoke way too much because Mr. Phoenix Gray told her not to say anything about the Velvet room because he didn''t want Chloe to have a wrong idea¡ª whatever that idea was.


    ''Oh shit, backtrack¡ª Diamond, backtrack!'' Diamond panicked as she tried her best to form a lie in front of her girl.


    "O¡ªOf course! Do you know the amount of stuff I have to throw away because he keeps changing partners? I also have to check the background of each woman he hooked up with. It''s so exhausting!" Diamond replied, telling half truth, half lie to make it more believable for Chloe.


    She felt a little sorry to lie to her, but at the same time, Mr. Phoenix Gray seemed to be so adamant about not telling Chloe that he ordered Diamond to rece everything inside the Velvet room, something that she thought to be something that shouldn''t matter much for an uncaring man like him.


    "Ah, I see. Well, that''s relieving¡­." Chloe was relieved once she got the answer she wanted from Diamond. Because she didn''t want to be treated special, at least not by Vernon, the young man that she would leave after she got enough money to leave the state with Mackie, starting a new life somewhere.


    She was already tired of men. At least she had no more love to spare after Vincent drained and wasted them all.


    Diamond also observed Chloe''s expression, which was eased after she backtracked, making her wonder what was inside her mind.


    But she couldn''t ask her because the door suddenly mmed open;


    BAM!


    Chloe and Diamond jolted at the same time and looked towards the door. Vernon closed the door and stood straight, ring at them as if he would chew and spit their bones.


    Vernon''s eyes darted at Diamond first, "Go and clean up my office. There''s a bit of a mess there."


    "Yes, Sir," Diamond got up and bowed her head lightly.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe gulped. She wanted to tell Diamond it wasn''t just a ''bit of a mess'' inside Vernon''s office. Since Diamond wasn''t here when Vernon unleashed his rage, she didn''t know the amount of cleanup she had to do once she went in.


    Vernon darted his eyes at Chloe and said, "Bring the lunch box and two small cartons of banana milk. Follow me to my other office on floor 26."


    "Yes, Sir," Chloe got up and grabbed the lunch box and banana milk from the fridge, then she followed Vernon to the elevator. Chloe and Diamond stared full of sympathy at each other until the elevator door closed, leaving Diamond alone in the office.


    "Now, what kind of mess did that guy make?"


    She always knew that Vernon Phoenix Gray was an emotional person. Sometimes when he got a problem in the office, he would break a thing or two inside his office.


    It was troublesome because, besides being a picky eater, Vernon also had a picky taste in art and decoration in his office. He would nitpick about many furniture and artworks that Diamond bought for his office. Hence, she had already calcted many possibilities in her head.


    "Well, I can call a few of those art vendors. I think Mr. Phoenix Gray has been into cubism these days," Diamond said. She walked to the door and pushed it open, expecting one or two broken stuff.


    But when she checked the office, her jaw dropped instantly. Her eyes scanned the whole office and realized that Vernon Phoenix Gray left NOTHING for her to recover.


    He broke everything; paintings, small statues, flower pots, and many small, expensive decorations.


    And if he couldn''t break it, he flipped it over, like overturned coffee table, desk, long sofa, executive chair, even the poor 70" TV mounted on the wall she bought a week ago had been destroyed.


    Diamond''s knees trembled as blood had been drained out of her body. She tried to grab whatever she could find to prop herself up but realized there was nothing she could use as everything had been flipped over.


    Diamond stumbled on her high heels and fell to the ground in not so graceful manner. She looked around for the second time andmented her fate. She started calcting everything, but not for the money since all purchases woulde straight from Vernon''s pocket. But the amount of overtime, negotiation, calls, et cetera for all the furniture and artworks she had to purchase to cater to Vernon''s taste would drain her life for weeks.


    Diamond imagined that jerk''s face since he must''ve enjoyed the service from Chloe and now eating good lunch from a good woman like Chloe. For some reason, Diamond felt that her life was so unfair.


    She gritted her teeth and cursed out loud;


    "THAT PIECE OF DEVIL''S TURD WILL PAY FOR WASTING MY LIFE!"

 94 Chapter 94

    Chloe stood behind Vernon as the executive elevator went down to the designated floor Vernon wanted. There was nothing but choking silence that made her ufortable.


    Chloe nced at Vernon''s back. He was a head and half taller than her and had a broad shoulder that intimidated her a lot. But she thought despite his intimidating stature, Vernon still had a trace of his childhood attitude, especially the bratty side of him¡­ which made him into more of a manchild, really.


    She wanted to say something to break the silence. She opened her mouth a few times but zipped it back right before a sound escaped his lips.


    Vernon clicked his tongue andmented, "If you need something, say it. You''re annoying me."


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe gasped and stammered instantly. She had no idea what to talk about, not after the thing they did together and how Vernon suddenly had a huge outburst without any trigger whatsoever.


    "I¡ªI¡­ um¡­." Chloe was thinking hard to find a topic that wouldn''t anger Vernon. But since she was never good at this kind of small talk, she asked, "D¡ªDo you want your lunch to be warmed first?"


    ¡­


    ''Oh, Chloe, that''s so stupid!'' Chloe med herself for asking the most unnecessary question ever. But that was the only thing in her mind since she was carrying the lunch bag for Vernon.


    She was ready for Vernon to scold her again, so she hunched her back and closed her eyes, waiting for him.


    But there was only silence, followed by him coughing once to alert Chloe about his answer, "I like it warm."


    "Ah¡ª Excuse me?" Chloe asked again. She was a little surprised that Vernon would actually entertain that stupid question.


    "¡­ Warm lunch. There''s a microwave in the pantry. Don''t forget the banana milk," Vernon told her.


    Ding!


    Chloe was stunned when the elevator was suddenly opened, and Vernon walked out of the elevator first. He pointed to the right with his chin, "There''s the pantry. I''ll be waiting in my office."


    Vernon swaggered towards the office, and the staff who were busy with their activities stopped immediately, many of the women were awed by the handsome and young CEO, Vernon Phoenix Gray, but none of them dared to greet him, knowing that he got a temper that nobody wanted to mess with.


    Chloe went to the pantry to prepare for Vernon''s lunch, and a few male staff chatted while making coffee.


    Chloe had minimum contact with men in general since Vincent always told her that no man would tolerate her ugly fat ass. He also called her a whore if she smiled while talking with other men, even if they were rtives.


    So, Chloe lowered her head, passed the male staff, and murmured, "Excuse me¡­."


    The male staff looked at the small, beautifuldy in front of them. They had never seen her before, and two out of three looked at each other, signaling themselves to approach the new staff.


    Chloe was busy unpacking the lunch bag and arranged the food on a te to make it appetizing before putting it inside the microwave. She pressed a few buttons, just enough not to overheat and ruin the taste.<sub> </sub>


    She checked around the pantry to find sses, and when she turned around, she gasped spontaneously.


    Because two male staff were standing behind her the whole time.


    Chloe turned around and took a step back in response as she saw the two men were grinning at her. They were showing their friendly toward her, but their gaze definitely said something else.


    "Hi, are you new here?" one man asked as he opened the conversation. He tried to approach Chloe, but the petite woman said nothing and took another step back.


    "If you''re new here, we can show you around. What division are you in? I never know that we have a beauty in the office."


    Chloe became even more ufortable when the two of them moved toward her. She tried to form a word to reject them both, but she was tongue-tied. She took another step back until her waist hit the corner of the kitchen table.


    The two men nced at each other in tacit understanding. They were confident that at least one of them would be able to score soon. It was pretty rare for them to get a hot woman as a staff, most of the hot ones turned into actresses or singers under Mr. Phoenix Gray''s protection, so they couldn''t do anything with them.


    Well, there was Diamond¡­


    She was really hot and was a model before she worked for Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    But she was fierce and would beat their asses if they dared to touch her, she might look beautiful, but her bitch-p was rather painful.


    However, this new woman looked shy and weak, a good target for them.


    Chloe got scared because they kept staring at her from the neck, despite her wearing a regr modest shirt that showed nothing. She covered her boobs with her hands as she felt exposed and scared right now.


    "Hey, don''t be scared. We''re going to be coworkers, right? Let''s know each other better!"


    "Yep, or if you want, we both can apany you around. As long as Mr. Phoenix Gray didn''t catch us cking a bit, he is really scary despite being younger than me," one man shuddered just thinking about that ruthless devil CEO.


    "Haha, yeah! But he keeps yelling at us if we''re cking, but he fucked many women. I bet his private office is just a huge sex dungeon!"


    The two men wereughing as they ndered Vernon. Chloe¡ª who was scared, suddenly felt a little angry in her heart, knowing that her cute little Vernon had been ndered right in front of her.


    But what they said next was the one who forced a reaction out of her;


    "I bet Diamond stood around naked with him. What can that bimbo do anyway? She acts like she is some kind of smartass! I bet she pouted her ass every day for our CEO to fuck, HAHAHA!"

 95 Chapter 95

    "I bet Diamond stood around naked with him. What can that bimbo do anyway? She acts like she is some kind of smartass! I bet she pouted her ass every day for our CEO to fuck, HAHAHA!"


    Chloe clenched her fist, she might not have many friends, but she already considered Diamond her good friend, her homegirl¡ª as what Diamond usually said to refer to Chloe.


    She would never allow someone to talk shit about her homegirl, so she gathered courage and raised her voice, "T¡ªTake that back!"


    The two men stoppedughing and turned their heads at the petitedy. They raised their brows and taunted her, "What did you say again? I didn''t catch it, sorry."


    "I said, take that back!" Chloe yelled. Since she had raised her voice, she gained even more courage. "Diamond¡ª she is apetent secretary! She has a lot of workloads every day and definitely has no time to hit on a random woman like you two jackasses!"


    The two men were provoked when Chloe called them jackasses. They thought this woman was gentle and shy, their type, because this kind of woman rarely fights back.


    "Well, do you know my position here? I might not be a CEO, but my position is important enough to be your senior, so you better be careful," one of the men stretched his arm, wanting to grab Chloe''s arm to yank her in, and Chloe screamed before he could touch her;


    "DON''T TOUCH ME!"


    **


    He was so hungry he could eat an elephant now. He checked his watch and realized he had waited 20 minutes for his sister-inw toe in with his lunch.


    He knew it was childish and shameful to demand food, but he was hungry. His stomach started grumbling nonstop.


    "Fuck, what took her so long?!" Vernon got up from the chair as he got impatient. He was ready to scold Chloe for taking too long to reheat his lunch. He mmed the door open, alerting all the staff who was busy working.


    They looked at their CEO, and their body tensed immediately. Because Mr. Phoenix Gray''s hawk-like eyes red at everyone around. They felt the air thin as it was difficult to breathe under such intimidation. At this point, even a drop of pencil would be heard within the whole floor.


    While everyone was silent, a shriek followed by a woman yelling from the pantry;


    "DON''T TOUCH ME!"


    Vernon''s eyes darkened, and his pupils thinned once he heard the familiar voice of a womaning from the pantry. He rushed to the pantry to see what was happening.


    There, he saw his sister-inw getting cornered by two men¡ª whom he recognized as his staff.


    The male staff was stunned when Chloe suddenly screamed. He hadn''t even touched her yet!


    He gritted his teeth as he lost his patience with this woman, "You''re seriously pissing me off. Do you want to get fired on your first day!? I can do that if I want to!"


    "Who''s getting fired?"


    The two male staff heard the deep, threatening voice behind them. They turned around in unison and saw their CEO, Vernon Phoenix Gray standing tall. His gaze was already intimidating enough, but the male staff felt they were facing the real devil this time.


    Vernon didn''t really know the real story behind this, but when he saw his sister-inw getting cornered and trembled in fear, his veins popped, and he grabbed the two men''s necks in less than a second.<sub> </sub>


    "ACK!"


    "UCK!"


    Vernon''s movement was so fast that the two male staff had no time to react. They couldn''t breathe because Vernon actually strangled them without mercy. They tried to break free by iling around, and Vernon found these two to be troublesome.


    He lifted both of them until their feet didn''t touch the ground. They were at Mr. Phoenix Gray''s mercy at this point.


    "Ack¡­ Ack¡­"


    "Uck¡­ Uck¡­"


    "You two are brave enough to target another woman, huh?" Vernon taunted. He could hear amotion behind him. At this point, all the staff on this floor must have gathered near the pantry to see what was happening.


    Vernon gave Chloe another nce, and he squeezed his grip around their hands until their body twitched unnaturally.


    He turned around and showed the two men to the other staff. They watched in horror as the two grown adults got strangled while their body lifted by their CEO, Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    "Listen, everyone, I don''t care whatever you''re doing in the office. But I won''t tolerate cking off. Look at these two bastards trying to hit on my second secretary," Vernon said as he looked over his shoulder to check on his sister-inw again. When he saw her pale face, his jaw clenched, and he mmed the two men to the floor.


    "ARGH!"


    "URGH!"


    The two male staff felt so much pain in their back that they thought Mr. Phoenix Gray had broken their ribs and backbone.


    Vernon kicked them in the gut and said, "You two are fired."


    The two male staff were shocked. They looked at their CEO while holding the pain in their body, "B¡ªBoss, w¡ªwe''re division supervisor! Y¡ªYou can''t just fire us like that!"


    "Who said that I can''t?" Vernon chuckled. He kicked them in the chest until their painful scream echoed in the office. "I am the boss here, remember?"


    "W¡ªWe can sue you for attacking us! Your reputation will be ruined if people know about this!"


    Chloe finally snapped out of her daze once she heard the two male staff would sue Vernon for attacking them. She was scared before, but there was no way in hell she would bring a problem to Vernon.


    He was busy with his life, and she didn''t want to be an obstacle to his sessful career.


    Thus, Chloe gently tapped Vernon''s arm with her trembling hand. She wanted to stop Vernon from ruining his career just for a woman like her;


    "V¡ªVernon, I¡­ I am okay. Let them go."

 96 Chapter 96

    "V¡ªVernon, I¡­ I am okay. Let them go."


    Vernon looked over his shoulder, and his anger exploded when he thought that Chloe tried to protect these two bastards even after what they did to him.


    "YOU DUMB WOMAN, GO TO MY OFFICE!"


    The loud, collective gasps were heard when Mr. Phoenix Gray suddenly yelled at this woman he brought. The other staff thought he was protecting her¡ª whom they thought was the current special for Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    Instead, he yelled at her and called her dumb.


    But this was Vernon Phoenix Gray they were talking about. All staff knew that Mr. Phoenix Gray was verypetent in his job. But he was difficult to read and had terrible mood swings, making him prone toshing out at anyone he met.


    Chloe''s back hunched instantly. She lowered her head and looked even more scared than before under Vernon''s wrath.


    This frustrated Vernon even more, and he yelled again, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO TO MY OFFICE!"


    "Y¡ªYes!"


    Chloe ran past him. She gave him thest nce back before entering Vernon''s office on this floor and closed the door. She didn''t know what would Vernon do to those men and what would he do if those men sued her for real.


    ''I hope it''s not too bad. I need to talk to him after this,'' Chloe thought.


    **


    After Chloe left, Vernon stomped on the two men and asked, "So you two want to sue me? I''d like to see you try."


    Vernon''s eyes swiped around the rows of staff watching in fear, "If any of you want to sue me for this, you can try. I''d like to have a little entertainment in between my busy days here."


    Everyone said nothing as they tried to dodge Mr. Phoenix Gray''s eyes when he looked at them one by one. Honestly, they enjoyed their job right now, Mr. Phoenix Gray was apetent boss, and he paid them fairly, even with a bonus when they did a good job.


    So most of them just got used to his crazy behavior and tolerated whatever he was on, as long as they did their job and got paid handsomely.


    Vernon chuckled, "I''ll tell Diamond to promote someone else to rece these two. You guys can sue me if you want. Make sure you prepare a goodwyer, or you''ll experience hell on earth."


    "And all of you, go back to your workspace! It''s not the time for lunch break yet!" he yelled at the other staff, and they scrambled back to their seat, not wanting to get into their Boss'' bad side.


    Vernon was about to leave, but then he smelled the delicious aroma from the microwave. He opened it and salivated when he saw the food that was supposed to be his lunch.


    Vernon picked the te out of the microwave and grabbed two small cartons of banana milk. He tried hiding them from in sight because he was too embarrassed to be shown holding this childish stuff.


    So he put the banana milk in his trouser pocket and rushed to the office, ignoring the two men lying on the floor, grimacing full of pain as he had just got beaten by Mr. Phoenix Gray.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon opened his office door and saw Chloe standing anxiously in the middle of the room. She seemed to be waiting for him.


    "Vernon, I¡ª"


    "Shut up. I need to eat my lunch first!" Vernon interrupted before Chloe could utter her worry.


    She zipped her mouth and watched as Vernon walked to the chair and set up his own mini lunch table, and started eating lunch in silence.


    Chloe stood still, waiting for him until he finished. But he ate quite slowly, savoring the food his sister-inw cooked one by one until he was satisfied.


    He drank thest cartons of banana milk before wiping his lips. He darted his eyes at his sister-inw, who had been standing like an idiot in front of him for a good while.


    He was in a good mood after having his lunch. Maybe he was just so hungry, so he got easily irritable and acted out, "What do you want to say?"


    "Um¡­ Vernon, w¡ªwhat did you do to those men? Are they okay?" Chloe asked carefully.


    Vernon squeezed the empty milk carton as his gaze sharpened towards his sister-inw, "Why did you ask?"


    "I¡ªI just think you shouldn''t hurt them that much¡­."


    "And what makes you think you can control me?" Vernon asked. He was in a good mood for a few seconds before his sister-inw ruined it. This woman always had his way of pissing him off.


    "Do you like those two unremarkable bastards? Seriously? Sister-inw, your taste has degraded so much. You could score my big brother as your husband for ten years, and now you like those¡­ random men you can find on the street?"


    "I¡ªI never¡ª"


    "If you''re that desperate to find another man, I can introduce you to one of my friends," Vernon said ruthlessly. "One of my friends is ten years younger than you. He is 25, single, from generations of a wealthy family, and a CEO who builds his own entertainment empire! Heck, that guy would be much better suited if you want."


    Chloe was a little offended that Vernon would introduce her to another man. She had no more love to spare for another man. She only wanted to be free by herself.


    Besides, that kind of man Vernon mentioned was eerily simr to himself. Which was definitely not suitable for an unassuming woman in her thirties like her.


    That young man would be adventurous, probably a high-ss yboy with many side chicks. She thought Vincent was a serious and stable man in his younger days that wouldmit to one rtionship, but that wasn''t the case.


    Now, she imagined someone with the same power as Vincent, just younger and probably more handsome¡­


    There was no chance a man like him would settle down with her.

 97 Chapter 97

    ''Wait, why am I still thinking about it? I told myself not to fall in love twice,'' Chloe snapped out of her crazy idea. She told herself to wake up because she didn''t live in a novel.


    There was no young CEO with a powerful background that wanted her. It was all nothing but a fairy tale. So she had to wake up and face reality.


    Chloe checked at Vernon, who was irritated, ready tosh out for the second time.


    So she quickly took preventive measures;


    "I¡ªI never said I like them¡­." Chloe replied. "They approached me when I was preparing your lunch. I tried to push them away, but they¡­ they keep pestering me until one of them wanted to touch me."


    "Then what''s with the fuss? I beat them, maybe broke a rib or two. They can go to the hospital for as long as possible since I''ve fired them," Vernon replied.


    Vernon scanned Chloe from head to toe and started scolding her;


    "You''re an idiot, sister-inw. You can scream sooner, so I''ll be notified much faster! Do you not realize how pathetic you look? You''re cowering like a rat in front of those two bastards! Shit, thinking about it makes my blood boil!"


    "A¡ªAre you angry because they''re trying to touch me?" Chloe asked with hesitation. Based on Vernon''s character, he shouldn''t be mad when someone touches her. Since he did the same to her, just with payment.


    Or so she thought¡­


    "What the¡ª" Vernon''s eyes widened for a millisecond before he looked even madder than before. "I don''t fucking care about you! I''m just pissed because you''re like acting like a cornered rat! That''s why I vent out my irritation by beating the shit out of those two!"


    ¡­


    ''That doesn''t make sense¡­'' Chloe started pondering. ''If he is pissed off with me, why would he beat someone else?''


    Chloe had this image that Vernon wouldn''t be someone who hesitated to beat a man or woman as long as he could vent out his anger. So him not unleashing his rage towards Chloe was a little out of his character.


    Vernon sensed that Chloe doubted his reason, so he added, "Don''t think too much about it, sister-inw. I don''t give a damn about you. I bought you with money, and that''s all it will be."


    "I understand," Chloe replied curtly, sensing nothing was wrong with his statement.


    Again, Vernon should be happy that Chloe knew his ce. But he was displeased, "And why are you asking me not to beat them out? Shouldn''t you be thankful instead?"


    "Ah¡ª of course, I''m thankful!" Chloe nodded seriously. "But I don''t want you to get sued. You''ve helped me more than enough. I don''t want to be your burden¡­."


    Vernon went silent instantly. He was ready to yell at her again, but his inting rage popped and disappeared like it never happened in the first ce. He slumped on the executive chair and looked away;


    "Ridiculous, you''re underestimating me, sister-inw," Vernon said. "I am much more capable of taking care of you and your daughter. Let alone handling two nobodies who want to sue me. The only thing they would get is jail time. Law is for the rich to y with."<sub> </sub>


    ''I know that one¡­'' Chloe thought. ''It''s also why I can''t process my divorce paper with Vincent. Because without Vincent''s agreement, he could just twist thew until the judge would dere me as the wrong party during our divorce court.''


    Chloe knew that she was always under the grasp of Vincent. No matter where she goes.


    She could live alone in the middle of nowhere as long as he could get away from him. But she didn''t want to give her daughter to Vincent. That bastard will only corrupt her beloved daughter.''


    "That''s relieving. I don''t want you to get into trouble because of me," Chloe said softly. Vincent always told her that she was a burden. A woman was always a burden for that guy, especially when she was fat, ugly, and undesirable.


    Vernon might also think the same of her. That was why she tried hard not to be a burden more than she was an eyesore.


    "Y¡ªYou''re a promising man. You have a lot of things ahead of you. A setback like getting sued is not good," Chloe said anxiously.


    Vernon stared at Chloe, trying to sense her true intention. He knew that his sister-inw was a snake. She acted like she cared for him, but all she truly cared about was money.


    It was the true nature that Chloe showed to him when he was young. She was willing to y a long game if she got the money she wanted.


    Yet, Vernon wouldn''t lie that Chloe''s acting was top-notch. It almost convinced him.


    Vernon turned around, so he wouldn''t have to see her face, "Stop acting like you''re some kind of pure maiden. I have no problem dealing with them, and I also have no problem with thew. Leave me alone now. You''re irritating me."


    Chloe was a little sad that Vernon called her irritating. But it was given, knowing she was just a ceholder for the woman in his heart.


    "Okay, thank you, Vernon. Can I return to our home instead?" Chloe asked, then she realized her mistake and quickly fixed her question, "I¡ªI mean, can I return to your apartment instead? I haven''t cleaned your bedroom¡­."


    "¡­ You can do whatever."


    Chloe thanked him once more before leaving Vernon''s office.


    Vernon was alone now, sitting in a daze as he clenched the armrest.


    "That woman, she is dangerous," Vernon murmured. "She really knows how to y. No wonder my big brother got hooked until he married her."


    Vernon wouldn''t lie that he got swayed by his sister-inw''s words. Even if he knew that Chloe was a venomous snake, he felt his heart beating faster when she acted caring and attentive towards him.


    Vernon took a deep breath and warned himself, "Pull yourself together, Vernon! That woman is just a pawn for your n! She will seduce anyone remotely rich for money!"

 98 Chapter 98

    Chloe packed the lunch bag and headed to the executive elevator. She lowered her head once she realized that the staff on this floor were looking at her like she was some kind of exotic animal.


    Though their stares were justified, they must''ve wondered about this woman who suddenly worked with Mr. Phoenix Gray without notice, wasn''t as active as Diamond, and wasn''t a popr rising actress like his exes.


    However, she also noticed some of thedies were giving her the side-nce of envy, which Chloe found to be pretty weird.


    ''Well, I''m basically a maid of a manchild with mood swing issue. I don''t think that''s something worth to be envied about,'' Chloe thought. ''He really needs to fix that issue of his. Maybe he broke up with that woman in his heart because he couldn''t control his emotion.''


    Chloe entered the elevator and started reminiscing about the little Vernon that grew up until he was a fifteen years old teenager. That was thest time Chloe saw him for ten years until his return.


    True, little Vernon was a brat who would go on his way to ruin people''s fun just because he didn''t get what he wanted. But he sort of¡­ grew out of it at around fourteen years old.


    ''Well, he was still a brat, but at least he wouldn''t yell at people like this¡­'' Chloe thought. She felt responsible for straightening him up since she was basically his nanny for seven to eight years of Vernon''s life.


    ''But how am I going to lecture him? He is a grown adult and is much more powerful than me. I don''t think scolding him like I did when he was a kid would do anything other than inciting his rage again.''


    Chloe sighed, knowing there was no way out, at least not now. Vernon also seemed to be in a terrible mood for a while, so she nned to make something that he liked when he was a kid¡­ which also happened to be Mackie''s favorite.


    "I''ll make that pie for them. Maybe it''ll help them to feel better," Chloe thought. "Oh, I just remember, I need to grocery shop first."


    **


    Chloe drove to her usual grocery store and started picking Vernon''s favorite stuff. She had vividly memorized the brands that Vernon wanted from what Diamond mentioned.


    "I wonder if he still likes this kind of homemade pie. He must''ve eaten many fancy desserts," Chloe wondered, but she selectively checked the freshness of the bananas before putting them in her shopping cart.


    Chloe crouched as she was busy checking a few items on the lower shelf when she saw the feet of a woman wearing a short skirt standing in front of her. She tapped her feet arrogantly, demanding Chloe to look up.


    And so she did.


    Chloe was stunned when she saw the woman standing before her, "Prisci?"


    Prisci crossed her arms and intentionally puffed out her big tits under that low-neck top. She looked at Chloe in disgust and hostility, "What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be begging for a chance to feed your daughter in the street?"


    Chloe sighed. She got up and busied herself, trying to find the needed product before getting the hell out.


    She had gotten used to ignoring this bitch, because whenever Chloe had a catfight with her, she would always report everything to Vincent. Vincent would always me her, calling her petty for envying a younger woman because she had a better body.<sub> </sub>


    Prisc was annoyed that Chloe would still ignore her despite being the winner of Vincent''s love. She was already hostile towards Chloe for a while because she treated her like the air after some time, so bullying Chloe wouldn''t get the same satisfaction as before.


    "You discarded bitch, don''t you know who are you talking to?"


    ¡­


    There was no reaction from Chloe. She was still busy grocery shopping, treating her like air, which made Prisci even more annoyed.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you bitch!"


    "What do you want?" Chloe finally gave up because she didn''t want Prisci to make a loud fuss in public.


    Prisci was a little surprised that Chloe could respond to her with that kind of displeased tone as if she wasn''t worth her time!


    Obviously, Chloe should be crying right now since Prisci had sessfully stolen her man!


    "What''s with your tone? Do you think you can speak to me like that? You know I will be the new Mrs. Gray, right?"


    "Mhm, congrattions," Chloe responded, and she bagged one bottle of baking powder from the shelf. Still ignoring Prisci, Chloe pushed her shopping cart to continue her grocery shopping.


    But Prisci didn''t want to leave this former Mrs. Gray alone. She stood right in front of the shopping cart, blocking the way for Chloe.


    Chloe frowned, "Move. I don''t want anything to do with you."


    Prisci scoffed, "Oh,e on, don''t act like you don''t feel sad. I bet you''re crying while eating Ben & Jerry''s at night because Vincent chose me, a more beautiful and smarter woman in here~."


    "Well, now you got what you want, right? You can have Vincent all for yourself. I don''t give a crap about that guy anymore," Chloe said nonchntly. Of course, there was a phase where she was heartbroken when Vincent brought Prisci home, she was the first one he brought home, and she brazenly called Chloe fat and old the first day of entering their mansion.


    Prisci was peeved that Chloe didn''t seem to be taking this whole thing seriously. She refused to believe that Chloe had moved on from Vincent. Who would move on from a handsome and capable billionaire like Vincent? Only an idiot like Chloe would file a divorce just because Vincent didn''t pay attention to her. She could just suck all the money out of his unlimited bank ount and live without fear of not having money!


    Prisci should be happy that she had gotten rid of Chloe. She knew that.


    But, there was something that kept bugging her¡­

 99 Chapter 99

    Prisci should be happy that she had gotten rid of Chloe. She knew that.


    But, there was something that kept bugging her¡­


    "I know that you''re texting him every day, right? Did you call him at night to beg that he won''t sign up the divorce paper?" Prisci used.


    Chloe was more disgusted than angry after hearing such an usation because it was both absurd and gross!


    "I am the one who filed for divorce. I''m still waiting for him to sign the paper. Why would I call him at night, begging him not to sign it? Make it make sense!" Chloe denied that ridiculous usation. "Anyway, you''re still with him, right? You should tell him to stop dilly-dallying and sign that paper already!"


    Prisci gritted her teeth, "That''s what I''ve been doing! I keep telling him to sign it, so he can get away from a discarded bitch like you and marry me instead!"


    "So¡­ what''s the problem here?" Chloe asked. Both of them were on the same page, after all.


    "The problem is¡­ he refused to sign it!" Prisci said out loud. She was also frustrated by Vincent, who still hadn''t touched that divorced paper. He could sign it in less than a second, but he didn''t!


    "I know you''ve been begging for him every night, right? That''s why he still hasn''t signed that paper," Prisci said. "Seriously, get off of him. It should be my turn now!"


    ¡­


    Honestly, it was also what made Chloe wonder about Vincent.


    Chloe had already told him that she didn''t need his money. She wouldn''t take a penny as long as she got her freedom because she knew if she took any kind of divorce settlement, he would use that as a tool to control her again.


    But now, they were at a dead end because Vincent refused to even sign that paper.


    Prisci was also disappointed with Vincent because other than refusing to sign that divorce paper, Vincent also reduced the frequency of intimate behavior.


    Usually, Vincent could fuck her at least five times a week. But it had been reduced to twice a week for no reason.


    So Prisci used that Chloe might have been trying to seduce him to win him back and be Mrs. Gray again!


    "Well, it''s not my problem that he hasn''t signed the divorce paper. Try to convince him somehow, and you don''t need to be hostile towards me. You can marry him if you want," Chloe said ruthlessly. But when she tried to pull her shopping cart, Prisci suddenly grabbed the shopping cart, forbidding Chloe to escape her this time.


    "Seriously, Prisci, what do you want from me? Don''t you see that I''m busy?!" Chloe yelled as she started to get frustrated. "Don''t tell me that you''ve been stalking me all this time?"


    "What the¡ª EW, GROSS!" Prisci retorted harshly. "I was told by Vincent to go to this market and something! Why would I stalk walking jello like you?"


    "Then stop with this bullshit and release your grip already!" Chloe yelled again. The more she stayed with this woman, the more annoyed she got, mostly because Prisci always reminded her of her failure to keep her ex-husband in check.<sub> </sub>


    Prisci wanted to bully this woman even more to vent her frustration with Vincent. But she didn''t expect that Chloe would be a lot colder now. She only cried and trembled under Vincent''s gaze most of the time.


    ''Is it because she is away from Vincent, so she is brave enough to talk back to me?!'' Prisci wondered. Chloe knew that Prisci was doing this just to bully her.


    It was always like that for the past four years. She was insulted, sometimes getting physically abused by Prisci. She tried to fight back, but Vincent always told her to stop hitting her secretary because she was a valuable asset to hispany.


    So Chloe allowed this caked witch to bully her.


    But now she dared to walk away from Vincent, so she wouldn''t fear this witch any longer!


    Chloe nced at Prisci''s hands which were gripping the cart tightly. She scoffed, "By the way, I think you should ask your new billionaire husband for a ring because I don''t see any in your hand right now, Mrs. Prisci Gray."


    "You¡ª!"


    Prisci reacted by yanking the shopping cart, trying to somehow make Chloe lose her bnce.


    But Chloe released her grip on the cart right when Prisci yanked it, so Prisci was hit by the cart and lost her bnce.


    "AH!" Prisci fell on her back, followed by the shopping cart overturned and falling on top of her body. "Ouch! Ah! Urgh!"


    Prisci was buried under the grocery, and Chloe shrugged, "Hope we''ll never meet again, Prisci. Go have fun with Vincent. I know that you''re desperate for hismitment."


    ''Which will never happen,'' Chloe thought, knowing well about Vincent''smitment issue.


    "W¡ªWait! Urgh! I will report you to Vincent!"


    "As if that''d work. Vincent and I are through, remember?" Chloe responded nonchntly.


    Prisci struggled to get out of this pile of groceries. But before she could recover, Chloe had already left the grocery store. Perhaps going to another grocery store just to avoid her.


    "Ugh, I should''ve asked her about the man who takes care of her now," Prisciined about the lost chance. She was too focused on bullying Chloe because that middle-aged woman was the source of her problem with Vincent.


    Prisci wanted her to be gone, so Vincent finally stopped dying their marriage, so she could be Mrs. Prisci Gray soon!


    Prisci knew from Vincent that Chloe had sold her body to a rich old man. Because she had paid the expensive tuition fee upfront, it was basically impossible knowing she had been a useless stay-at-home mom for ten years.


    "I bet she is an old man''s pet now. Maybe a man in his 80s. Who else would keep a woman like her anyway?" Prisci said. "I need to report this to Vincent. He needs to know that washed-out bitch seems to live a normal life now. That shouldn''t have happened!"

 100 Chapter 100

    Vincent sat in the backseat of his car as the chauffeur drove to the Gray Mansion. He got a call from his old mother about something unspecified, so he just had to prepare himself.


    Vincent stared at the highway in a daze, thinking about someone, until he felt his phone vibrate.


    Vincent checked the caller and picked it up immediately;


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Vernon?" Vincent asked.


    "Big brother! Where are you now?"


    "Heading to our home," Vincent replied. He smiled as he rxed and leaned on the car seat. "Mom called me about something. But it shouldn''t matter much. The family businesses are doing well as always. Why did you call? Is there any problem?"


    Vincent was ready to help his little brother if needed. Since he knew that Vernon was still inexperienced, he might find a few stumbling blocks on his way to their cooperation.


    "Ouch, I was going to visit yourpany!" Vernon said excitedly.


    "Hm? For what? Is everything alright about your work?"


    "Everything is good, brother. But I need your signature to process our work. Mainly because your name has a lot of power in it, so it''ll be easier for me to do the lobbying with the higher-ups in the entertainment industry," Vernon said, mentioning their cooperation.


    Vincent already guessed what Vernon needed. Vernon was still a Gray in his surname, of course. But he hadn''t been involved with the family for ten years, so he was less knownpared to Vincent, who was basically a household name now.


    Vincent chuckled, "You can ask my secretary in the office."


    "You mean¡­"


    "No, not the condom one. That one is just for fun. I have apetent senior secretary who worked for Dad until he passed away. That secretary knows how to replicate my signature and also has my personal stamp. You can use it for whatever you need," Vincent gave clear instruction to Vernon, thinking it would help his little brother with their small project.


    "Is that really okay, though?" Vernon asked. "I mean, your name is really important, Big brother. If you sign it without reading the documents, you might be in trouble¡­."


    "It''s just for our cooperation, right? It''s still a small scale for now, so I don''t care if you''ve experienced losses," Vincent said kindly. "Just make sure to save yourself first, since yourpany will be the one who got hit the hardest if it fails."


    "Okay¡­"


    Vincent noticed Vernon''s dispirited tone and realized that he might''ve been too harsh on him, "Hey, bud, I trust you with my investment. I was just trying to ease you, so you don''t feel too nervous about it."


    "I know, thank you, brother!" Vernon said. "Ah, how about this? I will let your senior secretary sign it, and I''ll scan and email it for youter, so you can read the document on the phone."


    "Sounds good," Vincent agreed. He liked the way his little brother took everything so seriously."<sub> </sub>


    "Okay, I''ll go to your office now. Talk to youter, brother! Good luck meeting with Mom!"


    "Mm, talk to youter, little bro," Vincent hung up the call first. He felt more refreshed just by talking with his little brother.


    Vincent knew he wasn''t really a good person, but he had cared for his little brother since he was a baby.


    Their parents had always been a wreck of a family, so he was the one who made sure that Vernon was well taken care of.


    ''Until Chloe came to our life¡­.''


    Vincent had to admit that Chloe took care of him a little better, a lot better than he would ever do.


    She acted like a nanny and big sister towards Vernon, even going as far as cuddling him to sleep when Vernon was a kid because Vernon heard the fight between their parents, something that Vincent could never do as he found it to be a sign of weakness of a man.


    It was also one of the main reasons why he married Chloe because she could take care of Vernon attentively. She had a great motherly instinct as her nature.


    ''And I can''t lie that she is a good mother. I never expect Mackie to be so smart and endearing, despite being a girl,'' Vincent thought. ''But, Mackie is an exception that she''s not dumb for being a girl because she has my blood. Not because of Chloe''s nurture and teaching.''


    p Vincent''s expression gradually turned darker as he kept thinking about Chloe, ''That bitch has no gratitude. I picked her up from a slum from her single-mother household, officially married her, and put her in my mansion. What else does she need?''</anda>


    ''Tch, women are so dumb. Just look at her. She got everything, including me. Her status as Mrs. Gray makes every woman in this world jealous. Yet she wasted it.''


    Vincent couldn''t hold his anger as he kept thinking about Chloe. No matter from what angle, Chloe was the one who was wrong in his mind. That was why he wanted her to crawl back to him, admitting her fault for being an ungrateful little whore, and resume her wifely duty.


    ''That bitch, I will make sure that she pays for wasting my time thinking about how to punish her,'' Vincent thought as he clenched his fist.


    "Sir, we''ve arrived," the chauffeur said as he stopped the car right in front of the main door after a long drive from the gate to the mansion.


    Vincent stared at his second home, the Gray Mansion, the mansion where he grew up with Vernon¡ª and partially Chloe as she dated him for eight years before their wedding.


    Vincent saw the old butler walk towards his car and open the door for him. Vincent got out of the car and fixed his cuff and hem.


    The butler bowed his head deep, "Master, Madam Gray has been waiting for you."


    "What does she want?" Vincent asked.


    "Madam doesn''t tell, Master. She just wants you toe."


    "Fine, this better be important because I have lots to do."

 101 Chapter 101

    "Master, Madam Gray has been waiting for you."


    "What does she want?"


    "Madam doesn''t tell, Master. She just wants you toe."


    "Fine, this better be important because I have lots to do."


    Vincent walked through the many corridors, heading to his mother''s room.


    He grew up here and knew every corner of this big mansion. Vincent stopped in front of her mother''s room, and the butler who had been following him for a while knocked on the door and opened it, allowing Vincent to enter.


    Vincent entered, and as he expected, his mother was sitting on a chair with a long gown, a phone in her right hand, and a cigarette in her left. He remembered that his mother had often worn this long gown since he was a kid. She said it was to maintain her figure, so she would quickly notice when she got a little fat.


    "What is it, Mom?" Vincent asked as he approached her and sat on the opposite seat. He rarely got a call from his mother, so he knew it would be important once she told him toe.


    Dorothea put her cigarette in the ashtray and stared at her first son. She sighed and said, "I heard from the maid that worked in your house. Your wife actually left with my favorite granddaughter, right?"


    ¡­


    Vincent didn''t want to confirm it because if he did, he had been defeated by a woman. To be left alone by a dumb woman was a big blow to his pride as a man.


    "Do you know where they are now?" Dorothea asked.


    "Vaguely," Vincent finally replied, but he did it in self-defense, "She suddenly left while filing for divorce, waiting for me to sign it. I know that she is still around New York, but I don''t know her exact location and whom she was entangled with."


    "Can''t you just use our connection to start searching for her? You can call the head of the New York police department and start searching for them. If they need a reason, just say that Chloe ran away with your daughter, and you want to retrieve your daughter at least," Dorothea said,ying a solid n for Vincent. "I don''t care about your wife, but I want my granddaughter back. If she can''t take care of Mackie, I will do it."


    ¡­


    "I can''t believe you hadn''t thought about using this strategy," Dorothea sneered at her son. "You''re the son of Vaughn Gray, right? He will get this idea faster than I ever could."


    "Of course, I have that in my mind, Mom," Vincent sighed. "I already thought about using the police force to search for her."


    "And why don''t you do it already? Why are you so ipetent?"


    Vincent''s gaze darkened as he saw how his mother looked at him so lowly, just because he didn''t do what she thought was right.<sub> </sub>


    "Mom, do you ever leave Dad''s side when he was still alive?"


    "Never, I''m not like your wife, who is just an ungrateful bitch. I''m faithful to him," Dorothea answered with pride.


    "Then Dad never has the same problem as I did because he doesn''t have an ungrateful woman by his side," Vincent tried to defend himself as well. He thought his mother''s scolding was unjustified because he faced a problem that had never happened in the Gray family before.


    "I have to deal with a woman like Chloe, who has no gratitude. I picked her from that slum, gave her all the nice things, but she just ran away," Vincent said.


    Now, Dorothea was the one who went silent. Because Vincent was correct. Vaughn¡ª Dorothea''ste husband, had never experienced the simr problem that Vincent had.


    Because there was never a threat of Dorothea leaving him, even when he was on his deathbed. Dorothea stayed faithful to her husband, despite all of his cheating problems.


    Though, Dorothea never specified whether she was happy or not when Vaughn was still alive. But s, she got his money, wasn''t that the most important thing in life?


    "Why did she leave you again?" Dorothea asked. "Is it because you sleep with a few women outside?"


    "Yes," Vincent replied without hesitation. "Mom, can you believe that? She left me just because I slept with women outside. What kind of unreasonable woman she is? Can''t she tolerate her own husband?"


    "She is not as good as me. I''m faithful to your Dad until his passing, and stay widowed, probably until my death. But, shouldn''t you ount for her upbringing and education?" Dorothea said, reminding Vincent that Chloe wasn''t like them, who were smart and sensible about the world.


    "She grew up in a poor family, and she only had an undergraduate degree. She is never a good woman to marry, to begin with. But you insist on marrying her back then."


    "I know¡­" Vincent nodded. "But it''s not my fault that I saw her as a perfect woman back then. She took care of Vernon!"


    ¡­


    Dorothea went silent again. Because she acknowledged her negligence towards Vernon. She was too busy dealing with her own problem as Vaughn''s cheating worsened in hister years. She spent her time partying and spending all the money her husband gave her aspensation, so she would always go home either drunk or covered with gold, literally.


    As Vaughn''s health constantly declined, so did her attention towards Vernon. She barely checked on her second son and hired at least a dozen nannies to care for him.


    <o>,m Which resigned after a week or two since Vernon was too much to handle for them.</o>


    Dorothea hated admitting that Chloe was the only one Vernon epted as his caretaker. Hence, she was the one present in Vernon''s life for half of his life, growing up from a kid to a teenager.


    "You''re right, Vincent. I epted her into our family because she took care of Vernon. I''ve never liked that lowly woman. She is too dumb to realize that she married the heir of the Gray family."

 102 Chapter 102

    "You''re right, Vincent. I epted her into our family because she took care of Vernon. I''ve never liked that lowly woman. She is too dumb to realize that she married the heir of the Gray family," Dorothea said, acknowledging her defeat as she knew that Chloe was nothing but trouble. "Then, what are you going to do, Vincent? You know you can''t let her free for too long. She will be a bad influence on my granddaughter!"


    "Don''t worry, Mom. I have my own way," Vincent replied. "I know she has been selling her body, probably to a crooked, rich old man in New York. Because she has paid Mackie''s school tuition upfront, she doesn''t have that much money."


    "So she sold her body for money? What a gross woman!" Dorothea reacted strongly, "If she did that, I would never want her to step into the Gray Mansion anymore. That''s disgusting!"


    "You don''t need to think about that, Mom. Once I bring her back into my house, I will ensure she won''t want to show her face in public anymore. She is too dirty of a woman toe to our family gathering," Vincent said.


    "Why don''t you just marry someone else then?" Dorothea asked. Knowing how dirty Chloe was, it was the most logical to divorce her and marry someone else. "If you don''t know which one to marry, I''ll arrange you with some of my friends'' daughters. I''ll make sure they are under 20s, so they''re still young and not saggy like your current wife."


    ¡­


    "You''re not in love with her, right? Vincent, if you love a cheap whore like Chloe, that means you''re stupid," Dorothea said. She thought it was ridiculous for her son to love a whore. "We epted her because you said despite her slum life, she is smart and a caring woman for Vernon and your future child. But now, she brought Mackie with her, even though she works as a high-profile prostitute. She is not a good mother, unlike me."


    ¡­


    Vincent paused for a while, seemingly in deep thought, before answering his Mom''s question, "It''s a matter of pride. I don''t love her, but she is still my official wife. I don''t n on remarrying, knowing that women out there are just like her. I don''t want to take a second failure."


    "Besides, it''s a bad press for Gray Family to have a crumbling marriage," Vincent said.


    Dorothea sighed, but what her son said was true. If Vincent and Chloe were divorced, it would be bad press for them all because Vincent was the heir of the Gray family, the new Master.


    He even had his own PR team to control the news on the inte.


    "Just do what you think necessary, Vincent," Dorothea said. "What kind of n do you have anyway?"


    "Simple," Vincent replied. "I will make sure that she will break as she realized she had no way out other than crawling back to me, her rightful husband. I''ve cut her off from her mother, so she has no way out other than that mysterious man she is with. Once that man kicked her out of his life, she will have nowhere to return."


    "I will put pressure everywhere until she breaks down," Vincent added. "One more thing, I will search for that man who dares to pick her up. That man must be an old millionnaire living in New York. It''d be easy tob through the list and find that guy with my connections. I''ll make sure he suffers."


    "You can do whatever. Just make sure that my granddaughter doesn''t get hurt too much," Dorothea said. "She needs to continue her study. She is a smart girl, unlike her mother."<sub> </sub>


    "Yeah, she reminds me of little Vernon," Vincent smiled, reminiscing about the little brother he raised together with Chloe. Mackie was just as much a brat, stubborn, yet endearing, just like Vernon.


    "Maybe you should give her more money," Dorothea said. "Women love money. As long as you give her a lot, she won''tin."


    "I wish Chloe is more like you, Mom. She is difficult. She doesn''t seem to like everything I gave her," Vincent sighed. "Why can''t she overlook me sleeping with other women just like you did with Dad."


    Dorothea had a trace of sadness on her face, but she covered it quickly and looked away, "Because I know better than her. Money is the most important thing in this world. What''s the use of me caring for the women your Dad brought? I am still the official wife after all, and I get all the money and privileges that none of his bitches had back then."


    p Vincent nodded in full agreement. Chloe was just dumb. That was it.</anda>


    Vincent and Dorothea talked about the businesses and investments that the Gray family made to ensure that everything was well-maintained as always. Vincent answered in full confidence because he was apetent businessman due to histe dad''s teaching.


    "Oh, I almost forgot to mention, Vernon and I are currently working together," Vincent informed her mother.


    "Working together?"


    "Yes, it''s a small project involving ourpanies. Well, it''s small for me. Even the profit earned is so minuscule. But it''s a big project for the current scale of hispany. So he took this very seriously."


    "And what is it about?"


    "A few TV shows and endorsement of some of the products produced by mypany. I also entrusted him with a little money to invest in some of his projects. I want to see how much growth he has after ten years."


    Dorothea felt slightly conflicted when she heard that Vincent and Vernon were working together. Of course, she was happy that Vernon seemed to have opened up to the family again after separating himself for ten years straight.


    Vernon only called her when he needed help, mostly with his university admission back then. He lived off with the money sent by Vincent and Dorothea or just used histe Dad''s unlimited ck card.


    But, even with all that money, Vernon still disappeared for ten years, refusing to even have a normal talk with Dorothea, his own mother.

 103 Chapter 103

    But even with all that money, Vernon still disappeared for ten years, refusing to even have a normal talk with Dorothea, his own mother.


    He was uncontactable until recently, when he was suddenly willing toe to the Gray Mansion for Dorothea''s birthday party.


    ''He''s a handsome man now, bigger than Vincent and Vaughn, but definitely has some of their facial features,'' Dorothea thought as she reminisced the moment her second son met her for the first time after ten years. ''But, I don''t see Vincent and Vaughn deep inside him. Vernon is like a stranger, even for me, his own mother.''


    "I know that he ispetent," Dorothea said. "He built his ownpany from scratch without help from the Gray family. He is talented, just like you and your father. But, is he¡­ trustworthy?"


    Vincent frowned, "What do you mean by that, Mom? Do you not believe your own son? Vernon is your son and my little brother."


    "I know he is my son. I''m unsure that he is the same Vernon," Dorothea replied.


    "And what do you mean by that?"


    "I met him during my birthday party before, and my instinct told me that he is not the same Vernon we once knew," Dorothea said, following her instinct to stay away from her own son to save herself.


    Vincent started to feel annoyed by his mom''s words, "Of course, you don''t feel familiar with him. You''re absent in his life. Don''t you remember that you only hired nannies to take care of him when he was a kid and growing up as a teen?"


    "Yeah, that one is my fault," Dorothea sighed. "I was busy dealing with my problems. Just be careful, I''m telling you because you''re my son and the one who controls the Gray family. I don''t want someone to ruin our big family because I had this dreadful feeling when I met him. He is like the devil that will drag us all down to hell."


    "Enough of that, Mom," Vincent got up from the chair, not wanting to have more discussion that ndered his little brother. "You''re not close with Vernon because you don''t care about him. You let him leave for ten years and never told me his whereabouts. Do you think I have to listen to your usation about him? He is nothing but a hardworking young man."


    Dorothea knew that discussion was out of the picture now. Vincent seemed to be convinced that Vernon could do no wrong.


    But it was just her instinct that told her not to believe in her second son¡­


    "Don''t give him too big of a project. I don''t want to risk anything," Dorothea advised. "You wouldn''t know whether Vernon is nning to take us down or not. It''s better to be safe than sorry."


    "I don''t care about your unfounded fear, Mom. If Vernon ispetent, then I will give him a bigger project. I''m not a greedy man, it''s also his right to get the family wealth, and I will share it with him."


    "But you''re the head of this family. You don''t need to share much."


    "No, he is from a Gray family. He is also my little brother. I will leave now. I don''t think I want to listen to you anymore," Vincent said.


    Vincent opened the door and walked away.<sub> </sub>


    Dorothea stared at her son''s back until he mmed the door. She then looked at the tall window that showed the garden below. Despite having this peaceful moment, many bad thoughts were storming into Dorothea''s brain.


    She lit another cigarette and blew the smoke out of her mouth, "Maybe Vincent is right. It''s all just my unfounded fear because I''ve always been absent in Vernon''s life. I''ve only raised him for the first five years of his life."


    "But my instinct won''t lie. I get this dreadful feeling inside me as if Vernon wants to ruin us all," Dorothea tapped the tip of the cigarette on the ashtray. She nced at the family photo hanging on the wall, Vaughn and herself sitting while Vincent and Vernon stood on each side. Vernon was only seven years old in that picture, and even back then, she still felt the same dreadful feeling as Vernon.


    That kid was never close to anyone except Vincent and Chloe. No matter what people do to try and impress him, he would throw tantrums or ignore thempletely.


    He always felt out of cepared to Vincent, who was tactful and intelligent.


    Dorothea counted all the possibilities that might happen. When a man who was missing for ten years suddenly returned and became close to his big brother, who happened to be the heir of the Gray family, he must have been into something.


    She scoffed mirthlessly;


    "I don''t care whether he is my son or not, but I won''t let anyone destroy everything that I''ve earned. The Gray family will never fall under my care."


    **


    Vincent stormed out of the Gray Mansion in a sour mood. He knew that his mother and Vernon weren''t really close. In fact, Vernon never liked to have dinner together with his parents. He liked having dinner alone or with Vincent or Chloe.


    So, Vincent was surprised that a woman could have his way into Vernon''s tightly closed heart, cooking for him and probably living In the same apartment.


    Vincent never had a bad memory of Vernon, so he was visibly angry when his mother¡ª who never raised Vernon¡ª suddenly used his little brother of a terrible scheme.


    "Mom never knows how difficult it is to raise Vernon. Yet, she had the gut to demonize him," Vincent grumbled as he walked out of the mansion.


    His car was ready right when he left the main door. So Vincent hurriedly entered his car.


    "Where are we going next, Sir?"


    "Just drive first. I want to wind up," Vincent said but changed his mind a minuteter. "Go to the office now. I want to check on something."

 104 Chapter 104

    <h2 style="font-size: 22.4px;">104 Chapter 104


    </h2>


    "Go to the office now. I want to check on something," Vincent said.


    "Sir, if I remember correctly, you don''t have any more meetings in the office, right?"


    "I''m wondering if my little brother is still in my office. So we can have a talk about something. Stop asking questions and go," Vincent ordered again.


    Thus, the chauffeur drove the car out of the main gate of Gray Mansion, and they headed to Vincent''s main office. Vincent didn''t call Vernon to notify him, he just wanted to make sure about something, and he would feel guilty if he called Vernon.


    Because¡­ for some reason, Vincent also wondered if Vernon ever had an idea of ruining them all.


    **


    Vernon arrived right after he got permission from his big brother. He swaggered to the executive elevator and was assisted by the receptionist as Mr. Vincent Gray had already told her to always give ess to Vernon Phoenix Gray to his office.


    Vernon was carrying his briefcase containing the documents that needed to be signed by his big brother. Once the elevator door opened, Vernon saw nobody but a woman in herte 50s sitting at the secretary''s desk. She wore a blue zer and seemed to be busy working on a document and didn''t notice Vernon''s arrival.


    The receptionist wanted to notify the old secretary, but Vernon stopped her, "No need to do that, I''ll do it myself. You''ve assisted me enough."


    Vernon smiled at the receptionist, and thetter blushed instantly. Her heartbeat elerated just looking at the handsome young CEO. His devilish smile grasped her heart, making her feel a little lightheaded.


    "Y¡ªYes, Mr. Phoenix Gray, you can a¡ªalways call me if you¡ª"


    Vernon stepped out of the elevator before the receptionist could finish her sentence, and she went down disappointedly.


    Vernon walked to the secretary''s desk confidently and tapped the desk gently to notify the old woman.


    Maria, the senior secretary of the Gray office, looked up, and her eyes widened instantly. Her mouth gasped, but no words came out of her open mouth.


    "Good afternoon, senior secretary," Vernon smiled again. "I''m here to get the signature from my big brother. I think he should''ve informed you about it."


    Maria was still stunned for a while as she observed the man in front of her.


    Of course, she knew who he was. Even without giving his name, the name of Vernon Phoenix Gray had been the talk of around social media and gossip from her colleagues.


    Maria was stunned because this would be the first time for her to see Vernon up close after ten years. Thest time she met him was during his 15th birthday party before he left to live in Europe for ten years.<sub> </sub>


    ''He''s now grown up to be so big¡­ and scary,'' Maria thought. ''Reminds me of Mr. Vaughn Gray in his prime days.''


    Maria had followed thete Mr. Vaughn Gray since she graduated high school around 19. Mr. Vaughn Gray was still in his prime days of thete twenties and hadn''t married his wife, Mrs. Dorothea Gray.


    Maria vividly remembered how simr he was to Vernon, from how they talked, the smirk, and even their eyes.


    ''Well, Vernon is bigger, has sharper facial features, and is much more intimidating than Mr. Vaughn Gray ever been. But the simrity was there. I wonder if he is just as scheming and hot-blooded as the young Mr. Vaughn Gray,'' Maria thought. As Mr. Vaughn Gray grew older and older, he became more like Vincent. His expression was unreadable. He liked having lots of affairs, was conceited, and basically was a shell of his former self. ''I doubt he remembers me, though. I''m just a random employee of his father, after all.''


    "Hey, hello, Mrs. Secretary?" Vernon tried to snap the woman out of her daze because she kept staring at him with that empty gaze and mouth wide-open.


    Maria snapped out of her daze and got up to greet her, "Yes, Mr. Phoenix Gray, I have been informed by Mr. Vincent Gray about your arrival, and I''ve prepared the stamp for it. Please follow me."


    Vernon followed the old but professional secretary to enter Vincent''s CEO''s office. His big brother said she had worked for the family for the past thirty years, which also exined how she recognized him instantly.


    ''But what''s with that gasp? Why is she acting as if she had seen a ghost? Did she know something?'' Vernon pondered.


    His gaze darkened full of hostility as he sensed this woman wasn''t someone he could fool easily.


    However, he resumed his smile and kind gesture once the old secretary took something from the drawer and turned towards Vernon.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, may I read the document first?" Maria asked.


    "You want to read it? I thought my big brother only told you to replicate his signature and stamp it with the official stamp. I don''t think reading the content of the contract between my brother, and I is your duty as a secretary," Vernon said.


    Maria shook her head firmly," I''m sorry, Mr. Phoenix Gray, but your big brother always told me to check on documents that need to be signed and stamped officially. This is a procedure that I''ve kept since Mr. Vaughn Gray''s era."


    "But my Dad has passed away now. You don''t need to be too strict about it," Vernon continued to argue.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I cannot sign it nor give you the stamp if you don''t allow me to read it first," Maria said firmly, giving no space forpromise.


    Vernon clenched his jaw. Whether intentional or not, Vernon realized this old woman was dangerous to his n. But in the end, he gave in, knowing that he shouldn''t trigger any suspicion, no matter how small it was.


    Vernon sighed and took out a file inside his briefcase, "It''s just a few documents regarding my current project with my big brother. No need to be so guarded."

 105 Chapter 105

    Vernon sighed and took out a file inside his briefcase, "It''s just a few documents regarding my current project with my big brother. No need to be so guarded."


    Vernon handed the file containing the documents that needed to be signed to the old secretary. He seemed annoyed, but not angry, from Maria''s perspective.


    "Thank you, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Maria epted the documents. Then she started skimming through the documents. She had a few suspicions, mostly because she reminisced about Mr. Vaughn Gray in his early days. She assisted him, working as a real secretary for a long time, and she knew how scheming and cunning he could be just to get what he wanted.


    Vernon Phoenix Gray reminded her so much of Mr. Vaughn, so she had to make sure that he didn''t n to do any treacherous thing to the Gray family, especially to his big brother, Vincent Gray.


    After reading everything and ensuring it was safe, she put the document on the table, "I will stamp and sign it now, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I''m sorry for reading the document first," Maria apologized. She found out there was nothing suspicious about the document.


    Vernon snatched the document right after Maria stamped and signed it by replicating Vincent''s signature. He clicked his tongue annoyedly, "Of course, there''s nothing wrong with it. It''s just a project that my brother and I are currently doing. Do you not realize that you''re prying too much?"


    "I thought my big brother said that you''re a professional."


    Vernon tried to break her down just to ensure she wouldn''t pry none of his business. It would be difficult to progress under a tight watch.


    Maria, the old secretary, bowed her head nonchntly, "Pardon me, Mr. Phoenix Gray, but this is the protocol I need to follow to ensure thepany wouldn''t make a mistake."


    Vernon''s expression darkened. This old secretary was annoyingly persistent. It was practically impossible for him to break her.


    "Well, I''ll leave now. I already told my big brother to send the scanned document to his email instead," Vernon said.


    Maria only answered with a nod, waiting for Vernon to leave.


    Vernon stomped his feet as he left his big brother''s office.


    Maria stared at Vernon Phoenix Gray, who left her in Vincent''s office alone. Indeed, she felt guilty because he actually suspected the second son of her boss, who had passed away.


    But she knew Mr. Vaughn Gray too well. He was a man that would crush absolutely anything just to get what he wanted, "But what does he want?" Maria asked herself. "Vernon is already a sessful businessman without the help of his family. Mr. Vincent Gray also often talked about him in generous light, so if Vernon wanted a piece of his inheritance, Vincent would definitely give him without question asked."


    "But what does he really want?" Maria asked again. It might be a gut feeling, but Vernon''s behavior speaks for itself based on her experience working with thete Mr. Vaughn Gray.


    "He is into something¡­." Maria murmured.


    But she couldn''t just use him, not in front of Mr. Vincent Gray. Because Vincent seemed to be so fond of his little brother.


    It also made Maria wonder about something¡­<sub> </sub>


    "Does he want something from his big brother?"


    Maria couldn''t find an answer, nor she could talk about this to Vincent. So the only thing she could do was to watch from the side and hope for the best.


    **


    Vernon kept his leisure smile until he entered his car. He stared at the empty VIP parking lot in front of him, then threw his briefcase to the next seat and mmed the steering wheel to vent his anger.


    He realized that his big brother''s old secretary was much more cautious than he expected.


    Vernon already studied a pattern that his big brother would leave the office at around 3 P.M and would allow his secretary to handle the documents, making it easier for Vernon to get a signature from his big brother''s secretary.


    But Vernon thought the one who would give him a signature was that bimbo secretary that wouldn''t give two shits about the document''s content and just stamped and signed it.


    But turned out that the said secretary was actually a senior that was much more attentive and careful and also worked for histe dad for a long time.


    Vernon checked his briefcase and saw the two files that he had prepared.


    Vernon had a hunch that something would be wrong with his n today. So he prepared two separate documents. One was the normal one that would benefit both parties and had been officially signed by that old secretary just now;


    And the other document was the real one, a document that he truly wanted to be signed. Because there were bits of almost unnoticeable but important parts of the contract that he reworded, making it exponentially beneficial only to one party, which would be himself, Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    "That old secretary read everything very thoroughly as well. Good thing I brought the fake document so she wouldn''t get suspicious and report it to Vincent," Vernon said. He didn''t want to rouse any suspicion, not at this stage when he had prepared everything for at least three years.


    "Now I have to y a long game with him because of that old hag," Vernon grumbled as his n had been hindered by one person. But he was naturally cunning, so he had already formed a second n in his head. No matter what, he had to ensure he got all the trust from his big brother until he lowered his guardpletely and trusted Vernon without question.


    "Then, I can n on doing what I want, including my n with my sister-inw, hehe¡­." Vernon smirked as he imagined everything he would do to his family. He felt no remorse, especially for his estranged mother and brother.


    The only thing that made him feel a little doubtful was Chloe, his sister-inw;


    He felt¡­ a little disturbed with his own n that involved her.


    But Vernon shook his head quickly, dispelling the thought of pitying his sister-inw, "No, that woman doesn''t deserve pity, not after what she did to me, to us."

 106 Chapter 106

    Vincent arrived at the office about two hours after Vernon left. He went up and texted Maria not to leave because he wanted to check on something. He knew it was wrong to be doubtful of his little brother. After all, Vernon never hurt him and didn''t seem to be nning on taking over the Gray family.


    ''Though, if he wants his share, I can split all of my businesses and inheritance with him in half. It''s also his right, after all¡­.''


    Vincent knew everything was alright, and he shouldn''t doubt his little brother. To make it even worse, he was doubtful of him just because his mother said so.


    She was probably thest person you wanted to hear her opinion about Vernon¡ª because Vincent also acknowledged that his mom never truly took care of Vernon after he was around four to five years old.


    Vincent waited until the elevator door slid open, saw Maria standing beside her desk, and bowed respectfully, "Mr. Vincent Gray, do you need me to do anything?"


    "Come to my office," Vincent said. He entered his office room, and Maria followed him from behind.


    Vincent sat on his seat and pulled the drawer open to check on his official stamp.


    He pressed his thumb on the stamp and realized it had been used recently because the ink was still wet.


    "Did my little brothere to the office just now?" Vincent asked.


    "About two hours ago, yes," Maria answered properly. "He came with a document, asking to be stamped and signed with your signature, just like what you texted me before."


    "Hm¡­" Vincent nodded. It was exactly what Vernon told him as well. He just wanted toe here to ask for a signature and stamp for that small project of theirs.


    "Did you read the documents thoroughly?" Vincent asked again.


    "Yes, I read it fast, but I make sure to get every point in that contract that needs to be signed. There is nothing wrong with the contract, Sir. In fact, I feel like Vernon Phoenix Gray is trying to give ourpany more profit with that project," Maria exined. She was an experienced secretary, so she knew how to read fast but thoroughly. She was convinced that Vernon had no ill intention.


    Yet, she also had this expectation that Vernon had a personality simr to Mr. Vaughn Gray in his young and single life.


    So she was expecting something might happen sooner orter in this office and possibly to the whole Gray family.


    "May I know why you need this confirmation, Sir? Is something wrong?" Maria asked, thinking she could give Vincent a hint or two.


    Vincent sighed and tapped the desk with his finger, "I trust my little brother. But there is something in me that start suspecting him. It''s an unfounded suspicion that he might be onto something, possibly nning to ruin the Gray family."


    "So I thought, he must''ve changed one thing or two inside this new contract that would give him a chance to exploit many things using my name," Vincent exined. "But my fear is unfounded. Vernon is taking this small project very seriously, and I''m here using him of scheming against me."


    "About the document. Mr. Phoenix Gray didn''t seem happy about me reading it," Maria said, trying to hint to her boss to stay alert no matter what.


    But after she heard his response, she knew that it was too far gone for Vincent;


    "It''s understandable that he got mad. Because he must''ve felt that I didn''t trust him enough, even telling you to look at the contract thoroughly before giving signature."


    Maria went silent and then bowed her head, "If that''s all that you want, I want to leave now, Mr. Gray."<sub> </sub>


    "Hm, thank you, Maria. You can leave now," Vincent said.


    Vincent got up after a while as well. He wanted to make up for his suspicion towards his little brother but didn''t know how.


    He was returning to the mansion when Vernon sent the scanned copy of the document that was signed by Maria today to his email.


    ¡ª


    Vernon Phoenix Gray: Big brother! Here''s the scanned copy. Check it out, and if you don''t agree with anything, just let me know, and I''ll change it.


    Vernon Phoenix Gray: File sent.


    ¡ª


    Vincent decided to read the document, and once he read everything on his way home. He felt even more ridiculous. Because it was exactly what he expected from his little brother.


    It was honest and very detailed on what he needed and that¡ª Vincent''spany would allow him to use a few resources.


    It was minuscule for his scale. Vernon could just ask this directly to Vincent, and he would basically hand those stuff to Vernon with no question.


    But it was just his cute little brother. Even if he had grown up now, he still maintained his honesty.


    Thus, Vincent decided to call his little brother, and the call was connected after a few beeps;


    ¡ª


    "Hi, big brother! Did you read the file I sent you?" Vernon asked. His tone was excited as always.


    "Yes, I did," Vincent replied. "You don''t need my signature just for these. It''s a resource you can take as long as you ask me for it."


    "But it''s still yourpany''s asset, big brother. I can''t just take it without permission!" Vernon reasoned. "But at least I got the legal permission now. I''ll make sure that our project will be doing great!"


    Vincent smiled bitterly. Vernon was so excited about this, while he was the one who got all suspicious of him without reason.


    "You''re already doing more than what I expected, Vernon. Just continue with the project. I am more than pleased because you have so much dedication."


    "Of course, why would I disappoint my big brother? I''ll make sure to make you proud!" Vernon imed.


    ¡ª


    They discussed a few more things before hanging up the call, and Vincent headed to his house¡ª a mansion where he, Chloe, and their daughter lived for ten years.

 107 Chapter 107

    Vincent headed to his house¡ª a mansion where he, Chloe, and their daughter lived for ten years.


    Vincent''s car entered the garage, and the chauffeur opened the door for him. He went out and walked to the main door.


    When he opened the door, everything was squeaky clean already. Because he hired more maids these days.


    It was previously Chloe''s job to keep the mansion in perfect condition, and she did. Vincent had to admit that Chloe was a really good homemaker. She made sure that everything was under her care. Even the garden facing the master bedroom''s window was arranged in such a way to make it pleasant to look at whenever Vincent woke up in the morning.


    The kitchen, the living room, patio, garden, and even something as unnecessary as bathrooms,undry detergent, and Vincent''s suits that she usually prepared daily. Everything in this mansion was under her care.


    Thus, after she left, Vincent had to do everything by himself before he could find a suitable homemaker for hire. Everything in this mansion felt a little off, empty, soulless, just like another mansion he bought as an investment.


    It didn''t feel like home because the homemaker was missing.


    <o>,m But, Vincent scoffed as he thought it was ridiculous for him to think it was all because of Chloe;</o>


    "She''s just a homemaker. That''s what women do other than spending money, isn''t it? This kind of job can''t even be called a job since it''s so easy, especially with all the money I gave her. If I have more free time, I can do it way better than her," Vincent said. "All I do is hire more maids, gardeners, cooks¡­."


    Vincent shrugged it off and went to his room.


    He was thinking about resting for a while and drinking wine while watching some movies. It was a new hobby for him to chill in his mansion after Chloe left.


    He could always do it when Chloe was around, but he didn''t want to.


    Now he wanted to watch movies in their bedroom every night to spend time idly after Chloe left. He also tried things he didn''t normally do when Chloe was around, which he liked doing rather than hopping from one hotel room to another.


    He did everything and preferred this kind of simple life. But something was missing as he lived alone in this mansion now.


    It was¡­ as if he was craving for something¡­


    Vincent entered the master bedroom, and his mood to watch movies disappeared instantly when he saw a woman lying on the bed¡ª only wearing red lingerie as she yed with her phone until she noticed Vincent, who had juste in.


    Prisci put her phone down and greeted her boss by sitting on her knees and spreading her thighs on the bed to ''greet'' him.


    "Good evening, Mr. Gray. Did you have an exhausting day at work? Want me to help you¡­ ease the tension a bit?" Prisci asked. She leaned forward to show her deep cleavage and tits that had been yed by Vincent way too often.


    Vincent rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue, "What are you doing here, Prisci?"<sub> </sub>


    "I''m doing my job in your bed. What''s wrong with that? We did it often here," Prisci replied, finding nothing was wrong with her seducing Vincent here since he must be tired from long work hours.


    But she got a sour-faced Vincent who didn''t seem to enjoy the view she gave. Even though this lingerie was purchased yesterday, still brand new! He would be the one who got the right to undress her new lingerie, and he didn''t seem excited about it.


    "What''s with your reaction? Don''t you see this is new lingerie? I bought it yesterday to surprise you!" Prisci yelled. She was pissed off because Vincent made her feel unwanted with his nd reaction, even though Prisci knew she was 10/10 SUPER HOT!


    "I''m not interested in your lingerie," Vincent said as he took off his suit and shirt and took a beer inside his mini fridge.


    Prisci pouted, "Vincent, you haven''t fucked me for five days now. What''s wrong with you?! Did you not find me hot anymore?"


    "¡­ I''m not in the mood, just that," Vincent replied. "If your pussy is that itchy, call a gigolo. But you need to go now. Go to your home. I want to spend my time alone."


    "What do you mean to go home? This is my home!" Prisci imed. Since she had kicked that old hag Chloe out of Vincent''s life, she was the rightful new Mrs. Gray!


    "No, you''re not," Vincent sneered. "This is my house, and that''s my bed."


    "It''s also my bed! Vincent, we did it together here often!" Prisci said desperately, thinking there must be something wrong with Vincent because he had been refusing sex with her for five days straight without any clear reason.


    Vincent''s patience started wearing out. He always saw Prisci as a condom¡ª a term he used to describe a woman that he fucked often just to make sure he didn''t catch any STD outside.


    And it was easy to force Prisci to take birth control, ensuring she wouldn''t get pregnant or it''d be a lot messier.


    But he just wasn''t in the mood these days. Too much work to do, and Chloe leaving him while bringing his daughter was something that weighed on his mind.


    "Vincent, did you get bored of me?" Prisci asked. They did it so often that it was obvious that he might be bored with their small roleys here and there. "Just tell me if you have a new kink or something. We can work it out!"


    "I''m just not in the mood," Vincent replied shortly. He sat at the edge of the bed and started checking a few streaming services, ignoring Priscipletely.


    Prisci was still pissed off because she had prepared this for nothing!


    But she saw that Vincentpletely ignored her, so she just sat beside him in bed, thinking it was all he wanted right now.


    But contrary to her belief, Vincent gave her a side eye and asked, "Why are you still on my bed?"

 108 Chapter 108

    "Why are you still on my bed?" Vincent asked.


    "Huh? Of course, I want to apany you to watch any movie. What''s wrong with that?" Prisci asked. This would be the first time Prisci sat on the bed where Chloe usually sat before and watched the movie with him.


    And Vincent didn''t seem to agree. In fact, he seemed to be angry, "I never give you permission to apany me. Leave before I lose my patience."


    Prisci gasped out of shock, "How could you?! You''ve said that kind of thing to me before!"


    "Well, this would be the first time, and you should get used to it. Now leave."


    Prisci was absolutely stunned by Vincent''s harsh words. She had never felt this humiliated and unwanted in her life!


    "Is it because of your fat ex-wife?" Prisci asked.


    "Huh? What are you on about?" Vincent asked back. He was already pissed off because Prisci couldn''t leave him alone, and now she needed to bring Chloe into this argument.


    Prisci crossed his arms and reported what she found today in the grocery store.


    "I met with her today," Prisci said. "Your ex-wife, she is ugly as always, ugh, just thinking about her makes me wanna puke already."


    ¡­


    Seeing that Vincent didn''t respond to her im, she got bold, thinking that Vincent didn''t give a crap about his fat, ugly, and old ex-wife.


    "Do you know, she is shopping grocery and is nning to bake cake or pie because she bought all the ingredients and a banana. Maybe she will bake a banana pie for that greasy old man she''s currently prostituting into?"


    ¡­


    "Hihi, imagine that ugly blob trying to feed a greasy old man with banana pie. Gosh, just imagining it is already so ridiculous. Makes me giggle every time!"


    "Banana pie is my daughter''s favorite," Vincent said. His tone was already displeased enough¡ª if it wasn''t Prisci he was talking about right now, he would''ve kicked this bitch out.


    Prisci gasped. She might hate Chloe so much for being Vincent''s official wife. But she never damned Mackenzie because she knew that Vincent¡ª despite all his cheating towards Chloe, actually loved his cute daughter. He even had his family picture, consisting of Vincent, Chloe, and Mackie, framed in his office.


    Though, he said it was for the image he built for his colleagues at business, to show them that he was a family man.


    But despite that alibi, Prisci often apanied Vincent to a toy store and such because Vincent often bought gifts for his daughter¡­ if he remembered, of course.


    "She is probably baking a pie for my daughter. You''re ndering her," Vincent said, from his tone and expression, Prisci already confirmed that he was really pissed off right now.


    "What''s with your expression? How''d I known what your daughter likes to eat? Besides, I bet she is buying all those stuff with that grimy old man''s money. Ew, imagine feeding your child with money you get from selling your body, so filthy!"


    "Get out now," Vincent had lost his patience, and he grabbed Prisci''s arm.<sub> </sub>


    "Ahh!" Prisci winced in pain as she felt a sharp pain in her harm. Vincent gripped her arm so tightly as he got up and dragged Prisci out of the room.


    "Ah! Vincent¡ª Vincent! Where are you taking me?!" Prisci struggled to release her arm off his grip, but Vincent''s grip was too strong, forcing her to be a ragdoll that Vincent could drag freely.


    They passed the bedroom, kitchen, andrge living room and headed to the main door. Prisci''s eyes widened, "W¡ªWait, you''re seriously going to kick me out? Why? What did I do wrong?!"


    ¡­


    Vincent replied with nothing. He was just pissed off with this unscrupulous woman who acted as if she was the mistress of the house while she was clearly just a condom for Vincent.


    "W¡ªWait, at least let me get dressed first! I''m literally still in my lingerie! You''re not so evil to kick me out naked, right?!"


    ¡­


    "Vincent? VINCENT!"


    "SHUT UP!" Vincent finally snapped. He opened the main door and flung Prisci out of his house.


    "Ah!" Prisci rolled to the floor. She felt her elbow and knee bruised because Vincent flung her with no mercy.


    Vincent went to the living room and took all her stuff, including her shirt and skirt. Then he threw it in front of Prisci''s face.


    Prisci had never seen Vincent acting this cruel¡ª Well, she did. Because Vincent did this a lot to his blobby ex-wife, Chloe. Sometimes, Prisci even participated in bullying Chloe.


    Maybe because of Vincent''s influence, she grew to resent Chloe, who could only cry when Vincent did many horrible things to her. So many that even Prisci had lost count.


    Yet, now she was the one who got this horrible treatment from Vincent, and she didn''t even know the reason!


    "Why are you doing this to me?! Is there another woman? Who is she? Tell me, I will fuck her up!" Prisci yelled desperately in the middle of the night. Fortunately, it was a huge mansion with a big front yard, so nobody heard her except the security guards near the gate.


    "There is no other woman. I''m just tired of listening to you talking. Get lost and let me have a rest tonight," Vincent said nonchntly. The hot eyes that made Prisci fall in love every time they had sex had now turned cold. So cold that she almost couldn''t recognize him anymore.


    Prisci knew there must be another woman in their rtionship. But she was so close with Vincent that she basically followed him every day! She would be the first to know if he was actually cheating.


    Of course, Prisci knew Vincent''s history of cheating with many women, including her. But she was convinced that Vincent was ready to marry her!


    He literally fucked her for four years and allowed Prisci to be his private secretary, even in front of his ex-wife, Chloe.


    ''Wait¡ª Chloe?! That fat, filthy blob?!''

 109 Chapter 109

    ''Wait¡ª Chloe?! That fat, filthy blob?!''


    Prisci was confident that she knew everyone who talked with Vincent for four years. Something that was HER privilege that Chloe didn''t have. Because for some reason, Vincent never wanted Chloe to work with him in the office, even though she offered multiple times, as she had the quality to be a good secretary.


    But Vincent only scoffed at her, calling her a dumb bitch, and working as his secretary required a lot of brain power that she couldn''t do because she was busy crying.


    Prisci took pride in her job as a secretary, as she thought she waspetent and a lot better than Vincent''s wife. It got even better as Vincent took fancy of her and started seducing her before they went all-in.


    Prisci never looked back or regretted doing it with Vincent. After all, this was Vincent Gray. He was handsome, powerful with many connections, and undeniably rich.


    So rich that Prisci could imagine she was showered with money as she became the new Mrs. Gray.


    Since Prisci was his secretary and knew all the women who talked with Vincent. She knew that Vincent hadn''t fucked any woman for four years except her and hadn''t been close with any.


    ''Obviously because I''m an expensivedy. Why''d he fuck another woman when there''s me by his side?''


    The only one who had meaningful contact with Vincent other than her was his ugly ex-wife, Chloe Gray. Despite being a useless bitch, that woman persisted in keeping her marriage and acted as if nothing was wrong in front of her daughter.


    She tried desperately to maintain a good family in front of Mackenzie, even though it was all over.


    Of course, even if Chloe was naturally beautiful, she was still a woman in her thirties, and Vincent disliked her.


    Maybe he could be bored of her as well. Nobody knew, really.


    ''But how could that be?! Vincent wouldn''t like his wife anymore. That''s just stupid after what he had done to her!'' Prisci thought.


    One of the reasons why she also called Chloe a dumb bitch, was because she still tried to be kind towards Vincent, despite being abused like hell for ten years straight. Honestly, it was an achievement to be such a doormat for ten years.


    "Why are you sitting there like an idiot? Go wear your dress and call a taxi," Vincent said as he got even more impatient. He was ready to m the door, but Prisci suddenly asked;


    "It''s not because of her, right?"


    "Why are you still on about it?" Vincent asked back.


    "Vincent is it because of Chloe?! You''re thinking about her after she left?!" Prisci asked without hesitation, thinking there was no woman in Vincent''s current life for the past four years other than Prisci and Chloe.


    "Shut your mouth, don''t mention her name. Thinking about her makes me angry already," Vincent replied harshly. "It has nothing to do with her. That bitch can die getting aids from a random old man she found. I just don''t want you to waste my time. Get lost before I call the cops on you!."<sub> </sub>


    "No, wait¡ª!"


    SLAM!


    Vincent mmed the door on Prisci''s face, shocking her even further, unable to react for at least ten seconds. She gritted her teeth and shook her head, "There must be another woman then. I have a feeling it''s that old hag Chloe, but it''d be so weird if Vincent suddenly likes her again after abusing her for ten years."


    "So who is it? Of course, he wouldn''t just kick me out without reason. He loves me!" Prisci imed.


    But for now, she had no answer, so she could only grumble and wear her skirt and shirt before calling Uber to pick her up.


    She hopped in the uber and took a look from the car as the gate was closed by a security guard.


    Prisci gritted her teeth, ''I''m so close to getting what I wanted, to be Vincent''s official wife. I will not let anyone hinder my n, and I will do anything for it!''


    Vincent was basically her first time and the only man she ever had sex with, and they did it so many times that she got addicted by Vincent. So if she didn''t be Mrs. Gray, everything would be a waste.


    ''I will be Mrs. Gray.''


    **


    Vincent returned to his room. He grabbed his drink and sat on the bed while using the remote to search for a good movie to watch. This was the peace that he wanted, at least for now.


    That woman¡ª Prisci, was such an eyesore for him. He fucked her for four years straight because he had gained more exposure in the media, so it was difficult to have an affair outside.


    Sometimes, those bitches tried to ckmail him for sleeping with them, so he kept Prisci instead.


    "Tch, still, she is just a condom, a bitch for me to fuck for a while," Vernon murmured. He looked up and saw the big framed wedding picture of him and Chloe. There was also a slightly smaller picture on the right side. It was Mackie when she was a baby.


    "Chloe, you''re so dumb. Why are you getting so dramatic just because I fucked Prisci in our bed? This is just a bed after all," Vincent said as he stared at Chloe in the picture.


    Chloe was wearing her wedding dress. Vincent wouldn''t lie that Chloe was exceptionally beautiful in that picture. She had a natural hourss body and a sweet smile, and her brown hair was still waist-length.


    However, the more that woman with a sweet wedding dress smiled at him, the more he felt pain in his chest. Because Vincent started imagining Chloe crying in the picture¡ª an emotion Chloe showed in front of him almost every day after they got married.


    "Dumb bitch, you have no gratitude towards me at all," Vincent said. He drank the wine straight from the bottle to drown his confused mind and heart, then spent his night alone as he decided to sleep early today, ignoring all the problems.

 110 Chapter 110

    Vernon returned to his office in a grumpy mood. He was pissed off because he had to rethink his n before taking down his big brother. Something that he expected to be a quick but painful loss for his big brother turned into a long game.


    Vernon had never been the patient man. If he wanted to do something, he would do it right on the spot.


    If he wanted something, he would do anything with his power and life to get what he wanted.


    And if he wanted to avenge an old grudge¡­ he would give the worst that someone could ever imagine.


    Vernon was ready to snap at anyone¡ª fortunately, Diamond was absent when he returned to the office after getting the signature from his big brother''s old secretary. She was busy contacting all the art vendors outside because her boss had literally destroyed everything in his office.


    Vernon looked around in his office. The janitors had cleaned all the mess he made while venting his anger. But now, he was angry again and wanted to vent. But he couldn''t do anything now because the only thing that survived was his desk¡ª even that had an obvious crack on the mahogany desk because he punched it.


    "FUCK!" Vernon cursed. He kicked the door as he got even more pissed now.


    He didn''t want to bring his rage to the apartment. Since his little niece, Mackie, was already home by this hour. If he couldn''t control his anger, he might snap and scream at his sister-inw until she cried like before, and Chloe was notorious for inciting his rage. That woman might have dedicated her life to making Vernon have a shorter lifespan because of high blood pressure.


    No, he didn''t care about his sister-inw, but he did care about his niece. After all, he didn''t want to be responsible for giving a trauma to a little girl. He wasn''t that horrible.


    Vernon had no ce to vent his anger, and he also had no mood to go elsewhere. He just wanted to go home now.


    "If I went home and that woman is making me angry again, I''ll fucking blow up the whole apartment," Vernon said. He stopped at the parking lot and went up to his private elevator to his penthouse.


    He stood in front of the penthouse''s main door. He took a deep breath to ensure he didn''t suddenlysh out at Chloe or Mackie. After all, this was the least he could do to hold his anger.


    Vernon pushed the door open, stunned by the view in front of him.


    He saw the TV in the living room was on, something that hadn''t happened for so long. Because Vernon was always busy, this penthouse was mostly empty since he only camete at night after work and passed out tired on the couch.


    Vernon allowed some of his colleagues to use his penthouse to make it look less empty.


    However, the TV was currently on, and a little girl was sitting on the expensive carpet he bought at an auction, watching the TV while eating something from arge te messily.


    So messy that she might have stained the expensive carpet with her food.


    The little girl was absorbed watching a cartoon, but it didn''t seem to be a recent one.


    Vernon nced at the show yed on TV and was even more surprised. Because it was his favorite show when he was a kid, too, Spongebob Squarepants.


    Vernon approached Mackie, who didn''t notice his presence. He checked the food that she was eating. The sweet scent tickled his nose, and he also realized an even stronger sweet scent from the kitchen.<sub> </sub>


    He recognized what Mackie was eating just from the scent, but after he saw the appearance of the food, he was 100% convinced this was a whole banana cream pie made by his sister-inw.


    How''d he know?


    Well¡­


    Because Chloe made this for him as a reward whenever he did something admirable when he was a kid, mostly by doing chores or homework.


    He found those chores and homework to be so tedious. But he did it anyway because the banana cream pie made by his sister-inw was the best in the world.


    Even after he grew up and became a teenager, he still asked for banana cream pie whenever he did something great.


    The banana cream pie was one of many favorite foods for Vernon. Though, he wouldn''t lie that all of his favorite foods stemmed from Chloe, who cooked him many things when she was practically his caretaker and big sister figure.


    ¡­


    Vernon watched Mackie, busy munching the whole big banana pie without a break whileughing at Spongebob.


    He crouched and asked, "Why are you taking my banana pie?"


    "Wuh¡ª?"


    Mackie turned to the left and saw her uncle crouching in front of her. She reacted by grabbing her banana cream pie and hiding it behind her body, "Uncle, this is Mackie''s banana pie! I won''t share it with you!"


    "You little fox thief! Your mother must''ve made that banana cream pie for me! Don''t you know that a thief will be punished for stealing?"


    "Mackie is not stealing! This is Mackie''s banana cream pie! I scored A+ on the math test today!" Mackie imed.


    Vernon still couldn''t believe that. "Give me back my banana cream pie, or I will eat your Mom tonight!"


    "Whaaaa! That''s not fair! Uncle always said you will eat Mommy! Mackie can''t refuse if you want to hurt Mommy!"


    Chloe heard amotion in the living room of the penthouse. She had just finished making the banana cream pie for Vernon. When she heard the voice of Vernon and Mackie, she quickly put the banana cream pie on arge te, ready to serve it to the devil CEO.


    "Vernon, did Mackie do something wrong?" Chloe asked as she saw Vernon and Mackie were arguing (again). It seemed these two would always be inpetition with each other.

 111 Chapter 111

    "Vernon, did Mackie do something wrong?"


    Vernon and Mackie stopped arguing for a second and looked at Chloe simultaneously.


    Mackie was the first one to report on what happened, "Mommy! Uncle Vernon wants to rob my banana cream pie! He said he would eat Mommy if I didn''t give my pie!"


    "What the¡ª rob?! I was trying to take my rightful pie!" Vernon insisted, thinking it was his pie to begin with. Mackie was stealing it from the fridge¡ª he did that once¡­ or twice¡­ whenever his sister-inw cooked an extra and put it in the fridge when he was a kid.


    He would sneak in the middle of the night to steal it and eat whatever was in his room.


    So he expected Mackie to do the same.


    "Ah, yup, that one is for Mackie. She scored perfect on her math test, so I want to give her something to reward her," Chloe confirmed, not wanting to let long bickering between these kids. It was funny to hear them bickering and arguing the smallest thing possible.


    Mackie and Vernon looked at each other, and the little girl stuck her tongue out, "BWEEEE!"


    "Hmph!" Vernon tried to ignore this little devil who dared to mock him. "And you gave her Banana cream pie as a reward?" Vernon asked, still couldn''t ept that Mackie got special treatment.


    "Mhm, she really likes banana cream pie," Chloe smiled at him. "Her taste is very simr to you when you''re a kid. So I thought you might like to have a banana pie as well. This will be my thanks for saving me before."


    Chloe showed the banana pie that she had just made. It was still fresh and definitely delicious. It had been more than ten years since he tasted the banana cream pie made by his sister-inw.


    "Do you want it? If you don''t want it, I can just give it to Mackie¡ª"


    "Who said I don''t want it?" Vernon got up and walked toward Chloe. He carefully grabbed therge te from Chloe, intending to dig the whole thing all by himself, just like he did when he was a kid. Though, it seemed that his habit had been inherited by his little niece.


    Chloe smiled, "Then I''ll bring two sses of water for you two. You can sit beside Mackie, okay?"


    "What the¡ª you''re telling me to watch Spongebob while eating this banana cream pie? What do you think I am? A little kid?!"


    "Uncle, don''t raise your voice to Mommy!" Mackie protested.


    "Ugh!" Vernon was frustrated but was nowhere near angry. For whatever reason, his anger just disappeared right when he opened the penthouse door.


    Maybe it was because of Mackie, who sat and watched Spongebob, maybe because the pie was delicious, or maybe because of her¡­


    Chloe was more rxed now because Vernon didn''t seem to be in a bad mood. He was grumpy as always, but it was almost like a second trait for him.


    She also sensed no hostility from him. She was still unable to predict the crazy mood swing that Vernon had, but s, she was assured that Vernon wouldn''t yell at her or destroy things anymore.<sub> </sub>


    Thus, Chloe smiled at him again and patted his chest since he was too tall for her to pat his head, "Go sit with Mackie, okay?"


    Vernon red at Chloe, who dared to touch his chest with her warm palm and ordered him around, "Who are you trying to order me? I''m the one who hired you, and I will do whatever I want! I''m not a kid anymore!"


    Chloe ignored his anger because she knew that Vernon wasn''t truly mad.


    How''d she known?


    Because her palm was on his chest, she felt that Vernon''s heartbeat was long and steady, signaling that he was actually in a good mood. Despite being hostile as always, Vernon''s expression had a slight (almost unnoticeable) tint of red on his cheeks.


    She tiptoed to the right to see what Mackie was watching right now, "Ah, it''s an old Spongebob episode. Don''t you like Spongebob when you were young?"


    "I''m not a kid anymore¡­." Vernon replied, but his response wasn''t hostile this time, especially with Chloe''s palm on his chest. It made him feelfortable and improved his mood with a single touch.


    "Well, that means your taste has changed as well, right? I''ll make you something else then, give me back the banana cream pie, and I''ll make you a¡­ cup of coffee. You can drink it while you''re working, right?"


    ¡­


    Vernon said nothing but turned around and walked toward his little niece.


    He put therge te on the carpet and took off his suit and shoes.


    He sat cross-legged beside Mackie, who ignored him and resumed munching her banana pie while watching Spongebob on the TV.


    He clicked his tongue, feeling that he had been humiliated by his sister-inw because he couldn''t control his urge not to eat this banana pie. So she dared to order him around, even though he was the one who hired her to work as a maid.


    Though, he thought it was quite justified since he knew exactly how delicious this homemade banana cream pie was.


    Vernon nced at Mackie, who had just used a stic spoon to stab the banana cream pie, and started eating by scooping the cream first and using her left hand to break the crust and started eating it.


    It was messy and childish, exactly how Vernon ate it when he was a kid.


    Vernon scoffed, ''What a kid. I don''t do that anymore, thankfully.''


    Vernon wanted to eat the banana cream pie per slice like normal people. But when he realized that his sister-inw didn''t cut the crust first and how she prepared a bigger spoon, it was already proof that she expected him to eat like he was a kid.


    "Ah, screw this!" Vernon was already hungry. He had no patience to wait for Chloe to cake the pie for him. So he resumed the old way and started digging the banana and cream with a spoon and breaking the crust to dip it in the cream.

 112 Chapter 112

    Vernon closed his eyes as he savored the first taste of banana cream pie.


    Vernon was annoyed that his sister-inw still treated him like a kid, even though he was already a 25-year-old, CEO of a skyrocketingpany, and a heartthrob in the entertainment industry.


    Now he sat beside a little girl on a carpet, eating banana cream pie while watching Spongebob. It was so ridiculous that Vernon thought he was dreaming right now.


    Yet, when he scooped the cream, he instantly reminisced about his time when he was a kid. Something that he treasured deep in his heart.


    What made him even more surprised was the fact that his rage deted as if it had never appeared in the first ce.


    Vernon felt it was so strange, but he wouldn''t lie that he was relieved his rage had dissipated. It wasn''t fun to hold on to so much anger and have to vent every day.


    Vernon and Mackie watched Spongebob andughed simultaneously when something funny popped out, "Hahaha! Poor Squidward!"


    ¡ª


    Vernon and Mackie realized they wereughing and simultaneouslymented the same thing. They red at each other and looked away to other sides.


    "Uncle, stop following Mackie!"


    "You''re the little one here. Stop copying me!"


    Chloe chuckled and sat beside them with two sses of water. She put it on the table, "Don''t forget to drink water and eat slowly, okay?"


    Mackie and Vernon looked at the drink on the table andined;


    "You only give us a ss of water?"


    "Mommy, I want milk!"


    Chloe shook her head firmly, "That cannot do. You guys are already eating a sweet pie. It''s not good to eat too much sugar."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon and Mackie had to ept because what Chloe said made sense.


    "You guys have fun, okay? I''ll wash the dishes first," Chloe said. But before she could get up, Mackie held her hand and said, "Mommy, sit with us here! Let''s watch Spongebob and eat banana pie together!"


    "A¡ªAh, I need to do something¡ª"


    "Sit," Vernon instructed firmly. Chloe nced at him, and realized that Vernon was serious for some reason, so she couldn''t refuse and sat between these two.


    Mackie and Vernon continued watching, but they scooped their banana cream with their spoon and offered it to Chloe;


    "Mommy, have some!"


    "M¡ªMommy can''t eat sweet¡­." Chloe refused. Just looking at the banana cream already made her nauseous. Because of her eating disorder, she would never eat anything sweet.


    She didn''t have any health problems like diabetes. But when she imagined something so rich in fat or sugar went down in her throat, she''d automatically get the sudden urge to puke her guts out.


    Vernon was annoyed by Chloe, who would refuse literally anything they offered. This had happened a lot of times. She ate only fruits and in bread or berries most of the time. She ate like a caveman!<sub> </sub>


    "You can''t leave if you haven''t eaten this pie," Vernon said. "At least one spoon."


    "Ah, just a little¡ª"


    Vernon scooped a big spoonful of cream from his pie and offered it to Chloe, "Eat this. It''s just one spoon."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and she felt a little weak, imagining all the puking she''d have after eating that.


    She nced at Mackie, thinking that Mackie would say something to save her. But it seemed that Mackie agreed with her evil uncle because Mackie said nothing and continued eating her banana cream pie.


    Chloe gulped nervously. Under Vernon''s hostile gaze, she finally opened her mouth and ate a spoonful of banana cream.


    She swallowed the food with difficulty, imagining that all the sugar that went down her throat had already upset her stomach.


    Vernon watched his sister-inw''s expression turn pale and greenish in just a minute. He asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "N¡ªNothing''s wrong. Can I leave now?" Chloe asked.


    Vernon had no right to hold her since she had eaten the spoonful of cream he requested.


    Thus he nodded as a response.


    "Thank you, please excuse me," Chloe got up and rushed to the kitchen and then to the toilet.


    She puked everything on the sink, feeling weak as she couldn''t stop retching whenever she imagined the sweets.


    She wanted to refuse but didn''t want to be the party pooper for Vernon and Mackie, who were enjoying their time together. So now, she had to bear with the aftermath.


    "Ugh¡ªUrk!"


    It took at least thirty minutes of her continued retching and vomiting her lunch and dinner at once. She was breathing heavily and felt her weak body would pass out soon.


    So she sat on the toilet seat for a while, trying to rx before she had to act as if nothing was wrong. She didn''t want to be seen as a burden to Vernon, and the fact that Vincent always ridiculed her when she was fat and also ridiculed her when she developed an eating disorder because of many extreme methods of dieting¡­


    It gave her the idea that her body was something to be ashamed of.


    "Knowing how blunt Vernon is, I bet he will alsoment on my eating disorder once he found out. So it''s best not to tell this to anyone, especially him¡­."


    **


    Meanwhile, Vernon stared at the empty kitchen from the living room. He saw how reluctant it was for Chloe to eat a spoonful of cream from him as if she was truly disgusted just by the sight of it.


    Then, they stared at each other for a few seconds before Chloe''s expression turned green, and she ran away in disgust.


    It gave the impression to Vernon that she was disgusted with the idea of having a sweet time together with Vernon. Even something as simple as sitting together and feeding each other was too much for that woman.


    Vernon''s hand that held the spoon trembled when he imagined his sister-inw vomiting because of him. His happy mood turned bitter in less than a second;


    ''See, Vernon Phoenix Gray? This is what you get for trying to lower your guard. You pathetic bastard!''

 113 Chapter 113

    ''See, Vernon Phoenix Gray? This is what you get for trying to lower your guard. You pathetic bastard!'' Vernon cursed himself. He wasn''t in the mood to enjoy the time anymore¡ª though he still wanted to eat this banana cream pie alone.


    He wanted to be angry, but he found himself feeling even more pathetic if he let his sister-inw''s act of disgust affect his emotion that much.


    Thus, Vernon grabbed hisrge te and a ss of water and got up.


    Mackie stopped eating her banana cream pie and asked, "Uncle, where are you going?"


    "I''m going to eat alone in my room. I have things to do," Vernon replied. He mmed the door into his bedroom, eating the banana cream pie alone.


    Mackie followed her Uncle''s back until he entered his bedroom and wondered, "What''s wrong with Uncle? Why is he angry?"


    Mackie didn''t know what went wrong and mostly didn''t care because she had gotten used to her big bad wolf - Uncle Vernon''s mood.


    She was more worried about her Mommy. It was usual for Mommy to vomit everything she ate after eating something. Mommy told her it was normal for her and Mackie shouldn''t make a big fuss about it, especially in front of her Daddy.


    No matter how serious it looked, even if her Mommy almost fainted, it was no problem. Mackie shouldn''t tell her Daddy¡ª Vincent, about Mommy''s condition.


    Sometimes, Mackie also found Mommy fainted in the bathroom after vomiting. She was worried, but after Mommy woke up a few minutester, she said she was alright, and Mackie didn''t need to make a big fuss about it.


    Thus, Mackie just formed in her mind that it was a normal thing for Mommy.


    But still, Mackie was a little worried, so she got up and walked to the bathroom. She stood in front of the bathroom and called her Mommy from outside, "Mommy, are you okay?"


    ¡­


    "Mommy? Mommy!"


    Chloe collected all her remaining strength and walked to the bathroom door to open it. She saw Mackie standing in front of the bathroom door, smiling at her, "Yes, dear? What''s wrong?"


    "Mommy, are you okay?"


    "Mommy is okay¡­." Chloe replied, not wanting to make Mackie worried about her current condition. After all, she was the one who created the problem, just like what Vincent said;


    -


    ''So, you''re telling me you''ve developed an eating disorder because of diet? And whose fault was that?''


    ''You''re the one who became a fat, blobbery hag after giving birth, and now you''re the one who went on many extreme diets. Did I ever tell you that you should lose weight?''


    ''The only thing I told you is to mind your weight because I don''t want to find¡ª Jabba the hut in my bed every day, hahahahah!''


    -


    Chloe couldn''t refute that because Vincent never told her to lose weight. He just bullied her about her weight to the point that she couldn''t stand it anymore and resorted to many extreme diets she found scattering on the inte.


    "Why don''t you eat with your Uncle? Or have you finished your banana cream pie?" Chloe asked, trying to shift the topic so Mackie won''t be worried about her wellbeing.<sub> </sub>


    Mackie shook her head, "Mackie hasn''t finished it yet! But I want to check on Mommy!"


    "T¡ªThen, you should return now and eat with Uncle Vernon, okay? Remember what I told you before about Mommy''s condition?"


    "Umm¡­ that Mommy is not sick. It''s just Mommy who can''t eat many things?" Mackie tried to remember the details.


    "Yes," Chloe confirmed. "Now, just go to the living room and eat with your Uncle, okay?"


    Mackie shook her head, "Uncle Vernon already went to his room, Mommy!"


    Chloe was a little surprised and then started thinking of many possibilities on why Vernon suddenly went inside his room instead of eating with Mackie.


    ''D¡ªDid he get disgusted and lose his appetite after seeing me rushing to the bathroom?'' Chloe tried to hold her expression, hoping that Vernon wouldn''t notice it. But it should be fairly obvious when they were sitting side by side.


    ''Oh no, did I ruin his appetite?'' Chloe asked herself. She remembered vividly how Vincent said that her eating disorder disgusted him, making him unable to eat anything she cooked because he didn''t know whether Chloe had vomited her guts into the food while cooking them.


    "D¡ªDid Uncle Vernon say anything, dear?"


    "Mmm¡­ nope!" Mackie replied. "Uncle Vernon brought his banana cream pie and ss of water to his bedroom, Mommy! He said he is busy and has things to do!"


    "Really? Thank god¡­" Chloe was relieved by Mackie''s exnation. Vernon might have lost his appetite to eat in front of Chloe, but at least he still wanted to eat his favorite banana cream pie in the bedroom alone.


    "Mommy, are you done puking?" Mackie asked casually because her Mommy always told her it was a normal thing, but only for Mommy.


    "Yes, can you wait in the living room, Mackie? Mommy will wash my face first."


    "Okay! Mackie will wait and eat again!"


    Mackie returned to the living room and resumed eating her banana cream pie.


    Chloe washed her face and gurgled water in her mouth before spitting it out. After ensuring that she looked okay, she wiped her face with a tissue and went out.


    She checked on Mackie, who was still busy watching her cartoon, and her banana cream pie was halfway to be finished.


    Vernon was nowhere to be seen, unfortunately.


    ''I just hope that he won''t find me disgusting because of this¡­'' Chloe wished. She was already insecure about her body image because of her life with Vincent. If Vernon did the same, she might never want to show up in front of anyone.


    Chloe started washing dishes, doing all the cleaning because she was a maid hired by Vernon.


    Mackie finished eating her banana cream pie and returned therge empty te to her Mommy, "Mommy, I''m done eating!"


    Chloe smiled at her and picked up the te, "Okay, you can go downstairs and take a bath by yourself, right?"


    "Yes, Mommy! Mackie is¡­ smart and independent!"

 114 Chapter 114

    "You can go downstairs and take a bath yourself, right?"


    "Yes, Mommy! Mackie is¡­ smart and independent!" Mackie imed, to which Chloe chuckled as a response.


    Mackie had just heard about the word independent at school about three days ago, and she started using it because she thought it was a cool word.


    She also wanted to show Mommy that she was a cool, independent girl!


    Chloe was washing Mackie''srge te after she ate a whole banana cream pie all by herself. Then, she heard a click from Vernon''s bedroom door and turned around instinctively.


    ? Vernon left his bedroom with arge te of empty banana cream pie and an empty ss. He walked to the kitchen and saw his sister-inw staring back at him.


    Their eyes widened at the same time, and after that¡­ there was only silence.


    Vernon noticed that Chloe was paler than before. Hence, his assumption was correct, ''She is seriously disgusted just because she ate something from me? Was it the spoon? Did she get disgusted because she ate with the same spoon I used? Damn it, thinking about it already ruined my mood.''


    Meanwhile, Chloe was also thinking about Vernon, ''Did he notice any difference? Please, please don''t get disgusted with me, please¡­.''


    Vernon''s eyes darkened, but he wasn''t in the mood to get angry because the banana cream pie was so good that it prevented him fromshing out for a while.


    He walked to the dishwasher, where Chloe stood near, and ignored herpletely. He passed her and put therge te on the kitchen sink.


    He frowned when he noticed something, "Why are you washing the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink? There''s a dishwasher, you dumb."


    "Ah¡ª"


    "Did you not know how to use the dishwasher? Are you that spoiled by my big brother?" Vernon started asking Chloe questions that took time for her to process. Because he thought that Chloe was used to so many maids in Vincent''s mansion, she never touched the dirty dishes to the point that she didn''t even know how to operate the dishwasher.


    Actually, it was the opposite;


    She could use the dishwasher, but Vincent alwaysined, calling her azy woman because she used the automatic dishwasher instead of washing the dishes manually.


    So she developed a habit of washing the dirty dishes by hand in the kitchen sink to save up on water bills, just in case Vincent would also nitpick at her for that.


    Vernon clicked his tongue when he didn''t get any answer from Chloe, "Speak, I''m asking you."


    "I¡ªI just like washing the dirty dishes by hand¡­." Chloe replied.


    ¡­


    "That''s buillshit," Vernon said. "Just admit you''re a spoiled woman who doesn''t even know how to use the dishwasher. It''s that easy."


    "I¡ªI am a spoiled woman, yes¡­." Chloe admitted, though, that was aplete lie. As long as she didn''t make Vernon angry.


    She thought Vernon would ridicule her even more, and she was mentally prepared for that.<sub> </sub>


    But contrary to her expectation, Vernon crouched in front of the dishwasher and said, "Let me teach you how to use it."


    ¡­


    Chloe saw Vernon pressing a few buttons and opening the dishwasher. She started putting the dirty dishes in the sink to the dishwasher.


    "You should press this one, and this¡­." Vernon started exining.


    She watched everything; of course, she already knew all the buttons and how to operate them. She pretended to listen carefully so Vernon wouldn''t get mad at her.


    In fact, she was more impressed with Vernon, who knew how to operate this. After all, he was the second son of the Gray family. He could get all the maids or housekeepers he wanted, and Chloe knew well how spoiled Vernon was before he left the family right after Chloe married Vincent.


    ''Makes me wonder what he went through in Europe for ten years¡­'' Chloe wondered.


    After exining, he looked at his sister-inw, who was dazed, "You''re not listening, aren''t you?"


    "I¡ªI do!" Chloe said as she snapped out of her daze. She crouched beside Vernon and exined how the buttons were used. It was convincing enough for Vernon, at least.


    "Good, you can return downstairs now. It''s already night," Vernon said as he turned around and walked to his bedroom.


    "W¡ªWait, Vernon!" Chloe said spontaneously. She wanted to apologize for vomiting, making it unappetizing for Vernon to eat his favorite banana cream pie.


    Vernon halted his step and asked, "What?"


    "Um, about my face before¡­ I''m sorry¡­." Chloe said. "I don''t know how to control it. I hope you understand¡­."


    Vernon knew what Chloe was talking about. She must''ve apologized because she couldn''t control her disgust at eating with the same spoon as Vernon and sitting close to each other.


    ''You might not remember, sister-inw. But remember that you said you''re grossed out¡ª disgusted with me.''


    ''I don''t know what I did wrong, but apparently, I''m that disgusting. You don''t even want to be with me. I thought your disgust had disappeared after ten years, but it''s still there, huh?'' Vernon sneered, thinking all the good memories in his childhood that he cherished didn''t matter anyway. Because his sister-inw never appreciated him, never actually liked all the time they spent together when he was young.


    For her, he was just a gross little kid that would never reach the same glory as his big brother.


    ¡­


    "I don''t care about that," Vernon replied despite his heart feeling heavy. "You don''t need to eat in front of me anymore. You can eat alone or downstairs or wait until I leave," Vernon said, thinking it was the best solution so his sister-inw wouldn''t be disgusted because of his presence.


    He entered his bedroom and mmed the door, leaving Chloe alone.


    "Ah, he is definitely disgusted with me¡­." Chloemented. She had a bitter smile on her face. "He doesn''t want me to eat in front of him. Maybe he knows that I''ll vomit everything in front of him and gross him out¡­."

 115 Chapter 115

    "Ah, he is definitely disgusted with me¡­." Chloemented. She had a bitter smile on her face. "He doesn''t want me to eat in front of him. Maybe he knows I''ll vomit everything before him and gross him out¡­."


    Chloe knew there was no use inmenting since Vernon hired her only as a maid. She shouldn''t involve emotion in this and work her ass off so she could leave to another state with Mackie.


    Chloe''s heart was heavy right now. But she resumed her duty as a maid before going downstairs. She checked on Mackie first, and after making sure that Mackie was already sleeping, she returned to her bedroom and sat in front of the vanity mirror for a while.


    Chloe was already thin, at least thin enough that her cheekbone and corbone were already protruding, a stark contrast to her body a year ago.


    But this was achieved through a grueling and unhealthy diet that gave her an eating disorder in the long term.


    Yet, Vincent kept calling her a fat bitch despite her constantly shedding weight at an unhealthy rate, which made her believe that she was. Even in her current condition, Chloe still believed that she was fat and had to lose even more weight.


    "I don''t know why I am so ugly and disgusting¡­." Chloe murmured. "Even my husband doesn''t want me anymore, let alone other people¡­."


    "What should I do to be likable?" Chloe asked herself. Yet, she didn''t find an answer to that question.


    Aftermenting for a while, shey on her bed, eyes open while checking on her phone, scrolling through a hidden album she treasured.


    It was an album full of old photos, most dated about twelve to fifteen years ago, where she still dated Vincent. It was mostly fun and sweet memories. It was like an addictive poison¡ª she knew she couldn''t return to the old days when Vincent still loved her.


    Yet, she still loved these old memories.


    She also had a picture of Vernon when he was fourteen to fifteen. He disliked taking pictures when he was young, so it was rare that he stood there in silence when Chloe told him that she wanted to take her picture.


    Vernon still had his baby face in the picture and was visibly shorter than Chloe, let alone Vincent. He was like this feisty young master who would bite anyone who dared to insult his height.


    "Well, at least Vernon is in a good position right now," Chloe said, acknowledging all of Vernon''s achievements.


    "Hope he can make peace with this woman in his heart, so he would have a healthy rtionship. I want him to be happy¡­." Chloe said. She closed her eyes, imagining the old days when she still dated Vincent and Vernon was still a teenager.


    They did many things together, and Vernon often third-wheeled her date with Vincent. When he was fourteen to fifteen years old, Vernon never allowed Vincent and her to have free time together whenever they were in the Gray mansion. He was like a watchdog who would bark at his big brother if he dared to touch Chloe, which Chloe found to be funny and endearing.


    "Good times¡­"


    **


    Vernony on his bed after taking a bath. He scrolled through his phone, checking a hidden gallery where he stashed a few pictures of him and his sister-inw before she married his big brother.


    She was always a ravishing beauty, and it wasn''t surprising for the Gray brothers to like her.


    Yet, he was severely disadvantaged, giving him no chance to win against his big brother.<sub> </sub>


    So he left in heartbreak.


    But now, Chloe was still disgusted with him even after his return with all the things that would make any woman turn their head and swoon. She still saw him as a filthy young boy, not as a man.


    "So, what''s the point of all this?" Vernon asked himself. "What''s the point of me taking you in when you don''t appreciate me at all?"


    "I don''t want to hurt you, but if you always underestimate me like this, I have no choice but to drag you down to hell with my big brother."


    Vernon felt a sharp pain in his chest as he remembered the original n to ruin Chloe and Vincent''s life. Both of them deserve it anyway.


    But he was always hesitating to drag Chloe into this. He was unsure if hurting her would make him satisfied.


    "But I have no use in keeping someone who doesn''t appreciate me. Chloe¡­ after the n has been executed, you''ll never hear from me anymore."


    "Because I will be on top while you beg on the street with my big brother, you two are a despicable pair who ruined my life."


    **


    Vernon woke up in the morning groggily. He stretched out his limbs first before going out of the bedroom.


    "Uncle Vernon, good morning!" Mackie''s loud voice rang in the living room. Vernon''s eyes went down, and he saw the little girl greeting him before running around the living room, jumping on the sofa, and rolling on the carpet as if she was in an action movie.


    Vernon watched in a daze until he heard Chloe''s voiceing from the kitchen, "Mackie,e here and have breakfast! Don''t run around like that. You might break something!"


    "Okay, Mommy!"


    Mackie approached her uncle again and grabbed his wrist with two hands, "Let''s eat, Uncle!"


    Vernon followed the little girl in a daze and sat at the dining table. He saw Chloe serving two tes of pancakes for breakfast.


    She smiled at Vernon as if there was nothing wrong with themst night, "Good morning, Vernon. This is your breakfast. Eat it while it''s still warm. I''ll be downstairs, so you can eat in peace. Just call me if you need anything."


    ¡­


    Vernon nodded and started eating his breakfast. After ensuring they ate well, Chloe went downstairs and sat at thest staircase.


    "I hope he can eat well since he doesn''t need to look at me while eating anymore."

 116 Chapter 116

    Vernon left first to the office. He just told Chloe to bring his lunch as always.


    Chloe noticed that Vernon''s mood seemed to be a littleplicated for an unknown reason, making her wonder if she had unknowingly made another mistake this morning.


    However, she couldn''t think much about it and decided to focus on her daughter.


    "Ready to go?" Chloe asked as they were already sitting in her car.


    "Un! Let''s go, Mommy!" Mackie replied.


    Chloe drove to Mackie''s school and asked, "How''s school these days? Everything is alright now? Jaden and Mia still try to bully you?"


    Mackie shook her head, "Not anymore, Mommy! Because when they''re trying to fight Mackie, Miss Alicia will say they will get extra homework, hihi~."


    Mackie was happy that her bullies were getting reprimanded. Though, she was still a feisty little girl. Even when those two were ganging up on her, she could still stand on her ground and not let herself get bullied. So none of her other ssmates dared to tease her.


    Chloe was relieved that Miss Alicia was trying to protect Mackie. She was quite close to Miss Alicia and even had her number saved in case there was an emergency for Mackie in school.


    ''Maybe I should call her again and show my gratitude in person. She''s been very helpful during these hard times,'' Chloe thought. She nned to invite Miss Alicia for lunch at least.


    "Mommy."


    "Hm?"


    "When will I meet Daddy again?" Mackie asked.


    Chloe''s hand on the steering wheel trembled once she heard that question again. She forgot that Mackie was in a good term with her Daddy, even though he had been nothing but horrible towards Chloe.


    She thought Mackie would gradually forget about the existence of her Daddy as long as Chloe kept her busy with stuff. But it seemed the question was unavoidable in the end.


    Chloe took a deep breath and said, "Mackie, remember when Mommy said that Daddy is still dealing with his own problem?"


    "Umm¡­ yup! But Mommy said Daddy will pick us up after he finishes his problem!" Mackie said as she still remembered her Mommy''s words back then.


    "Yes, we need to wait until he is done with his problem, or else we cannot return, understand?" Chloe said.


    Mackie imagined her Daddy was busy dealing with his work. Mommy always said that Daddy was always busy. He had a lot of projects outside, so she couldn''t act spoiled. Daddy wasn''t home because he wanted to earn a lot of money for them.


    But at least she could call her Daddy¡­


    "Ah!" Like a lightbulb popped on top of her head, Mackie asked her Mommy, "Mommy, can I at least call Daddy? Mackie often calls Daddy when I want to hear his voice!"


    ¡­


    True, Mackie had a small phone that was only usable for her to call Vincent or Chloe. I also watched some Youtube kids'' videos. But Mackie mostly used it to call her Daddy because it was the only way for her to talk with her father daily.


    "Mommy, where''s my phone?" Mackie asked.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe gulped out of nervousness. She didn''t want to give Mackie her phone simply because she just didn''t want Mackie to talk with her father again.


    "Um¡­ it''s on service, dear," Chloe replied. "It''s broken when moving around, so it''s still being fixed."


    "A¡­." Mackie was dispirited. "Then, what about Mommy''s phone? Can I borrow it to call Daddy?"


    ¡­


    Chloe tried to find another reason so Mackie would stop asking about her Daddy. Then she replied, "Daddy told Mommyst night that he is very, very busy. It''s better not to call him for now, okay?"


    "Very busy? Mackie cannot call him at all?"


    "I''m sorry, dear¡­."


    Mackie was even more dispirited than before, which was painful for Chloe because she had to constantly lie to Mackie just to cover up for that bastard Vincent.


    She just didn''t know how to handle this. If she said that her Daddy was a cheating bastard, it would probably shatter the image of her perfect superhero, Daddy.


    ''But is it fair for me to continue lying to her?'' Chloe asked herself. ''She will know it sooner orter. But not now, she is too young to understand, and our situation is too unstable for that kind of reveal¡­.''


    "Mommy, I hope Daddy''s problem will be done soon¡­ Mackie misses him a lot¡­."


    "I know, dear. I hope so too¡­." Chloe said. But she secretly wished that would nevere true. She hoped that Vincent would burn in hell and never see Vincent anymore.


    "But you shouldn''t miss him too much, Mackie. Your Daddy is always busy, remember?"


    "Mmm¡­ at least he should call Mackie at least once¡­." Mackie said. "I miss ying with Daddy¡­."


    "Well, we have Daddy''s little brother at home. It''s also fun to y with Uncle Vernon, right?" Chloe had to use Vernon''s name as a scapegoat here since he was the current ''father figure'' for Mackie, it was a bare minimum, but at least he was there, for now¡­


    "Uncle Vernon is not kind like Daddy!" Mackieined. "But, Uncle is fun¡­."


    "Let''s y with Uncle Vernon for now, okay?"


    "Um¡­ Uncle Vernon is not Daddy¡­." Mackieined. "I wish Daddy would call soon¡­."


    Chloe went silent after that, she wanted to stop the topic from resurfacing, so Chloe wouldn''t have to face many difficult questions from her daughter.


    She stopped the car in front of the school gate and opened the door for Mackie, "Mackie, it''s time for school."


    "Okay¡­" Mackie nodded. She hopped off the car and waved her hands to Mommy. "Mackie will get an A again today, so Daddy will be proud of me when we meet again!"


    Chloe''s smile faltered for a split second, but she still maintained that excited face for her daughter, "That''s great! Daddy will be proud of you, dear! Study well, and don''t let anyone bully you, okay?"


    "Okay! See youter, Mommy!"

 117 Chapter 117

    "Okay! See youter, Mommy!"


    Chloe waved to her daughter until she entered the gate and joined the rest of her friends. Her smile falteredpletely, and she closed the car door.


    It was already difficult for her to talk about the issue of her separation from Mackie, but as time went on, she knew she couldn''t hide this for too long.


    "Maybe I don''t handle this correctly¡­." Chloe said. "I should''ve been more firm and told her slowly about the separation between Vincent and me."


    "But I just don''t have the heart to see her crying because she would be separated from her Daddy. And there is no way I''ll let her stay with Vincent."


    Amidst her uncertainty, she tried to calm down. She convinced herself, "Chloe, you can''t let him see Mackie, at least not until Vincent has signed the divorce paper and the divorce has been finalized."


    **


    Vernon was on his way to his office when he got an idea. He called his big brother, and they were connected after a few beeps;


    ¡ª


    "Morning, big brother!"


    "Huh? Ah¡­ Yeah, Vernon, what is it?" Vincent asked. He yawned a few times as he just woke up from a nightmare.


    What kind of nightmare?


    It was a nightmare where he saw Chloe living a happy life, but without him in the picture. It was so stupid because he saw Chloe smiling andughing with this new man whose face was undescribable to Vincent.


    It was a stupid dream, but Vincent still counts it as a nightmare.


    "Where are you now? Let''s have brunch together!"


    "Oh¡­ I just woke up. I''m on my bed right now," Vincent replied. Usually, when one of his business partners asked him toe together for brunch, he''d refuse unless there was a business deal between them.


    But Vernon wasn''t just a business partner. He was his little brother. So Vincent asked, "I''ll join brunch with you, but can you wait a while? I need to get ready first."


    "Ah, no need, big brother! I''ll juste to your mansion!" Vernon replied.


    "That''s¡­" Vincent hesitated. He didn''t want Vernon to see the family pictures of him and Chloe. Because he didn''t want to look pathetic in front of his big brother, to be keeping the family pictures of a woman who left you¡ª that was a whole new level of shame.


    "It''s fine, big brother! We can go together to have brunch! I''m on my way!"


    BEEP.


    Vernon chuckled when he heard the hesitation in his big brother''s tone. He must''ve felt ashamed to show his mansion without his wife inside.


    But that wasn''t his problem. He just wanted to investigate his big brother and sister-inw''s life when he wasn''t around.


    "They must have lots of fun times together while I''m away from their life. How lucky," Vernon said. He pressed the gas pedal, and the car sped up. "Too bad I''m not going to let this off."<sub> </sub>


    **


    Vincent sighed when Vernon hung up the call. Though he didn''t want Vernon toe, he still couldn''t refuse his little brother''s request.


    So he would be here to check on everything that Chloe had left, "This is pathetic, Vincent Gray. You''re the current Master of the Gray family, and you let a woman humiliate you like this? You should be the first one in the family to experience this."


    Vincent got up from the bed, washed his face, and shaved his stubble. He wanted to be as presentable as possible in front of his little brother.


    After all, he was the Master of the Gray family, and Vincent looked up to him for everything. He didn''t want to disappoint that kid.


    "If only Chloe is here, she can act like a good, submissive little wife, and everything will be perfect again. That bitch has issues."


    **


    Vincent already notified the security to open the gate for Vernon''s car, so he just passed through the security check.


    Vernon looked around the mansion as he drove to the front porch. This mansion wasn''t as grandiose as the main Gray mansion. It could be counted as a small mansion, in fact. But it was understandable because this was a private mansion that rarely hosted any party since all parties regarding the Gray family would always use the Gray mansion.


    Besides, they only had one child, and this ce had the best security in New York. It was most logical to buy this mansion.


    But still, for the scale of ''Vincent Gray'' the billionaire. The size of the mansion was a joke.


    "Heh, this kind of mansion is easy for me to buy. I don''t know what''s the deal with my sister-inw''s arrogance. It''s not like she lives in a castle."


    Vernon parked his car on the front porch and saw the wide-open main door. It seemed that his big brother had expected his arrival.


    He saw a few maids were still busy cleaning, and they bowed their heads respectfully when Vernon passed them.


    Though, he also saw one or two maids enamored by his looks, which had always been a regr sight for Vernon.


    But what surprised him was theck of a man in the mansion.


    Other than the security guard. He only saw many maids but no butler. Even the gardener outside was a female gardener. Which made him wonder if this was just a coincidence or a preference.


    Two maids stopped Vernon on his track as they bowed politely at the same time;


    "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Mr. Gray told us to escort you to his office. Please follow us."


    "Hm," Vernon nodded. He followed the maids and passed the living room. Surprisingly, he didn''t see many expensive items in the living room. Honestly, this whole mansion didn''t have much expensive stuff he imagined.


    Even without the expensive furniture, it still had its own homey charm, with many small knick-knacks that regr people bought from dor stores. Even the sofa wasn''t a brand name. Yet, it lookedfortable.


    There was also a big framed photo of the family right on top of the TV. Lastly, Vernon also noticed a cheap carpet in front of the TV, definitely less than 5 grand.


    ''This ce reeks of her touch.''

 118 Chapter 118

    ''This ce reeks of her touch,'' Vernon thought. His sister-inw had this weird hobby of acting as if she didn''t have money and always tried to live on a budget, even though Vernon literally handed her his ck card for her to use.


    He thought she did it because she just wanted to humiliate him, indirectly telling him that he was poorpared to Vincent¡ª his Big brother. Because his Big brother could provide Chloe with all thevish things, this world could offer.


    "This way, Sir," the maids led the way for Vernon. He walked through a long corridor and noticed many hanged family pictures of his Big brother''s family¡ª Vincent, Chloe, Mackie, and a little bit of that old hag Dorothea Gray lined on the corridor wall.


    This house was surprisingly very tidy and homey¡­


    Unable to contain his curiosity, Vernon finally asked the maids, "I heard from my Big brother that my sister-inw left the house with my niece. Do you know what happened?"


    The maids went silent for a while. Vernon noticed that they were ncing at each other before one replied, "Pardon, Sir. We''re just maids who work from dawn to dusk, so we don''t know much about Mr. And Mrs. Gray''s life."


    "Are you sure?" Vernon asked. He found it quite unbelievable because his sister-inw was a stay-at-home mom. She seemed to be a homemaker as well, seeing how meticulous she was trying to make this mansion look homey.


    Thus, these maids must''ve known something about what happened in the house since Chloe was mostly at home.


    But Vernon couldn''t pry more than this, at least not in a direct or confrontational manner, because he already expected that his big brother must''ve ordered these maids to escort him for a reason.


    "My sister-inw is a homemaker, right? Did she arrange everything here?"


    "Yes, Mr. Phoenix Gray. She is the one who orders us around," one maid replied. They nced at each other for a split second, and the other added;


    "She is mostly just giving orders. She doesn''t actually do any work around."


    "Really?"


    "Yes, she is¡­ a wastefuldy¡ª if I may quote Mr. Vincent Gray."


    "Wasteful? Like a gold digger?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "That''s interesting. Because I''ve noticed many cheap furniture and knick-knack around the house. I don''t think a gold digger would want a cheap thing when she has the resource to buy anything she wants."


    "T¡ªThat''s¡­"


    Vernon smirked and seemed to catch on to something. "Hmm~? Is that how you describe the mistress who hired you? That''s a bit too spiteful, don''t you think?"


    The maids jolted out of shock, but luckily, they had arrived in front of Vincent''s office door.<sub> </sub>


    They opened the door and weed Vernon to enter, "Please wait inside, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Master Vincent Gray will be here soon."


    "Sure," Vernon entered his big brother''s office. The maids wanted to close the door, but Vernon''s hand suddenly grabbed the door hinge, and his head peeked out, "What''s your name?"


    The maid was astonished when Mr. Phoenix Gray suddenly asked their names. If they weren''t in the Gray mansion, they would be head over heels to be noticed by such a handsome hunk who happened to be a Gray family member.


    But, this man had this very intimidating aura around him, and the fact that they had witnessed how horrible Master Vincent Gray treated his wife¡ª they were actually scared to even say their names.


    Vernon watched their face turn pale, and they looked terrified. It wasn''t all that surprising for him, though. People who worked with the Gray family tended to be subservient and even intimidated by fear.


    ''So it''s not that different here. Either Chloe has intimidated them to the bone¡ª which I think is impossible, or my big brother intimidated them instead.''


    ''I think the second one is more believable,'' Vernon thought.


    "Aww, too bad. I was going to ask my big brother to give you two a raise since you''ve shown me good hospitality," Vernon grinned. "You can leave now."


    "P¡ªPlease excuse us, Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    The maids closed the door. Their palms were sweaty because they thought they had faced the devil himself.


    Vernon Phoenix Gray was a lot more intimidating than Mr. Vincent Gray, despite being all smiley.


    "Goddamn, he is so scary. I thought I might die of a heart attack when he asked us our names," one maid said to the other. "Did he see through our lies? I thought we were already convincing enough."


    "Y¡ªYes, but he starts asking questions we can''t answer. Of course, we can''t just say that Mrs. Chloe Gray has been emotionally abused until she zipped her mouthpletely when Mr. Vincent Gray is around."


    "Yeah, I don''t want to get fired, or even worse¡­ Mr. Vincent Gray might notice our fault and actually ruin my life¡­."


    They were hired by Mrs. Chloe Gray around the same time four years ago, and they came together to the mansion. She was such a sweetdy who told them about the stuff they needed to do around the house. She smiled and asked them if they also had children at home. Once they said they did have children at home, Mrs. Chloe whispered to them that she would give them a bonus at the end of every month aside from their sry. She said it was a bonus for the kids.


    She was all sweet and helpful until the legendary Mr. Vincent Gray arrived home in thete afternoon.


    Then, that smilingdy just vanished out of thin air. Mrs. Chloe Gray became so soulless¡ª almost doll-like. She looked terrified when Mr. Vincent Gray would look at her and ask her things. She became very silent and only spoke when Vincent Gray told her to speak.


    Soon, they noticed that Mr. Vincent Gray would use his charm and money to pick a few of the younger maids and fucked them, even when Mrs. Chloe Gray was at home.


    They also noticed how Mr. Vincent Gray bullied his wife for the smallest thing, nitpicking at every little detail until Mrs. Chloe Gray broke down in tears many times.

 119 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 119

    They also noticed how Mr. Vincent Gray bullied his wife for the smallest thing, nitpicking at every little detail until Mrs. Chloe Gray broke down in tears many times.


    Such as that one time when Mrs. Chloe Gray cooked many dishes since early dawn for Mr. Vincent Gray''s birthday surprise.


    Mr. Vincent Gray looked pleased and hugged his wife, that was¡­ until Mackenzie¡ª their daughter left for a piano lesson in thete afternoon.


    He suddenly changed and told all the maids¡ª including them, to bring all the foods that Mrs. Chloe Gray cooked and give them to the three guard dogs.


    ¡ªshback¡ª


    "V¡ªVincent, please don''t¡­ I¡ªI made them¡­ I made them for your birthday¡­." Chloe begged weakly. Her body trembled, and her eyes were already pooling with tears when she saw all her homecooked food be dog food.


    Vincent shrugged it off, "It''s fine. I have my own chef who cooked for me in one of my restaurants. He actually makes decent food, unlike you who make dog food."


    "Do you really expect me to eat these? You want to humiliate me as the Master of Gray family?" Vincent scoffed at his wife. "Well, at least I give you a hug in front of our daughter. That''s enough to show how I appreciate your effort, right?"


    "Though, you''re just a housewife after all. What kind of appreciation do you need for slouching around the house?"


    ¡ª


    ? It was just one instance where Mr. Vincent Gray went way overboard. He basically crushed her will to live at some point.


    Did they pity her? Of course¡­


    But they also knew that Mr. Vincent Gray was the one in power here. Mrs. Chloe Gray might be their employer, but Vincent Gray dominated her.


    So the maids also obeyed Mr. Vincent Gray and basically ignored Mrs. Chloe Gray just to get into his good side of Vincent.


    Including them, they didn''t want to get into the bad side of Vincent Gray and also closed their eyes whenever abuse happened in the mansion.


    "Do you think we should tell the whole thing to Mr. Vincent Gray?" one maid asked.


    "Isn''t that even a question? Of course, we have to! It''d be better to get scolded by him after we reported everything rather than getting fired because Vernon Phoenix Gray said something about us!"


    "Yeah, you''re right. The sry in this ce is too good. I need the money."


    "Same, I need the money too."


    **


    Vincent had just worn his suit and clipped his cuff when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Master, Vernon Phoenix Gray is waiting in your office."<sub> </sub>


    "Hm."


    Vincent opened the door and saw the two maids he dispatched looking at him with worried eyes before looking down because they were scared.


    Vincent immediately sensed something was wrong, and he asked, "Tell me the detail of your mistake before I have to hire new maids."


    The maids nced at each other again, and one of them braced herself and reported;


    "Master, your big brother¡ª Vernon Phoenix Gray, asked us about Mrs. Chloe Gray. He asked what was happening between you and her. We didn''t answer, but he asked again about what she was doing around the mansion."


    "And what was your answer?" Vincent asked.


    "We¡­ told him that she doesn''t do any work, and a wastefuldy, a gold digger."


    Vincent nodded approvingly, "I don''t see anything wrong with your answer. So what''s your concern?"


    "Uh¡­ Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray noticed the cheap furniture and knick-knacks around the mansion and said it doesn''t make sense if she is a gold digger but also buying these cheap things around the house when she has all the money she wants¡­."


    "I see," Vincent wasn''t panicked when he heard the report. In fact, he was quite pleased by Vernon''s question. "My little brother is a smart kid. So it''s natural for him to ask about that. Don''t worry, I will be the one handling him. You two can leave now."


    "Y¡ªYes, Master Gray!"


    Vincent paced through the corridor with steady steps. He was pleased with Vernon, who noticed small things around the mansion, meaning that he was a detail-oriented man, just like Vincent.


    "Ah, Vernon is smart, just like me," Vincent said as he walked. "This is why I allow him to work with me. He has the same qualification as me. That means he is just as good as me."


    He wasn''t nervous about how to face Vernon about the question either. Because what was said by those maids was the truth, Chloe was just a housewife and homemaker that couldn''t do anything else. She was a wasteful woman and gold digger.


    He just needed to twist a few things to fit his narrative.


    **


    Vernon stayed silent after the maids left him in his Big brother''s office. He looked around to observe the surrounding of this office and scoffed when he noticed a few things.


    "I thought my big brother would distance himself from my sister-inw after they''re separating. Does he realize that even his office room is full of the touch of my sister-inw?" Vernonmented. Like the rest of the mansion, even Vincent''s office was decorated with what Vernon called ''Chloe style.''


    It reminded him of how middle-ss people would decorate their offices in New York.


    "If he is really over her, then he should''ve changed this office¡ª no, the whole mansion ording to the Gray family style," Vernonmented. He checked around and noticed a small flower pot with a price sticker that hadn''t been fully scratched off.


    "This must be her trying to scratch off the price. That''s cute, HAHAHA!" Vernonughed it off as he found everything funny each time he noticed a few small things about his sister-inw.


    "I guess even my powerful brother is not immune to her when they got married," Vernon mocked. "If I''m in my big brother''s position and married Chloe. I''ll never allow her to change anything in my house and office."

 120 Chapter 120

    "If I''m in my big brother''s position and married Chloe. I''ll never allow her to change anything in my house and office," Vernon said, thinking it was ridiculous to let a woman like his sister-inw change things inside his office.


    "Heh, what the hell am I saying? If I have to marry, she would be thest woman I''d marry on earth," Vernon stated. However, before he could say more, he heard a click from the door, and the door was pushed open.


    Vernon saw his big brother¡ª Vincent Gray, standing at the door. He was already suited and looking dapper as always, a trait that should''ve been inherited by their father, Vaughn Gray. Their father always wore his proper suit, even in the most casual situation.


    "Big brother!" Vernon resumed his act to please his Big brother. He walked towards his Big brother and hugged him. Vernon patted Vincent''s back twice, and Vincent did the same before they were separeted.


    Vincent''s mood improved instantly when he saw his Little brother. Vernon took the initiative to ask his Big brother, "Big brother, let''s go for brunch! I know a restaurant that will suit your taste!"


    "Sure," Vincent agreed.


    "Let''s use my car. I''ve never driven you around, right? This would be the first time!"


    "That''s true," Vincent chuckled. "I lost the chance to be the one who teaches you how to drive. But I guess this would be a good opportunity on how much you grow, Vernon."


    "Yes!"


    **


    Vernon drove with his Big brother to the restaurant that was partly owned by him. They were chatting about many things, mostly business and experiences growing up, but never once had Vernon asked his Big brother about his sister-inw.


    Vernon called the restaurant manager on the way, and they were given the best table with a garden view in front of them.


    Vincent and Vernon sat face to face. Vernon looked rxed¡ª even slouching on his chair uncaringly, while Vincent sat in a very proper manner, waiting for his food.


    "Sit back straight, Vernon. You shouldn''t slouch like that in public," Vincent chided.


    "Gee, Big brother, you''re always nosy about stuff like this. Who cares?" Vernon chuckled.


    "I care," Vincent replied. His expression became firmer as he disliked how his little brother challenged his authority. "Sit back straight."


    Vernon chuckled, but he obeyed in the end, not wanting to make an enemy of his Big brother.


    Vincent was much more rxed after Vernon obeyed his order, "I know that you have something in your mind the whole time, right, little bro?"


    "Ah, did those maids tell you something?" Vernon asked back.


    "They told me you''re asking about your sister-inw," Vincent said. "If you have questions about her and her life before she left me, you should ask me. I can always give you all the detail that you want."


    Vernon''s eyes peered for a split second. He noticed that his Big brother was well guarded just by looking at his expression. He lived with Vincent long enough to know that his Big brother was being very serious right now.<sub> </sub>


    ''Heh, that''s funny. I thought he didn''t give a single shit about his sister-inw. But by the way, he looks very well-guarded just to answer some questions about her. He seems to think a lot about her.''


    ''Now, the question is¡­ did he think of her with love¡­ or hatred?''


    Vernon was disturbed by his own question. He asked himself, ''So what if my big brother is still in love with my sister-inw? Isn''t that better for the n that I''ve formed? She could be a great tool for me to seed¡­.''


    ''But¡­ I feel annoyed, somehow.''


    "Well, I asked your maids about my sister-inw since I''m curious," Vernon started the conversation. "They told me she is a wasteful woman and gold digger."


    "But?" Vincent baited.


    "But, I saw many cheap furniture around your mansion, Big brother. I bet she was the one who bought them all," Vernon reported his observation. "I also noticed that she seems to be a good homemaker. Many things are arranged to make your mansion looks like it was owned by an upper-middle-ss family in New York. Unlike the Gray mansion, it always looksvish and untouchable all year round."


    Vincent took a deep breath and answered honestly, "Yes, she is a good homemaker, I must admit. She makes the mansion look much morefortable, even my office, with her touch. I assume you must''ve noticed the arrangement and cheap stuffying around."


    "Oh, haha! Yes, I noticed and had a goodugh at them," Vernon replied.


    "She is a good homemaker, but that''s it. Being a homemaker is the only quality she has. She is still a slouch of a woman," Vincent said.


    "But, is she really a gold digger?" Vernon continued prying. He also wanted to believe that his sister-inw was nothing but a gold-digging whore.


    But when he saw the cheap furniture around the mansion, he found something wasn''t right.


    Vincent''s lips perked up a bit once his little brother asked the question, "Yes, she is a gold digger. But not in a way that you''d expect."


    "What do you mean by that, Big brother?" Vernon asked. "I mean, I just find it a little unbelievable that she is a gold digger but doesn''t use the money you provide to buy many unnecessary expensive things."


    "That is the way she tries to put the burden on you," Vincent said.


    "Huh? What do you mean by that, Big brother?"


    Vincent smirked as he knew that his little brother was dancing in his palm now. He was never nervous when facing someone who questioned his actions.


    Because he knew he''d always win, no matter what.


    "My wife, Chloe Gray¡ª I gave her my ck card and allowed her to do anything she wishes with it. But she continues acting like we don''t have enough money, buying cheap things to fill our mansion, and always nitpicking about smallest mistake I made," Vincent said.

 121 Chapter 121

    "My wife, Chloe Gray¡ª I gave her my ck card and allowed her to do anything she wishes with it. But she continues acting as if we don''t have enough money, buying cheap things to fill our mansion and always nitpicking about the smallest mistake I made," Vincent said, using Chloe of things that never happened, then added;


    "She makes me feel worthless because she always said that we don''t have enough money, no matter how much I gave her. She said it''s not enough. She bought many expensive things for herself, but not for our daughter or me. But when I confronted her that she shouldn''t spend that much, she said that I have to give her money."


    Vernon was stunned because that was exactly what he experienced now living with his sister-inw. She always made him feel insecure by acting like she didn''t have money and Vernon wasn''t good enough.


    He thought only he got the treatment because he wasn''t as rich as his Big brother.


    But this was surely a plot twist that he never expected.


    Vincent continued making up lies that might not be believable at first, but when he¡ª the heir of the Gray family was the one who said it, the words suddenly had weight in them.


    People always expected him to speak the truth because there was no use in him lying since he already had everything in life. It was always like that, and Vincent knew and took full advantage of it.


    "Then what did she buy? She filled your mansion with cheap furniture. She must''ve used the money to buy other things, right?"


    "Yes, she bought a lot of designer handbags, purchased another mansion for herself, cars, and also a yacht. She will continue filling the house with cheap things to give me a sense of crisis while she wastes all the money on unnecessary things," Vincent said.


    Vernon was dazed after hearing his Big brother''s exnation.


    If this conversation didn''t involve his sister-inw, he would''ve called on Vincent''s bullshit because it was ridiculous.


    But, there was no reason for his Big brother to lie to him because Vernon maintained his rtionship with Vincent, and his Big brother seemed very fond of him.


    Even if his Big brother lied, the proof was right in front of Vernon''s eyes. Because Vernon experienced it first hand.


    His sister-inw constantly angered him with all of the bullshits she did.


    It didn''t make sense. Why would she act so poor and frugal when Vernon literally handed her his ck card? What was the use of acting in such a way?


    Vincent saw the change of expression on Vernon''s face, from shock to anger, to disgust.


    ''Just like what I want to see,'' Vincent thought. ''My little brother is just like me. That''s why he understands my problems.''


    However, Vernon was still unsure if it was truly the root of the problem.


    Because his sister-inw might act so frugal just to humiliate him, like how she humiliated his Big brother.


    But there were many instances when Chloe was meticulous and careful about her spending. She looked serious when listing everything she bought with Vernon''s credit card, even the smallest thing. Vernon also often spotted her checking the furniture around the penthouse and seemed reluctant to touch it.<sub> </sub>


    ''if it was all just an act, then she should get an Oscar for it,'' Vernon thought. ''Because shepletely makes a fool of me by making me angry almost every day.''


    "You should believe me, Little brother," Vincent sighed, full of woe. "I may not be a perfect husband for her, but I tried my best to give her a good life. You''re also a man. You should''ve known that we have pride. A pride to give our woman everything she needs, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s right, Big brother¡­." Vernon agreed without giving it a second thought. To be able to give everything his woman wanted¡­ was also a pride of a man for Vernon.


    "That''s why I was very mad when Chloe suddenly left while taking our daughter. I was working my bones to give them a life of luxury, but she just left because she''s not satisfied with me."


    ¡­


    Vernon was speechless. He came to his Big brother to pry more about the reason for their split.


    But it might not be a good decision because after learning the story from his Big brother''s side, he wasn''t sure if he had to trust his brother''s words or his instinct.


    Because his instinct told him there was more than meets the eye, and there was definitely more than what his Big brother said.


    He had known many women in his life since he dated or slept with a lot of them. He naturally knew many types of women.


    But this was the first time a woman could act so ridiculous.


    "Now you know, Vernon¡­." Vincent cupped his hands and stared at Vernon seriously. "If my wife came to you and asked for your help, you should refuse her. I don''t want you to fall into her honey trap."


    ¡­


    ''I need to talk with sister-inwter,'' Vernon thought.


    "I don''t have anything to do with my sister-inw, Big bro. I was just curious," Vernon said, ensuring his Big brother had no suspicion of him. "Speaking of which, have you located her whereabouts now?"


    Vincent''s eyes dimmed, his brows creased as if he was thinking hard about this problem;


    "I already got the information that she could pay the full tuition of Mackie''s school, which is impossible for her to do since she shouldn''t be able to earn that much in such a short time," Vincent said. "So I guessed she must have sold her body to a rich guy somewhere in New York. I''ve told my secretary to startbing through the millionaires in New York and find that guy."


    "I see¡­" Vernon''s mind was shing with ideas, trying to find a way to take advantage of his Big brother.


    Then, like a light bulb that popped on his head, he told his Big brother;


    "Big brother, I can help youb through the millionaires in New York to find the man who sponsored sister-inw."

 122 Chapter 122

    "Big brother, I can help youb through the millionaires in New York to find the man who sponsored his sister-inw," Vernon volunteered to help his Big brother, much to Vincent''s satisfaction.


    Vincent wanted to ask his little brother to help him find this bastard who was bold enough to upy Vincent Gray''s woman.


    "And how''d you do that, Lil bro?" Vincent asked, interested to see what kind of method Vernon would use.


    He had an idea of his own¡ª a ruthless one that was.


    But he also wanted to see whether his little brother had a simr idea as him. If he did, then Vincent would be absolutely amazed.


    Vernon had a few ideas, from the gentle intimidation to the ruthless and coldhearted to deal with this ''bastard'' who dared to y with his Big brother''s woman.


    But, knowing that his Big brother was a ruthless man, he decided to pick the craziest answer he could think of¡ª as long as it benefited him in the long run.


    "Big brother, my sister-inw is a 35 years olddy. She is not young, and she has a child on her side. That should make it easy tob through the list of men who might ept her," Vernon said.


    "And what kind of man would you take Chloe in?" Vincent asked.


    Vernon grinned, "A millionnaire, stable business, married, and should be at least ten or twenty years older than her. That man must be older than her because there is no way she could hook a young millionnaire, right?"


    "Even if there are plenty of young millionaires in New York who may have interest in older women. I don''t think they have enough time to care for a random middle-aged woman with a child. Let alone giving her a lot of money in such a short time."


    "That man must have been a stable businessman as well. Just like what I said before, if it''s a young man who is still in the process of working his business up, I don''t think he has time to care for his sister-inw," Vernon described everything with irrefutable logic that made it hard for Vincent not to believe it.


    Vincent went silent after listening to Vernon''s exnation. He was thinking of a young millionnaire who might pick Chloe because Vincent thought that bitch could still hook a young man with her look and use his money to fend for herself. But Vernon''s exnation made so much more sense!


    ''What am I thinking anyway? Why do I think Chloe still has the charm to attract young men? She is an old, ugly bitch. So the only man she could hook must be some dirty old men with dirty fetish.''


    ''If that man did something to my daughter, I would fucking kill him,'' Vincent thought. He would im that he did not love his wife but loved his daughter, mostly because Mackie inherited his intelligence.<sub> </sub>


    "Hmmm¡­ you''re right, Vernon. Her benefactor must be an old millionnaire with a stable business. There are plenty of them in New York and other states near New York, and with their stable business, it shouldn''t be difficult for them to provide for that bitch," Vincent agreed.


    He leaned in, joined his hands, and ced them on the table, ready to listen to what Vernon would say next, "Then, do you have any suggestion on what should I do to tackle this problem, Lil bro?"


    "Well, I told you that I would help, right?" Vernon chuckled. "I can give you the list of millionaires that fit the criteria, especially those cooperating with yourpany. You can start suppressing them one by one with either terminated contracts or exploit theirpanies until they can''t meet their target for many projects. By exploiting them, they will understand that something is wrong with the cooperation between theirpanies and yours."


    "And they will be desperate enough to save theirpanies. You can ask literally about anything from them until they broke down and gave in," Vernon exined his ruthless n. "Surely, if one of them is the one who keeps sister-inw, he would rather tell the truth rather than destroy hispany over a woman, right?"


    Vincent was awed by his little brother''s idea. Because it was exactly what Vincent was thinking.


    Allpanies cooperating with him were basically minionspared to a giant like his, so suppressing them was a very easy task.


    They would eventually break down when questioned after seeing their businesses crumble in front of them.


    Of course, Vincent would be losing money after this as well. But it was a small price to make sure that bitch Chloe Gray learned a lesson, that she was being unreasonable and had to beg for forgiveness under Vincent''s feet for being an ungrateful dumb woman.


    "Your idea is fantastic, Vernon. It''d make it so much easier for me. Honestly, I don''t have that much time to do that kind of menial task, so if you can make the list of millionaires I have to ''interrogate,'' I would be more than happy," Vincent said.


    "Oh, that''s for sure, Big brother! We''re family, and I have always wanted to make you proud!" Vernon said excitedly.


    "You''re already making me proud by creating your own business and working through it without help from me. Not many people can do it," Vincent genuinely praised his little brother. He was proud of Vernon''s achievement, which was why he thought Vernon deserved the wealth and power of the Gray family as much as he was.


    Vernon''s smile dimmed when his Big brother praised him, "I''m happy you''re proud of me, Big bro. Unlike Mom, who doesn''t seem to be very weing."


    "Ignore her. She is an insufferable old woman," Vincent said. "The only thing she can do is try to be relevant to the family even though I have control over everything. So if she wants to make a problem with you, just call me, and I will defend you."

 123 Chapter 123

    "Ignore her. She is an insufferable old woman," Vincent said. "The only thing she can do is try to be relevant to the family even though I have control over everything. So if she wants to make a problem with you, just call me, and I will defend you."


    Vernon was very much pleased with his Big brother''s answer. After all, only one person could offer the best protection during his mission to ruin the Gray family.


    And that person would be his Big brother¡ª Vincent Gray, who also happened to be his main target.


    ''This is so fun, hehe¡­'' Vernon thought in his heart.


    Yet, he still made that expression of pure worship in front of his Big brother, making it seem like Vernon was genuinely idolizing his powerful and smart Big brother, just like he did when he was just a kid.


    ''Time changes, Big brother. But I guess you''re still stuck in the past, thinking that I''m still the idiot little brother of yours. You and my sister-inw are the same. You two treat me like a kid.''


    "Big brother, thank you so much! I know that I can count on you!"


    Vincent was also happy to have this rxing conversation with his little brother. His life had always been filled with treachery from his own family and also all the things he had to do in order to make the Gray family stayed as the most powerful,


    So when he realized that his Little brother didn''t seem to be the type to covet something that Vincent owned, Vincent was visibly joyous and lowered his guard even more in front of Vernon.


    They ate their brunch and continued chatting for a while until the topic brushed towards Chloe again.


    There was one thing that Vernon hadn''t asked. It would be a gamble that also risked his life, but Vernon lived for the thrill. He was here to destroy, so he might as well try out anything and take all the risks.


    "Big brother, if you really want to find sister-inw''s location, wouldn''t it be better to go to your daughter''s school and ask your daughter about where she lived?" Vernon asked bluntly, gambling his life with this.


    He wanted to see how much he could get away with before his Big brother noticed something.


    "I don''t want to," Vincent''s eyes dimmed, and there was a trace of hostility in his eyes. "If I have to ask my daughter about it, that means I have stooped so low just to make that bitch return to me. This is about my pride as a man. Chloe Gray must crawl back to me after realizing she has no way out."


    "Let my daughter go to school as usual. But it''s fine. I also put a lot of pressure on Mackie''s school, making sure that Chloe would often be put in a difficult situation with Mackie," Vincent said coldly. "That''s the extent I can do to my daughter."


    Vernon wanted to ask what kind of pressure he put on Mackie. But his Big brother didn''t seem to be in the mood to talk about his daughter. Turned out it was a topic much more sensitive than talking about Chloe.


    ''The pressure he puts didn''t seem to be working, though,'' Vernon thought. ''Mackie seems to be happy and energetic as always. But¡­ if she is getting hurt too much in this chess game between us, then I have to do something for Mackie.''<sub> </sub>


    Vernon also didn''t want to implicate his niece in this dangerous game. She was far too young. It was best to keep her in the dark until everything settled.


    But Vernon was very lucky because his Big brother could get all the information just by talking to Mackie. Vincent''s man pride was actually a weakness that Vernon could exploit.


    After they were done with everything, Vernon offered, "Big brother, let me drive you to your office!"


    "Don''t you have something to do today?" Vincent asked. "I can always call my chauffeur."


    "Well, now that you mentioned it. I do have something to do in the office. I''ll leave first then. See youter, Big brother!"


    Vincent watched Vernon leave the restaurant and then called his chauffeur toe and pick him up.


    He was staring emptily at the garden, and a frown gradually appeared on his face, "The one who nned this gardenyout is an idiot. It hurts my eyes."


    "The garden at home arranged by Chloe looks much better," Vincentmented again.


    Then he noticed what he had just said and clenched his fist, "I should probably ask the gardeners to mow down everything in the garden and hire a professionalndscaper instead. Chloe has a cheap taste, and I refuse to get used to it."


    **


    Vernon left the restaurant and drove to his office. He had mixed feelings about this brunch with his Big brother. Because he had identally uncovered a few things about his sister-inw.


    "What Big brother said is utterly ridiculous. But Chloe actually acts like that. How am I supposed to call out on his bullshit when I experienced it firsthand?" Vernonined. "But my instinct told me there was something else that he didn''t know about his sister-inw. So he wanted to ask her."


    However, this meeting was not without a fruitful result. Vernon had sessfully influenced his Big brother to think the man who hid Chloe was an old married millionnaire from New York with a stable business. All those criteria were far from Vernon, so his Big brother wouldn''t suspect him anytime soon.


    "Even better, he gave me the right to make any list of those millionaires that has the potential to be the one who keeps Chloe Gray."


    "Heheh, I will use this for my benefit. I will eliminate my own rivals with the help of my Big brother," Vernon smirked. "This is so fun. Keeping sister-inw hidden by my side has given me a lot of advantages to ruin them both, AHAHAHAH!"

 124 Chapter 124

    Chloe arrived a bitte at Vernon''s office because she had to prepare Vernon''s lunch first. She was scared that Vernon might yell at her again, but when she came out of the elevator, the only person she saw was Diamond, who sat at her desk and was busy arguing with someone on the phone.


    Diamond went in and out of Vernon''s office and continued arguing until she got pissed off and hung up the call.


    Chloe observed Diamond from afar, afraid that she might havee during the worse time of the day.


    Diamond looked exhausted. Her eyes were a little red¡ª maybe she hadn''t slept at all for the whole night. She stood at the door of Vernon''s office and side-nced inside the office. Then, her face gradually turned sour, and the edge of her lips twitched.


    "FUCK THIS!"


    BAM!


    Diamond mmed the door as hard as she could, which made Chloe jump out of fright.


    Diamond turned around and saw Chloe standing at the corner of the room, clutching her bag and the lunch box out of fright.


    "Homegirl¡­" Diamond sat on the sofa where she and Chloe often chatted and patted the spot beside hers. "Sit here. I want to ask you something."


    It was rare for Diamond to look so peeved like this, so Chloe was scared. But she approached her best friend and sat beside her, "What happened, Diamond?"


    "Well¡­" Diamond sighed and slouched on the sofa, wanting to bury herself in the sofa, and disappeared at this point. "I haven''t slept since yesterday. I had to call many vendors, art dealers, home depot, et cetera."


    "W¡ªWas it that bad?" Chloe asked.


    "He literally destroyed everything in his own office!" Diamond yelled frustratedly. "Girl, tell me why he bes so angry after spending time with you? Your answer might cause me to throw hands, though."


    "Um¡­ I was giving him¡­ a head in the Velvet room. After we were done, he asked me if I knew that every sweet thing he said during our steamy session was just bullshit because he wanted to get off the steam," Chloe said.


    "And how did you reply?"


    "I just smiled and nodded, Um¡­ I told him I understand that everything is just pillow talk, no string attached, and there is no feeling involved in this," Chloe tried to remember what she said to Vernon that might trigger him.


    But honestly, she also had no idea. He just exploded out of rage, and Chloe had to run out of his room, or she might get hurt.


    Diamond sighed after listening to Chloe''s story, "Now it all makes sense."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "No, it''s nothing, girl," Diamond replied. She seemed to be much calmer after Chloe told her story. "He brought this upon himself. I have no authority to do anything about it."


    Chloe didn''t understand what Diamond meant, but when she wanted to ask more about it, Diamond suddenly stood up and was busy with her phone again, "Sorry, girl, I can''t really talk with you right now. I''ve got to list many things to fill the office again, or that devil will continuously nag about how ipetent I am as his secretary, even though it''s his fault! Argh!"


    Chloe zipped her mouth again, not wanting to disturb Diamond, who was too busy to even rest, let alone talk with her.


    She sat on the sofa while ying with her phone. Chloe spent her free time on the phone checking on two things, a house to buy or an apartment to rent, so she could n everything right after she got enough money from working with Vernon.<sub> </sub>


    Though, there was also one tab in her phone browser that she had kept on since she got this phone five years ago.


    It was a site that sold many expensive designer items, mostly handbags and shoes. No matter how many times she told herself that she didn''t need these expensive things, she was still a woman in the end. She wanted to have nice things in life and wanted to work for them.


    She begged Vincent to let her work, so she could get something she liked with her own money since Vincent would always nitpick and ridicule her for buying anything.


    But when she begged at Vincent, that bastard only told her that Chloe would probably cheat if she worked somewhere else.


    ¡ª


    ''Besides, why do you need to buy expensive stuff? You know you don''t fit that, right? It''ll be a waste to buy it for you,'' Vincent said back then.


    ¡ª


    ''But he bought Prisci a Birkin,'' Chloe smiled bitterly. ''He doesn''t even allow me to work for myself but buy other women stuff I''ve always wanted¡­.''


    Chloe felt a sharp pain in her heart once she remembered when Vincent suddenly returned home with a Hermes Birkin.


    Chloe saw them a lot, being worn by her mother-inw and a few other Graydies. She wanted one but dared not ask because Vincent wouldugh at her for buying a 500 dors bag, let alone that absurdly expensive bag.


    So, she was shocked when Vincent brought one home, thinking it would be for Chloe.


    But when Chloe wanted to touch it, Vincent pped her hand and scolded her;


    ¡ª shback ¡ª


    ''Why are you touching something that''s not yours?''


    ''B¡ªBut I thought, that''s for me¡­.''


    ''Huh? Why would I give you expensive stuff? Do you think you deserve it?''


    ''Then, why would you bring this expensive bag home¡­.''


    ''It''s a gift for Prisci, of course. She is my new secretary.''


    ''But¡­ you gave so many things to many of your women out there¡­'' Chloe protested, wishing her husband could consider her a little. But it was just a stupid idea. Of course, Vincent wouldn''t give a shit about her.


    ''And then what? I have many side chicks out there, giving them money and expensive things to pay them. I don''t see what''s wrong with it.''


    ''But, what about me? I''m your wife. Shouldn''t I get something from you too?''


    Vincent observed his wife from head to toe andughed out loud.

 125 Chapter 125

    ''But, what about me? I''m your wife. Shouldn''t I get something from you too?''


    Vincent observed his wife from head to toe andughed out loud, ''You? Seriously? Do you think an expensive bag will fit you?''


    Chloe zipped her mouth instantly, knowing that retaliating against Vincent would give her nothing but pain.


    ''Listen, Chloe Gray, there are only two bags that fit you, aundry bag and a grocery bag. So stop dreaming that you deserve to get expensive things. You''re not and will never be.''


    ¡ª End of shback¡ª


    Chloe clenched her phone as the memories flooded her head. She shook her head once to dispel the thought. It was in the past, and she was already away from Vincent.


    She wanted to forget it because if she kept remembering, it would only hurt more as time passed.


    Chloe focused on the site again. She checked many bags¡ª only checked and added them inside the online shopping cart, but she never checked out because she had no money.


    "Ah, this one is so beautiful¡­." Chloe murmured. "It''s five grand. If I buy it five years from now, I can get it at uh¡­ 700 bucks?"


    "I still need to save a lot of money for Mackie. So I don''t think I can buy this anytime soon, but at least I got it nned out," Chloe took a screenshot and put it in her gallery of things she wanted to buy. She didn''t know when or if she could even purchase any of this in her lifetime, but hey¡­ daydreaming was free!


    Ding!


    As Chloe was busy scrolling through her phone, the elevator was opened, and Vernon stepped out of the elevator.


    Chloe looked up and lowered her gaze instantly when she found out that Vernon was also staring at her. She didn''t want to incite Vernon''s rage again, even if she didn''t know what she did wrong.


    Vernon''s eyes dimmed when he saw his sister-inw dodged his eyes instantly. No matter how many times she did that to him, it still annoyed him to no end.


    Vernon wanted to ask his sister-inw about a few things regarding her rtionship with his Big brother¡ª Vincent Gray. But she already pissed him off by acting so reluctant.


    As if she was forced to stay by Vernon''s side.


    ''She is the one who''s willing to sign the contract. Why''s she acting like I''m forcing her? Fucking annoying bi¡ª''


    Again Vernon stopped right before she called his sister-inw a slur. He clicked his tongue annoyedly and walked past Chloe.


    He opened the door and saw Diamond busy arguing with someone on the phone.


    Diamond was surprised when her Boss suddenly appeared. She finished the call quickly and said, "Sir, I can only recover the furniture for now, Since you want it from a specific carpenter. I''m currently negotiating for the art pieces to rece the one you destroyed."


    Vincent looked around to observe the new furniture that Diamond bought, "Well, at least you got the furniture right. Don''t be slow. This office looks ugly without the decorations."


    ''And whose fault is it?'' Diamond tried hard not to roll her eyes in front of her Boss.<sub> </sub>


    "Boss, do you want me to buy a punching bag? We can set it at the corner of this office," Diamond suggested.


    "Why would I need that? Do you think I am someone who can''t control my anger?"


    ''Seems like that,'' Diamond replied in her heart. Though, she had to admit that Vernon rarely got angry. He could get irritated, and that had happened multiple times.


    But it was rare for him to explode out of rage. Whenever he was angry, it must''ve involved his family, especially Vincent and Chloe Gray.


    "Just do your job, Diamond. I''ll give you a bonus for redecorating this office," Vernon ordered. He sat on his new executive chair and spun around to feel it.


    "I think I have a meeting today, right, Diamond?"


    "Yes, Sir, you have a meeting," Diamond checked her watch. "Should be ten minutes from now."


    "Okay, let''s just go. You can finish the decoration in my officeter," Vernon said.


    Diamond sighed, and she followed Vernon, who got up from his seat and headed to the meeting room on floor 18th.


    Vernon walked past Chloe again. He gave her a short but sharp nce for a second before going to the elevator.


    Diamond realized that the rtionship between Vernon and Chloe had be even worse than before. She didn''t know what caused it, and she had no way to know since Chloe herself was also clueless about what she did wrong.


    Thus, when she entered the elevator with her Boss, she asked out of curiosity, "Sir, you seem to be angry at Chloe again. Did something happen?"


    ¡­


    Usually, when Vernon went silent, that meant the topic didn''t interest him, or he just didn''t want to talk because it was a sensitive topic.


    But, after a few seconds, Vernon finally opened his mouth, "I have to be careful with her. She is dangerous."


    "Dangerous?" Diamond was stunned by that statement. She might''ve known Chloe for a short time, but Chloe was nothing but a wonderful woman. She might not be the shiest woman that could attract everyone''s eyes.


    But she was very lovely. She reminded Diamond of a lovely housewife that should be the dream of every man on earth, beautiful, sweet, a good cook, a good mother, and attentive to her man.


    So, Diamond didn''t understand how in hell Vernon could get this ''dangerous'' from.


    "I got plenty of information from my Big brother about her. She is not the one to be trusted," Vernon said.


    "Wha¡ª" Diamond couldn''t believe what she had just heard. Why would her Boss listen to that bastard? That perverted asshole wanted to trade secretary just for sex, and also a racist!


    "Sir, it might not be my ce to speak like this. But I don''t think you should trust your Big brother''s words. After all, we both know that he is not a good person, right?"

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    "Sir, it might not be my ce to speak like this. But I don''t think you should trust your Big brother''s words. After all, we both know that he is not a good person, right?" Diamond said. She didn''t want her homegirl to be ndered without proof!


    "I don''t trust him, not in the purest sense, at least."


    "What do you mean, Sir?"


    "¡­ My sister-inw acted exactly like what he described," Vernon said. "I still can''t believe what he said 100%, but I must be careful nheless."


    "But Sir¡ª"


    "Don''t question me more, Diamond. This is a private matter between my sister-inw and me. I don''t like a pesky secretary," Vernon said, basically shutting down Diamond, who wanted to continue arguing.


    Diamond pursed her lips instantly, but she couldn''t help but feel frustrated for Vernon.


    ''He exploded in rage because Chloe didn''t see him and all of their sexual activities as serious, but he is also the one who made it that way by not trying to be gentle with her! What kind of unbelievably childish behavior is this?!''


    Diamond always knew that her boss was a big manchild. But she didn''t expect that he could be twice unbearable when facing Chloe.


    ''Seriously, what is his problem with her? Why is he so harsh on her?!''


    **


    Chloe sat in silence and checked her watch.


    Two hours had passed since Vernon left with Diamond, and it was already three P.M.


    Chloe texted Diamond, asking if Vernon''s meeting would finish soon or not, and she got a reply from her;


    -


    Diamond: It will end soon. He mentioned that he was hungry, so you should prepare lunch now.


    Chloe: Okay, thanks, Diamond.


    -


    Chloe got up from the sofa and went to the pantry to prepare the lunch for Vernon. She cooked ording to Vernon''s tastebud when he was a kid, and there was no protest from him, so Chloe continued cooking just like she cooked the little Vernon.


    She entered Vernon''s CEO''s office with a tray full of food. Chloe was stunned when she saw that almost all the statues and paintings, even small decorations, were gone in Vernon''s office.


    The furniture had been reced, so it seemed that Vernon left nothing untouched. He literally destroyed everything.


    "Now I see why Diamond is hysterical¡­."


    Chloe put Vernon''s lunch on the table and started looking around to check the stuff Vernon destroyed yesterday.


    "Honestly, I don''t understand why he was so mad at me. Did I answer it wrong? But isn''t that what he wants? He used me just for his relief, so I assured him that I feel nothing for him¡­." Chloe sighed. "Look a this, he destroyed everything just because he is angry! If he''s still the same little Vernon, I will spend at least one hour scolding him for throwing such a huge tantrum over nothing!"<sub> </sub>


    Chloe chided this imaginary little Vernon in her head while looking around, finding it very annoying to see many items that suddenly disappeared from the office.


    Vernon and Diamond had just finished the meeting and returned to the top floor. When they arrived, Chloe was nowhere to be found, and the CEO''s office door was opened.


    Diamond could hear Chloe''s voice inside the office but couldn''t catch what she was saying. But she could hear her calling Vernon''s name in a bad tone many times.


    Diamond panicked instantly, thinking that Chloe might have been letting out some steam. You were bound to do that when you had a shitty boss like Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    ''But not like this girl! You''re going to be in deep trouble!''


    Diamond took the initiative by blocking Vernon''s path and said, "Sir, let me talk to Chloe first."


    Vernon looked at Diamond with hawk-like eyes that made her tremble in fear, "This has nothing to do with you. Step aside."


    "S¡ªSir, Chloe is¡­"


    "Step aside, or you will regret it, Diamond."


    Diamond gulped. When Vernon threatened her with that, it wasn''t only her job that''d be on the line. But her whole family''s job and businesses.


    ''I''m sorry, girl¡­.''


    Diamond finally stepped aside and watched as Vernon swaggered past her, heading straight to his office, whose door was wide open.


    To be honest, he also couldn''t hear Chloe fully. But he did hear his name being called in a bad tone many times.


    So he thought his Sister-inw might have shown her true face, the face of a scheming gold digger who wanted to y around with his heart.


    But when he entered his office, he saw his sister-inw taking a picture of an empty wall and then started searching for something on Google.


    Then, she started chiding, "Little Vernon, do you not realize that you can''t just destroy things when you''re angry? You have had this problem for so long¡­."


    "Let me find a cheap but good painting on eBay. Maybe we can find something simr to what you destroyed before," Chloe murmured, and she opened eBay to search for cheap but good paintings that would fit the wall. She wanted to make this ce less intimidating, "Hmm, maybe a flower painting would be good? Ah, no, no, Vernon said he hates flower painting so much because that''s a girl thing, hmm¡­."


    ¡­


    Vernon silently closed the door and leaned on the wall. He crossed his hands and listened while observing his sister-inw right now. She seemed busy with her own world, talking with this little Vernon in her head, scolding him like he was actually there.


    She was chiding nonstop and even told this imaginary little Vernon not to be a bad boy, or he''d be punished.


    Somehow, it also reminded Vernon of his Big sister Chloe. She was bright, active, and fussy. She wouldn''t hesitate to scold Vernon when he destroyed things in the Gray mansion.


    Vernon had had this habit of destroying things since he was a kid. Because no matter how many things he destroyed and how ''valuable'' they were. Everything was simply worthless for him, and since nobody was there to reprimand or even scold him, Vernon was often destroying things just for fun.

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    That was¡­ until his Big brother came with his girlfriend, Chloe.


    She was smart, bubbly, yet attentive and strict when needed. At first, Vernon was hostile toward her because she took his Big brother''s attention. Since Vincent was the only one who actually cared for Vernon.


    So Vernon pranked her¡ª a lot.


    ''Yet, she insists on taking care of me, giving me everything Icked. She did it continuously until I¡­ I...'' Vernon''s gaze darkened, thinking it was ridiculous for him to have that feeling for a stupid woman like his sister-inw.


    He wouldn''t lie that his anger deted instantly as he watched Chloe scolding this ''little Vernon'' in her head while worrying about unnecessary stuff. It was the shadow of the confident, fussy, and smart woman in the past.


    ? Unlike her current self, which was very quiet, shy, and also with an unreadable expression. Vernon always sensed that something was wrong with the current Chloe Gray;


    ''Maybe that bubbly, smart, confident woman I met as a kid is just a farce to attract my Big brother. That''s why he hates you after marriage because you shed all your pretenses,'' Vernon thought.


    ''Which one is the true you, sister-inw? Why did you change so much after ten years? And why did you say so many hurtful things about me back then? Am I that worthless to you?''


    Chloe took a picture at the corner of the room and said, "I think there is a tall potted nt here, right? I think it''s the Monstera flower. Don''t you know that''s an expensive nt? Little Vernon, just because you have a lot of money doesn''t mean you can destroy things! Don''t you know that many people out there want things you have? They want it, but they can''t afford it. That''s why you got to control your anger!"


    "Oh, didn''t you remember what I told you before? If you get angry daily, your skin will turn permanently red! Do you want to be called tomato boy? No girls will ever date a tomato boy!"


    The edge of Vernon''s lips twitched. It was the lie that Chloe made when he was a kid, something that absolutely fooled and terrified him. Because he kept thinking of himself having a permanent tomato red face that would make him so ugly!


    So, Vernon started controlling his anger, at least to a manageable level, because he didn''t want to be the tomato boy!


    "That''s why you need to control yourself, or I will start calling you tomato boy now!"


    "So, you''re going to call me tomato boy now?" Vernon finally opened his mouth and snapped Chloe out of her stupid narration with Little Vernon in her head.


    Chloe turned around instantly, and her face paled in less than five seconds. She clutched her phone and took a few steps back with her shaking legs.


    "Why are you backing off like a rat? Did I scare you?" Vernon smirked. He walked toward Chloe, who kept taking a step behind her until her back hit the wall.


    Chloe almost lost all her strength when Vernon stood one foot away from her. His intimidating figure and hawk-like eyes looked down at her like he was a hawk that would catch a rat as his prey.


    Vernon scoffed when he saw his petite sister-inw almost slumped on the floor. She was shaking heavily. All of her bubbliness and sweet scolding that Vernon heard just now vanished without a trace.


    Vernon was disappointed but not mad. At least he saw the old sister-inw that he fondly remembered, even though it was all fake.<sub> </sub>


    ''Everything is fake. She said she cares for me a lot, but she also said that I''m disgusting and not worth her time because I won''t be as good as my Big brother.''


    ''But why can''t I be mad at you now? Is it that easy for me to forgive you just because you showed a bit of that fake sweetness in front of me?''


    Vernon was distraught by his own taught for a few seconds when he noticed a movement of his sister-inw.


    Chloe actually tried to stealthily escape Vernon, but Vernon quickly took a step forward, blocking her escape, and squeezed their bodies together.


    Chloe''s breath stiffened. She dared not to look up because she was too scared to look at Vernon''s face.


    Vernon used his finger to lift Chloe''s chin up, so their eyes could meet. Chloe closed her eyes instantly, terrified of what woulde next.


    She was ready to be scolded, ridiculed, or maybe beaten if Vernon wanted to. After all, she experienced all of those with Vincent.


    Vernon''s heart sank when he realized his sister-inw didn''t even want to look at him. Maybe it was because he was too disgusting to look at, just like what she said back then.


    "Open your eyes, sister-inw."


    "V¡ªVernon, I¡ªI¡ª" Chloe stammered as she struggled to say sorry and wanted to beg for Vernon''s forgiveness. She was too engrossed with her fantasy of scolding Little Vernon that she held dearly in her heart, so she didn''t even realize the honest Vernon was watching her the whole time.


    "Open your eyes, sister-inw," Vernon repeated his request.


    "I¡ªI can''t¡ª" Chloe replied with difficulty. "S¡ªSorry, I''m sorry¡­ I¡ªI can''t, Vernon¡­."


    Vernon''s lips thinned, and he was very disappointed, but he couldn''t do anything since his sister-inw didn''t even want to look at him just because he was disgusting.


    Vernon didn''t know what part of his body was unattractive or disgusting for his sister-inw. He was working his body out until he had the body of a greek god and a face that would make every woman he met drown in a pink fantasy.


    He had never put his heart to anyone, treating any woman he dated as nothing but a fleeting sensation before he returned to his hometown, the concrete jungle of New York.


    But everything was in vain¡­


    ''No matter what I''m doing. I am still disgusting for you, huh? You''re truly a woman who can''t be satisfied. Maybe my big brother is right about that¡­.''

 128 Chapter 128

    ''No matter what I''m doing. I am still disgusting for you, huh? You''re truly a woman who can''t be satisfied. Maybe my big brother is right about that¡­.''


    Vernon wanted to ask Chloe about his rtionship with Vincent. But he had lost his will, ''I will ask herter when she can look at me in the eyes...''


    Chloe felt Vernon squeeze their bodies even tighter than before, but he said nothing for a while. Chloe felt Vernon''s hand trailing from her chin, going down to her neck. She was scared that Vernon might have choked her to death after this.


    But he did nothing. He released his hands from Chloe and turned around, "You can open your eyes now and leave. You don''t need to stay in the office today. I will tell Diamond to bring the lunch box to our apartment."


    Chloe opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Vernon''s wide shoulder and his back. Chloe stared at Vernon''s back for a while. She knew it might be a little unbelievable, but when she saw Vernon''s figure from behind, the only word she could use to describe him was¡­ lonely.


    ''How¡­ how could a powerful young man with a bright future and thousands of high-ssdies lining up for him¡­ look so lonely?'' Chloe wondered.


    Her instinct told her to approach Vernon and hug him from behind. She once told Vernon that she would never leave him. Even if his parents didn''t want him, she would be the one who took care of Vernon.


    But he was the one who left without a trace, not her.


    Then, when he returned, everything changed. There was no more adorable Little Prince and no more bubbly, bright Big sister. Both of them changed for the better¡­ or worse.


    Chloe wanted to hug Vernon from behind and pacify him, telling him after ten years that she was still here and would never leave Vernon alone. But her fear took over her body. Chloe decided to grab her phone that she dropped when Vernon approached her and left the room, escaping as quickly as possible for the sake of her life.


    Vernon watched until Chloe left him alone. He felt pain in his chest, so much pain that he wanted to cry, "You said you''d never leave me alone, Big sister. You''re a dirty liar¡­."


    Vernon clenched his fist as he was holding the pain in his heart. He wiped the tears that were pooling in his eyes. He wanted to be angry, as always.


    The rage in his heart fueled his desire for revenge, but when he wanted to curse at her, he remembered how Chloe scolded him and called him Tomato boy whenever he was about to get angry, deting his anger instantly.


    So, there was an excruciating feeling in his heart that couldn''t be healed. He wanted to unleash all his rage at her but could not because he also couldn''t bear to see her getting hurt.


    Vernon gritted his teeth and mmed the table, "No, you can''t be like this, Vernon Phoenix Gray. Don''t let her creep inside your heart again. She is not worth it and will never be."


    ? "Nobody is worth your time. It will stay that way forever," Vernon said to himself. It was more like a chant he often used to ensure that nobody would see through his ice-cold heart.<sub> </sub>


    **


    Chloe closed the door and was greeted by Diamond, who looked at her with worried eyes. It was like a Deja Vu since they were in this exact same situation not long ago.


    "Chloe, are you okay?" Diamond asked anxiously. "What were you babbling about anyway?"


    "I... I am okay. I was just talking to myself. Vernon''s habit of breaking things when he is angered has always been a problem since he was a kid. So I scolded the kid version of Vernon in my head. I just didn''t know that I''d get caught red-handed by him¡­."


    "But he didn''t do anything to you, right? Oh God, I won''t be able to forgive myself if he hit you or something¡ª"


    "No, I''m okay. I was just¡­ shaken¡­." Chloe replied. "I thought he''d hurt me. But he didn''t. He just let me go and told me not to stay in the office today. He wants me to return to the apartment."


    "Then, what are you waiting for? Go now! I don''t want him to explode again!" Diamond said anxiously.


    "Y¡ªYou''re right. I can''t stay here for too long. I don''t want him to destroy things again," Chloe grabbed her bag and told Diamond; "Don''t forget to bring the lunch box to the apartment. Vernon said that you will be the one who carries it."


    Diamond nodded, and thus, Chloe entered the elevator and descended to the first floor.


    She sat in her car for a while, staring emptily as she tried to calm herself first. She kept thinking about Vernon and that her instinct told her Vernon was very lonely.


    "Why would I think of that? Vernon is obviously living the best of his life right now. He is literally untouchable on top of thedder. Probably his onlypetitor is his own Big brother, Vincent¡­."


    "But why do I feel that he is very lonely? Is it because of that woman in Vernon''s heart?" Chloe asked herself. "What kind of irreparable damage did she to him? How could she be so vile, hurting Vernon until he turned like this¡­."


    "I want to help him. After all, I''m the one who took care of him when he was young."


    "But how? How am I supposed to help him when he found me disgusting?"


    Chloe dwelled on this idea of helping Vernon for a while, "First, I need to know the identity of this woman. She must be someone in Europe because as much as I remember, Vernon had never shown any interest to anyone¡ª man or woman¡ª when he was still living in the Gray mansion back then."

 129 Chapter 129

    Vernon thought that his mood would affect his appetite. But turned out he still ate his sister-inw''s lunch clean.


    "This is bad," Vernon murmured while staring at the empty tes on the table. "Her food is too good. I can''t control myself. Did she put some kind of love potion in her food?"


    Vernon had a little thought about it and shook his head after, "No, that''s an idiotic reason. Why did I believe in that kind of superstition?"


    "Her food simply suits my taste. That''s why I can''t control myself," Vernon said. "Maybe I need to eat out tonight. I don''t want to face her, knowing she is disgusted with me."


    Vernon got up from the seat and walked to the door. He opened the door and stuck his head out.


    He looked around, and after realizing that his sister-inw had really left his office, he was relieved.


    "Do you need something, Sir?" Diamond asked.


    "Hm, clean the te in my office and bring the lunch box to my apartment," Vernon ordered.


    Vernon returned to his desk and busied himself reading some documents he needed to sign and study more for his projects.


    Diamond knocked on the door and entered politely. She cleaned everything, but before she left, she gathered her courage and asked her Boss, "Sir, why can''t you have a normal conversation with Chloe? You always seem angry and¡­ irrational whenever she is around."


    Vernon stopped reading for a second¡ª gave Diamond a displeased look for a second¡ª and returned back to his document.


    "Sir¡ª"


    "It''s not your problem, and I don''t want to talk about it," Vernon replied. "Just because you befriended her doesn''t mean you can pry about our problem."


    "¡­ Do you hate her, Sir?"


    "Hate? That is a soft word you use there," Vernon finally dropped his document and straight at Diamond''s eyes with his hawk-like yes, "I don''t hate her. I despise her."


    Diamond was trembling out of fear, but she braced herself and asked, "Then why don''t you just give her money and let her free?"


    "We still have some unfinished businesses. I won''t let her free until I get what I want."


    "Sir¡­" Diamond couldn''t believe that she was so emotionally invested in the problem between Chloe and Vernon. But she just couldn''t help it. "Please don''t hurt her. She is trying her best to survive. She doesn''t deserve whatever you''re nning!"


    "It''s not your right to dictate what I''m going to do with her. You''re paid to work under my order. Just shut up and do your job," Vernon said coldly.


    Diamond knew that her Boss was a cold-hearted bastard. But she never knew the length of his evilness. She was worried that he might destroy Chloe''s life until that poor woman had no way to recover.


    "Don''t forget to bring the lunch box and tell her I will not be in the apartment tonight. I want to let off some steam in the club," Vernon said.<sub> </sub>


    "¡­ Understood, Sir¡­"


    Diamond reluctantly left the office since there was nothing she could do other than wish the best for both of them.


    **


    Vernon busied himself until the time showed 8 in the evening. Diamond already left two hours ago. He was just upying himself to dispel the thought of his sister-inw in his mind.


    But he had already finished all the documents he had to check and sign, and his brain automatically thought of his sister-inw again.


    He kept remembering the bubbly, sweet, strict Chloe he grew up with. He had so many fond memories with her, and he couldn''t let go, despite knowing that Chloe had faked everything. He knew that every sweet thing she did was fake because he listened and witnessed with his ears and eyes what Chloe said to histe father, Vaughn Gray.


    Vernon closed his eyes, and he clenched his fists again. He was trying to dispel any idea of giving her a second chance.


    But his heart didn''t want to follow his logic¡­


    "Argh, I don''t want to be yed like this!" Vernon got up from his chair and grabbed his wallet, car key, and phone. "I don''t want to keep thinking about her. Vernon Phoenix Gray, you''re not an idiot! What''s the use of you being an Oxford graduate with honors when you can''t even differentiate between a good woman and the bad one?! Don''t be a fucking idiot!"


    "I''ll just drink the night away! I don''t want to think right now!"


    Vernon entered his car and drove away to the private bar where he usually drinks with his colleagues. He was already a VIP, so all he needed to do was show his face, and he''d get one room all for himself.


    Vernon sat inside the room alone. The room was very simr to a hotel room, with a big bed if he wanted to y with any of the high-ss hookers the bar provided.


    Vernon sat on the long sofa instead, with a waitress who somehow wore an even tighter suit that entuated her body from head to toe.


    The waitress blushed when she got stared at by Vernon Phoenix Gray. This man was a god''s work. His face, wealth, intimidating aura¡­ he''d make any woman wet just by calling her name with his deep voice.


    Vernon leaned on the sofa, spread his arms, and arrogantly put his shoes on the table. He observed this waitress from head to toe. She was beautiful, young, and was obviously trying to seduce him. Because he had noticed her near the entrance of the bar before, and her suit wasn''t as tight as this.


    ''She even has two buttons off, hah¡­.''


    "Are you new here?" Vernon asked. "I visited this bar often, and I''ve never seen you before."


    "Ah¡ª I''ve been working here for two weeks, Sir¡­" the waitress replied. She was working in this private bar for money, but who would''ve expected that she''d catch the attention of Vernon Phoenix Gray, the devilishly handsome CEO that dated a lot of rising female stars!


    "Um¡­ Mr. Phoenix Gray, may I get your order?" the waitress asked shyly.


    "Hmm¡­" Vernon smirked. "I have a lot in my mind tonight. So give me a rmendation, so I could rx and forget about my problems for one night."

 130 Chapter 130

    "I have a lot in my mind tonight. So give me a rmendation so I can rx and forget about my problems for one night," Vernon said, using his charm to lure the waitress in.


    Of course, the waitress was more than excited. She thought she had won the golden ticket to the rich and happy life by spending the night with Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    "I¡ªI suggest Mr. Phoenix Gray try our seven-star fantasy. It''s a new set of drinks consisting of seven kinds that will be delivered periodically."


    "And those seven drinks will be able to make me drunk enough to forget about my problems for one night?" Vernon chuckled. "You know I need more than just a drink, right?"


    "I¡ªI know, Mr. Phoenix Gray. That''s why I¡­ I am willing to apany you for the night," the waitress volunteered.


    Vernon scoffed, "What''s your name?"


    The waitress was surprised that Vernon Phoenix Gray wanted to know her name. That meant her appearance passed his standard, ''And after this, we will spend the night together, and my life will be smooth-sailing from now on!'' the waitress thought.


    "My name is Nicky," the waitress introduced herself bashfully.


    "And how old are you?"


    "Twenty-one¡­"


    "Oh? You''re barely legal to drink, but you''re working in a luxury bar like this? That''s bold," Vernon said with a smile.


    "I¡ªI am a university student. I''m working here to earn money to pay off my student debt earlier," Nicky said.


    "Hmm, well, that kind of money is trivial for me. I can give you all the money to pay off your student loan. But I''m not going to give it for free," Vernon said.


    Nicky already imagined all her student loans paid upfront, and Vernon Phoenix Gray would be in love with her after having wonderful sex together.


    ''OMG, this is like a story from a novel! One night stand that turns to be a blossoming romance! I will be Nicky Gray!'' Nicky thought. ''Ah, this will be easy. I will act as if I''m enjoying his dick, and boost his ego, then he will think I''m the perfect woman!''


    Vernon watched this woman''s expression gradually change after he baited her. It was something very predictable for Vernon. Nobody was able to reject his advance. His body, charisma, and money were the ultimatebo to hook any woman he met¡­


    Except for his sister-inw¡­


    This waitress in front of him was no different. She looked fidgety¡ª trying her best not to jump at him and started making out.


    Honestly, Vernon wasn''t in the mood to do it tonight. But he thought the only way to forget about Chloe at home was to drink until he was very drunk and started fucking any woman by his side.


    It was a way for him to relieve his stress before reuniting with his sister-inw.


    "Give me that seven-star fantasy set. I want to drink for the whole night," Vernon said.


    "T¡ªThen, may I suggest myself be the one who serves you?" Nicky volunteered, full of excitement.


    "Yes, you will serve my drink and apany me for the night. I don''t mind at all," Vernon said.


    Nicky was over the moon once Mr. Phoenix Gray allowed her to apany him. This was a dreame true!


    "I will prepare the drink set first. Please excuse me, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Nicky said.<sub> </sub>


    "Hm."


    Vernon stared at the door in a daze. He had nothing in his mind other than Chloe at home. No matter how many times he tried to dispel her off his thought, she just kepting back.


    "She is like a pest. Why can''t she get out of my head?" Vernon murmured. "This is because she showed that fake sweet, bubbly, but strict Chloe that I grew up with¡­."


    While Vernon was busy with his thoughts, his phone vibrated inside his pocket. He frowned because, as much as he remembered, he had already finished all the work for today after signing thest document.


    However, his expression soon changed when he saw the caller.


    Chloe Gray.


    He hesitated to pick up the call, so he ignored it until the call ended. However, his sister-inw insisted and called again, forcing him to finally pick it up.


    ¡ª


    "What?" Vernon started the conversation on the phone with a sharp tone.


    "Umm¡­ Vernon, where are you right now?" Chloe asked.


    "And why do you need to know?"


    "I was just making sure you''re alright..."


    "Bar," Vernon finally replied.


    "I see," Chloe nodded. She wasn''t that surprised, nor did she have the right to dictate Vernon to do stuff.


    Chloe wanted to warn Vernon not to drink too much because it might be dangerous, knowing his poprity and status.


    But Vernon was a grown man, so he must''ve known how to control himself.


    "Um¡­ how long will you spend in the bar?"


    "Do I really need to say it to you? Why do you care about that?"


    "I just want to make sure to reheat the dinner for you if it''s not toote," Chloe replied. "Diamond told me you''re busy in your office, and now you''re in the bar. So I thought you haven''t had a proper meal for dinner yet¡­."


    "I''m not in the mood to eat your food tonight," Vernon said. He grinned as he had the idea to trigger his sister-inw. "I won''t be home soon. I''m going to have fun here. I''ve found a new woman to spend the night with."


    Chloe wasn''t all that surprised. After all, Vernon was a rich, handsome, powerful young man who had the world in his hand.


    He was also unmarried and didn''t date anyone right now, so there was no problem with him having fun outside as long as he did it safe.


    But, as his big sister figure, Chloe didn''t want Vernon to catch STD outside, so she said, "I understand. I won''t cook for you tonight. Don''t forget to use a condom, okay? You still need to be careful. It''s dangerous out there."

 131 Chapter 131

    "I understand. I won''t cook for you tonight. Don''t forget to use a condom, okay? You still need to be careful. It''s dangerous out there," Chloe warned as carefully as possible, not wanting to anger Vernon in any way.


    Vernon''s expression tightened instantly. He clenched his phone and yelled spontaneously, "DON''T PRETEND LIKE YOU CARE, BI¡ª"


    Vernon hung up the call before he said that slur word. He threw his phone on the bed beside the sofa. He kicked the table in front of him in a fit of rage, "Why do you keep pretending like you care about me? You didn''t! You never cared about my life! ARRGHH!"


    Click.


    Nicky opened the door at the wrong time. She was stunned when she saw Mr. Phoenix Gray kicking the table while cursing at someone¡ª a woman. He seemed to be stressed out and couldn''t control his rage.


    ''He was so calm before, but I left him for fifteen minutes, and he is already raging like this?'' Nicky pondered, then a bright idea came into her mind. ''Wait, isn''t that a great opportunity? This is like a novel! Mr. Phoenix Gray must have broken up with his girlfriend and now wants to forget about her. I can rece that woman in his heart! O M G! I''m going to be rich!''


    Nicky shyly entered the room and opened her mouth to notify her presence since Mr. Phoenix Gray seemed to be absorbed with his own rage right now.


    "Pardon me, Mr. Phoenix Gray..." Nicky said.


    Vernon turned around with hostility in his gaze, which made Nicky both scared and excited at the same time. She was fantasizing how good it''d feel to be fucked by such a handsome man that exuded tons of masculinity like Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    Vernon went silent instantly. He wasn''t the type to show his uncontroble rage in front of other people, mostly because he had this public image of a devil-may-care attitude.


    Not this mess of a man he was currently, all because of his sister-inw. That woman made him like this!


    Vernon tried to calm down. He disliked showing this side of him in front of strangers, "Sorry, I had a little fight with someone on the phone.


    "It''s fine, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I''m here to apany you after all," Nicky said. "I''ve prepared the seven-star fantasy set of drinks. Sir, may I suggest you sip the light one and gradually go to the heavy one? The heavy one consists of a strong drink that might make you ck out, though¡­."


    "Yes, that''d be great," Vernon said. "But I shouldn''t drink thest one before having you."


    "S¡ªSure, Mr. Phoenix Gray¡­" Nicky''s body started to feel warm when Mr. Phoenix Gray said that. She was already enamored by everything about him, and the way he told her that she''d be his tonight was absolutely fantastic!


    ''No wonder so many womenpeting for his love. He''s so¡ª Ugh, I can''t even describe it at this point!''


    Excited about what toe, Nicky tried to hold Vernon''s hand¡ª which Vernon didn''t reject, and led him back to the sofa that he had kicked before, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, you should sit first and rx. I will put the drink on the table, so you can taste it."


    "Hm, yeah¡­"<sub> </sub>


    Vernon sat and watched how this waitress poured the first drink into a wine ss and put it on the table. The waitress stood beside the sofa, waiting for Vernon to drink it.


    Vernon nced at the waitress and grabbed her wrist. He yanked the waitress to sit right beside him on the sofa, "Ah¡ª M¡ªMr. Phoenix Gray?!"


    "Sit with me and help me drink it. I don''t want to spend the night alone," Vernon said.


    Nicky looked shy, but she was secretly rejoicing in her heart. Because she had a chance to be Vernon Phoenix Gray''s woman for the night.


    Nicky picked up the ss on the table and helped Vernon to drink it. Vernon felt rxed after the first drink, he still had Chloe in his mind, but at least he wasn''t as stressed as before.


    After the fourth drink, Vernon started feeling tipsy. He blinked a few times to ensure he didn''t close his eyes.


    However, he was already dazed, emptily staring straight at the wall in front of him.


    His mind was flooded with one woman he had never been able to dispel off his head, even for ten years after his departure. She filled every part of his brain¡­ and his heart.


    And that stayed the same even after ten years, probably even stronger now.


    Vernon knew that he was an idiot for falling into the same trick, so he wanted to ruin his Big brother and sister-inw at the same time, alongside the Gray family that had never fully epted him.


    So if he set everything on fire, he''d also be able to set his heart aze, leaving nothing but ashes of the image of that woman.


    Nicky noticed that Mr. Phoenix Gray was staring emptily. He must''ve been in his trance, which was a perfect time to crawl into his heart.


    ''But first, I need him to tell a story about this woman in his heart, so I can nder her and call her a bitch until Vernon Phoenix Gray thinks of her as nothing worthy. Then I can rece her in his heart.''


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, are you still thinking about this woman? Is she that important to you?" Nicky asked. "Do you love her that much?"


    ¡­


    Vernon didn''t want to tell anyone about it at first, but after he drank the fifth drink, his mind started feeling a little too rxed, lowering his guard. He finally opened his mouth to describe this woman;


    "She has been in my mind for more than fifteen years, and I don''t think she''s going to leave anytime soon," Vernon said. "Not unless I burn everything to ashes. So I can forget her and the sweet but fake memories in my mind."

 132 Chapter 132

    "She has been in my mind for more than fifteen years, and I don''t think she''s going to leave anytime soon," Vernon said. "Not unless I burn everything to ashes. So I can forget her and the sweet but fake memories in my mind."


    ? "Fake?" Nicky got curious about his story. Fifteen years of loving someone wasn''t a short time. ''Does that mean this woman is Mr. Phoenix Gray''s first love? Fifteen years that means he is around ten, right?''


    Nicky was one of his fans on social media. She stalked his Instagram ount and also all the rumors about him.


    Vernon Phoenix Gray was a heartless yboy who had a lot of women by his side. But he was so charismatic that the woman who yearned for him ignored his obvious red g of being unable to keep one rtionship for more than a month.


    How about Nicky?


    ''Well, I don''t care if he can''t keep a rtionship for a month. That''s because he just hasn''t met with the right woman yet! I can be that girl!'' Nicky was excited by her own thought, feeling that she and Mr. Pheonix Gray was destined to be together.


    "Yes, she is fake, what she showed me when I was a kid¡­ it''s all false pretense¡­." Vernon replied, not filtering anything anymore as he was intoxicated. "I thought our feelings were mutual. But turns out I am the idiot who thinks that way. Because she absolutely despises me."


    "How could that be¡ª" Nicky was astonished by Vernon''s words. "How could someone reject you, Mr. Phoenix Gray? You are a perfect man!"


    "Heh, perfect," Vernon scoffed, full of ridicule. He wasughing at himself for being an idiot. "Apparently, I''m never enough for her. She always sees me as a lesser manpared to him."


    "Him?"


    ¡­


    Vernon refused to say more. He wasn''t in the mood as he just wanted to sit like this for hours now, not doing anything.


    Nicky wanted to pry more before she did her job to pacify his heart, so she asked, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, do you still love her?"


    "Love her? HAH!" Vernon snarled, and his gaze darkened. The previously scary Vernon Phoenix Gray was now fueling with rage. Even Nicky felt that his intimidating aura was too much, even for her, who basically worshipped him¡ª online, of course.


    "I despise her as much as she despises me," Vernon said. "I want to make her suffer, so she will understand that she yed with the wrong man!"


    Nicky took a deep breath as she was also a little scared by him. She patted Vernon''s shoulder and said, "It''s okay, Mr. Phoenix Gray. That kind of woman is not your type. She doesn''t seem to be a good woman either. Please drink for the night and forget about her. I will apany you."


    "Hrm."


    Vernon was a little displeased that someone else dared call his sister-inw ''not a good woman.'' Because in his mind, he was the only one who could say that about her.


    But he tried to ignore his anger as Nicky handed him the sixth drink. He stared at the drink for a while, knowing well that he would probably be drunk as shit after this.


    But he was here to forget about her, even just a night.


    Thus, Vernon picked the ss from Nicky''s hand and drank everything in one gulp.


    He put the ss on the table and sat silently for a while.<sub> </sub>


    One second¡­


    Two seconds¡­


    Three seconds¡­


    Vernon''s gaze was blurred. He could barely see what was in front of him. His head spun, and he could barely think of anything.


    He was the silent drunk type. He''d either fall asleep or just sit in silence for a long time after he got really drunk.


    So he was unresponsive right now, much to Nicky''s joy.


    She waved her hand in front of Vernon, "Mr. Pheonix Gray? Sir? Are you still there?"


    ¡­


    Vernon was unresponsive but still opened his eyes and breathing normally.


    ''Now''s my chance!'' Nicky gently ced her palm on Vernon''s big and muscr chest. She leaned in and rested her head on his chest, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, do you still think about her?"


    ¡­


    Vernon was still unresponsive, but his mind was thinking about the same woman over and over.


    Nicky took his silence as a no because Mr. Phoenix Gray seemed to be so passionately in love and in rage when talking about this woman.


    That¡­ or he was just too drunk to think of anything, which was a perfect time for Nicky.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray¡­" Nicky trailed her hands, feeling Vernon''s chest up to his neck. She hooked her arms around Vernon''s neck and tried to pull his shoulder down to no avail.


    Vernon Phoenix Gray was like an unmoved stone. Instead, she was the one who got pulled up until she could put her lips near his ear. She whispered to drunk Vernon, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, why don''t we have fun tonight? You should forget about her, okay?"


    "Her?" Vernon murmured something inaudible for Nicky. But he seemed to be thinking about that woman again.


    Nicky was a little disappointed, but she wouldn''t give up now. Not when her handsome gold mine was in front of her!


    ''I will make sure he had sex so good, he will fall in love with me! I will be Nicky Phoenix Gray after this!'' Nicky was already fantasizing about her beautiful life in the future.


    Nicky sat on Vernon''sp and ground his crotch with her ass. Vernon''s crotch was making an obvious bulge in less than ten seconds. It was so big that Nicky could feel the size just by grinding on it. It was also hard as a rock, giving Nicky more reason to take everything off and let Vernon have a piece of her for the night.


    "Oh¡­ oh my! Mr. Phoenix Gray, you''re well-endowed down here too! You''re such a god''s gift! I can''t believe that a woman doesn''t want you!"

 133 Chapter 133

    "Oh¡­ oh my! Mr. Phoenix Gray, you''re well-endowed down here too! You''re such a god''s gift! I can''t believe that a woman doesn''t want you!" Nicky praised. She couldn''t contain her excitement even more. She leaned in, wanting to kiss Mr. Phoenix Gray, who was unresponsive.


    She leaned closer and closer until her lips were only one inch away from his. Vernon was staring emptily, his body was responsive to touch, but he didn''t seem to realize the woman in front of him.


    His mind continued to flood with one woman and that woman only. Her figure, smile, voice, everything about her hadpletely filled his mind from fifteen years ago, and that never changed and probably will never be.


    Vernon couldn''t think straight amidst his drunken stupor, but when he felt the breath of someone in front of him, his mind regained a little consciousness, and he saw the face of a random woman almost kissing him.


    "What the¡ª" Vernon pushed Nicky right before their lips touched.


    "AH!"


    Nicky fell backward and rolled on the ground until her back hit the table. She grimaced in pain and saw Mr. Phoenix Gray unsteadily get up from the seat.


    He massaged his temples, trying to wake up just a little bit.


    "M¡ªMr. Phoenix Gray, why did you push me?" Nicky asked. She was close to her goal of kissing Vernon Phoenix Gray and scored on him.


    But Vernon suddenly pushed her and became hostile.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray¡­"


    Vernon''s felt his head being pounded by a hammer from behind. He was so dizzy and couldn''t find the woman he was looking for.


    He looked down when the waitress called his name and red as if he was ready to kill her right here.


    "What?"


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, I thought you wanted me tonight¡­."


    "Are you fucking kidding me? I HAVE A WOMAN AT HOME!" Vernon proimed out loud. "What do you think I am? A fucking cheater?!"


    Nicky was shocked because Mr. Phoenix Gray still remembered the woman he despised so much despite being in his drunken stupor.


    ''He shouldn''t even remember being alive at this point! How could he still think about that woman?!'' Nicky thought, thinking that she might have witnessed something unbelievable.


    Vernon hit his head a few times to keep his consciousness. He had no control over his mind right now. All he did was follow his instinct about going home.


    He must go home because he had a woman waiting for his arrival. He didn''t need this random woman grinding his dick while he had his loved one at home!


    Vernon looked around to find his phone. Once he found it on the bed, he snatched it and smacked his head at least three times so he could still see the number on his phone.


    He was thinking about calling his sister-inw¡­


    But he didn''t want that woman toe here and see what kind of ce he visited, especially not with his nagging bitch beside him. His instinct told him that he didn''t want to be scolded by her.


    So he called his trusted secretary, Diamond Johnson.<sub> </sub>


    The phone beeped a few times until Diamond picked up the call;


    ¡ª


    "Hello, boss?" Diamond answered the phone. She wasn''t exactly fond of thete-night call. But she was Mr. Phoenix Gray''s secretary, and this wasn''t the first time he called in the middle of the night either.


    Not for sexual stuff, of course. Diamond lost her interest just a month after working with him. Thinking about it already made her feel so gross.


    "Diamond, uh¡­ pick me up, I''m at¡­ uh¡­." Vernon shook his head a few times, trying to remember where he was. "I''m at uh¡­."


    "Got it," Diamond said. "I''ll be there with my car instead."


    "Yeah, I¡­ I want to go home and meet her, my woman¡­." Vernon said weakly.


    Diamond gasped as her eyes widened instantly.


    It wasn''t the first time Mr. Phoenix Gray got too drunk to function. But he never said that he had a woman at home or whatsoever. He''d just go with whoever the woman was by his side at that time and spend the night having fun before ditching that woman and going for another.


    "W¡ªWait, you want to go home and meet your woman?! Oh shit, yes! I''m going there!" Diamond got excited, thinking that Vernon would finally admit that to whom his heart harbored.


    "Don''t touch anyone yet! My homegirl deserves the best!" Diamond warned before


    "Uh¡ªhuh¡­"


    ¡ª


    Nicky got up from the ground and tried to stop Vernon from leaving, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, p¡ªplease sit down first and let''s chat. I know that you''re tired of this woman. Why don''t you forget about her tonight and¡­ and have me instead?"


    Vernon ignored her, trying his best to search his wallet and car key despite the headache.


    Knowing that she had failed to seduce him, Nicky tried to jump on Vernon, sitting on the bed. Shended on top of him and hugged him tightly, pressing her boobs, hoping that Vernon Phoenix Gray would finally ignore that woman in his head at least for one night and give her a chance.


    "Please, Mr. Phoenix Gray! Give me a chance! I will have a wonderful night with you! You will forget about that woman, I SWEAR!!"


    She desperately clung to him, but Vernon was not aroused. He was disgusted instead.


    "GET OFF OF ME, BITCH!" Vernon pushed the woman until she fell backward again. No matter how much she tried to desperately clung to him, there was only one woman in his mind right now.


    Nicky''s back hit the sofa this time. He saw Vernon grabbed his stuff scattered on the bed, intending to leave while she still hadn''t seeded with her attempt.


    So she got even more desperate and started unbuttoning her tight shirt and threw the shirt on Vernon, who was still trying to recover from the headache.


    Vernon saw the shirt that had been thrown at him and turned his head in the direction of the waitress. Nicky was only wearing her blue bra as she brazenly said, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, look at me! I can be your woman tonight!"

 134 Chapter 134

    Vernon saw the shirt that had been thrown at him and turned his head in the direction of the waitress. Nicky was only wearing her blue bra as she brazenly said, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, look at me! I can be your woman tonight!"


    Vernon''s patience was already at his limit. His head was banging like crazy, and this bitch continued to scream about being his woman or whatever. Even though Vernon already told her that he had a woman at home!


    Seeing that Mr. Phoenix Gray didn''t respond to her at all, Nicky became utterly desperate. She jumped towards Mr. Phoenix Gray and pushed him!


    "WHAT THE¡ª" Vernon was surprised when this crazy waitress suddenly pushed him until he lost his footing and fell on the bed behind him. Nicky quickly took the chance by sitting on Vernon''s abs and took off her bra desperately.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, please, just one night. I promise you won''t regret it! PLEASE!" Nicky threw her bra to the CEO''s face, much to Vernon''s disgust.


    He grabbed the bra on his face and threw it away. He red at this crazy bitch who was mounting him.


    Nicky thought she still had a chance, so she begged, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, I will make sure that you will enjoy me. Just forget about that ugly bitch in your life, okay?"


    Vernon finally snapped when someone called his woman an ''ugly bitch.''


    He grabbed Nicky''s arm and flung her to the side.


    "AH!" Nicky shrieked as shended on the bed, lying right beside Vernon. She thought that Mr. Phoenix Gray would finally do something to her.


    But he just got up from the bed and shook his head again as he tried to stabilize his body before attempting to leave the room.


    "M¡ªMr. Phoenix Gray¡ª"


    "SHUT UP!" Vernon finally snapped, and Nicky zipped her mouth out of shock.


    Vernon stood while backing Nicky. He had no intention of looking at her. He clenched his fist as he tried to quell his anger, "I have my woman waiting for me at home. I''m not a cheater, and she is not receable by anyone, do you understand?"


    "But¡­"


    Before Nicky could continue her sentence, Vernon took off all the money in his wallet and threw it at the bed. Nicky saw the hundred dors bills raining on her. She should be happy that she got the money she wanted.


    But this was nothingpared to the money Vernon Phoenix Gray¡ª the rising CEO, had in his bank ount.


    Unfortunately, she had lost her chance. Maybe she was too eager, but shouldn''t all men love an eager woman? Especially a yboy like Vernon, who had met many women who wanted to climb on his bed.


    ''That woman in his heart¡­ is she that important for him?'' Nicky wondered, feeling depressed as she sat silently while the dors scattered on the bed.


    "That should be enough for you," Vernon said. He exerted more strength to walk to the door and left the room.


    He was at his limit. His headache was unbearable, and his body swayed left and right until he had to take a break by leaning on the wall as he tried to walk out of the bar.<sub> </sub>


    There was only one woman in his mind right now, the one he had been dreaming of every night.


    The one he only had his eyes on, and he wanted to return to her no matter what.


    "I need her. I need her by my side¡­." Vernon murmured as he pushed himself to continue walking towards the front of the bar so he could escape.


    ¡­


    Diamond arrived quickly after she got the call from her Boss. She was excited to finally see progress between her Boss and her homegirl. Since she wasn''t allowed to interfere by Vernon, the only thing she could do was to support them whenever there was progress.


    She entered the bar and headed straight to the manager whom she was familiar with.


    The manager turned his head towards Diamond, and his face brightened instantly, "Ah, Diamond! Are you here to pick up Mr. Phoenix Gray again?"


    "Obviously," Diamond said since this scenario had happened many times. "He called me so I can pick him up."


    "Hmm, I thought he''d spend the night here," the bar manager said. "He ordered seven-star fantasy, a set of seven drinks to make you ck out drunk after the seventh shot. The new waitress seems to be very excited as well."


    The luxury bar manager signaled that Vernon might have taken that woman to spend the night with, but Diamond shook her head fervently, "No, he said he wants to return home because he¡ª well, the detail doesn''t matter. I''m just here to pick him up."


    "Oh well, he is in¡ª"


    "Urgh..."


    Diamond and the bar manager turned their heads at the same time once they heard a grunting from the corridor leading to the private rooms.


    They saw Vernon Phoenix Gray walking out while trying to prop himself on the wall.


    "SIR!" Diamond rushed to her Boss and propped him on her shoulder while the manager followed and helped to prop the other side.


    "Diamond, I¡­ I want to meet¡­."


    Vernon was stammering, trying his hardest to utter what he wanted to do right now. He was barely there after the sixth shot of that seven-star fantasy drink kicked in his body.


    "Yeah, I know, Boss. I will bring you to her," Diamond said. She was helped by the manager to put Vernon in her car, then returned to the bar to pay with Vernon''s credit card.


    "Did he also¡­ you know," Diamond asked, mentioning whether Vernon had to pay for that woman in his private room.


    But the bar manager shook his head, "I checked the room, and Mr. Phoenix Gray gave her more than enough tips. Besides, the waitress said that he didn''t touch her at all. You should see the defeated look in her eyes. This should be the first time Mr. Phoenix Gray rejected a woman here."

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    "You should see the defeated look in her eyes. This should be the first time Mr. Phoenix Gray rejected a woman here," the bar manager said.


    Diamond sighed in relief. Of course, it was Vernon''s right with whom he wanted to have sex.


    But she wanted the best for her new best friend, Chloe. So, if she could deliver this big package to her without a dent, that''d be great!


    After she paid it, Diamond returned to her car and saw Vernon closed his eyes, seemingly asleep.


    Diamond put on a seatbelt for them both, and she drove through the night in New York, heading to the Phoenix Tower. She checked Vernon repeatedly and asked, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, are you asleep?"


    "¡­ Huh? I¡­ Chloe¡­" Vernon murmured that name weakly, much to Diamond''s excitement.


    "Okay, he''s not dead yet. I hope he can stay alive until we arrive at his apartment!"


    **


    Chloe sat on a couch in the living room. She only turned on a few dim lights while waiting for Vernon to return home.


    She checked her phone to see whether Vernon had texted her, then checked the time;


    "It''s two hours past midnight already¡­." Chloe murmured. She was already asleep on the couch about an hour ago while waiting for Vernon to return home.


    But Diamond suddenly rang her phone and told her to stay awake because she was taking a drunk Vernon home.


    Though Vernon had already told her not to wait for him because he wanted to have fun in the bar, she still had this gut feeling that he''d return tonight.


    So she waited patiently to ensure she''d help Vernon a bit while he was drunk.


    What kind of help?


    Well, taking his shoes and socks off, took off his shirt that might''ve been stained with drink, and helped him to drink a ss of water before sleeping. It was just simple aftercare that Chloe did to Vincent often when he came home drunk¡ª though she could barely do those for him because Vincent would push or kick her while trying to help.


    And that also didn''t count the time when Vincent came home drunk as fuck, but with a random woman by his side.


    Chloe sighed, the more she thought about her life with Vincent, the sadder she got, but that jerk filled ten years of her life, plus fifteen more years of her younger days when they were dating.


    "Who would''ve expected the prince charming is actually a monster in disguise after he got married?" Chloe murmured.


    She tucked her ck satin night robe as she continued waiting. She didn''t wear anything other than lingerie under the satin night robe. She liked sleeping bra-less because it felt stuffy at night wearing them, and she''d done it for so long since she was already sleeping in a different room when Vincent kept on bringing new women to their bedroom.


    "Ah, it''s fine. Vernon is dead drunk, after all. He won''t see me wearing this," Chloe thought.


    About fifteen minutester, the bell from the main door rang. Chloe got up and loosely tied her night robe before walking to the main door.


    She opened it slowly and peeked. She was surprised when she saw Diamonding with Vernon, whom she propped on her shoulder. Her face was in a lot of pain, and sheined, "Girl¡ª open the door. I''m supporting a literal gori here!"


    "Ah, yes!" Chloe opened the door wide, and before she could do anything, Diamond suddenly pushed the big, muscr man towards Chloe.<sub> </sub>


    "AH!"


    The petite Chloe could not support Vernon, who was twice her size. She struggled and looked at Diamond, who was catching her breath."


    "D¡ªDiamond, help me! I can''t carry him alone!"


    "Oh, he''s now your problem, gurl," Diamond said. "You should know that he hasn''t touched any woman tonight."


    "T¡ªThat doesn''t matter¡ª"


    "Doesn''t matter? Gurl, you''re literally wearing a sexy night robe. You must''ve nned everything, right?" Diamond giggled happily. "Oh well, hope you can handle him. Good night, you two."


    Diamond closed the door and left.


    "Wait, Diamond¡ª Ah, darn it!" Chloe was utterly hopeless now. Vernon was sleeping on top of her body. He was literally twice her size and was so big and heavy. She couldn''t even move her body under his, alone carrying Vernon to his room.


    Having no other way out, Chloe started pping Vernon''s cheeks lightly to wake him up, "Vernon, Vernon, wake up. You need to move to your bed."


    ¡­


    There was no response from the big man. Vernon continued pping his cheeks and tried to push his chest to no avail. In contrast, Vernon seemed veryfortable as his body got heavier.


    Chloe decided to whisper in his ear, "Vernon, wake up, okay? You need to sleep in your bed. It''s not good if you sleep here¡­."


    Magically, Vernon opened his eyes in an instant. He put his palm between Chloe''s head and pushed himself up.


    He stared emptily at the woman under him. His gaze was blurry, but he was convinced that he heard his woman''s voice whispering gently to his ear.


    It took him a while, and when he finally got a clear view of the woman under him, his breath heaved instantly.


    Chloe was relieved that Vernon seemed to have recovered a little. She gently ced her palm on his jaw and said, "Vernon, you need to get up and sleep in the bed, okay?"


    ¡­


    Vernon was unresponsive, but he kept staring at her for a while until he suddenly murmured, "My woman."


    "Eh?"


    Vernon got up and lifted Chloe by grabbing her waist. He carried Chloe on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, "LET''S GO TO BED!"


    "EH?! AH! V¡ªVernon, put me down!" Chloe yelled. Now she was convinced that Vernon was so drunk that he didn''t even recognize her.


    Chloe tried to struggle to release herself from Vernon''s shoulder and escaped.


    "Vernon put me down! Put me¡ª Ah, MY ROBE!" Chloe''s night robe identally slipped and fell on the floor, leaving Chloe wearing nothing but her thin lingerie that barely covered her slit down there.

 136 Chapter 136

    [Explicit.]


    "Vernon, put me down! Put me¡ª Ah, MY ROBE!" Chloe''s night robe identally slipped and fell on the floor, leaving Chloe wearing nothing but her thin lingerie that barely covered her slit.


    Vernon didn''t answer, nor was he interested in answering anything. He was out of his mind and did everything based on instinct. His desire instantly surged alongside his strength when he saw his woman under him.


    He walked straight to his bedroom with his woman on his shoulder. Chloe continued struggling as she was naked with only lingerie that would not cover anything.


    BAM!


    Vernon kicked the door and entered. He mmed the door behind him and headed to hisrge bed.


    "V¡ªVernon¡ª PUT ME¡ª"


    "I never know you''re this eager, my love," Vernon said. He dropped Chloe on his bed, and her body bounced on the soft bed. The scent of manly musk wafted around her nose instantly. This was Vernon''s natural body odor that Chloe noticed instantly whenever she entered Vernon''s bedroom to clean it, the smell was particrly strong around the bedsheet that he used, and now she was lying on his bedsheet.


    "V¡ªVernon, Ah!"


    Chloe was surprised when she saw the big man suddenly covering her body from above.


    Vernon''s hands were on each side of her shoulders, and he locked Chloe''s lower body by doing the same, putting his knees on each side.


    Under the dim light from the ceiling, Chloe felt like she had been pinned down by a big eagle¡ª or hawk, especially when she saw his hawk-like hunter eyes full of obsession.


    His gaze was hot and made her ufortable because nobody had ever looked at her with such a passionate hot gaze.


    Chloe was hypnotized for a good while, like a small, terrified rabbit. Her body trembled a bit when the eyes of the prey and the hunter met.


    ''Vernon¡­ he stares at me as if I''m the only one in his eyes. As if¡­ I''m the one he puts in his heart¡­'' Chloe thought for a few fleeting seconds.


    It was like an intrusive thought¡ª maybe wishful thinking because no man ever looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman on earth.


    She wouldn''t lie that she wanted this. She wanted to be prized by a man of her choice¡­


    But Chloe snapped out of her daze quickly, knowing that gaze wasn''t supposed to be for her.


    ''He is definitely drunk out of his wits. Why else would he look at me that way?'' Chloe thought.


    She was panicked because she realized that Vernon was dead drunk right now yet still had the monstrous strength that made her absolutely powerless under him.


    "V¡ªVernon, wake up. This is me, Chloe¡ª your sister-inw," Chloe said.


    But Vernon was not budging, no matter how much she tried to remind him and tried her hardest to push his pecs.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe slipped her hand and reached Vernon''s chiseled jawline. She pped his cheek gently, trying to wake him up, "Vernon, I''m your sister-inw. I am Chlo¡ª"


    Before Chloe could finish her sentence, Vernon suddenly grabbed her wrist and kissed her palm. His eyes didn''t leave Chloe''s eyes at all, and he murmured amidst his drunkness;


    "My woman. You are my woman."


    "No, you''re mistaken¡ª"


    "I''m not mistaken," Vernon interrupted. His head leaned closer until their foreheads and nose tips touched, his eyes were staring deeply at hers, making sure he wasn''t mistaken.


    Their breaths were entangled, and Vernon added, "You are my woman."


    "Wait¡ªMmff¡ª!" Chloe was unable to string up a word when Vernon suddenly kissed her lips. She struggled a bit but soon gave in when she realized she had no chance to refuse him because he skilfully took the chance when she parted her mouth slightly.


    "Mmhh¡ª Ah¡ª Vernon¡ª Mmff!" Chloe tried to push him again but gave in soon after when his kiss was so domineering. He explored her mouth with his tongue, their saliva mixed into one, and Vernon wasn''t grossed at all, much to Chloe''s surprise.


    Because she thought that he''d be super grossed out by her body even when he was drunk.


    But maybe that alcohol did something in him because he got more dominating in his kiss until Chloe was breathless.


    Vernon finally stopped kissing her after realizing that Chloe was getting weaker. He stared at his beloved, who was like a fish out of water, and chuckled as he saw an amusing expression he liked so much.


    "I should kiss you every day, so you will get used to me," Vernon said, acknowledging that his passionate kiss might be too much for her.


    Chloe''s chest rose up and down as she tried to catch her breath, but Vernon didn''t give her a break. He kissed her chin, then went down to kiss her neck.


    Vernon started kissing and sucking around her neck and corbone, and she was scared that he might make a mark. Chloe''s skin was thin, so a simple hickey wouldst for days, forcing her to cover her neck to hide it.


    "P¡ªPlease don''t make a mark¡ªAH!"


    When Vernon was warned by his woman, he got even more excited. Instead of stopping, he kissed and sucked deeper on her neck until a crimson kiss mark appeared.


    Vernon marveled upon his creation on Chloe''s skin, "Why should I not make a kiss mark on you? You''re my woman. I will make sure everyone knows that you''re mine."


    "Ah¡ª Vernon¡ª Ahnnnn!" Chloe moaned sweetly when Vernon continued making marks all over her neck and upper body until he was fully satisfied with his work.


    "Guess I will be the only one who can stare at your neck now, huh?" Vernonmented.


    "Vernon¡­ snap out of it. I''m not your woman¡­." Chloe said weakly. Though she wished to be one, at least for this night. Because no man had ever been this eager to touch and taste her body. She constantly tried to cover her body because she was scared that Vincent would be grossed out.

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    But Vernon¡ª at least the drunk Vernon¡ª wanted her body, lusting over her as if she was a goddess he took from heaven.


    And she liked it¡­


    ''Ah, what are you doing, Chloe? Vernon is so drunk right now. Of course, he''ll do stuff. All men do this when drunk¡ª no matter who is the woman on their bed¡­'' Chloe thought.


    But Vernon didn''t allow her to overthink her worry. Because he suddenly pinched her chin and stared deep into her eyes, "Don''t make that self-deprecating expression. My woman¡­ my woman, is the brightest woman I''ve ever met. She is the most beautiful. No matter how many women I''ve met, she is irreceable."


    ''Yeah, that''s not me at all¡­'' Chloe thought. She was quite bright when she was young, but her fire fizzled out when she married and got bullied into total submission to Vincent.


    "Vernon¡­" Chloe bit her lower lip, fighting between morality and pleasure. Because Vernon was drunk out of his wits right now, if she allowed him to go deeper into this entanglement, she was taking advantage of her drunk brother-inw.


    ''Yet, I can''t help but feel so guilty about this. Because Vernon would never be this passionate and loving towards me when he is not drunk¡­.''


    Vernon got annoyed when he realized his woman was dazed and seemed deep in thought, "Tch, stop thinking and let''s have more fun."


    "But¡ª Ahh¡ªmmffhh¡­. "


    Vernon kissed Chloe''s lips again, and he went down from her lips to her cleavage. He used his big hands to grab Chloe''s plump tits and separated them against each side.


    "Vernon, what are you¡ª Ahhhnnnnn!" Chloe moaned again when Vernon suddenly stuck his tongue out. He trailed his tongue from the corbone down to the cleavage.


    His tongue licked through her cleavage-- the rift between her boobs. She never realized that spot was very sensitive for her because she felt a surge of jolts entering her body, making her twitch out of shock and pleasure.


    Vernon didn''t stop after he finished licking her cleavage. His tongue started swiping around her under boobs while his hot palm squeezed her boobs gently.


    The pleasure, ticklish, and a little bit of pain made her feel so weirdly intoxicated that Chloe couldn''t mutter a word other than sweet moans that she couldn''t control.


    "Ah¡ªuhh¡­ ann! I¡ªIt''s ticklish, Vernon¡ª it''s too ticklish!" Chloe said, hoping that would deter Vernon a bit.


    Vernon finally stopped licking and sucking her under boobs. He lifted his head to check on his beloved, and a satisfied smirk formed on his lips, "See? It''s fun when you don''t think too much."


    Chloe''s breath was getting too heavy, so she breathed out from her mouth instead.


    She looked at Vernon, who still had his devilish smirk filled with mischievousness, and then looked down to see her boobs that he fondled so carelessly.


    She couldn''t believe that she would allow a man to be this unscrupulous to her, ''I don''t think I can call myself modest anymore¡­.''<sub> </sub>


    Thus, Chloe allowed the devil to whisper in her ear and drowned in pleasure as she stayed quiet and stared at Vernon''s eyes intently, silently giving him permission to do more.


    "Now, let me taste your nipples~," Vernon hummed as he lowered his head again. He started by fiddling with her nipples with his thumbs.


    Chloe bit her lower lip, her body jolted a few times when he pinched her nipples, and a few moans escaped her mouth, "Nnnhhh! Ah, ahhnn! T¡ªTicklish¡ª ahh¡ª!"


    Vernon stared at the nipples, which had turned reddish after he fiddled with them. The mischievous grin turned even more perverted. He kissed Chloe''s left nipple a few times until he contained her nipple inside his mouth.


    Chloe couldn''t help but wrap her hands around his shoulders and try to pull him deeper so he could suck her nipple.


    "T¡ªTongue, Vernon, your tongue¡ª Ahhhnn!" Chloe felt such a strange but wonderful sensation when Vernon sucked her tits¡ª mostly her nipple. He also used his tongue to circle around her nipple before making a few light bites.


    Then, he did the same on her right nipple, ensuring they got the same treatment.


    Chloe was on cloud nine. She felt that her lust had beaten her logic.


    After Vernon was done, he opened his mouth and lifted his body to see the end result.


    Chloe''s left boob was wet with his saliva, and her nipple was red and a little swollen after being nibbled by him, "Hehe, I love this look on you."


    "Vernon¡­ you''re so¡­" Chloe was speechless. Even when he was drunk, Vernon still retained his yful side, which might have been a personal trait for him, to be yful with everything, including women.


    Vernon''s smirk retained¡­ until his hot palms went down and started caressing her hips and waist. Vernon frowned instantly, and there was an obvious dissatisfaction in his eyes, much to her fear.


    ''He is disgusted with me. He is totally disgusted with my body, right?'' Chloe guessed as her brain was soon filled with fear.


    "My love, why are you so thin?" Vernon asked.


    "T¡ªThat''s¡­" Chloe knew that ''my love'' call was not actually for her. Because she was not the one in Vernon''s heart. She assumed it was a chick he met when he lived in Europe. After all, he stayed there for ten years, so it would be weird if he didn''t find the one he truly loved there.


    "You''re so thin, my love¡­." Vernon startedining. There was a deep sadness in his eyes as if he was truly disturbed by the fact that ''his woman'' was so thin. He was so distracted and distressed that he suddenly stopped his sexual advance on her.


    Instead, he kept rubbing and kissing her stomach. It was so gentle and loving, "Why are you so thin? Answer me¡­"


    Chloe tried to stay silent, but when he asked for the third time, she couldn''t hold back and finally reply, but as. Chloe Gray, as she spoke about her experience, "I... I''ve been bullied until I can''t eat anything¡­."

 138 Chapter 138

    "Why are you so thin? Answer me¡­"


    Chloe tried to stay silent, but when he asked for the third time, she couldn''t hold back and finally replied, but as Chloe Gray, she spoke about her experience;


    "I¡­ I''ve been bullied until I can''t eat anything¡­." Chloe replied weakly, hoping that Vernon would just forget about it and continue with what he was doing.


    But Vernon froze for a few seconds before lifting his shoulder instantly. He stared at Chloe with such a dangerous gaze that she got intimidated immediately.


    "Bullied?"


    Chloe gulped nervously. She didn''t want to delve further into this topic because she was ashamed of herself and her body. But Vernon''s focus waspletely on this thing¡­


    "Who bullied you?" Vernon asked, his voice half grunting at this point. He looked angry¡ª very angry, in fact, that his eyes turned bloodshot, scaring the fuck out of Chloe even though he didn''t intend to scare her.


    "I¡ªIt''s¡­." Chloe halted before she mentioned the man who had been the bane of her life.


    The man who hurt her so much until she had no self-worth of herself. The man who made her believed she was always fat and ugly. He had damaged her self-worth so much that she didn''t even dare to divorce him much sooner, thinking nobody would ept her if she left him¡­


    But, that man was also Vernon''s big brother¡ª whom he seemed to have a good rtionship with. What would happen if she vilified Vincent in front of Vernon?


    "Answer me, my love," Vernon urged. His eyes looked angry and also concerned at the same time. How he looked at Chloe gave off the idea that he was ready to rough up anyone hurting his woman.


    ''He... He won''t remember anything in the morning, right? He won''t remember that he is not talking with his real woman. He was talking to his ugly sister-inw that he hated so much¡­'' Chloe was attracted to the idea of telling her story to Vernon, hoping he''d understand.


    ''I want to tell him of what really happened and how bad I was treated by Vincent. I want him to know that Vincent is a horrible man, not only because he is a cheating bastard but also a gaslighter and an asshole that bullied his wife until she had suicidal thoughts!''


    ''He will forget everything after he woke up, and I can have someone to tell my story with, though that someone was drunk as hell,'' Chloe thought.


    Fueled by the rage inside her heart, she finally braced herself and told Vernon slowly, "I was bullied by my ex-husband."


    "Ex-husband¡­" Vernon went silent for a while. He seemed to be thinking about something and showed a displeased expression soon after.


    In his mind, he knew that his woman left with a bastard he had never seen as a family member. Vernon had a personal hatred towards that guy, and the hatred would continue growing until he got the chance to ruin that bastard''s life and take what was rightfully his, which was his woman.


    "He told me that I''m a fat, ugly whale. A fat woman like me doesn''t deserve to be loved¡­." Chloe said weakly. "So I¡­ I want to make him satisfied. So I had various extreme diets until I developed bulimia. I will throw up my food because my body refused to eat anything."


    Chloe wanted to tell more. He wanted someone to protect her and listen to her worries, "He told me I have no worth because I''m just a stay-at-home mom. But he also won''t allow me to work because he said I''m too stupid to work outside."<sub> </sub>


    "Vernon, he told me that a woman like me deserved to be cheated because I''m not attractive for him¡ª"


    "That''s enough," Vernon suddenly interrupted her.


    "Ah, s¡ªsorry¡­." Chloe apologized weakly. She thought Vernon''s interruption was because he didn''t want to listen to the truth about his big brother. Maybe despite his drunken stupor, he still remembered his big brother fondly.


    Vernon suddenly got up from the bed and stood at the edge of the bed.


    "That''s enough. I don''t want to hear more. It makes my blood boil. I will go to him now. I will smash his head open," Vernon said calmly. His eyes were cold, and he didn''t hesitate when saying those murderous words.


    Vernon turned around, intending to walk to the front door and go¡ª somewhere.


    "Wait!" Chloe quickly jumped towards Vernon and wrapped her arms around Vernon''s waist. She hugged him from behind to prevent him from doing stupid things when he was drunk.


    "Let me go, my love. I will kill him, then we can be together," Vernon said. It should sound romantic, but it sounded too psychopathic and crazy for Chloe. Besides, she believed that Vernon was no match against Vincent¡ª money-wise, of course.


    She didn''t want to ruin a perfectly good man just because of one wild night when he was drunk.


    "D¡ªDon''t do anything crazy, Vernon!" Chloe raised her voice, hoping that Vernon would listen.


    "Why not?" Vernon asked. "He hurt you. He hurt my woman. I''m not a man if I don''t kill him now."


    "L¡ªLet''s just return to bed, okay? Let''s rest, and uhm¡­ if¡ªif you want, s-s-sex¡­." Chloe said. She felt too embarrassed to even say something so vulgar.


    ¡­


    Vernon seemed to have calmed down, but he didn''t move from his current position and asked, "Do you still love him?"


    "No, I don''t¡ª"


    "Then I don''t see a problem," Vernon said. "Though, even if you still love him, I will do anything to ruin him and take you back."


    Vernon grabbed Chloe''s hands and separated them from his waist. He turned around and looked down to stare at his woman who was on the bed, looking up at him with her beautiful eyes.


    She was beautiful. Even if everything around him was so blurry, her face was still clear in his eyes. He caressed her cheek with his finger and rubbed her lips with his thumb, "Tell me, my love, why did you stop me?"

 139 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 139

    "Tell me, my love, why did you stop me?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe was dazed while staring at Vernon''s eyes for a while. He showed those eyes full of passion and love, making Chloe feel she was the one Vernon was in love with.


    However, it actually excited her, and she blinded herself as her morality was questioned. Because she took her drunken brother-inw for granted, using him as an escapade because she wanted to be loved by a man.


    Chloe rubbed her cheek on his hot palm and answered, "I don''t want you to get hurt¡­."


    "I will not get hurt," Vernon insisted. "Even if I did, I don''t care. I must kill him."


    "Vernon, I don''t want to talk about him. Let''s just rest, okay?" Chloe said. She grabbed Vernon''s hand and pulled him to the bed.


    "Tsk, you still haven''t answered my question," Vernon said. "But whatever, I will still deal with himter¡­."


    Of course, Chloe had no strengthpared to Vernon. However, Vernon was willing to be led to the bed by his beloved. He was a daredevil who would never bow down nor obey anyone in his life.


    But it''d be different if Chloe was the one who led him to bed¡­


    Chloey sideways on the bed and shyly waited for Vernon toe toward her.


    Vernon''s eyes trailed from her beautiful feet up to her thighs and hips ¡ª which were too thin, and then her boobs with swollen nipples.


    Chloe''s neck, corbone, and upper chest were filled with crimson hickeys that looked so obvious, but at this point, Chloe didn''t care much about it. She''d think about it tomorrow.


    Chloe pulled down her lingerie and threw it out of bed. She was now fully naked in front of her brother-inw.


    Vernon''s breath got heavier, and his cock, which had been rock hard since the beginning, was swollen until it was too painful inside his trouser.


    Vernon unbuckled his belt and pulled down his trouser. His big cock with a big tip bounced in front of Chloe when he pulled down the underwear.


    Chloe mped her pussy spontaneously. Just looking at that thing made her shudder out of fear and excitement.


    Vernon threw his underwear and was fully naked right now. He approached Chloe on the bed, and Chloe thought he wanted a blowjob.


    She wanted to get up, but Vernon''s hand held her shoulder, preventing her from lifting her body, and gave Vernon a head.


    "I won''t touch you until you''ve fattened up," Vernon said, still deeply worried that Chloe''s bony body would be so much pain trying to contain his size. "I don''t want to hurt you."


    "Ah¡­" Chloe nodded meekly, but she wouldn''t lie that she got a little disappointed. She was scared of that big cock, of course. Since she had only done it with Vincent¡ª whose dick was¡­ not even half the size Vernon had.


    Vernon smirked when he saw the disappointment on his beloved''s face. Heid sideways right beside Chloe. He wrapped his arms around Chloe''s hips and looked down at her because of the significant height difference.


    Vernon smiled at her and said, "I know you want it, my love."


    "W¡ªWhat did you mean?" Chloe asked shyly.


    "My love, lift one of your thighs," Vernon said. Chloe''s cheeks reddened instantly because the moment she lifted her thigh, her wet pussy would be exposed.


    "Vernon, what do you want to do?" Chloe asked.<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t want to hurt you. I will feed you until you''ve fattened first, so I will fuck your clit, pussy lips, and thighs for now," Vernon replied without filtering his vulgar words.


    Chloe''s body started trembling, and she nodded weakly. She lifted her leg a little, and Vernon did not hesitate to m his cock between her thighs.


    The bulbous tip of Vernon''s cock rubbed her wetbia clean in one thrust outside;


    "AH!" Chloe shrieked out of surprise. She didn''t expect the ticklish feeling around herbia and clit.


    Vernon''s big cock was wet around Chloe''s thighs, and his thick shaft was rubbing around her pussy lips.


    "You''re so thin, my love. I will make sure you eat a lot," Vernon said. Then he chuckled, "By the way, you''re wet already. So excited to greet me, huh?"


    "I''m sorry¡­." Chloe apologized. She knew it was natural when you got excited. At least that was what she read in erotica before.


    But when she got excited with Vincent, and her pussy got wet, he called her a whore¡­


    "Why apologize?"


    "It''s¡­ dirty¡­." Chloe replied.


    "Dirty? HAHA!" Chloe''s answer somehow brought happiness to Vernon. He started moving, thrusting back and forth slowly, and Chloe''s pussy started leaking again, making it really easy for Vernon to thrust between her thighs. The friction made a squelching sound.


    Squelch¡­ squelch¡­ squelch¡­


    "This is not dirty, my love," Vernon said. "This means you''re excited to have me, and I am more than happy to give it to you."


    Chloe bit her lower lip again, enjoying the friction between her wet pussy lips and Vernon''s throbbing cock. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest, sniffing the manly musky scent of Vernon''s natural body odor.


    Meanwhile, Vernon wrapped one hand around his beloved''s waist to ensure that she stayed in ce while his hips thrust back and forth.


    "Ahnn¡­ mmm¡­ mhhhh¡­" a few sweet moans escaped Chloe''s lips.


    It was mostly ticklish around her pussy lips, but whenever Vernon''s shaft rubbed on her clit, it made her feel so good that she wanted Vernon''s cock inside her pussy instead.


    Vernon started thrusting faster and harder until there was a plopping and squelching sound heard for each thrust.


    Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!


    "Ahhh¡­. Ahhnnn¡­ V¡ªVernon!" Chloe called his name, feeling so good when her clit was rubbed so hard by Vernon''s thick shaft as Vernon increased his tempo of thrusting.


    "URGH! I can''t hold it, fuck!" Vernon didn''t know why he was so quick to cumming when he was with his beloved. But he was at the edge of cumming already. Vernon he hugged her tight¡ª so tight that she wanted to bury Chloe inside him as he ejacted;


    "ARGH! FUCK!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!

 140 Chapter 140

    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Vernon''s big cock twitched and throbbed between Chloe''s thighs. He ejacted a lot of thick cum on the bedsheet behind Chloe''s body. He was breathing heavily after experiencing such bliss.


    He had never felt this good when doing it with other women, even if it wasn''t real sex yet. He let his cock mp between Chloe''s thighs and rubbed on her pussy as he felt it was such afortable ce.


    "Damn, my love, you got me so hooked up. Everything about you tastes and feels amazing. I can''t even imagine how good your body would taste once we did it for real next time," Vernon said. He didn''t want to hurt his woman, Chloe Gray. She was too thin, and the size of his cock would probably rip her body in half.


    ''I don''t think there will be next time¡­'' Chloe thought. Because she knew that Vernon would forget about everything after waking up tomorrow morning. ''But¡­ I love how gentle and caring he is for his woman. Even if that woman is not me¡­.''


    Vernon realized that his woman had gone very quiet after they were finished. He lowered his head to check on Chloe and asked, "What''s wrong, my love?"


    "Nothing¡­" Chloe replied weakly. But she realized that Vernon''s displeased eyes lingered upon her. Maybe he wanted a clearer answer. Thus, Chloe braced herself and told what was in her head, "I¡­ I''m just sad that you didn''te into my life sooner. Because if you filled my life sooner, I wouldn''t be a used and broken woman¡­."


    "You are never a broken woman," Vernon replied without hesitation. In his eyes, his woman was the most perfect because she was the one who filled the emptiness in his heart, something that could not be fulfilled even after he had so many past rtionships and hookups.


    No matter how many times he tried to forget her, he''d crawled back to her, with his mind always lingering about what was happening to her and whether she was happy with her choice.


    It was pathetic, but Vernon could not lie¡­


    "My body is the proof that I''m a broken woman¡­." Chloe replied. "I''ve lost so much weight trying to appease him, to the point that I cannot even eat normally, vomiting everything and developed bulimia..."


    "But once a cheating husband, always a cheating husband. No matter how much I did for him to satisfy him, I was never enough," Chloe told everything that had always burdened her. She knew she was crossing her line, but if it could ease the burden in her heart just for one night¡­


    Vernon tightened the arm wrapping around Chloe''s waist and pulled his woman deeper in his embrace. There was an inextinguishable fire in his heart, knowing that another man had hurt his beloved woman.


    "Why don''t you allow me to kill him?" Vernon asked. "I will never let him off for hurting you."


    "Don''t kill him. He is¡­" Chloe wanted to say that Vernon was the father of her child. It would be devastating for Mackie. But if he mentioned her, Vernon might suddenly realize he was embracing his sister-inw, not the real woman in his heart.


    So, she was trying to find a good answer;<sub> </sub>


    "He is not worth jail time," Chloe said. "I don''t want you to be in jail. I don''t want to be alone¡­."


    "If you don''t allow me to kill him, then I will make sure his life will be ruined in other ways," Vernon said. "He''ll be ruined to the point that he cannot rebound."


    "¡­ Please do that," Chloe agreed, though she knew it was just empty talk. After all, Vernon and Vincent had a good brotherly bond.


    Vernon nodded in silence, but he was far more determined than before. He thought he''d just make this man suffer the consequence of stealing his woman.


    But now that his woman had been hurt, that bastard would pay with his life or everything he had until his life was the only one left for him.


    "Look at me, my love," Vernon requested. Chloe finally tilted her head up and stared at Vernon''s deep, hawk-like eyes that showed so much passion inside, a stark contrast to his daily self that looked like he wanted to tear everyone out of their bones.


    Vernon was still distressed when he saw the protruding cheekbone. She was still beautiful in his eyes, but she was definitely not healthy in her current state.


    ""I will be the one watching you eat from now on. You won''t be able to leave the dining table until you''ve finished your food, so you can eat more," Vernon said while pping and fondling her butt cheeks. He chuckled as he found it quite funny. "I want my woman to be fatter and more tender, so I will be full when eating you."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened when Vernon said, "Y¡ªYou speak like a big bad wolf¡­."


    "Aren''t I?" Vernon smirked. "The big bad wolf is often hungry for a meal, so I will have to eat you every night."


    Chloe let out a carefree giggle. She had never been embraced like this by Vincent. She never thought that being embraced and joked around with your significant other could be this fun.


    Though, she might have enjoyed this a little too much. She started believing the idea that Vernon was actually in love with his own sister-inw and had been keeping the same feeling up until now.


    It was a great fantasy that she wished could happen, but the reality was such a cruel mistress.


    ''Ah, you''re so despicable, Chloe Gray. Vernon is obviously thinking of the woman that filled his heart. Yet, you take advantage of his drunken stupor¡­'' Chloe med herself again. She stared at Vernon with eyes full of meaning. She caressed his cheek, ''This will be such a fond yet forbidden memory that I will never forget for the rest of my life, my cute little¡ª uh¡­ my big Vernon.''

 141 Chapter 141

    ''This will be such a fond yet forbidden memory that I will never forget for the rest of my life, my cute little¡ª uh¡­ my big Vernon,'' Chloe thought.


    Vernon stayed silent, but his hawk gaze lingered on his beloved woman, waiting for her to say something because she kept staring at him with such a meaningful gaze.


    "Vernon, I know that you won''t remember the detail of this night once you be sober tomorrow morning. I certainly wish that you won''t remember how I acted as a stand-in for the real woman in your heart."


    "But I wish you will remember this¡ª"


    Chloe put her hand behind Vernon''s neck and pulled him deeper until their lips met.


    Chloe closed her eyes while nting a tender kiss on Vernon''s lips. It was a kiss full of longing, a longing for a happy life with a man who would treat her right.


    With that kiss, she finally let go of this one-night fantasy that her little brother-inw provided out of his drunken stupor.


    Chloe kissed Vernon for a while until she felt satisfied. Then, she let him go and opened her eyes.


    She checked on Vernon and saw Vernon was dazed after the kiss. She got nervous instantly, thinking that Vernon might be disgusted by her initiative to kiss him.


    "D¡ªDid I disgust you? I''m sorry, I will wipe it¡­." Chloe reached on Vernon''s lips with her fingers, trying to wipe the stain of her saliva on his lips. But Vernon suddenly caught her wrist and said;


    "Are you kidding me?"


    "Ah¡ª uhm¡­ s¡ªsorry?" Chloe apologized again. She didn''t know what she had done wrong, but it was good to apologize just in case.


    Vernon clicked his tongue and kissed Chloe back. His breaths heaved again, and he was ready for the second round, "You''re doing that to seduce me, right? Because it''s so fucking effective!"


    "Ah¡ª Vernon!" Chloe felt Vernon''s cock harden again after she kissed him, implying she was never an eyesore for him.


    "Fuck! mp your thighs. I want to do it again!" Vernon said as he was ready for the second round and a long night.


    **


    Mackie woke upte today. Every weekend, her mommy gave her lenience by allowing her to wake up aste as 10 in the morning.


    ? She rubbed her eyes and yawned a few times before getting up. She checked the clock on the wall and mumbled, "Umm¡­ it''s already ten. Where is mommy?"


    Mackie walked to the door and opened it. It was very unusual for Mommy to wake upte unless she was sick.


    Mackie headed to her Mommy''s bedroom and knocked by pping her palms on the door, "Mommy, wake up!"


    ¡­


    "Mommy, are you okay?" Mackie asked.


    ¡­


    Since there was no answer, Mackie thought that her Mommy was really sick. This usually happened when Mommy didn''t eat anything other than ice.


    She would chew on ice and tell Mackie it made her very full. Even the little Mackie thought Mommy would not be full after eating ice, but Mommy made it so convincing, so Mackie had no reason not to believe.<sub> </sub>


    "Wuu¡­ uhh¡­ where''s Mommy?" Mackie wondered after knocking the third time without an answer. She reached the door handle and pulled it down. She thought it''d be locked like usual, but it was not locked!


    The door opened slowly, and Mackie peeked from the door.


    The room was empty, much to her surprise. So her Mommy must''ve woke up very early or didn''t sleep here at all!


    "Where is Mommy?" Mackie asked again. She went to the living room and kitchen and saw the kitchen was clean and pretty much untouched.


    Mackie''s eyes darted towards the stair leading to the upper floor where Uncle Vernon lived.


    "Did Uncle Vernon bully Mommy again?" Mackie pouted when she got the idea that Uncle Vernon must''ve bullied Mommyst night. Uncle Vernon always bullied Mommy even if she did nothing wrong!


    Thus, Mackie braced herself, and her little feet rushed towards the stair, "Mommy, Mackie will save you from big bad uncle!"


    Mackie climbed the stair to the upper floor.


    However, she was even more surprised when she stepped onto thest staircase. Because there was no sign of Mommy¡ª or Uncle Vernon here.


    The kitchen was untouched, and there was no food on the dining table. This was weird¡­ because Mackie knew her Mommy''s habit of always cooking in the early morning no matter how tired she was.


    But there was no sign of the kitchen being touched, so Mackie was 100% convinced that Mommy had been held hostage by Uncle Vernon!


    "Mommy, Mommy!" Mackie called her Mommy as she walked into the kitchen. She went to theundry room, bathroom, and then to the dining table to no avail.


    Then, she went to the living room and noticed something on the floor, a ck satin robe that her Mommy usually wears to sleep!


    "Mommy''s robe!" Mackie rushed to grab the ck satin robe and looked around to find her Mommy. There was no sign of her at all and also no sign of Uncle Vernon.


    So¡­ there was only one answer!


    Mackie''s eyes lingered on the tall door that was supposed to be Uncle Vernon''s room. The robe dropped right in front of the door, so she was convinced that Uncle Vernon must''ve taken her Mommy inside his room and bullied her!


    Ignited with the sense of duty to protect her sweet Mommy, Mackie''s eyes were fueled with determination, and she dispelled all her fear towards Uncle Vernon.


    She mmed on the door with her palms, "UNCLE VERNON! WHERE IS MY MOMMY!"


    ¡­


    "BAD UNCLE, GIVE MY MOMMY BACK!"


    **


    Vernon and Chloe were sleeping soundly after such a long night. Vernon snored a few times while burying his face between Chloe''s boobs while Chloe wrapped her hands around Vernon''s head to push him deeper into her boobs. It was such afortable position for both of them, giving them afortable sleep¡­


    That was until Chloe heard her daughter yelling in front of the door. She opened her eyes instantly, and her mind shed all the things she had done with Vernonst night.

 142 Chapter 142

    Chloe heard her daughter yelling in front of the door. She opened her eyes instantly, and her mind shed all the things she had done with Vernonst night.


    She lowered her head to look at Vernon, still burying his face between her boobs, sleeping sofortably that he actually snored.


    "Oh, shit¡­" Chloe mumbled, realizing she fucked up badly because she drowned in pleasurest night. She remembered everything, of course.


    She remembered how Vernon carried her to his bed and made her ''his woman'' for a night, even though it was obvious that Chloe was just a stand-in for the real woman in Vernon''s heart.


    But, she actually gave in and enjoyed the whole thing, even went as far as taking the initiative to tell him about her struggle as a woman, the hell she went through marrying and living with Vincent, and asked Vernon to ruin that man''s life as an act of revenge.


    To top it all off, she¡­ took the initiative to kiss Vernon right on his lips, as if they were actually lovers.


    ''Chloe, what have you done?!'' Chloe wanted to beat herself over this. She was in controlst night because Vernon was drunk out of his wits.


    Yet, she took advantage of his drunken stupor just to relieve herself.


    Chloe was absolutely ashamed that she just wanted to flee the scene right-the-fuck-now!


    But Vernon''s hands wrapped tightly around her waist, making it impossible for her to flee.


    Chloe tried to wiggle her way out of Vernon''s embrace, but Vernon actually tightened his hug and buried his face deeper between her boobs. He was still snoring, proof that he was still in deep sleep after drinking way too muchst night.


    But it wasn''t the time to be relieved. She needed to find a way to escape and acted as if nothing ever happened between them tonight. She didn''t want to face Vernon''s absolute rage and disgust after he woke up!


    "MOMMY! ARE YOU THERE?! MOMMY, MACKIE WILL SAVE YOU!" Mackie yelled as loud as possible while banging the door¡ª now with a broom as a sign of effort. "UNCLE, LET GO OF MY MOMMY!"


    ''Darn it, Mackie will wake him up!'' Chloe''s mind was chaotic right now. She had no chance to escape, and if she wanted to get the fuck out, she had to wake Vernon up and tell him to release his grip around her waist.


    "MOMMY!"


    Mackie''s urging call also gave her anxiety. Since there was no other way, she took a deep breath, preparing her mental fortitude so she wouldn''t cry when Vernon sted at her.


    Chloe gently caressed Vernon''s hair and said, "Vernon, let me go, okay? I need to take care of Mackie."


    ¡­


    Vernon was still unresponsive, but when she tried to separate herself, he automatically tightened his hug to ensure that ''his woman'' stayed close to him.


    Chloe brainstormed to find a way to persuade this big manchild to release her. She blushed when she had this idea in her mind. She never actually said this to anyone, not even Vincent, because that bastard never liked to be called one by her.


    ''Okay, you can do this, Chloe! He is still sleeping. This is the best time, or everything will go downhill if you don''t escape now!'' Chloe encouraged herself to face the devil who was currently burying his face between her boobs.


    Chloe took another deep breath and said whilebing Vernon''s hair gently, "H¡ªHusband, release me now. I need to take care of¡­ our daughter¡­."<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon finally released his grip around her waist, mumbling in his sleep, "Don''t be long¡­ I need you¡­."


    Chloe blushed even harder, and her heartbeat sped up. She didn''t believe that actually worked!


    Who would''ve expected a yboy that could never maintain a rtionship for more than a few weeks actually have such a soft spot?


    ''He is a yboy, but he''s willing to be called husband?'' Chloe wondered, finding it absolutely unbelievable. ''That woman who fills his heart is absolutely lucky. I''d kill to be her.''


    Chloe had never called her husband ''husband'' before. Not even when they were still in their honeymoon phase. He said he didn''t like it and found it cringy and weird.


    So most of the time, Chloe called her husband dear, honey, or just straight up calling his name, which Vincent preferred the most.


    It was so cold, and at that time, Chloe always thought no man would like to be called ''husband'' because it was cringy.


    Either she just happened to date and marry the wrong man, or Vernon was just a special man willing to be called ''husband.''


    "MOMMY, MACKIE WILL BRING SOMETHING BIGGER TO OPEN THE DOOR!" Mackie yelled, much to Chloe''s surprise.


    She snapped out of her daze and gently pushed Vernon until hey on his back, still sleeping, but suddenly stopped snoring.


    ''Huh, strange. Why did he stop snoring?'' Chloe wondered. But she had no time to think twice. She quickly got up and headed to the door. But before she could reach the door knob, she just realized that she was naked and had nothing on her body except a tiny lingerie when Vernon suddenly carried her into his bed.


    ''Oh shit, I need to find that lingerie!'' Chloe thought as she started to panic again.


    But, the room was dim, with only a few dim purple lights on the ceiling, making it impossible for her to search for something so small in Vernon''s bedroom.


    ''I can''t turn on the light as well. Vernon will wake up instantly!''


    CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!


    "MOMMY! MACKIE BROUGHT A PAN FROM THE KITCHEN!" Mackie reported as she started banging the pan on the door, making loud noises that would wake anyone up.


    Her head turned towards Vernon again, relieved when she saw him still closing his eyes.


    ''Okay, think Chloe, you must find something to cover your body first!'' Chloe thought. She looked around the room and noticed the wardrobe.

 143 Chapter 143

    ''Okay, think Chloe, you must find something to cover your body first!'' Chloe thought. She looked around the room and noticed the wardrobe.


    She remembered that Vernon had many T-shirts in XL or XXL size because of his wide shoulder, ''I could borrow one of his tees first, then I''ll change my clothes and throw his tee to theundry. He won''t suspect a thing! Damn, Chloe, you can be so cunning!''


    Chloe walked to the wardrobe and opened it carefully, ensuring she didn''t make any noise.


    Vernon didn''t have many t-shirts, actually. In fact, he had more suits and formal shirts than just a regr tee, a sign that he rarely came home, so he didn''t need to buy much of those.


    ''He is really a hard-working man¡­'' Chloe thought. She knew that Vernon could get all he wanted, he just needed to call his Big brother¡ª Vincent Gray, and he''d be granted all the money he needed.


    But Vernon decided to start from the bottom to rise to the top, ''He must''ve worked nonstop these past years just to be in his current position.''


    Though, Chloe also wondered about one thing, ''Did he work for all of these just for the sake of money¡­ or does he has other intention?''


    She fondly remembered her time raising Vernon, and she knew well that Vernon was NOT a kid who liked luxury that much. Sure, he wanted shiny stuff and toys, like a regr kid. But he never showed so much fondness for his life in Gray''s mansion.


    He even told her once that he wasn''t interested in working with his Big brother or being a CEO like his Big bro.


    So, for him to actually followed the same path as Vincent, Chloe thought there must be something that he wanted to do.


    ''Maybe it''s that girl in his heart?'' Chloe wondered. ''Vernon didn''t seem surprised when I said I had another man before himst night. So I guess the real woman in his heart must''ve left him for another man. Maybe that break his heart so badly¡­.''


    For some reason, Chloe felt that Vernon''s woman had so many simrities with herself, giving her a funny idea in her head¡­


    ''No, no, that''s not possible. Stop having wishful thinking, Chloe!'' Chloe warned herself.


    Chloe felt pity towards Vernon, who had just had such a terrible experience with that woman in his heart. She wanted to help, but the only thing she could do was be a good maid for him.


    "MOMMY!"


    "Ah!"


    Mackie''s voice from the door woke her up for the second time. Chloe shook her head to focus, and she grabbed one ck t-shirt from Vernon''s wardrobe.


    As expected, the moment she wore Vernon''s big t-shirt, it instantly became a loose dress covering her body to half of her thighs.


    Thus, she didn''t need to wear any pants. She turned her head towards Vernon, still sleeping on the bed, and was relieved that he seemed to be in such a deep sleep.


    Chloe tiptoed as she passed the bed towards the door. Before she opened the door, she gave Vernon a mncholic gaze and allowed her intrusive thought to take control for a second, "Sleep well, husband," Chloe said with a low yet gentle voice. She wanted to say it because she knew that she wouldn''t be able to say it again after this.


    She twisted the doorknob and opened the door slowly.


    She saw her little daughter was about to m the door with her pan again, and Chloe quickly stopped her by snatching the pan off Mackie''s hands.<sub> </sub>


    Mackie looked up, and her face brightened once she saw her Mommy. She was so relieved because she really thought that Big bad Uncle Vernon had already eaten her Mommyst night.


    "MOMMY!" Mackie yelled out loud.


    "Ssshh!" Chloe quickly covered Mackie''s mouth and picked her up. Chloe went out and closed the door behind her.


    Chloe rushed to the kitchen and put the pan back in its ce before dropping Mackie on the floor carefully.


    Mackie looked at her Mommy, who seemed to have a rough night, and asked, "Mommy, did Uncle Vernon bully youst night?"


    "Ah¡ª N¡ªNot at all. Uncle Vernon is too tired, so Mommy helped him to make him feel better," Chloe said. She had a faint blush as she said it because she knew well what kind of activity she did to help Vernonst night.


    "Really?" Mackie asked. She didn''t seem to believe what her Mommy said just now. "Mommy, don''t lie to Mackie. I will protect Mommy if Uncle Vernon dares to bully! Mackie can fight bullies at school too!"


    "Ah¡ªhah¡­ it''s fine, dear. Mommy is in good health, see?"


    "Um¡­ but Mommy is wearing Uncle Vernon''s tee-shirt¡­."


    "Ah, t¡ªthis is because my sleep robe slipped," Chloe said. She noticed the ck satin robe that Mackie held, so it made sense how Mackie knew she was inside Vernon''s bedroom. "That''s why Uncle Vernon lent Mommy his shirt¡­."


    "Un¡­ I don''t believe you, Mommy," Mackie said.


    "Why so?"


    "That''s because your neck has so many bruises!" Mackie said based on her observation. Her little mind started making conspiracy theories, "Did¡ª Did Uncle Vernon pinched Mommy''s neck so many timesst night?"


    Chloe''s expression stiffened instantly. She totally forgot about all the hickeys that Vernon madest night!


    Her skin was thin and pale, so any bruises would be visible andst for a while.


    Chloe tried to think of an answer but couldn''te up with one. She was already outsmarted by an observant seven-year-old girl.


    "L¡ªLet''s just forget about it, okay? Let''s go downstairs, Mommy will change my shirt first, and then I''ll cook for you and Uncle Vernon," Chloe said.


    Chloe was about to pick her daughter up and carry her downstairs, but when Mackie looked down, she realized something was wrong.


    "Mommy, your thighs are so red! Did Uncle Vernon pinched your thighs too?" Mackie asked. She tilted her head in confusion. She then noticed the redness on Mommy''s inner thighs was long and wide.


    "Did Uncle Vernon beat Mommy''s thighs with a police stick?" Mackie asked.

 144 Chapter 144

    "Did Uncle Vernon beat Mommy''s thighs with a police stick?" Mackie asked.


    Chloe''s heart stopped for a second when her daughter mentioned about the redness on her thighs. Her cheeks reddened, and she had no more answer for Mackie.


    ''Sometimes, having a smart daughter has its disadvantages,'' Chloe thought. ''What am I suppose to say right now?''


    Of course, she couldn''t just outright said that Uncle Vernon''s cock was as thick¡ª even thicker and bigger than a police stick,plete with a tip so big, it resembled a mushroom head¡­


    Chloe swallowed her saliva out of nervousness. She felt guilty because she was actually imagining about that thing while talking with her daughter.


    "M¡ªMackie, you''re not making sense. Mommy is alright¡ª"


    "Really?" Mackie wondered. "But Mommy''s thighs are so red. Did Uncle Vernon hit Mommy with police stick? Mackie won''t forgive Uncle!"


    Mackie suddenly rushed past her Mommy. She grabbed the broom along the way and carried it with two hands, then she headed towards Uncle Vernon''s bedroom again.


    Mackie hit the door by swinging the broom on the door, she exerted all the strength she had, thinking it should be enough to wake the big bad wolf, "BAD UNCLE, COME OUT! MACKIE WANTS TO BEAT YOU FOR BULLYING MOMMY!"


    "Mackie!" Chloe ran towards Mackie. She knew that her daughter could actually be courageous and independent when needed. But she dind''t expect that Mackie didn''t have an ounce of fear when facing Vernon.


    "Mackie, stop that!" Chloe yelled as she tried to grab the broom that she swung at the door.


    "BIG BAD UNCLE, MACKIE WILL FIGHT YOU!" Mackie yelled courageously, much to Chloe''s horror.


    After a few seconds of struggle, Chloe was finally able to grab the broom. She snatched it from Mackie and threw it away.


    Mackie was surprised when she got disarmed by her Mommy. She turned around and asked, "Mommy, Mackie is trying to help!"


    "Mackie, Mommy is alright!"


    "Mommy often said you''re alright, but Mommy always cried alone!" Mackie retorted, thinking what she did was right and she just wanted to protect her Mommy.


    She had gotten courageous these days, mostly because she realized that she could fight the bullies at school. Since she already knew how to protect herself, that meant she could use her courage to protect Mommy too!


    "T¡ªThat''s a different problem!" Chloe wanted to scold her daughter for not listening to her. But before she could scold Mackie, she heard a click from the bedroom door in front of her.


    **


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Fuck, I messed up," Vernon mumbled in low voice as heid on his bed, staring at the purple lights on the ceiling of his bedroom.


    He actually woke up after he realized that he had said something so idiotic.


    It was when his sister-inw suddenly referred him as ''husband.''


    He slowly recovered his consciousness when he heard that word, followed with Chloe asking him to release her because she needed to take care of ''their'' daughter.<sub> </sub>


    He was still half-asleep when he heard that, so he answered with a sentenceing deep from inside his heart;


    ''Don''t be long¡­ I need you¡­''


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Fuuuckk¡­" Vernon cursed slowly as he put his palms on his face, feeling so ashamed that he actually said something so cringy.


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you''re an idiot," Vernon said as he med himself over the spilled milk.


    Once he opened his eyes, he saw his sister-inw''s bony figure scrambling around the bedroom in panic because Mackie banged on the door like a little devil spawn.


    The room was very dim, but he did noticed her went to his wardrobe to wear one of his tee before opening the door and left the bedroom to stop her daughter.


    Vernon watched the whole thing, but he pretended to sleep because it was so goddamn awkward and shameful!


    What was he supposed to do? Just woke up and talk to Chloe like there was nothing happenedst night?!


    He didn''t know how to face Chloe right now. In fact, he didn''t expect to return to his apartment and actually spent his time with his sister-inw!


    He drank a lotst night to forget about her, and also fucked that waitress for a night, then he''d return to his usual self, cold and detached.


    But he messed up real bad, he never expected to lose total control of himselfst night.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t remember anythingst night. Though, he vaguely remembered a few details.


    He remembered calling his sister-inw, Chloe Gray, as ''his woman.''


    He remembered carrying her to his bed, kissed her lips, and yed with her tits, ended with him fucking her thighs.


    Lastly, he remembered two things¡ª these two things were actually quite vivid in his memory.


    He remembered the bony body of his sister-inw. She was always wearing a puffy shirt. So he never noticed that she was actually so thin.


    And the end, he also remembered how his sister-inw took the initiative to kiss him on the lips.


    He had no memory of what they were talking aboutst night. But the taste of her lips when she kissed him first was like a burst of firework inside his head.


    It was so clear and vivid for a few seconds, even though he was dead drunk, but the fireworks in his head made him numb for a few seconds, thinking he could die happy at that point.


    Now, he returned to reality, and he wished he could just jump out a bridge or whatever. He was angry at himself for not having self-control and allowed his heart to take over amidst his drunken state.


    After all, he already told himself not to be emotionally involved with Chloe, because she was not a good woman, and she didn''t want him.


    She despised him, so he gave out the same energy.


    ''But, if she didn''t want me, why did she took the initiative to kiss me? Why did she call me husband?'' Vernon questioning himself, trying to make sense of the situation happenedst night.

 145 Chapter 145

    ''But, if she didn''t want me, why did she take the initiative to kiss me? Why did she call me husband?'' Vernon questioned himself, trying to make sense of the situation that happenedst night.


    ''She is grossed out with me, but why did she treat me so gently when I was drunk? She could''ve showed her true face, no need to be so fake when I can''t even remember anything¡­.''


    Vernon had many questions in his head, but he had no answer for any of them. The way things happenedst night made him question the whole thing, especially his hatred towards her.


    He started to doubt his mind because how she treated him when he was drunk was different from his expectation.


    ''Where is her disgust? Why is she not disgusted with me?'' Vernon asked himself. ''I was drunk as shit, but she¡­ she didn''t make that grossed-out expression.''


    Vernon was in deep thought until he heard another banging on the door.


    "BAD UNCLE, COME OUT! MACKIE WANTS TO BEAT YOU FOR BULLYING MOMMY!"


    Vernon heard his feisty niece challenge him in a fight as if she had a chance. He knew he should just ignore his little niece. But there was this undying petty rivalry the moment they met, and Vernon would never lose to a little girl, that was for sure!


    "BIG BAD UNCLE, MACKIE WILL FIGHT YOU!"


    "Tch, that little girl needs a spanking," Vernon tried to get up from the bed amidst the hangover.


    It was a terrible hangover because every time he tried to get up, he''d feel the world was spinning, and he fell back to his bed.


    This happened for a while until he got aggravated and started hitting his head a few times.


    Vernon tried to get up again. He grabbed the drawer near him and turned on a few more dim lights in his bedroom to ensure that he wouldn''t be shocked by the sudden light when he opened the door.


    He had many hangovers when he hit his twenties because he liked drinking his night away with a woman by his side. So he was used to the absolute shitty hangover in the morning after being dead drunk the previous night.


    Vernon was still naked, so he walked to his closet and grabbed whatever sweatpants to wear before walking towards the door and twisting the knob.


    Vernon opened the door slowly. He was ready to st at his sister-inw and his niece. It would be a rxing thing to clear the growing doubt in his head.


    However¡­


    He forgot to get angry when he saw the scene in front of him.


    He saw Chloe wearing his loose shirt that was way too big on her petite body. The low-cut V-neck shirt exposed her neck and cleavage, which was covered with dark hickeys. It was proof of what Vernon did to herst night.


    And it was¡­ so fucking hot.


    Verno swallowed her saliva as his mind nked out. He could not do anything but stare unblinkingly at the hickeys around Chloe''s neck and boobs.


    In fact, he started to count the number of visible hickeys he made on her body.


    ''Ten¡­ eleven¡­ twelve¡­ thirteen¡­.''


    The more he counted, the more he got aroused. Vernon didn''t realize that his big cock was hard again. The size made it unhidden as the shape was printed so clearly beneath the sweatpants.<sub> </sub>


    ''Damn, I want to kiss the hickeys one by one¡­'' the little devil called intrusive thought started influencing his mind, and he tried hard not to just¡­ do her right here, right now.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Chloe was also dazed for a while. She was already terrified, thinking that Vernon would st at her.


    But he just stood menacingly, staring at her, but their eyes didn''t meet because Vernon was actually checking something else.


    Chloe followed Vernon''s line of sight and gasped when she realized he was checking the hickeys around her neck and upper boobs.


    She was kneeling in front of Vernon because she tried to hold Mackie down. So the direct view in front of her was Vernon''s cock slowly hardening until its shape and size became visible under his sweatpants.


    ''It''s rock hard again¡­'' Chloe thought. ''So big¡­''


    Luckily, Mackie didn''t see that. Because she was busy looking up at Uncle Vernon''s face. She was so shortpared to Uncle Vernon, but she feared nothing!


    "Uncle! How dare you hit Mackie''s Mommy with a Police stick! Mackie will hit you back!" Mackie said fearlessly.


    "Police stick?" Vernon asked.


    "YES!" Mackie said without hesitation. "Mackie saw Mommy''s inner thighs are so red! Uncle must''ve hit Mommy''s thighs with a police stick!"


    "M¡ªMackie!" Chloe swiftly covered Mackie''s mouth and grabbed her from behind. She panicked. Not wanting to make things worse, she quickly picked Mackie up and rushed downstairs.


    She gave Vernon a pitiful, begging look, hoping that Vernon would not be angry. But after realizing that Vernon was still dazed, she said nothing and rushed downstairs with Mackie in her hand.


    Mackie struggled for a while and continued yelling at her Uncle, "UNCLE, MACKIE WILL HIT YOU BACK! MACKIE WILL PROTECT MOMMY!"


    "MOMMY, PUT ME DOWN! MACKIE CAN BEAT THAT BIG BAD WOLF!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon was still trying to process what had just happened in front of him. He stared at the empty kitchen from across his bedroom. The scene of his sister-inw wearing his loose t-shirt while covered in hickeys was too strong of stimtion for Vernon, making him short-circuited for a while.


    He even forgot that he should''ve been angry at his sister-inw and little niece, all because of Chloe''s tits.


    "Damn, those hickey-covered-tits are so deadly for me," Vernon mumbled.


    After he regained someposure, he got something else bugging his mind. He looked down and pulled his sweatpants a bit just to peek at his ''police stick.''


    "It''s obviously bigger and thicker than a police stick," Vernon said, feeling annoyed that his size had been downgraded so much by that ignorant devil spawn.

 146 Chapter 146

    "MOMMY, PUT ME DOWN!" Mackie yelled and continued to struggle.


    Chloe clutched her daughter tighter in her embrace and ignored her pleas until they reached the lower floor. Chloe finally released her daughter and sat on the floor weakly.


    She lost all her strength as she realized that she fucked up real bad.


    ''I thought I could stealthily borrow his shirt and throw it in theundry. But he saw everything¡­ literally,'' Chloe wanted to scold her daughter for ruining her n, but she realized that Mackie was just an innocent little girl, and she just wanted to help.


    So Chloe had no right to scold her.


    p Mackie stood in front of her Mommy, who sat on the floor, looking defeated after facing Big bad Uncle Vernon. She crossed her arms andmented, "Mommy, you shouldn''t be scared when Mackie is with you! Mackie will protect you!"</anda>


    ''The thing is¡­ your Uncle Vernon bullies me when you''re either in school or sleeping. He bullies me in bed,'' Chloe said in her heart, not wanting to give a vulgar detail to her daughter.


    Chloe smiled and patted Mackie''s head, "Well, Mommy is safe now, thanks to you. You should wash your face and brush your teeth first, okay? Mommy will start cooking."


    "Un! It''s okay, Mommy! It''s Mackie''s duty to protect Mommy!" Mackie said, imagining herself with a big sword and ying the big bad wolf Uncle.


    Mackie rushed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, while Chloe returned to her bedroom and took off Vernon''s shirt.


    She looked at her naked self in the long mirror in front of her and got a full view of the marks scattered around her bony body.


    She was really thin with bones protruding everywhere, but Vernon still passionately made love of her and marked her literally everywhere.


    "I can''t believe that he still wants my bony body. It looks so¡­ ugly," Chloemented to herself. "I guess when a man got really drunk, he doesn''t give a crap about anything other than being consumed with their list. Vincent did that with a lot of women, after all¡­."


    Chloe took a second look around her body. She noticed a few obvious spots, such as her tits that were red with Vernon''s handprint since he fondled her boobs so muchst night, and her nipples were swollen after he nibbled on them.


    Vernon left so many hickeys around her stomach and waist. Lastly, there was an obvious red bruise between her inner thighs. It was perfectly shaped like his cock, proof that he fucked her thighs at least three timesst night like a horny beast.


    Fortunately, she could cover all that with her modest clothes. She had plenty of them. However, there was one spot that was impossible to cover normally, her neck.


    Her neck and upper chest were covered with so many dark hickeys that it would take days until they disappeared.


    "Maybe I could use concealer? Foundation and concealer, I think I need to find the tutorial on Youtube," Chloe murmured.


    But then, she realized that she''d need tons of concealer and foundation because the mark was too dark and scattered evenly around her neck and upper chest.


    So she had to scrap that idea.<sub> </sub>


    "Ugh, I never knew that hickeys can be a problem. Vincent never gave me one. Now I don''t know what to do¡­." Chloe said. She looked around her wardrobe and wore a long skirt and a long-sleeved shirt.


    She grabbed a piece of a scarf from the wardrobe. It was a winter scarf that shouldn''t be worn now since it was only the beginning of autumn.


    But this was the only thing she could do to cover the shameful hickeys. She wrapped the scarf around her neck and was relieved when she couldn''t see the hickeys anymore.


    Though, it was a little ufortable to wear¡­


    "Okay, now what, Chloe?" Chloe asked herself as she stared at the mirror. "You have to go up and prepare for Mackie and Vernon''s lunch. Act like there''s nothing wrong, and nothing happenedst night. After all, you''re not the woman in his heart. You''re just a stand-in."


    "But¡­ can you even do that?" Chloe asked herself.


    Obviously, after the passionate and heartfelt night, she experienced with Vernon, it would be difficult to act like nothing happened between them.


    ''Specially when he doesn''t seem grossed out with my body¡­'' Chloe thought. It was a surreal experience to see a man who didn''t look grossed out by her body.


    She had no experience with other men except Vincent, as he was her first love and only date before they married. But Vincent always looked at her pregnant body like she was the most disgusting thing ever, even making a vomiting gesture just to show how gross she looked.


    ''So I thought, I''m just gross in general¡­.''


    ¡­


    ''I hope Vernon won''t do the same. It''s so heartbreaking for me¡­.''


    Chloe took a deep breath and braced herself. She grabbed her satin robe and Vernon''s shirt because she had to put them into theundry, "I will never use my robe again after this. It''s the source of a disaster for me," Chloeined as she went upstairs to the penthouse kitchen.


    She thought Vernon returned to his bedroom and fell asleep again since he must''ve been experiencing an awful hangover after being so drunkst night.


    But when she entered the kitchen, she almost jumped in fright when she saw Vernon sitting at the dining table, crossing his arms while staring dazedly at the wall in front of him until Chloe came.


    Vernon darted his eyes towards her and stared nkly for a few seconds until Chloe lowered her head.


    "I¡ªI thought you returned to bed," Chloe said. "D¡ªDo you not feel sick with the hangover?"


    ¡­


    Vernon stared at Chloe for a while, and she lowered her head even deeper. She felt fidgety as her mind shed with all the things they had donest night. It was too shameful!

 147 Chapter 147

    Vernon stared at Chloe for a while and lowered her head even deeper. She felt fidgety as her mind shed with all the things they had donest night. It was too shameful!


    ¡­


    Vernon continued staring. He was still experiencing a few symptoms of a hangover right now. But the scene he saw half an hour ago cleared his mind instantly, at least the headache had lessened, and his blurry gaze had returned to normal.


    He observed his sister-inw from head to toe and noticed that she had removed his shirt and covered the hickeys around her neck with a scarf.


    Vernon couldn''t help to get a little disappointed.


    "Sister-inw."


    "Y¡ªYes!"


    "Raise your head and look at me," Vernon instructed with his cold voice.


    Chloe didn''t want to start a drama after what happenedst night. So she reluctantly lifted her head until her eyes stared straight at Vernon.


    She diverted her gaze instantly. She was too nervous when Vernon stared at her with that hawk-like eyes. It made her feel like Vernon was going to eat her whole.


    ¡­


    "Who told you to divert your gaze?" Vernon asked. "Look at me straight in the eyes for five seconds at least."


    Chloe tried her best to muster her courage and stared at Vernon again. Her heart was beating uncontrobly, and five seconds felt like five hours.


    She started shaking out of anxiety, and after she counted an exact five seconds, she lowered her head again.


    Usually, Vernon would get mad when his sister-inw treated him like this. She always tried to dodge him, avoiding eye contact and even fled when he was in a room.


    Because he thought that she was grossed out by him, just like what she said back then. She said he was gross and wouldn''t be as good as his Big brother, Vincent.


    It was a scene that changed Vernon''s life, for the better¡­ or worse.


    ''But¡­ is she really grossed out with me or¡­'' Vernon observed his sister-inw again.


    What happenedst night made Vernon doubt the idea that Chloe was disgusted with him.


    ''I remember clearly that she took the initiative to kiss me¡­'' Vernon thought. ''There''s no way she''s going to kiss me if she''s grossed out, especially since I''m the one who''s drunkst night, not her.''


    ''She kissed me with her full consciousness¡­.''


    Vernon continued observing and noticed that Chloe was still fidgeting¡ª even lightly shaking as she got even more nervous and scared under his scrutinizing gaze. She looked more like a terrified rabbit that was scared out of her wits rather than being disgusted with him.


    Vernon always thought she was disgusted with him all this time, so she didn''t even want to look in her eyes.<sub> </sub>


    But once his mind was cleared, the only thing he could see from her was fear, extreme fear as if Vernon would really beat her up.


    ''No way¡­'' Vernon thought. ''All this time, she is not disgusted with me. Instead, she is¡­ scared?''


    Vernon couldn''t believe that he hade to that conclusion. He got up from the chair and walked toward Chloe.


    Chloe was staring at the floor when she noticed Vernon''s feet approaching her.


    Chloe instinctively stepped back, but Vernon swiftly wrapped his arm around her wrist and pulled her close until she couldn''t escape.


    Chloe''s body stiffened instantly. She was scared of what Vernon would do next.


    ''Maybe he will beat me after realizing I''ve be the stand-in for ''his woman''st night,'' Chloe thought. She didn''t want to get hurt, but she had been beaten by Vincent a few times in the past, mostly when he was drunk.


    ''But¡­ being beaten is better than getting dismissed. I need money. I can''t afford to lose this job!'' Chloe started trembling when she imagined getting kicked out of the apartment by Vernon. She had nowhere to go and still hadn''t saved any money since Vernon said he''d only pay her sry per half a year, forcing her to calcte her spending very carefully.


    "Look up," Vernon instructed, but Chloe was too scared to lift her head. She was absolutely terrified to even look up.


    Realizing that his sister-inw was not listening and continued to tremble like a terrified rabbit, Vernon finally pinched her chin and forced her to look up.


    Chloe closed her eyes right before their eyes could meet. She wasn''t sure if she could face him when they were this close. She wasn''t ready to hear the bad news as well.


    "Open your eyes, sister-inw,'' Vernon instructed, but just like before, Chloe didn''t listen to him.


    He got annoyed, of course. He was never a patient man and could be very upfront about his feeling when he didn''t like¡ª or was annoyed.


    But he tried to hold off the urge to snap at her, so he asked again, "Chloe, open your eyes. This is an order."


    ¡­


    "I will cut your sry if you don''t open your eyes," Vernon threatened.


    Chloe''s heartbeat stopped for one second after Vernon said that. She was already dirt poor and tried her best to save money for her daughter. So she couldn''t afford to lose her job or get a sry cut.


    Thus, Chloe opened her eyes very slowly, and the tears welling in her eyes wetted the edges. Chloe was about to cry as she couldn''t handle the fear.


    She stared at Vernon''s scrutinizing gaze. She was scared that he might explode out of rage after what happenedst night. The idea of Vernon raging was logical, though. After all, Vernon spent his night with an ugly woman like her instead of the beloved woman in his heart.


    Vernon was stunned when he saw the tears welling in Chloe''s eyes. Her lips trembled as she tried to utter a sentence with difficulty;


    "P¡ªPlease¡­ don''t fire me. I¡­ I really need the job. I need to feed Mackie¡­." Chloe said with a shaking voice. "Y¡ªYou can hit me if¡­ if you''re angry aboutst night¡­."

 148 Chapter 148

    "P¡ªPlease¡­ don''t fire me. I¡­ I really need the job. I need to feed Mackie¡­." Chloe said with a shaking voice. "Y¡ªYou can hit me if¡­ if you''re angry aboutst night¡­."


    Vernon was astounded when he saw Chloe begging him with such a shaky voice. He never realized how much fear his sister-inw had until he stared at her eyes and observed carefully.


    ? Chloe''s eyes were unfocused. She tried to avert her gaze so she wouldn''t have to meet Vernon''s eyes.


    But she remembered that she had to continue staring at him, or he''d cut her sry¡ª or even worse, fire her.


    Thus, Chloe mustered all her courage to stare at Vernon''s scary hawk-like eyes, despite the fear growing in her heart.


    However, as she kept staring, her mental fortitude slowly crumbled, and her eyes welled in tears. After all, Vincent would bully her if she dared to stand up and re at him. So it made her scared to look anyone in the eyes¡ª especially when she was talking with a man- that she''d get hurt in the process.


    ¡­


    ''She¡­ looks scared¡­'' Vernon thought. ''Am I that terrifying? Why would she get scared of me?''


    Vernon knew that he was not the most patient nor kindhearted man on earth. But he never hit her, and he would never hit her no matter how angry he was.


    When he was really angry, though, he preferred to break inanimate objects, destroyed a whole house if he could¡ª but he''d never¡­


    ''I would never hit her¡­'' Vernon said in his heart as he was dazed, staring at his sister-inw''s teary eyes unblinkingly.


    ¡­


    Chloe panicked when she didn''t get any reaction from Vernon. She thought Vernon was so disgusted by her tears and angry by what had happenedst night, that was why he didn''t even want to talk to her.


    Her already pale face got even paler as she was consumed by fear and a drop of tear streamed down from the edge of her eye to her cheek.


    Her red lips-- that had been slightly chapped because of their wild kissst night were trembling as she murmured, "S¡ªSorry, I''m sorry¡­ I''m so sorry¡­."


    Vernon''s breath stiffened. His eyes widened when he saw the tears, and his instinct told him tofort her, tell her he was not mad at her, and tell her that he wasn''t all that terrifying.


    Because he felt like crumblingpletely when he saw her cry¡­


    One of his hands instinctively went up to reach Chloe''s cheeks, but he stopped right before his hand touched the edge of her eyes and swiftly separated himself by pushing Chloe away from him.


    Chloe fell to the floor as she had lost her strength, "Ah!"


    Chloe looked up towards Vernon and saw the man had turned around, only showing his muscr back. She didn''t know what kind of expression Vernon made right now. But, she noticed Vernon''s hands were shaking for an unknown reason.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe was still panicking, thinking that Vernon was too angry to face her, so she apologized again, "S¡ªSorry, I¡ª"


    "Don''t say sorry," Vernon interrupted. "I''m not mad at you."


    "Ah¡ª I¡ªI thought¡ª"


    "Just cook for lunch. I will wash my face first," Vernon said, and he walked to his bedroom, leaving Chloe alone, still trying to process what happened just now.


    ''He''s not angry with me? Not even a disgust? How so?'' Chloe pondered. She never knew what was in Vernon''s mind.


    But she was relieved that he wasn''t mad at her despite what happenedst night. She tried to get up after a while and resumed what she usually does, cooking and taking care of Vernon and her daughter.


    Vernon closed the door carefully and leaned on the door for a while, trying to make sense of what he was about to do just now.


    He didn''t expect himself to act upon his instinct, but when he saw her crying, he felt that his world crumbled right in front of him.


    In fact, he didn''t even know why he would feel this way when he saw those tears.


    "Vernon, it''s not your first time seeing a woman cry. They did that a lot," Vernon told himself, yet he could not dispel the doubt in his heart. "But, this is not a random woman who cries¡­ it''s her."


    He couldn''t deny that the incidentst night gave him a new perspective that made him unable to hate his sister-inw like the way he used it.


    And he just couldn''t ept it.


    Though, no matter how much he tried to deny it, Vernon could not escape the fact that his heart felt so much pain when he saw her crying.


    Vernon gritted his teeth as he put his palm on top of his heart. He tried to endure the pain in his chest and grasped his chest. He dug his nails into his palm until it started bleeding, trying to shift the pain somewhere else as he realized that seeing her cry was too much stimtion for him.


    It was so excruciating that his gaze started to blur when he saw the tears. As if¡­ he wanted to destroy the whole world just to make sure that he''d find something or someone who made Chloe cry and eliminate that thing.


    Vernon shook his head, trying to wake himself from this excruciating pain, "Don''t be an idiot, Vernon Phoenix Gray. Why are you so weak? Just because of a tear, you feel like you want to rip the whole world apart? What has gotten into you?"


    "She is one of the main reasons you return to New York for revenge," Vernon told himself. "Now you''ve been swayed by her charm. It doesn''t matter whether you''ve been in love with her for so long or not. She is still the one who doesn''t want you!"


    When he was still trying to toughen himself, his eyes noticed something on the floor, ck lingerie of his sister-inw, proof of what they had donest night.

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    When he was still trying to toughen himself, his eyes noticed something on the floor, ck lingerie of his sister-inw, proof of what they had donest night. His cock hardened again once he saw the lingerie.


    "FUCK!" Vernon cursed when he realized he had this intrusive thought of picking that lingerie and started sniffing like a filthy pervert. He took off his sweatpants and rushed to the bathroom to take a bath instead.


    He pressed a button to turn on the cold shower. He wanted to cool down because there was no way he''d jack off to her lingerie. He wasn''t that desperate!


    Vernon felt the cold water hitting his skin. It calmed him down a bit, but not enough to make him feel better. Whenever he closed his eyes, he''d imagine either of these two things; his sister-inw crying or her crumpled lingerie on the floor. Both gave him a reaction, whether it was anger or¡­ lust.


    Vernon punched the bathroom wall, trying to dispel her out of his mind to no avail. It was difficult for him to admit this, but¡­


    "I can''t get her off my mind, damn it..." Vernon cursed. He was mostly angry with himself for being so weak that he let his emotion get the best of him.


    He was supposed to be a cold man after all, and he had proven himself to be so ruthless. How else could he stand on top of the others and skyrocket without the help of his family? It was because he didn''t even care about anyone''s feelings or take anyone''s opinion unless necessary.


    "And that includes with women. I don''t care even if I make them cry¡­." Vernon said, but he scoffed right after, ridiculing himself. "But, I can''t even see her cry. What kind of bullshit did I spew just now?"


    **


    Chloe had just finished cooking lunch for Vernon and Mackie. She didn''t have any mood to eat, even though thest time she ate was yesterday evening.


    She drank a few sses of water before preparing the food on the dining table. She also made a ginger soup for Vernon because she knew it helped a lot with a hangover.


    After she was done preparing for lunch, she went downstairs and knocked on Mackie''s door, "Mackie, it''s time to eat."


    "Okay, Mommy!" Mackie was busy ying with her Barbie dolls when her Mommy called her. She quickly put her dolls in the toy box before going upstairs.


    After calling Mackie for lunch, Chloe went to Vernon''s bedroom. She stood in front of the door and rubbed her eyes first, ensuring she didn''t show any tears in front of him.


    Then, she knocked carefully.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    "Vernon, lunch is ready," Chloe said. "Pleasee out. I made a ginger soup for you. It''s good to cure your hangover."


    Click.


    The door was opened, and Vernon stood in front of Chloe. He stared at her expressionlessly, with his hair still wet after he had taken a bath.


    Chloe immediately stepped back and lowered her head out of fear, "L¡ªLunch is ready."


    Vernon still disliked the way she lowered her head when he was around. At first, he''d thought that his sister-inw was disgusted with him. But after his careful observation, it seemed that she was just scared.


    Which also stressed Vernon out, but it didn''t make him mad.<sub> </sub>


    It made him feel so awkward, not knowing what to say or what to do to make her not get terrified of his presence.


    So Vernon just walked past her and headed to the dining table. He sat there, and Mackie joined soon after.


    "Mommy, I''m hungry¡ª" Mackie''s smile vanished instantly when she saw another person sitting at the dining table. She red at her Uncle Vernon, and Vernon red back at her. Chloe sensed there was a sh of rivalry between them.


    "Heh," Vernon scoffed. "Why are you looking at me like that, kid?"


    "Big bad Uncle, why are you eating Mommy''s cooking? You bullied her. You can''t eat Mommy''s food!" Mackie yelled, much to Vernon''s annoyance.


    Vernon scoffed; as always, hispetitive yet petty behavior was shown when he faced his little niece.


    Vernon wrapped his hand around Chloe''s waist and pulled her to his side, "Ah¡ª Vernon?!"


    "Mommy!"


    Vernon forced Chloe to sit on hisp and said, "I ate your Mommyst night. Do you think I can''t eat her cooking too? I can even eat her now if I want."


    "T¡ªThat''s¡­" Mackie was tongue-tied instantly. Her eyes were zing with tears once the big bad wolf said that. She was sad that she couldn''t protect her Mommy.


    Chloe didn''t want her daughter to bawl before they ate, so she quickly got up and approached her daughter. She picked her up and put her on the seat beside Vernon.


    "Don''t listen to your Uncle. He did nothingst night. He''s just teasing you," Chloe said.


    Vernon scoffed again but said nothing as he looked away.


    Honestly, he had to thank his feisty little niece. Because whenever she was around, Vernon would feel relieved and entertained. He could joke around by pulling his sister-inw by his side, something that he''d never be able to pull off when they were alone.


    Mackie rubbed her eyes to wipe the tears, and she pouted while sitting beside her evil Uncle.


    Chloe sighed when she saw her daughter and little brother-inw fighting and bickering. Because they seemed to have this inherent animosity andpetitiveness for no reason.


    Chloe put a bowl of ginger soup in front of Vernon and a sweet pumpkin soup for Mackie.


    "You two need to eat a light soup first before eating heavy lunch. All of us woke upte, so your stomach needs preparation to start digesting heavy food," Chloe exined, making sure the two kids at the dining table listened to her.


    Chloe sat at the opposite side of the table, facing Vernon and Mackie. She wanted to watch her small family eat first, which gave her joy.


    Mackie and Vernon looked at the bowl of soup in front of them, and they both lifted their heads simultaneously to stare at Chloe. Then, they asked, "What about you?"

 150 Chapter 150

    "What about you?" Vernon and Mackie asked at the same time.


    "Ah¡ª that¡ª" Chloe was taken aback. She didn''t expect both Vernon and Mackie to ask that kind of question. They''d usually sit down and eat without question, so Chloe didn''t have the urge to eat anything other than a few fruits and lots of water a day.


    "M¡ªMommy is alright. You should eat your pumpkin soup, Mackie," Chloe said while forcing a smile.


    "Y¡ªYou too, Vernon. You should drink your ginger soup. Your hangover must''ve been pretty bad," Chloe also said the same to Vernon. However, she intentionally didn''t look straight into his eyes out of fear that she''d trigger Vernon''s wrath.


    Honestly, she was unsure whether Vernon was actually disgusted with her. After all, he was so passionate about doing her bodyst night, even though he was drunk.


    But Chloe didn''t want to take the chance of getting sted by Vernon. She was threading on a thin line, after all.


    ''I bet he will st at me after this,'' Chloe thought.


    But contrary to her expectation, Vernon said nothing. His gaze darkened, and he was obviously displeased with her action. But he didn''t st him.


    Vernon seemed to be in deep thought for a few seconds before he said, "You made too much ginger soup for me. My hangover is not that bad. Bring another bowl and eat half of it."


    "Ah, b¡ªbut it''s not much¡­" Chloe said. She was convinced she made it with the right measurement based on Vernon''s preference. Since she lived with him, she started to realize a few habits of adult Vernon, some were in line with his childhood self, but some were vastly different.


    So she had to adjust, including the portion of food that Vernon preferred. She watched how Vernon ate the food and how much he left after eating, then started cooking based on his portion so there''d be no wasting food. Her family would have a good diet to maintain their health, not too much, not too little.


    "I¡­ I think you can eat that alone, Vernon," Chloe said. "I already measured everything to give you the right portion."


    "You¡­ measured?"


    "Um¡­ yeah," Chloe nodded. "I watched your portion daily, and then make sure I put on the correct portion after learning about your habit."


    "Why would you do that much?" Vernon asked. He couldn''t believe that his sister-inw was actually that attentive. But when he saw the ginger soup, he realized the portion was just perfect for him.


    ''Why would she care that much about me? This kind of thing¡­ even I didn''t notice it¡­.'' Vernon pondered.


    "Um¡­ it''s a duty for me. I''m a maid here, so I have to make sure that you would eat well and be healthy every day," Chloe replied bashfully. She was actually ashamed to admit it.


    Chloe did the same to Vincent. She took care of his food intake and watched all the foods he could and could not digest, just to ensure that he didn''t get sick since he had a lot of activities.


    But Vincent called her a pretentious bitch.


    "Even a maid didn''t do this¡ª'' Vernon sighed. He feltplicated because what he saw was not a maid who cared for his diet carefully. ''The way she treats me¡­ it''s like¡­ she is my wif¡ª''<sub> </sub>


    Vernon stopped instantly, not wanting to continue, or else he might be unable to think clearly for the whole day. He got up and walked to the kitchen to grab a bowl.


    He returned to the dining table, poured half of the ginger soup inside a new bowl, and pushed it towards Chloe.


    Chloe was stunned when she saw the new bowl in front of her. She lifted her head slowly and stared at Vernon¡ª who quickly looked away, "V¡ªVernon, this is¡­."


    "My hangover is not that bad. I''d rather drink a little of the ginger soup and eat the lunch you made instead," Vernon said.


    Mackie saw the gesture Uncle Vernon made for her Mommy, and her eyes sparkled with brilliance because her Daddy never did the same to Mommy.


    Mommy always ate alone, and whenever Daddy was around, she would prepare food for him, but it was rarely eaten, unlike Big bad Uncle Vernon, who was a glutton who ate all of the food on the table, including Mackie''s food!


    This was the first time they were sharing food and also the first time that someone ever offered food to Mommy, the idea of sharing food with Mommy was brilliant!


    Thus, Mackie decided to copy Uncle Vernon''s action and jumped out of the chair.


    "M¡ªMackie, where are you going?" Chloe asked worriedly.


    "Mackie wants to give Mommy my pumpkin soup too! Mackie doesn''t want to lose against Uncle Vernon!" Mackie replied with determination. She picked up one small bowl and returned to the dining table.


    She handed the bowl to Mommy first, "Mommy, please hold this!"


    Chloe followed what her daughter requested, and she held the small bowl.


    Mackie returned to her seat and patted the table, "Mommy, please give the bowl to me! I will fill it with my pumpkin soup!"


    "Mackie¡ª you don''t need to¡ª"


    "No, Mackie won''t lose against Uncle!" Mackie insisted. She poured half of her pumpkin soup into the new bowl and pushed the bowl towards her Mommy. "Mommy, now we can eat together!"


    Vernon scoffed when he saw what his niece did just now, "Obviously, I gave her more than you."


    "That''s because Uncle Vernon''s bowl is so big! Uncle Vernon is a greedy pig!"


    "Urk!" Vernon choked on air when his niece suddenly called him a pig. She was the first in his life to ever insult him like this. "How dare you call me a pig!?"


    However, Mackie was not scared at all. She confidently countered with a cold, harsh truth, "Uncle always ate everything that Mommy cooked! Uncle even ate Mackie''s food sometimes. That''s why Mommy has to cook so many times every day! Uncle is a pig! A big bad wolf-pig!"

 151 Chapter 151

    "Uncle always ate everything that Mommy cooked! Uncle even ate Mackie''s food sometimes. That''s why Mommy has to cook twice every day! Uncle is a pig! A big bad wolf-pig!" Mackie said as she freely insulted her Uncle.


    Vernon was astonished that his little niece actually had a unique insult for him, "Y¡ªYou¡ª Do you know who I am?!" Vernon yelled back, thinking it would finally deter the little girl.


    But Mackie became even more courageous, especially when she noticed that her Mommy looked more rxed as she kept fighting Uncle Vernon.


    "Mackie knows that Uncle is a big bad wolf-pig! That''s why Uncle is both evil and greedy!"


    "What the¡ª"


    "Pfftt¡ª"


    Chloe quickly covered her mouth when Vernon turned his head towards her. She lowered her head again, showing timidness in front of Vernon, even though she was holding herugh.


    Because Mackie''s feistiness reminded her so much of Vernon when he was a kid. He was also a bold, audacious young master that would make even the smartest adult in the room go silent with his various insults and reality check.


    Vernon knew that his sister-inw was actually holding augh, much to his disdain.


    He clicked his tongue and tried to ignore his niece. He poured a bit more of the ginger soup into Chloe''s bowl and said, "You have a ginger and pumpkin soup in front of you. Eat it¡ª no, eat both."


    The smile on Chloe''s lips vanished instantly when prompted with that order.


    She stared at the bowl of pumpkin soup and a bowl of ginger soup in front of her. Usually, this food was an appetizer for regr people, but for her, it was a whole day meal.


    She started to pale as she stared at the food. She nced at the two people in front of her, Vernon and Mackie, who were waiting for her to take the first sip of the soup, making her unbelievably nervous.


    She was so nervous that her palms started to sweat.


    "I¡ªI will eat itter," Chloe said, trying to dodge the demand of drinking these two.


    She could drink the soups, but half the bowl would make her feel so full, and the nervousness would only make her feel the urge to puke out all the food.


    Vernon clicked his tongue. As expected, his sister-inw was trying to dodge again. He was annoyed, but he wasn''t mad.


    At first, he assumed that his sister-inw vomited her food because she was disgusted with him.


    But after realizing that her eyes were mostly filled with fear, he assumed she was just scared of him¡ª for whatever reason!


    Vernon got up from the dining chair and picked up his ginger soup bowl, "I will eat in the living room. You sit here and finish everything," Vernon ordered.


    Chloe raised her head instantly, scared that she might have angered him. But Vernon had already turned his back and walked to the living room, leaving Chloe feeling guilty at the dining table.


    Mackie watched her Uncle go to the living room and thought it would help her Mommy to eat.


    She was a little sad because she couldn''t see her Mommy eating, but Mommy had always eaten so little and often vomited. If walking to the living room and eating there would help her, then Mackie would not hesitate.<sub> </sub>


    Thus, she carefully picked her pumpkin soup and said to her Mommy, "Mommy, I will eat with Uncle! You must eat, okay?"


    "Ah¡ª M¡ªMackie, don''t¡ª''


    "It''s okay, Mommy!"


    Mackie carefully stepped down from the chair and walked to the living room to eat with her Uncle Vernon.


    Chloe felt so lost. She didn''t know what to do when Vernon and Mackie left her to eat. It put pressure on her.


    Eating might be a simple¡ª instinctive behavior of regr people. But for Chloe, it was a really difficult task.


    The years of abuse from Vincent, coupled with herself trying all kinds of ways to lose weight, even if it was extreme, just to please her ex-husband. All of those led to her developing many eating problems.


    She gulped when she saw the soups and slowly reached the spoon. She didn''t want to make Vernon angry, nor did she want to waste the effort that her daughter made for her.


    Chloe picked the ginger soup first because it was easier to digest. She scooped it with a spoon and took a tiny sip. She closed her eyes, trying to forget all the nightmares of being fat and ugly, or else¡ª she would vomit this one.


    She could feel the warm, slightly spicy taste of ginger soup entering her mouth. She kept chanting the same sentence in her head repeatedly while digesting.


    ''This will not make you fat. This will not make you fat. This will not make you fat. This will not make you fat!''


    Thus, Chloe drank the ginger soup very slowly while Mackie and Vernon sat on the long sofa in the living room.


    Vernon turned on the TV and stared emptily at the news anchor while eating the ginger soup. It was delicious, of course, since it was made by his sister-inw.


    But he was too distracted by the fact that his sister-inw was bony thin yet still refused to eat, ''I thought she''s disgusted with me. But turns out, she''s scared¡­ am I that scary?'' Vernon asked himself.


    He might have an explosive personality, but he never physically hit her¡­ right?


    While she was staring at the anchor in the news in a daze, the TV channel was suddenly switched and now showed Nickelodeon with the good ol'' Spongebob Squarepants.


    "Yay, Spongebob is on!" Mackie cheered happily. She climbed to the sofa and sat right beside Uncle Vernon. She watched the show without minding Uncle Vernon by her side.


    Vernon frowned and turned his head towards his little niece, "Why are you here?"


    "Huh? To watch Spongebob, of course!" Mackie replied.


    "Why don''t you apany your Mommy?" Vernon asked, thinking it was impossible for Chloe to be scared or disgusted with her daughter.


    "Why? Because I want Mommy to eat!"

 152 Chapter 152

    "Why? Because I want Mommy to eat!" Mackie said excitedly. "That''s why I''m with you, Uncle! I want Mommy to eat too!"


    ¡­


    "Huh?" Vernon frowned. He gazed at his little niece, wanting a further exnation, but Mackie didn''t seem to think it was that important. Because she resumed watching Spongebob while munching on the diced pumpkin in the soup.


    Vernon continued staring at him and asked, "What do you mean by that?"


    "By what?" Mackie responded¡ª still with her eyes on the TV.


    "Because you want your Mommy to eat too¡ª what do you mean by that?" Vernon borated on his question, thinking that his niece didn''t understand the question.


    "Ah... Um¡­ because Mommy rarely eats!" Mackie said.


    "Rarely eats?"


    "Un!" Mackie nodded, "Mommy rarely eats. I want to help Mommy, so she can eat!"


    ¡­


    Vernon got a little annoyed because Mackie didn''t seem to see this as an important topic. Her eyes were glued to the show, and she kept the remote by her side, ensuring that her Uncle wouldn''t change the channel.


    "Mackenzie, look at me when we''re talking," Vernon ordered.


    "Later, Uncle! I''m watching Spongebob!" Mackie insisted. "Look at that¡ª Spongebob forgot to feed Gary. That''s why Gary left!"


    ¡­


    Vernon nced at the screen and saw Spongebob crying because Gary left, searching for his pet everywhere, even though Spongebob was the one who forgot about Gary''s existence in the first ce.


    It was a little weird that Vernon got ufortable watching this scene, but he did, and he returned his focus to his niece again.


    Vernon wanted to scold Mackie for being impolite towards him but realized it wasn''t his position to scold her since she wasn''t his child.


    So he waited until the episode ended, and Mackie was finally open to another question, "Mackie, why are you here with me? Why don''t you apany your Mommy?" Vernon asked.


    Mackie finally turned her head towards Uncle Vernon and answered carefreely, "Because I want Mommy to eat! She''s rarely eating anything, Uncle!"


    "Rarely eating anything?" Vernon frowned. He thought she was only acting so scared because of his presence, but apparently, it was not the sole reason.


    "Yes, whenever Mommy is sad, she will cry and not eat for days! Mackie remembers that Mommy only ate ice cubes or tea when she was¡­ um¡­ really sad at home!" Mackie replied.


    ''That''s not normal,'' Vernon thought. He had just realized how thin she was afterst night because she always wore a puffy shirt or oversized one, so this must''ve happened for a long time.<sub> </sub>


    "But it''s okay, Uncle!" Mackie suddenly said. "Mommy said that it''s normal for her not to eat. So it''s fine!"


    Mackie seemed to think it was normal, which was quite disturbing for Vernon. It was obviously not okay, but knowing that Mackie was only a seven-year-old kid made sense that she''d believe anything her mother said.


    "Do you think it''s okay?"


    "Um¡­ not really," Mackie replied. "Mackie always saw Mommy eating so little and not eating in front of Daddy. Mackie wants her to eat a lot, but Mommy said she is not hungry¡­."


    "She always said that?"


    "Un!" Mackie nodded. "She always said that she is not hungry, and when she eats too much, she will puke! She told Mackie I shouldn''t force her to eat because it will be a waste!"


    "That''s why Mackie followed Uncle to the living room!" Mackie said. "I don''t know if going to the living room will help Mommy eats, but Mackie will do it for her!"


    ¡­


    Vernon sensed a much deeper problem beneath the exnationing from his little niece. After all, Mackie was too little to understand any problem, especially when Chloe intentionally tried to hide it from her daughter.


    ''She was not this thin before I left,'' Vernon thought. As much as he remembered, his sister-inw always had a regr body. She was neither fat nor thin and was good at maintaining her weight because she cooked her food herself.


    She also watched his diet when Vernon was little and seemed to be doing the same with Mackie. Because Mackie grew up at a healthy weight and was very energetic.


    ''But what about herself? Why is she so thin?'' Vernon asked himself but couldn''te up with an answer.


    He was absent for ten years. He intentionally cut contact with everyone in his family so he wouldn''t feel so much pain.


    He tried to escape by hooking up with so many girls, but eventually¡­ he returned here¡­


    But it was all for revenge to unleash the rage and unfair treatment that had been building up inside his heart for so long.


    However, he expected his sister-inw to live morously once he returned. His revenge would taste so sweet when he saw his morous sister-inw, who mocked him, finally fall from grace.


    Her crumbling marriage with Vincent was expected by Vernon. He knew what kind of man his Big brother was. He was basically the copy of his father, who cheated on his mother a lot, even when the kids were around.


    But he didn''t expect her condition to be so pitiful. He thought¡­ at least she''d be using the money his Big brother gave her, just like how their mother tried to ignore their father''s cheating by spending so much money on random stuff.


    Vernon peeked from the sofa. His hawk-like eyes peered straight at the dining table far from the living room. It was blurry since he was myopic, so he picked up his reading sses from the drawer beside the sofa to check on her.


    He peered again and saw his sister-inw trying her hardest to sip the ginger soup. Her face was even paler than before, and her hand was trembling, making it really difficult for her to hold the spoon. It also looked like she was in so much pain just swallowing a spoonful of pumpkin soup.


    ''What is wrong with her?'' Vernon wondered. ''I''m already in here, far from her sight, and she still eats like she''s in so much pain?''

 153 Chapter 153

    ''What is wrong with her?'' Vernon wondered. ''I''m already in here, far from her sight, and she still eats like she''s in so much pain?''


    He thought it didn''t make sense for her to keep acting like a weak woman when nobody was watching her right now.


    Amidst his idle gaze towards her, Chloe suddenly felt sick after consuming both the ginger and pumpkin soup. She could feel the thing she just consumed go up again. She knew that she was going to puke, wasting everything that had been offered to her.


    "Urk!" Chloe covered her mouth instantly, thinking she could just gulp the vomit back to her stomach, but it got worse, and she retched for the second time.


    Chloe panicked and quickly got up from the chair. She identally tripped as she made her way to the bathroom. She fell, and the chair also fell beside her, making a loud noise in the huge penthouse.


    Vernon instinctively got up from the sofa, wanting to rush to her side, but Chloe didn''t need his help. Because she quickly recovered and scrambled to the bathroom before mming the bathroom door.


    p Vernon watched the process in a daze, ''She¡­ vomited everything even if nobody is by her side? I thought she was just disgusted or scared of me¡­.''</anda>


    While Vernon was standing dazedly, staring at the dining table, Mackie suddenlyughed as she watched a new episode of Spongebob, "Ahahaha! Patrick doesn''t know anything! He is so stupid!"


    Vernon snapped out of his daze and stared at his little niece, who didn''t seem to pay her mother no mind. Obviously, Mackie must''ve heard the sound of the chair hitting the floor, but she didn''t seem to react.


    ''Either she is too absorbed with the show, or she intentionally ignores it,'' Vernon assumed. He sat back on the sofa and asked Mackie;


    "Don''t you heard the chair that fell just now? Your Mommy tripped and went to the bathroom to vomit," Vernon asked.


    "I know," Mackie replied, still with her eyes glued to the screen. She didn''t seem to take this at heart.


    "Then why don''t you help her? You were so adamant about helping her when she was in my room," Vernon continued asking. He wasn''t sure if the little girl understood him, but surprisingly, Mackie replied with a disturbing yet mature answer.


    "I know, Uncle. Mommy has always been like that since Mackie was little! Mommy would always vomit and be stuck in the bathroom for hours! Sometimes Mackie heard her crying, but whenever I asked, she said it is okay!" Mackie replied, still with a smile on her face.


    "Mackie is always sad that Mommy would run away and puke, but whenever I''m worried about Mommy, she''d told me not to worry. She''d also praise me if I ignored what happened to her! That''s why I want to be praised by my Mommy!" Mackie said.


    Vernon was astonished by what he had just heard. It was so twisted that even he couldn''t believe what Mackie said just now.


    Based on what his little niece said, Chloe had been in this cycle for years. That was weird¡­ because she definitely didn''tck money, knowing how filthy rich his billionaire Big brother was.


    ''Isn''t that the reason why she marries him? She wants his money, and she got everything she wants now. But why does she have that kind of habit of throwing up?''


    Mackie looked at her Uncle, whose mind flew off somewhere, and she poked her cheek, "Uncle, Mommy told me that you should not daydream too much! You should spend your time studying or¡­ working, like Daddy!"<sub> </sub>


    "Hm¡­" Vernon nodded, but his mind was still disturbed with his niece.


    "Do you like your Daddy?"


    "Un, of course!" Mackie nodded. "Daddy is the best in the world! He always gives Mackie gifts and tries to spare his time even though he is very, very, veeerryy busy!"


    "And your Daddy is good with Mommy?"


    "Um¡­" Mackie seemed to think for a second, remembering all the experiences that had happened within her conscious years as a kid. "Daddy and Mommy never fight in front of Mackie, but they rarely speak to each other at home. Oh, also, Mommy never joined the table with Daddy and me! But Daddy said that''s because Mommy is not hungry, and Mommy also said so!"


    ¡­


    ''For a second, I thought it''s him who abused her or something¡ª'' Vernon thought. It was just a wild guess, but he got the idea that maybe his sister-inw had been abused by his Big brother.


    But it seemed that the rtionship between his Big brother and sister-inw was very simr to his parents.


    His Dad was always cheating with a new woman every day, and his Mom turned blind eyes to what he was doing in the next room.


    Meanwhile, she got all the money she needed to buy anything. Thus shepensated for all the cheating by buying useless luxury things and getting dead drunk almost daily. Hence, Chloe came to the house as Vincent''s girlfriend and naturally became Vernon''s caregiver.


    Vernon never liked that kind of life. He always thought that when you were settled with one woman, you got to be loyal to her.


    But his Big brother adopted a very simr lifestyle to theirte Father''s.


    He cheated on Chloe but still treated her well and gave her all the money he wanted.


    ''Which makes sense when he was so angry about sister-inw wanting a divorce¡­.''


    ¡­


    ''But if he hurt her... Then I will¡­ I will¡­'' Vernon felt the burning sensation inside his heart. He knew it was stupid for him to have this kind of protective feelings towards his sister-inw, the same woman who raised and ditched him because he wasn''t good enough.


    But when he got the image of his Big brother hurting Chloe, he couldn''t help but feel this unknown rage growing inside his heart.


    It was far more dangerous than the rage he umted for ten years, which was surprising because he thought there was nothing worse than the pain he felt for ten years straight.

 154 Chapter 154

    ''If he dares to hurt her after I gave up on her. I will¡­ I will cut him into pieces. There''s no need for him to live in the street after I get what I want, I will¡­ straight up present his head for her¡­'' Vernon murmured.


    As he kept imagining the abuse in his head, his gaze naturally darkened and filled with blood thirst. But he soon shook his head because he thought that idea was absurd.


    ''No, what kind of idea is guing my mind? Why would I waste my time trying to do something so dangerous just because of a woman who ditched me?'' Vernon wondered. He also found himself ridiculous for being so edgy, wanting to kill his Big brother because of her.


    But he couldn''t lie that dangerous idea in his head was so strong and real that it might as welle to reality if his Big brother really abused her.


    Vernon''s heartbeat started elerating as the anger built up inside his heart started taking control of his body. His imagination went wild, imagining that his sister-inw was in so much pain because of abuse, and the vivid description only made it even worse.


    ''Fuck, I want to beat someone¡ª or something now. Vernon, why do you care about her anyway? Even if she got hurt, you should¡­ should not¡­.''


    "Urgh!" Vernon got up from the sofa. He intended to go to his bedroom, lock the door, and destroy something there, so he could calm the storm in his heart.


    But when he got up, he almost jumped in shock because his sister-inw already stood behind the sofa with a forced smile, "Vernon, Mackie, it''s time to eat lunch."


    "Ah, Mommy!" Mackie jumped from the sofa and walked toward her mother. She hugged Chloe''s waist and looked up, "Mommy, did you finish the soup?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, I did," Chloe said, still with a forced smile. "I ate everything that you two gave me. So it''s time for you two to eat, okay? Especially you, a young girl, need to eat well so you will grow up big!"


    "Un!" Mackie turned her head towards Uncle Vernon, who stood unmovingly¡ª like a stone. "Mommy, if I eat a lot, can I be as big and tall as Uncle? If I''m as big as him, I can protect you!"


    "Ahaha¡­ of course, dear. That''s why you need to eat, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    Mackie released her hug and rushed to the dining table because she was hungry.


    "Let''s go, Mommy, Uncle! I want to eat!" Mackie yelled from the dining table.


    Vernon kept staring at Chloe, who didn''t seem to be much different after she literally puked her guts out.


    She was noticeably paler and seemed to have washed her face, but other than that, she looked¡­ normal.


    As if the whole throwing up thing never happened, and it was all just in Vernon''s imagination.


    "Vernon, you should join Mackie. The food will get cold if you don''t eat it now," Chloe said.


    "Chloe, I saw you¡ª"


    "Ah, I finished the soup, by the way, that means I have eaten enough," Chloe interrupted. "You should eat with Mackie. She''s been waiting."


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    Vernon felt that his sister-inw didn''t want to talk about the obvious, and he was also unsure how to confront her about the vomiting habit.


    Thus, he walked to the dining table and joined Mackie sitting beside her.


    "Didn''t I tell you, Uncle? Mommy wants us not to talk about it!" Mackie said. "Let''s eat, Uncle. Mommy cooked a lot for us!"


    ¡­


    Vernon saw the te full of food his sister-inw had prepared. It was so nutritious and full, but Vernon was so reluctant to eat it because he knew that Chloe would never touch any of it for a reason he didn''t know. After all, she didn''t want to talk about it.


    **


    Today was the weekend, but Vernon wasn''tpletely free. Because he had to meet with his business partners about the ongoing project involving Vincent Gray''s investment, it was a very important project for them all, but not for Vincent himself.


    He repeatedly said he''d be willing to lose money for his little brother, but Vernon didn''t want to take any chances. He needed his full trust if he wanted to get a bigger slice of the power his Big brother had.


    He said nothing to his sister-inw, but Chloe noticed that Vernon was busy on his iPad before went to his bedroom. Hence, she assumed he was preparing to meet one of his business partners again.


    Chloe quickly prepared his tie and ck loafers that she washed by herself since Vernon had so many shoes untouched in the storage room.


    When Vernon opened the door, he was already well dressed, only missing a tie and shoes. He was quite surprised when he saw his sister-inw standing in front of the door, giving him the tie.


    "Will youe homete today?" Chloe asked as she offered the tie.


    Vernon stared at his sister-inw for a while, and his cheeks gradually reddened, especially his ears, that was seriously red.


    "Y¡ªYeah, I''ll be homete today," Vernon replied. "No need to cook for me."


    "Okay, I''ll spend the evening eating out then. I want to treat Mackie to her favorite dessert and watch a new movie," Chloe said. "O¡ªOf course, I will make sure to count my spending, don''t worry¡­."


    Vernon was still annoyed that his sister-inw kept saying that she''d count her spending. He gave her the ck card so she could buy anything she wanted. Vernon didn''t care if his sister-inw bought a tiger as a pet with that money if she found it fun or necessary.


    It also didn''t make sense that she kept repeating that when she was obviously very spoiled by Vincent.


    But Vernon had no mood to be angry. He was just¡­ disturbed and disappointed by his sister-inw''s attitude towards him.


    "You can do whatever with that ck card. I don''t care," Vernon said without any hidden intention. Though, it sounded so different in Chloe''s mind.


    "O¡ªOkay, thanks, Vernon," Chloe said half-heartedly, much to Vernon''s disdain.


    "Whatever, I''ll leave now."

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    155 Chapter 155


    "Whatever, I''ll leave now," Vernon wore his loafers and went to the front door. "Um¡­ be careful on your way. I''ll be waiting for you at home," Chloe said meekly, which made Vernon stop right before he opened the front door. He felt a strange tingling sensation around his body when Chloe said that she''d wait for him, like a housewif¡ª


    Vernon took a deep breath and dispelled that idea again, he wanted to ignore his sister-inw, but his mouth just opened before he could think;


    "Go to bed first. You''ll catch a cold waiting for me."


    "Ah¡ª Vernon¡ª" Chloe was stunned by Vernon''s reply because that sounded so strangely intimateing from Vernon. But before she could ask him about it, Vernon suddenly opened the door and left before mming it shut.


    Chloe paused for a good while, then murmured, "That sounds so¡­ warm,ing from him."


    Chloe leaned on the bedroom door behind her and put her palm on her chest. She felt warm around her chest because she got the illusion that Vernon was like a husband, not wanting his wife to get sick for sleeping toote, so he told her not to wait for him. ''Ah, Chloe, don''t fantasize about this. It''s not good because it will never happen,'' Chloe tried to pull herself back to reality. She had always wanted to have that kind of interaction with Vincent, like a regr married couple. But Vincent always ridiculed her for being pretentious and only showed disdain when she tried to show her care as a wife. So when Vernon showed a glimpse of a life she always wanted, Chloe''s heart was visibly shaken. ''It must''ve been because of what happenedst night. I can''t control my heart in front of him,'' Chloe thought. She lightly pped her cheeks to wake herself from a dreand. "Wake up, Chloe. Last night was just a beautiful mistake. It won''t happen twice."


    After she calmed her heart, Chloe turned around and grabbed the door knob. She twisted the door knob and entered Vernon''s bedroom.


    "Okay, time to find my lingerie before Vernon found it first," Chloe murmured. She turned on the light switch to get a clear view of the bedroom.


    Chloe looked around the messy bedroom, and the first thing she noticed was the strong scent of musk, Vernon''s natural odor, which reminded her of what happenedst night.


    In fact, when I checked the bed, there were many wet spots scattered on the bedsheet, either because of Vernon''s cum or her pussy juicest night. Chloe was embarrassed, but it had already happened, so there was no use in regretting it, "I''ll have to change the bedsheet and spray a bottle of air freshener. The smell of wild sexst night is so strong here¡­."


    "But for now, I have to find that damn lingerie!" Chloe started looking around Vernon''s room. Since she was the one who cleaned his bedroom, she already knew every nook and cranny of this room, so she left no stone unturned while searching for that lingerie. However, no matter how hard she searched, she couldn''t find the goddamn lingerie! "Where is it? How can it disappear out of nowhere?!" Chloe yelled out of frustration and panic. She was worried that Vernon might find it first because it was too embarrassing and also disgusting.


    But she couldn''t find it literally anywhere. She even searched under the bed to no avail.


    Amidst her panic, she started having the wildest idea ever, "No, don''t tell me that¡­ Vernon found it first¡­."


    "But if he found it first, why didn''t he yell at me? There''s no way that he touched my lingerie, right? Who''d want something I wore anyway?"


    "Maybe he¡­ he hides it?" Chloe theorized and soon realized that was absolutely impossible to happen. Because it was outrageous to think that Vernon would touch her lingerie, let alone hide it like a treasure. "He might be immature at times. But hiding my lingerie, isn''t that a little¡­ too perverted and childish?" Chloe wondered. "But where is it then? Where is that goddamn thing!?"


    Thus, Chloe continued her search endlessly. She didn''t want to give up even if she had to search for hours! **


    Vernon entered his car and started the engine. He sat inside the car and stared emptily at the parking lot in front of him. He was still reflecting on two things he did just now in the house.


    First, he identally blurted out a sentence that made him sound like an idiot.


    "Why would I say that she shouldn''t sleep toote? It''s not my fault if she waits for me untilte at night like an idiot!" Vernon yelled. But he secretly enjoyed the care and attention that Chloe gave to him. It made him feel so loved. But that wasn''t the only stupid thing he did today. There was one action that was even worse.


    Vernon sighed deeply, and his hand reached inside his suit pocket. He fished out the thing he had picked up from his bedroom floor and hid it inside his suit pocket;


    Crumpled ck lingerie of his sister-inw, something she dropped after what happenedst night. Vernon stared at the lingerie in his hand and clenched it. He was still trying to make sense of what he had done just now. "Why the fuck your sister-inw''s ck lingerie is inside your suit pocket, Vernon?" Vernon asked himself because he couldn''t even find the logic behind his action. "Do you think this ck lingerie is some kind of souvenir? Fucking idiot!"


    Vernon noticed this ck lingerie when he was fixing his cuff. Hepletely forgot about it after he took a cold bath, but when he noticed the ck lingerie again, there was an intrusive thought in his head;


    ''Pick that lingerie and hide it, or your sister-inw will take it away right after you left. How else would you ask her to give it to you without sounding like a creepy, cheap pervert?'' Thus, Vernon followed his intrusive thought. He picked it up and stuffed it inside his pocket.


    Vernon continued staring at the lingerie and knocked his forehead to the steering wheel a few times, "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you''re a fucking disgrace to your family."

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    Vernon continued staring at the lingerie and knocked his forehead on the steering wheel a few times, "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you''re a fucking disgrace to your family."


    He didn''t know why he had that intrusive thought, and he also didn''t know why he followed it. He was literally stealing ck lingerie from his sister-inw like a creep!


    He tried to calm himself and stared at the ck lingerie again. He noticed that it was a very sexy one, with only a string that barely covered the pussy lips.


    Vernon''s mind automatically imagined his sister-inw only wearing this while sitting on his bed, waiting for him.


    "Fuck, stop it!" Vernon threw the lingerie on the passenger seat beside him. He was so distracted by the idea that he was keeping the ck lingerie of his sister-inw, but he was actually stuck right now.


    "Urgh, what should I do then?" Vernon asked himself. Of course, he couldn''t just return it to his sister-inw. That was ridiculous!


    "Maybe I could pick it up again and drop it somewhere in my room so she could find it?" Vernon wondered, then he quickly ditched that idea. "No, I can''t. It''d be so weird if she couldn''t find it the first time and it suddenly appeared out of nowhere in my bedroom. She''ll get suspicious."


    "Then, what should I do?"


    ¡­


    Vernon had to admit that he didn''t know what to do with the lingerie. So he pushed this problem aside and put the lingerie in the glove boxpartment. He opened thepartment and just remembered this was a new car, so this thing¡ª the ck lingerie¡ª would be the first item he put inside his new car.


    Usually, he put his prescription sses, spare perfume, or a bag of condoms inside his car''s glove box before he reunited with his sister-inw.


    ''Can''t believe I''m keeping literal lingerie in my car right now. What has gotten into you, Vernon?'' Vernon mocked himself before he put the lingerie inside and closed the glovepartment.


    He took a deep breath to clear his head. He never thought a woman could be this distracting, but he needed to focus now because he had to focus on the project with his Big brother''spany to gain his trust.


    Vernon gripped the steering wheel and pressed the gas, leaving the apartment building and heading to meet his business partners.


    **


    "Mommy, where are we going?" Mackie asked as she put on the shoes that her Mommy had prepared for her. Tutoring had been canceled today, so she thought she could spend the day not doing anything other than ying with her dolls.


    But her Mommy suddenly told her to get dressed because they were going somewhere today.


    Chloe smiled and patted Mackie''s head, "Dear, don''t you say you want to watch the new movie? Uh¡­ Minion, right?"


    "Oh, yes! Mackie wants to watch that one!" Mackie nodded in full spirit. "My friends at school said it''s so good!"


    "Then we''re going to watch it today," Chloe said.


    Mackie''s eyes glimmered with joy, "Really? We''re going to the mall?"


    "Yep!"


    "Yayy!" Mackie jumped happily and hugged her Mommy''s thighs. "Mommy, can I eat Ice cream too? It''s been a while!"


    "But not too much, okay?"


    "Okay!"<sub> </sub>


    After Mackie dressed, Chloe grabbed another scarf and covered her neck and corbone. She didn''t want anyone to see her love marks in public.


    "Mommy, isn''t it a little hot wearing scarf right now?" Mackie asked.


    "A¡ªAh, not really, Dear. Mommy just wants to use it," Chloe replied.


    Mackie still didn''t believe her Mommy, but her attention was shifted to the movie and ice cream!


    "Mommy, let''s go! I want to eat Ice cream first!"


    Chloe smiled and held her daughter''s hand, and left the apartment.


    Chloe wanted to call Diamond and asked if she was free to go to a movie with them. But then she realized that Diamond was still a youngdy, so she must''ve had a n with her friends perhaps¡ª or maybe a date on the weekend.


    Thus, Chloe and Mackie went to the usual mall they always visited, thinking nothing wrong would happen there.


    Chloe and Mackie went to the cinema first to buy tickets and decided to watch it around seven in the evening. Thus, they still had time to eat in a Japanese restaurant that Mackie liked.


    "Mommy, you should eat more!" Mackie said. "Eat like Mackie!"


    Mackie demonstrated how she ate by opening her mouth wide, then stuffed a whole boiled egg in her mouth before munching very slowly.


    Chloe chuckled and gently wiped the soup stain around Mackie''s mouth.


    "Don''t eat like that in front of other people, okay? Especially your Daddy''s family," Chloe warned since she''d be heavily criticized and looked down on when Mackie didn''t follow the table manner like the rest of her distant cousins.


    Chloe did teach Mackie about table manners since she was five, but Mackie was still too young to understand. She was naturally an active little girl who liked to eat fast. She''d also eat faster when the food was really good.


    ''Just like the young Vernon,'' Chloe thought as she remembered how that evil young master ate when he was young. ''Oh, the adult Vernon also does the same. He will eat fast when he likes the food, then ask for a second te¡­.''


    "Homp¡ªump¡ªamp!" Mackie tried to speak with an egg inside her mouth, which made it funnier for Chloe.


    After Mackie ate the egg, she repeated her sentence, "I don''t want to eat with Daddy''s family again! I hate them!"


    "Don''t say that¡­." Chloe tried to force a smile. "You still like Grandma, right?"


    "Well, only Grandma, I don''t like the rest!" Mackie insisted.


    "Mackie¡­"


    Honestly, Chloe didn''t want to alienate Mackie from the family. Chloe had a long-time problem with Vincent and the Gray family, but Mackie was still the darling of her Grandma, Dorothea Gray.


    Chloe nned to allow Mackie to visit the Gray family, especially Dorothea, after she finished the divorce process.


    ''Which would take a long time since that bastard still doesn''t want to sign the paper¡­.''

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    157 Chapter 157


    Chloe nned to allow Mackie to visit the Gray family, especially Dorothea, after she finished the divorce process. ''Which would take a long time since that bastard still doesn''t want to sign the paper¡­'' Chloe sighed. She was dazed for a while, watching Mackie eat because Chloe only ate one spoon of her food. She was watching her daughter eating happily, then her eyes scanned around the restaurant. She didn''t want to identally bump into someone dangerous. Though, she doubted Vincent would be willing to go to the mall like Mackie and her. Vincent was raised to be a master of an old money family stemmed from generations. He didn''t go to the mall to buy stuff like Chloe. At first, he was angry that Chloe ''stained'' his daughter by bringing her to the mall because she wasn''t supposed to go with people who might be lower than her. He was also worried if Mackie got kidnapped.


    But after realizing that Mackie loved going to the mall, Vincent couldn''t say no to her and went to the mall with her a few times to buy her toys. Though, they never actually had this kind of full family outing. Either Chloe brought Mackie to the mall, or Vincent did it.


    ''He said he doesn''t want some paparazzi to see him with an ugly woman in public. That''s funny because that ugly woman was his own wife¡­.'' ¡­


    Chloe was relieved the restaurant was clear of anyone she knew. After all, this was supposed to be a good time for Mackie, so Chloe didn''t want to start any drama and ruin Mackie''s day. While Chloe was idly scanning around the half-empty restaurant, she noticed a new customer had juste in, and her heart dropped when she saw the new guest.


    She saw a man in histe thirties, wearing a blue polo and jeans sped under his belly because he couldn''t hide his beer belly. He had thin hair and a beard that didn''t seem properly groomed.


    His hand wrapped around the waist of a much younger woman, probably in her early twenties. She didn''t seem to object, though. In fact, she was the one who initiated a public disy of affect by leaning closer to him as they walked in and sat at the table near the entrance. "Oh no¡­" Chloe murmured. She didn''t expect to discover a scandal while trying to have good eating out and movie with her daughter.


    "Mommy, that are you looking at¡ª?" Mackie asked. She noticed that her Mommy was staring at one spot for a long time, and her face gradually turned pale. Mackie got curious and wanted to look at what caused her Mommy to turn pale. But before turning her head, Chloe quickly covered her eyes and forced her to look straight again, "Don''t look, dear. Just focus on your food, okay?"


    "Ehh¡­ why?" Mackie asked. She was curious because her Mommy seemed so distressed about it. "Mommy looks so panicked, so Mackie wants to see too!"


    "Ah¡ª then, Mommy will eat with you, okay? Just look straight at Mommy, don''t turn your head," Chloe said. Mackie was still curious, but when her Mommy said she''d eat with Mackie, the little girl was overjoyed. She instantly forgot about her curiosity and nodded happily, "Mommy eat with Mackie!" Chloe started eating with Mackie. She ate bits by bits, and her stomach was churning when she ate, but she pushed through as she didn''t want Mackie to see what was happening if she turned around.


    However, while eating, she kept stealing nces at the two forbidden couples at the table near the door. Because it was the scene of Thomas ''Tommy'' Davis having a date with another woman even though he was married.


    And he was married to Chloe''s big sister, Chelsea Davis. She always thought that Tommy was a good man because he was willing to take care of the kids when Chelsea was busy working or simply too exhausted to take care of their four sons. So Chloe envied her big sister a little, knowing that Vincent was nothing but a bastard who didn''t even care about her wellbeing.


    ''Who would''ve expected¡­ he is actually cheating with a younger woman¡­'' Chloe assumed. She wanted to stay positive and thought that woman might have been a work colleague. But her positive idea crumbled a minuteter because that woman kissed the edge of Tommy''s lips, and they were giggling and chatting while reading the menu. ''Why in hell would he cheat?! That woman must''ve been a call girl,'' Chloe assumed. Tommy wasn''t an attractive man¡ª at least not attractive enough to hook an early twenties girl solely using his charm. So Chloe assumed that woman must''ve been a call girl of some sort. ''But, does he even have the money for that? Since he is¡ª barely employed¡­.''


    Chloe knew that her big sister was actually the breadwinner of that family. Tommy worked odd jobs in New York, and it could barely cover the expenses. That was also why they still lived in their mother''s house and asked Vincent for some money every month. This was also something that Vincent often brought up to corner her, saying that Chloe should be grateful because Vincent was still willing to help her poor family. ''Should I¡­ tell Chelsea about this?'' Chloe wondered. She didn''t have a good rtionship with her big sister. But she was still a family despite everything that happened to them.''


    Soon, Chloe found herself in a dilemma between telling her big sister about this or hiding Tommy''s adultery. ''I want to tell Chelsea about this. But is it a good idea to do? She has so much burden as a breadwinner. She also has four sons¡­'' Chloe thought, trying to justify her own decision of covering up for Tommy.


    ''If I tell her about this, her marriage will turn to shambles¡­ and what about her four sons? Their sons see their dad as a good father, right?''

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    ''If I tell her about this, her marriage will turn to shambles¡­ and what about her four sons? Their sons see their dad as a good father, right?''


    Chloe looked at Mackie, who was busy eating. She was already feeling so guilty about separating from Vincent and potentially ruining Mackie''s childhood because Mackie wouldn''t have a perfect family anymore.


    So if Chloe told her big sister about this, she''d probably ruin the lives of her four nephews.


    Besides, Chelsea''s life was already difficult as it was. By telling her this, it''d destroy her life.


    ''I¡­ I''m not sure what to do. Should I tell her or¡­ should I not?'' Chloe wondered. She needed more time to decide whether to tell her big sister about Tommy''s affair or not.


    She just didn''t want to make a rash decision that''d led to an already bad rtionship between them turning worse.


    ''Besides, Mom already called me a whore andpletely sides with Vincent. I know Chelsea resents me, but if I made a wrong decision andpletely ruined our sibling rtionship¡­.''


    Thus, Chloe decided to collect the evidence first. She fished out her phone from the bag. Chloe made sure she had silent her phone and opened the camera app.


    She aimed the camera toward the two forbidden lovebirds showing an unnecessary public disy of affection and capturing the moment.


    She checked the picture and was relieved that she took a good pic because, in the pic, Tommy was shown kissing the cheek of that woman without shame, even though there were kids in the restaurant right now.


    ''Okay, I can use this as evidenceter in case I want to tell Chelsea about Tommy''s affair,'' Chloe thought as she saved the picture. She didn''t really have anything against Tommy. In fact, he was one of the inws that treated her fairly.


    ''But Chelsea is my sister. She is my priority¡­.''


    Mackie saw that her Mommy was busy with her phone and also aimed her camera at the same spot where she forbade Mackie to see. So, Mackie asked, "Mommy, why are you taking pictures? Can I see?''


    "It''s nothing, dear. Just focus on your food¡ª"


    "I already finished it!" Mackie said happily as she pushed the empty te towards her Mommy.


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe forgot that her daughter was a big and fast eater, so it was easy for her to consume a full bowl.


    "Let''s go now, Mommy!" Mackie said. "I want to eat Ice cream!"


    Mackie gulped. She nced at Tommy and that girl who was still at the same table. So if she decided to get up and get out, she had to pass them as their table was near the entrance.


    ''There''s a big chance he''ll notice us if we leave now,'' Chloe thought.


    Thus, she thought of a reason to hold them for a while here, at least until Tommy left.


    She noticed that her food was still barely touched. Thus, she said to her daughter;


    "Would you mind waiting for Mommy, dear? I still haven''t finished my food," Chloe said.


    "Oh! Okay!" Mackie nodded happily. She wanted her ice cream, but her Mommy''s need was more important! It was also fun seeing her Mommy eat!<sub> </sub>


    Chloe gulped, and she started eating very slowly to prolong their stay here. Mackie was satisfied with her Mommy eating, so she sat rxedly and sipped the strawberry juice she ordered.


    Chloe nced from time to time to see whether Tommy had left. But those two ordered so many foods that it would take a while until they left, much to her grievance.


    After she finished the food, Tommy and his girl were still in their seat, even though Chloe tried to eat as slowly as she could.


    "Mommy is done eating! Let''s go now, Mommy. I want to eat ice cream first before watching Minion!" Mackie said.


    "D¡ªDear, why don''t we sit here for a while? Mommy feels a little full¡­."


    "Ehhh¡­ but we will bete for Ice cream and movie, Mommy!" Mackie finally protested. They had been in the restaurant for a while. They would miss the movie and ice cream!


    "Mommy, let''s go and eat ice cream! You can sit there with Mackie!" Mackie insisted as she got impatient.


    "M¡ªMackie, Mommy feels a little full. Let''s wait, okay?"


    "No, let''s go now, Mommy!" Mackie insisted even more, and she tried to jump from the tall chair because her feet didn''t touch the floor.


    But when she jumped from the chair, she identally stepped on the soup stain on the floor and slipped alongside the chair, which made a loud banging noise.


    "MACKIE!"


    Chloe panicked and got up from her chair. She checked on Mackie, who slumped on the floor.


    The sound alerted everyone in the restaurant, including Tommy and his girl. He turned his head and saw Chelsea''s little sister, Chloe Gray.


    His eyes darkened, and his mood was ruined instantly when he saw her because he knew it would be a disaster if Chloe told Chelsea about his affair.


    "What? What are you looking at, Tommy?" the girl asked. She followed his line of sight and noticed a woman caring for her child who fell from the chair.


    That woman looked so beautiful despite being so thin, which triggered herpetitive nature as a woman, "Ugh, look at that woman. She''s so sloppy taking care of her daughter. If that was me, I''d ensure my daughter won''t slip and fall like that."


    "Look at her dress too. She''s wearing a scarf even though it''s still summer, so weird. Right, Tommy?" the girl asked for support from her sweetheart.


    "Yeah¡­" Tommy nodded slowly. He clenched the spoon in his hand, trying to contain his anger so Dahlia¡ª his date wouldn''t suspect a thing.


    Tommy dropped his spoon on the te, making a loud nking sound in the quiet environment, alerting Chloe instantly.


    CLANK!


    Chloe turned her head when she heard the sound of dropped spooning from Tommy''s table, and their eyes met.

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    Chloe turned her head when she heard the sound of dropped spooning from Tommy''s table, and their eyes met.


    Chloe''s heartbeat skipped for a second once she saw how angry Tommy looked as he red at her. She gulped nervously and then tried to act normal by giving her attention to Mackie.


    "Dear, are you okay?"


    "Yes, Mommy¡­" Mackie got up from the floor, and Chloe checked Mackie''s body in case she got a bruise or something. After making sure Mackie wasn''t hurt, Chloe stood up and held her daughter''s hand.


    "Mommy will pay first, then we can get your ice cream, okay?"


    "Okay!" Mackie nodded happily, not realizing that her Mommy had cold sweat all over her forehead and palm. Chloe called for the waiter and paid with Vernon''s ck card.


    After she was done paying and tipping, she quickly picked up her bag and picked her daughter up.


    Chloe intentionally carried Mackie even if she struggled with her daughter''s weight. She didn''t want Mackie to notice her Uncle Tommy sitting with another woman, or all hell would break loose.


    "Dear, don''t look around and rest your head on my shoulder, okay? If you''re obedient, Mommy will give you an extra scoop of ice creamter."


    "Okay!" Mackie didn''t really understand her Mommy''s strange behavior. But an extra scoop of ice cream was always great!


    Chloe walked past Tommy and tried to check on him by giving him a side nce.


    From the edge of her sight, she saw Tommy''s head following her movement with no smile at all. His look was fierce as if he was ready to kill Chloe the next second.


    Chloe hastened her step and left the restaurant. She was relieved when she was finally out of his sight. She put Mackie on the floor and grabbed her hand, "Let''s have an ice cream before the movie, dear."


    "Okay, Mommy!" Mackie nodded. She noticed that her Mommy was much more rxed after leaving the restaurant. "Mommy, why are you so strange in the restaurant?"


    "S¡ªStrange?" Chloe knew that her daughter was an observant kid. But she just didn''t expect her to confront Chloe like this. "Mommy is fine, dear¡­."


    "Mommy is not fine!" Mackie insisted. "Mommy forbade Mackie to turn around, and Mommy actually ate your food! That''s very strange!"


    Chloe tried to ignore Mackie''s hard evidence and pointed at the ice cream shop beside the restaurant, "Let''s get ice cream now. Mommy will give you an extra scoop for being obedient."


    "Yay!"


    Fortunately, Mackie had a short attention span, making it easy to deviate her attention towards something she liked so she''d stop questioning.


    **


    Tommy and Dahlia continued eating in the Japanese restaurant. Dahlia relished it because she rarely ate outside in a restaurant. After all, she was just a university student.


    Dahlia noticed that Tommy''s mood worsened after he saw that beautiful but thin woman with her daughter. She frowned and asked, "Tommy, is everything alright?"


    "Hmm¡­ yeah," Tommy replied, but he suddenly got up from the chair and added, "I''ll go to the restroom first."


    "Mhm, sure," Dahlia said. She was suspicious of Tommy''s strange behavior.


    ''Should I follow him?'' Dahlia considered. She was scared that Tommy might be interested in that woman. After all, Dahlia knew that Tommy had a wife and nned to divorce her for Dahlia after he got enough money. So she was scared that he might be tempted by another beauty.


    But from his expression, Tommy didn''t seem fond of that woman, so Dahlia could rx a little.


    Tommy walked out of the restaurant and headed to the empty corridor leading to the restroom.<sub> </sub>


    He stood in silence for a while and then texted Chloe.


    **


    Chloe was eating ice cream with her daughter when her phone vibrated.


    She checked the text, thinking it came from Vernon or Diamond. However, much to her surprise, it was Tommy.


    Chloe gulped nervously. She didn''t know if opening the text would be the right thing to do. But curiosity got the better of her, so she clicked the message;


    ¡ª


    Tommy Davis:


    Meet me in the corridor leading to the restroom right beside the restaurant.


    ¡ª


    Chloe curled her lips out of anxiety. She wanted to ignore this text and acted as if nothing was wrong and didn''t see anything in the restaurant.


    But the next text from Tommy basically cemented her fate;


    ¡ª


    Tommy Davis:


    I will make you regret it if you dare to avoid this text.


    ¡ª


    Chloe didn''t know what he''d do, but she didn''t want to make the situation even worse than before. She was scared right now. Even her legs were trembling.


    ''But I have to face him¡­.''


    Chloe checked on her daughter, who was happily eating her ice cream. She checked the corridor that Tommy referred to. It was a corridor ced right in-between the Japanese restaurant and the ice cream shop. So she wouldn''t have to leave Mackie for too long, and Tommy wouldn''t be able to do anything because she could just scream if it was necessary.


    Chloe got up and patted Mackie''s head, "Dear, Mommy''s going to the restroom beside the shop. You should eat here for a while, ignore anyone who wants to talk to you, and if there''s anyone wanting to touch you, just scream, okay?"


    "Okay, Mommy! Stranger danger, Mackie knows!" Mackie said and continued enjoying her sweet dessert.


    Chloe got up and walked out of the shop, heading to the corridor beside the shop.


    She saw Tommy leaning at the end of the empty corridor leading to the restroom. There was nobody around, which heightened Chloe''s anxiety.


    She clenched her fist and summoned courage, ''It''s okay, Chloe. He won''t be able to do anything here. Just face him, and let''s see what will happen.''


    Chloe approached Tommy, who red at her, an expression that Tommy never had shown anyone when there was a family gathering.


    Chloe stood quite far from Tommy, or so she assumed, just in case Tommy wanted to attack him, "W¡ªWhat do you want to talk about?"

 160 Chapter 160

    "W¡ªWhat do you want to talk about?" Chloe asked carefully.


    Tommy said nothing for a while but kept ring until he suddenly took a swift step forward, stretched his hand, and gripped Chloe''s arm tightly.


    The move was too sudden for Chloe to react, so she could only struggle a bit, which triggered Tommy to squeeze her arm even harder until Chloe grimaced in pain.


    "Aw¡ª ouch! L--Let me go!"


    Tommy had zero kindness towards Chloe, unlike the usual Tommy, who looked so kind and amiable in front of his wife and inws. He mmed her to the wall until she almost screamed. But Tommy threatened her before she could even open her mouth.


    "Listen, you scrawny bitch. Don''t act so innocent. I know you saw my girlfriend and me in the restaurant," Tommy snarled at her. "And I will not let you go until you tell me the truth."


    Chloe averted her gaze, not wanting to stare at Tommy, who looked so unfamiliar. She thought Tommy was a good man for her big sister. But everything seemed to be a facade.


    The real Thomas ''Tommy'' Davis was the one standing in front of Chloe right now, a man who seemed to forget that he had a hardworking wife and four sons at home.


    "W¡ªWhat truth?" Chloe asked. "I just identally saw you with your¡­ uh¡­ girlfriend. Of course, I''d be shocked!"


    "Tell me, have you taken a picture of us?" Tommy asked.


    "W¡ªWhy would I do that?" Chloe lied. Of course, she took a picture. It''d be an idiot for her not to collect evidence of Tommy''s infidelity in case she wanted to tell Chelsea about it.


    Tommy peered at Chloe suspiciously, and Chloe averted her gaze as always. Normally, when someone averted their gaze, they tried to cover their nervousness.


    Chloe was doing the exact thing now, but Tommy couldn''t judge her behavior like a normal person.


    Because Chloe always did this, even if rxed, she''d always try to dodge whenever someone was staring at her. She was very meek and couldn''t hold a conversation for long.


    Or so he thought¡­


    Because the woman in front of him seemed to have something different in her after she cheated and ran away from Vincent''s mansion.


    Chelsea told him that Chloe ran away because she was an ungrateful whore. She wasted Vincent Gray¡ª a very loyal husband to her.


    Since Tommy couldn''t determine whether Chloe was lying or not, he decided to threaten her instead;


    "Listen to me, I don''t want this rtionship between my girlfriend and me to be known, especially by Chelsea," Tommy said. "So, if you dare to tell her about this, I will make sure you will regret it."


    Tommy was thinking quickly about something that''d scare this meekdy, and he smirked once he found one, "If you dare to tell Chelsea, I will tell Judith that the one I''m cheating with is you."


    Chloe''s eyes widened instantly. She had a few scenarios of what Tommy would do in her head. But she never expected him to want to drag her down to hell.


    "Y¡ªYou can''t do that. We barely know each other. They will not believe you!" Chloe denied. "I''ve never even talked to you in private. That''s not possible for us to cheat!"<sub> </sub>


    But Tommy only sneered maliciously, "Who will your big sister and your mom believe more? A loyal husband and good father of four kids, or a whore who cheated on her rich and loving husband?"


    "But I''m not¡ª"


    "Oh,e on, I don''t care whether it''s true. I also don''t believe Vincent is THAT good. But Chelsea and Judith believe himpletely," Tommy said. "Do you know what your mother does these days?"


    ¡­


    "She keeps trying to call Vincent daily, and when he picks up the call, Judith would apologize and call you a whore. She also tells Vincent that she''ll not ept you into her house unless you return to Vincent."


    Chloe turned stiff instantly. She knew her mother had already despised her for ''cheating.''


    Chloe also knew that her motherpletely sided with Vincent because he always gave money to her and Chelsea. Vincent was basically her retirement saving.


    But when she was reminded of Tommy, she couldn''t help but feel awful about herself. Because she couldn''t even gain her mother''s trust.


    ''Maybe it''s my fault because I can''t stand up against Vincent¡­'' Chloe thought. ''But what could I do against him? He has everything on his side!''


    Slowly, her sight turned blurry, and tears started streaming down her cheeks.


    Tommy frowned when he saw her crying, "Why are you crying? Obviously, you''re the one who cheated, right? Do you think I will believe if you say that you work for yourself after running away from Vincent?"


    "I bet you''re an old man''s mistress now!" Tommy used.


    But Chloe couldn''t hear anything anymore. She was too sad to even focus, let alone listen to him.


    Tommy got ufortable seeing her crying, so she shoved her to the wall before releasing his grip.


    Chloe slumped on the floor, still unreactive even after she got hurt. Tommy distanced himself from her and added one more threat, "If Chelsea knows about my affair, then I will make sure to drag you down to hell. Think about that, Chloe."


    Tommy knew that Chloe was a meek woman, so he was convinced that Chloe wouldn''t tell Chelsea about his affair. After all, Chloe was an idiot with no courage.


    Tommy turned around and walked away, leaving Chloe, who was still trying to collect herself.


    It took Chloe at least five minutes until she got up and walked to the restroom to wash her face. After all, she didn''t want her daughter to see her crying.


    She stared at the mirror and bit her lower lip to ensure she didn''t cry again.


    "It''s okay, Chloe. Your mom and sister don''t believe in you because you can''t give them money. Maybe after I saved enough from Vernon, I can give them a little, so they''d see me as their family once more¡­."

 161 Chapter 161

    "It''s okay, Chloe. Your mom and sister don''t believe in you because you can''t give them money. Maybe after I saved enough from Vernon, I can give them a little, so they''d see me as their family once more¡­."


    Chloe knew that buying her family''s trust with money was such a shallow thing to do, and she should''ve just cut contact with them since she nned to leave New York after she saved enough money.


    But she lived through poverty with her mother and sister. She understood how they wanted the moneying from Vincent. Even if Chloe wasn''t a fan of it once she realized that Vincent used it as a weapon.


    "It''s also my fault because I thought I could help my family a little once I married Vincent¡­." Chloe murmured.


    However, there was one thing she was assured in her heart about Tommy.


    "I will tell Chelsea sooner orter," Chloe said without hesitation. She hesitated at first because she didn''t want to ruin Chelsea''s family and their family bond.


    "But, Tommy already told me how my motherpletely sides with Vincent. Tommy can''t drag me to hell when I''m already in hell right now," Chloe said, cementing her decision to tell Chelsea.


    Of course, Chloe couldn''t be rash. Before telling Chelsea about Tommy''s affair, she needed to ensure that her big sister was in fine condition. Chloe didn''t want to hurt her sister when she was in a bad situation.


    "Thanks to him, I don''t need to hesitate now. Even if my family hates me, Chelsea still has the right to know," Chloe said.


    After she wiped her face with a tissue, she returned to the ice cream shop.


    Mackie was still eating ice cream without distraction, and Chloe was relieved. She returned to the table and asked Mackie, "Dear, are you finished with your ice cream?"


    "Just a little more, Mommy!" Mackie replied as she dug the remaining ice cream into her cup. She looked at her Mommy, who smiled and thenmented, "Mommy, did you cry in the restroom?"


    "Eh?" Chloe got surprised by the question. "Why do you think so?"


    Chloe had already washed her face plenty of times to ensure that her eyes weren''t red before returning to Mackie.


    "Mm¡­ because Mommy has a wet face. You wash your face often when you''re crying in the bathroom!" Mackie said,pletely silencing Chloe, who didn''t know how to react.


    "Is something wrong, Mommy? Did you get bullied by someone? Mackie will protect you!" Mackie said courageously.


    Chloe was both nervous and relieved at the same time. She was nervous because Mackie''s observational skill was amazing despite being a seven-year-old.


    But she was also relieved to have such a smart daughter¡­


    "Mommy was just thinking about something, dear. That''s why Mommy cried," Chloe said. "But thank you for your protection. I feel much safer around you."


    "Of course! Mommy is safe when I''m around because I will be Mommy''s number one protector!" Mackie imed.


    "Hihi, you will be a strong woman who protects Mommy when you''re older," Chloe smiled.<sub> </sub>


    "Un!" Mackie nodded seriously. She might be young, but she really wanted to protect her Mommy. After all, her Mommy had been through a lot.


    Well, Mackie didn''t know what went through her Mommy''s life. Since Daddy always treated her well when Mackie was around.


    But she also sensed that her Mommy wasn''t happy for an unknown reason. She was constantly sad and crying and would not say a thing when Daddy was around.


    Mackie asked her Daddy once whether he was kind to Mommy or not, and Daddy said he loved her the most, so Mackie just believed it.


    "Okay, time to go to the cinema. Your movie will y soon," Chloe said.


    "Yay! Minion!"


    Thus, Chloe and Mackie spent the rest of the evening in the cinema before returning home.


    Chloe took care of Mackie first until the little girl was asleep, then she sat in Vernon''s living room, waiting for the young CEO to return after a long day at work.


    This time, she wore regr pajamas that covered her body modestly. Wearing only lingerie and a satin robe would only spell another disaster.


    She checked the clock and sighed deeply, "It''s past midnight already. Did he go to a bar tonight? Maybe he''s sleeping with another woman right now."


    Chloe wanted to scold Vernon for being too promiscuous, but they weren''t really rted, and Vernon was an adult already. So it wasn''t her ce to scold her.


    To spend her idle time, she scrolled through her phone and opened the gallery full of her small family, Chloe, Chelsea, and their mother¡ª Judith.


    Chloe had a bit of scanning old photos in the album and stored them in her phone gallery. So she could always see many of her beautiful memories in case she was too depressed to function.


    "Ah, this one is when Chelsea and I are still very young. She was such a good sister to me, but time changes¡­." Chloe mumbled. "Oh, this picture is when Mom was still a working single mother. She worked as a receptionist in her oldpany."


    "I don''t want to live in the past, but there''s no good thing happening in my current life¡­ well, Mackie''s birth is the ultimate happiness I''ll ever get¡­."


    Chloe ignored the sentimental feeling in her heart and continued scrolling and smiling whenever she remembered the good old times. But her smile faded once she saw one picture of her standing beside a handsome young man.


    He was so handsome that he got the heartthrob status in their high school back then.


    It was a picture of Vincent and her, standing side by side as they were dating back then. Vincent hugged her waist lovingly and stared at her with eyes full of love.


    Who would''ve expected the prince charming that Chloe loved to turn into a monster after they married?


    ''Ah, my prince charming¡­ I thought we could grow old together after we married. Why did you ditch me after I''m not pretty anymore?''

 162 Chapter 162

    ''Ah, my prince charming¡­ I thought we could grow old together after we married. Why did you ditch me after I''m not pretty anymore?''


    Chloe asked herself on why Vincent had fallen out of love with her. She tried her best to get dolled up for him and always tried to present her best. She was fat after giving birth, and for a few years, because of spiraling depression. But she dieted so hard until she developed bulimia. She also obeyed Vincent and never talked to any man unless it was formal.


    But it wasn''t enough. Vincent still cheated a lot of times.


    Chloe gently caressed Vincent''s cheeks in the picture. She hated him as much as she loved him.


    No matter what, Vincent was still Chloe''s first love and also the father of their daughter. He presented himself really well in public, and even to their daughter.


    It was just Chloe who knew his true face¡­


    "Ten years¡­ and you still don''t love me, my prince charming¡­." Chloe couldn''t help to continuementing her terrible fate as a woman. She often assured herself that everything would be okay as long as she left Vincent.


    But problems after problems kepting, making her wonder if leaving him was a bad decision.


    A tear suddenly dropped on her phone screen, and Chloe''s eyes pooled with tears. She didn''t wipe her tears, though, because it had been a while since she cried so freely to relieve her pain.


    She started sobbing carelessly since there was nobody that''d hear her. After all, her daughter was already sleeping, and it''d probably take another hour or two for Vernon to return home.


    She continued crying as she scrolled through the old photos she had in her gallery, thinking it was safe¡­


    Until the main door of the penthouse was suddenly opened from outside, Vernon walked in only to see his sister-inw crying on the sofa.


    **


    Vernon was exhausted after a whole day of the meeting, filtering through the celebrities for the TV show and checking the products that his Big brother wanted to promote in the show.


    He needed it to be an effective ad and an excellent investment for his Big brother so he''d trust Vernon more.


    Thus, he gave his 100% to this project.


    After he was finished, he checked his watch, "Past midnight already. I guess she''s already sleeping."


    Honestly, Vernon was still embarrassed by the lingerie ident this afternoon. So it''d be better if he didn''t see his sister-inw for at least a day before he could calm down and resume his cold self.


    ''After all, I''m not sure how to act, not after I stole her lingerie¡­'' Vernon thought. ''Good thing she doesn''t know I''m the one who stole her lingerie¡­ or is she?''


    Vernon gulped and tried to dispel the ideapletely. He couldn''t handle the shame of bearing the new title of the young pervert CEO who stole panties.


    He entered the private elevator and went up to his penthouse. He unlocked the door and didn''t expect the living room was still brightly lit.<sub> </sub>


    However, there was a scene that shocked him even more.


    Because he saw his sister-inw sitting on the chair, crying nonstop while staring at her phone. She seemed to be releasing so much pain that had been bottled in her heart.


    Vernon''s heart sank when he saw this scene. He dropped his briefcase and stared at his sister-inw for a while before asking, "Who made you cry?"


    Chloe was also surprised by Vernon''s sudden appearance. She quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile to greet Vernon, "W¡ªWee home, Vernon. Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?"


    "Who made you cry?" Vernon asked for the second time. But his sister-inw continuously tried to dodge the question.


    "Um¡­ m¡ªmaybe a coffee? I can make you a coffee¡ª wait, it''s not good. It''s already midnight. You won''t be able to sleep after a cup of coffee, haha¡­." Chloeughed awkwardly.


    But the more she tried to dodge the topic and act like nothing was wrong, the more Vernon sensed that something was terribly wrong with her.


    He kept telling himself that he would never care about his sister-inw. Even if she begged in front of him, he''d kick and stomp her face instead.


    But the rage and grudge he build-up for years crumbled in a mere second after he saw his sister-inw crying painfully. He became the man that Vernon hated the most, a man who crumbled when he saw his lover cry.


    "Who¡­ makes you cry?" Vernon asked for the third time. He was already impatient, holding the rage in his heart that needed to be unleashed somehow.


    But he didn''t want to scare her, so he tried to hold back.


    However, his sister-inw wasn''t cooperative. She kept trying to dodge the topic no matter how many times Vernon asked.


    "Oh, I bought a dozen of donuts from the mall. Um¡­ I remember that you always like the caramel one, right? Do you want me to¡ª"


    "DAMN IT!" Vernon lost his patience and rushed toward Chloe with his intimidating posture and sharp eyes that would make anyone tremble. Chloe''s body stiffened, she was so scared when she saw how intimidating Vernon could be.


    She wanted to get up and excused herself, leaving Vernon''s penthouse and locking herself in her bedroom.


    But before she could get up, Vernon already stood in front of her. He grasped and pressed her shoulders, so Chloe was stuck on the sofa. He red at her, but not because he was mad at her. He was just extremely frustrated right now.


    "Who makes you cry?" Vernon asked, almost grunting at this point.


    Chloe looked up and stared at Vernon who looked menacing. Everything about Vernon was menacing; his big figure, hawk-like eyes, and intimidating aura.


    And to top it all off¡­


    Vernon had a simr facial feature to the man Chloe dreaded the most, her ex-husband, Vincent Gray.

 163 Chapter 163

    Everything about Vernon was menacing; his big figure, hawk-like eyes, and intimidating aura.


    And to top it all off¡­


    Vernon had a simr face to the man Chloe dreaded the most, her ex-husband, Vincent Gray.


    The way Vernon pressed her on the sofa triggered her trauma because he reminded her so much of Vincent whenever she tried to raise her voice. He''d grab her wrist and flung her to the sofa before pressing her either by her shoulders or neck.


    Vincent would often call her a noisy bitch for raising her voice or simply insulted her physical appearance and status as a woman from a poor family and a stay-at-home mom.


    It was so ruthless that Chloe often had nightmares about it.


    ¡ª


    ? ''Chloe Gray, how dare you raise your voice against me? Don''t you think that I hadn''t tolerated you enough?''


    ''I allow you to be my wife and let you address yourself as Mrs. Gray. I allow your poor ass to live in avish mansion, and I gave you a smart and beautiful daughter. Do you think Mackie can be such a talented little girl because of your gene and teaching? She got it all because she has my blood. She''s a Gray just like me!''


    ''So shut up before I smash your head. Don''t you dare raise your voice against me, got that?''


    ¡ª


    The memory of abuse that Chloe experienced at the hands of her ex-husband. She started shaking, and her brain automatically wired to lower her head obediently because if she kept fighting, the man who pressed her would hurt her even more.


    "S¡ªS¡ªS¡ªS¡ªSorry¡ª" Chloe stammered to apologize to Vernon. Her gaze was already blurry as if she could faint soon.


    "Why did you say sorry?!" Vernon got angrier when he got an apology from Chloe. He was frustrated by her reaction and how she didn''t seem to take him seriously.


    Chloe didn''t dodge his eyes this time, but her gaze was empty.


    Unable to vent his frustration as he got impatient, Vernon shook Chloe''s shoulders to wake her up and raised his voice until he was yelling at her;


    "STOP BEING SLOW, AND TELL ME WHO MAKES YOU CRY?! I WILL FUCKING KILL THAT BASTARD!!"


    Vernon had no intention of scaring his sister-inw. In fact, he was already trying so hard to hold back but still came out as fierce and scary in front of her.


    Chloe was too shaken to react, she just stared at him emptily, and the tears she wiped a few moments ago began falling again.


    Vernon soon realized that she was scaring her too much that his sister-inw started crying again.


    He quickly released his grip from her shoulder and stepped back. He didn''t expect that he was also the one who made Chloe cry.


    "C¡ªChloe, I¡ª" Vernon didn''t know what to say. He wanted to apologize for scaring her, but he became tongue-tied because how he reacted was unjustifiable.


    It took a while until Chloe got up from the sofa with all her remaining strength and tried to brush it off despite the fear that had consumed her, "It''s okay. It''s my fault for crying. I''ll return to my bedroom now."


    "No, I¡ª"<sub> </sub>


    Chloe didn''t want to listen to Vernon''s exnation. There was nothing to exin after all.


    Chloe thought it was her fault for remembering about Vincent when Vernon pressed her.


    Chloe wiped her tears again and said, "Don''t worry about me, Vernon. I¡­ I''m just a little dramatic after watching a sad movie."


    Chloe went downstairs after she gave Vernon the answer he wanted.


    But Vernon knew well it was aplete lie. There was no way it was just caused by a sad movie. Because Vernon saw the deep sadness in her eyes, she was holding so much pain. It was so apparent.


    "But how am I supposed to talk to her about it?" Vernon asked himself. He knew that it was also his fault for being uncontroble.


    But he just couldn''t help it. The more she shed tears, the more he felt his heart was torn.


    Vernon sat on the same spot where Chloe sat for a long time. He could feel the warmth of her body lingering on the sofa, and he closed his eyes, trying to calm down while assessing what had happened just now.


    "I saw her crying, and I¡­ I just can''t control myself," Vernon murmured. "I keep telling myself not to be moved by a woman''s tears. But she''s not a random woman¡­."


    Vernon also wondered about Chloe. No matter how many times she told him she was okay and everything was perfectly fine, Vernon knew well that she wasn''t okay at all.


    "No ''okay'' person would hold so much pain¡­." Vernon said. He wanted to know what happened to his sister-inw when he was absent for ten years.


    Because in his mind, his sister-inw must''ve led a happy life with her billionaire husband. Vincent was the one she chose, and she even made it clear about her choice by degrading Vernon, calling him disgusting, ipetent, and not worth the effort. She said it all in front of theirte father, Vaughn Gray.


    So Vernon thought¡­ he was the only one who had suffered for the past ten years.


    But it didn''t seem to be the truth¡­


    Vernon started questioning his own method and action toward his sister-inw.


    He always thought that she deserved no respect from him. So he never treated her carefully.


    He also often unleashed his rage on her a lot of times, even though it could be unjustifiable sometimes.


    He was petty, he admitted. It was a trait that he''d never be able to grow out of.


    ¡­


    Vernon started counting the times he was nice to her after they reunited.


    Which was¡­ none. At least none that he remembered¡­


    Vernon took a deep breath and massaged his temples as he realized one problem that might be 99% true.


    ''Am I the one who made her cry all this time?''

 164 Chapter 164

    ''Am I the one who made her cry all this time?'' Vernon asked himself in his heart. He acknowledged that he had been treating his sister-inw badly all this time, so Chloe might have been crying because of him just now.


    ''Wait, isn''t that what I want? Back then, I said that I would make her cry for ditching me. Isn''t this my goal since the beginning?''


    ''But why am I distressed now?''


    ¡­


    Vernon was also confused about himself. He got what he wanted to see her cry for him, but why did he regret it now?


    ''Am I that weak-willed to falter over a woman''s tears?''


    ¡­


    Vernon already knew the answer but didn''t want to admit it. He just found himself so pathetic, maybe a little too easy to forgive after the humiliation Chloe had done to her.


    ''But I just can''t see her cry again. I can''t bear the pain¡­.''


    Vernon didn''t know if he could try to be gentler in front of her¡ª because he had never done that to anyone.


    He treated everyone the same, either work colleagues or enemies, with no in-between. He also treated his sister-inw as thetter, thinking she was the enemy alongside his Big brother.


    ¡­


    Vernon decided to justy on the sofa, resting his head where his sister-inw sat just now, imagining that he was resting on herp.


    He imagined Chloe staring at her with a smile while caressing his forehead. He had that dream once he slept on the sofa, and the dream was so vivid that he thought his sister-inw was sitting on the sofa while propping Vernon''s head on herp.


    He could also feel the kiss on his forehead. He felt that everything was real that night.


    "Sister-inw¡­ no, Chloe¡­." Vernon called his sister-inw. "If I treat you better and show you my vulnerable side, will you find me pathetic? After all, you like a powerful man that can do anything for you¡­."


    "If I show that I''m still the same little Vernon you cared for years ago¡­ will you show your disgust to me? You told me that I''m ipetent and disgusting¡­."


    Vernon covered his eyes with his arm. He didn''t want to think about it because he was scared that his sister-inw wouldugh at him again, just like she did back then.


    ''But I don''t want to see you cry¡­.''


    **


    Chloe woke up the next morning, and the first thing that came to her mind was what happenedst night.


    She thought she could pass the night without drama, but Vernon caught her crying and sobbing so shamelessly.


    She didn''t expect Vernon to look so agitated, which prompted her trauma of being pressed by Vincent and verbally abused by him.


    "Ah, he must''ve been shocked by my reaction too¡­." Chloe murmured, regretting her reactionst night. "But I don''t understand why he''d look so angry and distressed to see me cry. It has nothing to do with him."<sub> </sub>


    Chloe refused to believe that Vernon still deeply cared for her. After all, they were already separated for ten years straight, and he had so many things to do than caring about her problem.


    Still, Chloe believed she had to apologize for making Vernon see something unsightly.


    She got up and washed her face.


    Chloe checked the clock, "Still five thirty in the morning. I better prepare the breakfast for them. A filling breakfast on the weekend sounds good."


    Chloe went up to Vernon''s penthouse and was surprised when she saw Vernon sleeping on the sofa.


    Vernon''s big frame didn''t fit on the sofa, so his sleeping posture didn''t lookfortable. He covered his eyes with his arm and still hadn''t changed his clothes fromst night.


    The first thing in Chloe''s mind was¡­


    ''Did he not brush his teethst night? That''s not good¡­.''


    ''Besides, he''ll get shoulder pain sleeping on that small sofa¡­'' Chloe decided to wake him up. She intended to tell Vernon to sleep in his bedroom to get a better sleep quality. ''And he should sleep until noon. It''s Sunday after all.''


    Chloe approached Vernon carefully and gently tapped his shoulder a few times to wake him up, "Vernon, wake up. You should sleep on the bed."


    ¡­


    "Vernon, wake up¡­" Chloe repeated. This time she patted his cheek a few times.


    Vernon finally opened his eyes slowly. He''d be grumpy when someone woke him up when he was asleep. But he heard the soft voice of the woman who had filled his life since he was a child.


    When he saw his sister-inw trying to wake him up, he knew it wasn''t a dream this time. But he was still unsure of what to do. He should''ve pushed her away, so that old feeling wouldn''t grow again in his heart.


    But he also wanted to have her warmth¡­


    Vernon decided to just follow what his heart¡ª and dick wanted. He wrapped his hand around Chloe''s hips and pulled her to the sofa.


    "Ah¡ª!" Chloe didn''t have time to react when Vernon suddenly pulled her, forcing her toy on top of his abs and pecs. Chloe struggled a bit, but Vernon tightened his arm around her waist, ensuring she couldn''t live.


    Chloe gave up soon after, knowing she had no strength to struggle against Vernon. She looked up, thinking she could wake Vernon by continuously badgering him.


    Vernon had a habit of sleep talking and having vivid dreams, which Chloe discovered when he talked about the woman he loved but also hated. He talked about that woman while sleeping on this sofa as well.


    However, Chloe was stupefied when she saw that Vernon had already opened his eyes. It seemed that he was already wide awake the whole time. It gave off the idea that Vernon pulling Chloe into his embrace was a deliberate, conscious action that Vernon did.


    And that action was unfathomable for Chloe.


    ''But if he''s already awake, why would he pull me to his embrace like this? A conscious adult Vernon has never been this warm towards me¡­.''

 165 Chapter 165

    ''But if he''s already awake, why would he pull me to his embrace like this? A conscious adult Vernon has never been this warm towards me¡­.''


    They stared at each other for a while, and a smile slowly bloomed on Vernon''s lips. He was satisfied with their current position, sharing warmth that Vernon had missed for a decade.


    "Don''t move. I want to feel your body when I''m sleeping," Vernon instructed.


    "B¡ªBut¡ª T¡ªThis is inappropriate¡­. "


    Vernon ignored Chloe''s pleas, his other hand wrapped around Chloe''s shoulder and pressed her body deeper until her tits squeezed against his pecs.


    "Nice tits, by the way," Vernonmented and closed his eyes again.


    "Vernon!"


    Chloe tried to break free from his grip to no avail. Vernon was simply too strongpared to her, so she could onlyy hopelessly on top of his muscr body.


    <o>,m Vernon''s heartbeat calmed down, and he was in a deep sleep again. Chloe didn''t know whether he was just acting or he was actually sleeping right now.</o>


    But she had to get off of him before Mackie saw this inappropriate position between her Mommy and Big bad Uncle Vernon.


    ''Oh crap, this is even worse than yesterday! It''s too dangerous if Mackie saw this forbidden scene between us!'' Chloe panicked. This was like a time-ticking bomb that would explode if Mackie discovered this moment between them.


    She checked the clock on the wall, it was still five fifteen, and Mackie would probably wake up at eight since today was Sunday.


    But she still had to prepare breakfast, and Mackie also had a habit of waking up early because she was hungry and grabbed a snack or searched for her Mommy before going back to sleep.


    Her upper body waspletely deadlocked by Vernon''s arms. But his hands didn''te down to her butt or thighs, so if she could just¡­ wiggle her way down until she could escape¡­


    ''Okay, I think I need to do it slowly¡­'' Chloe thought. She slowly wriggled by rubbing her thighs together to make a move down there.


    But by rubbing her thighs together, she had unknowingly woken up the giant snake under Vernon''s trousers.


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and she paused for a while as she realized something big and long was rubbing against her thighs. She looked at Vernon, who was still sleeping, and she swallowed her saliva nervously.


    She knew that men experienced morning wood every morning. But she never expected it''d awaken just by rubbing it with her thighs.


    "Vernon¡ª"


    PA!<sub> </sub>


    "AH!"


    Chloe shrieked when she felt a sharp pain in her ass when Vernon suddenly pped her ass. The pain gradually turned into a hot temperature around her lower half when Vernon lightly squeezed her butt cheeks.


    Vernon was smirking, but his eyes were still tightly shut, making Chloe confused about whether he was awake or not.


    Vernon''s hand stayed around her butt cheeks, and his big snake was fully erect after a few rubbing with her thighs. If she continued wriggling, then maybe she''d get fucked right here on the sofa.


    Chloe had run out of chances of escaping Vernon. So, to be released, she had to wake up the sleeping tiger under her.


    She stared at Vernon, who was breathing steadily. Even from this angle, Vernon was still very handsome. His jawline, nose, and chin were well-defined. He had thick-straight eyebrows and deep eye-socket, which gave that hawk-like eyes. The said brooding eyes also gave out the image that he was always displeased and very intimidating.


    She noticed a few inconspicuous things from this angle because she dared not look at him for more than five seconds in a normal situation.


    One thing she noticed was his stubble growing around his jawline area. Vernon was so smooth with no facial hair, like a baby until he was fourteen.


    Then, he grew a single strain of hair on his chin when he hit fourteen-year-old and showed it off in front of his Big sister Chloe. He looked so proud and called himself an adult¡ª ready to face the world like his Big brother and father. Chloe onlyughed at it, but she told Vernon that he should take care of his facial hair once he grew up.


    Well, he did because Chloe saw a few bottles of shaving creams and an electric razor in Vernon''s bathroom when she was cleaning. Vernon seemed to be shaving daily because he always kept his clean-shaven appearance while working, maybe emting how his Big brother andte father presented themselves.


    ''He''s a big man now, huh?'' Chloe smiled. She remembered that Vernon always aspired to be an adult, so he could also do adult stuff.


    He often said that he wanted to be an adult as soon as possible, so he could do ''adult stuff'' with Chloe.


    Though, Chloe was convinced that Vernon just wanted to try drinking alcohol, driving, and paying bills¡­ literal adult stuff, so she''d always say yes, but he needed to be an adult first.


    ''Now the adult stuff is about sex with me...'' Chloe murmured.


    The other thing that Chloe noticed was a scar under Vernon''s left ear. Vernon acquired a long scar when he was around eight years old.


    Back then, Vernon threw a tantrum again, demanding a skateboard after he saw a skateboarder doing tricks on TV. Thus, Vincent bought him a small skateboard for kid.


    Vincent and Chloe watched how Vernon skated around Gray mansion''s driveway until he went too fast and fell. His left ear hit the concrete, and he got a wound under his left ear. The wound was so bad that Vincent and Chloe had to bring him to the hospital owned by the Gray family to get it treated and stitched.


    Of course, Vernon was only taken care of by Vincent and Chloe because his parents¡ª Vaughn and Dorothea Gray, were busy cheating and drinking their life out.


    ''Look at you now. You''ve grown so big and strong,'' Chloe said in her heart, not wanting Vernon to listen to her monologue as she was afraid it''d offend him.

 166 Chapter 166

    ''Look at you now. You''ve grown so big and strong,'' Chloe said in her heart, not wanting Vernon to listen to her monologue as she was afraid it''d offend him.


    ''But, no matter how powerful, strong, and intimidating you are, you''re still my cute little Vernon. Though, I bet you hate to be called cute, hihi¡­.''


    Chloe also remembered that Vernon hated to be called cute, even when he was just a kid.


    ''Which is unfortunate because you were very cute back then,'' Chloe thought. The child Vernon had many simrities with Mackie, which prompted Chloe''s sense of motherhood, treating them both as her kids.


    Chloe continued staring at Vernon, and her lips curled. She was trying to hold the urge to pinch Vernon''s cheek like she did back when he was just a kid with a chubby cheek.


    ''Too bad the chubby cheeks are now gone. Still, I want to pinch, though¡­.''


    After fighting her own urge, Chloe finally gave in and slowly stretched her hand until she reached Vernon''s face. She pinched Vernon''s cheek with her thumb and index, then pulled his cheek until he could see his teeth.


    ''My cute little Vernon¡­'' Chloe called Vernon''s name in her heart. She giggled happily, thinking how Vernon would always sulk or throw a tantrum when she did this. He always imed that his Big sister Chloe had touched the face of Young Master and should be punished, but he never hit her or anything. He just sulked until Chloe coaxed him with a homemade banana-based dessert.


    Vernon frowned when he got pinched. He grunted but was still sleeping. He slowly released Chloe from his bear hug, allowing her to escape.


    ''Hihi, even as an adult, you still don''t like to be pinched. Guess old habits never die, huh?''


    Chloe got up from the muscr giant and looked at him from head to toe. She still wanted to wake Vernon up so he could sleep in his bedroom.


    But she didn''t want to risk it again. Thus she went to Vernon''s bedroom to grab the nket.


    She returned to the sofa, and before she covered his body, there was one scene that made her stunned instantly.


    Vernon was still fully erect after Chloe identally awakened his big cock. The bulge was clearly printed on his trousers.


    But he dared to scratch his dick while he was asleep. He even did it twice for some reason.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened. She knew it was a normal reaction for men, especially when they were asleep.


    But it was still embarrassing to see it right in front of you.


    Thus, Chloe quickly covered Vernon''s lower body with the nket and went to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast.


    She checked the clock, ''Ah, six-fifteen. Damn, he literally hugged me for half an hour.''


    She nned to make an English breakfast, with bacon, sausages, eggs, cherry tomatoes, beans, and mushrooms.


    "They need to eat a lot for breakfast today since they skipped breakfast yesterday," Chloe said as she was in a good mood to cook for the small family of three.


    **<sub> </sub>


    Mackie woke up first around seven in the morning. She rubbed her eyes and sat on the bed for a while because she dreamt about her Daddyst night.


    She dreamed of going to the mall with her Daddy and Mommy too! Even though they had never been to the mall as three.


    Her Daddy picked her up and let her sit on his shoulder, and Mackie felt that she was the queen of the world because everyone else was so small when she sat on top of Daddy''s shoulder.


    "Wuu¡­ Daddy¡­" Mackie murmured sadly. She missed her Daddy a lot, but Mommy told her that Daddy was still dealing with his problems and could not be contacted.


    Mackie was used to not seeing her father for a long time. After all, he stoppeding home about a year ago. Only came home about once a month or simply just picked Mackie up from school and went to the mall with her before dropping her to the mansion and leaving again.


    But at least she could see her Daddy''s face¡­


    Mackie wanted to tell her Mommy that she wanted to see Daddy. But whenever she mentioned Daddy, Mommy always looked nervous and sad.


    Mackie didn''t know what made her Mommy sad, but she stopped asking after that, knowing that asking about Daddy would only upset her Mommy.


    "I still miss Daddy¡­." Mackie lowered her head sadly. It took her a while to recover. She got up from the bed and washed her face before opening the door.


    She knew Mommy must''ve been cooking breakfast for them, so she climbed the stair to the upper floor where her Mommy usually cooked breakfast for them.


    It was also the home of the big bad wolf, Uncle Vernon. Who always bullied Mommy and often yelled at her.


    But Mackie didn''t understand why Mommy looked a lot happier here. She smiled more, and she even ate fruits and soup instead of ice, which she did a lot of times in their old home, the mansion before.


    ''Mommy is so weird. Why is she happy here? Uncle Vernon is not as good and kind as Daddy¡­'' Mackie pondered.


    ? Once she stepped on thest staircase, she directly saw her Mommy busy cooking in the kitchen. Mackie could smell the aromaing from grilled sausage, and her mood improved drastically.


    She ran towards her Mommy and hugged her thighs, "Mommy!"


    "Wah¡ª Mackie¡ª you scared me!" Chloe scolded.


    "Hehe, good morning, Mommy!"


    Chloe quickly put the spat on and patted Mackie''s head, "Dear, go sit on the chair. Mommy is almost finished with breakfast."


    "Okay, Mommy!" Mackie nodded.


    She sat at the dining table and stared at her Mommy for a while. She heard her Mommy humming while preparing breakfast, something that she hadn''t heard for a long time!


    Mackie''s eyes glimmered with hope. She was genuinely happy with her Mommy''s joyful mood!

 167 Chapter 167

    Mackie''s eyes glimmered with hope. She was genuinely happy with her Mommy''s joyful mood!


    Honestly, Mackie wanted to ask Mommy if she could at least call Daddy on the phone.


    But she was an observant and independent girl. She didn''t want to make Mommy sad again, especially when she was in a happy mood.


    ''Un¡­ I miss Daddy so much, but I want Mommy to be happy too. Maybe I will ask Mommy to call Daddy tomorrow before going to school¡­'' Mackie thought, sacrificing her urge to meet Daddy so Mommy would be happy, even just for a day.


    Chloe put two big tes on the table for Mackie and Vernon.


    "Waah! So much!" Mackie grabbed the spoon and fork, ready to eat the English Breakfast in front of her.


    Chloe put a ss of warm water on the table and advised, "Don''t eat so fast, dear, you''ll choke. Drink the warm water first."


    "Okay, Mommy!"


    After ensuring her daughter ate well, she walked to the living room to check on Vernon again. He was still sleeping and would probably sleep for more since he must''ve been tired after working until midnight, proven by how loud he was snoring in his sleep right now.


    Chloe wondered if she had to wake Vernon or just let him wake up on his own and reheat his breakfastter.


    ''Hmm, I guess I''ll just wait for him to wake up. He''s always very grumpy when he wakes up early,'' Chloe thought.


    She turned around and was petrified when Mackie suddenly hopped off the chair with bacon in her hand. She ran to the living room and yelled, "Mommy, Mackie will wake the big bad wolf!"


    "M¡ªMackie, don''t!" Chloe tried to catch Mackie before she reached Vernon on the sofa, but she was very agile for a seven-year-old. She was able to bypass her Mommy and stood right beside the sofa.


    She saw that Uncle Vernon was still sleeping, his mouth partly open, and he snored pretty loudly, which she had never heard of because her Daddy didn''t snore like Uncle Vernon.


    Thus, Mackie thought Uncle Vernon''s snoring meant he was growling out of hunger since he was a big bad wolf.


    ''Okay, Uncle just needs to be fed with bacon!'' Mackie aimed at Uncle Vernon''s mouth and dropped the bacon right on top of his opened mouth.


    "Mackie!" Chloe quickly grabbed her daughter''s hand and tried to hide Mackie behind her body. She was scared that Vernon would be angry at her daughter because of her prank.


    "G¡ªGo to the kitchen, Mackie. Mommy will handle it from here," Chloe instructed, but Mackie didn''t understand her Mommy''s concern.


    "Mommy, why are you scared? I was just giving the big bad wolf with bacon!" Mackie imed carelessly.


    Chloe wanted to scold her for disturbing someone''s sleep, but there was a bigger priority right now: to save her daughter from Vernon''s wrath!


    "Grrhmm¡­" Vernon growled and frowned. He subconsciously munched on the strip of bacon in his mouth and swallowed it.


    He stopped snoring and then opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling in a daze for a while and then sat on the sofa. He red at Chloe, who turned pale instantly. No matter how long they''ve lived together, Chloe still couldn''t get used to his death stare.<sub> </sub>


    "V¡ªV¡ªVernon¡ª"


    Chloe stammered nervously, but Mackie was either too courageous or simply ignorant because she ran towards her Uncle Vernon and grabbed his wrist with two hands.


    "Uncle, what takes you so long? Let''s have breakfast!" Mackie said as she tried to pull her Uncle from the sofa to no avail.


    Vernon continued staring at the little girl for a while and then at Chloe, who looked scared.


    "V¡ªVernon, I''m so sorry. Mackie is just¡­."


    "Do we have an English breakfast today?" Vernon asked out of the blue.


    Chloe was surprised, and she nodded reluctantly, "Y¡ªYes, I made English breakfast, with bacon, sausage, cherry tomatoes, beans, and mushrooms¡ª"


    Vernon got up suddenly, with Mackie dangling on his arm, "Uncle! Let''s eat! I''m so hungry!"


    "Hm, I''m also starving," Vernon said. He lifted Mackie by grabbing the back of her shirt with one hand, like holding a shopping bag, then walked to the kitchen.


    "Wha¡ªUncle, put me down!" Mackie struggled while being carried like a stic bag. But Vernon didn''t seem to care about the little girl''s struggle. He put Mackie on her seat effortlessly and sat right beside her.


    ? He stared at the breakfast in front of him and started eating, ignoring the little girl who was upset.


    "Uncle is so mean! You shouldn''t grab Mackie like that. Mackie is not a shopping bag!" Mackie protested, but her Uncle ignored herpletely.


    Mackie started sulking because her Uncle was being mean to her, but the smell of the food distracted her, and Mackie finally followed her Uncle to start eating the food in front of her.


    Chloe stared at them both for a while and sighed in relief. She really thought that something big would happen today, but it seemed that Vernon wasn''t in the mood to get angry today.


    Chloe put a ss of warm water for Vernon and told him not to eat too fast, "Be a good example for Mackie. You shouldn''t eat too fast, Vernon."


    Vernon nced at his sister-inw, who smiled at him. He still remembered what he had done about two hours ago and was quite ashamed because he had just followed his desire to embrace her in his sleep.


    But, it seemed that Chloe didn''t take it at heart, and Vernon could continue being ignorant about this.


    ''As long as she doesn''t question my action, I guess it doesn''t matter,'' Vernon thought.


    "I will go and do theundry, you two eat here, okay?" Chloe said. She wanted to go to theundry room, but Vernon suddenly caught her wrist and pulled her until she sat on his muscr thigh.


    "Wah¡ª Vernon!"


    "You''re not allowed to do anything until you eat with us."

 168 Chapter 168

    "You''re not allowed to do anything until you eat with us," Vernon said. Honestly, it sounded like an ultimatum, and the strong arm wrapped around Chloe''s hips proved that Vernon would not let her go unless she ate with them.


    "Yes, Mommy! Let''s eat first. Mackie will help you do theundryter!" Mackie volunteered so her Mommy could eat with them.


    Chloe felt she was being pitted and trapped to eat, just like yesterday.


    She looked at Vernon and Mackie simultaneously, nervous about what she should do to escape them.


    "I¡ªI''m not that hungry¡­." Chloe said weakly, hoping it''d be effective enough to escape the death grip from Vernon. "Y¡ªYou two should eat first¡­."


    "Then I won''t let you go," Vernon said nonchntly. He knew that meat might be too heavy for her since she reacted terribly by eating pumpkin and ginger soup. So Vernon stabbed one cherry tomato and offered it in front of Chloe''s lips. "Eat."


    "I¡ªI''m not hungry¡ª"


    "Eat," Vernon repeated hismand.


    Chloe stared at the cherry tomato in front of her. Her stomach started churning when she imagined the food going down her throat.


    Whenever she was nervous to eat, her body would react by rejecting all kinds of food, even if it was a healthy one with zero calories.


    Because she kept imagining how Vincent insulted her for eating even the slightest food in front of him when she was fat.


    Even if she ate fruits, he''d call her a fat slob and tell her to stop eating because she was already too fat, which triggered her nervousness whenever she was being watched when eating. Thus, she always ate alone, hidden somewhere safe so she could be rxed when eating.


    Though the portion was so pitiful, it was barely enough to keep her functioning daily.


    "I¡ªI will eatter, okay?" Chloe continued to refuse. She didn''t want to ruin the morning breakfast mood by retching or puking.


    But her refusal pissed Vernon already. He tightened his arm around Chloe''s thin waist and said, "You''re not going anywhere. At least eat this cherry tomato."


    Chloe curled her lips. She was reluctant to even look at the tomato in front of her. She knew it was very childish and ridiculous to reject food that had been offered, but She. Just. Could. Not. Eat. Anything!


    Mackie noticed the unwillingness in Mommy. Mommy always did this when she was being watched when eating other than with Mackie.


    So, Mackie intended to help her Mommy by telling Uncle Vernon, "Uncle, look away!"


    "Huh?"


    "Look away, so Mommy can eat!" Mackie instructed.


    "What the¡ª do you think I''m that gross?! Is that why you don''t want to eat the food I offered?! HUH?!" Vernon''s pride was hurt when he heard the instruction from his little niece.


    He red at Chloe, who jolted out of shock. She felt that blood had been drained out of her body, feeling lightheaded, and thought that she''d


    She never found Vernon gross or disgusting. She was just nervous!


    "I¡ªI¡ªI¡ªdon''t¡ª"


    "Gee, Uncle is stupid!" Mackie interrupted as her Mommy was stuttering. "Mommy is scared! She''s scared of everyone except Mackie! Uncle, turn your head around, so Mommy can eat!"<sub> </sub>


    Mackie didn''t back down even when she met Uncle Vernon''s scary re. Vernon was ready tosh out at his little niece because this little girl didn''t seem to be scared at all by him, much to his annoyance.


    But when he realized the woman''s trembling body sitting on his thigh, he finally checked at his sister-inw again.


    ? His anger instantly vanished when he saw Chloe''s pale face and the cold sweat that wetted her forehead.


    What Mackie said was true, Chloe was terrified right now, and it was because of him.


    Vernon continued staring at his sister-inw for a while, and the petite woman got even more scared of him.


    Vernon was annoyed by her reaction, but he still wanted her to eat, so he looked away andmanded, "Eat."


    Chloe gulped when she was forced to eat again. But Vernon already looked away in an effort to make her eat.


    So she opened her mouth slowly and put the grilled cherry tomato in her mouth. She munched it slowly, and the cherry tomato burst into her mouth.


    It actually tasted nice, and Chloe had a strong preference for vegetables and fruits rather than meat. She swallowed the tomato and said, "D¡ªDone, please release me, Vernon¡­."


    Vernon checked his fork and stabbed another cherry tomato, "Eat."


    "I¡ªI already ate¡­."


    "That''s not enough," Vernon said.


    "But¡­" Chloe hesitated. She looked at her daughter, asking for support because her daughter was so courageous even when facing her Uncle.


    But Mackie looked so happy as she watched how her Mommy ate.


    She stabbed one mushroom from her te and offered it to her Mommy as well, "Mommy, eat Mackie''s food too! I want to share my food with Mommy!"


    Chloe was distressed when she got two forks shoved to her face. Vernon and Mackie wanted her to eat while her stomach was already churning due to nervousness.


    Knowing there was no way out, she reluctantly opened her mouth and ate Vernon''s tomato first. She munched very slowly and then ate Mackie''s mushroom.


    It was such hard work to eat both, but she didn''t have much choice. She swallowed the food and looked at Mackie, "Dear, go eat your food, okay?"


    "Mommy, don''t you want more? Mackie can share!" Mackie stabbed another mushroom from her te, but Chloe refused to eat more.


    "N¡ªNo, dear, Mommy will eat moreter. I''m already full right now."


    Mackie was a little disappointed because she thought Mommy could eat more. But this was much more than what she usually ate in the morning, so she was satisfied!


    "Okay, Mommy must promise Mackie that you will eat moreter!" Mackie demanded.


    "I promise¡­"


    "Un!" Mackie nodded and looked at Uncle Vernon, who was still looking away. "Uncle, release Mommy now! She already eats her breakfast!"

 169 Chapter 169

    "Uncle, release Mommy now! She already ate breakfast!" Mackie requested.


    "Already ate breakfast? Are you kidding me?" Vernon refused to let go because he found it ridiculous to eat so little. Chloe was so thin, too thin. Vernon was worried that his sister-inw could crumble to pieces just by a small squeeze from him.


    "She only ate two grilled cherry tomatoes and a mushroom! What the heck is that? That does not even count as a snack!"


    Vernon thought that Mackie was just trying to bail her Mommy out even though she was eating so little.


    But Mackie didn''t want to lose against her Uncle. She insisted, "Mommy already ate a lot, Uncle! She already eats more than she usually has! Usually, Mommy only¡ª"


    "Shush!" Chloe warned her daughter not to speak too much, or she''d get punished. She felt it was unfair that she couldn''t tell Uncle Vernon that she only ate so little at their mansion.


    "What? Why do you stop talking?" Vernon asked. He knew his little niece wanted to say more, but she zipped her lip and ignored him.


    Not getting any answer from Mackie, Vernon turned towards Chloe instead, "Do I need to know something here?"


    Chloe shook her head weakly, "I¡ªIt''s nothing, Vernon. I''m feeling full already, you should finish your food. I''m going to theundry room."


    ¡­


    Vernon knew there was something that his sister-inw hid from him. She even went as far as shushing her daughter just to keep the secret, which was surprisinging from Chloe since she was very soft-spoken and meek. So it must''ve been a very deep that she didn''t want to tell.


    Vernon could press her even more, but he kept remembering what happenedst night when his sister-inw cried because he kept pressuring her.


    He was reluctant, but Vernon finally released his arm around Chloe''s waist, freeing her from his embrace. Chloe hopped off instantly, and she distanced herself from Vernon and Mackie.


    "Y¡ªYou two should eat. I still have things to do," Chloe said. "Mackie, don''t forget to take a bath after breakfast, okay? You too, Vernon. You haven''t taken a bath sincest night¡­."


    "Gee, that''s why Uncle is stinky!" Mackie added.


    "What? I''m not stinky!" Vernon automatically sniffed his armpit. He was still in his suit as he didn''t take off anything before sleepingst night and frowned after sniffing. "I''ll take a bath after this," he said ashamedly.


    Chloe and Mackie giggled simultaneously, and Chloe finally left to theundry room as she hadn''t washed theundry since yesterday.<sub> </sub>


    She sat on the floor while sorting a pile ofundry that needed to be sorted out first before going to the washing machine.


    She was relieved Mackie obeyed her when she raised her voice, and Vernon didn''t probe much more about her eating disorder.


    Because that problem directly corrted with Vincent. Since Vernon was close to his Big brother, she didn''t want to ruin a sibling rtionship because of her issue.


    ''Besides, it''s shameful if he knows that his Big sister Chloe who cared for him when he was young¡­ actually suffered depression and became a fat slob for years. It''s not a problem he should know because it''d probably ruin his rtionship and trust with his Big brother¡­'' Chloe murmured.


    She stopped sorting when she grabbed the shirt that Vernon used that night when he was dead drunk.


    It still had the scent of a woman''s perfume all over it, a very sweet, youthful scent mixing alongside his musky scent. Chloe didn''t know what happened that night when he was in the club, but it wasn''t her problem.


    ''Even if Vernon fucked a woman outside, it''s not my right to tell him about right and wrong. He''s young and has a high sex drive¡­'' Chloe thought. She couldn''t lie that she was a little sad because her cute little Vernon was gone, but Vernon wasn''t a kid anymore.


    ''Should I buy him a condom today? I''m going grocery shopping after all¡­'' Chloe put it into consideration. After all, she already knew Vernon''s size, so it wasn''t hard to get the right condom.


    "That makes me feel like I''m a good big sister for him, hihi¡­." Chloe giggled. She always had a favorable impression and opinion about Vernon simply because she always saw him as her cute little Vernon.


    "Though, he should stop ying tricks on me. I''m still a woman at heart¡­." Chloe smiled bitterly as she remembered what he had done to her. He touched her body so lovingly and possessively, made her try out stuff she never knew, and would probably do more in the future as he seemed to be into a few kinky stuff.


    She also remembered what happened when he was drunk. He touched her as if she was the real woman thatpletely filled his heart. It was torture because she had never felt loved for so long.


    "I haven''t been touched by Vincent for nine years. I''m also craving for love from that bastard whom I loved for fifteen years straight," Chloe said. She also counted the time she spent dating Vincent before they got married. She loved him dearly from the first time they became an official couple in high school.


    She hadn''t been touched, loved, nor treated fairly by a man for so long. How could she survive when Vernon constantly hit her with a wave of care, warmth, and fake love he showed when drunk? It was all far too much for a loveless woman like Chloe, who was fixed on the belief that she''d never be able to find true love in this life.


    After all, she had a terrible marriage. It''d be stupid for her to fall into the same trap twice.


    But, the way Vernon treated her¡­ it was far too much¡­


    "Does Vernon not realize his actions will make me fall for him? It''s unfair because I know he''s only using me as a toy. After all, he just wants a new experience¡­."

 170 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 170

    "Does Vernon not realize what he''s doing will make me fall for him? It''s not fair, because I know that he''s only using me as a toy. After all, he just wants a new experience¡­"


    Chloe didn''t like thinking about this growing feeling when she was working here. But she couldn''t help it, at least not when Vernon showed an ounce of kindness to her, her heart would skip because she always wanted to be treated so gently by her ex-husband.


    "I''m already past my expiry date¡­ I shouldn''t have felt this way¡­" Chloe tried to tell herself to know her ce, so she would never dream about loving Vernon.


    ''Know your ce, Chloe. Know your ce.''


    **


    Vernon''s eyes were lingering in the direction of theundry room. He felt weird that Chloe tried to hide something from him.


    He shifted his attention to Mackie who was eating her breakfast joyfully. He got the idea that Mackenzie had been trained to ignore her Mommy''s problem, even tried to hide it from others.


    Unable to cage his curiosity, he finally brought up the topic, "You know about what happened with your Mommy, right?"


    "Um? Un!" Mackie nodded without hesitation.


    "Then, you must tell me about her problem. Why is she so thin, and why does she refuse to eat anything?"


    ¡­


    "I can''t tell you, Uncle," Mackie said.


    "Why not?"


    "Because Mommy said so," Mackie replied. "Mommy said that Mackie shouldn''t tell anyone about it. I don''t want Mommy to be sad if I told you."


    ¡­


    Unable to extort any information from his little niece, Vernon tried to twist his words a bit, hoping the little girl would be fooled by his question;


    "I see. So Mommy won''t let you tell anyone about her problem?"


    "Yup!"


    "What if I want to help her instead?" Vernon said. "Your Uncle is a strong man, you know. I can help to solve her problem. So, why don''t you tell me about what happened to your Mommy?"


    Mackie slowly turned her head towards her Big bad Uncle and stared at him with her unblinking doe eyes.


    "W¡ªWhat?" Vernon swallowed his saliva. For an unknown reason, he felt the innocent doe eyes were judging his intention. Which was impossible, because Mackie was just a seven-year-old little girl.


    "I can''t tell you, Uncle."


    <o>,m "Huh, why?"</o>


    "Because I know that you will hurt Mommy," Mackie said, she kept staring at Vernon with her innocent doe eyes that unknowingly felt so intimidating for Vernon. "You hate Mommy, and you want her to be sad. Mackie will protect Mommy no matter what, so I can''t tell you about what happened to Mommy, Uncle."<sub> </sub>


    Vernon couldn''t believe that he got judged by a kid. No matter how smart Mackie was, she was just an ignorant kid! Of course, she couldn''t know whether Vernon hated Chloe or not.


    Besides, Vernon didn''t hate her. He was just¡­ fueled with rage¡­ for ten years straight.


    Vernon tried to ignore theplicated feeling of love and hate in his heart, then pettily retorted, "Do you think your Daddy is a saint? Do you think your Daddy doesn''t hate her?"


    "No, Daddy doesn''t hate Mommy," Mackie imed, again, without hesitation both from her mouth and in her eyes. She was so certain that her Daddy never hated Mommy.


    Vernon didn''t know about the rtionship between Chloe and Vincent since he was absent for ten years. But the fact that Vincent was so angry with Chloe leaving him, Vernon was convinced that his Big brother despised Chloe.


    Vernon assumed that Chloe and Vincent''s rtionship were very simr to his parents''. They were cold to each other but tolerated each other''s presence. Vernon assumed that Vincent could freely cheat as long as he gave Chloe all the money he had, and Chloe spent all the money buying unnecessary expensive stuff, just like his mother, Dorothea.


    It was a dysfunctional family, Vernon realized that after he left for Europe to study and befriended a few normal people. They told him a thing or two about their families, and it blew his mind because they had normal families.


    But Vincent grew up under the strict watch of the Gray family, so it wasn''t surprising if he thought the issue between their parents¡ª Vaughn and Dorothea Gray was a normal problem.


    Vernon stared at Mackie for a while, trying to make sure that he didn''t get affected by Mackie''s words just now.


    ''Yes, I despise her but that doesn''t mean that I''m the only one who hates her. Obviously, both my Big brother and I hated her, right?'' Vernon asked himself.


    He felt a sense of crisis in his heart. He always thought both of them brothers hated her, but if he was the only one who hated Chloe, that meant¡­


    ''There''s a chance she might return to Vincent¡­'' Vernon predicted, which actually made him nervous.


    ''I need her¡­ I mean¡ª I need her to be my pawn. If Chloe returns to my Big brother, then I can''t use her for my n in the future,'' Vernon thought, trying to justify the feeling of crisis in his heart. Even though he knew that he had another reason why he didn''t want to let her go.


    ''I''ll have to confirm this to my Big brother. I have to make sure there''s no chance for them to get together.''


    "Uncle!"


    "Huh, what?" Vernon snapped out of his daze when Mackie raised her voice.


    Mackie pouted annoyedly, "Uncle, did you know where my Daddy is?"


    "And what if I do?"


    "Um, will you meet him soon?" Mackie asked again.


    ¡­


    "What''s the matter? Do you need something?" Vernon had to tread carefully about this topic. He had no intention of bringing Mackie to her father.


    He didn''t want his Big brother to discover about Mackie and Chloe in his apartment, because he wasn''t done with his mission to bring him down.


    Mackie seemed to think for a moment, and uttered her request, "Uncle, can you tell Daddy when will he bring Mommy and Mackie back to our old home? I miss him already."

 171 Chapter 171

    "Uncle, can you tell Daddy when will he bring Mommy and Mackie back to our old home? I miss him already," Mackie requested.


    ¡­


    "Did your Mommy tell you that?" Vernon asked.


    "Un, Mommy said that Daddy has a big problem at work, and he cannot bring us back home, that''s why Mackie and Mommy live with you right now," Mackie said, trying to remember all the things that Mommy said to her about Daddy.


    ¡­


    "I''ll tell him to work harder," Vernon replied ambiguously, but Mackie took it as a yes, so she nodded happily and hugged her Uncle''s big arm.


    "Thank you, Uncle!"


    "Hm."


    Mackie resumed eating her breakfast, but Vernon only fiddled with his food. He was busy thinking about many things that he didn''t know about his sister-inw.


    In his imagination, Chloe was living happily with Vincent after she ditched him. But now she left Vincent because he didn''t give her enough money to satiate her greed for material things.


    So he thought Chloe would be ruthless enough to nder Vincent in front of their daughter, maybe telling her the cold hard truth about him being a cheating bastard, and her being a greedy whore.


    ''But she decides to lie and cover for him instead? What the fuck is in her mind?'' Vernon pondered.


    Vernon thought that he knew everything, and judged her by what he thought was the correct reaction.


    But maybe¡­ Everything was wrong.


    Maybe he was wrong the whole time.


    Vernon stared down at the te full of home-cooked food. Even by the looks of it, Vernon knew that his sister-inw cooked this food with her heart. She always did since he was a kid, and continued doing so right now.


    ''I want to keep her around because I love what she cooks, and she''s generally useful as my maid, and also a pawn to take down my Big brother. Those are the only reasons¡­ right?'' Vernon questioned himself, even if he knew the real reason, he didn''t want to admit it.


    He never wanted to admit it, since he would be seen as weak and pathetic by her.


    **


    Chloe was busy cleaning Vernon''s penthouse and also her apartment on the lower floor the whole day, while Vernon left in the afternoon for a quick meeting again.


    Mackie was helping her Mommy by making her bed and also spraying air freshener around, especially in Uncle Vernon''s penthouse, because Uncle Vernon was so dirty, smelly, and sloppy!


    "Hmph! Uncle is only handsome, but he''s not as clean as Daddy!" Mackieined as she apanied her Mommy.


    Chloe chuckled and continued vacuuming the floor.


    "Mommy, Uncle Vernon can hire maids, right?" Mackie asked.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, he can. He is not poor, dear."


    "Then why doesn''t he hire a maid to do this? We have a lot of maids in the mansion!" Mackie protested. "Hmph! Uncle is not as rich as Daddy!"


    Chloe dropped the vacuum cleaner immediately, she crouched in front of Mackie and warned her, "Mackie, you should never say that in front of Uncle Vernon, okay?"


    "Um? Why Mommy? It''s true, right? Uncle is not as rich as Daddy!" Mackie imed.


    It was true, and because it was true that it would incite Vernon''s anger. She knew that Vernon was a proud man, and he always hated to bepared with his Big brother ever since he was just a kid.


    "Just remember that you shouldn''t say that in front of him, or we will get in trouble," Chloe warned her daughter again.


    Mackie wasn''t satisfied with her Mommy''s answer. She felt that her Mommy was giving her a warning for no reason.


    She pouted and crossed her arms, "Mommy, I want to go home."


    "That''s¡ª" Chloe was stunned by the sudden request. She didn''t expect Mackie to remember about her home. She was very epting these days about living in this new apartment.


    "D¡ªDear, we don''tck anything here, right? Do you want anything instead? Maybe Mommy can give it to you," Chloe said, trying to shift Mackie''s attention somewhere. "How about we buy you a new doll instead? I heard there''s a new Barbie collection,plete with the dollhouse!"


    Chloe knew that Mackie liked toys, and her mind would be distracted instantly when she heard about dollhouses. She even had a room full of dollhouses and legos, because Mackie loved building legos and ying houses.


    But, Mackie didn''t seem to be interested in toys right now. In fact, her expression turned even sourer than before, and she asked, "Mommy, I don''t want to right now. I just want to return home."


    "We can''t do that, dear¡­ you know what I said before?"


    "That Daddy is still busy with his problems, and we can''t go home unless Daddy picks us up?"


    "Yes¡­" Chloe confirmed. Even if she had to lie, she did it to protect Mackie''s innocence, at least until the divorce was finalized, so they could be separated for good.


    Mackie''s expression gradually eased and then turned sad. She lowered her head, as she was battling herself not to demand too much from Mommy, since Mommy was working hard here.


    "Mommy¡­ if we can''t meet Daddy, can I at least call him?" Mackie begged. "Mommy, Mackie misses Daddy a lot¡­"


    ¡­


    Chloe''s heart was in pain as she heard Mackie''s request. She didn''t know what to do or what to say.


    Of course, she had no intention to allow Mackie to meet her Daddy, but at the same time, she felt that Mackie''s request would gradually be even more demanding as time went by since Mackie was actually a very stubborn little girl.


    ''I should find a way to make Vincent sign the divorce paper, and we can proceed with the legal court. He has too much power in him, he''ll find his way to put us in marriage counseling, and force me to return home, so he can abuse me again¡­''


    ''No, I don''t want that. I¡ªI''ve had enough of his abuse. I just want to be free with my daughter. Why is that so difficult to earn?''

 172 Chapter 172

    ''No, I don''t want that. I¡ªI''ve had enough of his abuse. I just want to be free with my daughter. Why is that so difficult to earn?''


    Chloe shuddered out of fear when she imagined all the abuse that she would experience if she was forced to return home. She knew very well that Vincent was angry, and the abuse would 100% turn physical until she breathed no more.


    Chloe stared at her daughter who still lowered her head. She gently caressed Mackie''s hair, "Dear, I will see what I can do, okay? I hope I can¡­ uh¡­ text him, and ask if he is not busy, so he can call you."


    "Daddy is very busy, and he is dealing with his problem right now. So we shouldn''t disturb him, and if he refuses¡­ you have to be okay with it, understand?"


    "¡­ yes, Mommy¡­" Mackie nodded weakly. She already knew the oue because Daddy refused to meet them, which made her really sad.


    But she still had hopeing from Uncle Vernon. She raised her head and stared at her Mommy, "Mommy, I also told Uncle Vernon that he should talk with Daddy."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, she felt her soul leave her body for a second before recovering and asked, "W¡ªWhat do you mean by that, dear?"


    "Umm¡­ I told Uncle that Daddy has a problem, and won''t let us stay inside our home or meet him. So I ask him if he can meet Daddy and ask him when we can return home," Mackie said innocently. "I just want to meet Daddy¡­"


    Chloe''s legs trembled, she sat on the floor because she couldn''t even crouch anymore. She stared at her daughter at a loss.


    Mackie realized the change in her Mommy, so she asked, "Mommy, did Mackie do something wrong? I''m just asking Uncle to talk to Daddy¡­"


    "N¡ªNot at all, dear. It''s fine, Mommy is just tired after doing so many chores," Chloe replied with a forced smile. "Hopefully, Uncle Vernon wille home with good news, okay?"


    "Un! Okay!"


    Mackie was relieved that her Mommy didn''t scold her, "Mommy, since you''re tired, Mackie will help you do chores!"


    Mackie tried to hold the vacuum cleaner handle and started sucking the dust and crumbs on the carpet.


    Chloe stared at her daughter with pitiful eyes, she felt so guilty for hiding how much of a bastard her father was.


    But she had her reason that she couldn''t tell her.


    She sighed out of woe, ''How do I tell Vernon about this? I don''t want him to know too much about my marital problems¡­''


    ''I also need to tell him to shut up and y along, I don''t want him to have a bad influence on Mackie¡­''


    **


    Chloe continued cleaning with her daughter until it was time for dinner. She cooked a warm, filling meal for dinner before telling Mackie to finish her homework and go to sleep.


    Chloe sat alone in the living room again, waiting for Vernon toe home. She was in her pajamas, and also not touching her phone, afraid that she couldn''t hold the urge to open the gallery and scroll through the old photos until she cried again.<sub> </sub>


    She was watching the TV, but she stared at it nkly as her mind flew off somewhere.


    She was still worried about Vernon''s reaction once she confronted her about Mackie and her rtionship with Vincent.


    "I still need to talk to him. Even if I''m scared," Chloe murmured. "I don''t want him to say something wrong that would probably hurt Mackie."


    ¡­


    Vernon checked his watch as he pushed the penthouse main door open, ''Still 9.30.''


    He lifted his head and saw his sister-inw sitting in the same spot as yesterday. But her expression looked a lot more serious, and¡­ dare he say, quite courageous. Because she kept her straight face as she stared at Vernon.


    Usually, Chloe would lower her head out of fear when she saw him, and he knew why she became so serious right now.


    Vernon smirked. He walked in and closed the door behind him. He swaggered towards his sister-inw and threw his briefcase to the sofa.


    He stood in front of Chloe with a menacing look and asked, "Do you have anything to say?"


    Chloe looked up to stare at the giant and took a deep breath, "Vernon, about what Mackie said¡­"


    "Hm? About what?" Vernon baited her to talk. He wanted her to tell the full story, but he doubted that his sister-inw would actually spill everything.


    So he urged her to talk, even if it was just a sentence about her secrets.


    Chloe gritted her teeth, she really couldn''t say it out loud because she felt that Vernon didn''t have to know.


    But since Mackie had identally told Chloe''s lie towards Vernon, then she couldn''t hide any more.


    "Vernon, I lied to Mackie about the reason why we left the mansion," Chloe confessed. "I¡­ I told her that Vincent was having a difficult time, and dealing with a difficult problem. So, Mackie and I have to leave the mansion until he clears his problem¡­"


    "And that girl believes you? That''s stupid," Vernonmented. "Even the little me wouldn''t be that gullible."


    ''You are that gullible though, I tricked you often when you were a kid,'' Chloe replied in her heart as she didn''t dare enough to say it out loud in front of him.


    Chloe lowered her head. She fiddled with her fingers as she felt so ufortable telling something so private about her life to someone else.


    Even though she hadn''t told her mother about this, and she also filtered a lot of stuff when she talked with Diamond, despite their closeness, Diamond was still Vernon''s secretary, so Chloe didn''t want Diamond to know literally everything about her life.


    "Mackie believes it because Vincent was often absent. He rarely came home since a year ago, and even if he did, he just stayed for a night or simply picked Mackie up so they could go to the mall and have fun before dropping her back to the mansion¡­"

 173 Chapter 173

    "Mackie believes it because Vincent was often absent. He rarely came home since a year ago, and even if he did, he just stayed for a night or simply picked Mackie up so they could go to the mall and have fun before dropping her back to the mansion¡­."


    Vernon raised one brow amusedly. He wasn''t that surprised his Big brother did that. It was reasonable since theirte father¡ª Vaughn Gray, also did that when they were kids.


    He was so busy with the growing businesses and also branching out to other businesses. So his life was filled with one business meeting after another. He would fly from one state¡ª even countries for a night, then leave for another in the morning.


    So he lived mostly in the five-star hotel the Gray family owned or invested in. Of course, with different women in his bed each night. It was his way to de-stress.


    Meanwhile, their mother would drown herself in liquor or expensive diamonds.


    She often said that she didn''t need him because a man''s worth was his money. As long as their father gave her money, everything else didn''t matter.


    So he didn''t see a problem here, at least from his family''s perspective. What Vincent did was justified, including him sleeping around.


    But he didn''t utter his opinion out loud since he knew it would probably incite Chloe''s anger if he said that Vincent leaving to sleep around was normal for the men within the Gray family.


    Besides, Vernon doubted that was the only reason his sister-inw left his Big brother.


    Chloe felt so guilty whenever she remembered her lie to Mackie. Her daughter was her only guilt and the only reason she was hesitant about leaving Vincent.


    "Mackie¡­ She has a great rtionship with her father. She saw him as her hero, and a great father that is smart, rich, and powerful," Chloe said.


    "And that''s your reason for lying?" Vernon asked.


    ¡­


    Chloe nodded weakly.


    "I don''t want to ruin the image of a great father in her eyes. She deserves to have the image of a great father figure, even if¡­ even if I hate Vincent."


    Vernon looked down at his sister-inw. He was actually annoyed at her right now.


    Because he wanted her to burn all the bridges between herself and Vincent Gray. Even if that meant he had to tell Mackie about the divorce.


    There was a sense of crisis in him because his sister-inw was so meek, the probability of her returning to his Big brother was high, and Vernon didn''t want that.


    ''I need her here¡­ I don''t know if I will use her in the future to bring down my brother. But I need her here for now¡­'' Vernon thought.


    However, before he could say anything, he had to know about the root of the problem.


    What happened when he was out for ten years?


    "Honestly, I don''t even know why you left my Big brother," Vernon said to the point. "Mind telling me what really happened with your marriage life with him?"


    Chloe was stunned, and her body stiffened in an instant. She could feel Vernon''s hawk-like eyes looking down at her with a prying gaze, waiting for her to spill the tea.


    But she didn''t want to. She still didn''t know if Vernon was on her side or Vincent''s.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe could not trust him, and she was afraid that Vernon would eventually sell her out to his Big brother.


    Also¡­


    ''How am I supposed to trust him about my secret when nobody in my life knows about the details except Vincent and me?'' Chloe asked herself.''


    ''After all, he hires me to live with him as his personal prostitute becuase he wants to get the experience of fucking his sister-inw. I have no worth in his eyes¡­.''


    ''But, maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ I have more worth in his eyes? Will he actually help me, or use me instead?''


    ¡­


    Chloe hesitated, trying to weigh the good and bad if she told him the truth.


    Vernon got impatient with her long silence, so he added more incentive, "Come on, sister-inw. Tell me the problem, you know that I can always talk it out with my family¡ª even with my Big brother. Maybe you can get your divorce faster, or¡­ maybe you want to reconcile with him instead?"


    Vernon''s gaze turned colder when he said, ''reconcile.''


    There was anger surging from his heart. He wanted to crush something when he imagined his sister-inw and Big brother reconciled to form a happy family.


    ''Fuck, I''m getting annoyed now.''


    Chloe reacted after she heard reconciliation and lifted her head. She red at Vernon and shouted, "I don''t want to!"


    "Then tell me what''s the problem!" Vernon yelled. "Don''t make me wait. You know damn well I can get annoyed pretty easily!"


    Vernon''s eyes glinted with coldness, and Chloe noticed the hostility in his hawk-like eyes.


    She didn''t know if the hostility was for her or someone else, but she just assumed the hostility was for her.


    It was like a bucket of cold water poured on top of her head. She got rity after realizing that she couldn''t trust Vernon.


    ''He might have treated me fairly all this time. But I am still a prostitute for him,'' Chloe thought. She clenched her fist. She was so close to telling Vernon about her problem, at least telling him that Vincent had abused her horribly.


    But now, she became fully guarded again when she saw his dangerous eyes.


    ''I¡­ I don''t want to be tricked by another prince charming. Vincent is enough for me, I don''t want to be trapped twice!''


    Vernon thought his meek sister-inw would finally give in and tell him about her life with Vincent as a married couple.


    But, she actually got up from the chair and tried to leave without giving Vernon any exnation.


    Vernon wrapped his hand around Chloe''s waist to stop her escape. His gaze darkened, "Where are you going? You haven''t told me anything yet."

 174 Chapter 174

    Vernon wrapped his hand around Chloe''s waist to stop her escape. His gaze darkened, "Where are you going? You haven''t told me anything yet."


    Vernon pulled her to his side, trapping her in his tight embrace until Chloe''s face was buried in his pecs. Chloe looked up and met Vernon''s hostile gaze.


    It was intimidating, and Chloe wouldn''t lie that she was scared.


    But the more he tried to intimidate her, the more she felt there was no point in telling him about it.


    Chloe clenched her fist to toughen herself so she had enough bravery to open her mouth. Then she replied;


    "I don''t want to tell you, Vernon."


    Vernon''s eyes widened for a second before they darkened even worse than before. Chloe could sense the anger in Vernon as if he was ready to crush her if she continued to refuse.


    Chloe''s heart hammered in her chest. She wanted to look away, but it would probably anger him even more.


    "I think I misheard you," Vernon said. "Repeat that again."


    He was giving another chance to his sister-inw to speak the truth. He was being very nice right now, as much as he could. Chloe was the only woman he tolerated this far. If she was just a random woman, she''d never dare to speak like that to him.


    He thought he didn''t give her enough pressure. He knew that Chloe had turned into a mere meek woman now, so he thought¡­ by adding more pressure, she would finally give up.


    "I. Don''t. Want. To. Tell. You," Chloe repeated.


    It took a while until Vernon could process every word his sister-inw said. Thousands of ideas floated in his mind;


    What caused her to be so resilient so suddenly? Wasn''t she supposed to be meek and weak?


    Did she also do this to his Big brother? Vernon doubted that she could be this brave when facing Vincent.


    Maybe she was brave enough to face Vernon because she saw him being less than his Big brother? Was that the reason for her newly-found courage?


    ¡­


    They were in dead silence for a while, but Chloe knew that Vernon was terribly angry. She tried to push herself away from him, "You got the answer, Vernon. Please forget that we ever talked about this and release me¡ªAHHH!"


    Vernon hugged her even tighter, so tight that she felt so much pain in her waist. She even thought that Vernon''s grip would probably break her bones.


    Vernon wasn''t thinking clearly right now. His mind was clouded with rage. He always hated to be looked down on andpared with his Big brother, especially when the one who did it was his sister-inw, Chloe.


    Her words were like needles that pricked on his pride. He forcefully pushed Chloe to the sofa, just like what he did yesterday, and grabbed her shoulder so tight that she winced in pain.


    Chloe struggled to get up. This was the same thing Vernon did yesterday, and she was terrified because of it.<sub> </sub>


    Especially when she knew that Vernon''s trapped her out of malice right now.


    "VERNON, RELEASE ME!"


    "Release you? HAH! Don''t take me lightly just because you think I''m lesser than my Big brother!"


    Vernon knelt in front of Chloe so they would be on the same eye level. His eyes glinted with malice, and his tone was cold, which was actually scarierpared to his exploding voice.


    "I won''t let you go. I will never let you go, Chloe," Vernon said ambiguously. "Now, don''t make me mad, and tell me about your problem with my Big brother.


    Vernon intentionally rubbed his thumb around her protruding shoulder de, warning her that he could always dislocate her shoulder had she continued fighting back.


    Chloe stared at Vernon, who looked at her as if looking at pitiful prey. Her eyes were pooling with tears again, but she refused to cry, at least not now when she was trying to protect herself and the shameful secret of her being abused for ten years straight.


    <o>,m "Vernon, no matter how many times you threaten me, I will not tell you," Chloe stated firmly.</o>


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He was done ying nice with his sister-inw. She was an idiot who didn''t know how to appreciate the help!


    Vernon saw the tears that were pooling in her eyes again. He clicked his tongue annoyedly, "Ohe on, you''re going to cry again? Stop using your fake tears to make me feel guilty! It won''t work on me!"


    Which was a total lieing from Vernon''s mouth. His heart actually started throbbing in pain when he saw the tears. But he couldn''t let it get to him. He didn''t want her tears to be his weakness.


    "No, I won''t cry," Chloe replied. Her voice was shaking, yet she persevered and tried her best to prevent a drop of a tear from falling on her cheek.


    "Vernon, do you know why I won''t tell you about it?" Chloe asked out of the blue, which caught Vernon off guard.


    "Ah¡ª uh¡­ that''s¡­."


    "You don''t know, right? That''s because you don''t see what you did wrong," Chloe said.


    "What? I didn''t do anything wrong! I was just asking you!" Vernon defended himself, thinking he literally did nothing to hurt her.


    "Vernon¡­ What you''re trying to open is a box of terrible memories that I experienced for ten years straight. Do you think I will tell someone about my traumatic experience with intimidation and fear?"


    "Vernon, you''re not less than your Big brother. You are just as scary as he is. You are a monster, just like him," Chloe stated.


    Chloe experienced the same fear with Vernon whenever he started intimidating her. She was scared and automatically tried to back off and cowered meekly, just like she did when facing Vincent.


    Because trauma from years of abuse wouldn''t automatically disappear just because she left her abuser.


    Vernon could feel Chloe''s body trembling, yet she continued staring at him despite her fears. He slowly released his hand on her shoulder, afraid that he might identally hurt her for real.

 175 Chapter 175

    Vernon could feel Chloe''s body trembling, yet she continued staring at him despite her fears. He slowly released his hand on her shoulder, afraid that he might identally hurt her for real.


    After all, he just wanted to scare and intimidate her, thinking it would finally let her open up.


    It was also the method he did for almost everything. Intimidation 99% always worked in real-life situations when dealing with people around him.


    But Chloe''s reactionpletely caught him off guard. He didn''t expect her to retaliate and became so daring. Daring enough to call him a monster, simr to his Big brother.


    Which confused Vernon¡­


    ''I¡ªI want to win against my Big brother. But I don''t want to be a monster¡­.''


    ''No, I''m not a monster. At least, not in front of her¡­.''


    Vernon stared at Chloe, who was still trembling. She still tried her best not to cry in front of him, even though she must be in pain holding her tears.


    He soon realized that his regr approach might not be the best. He retreated to give her space, but he was still kneeling in front of her, who sat on the sofa. He felt awkward and guilty at the same time. He didn''t expect his action would lead to such a reaction from his sister-inw.


    "You can cry if you want¡­." Vernon said. His tone was a lot more gentle. He was careful because he didn''t want to identally scare Chloe even worse than this.


    "No, I won''t cry," Chloe said. "Because if I did, that means I show how weak I am in front of you, Vernon."


    "I just want to know about the problem between you and my Big brother¡­." Vernon tried to voice out his reason, not wanting this to be a long misunderstanding between them. "I can help."


    "Vernon, when you''ve experienced a terrible life for ten years straight, you try to keep them deep in your heart. You try to hide them as you find it shameful, and saddening," Chloe said. "I''m not going to trauma-dump what I experienced to you."


    "Besides¡­ we are not close enough, Vernon."


    "Not close enough?" Vernon''s eyes widened. He already thought they were very close these days.


    He never allows anyone to talk with him eye-to-eye like this.


    Nor did he ever allow anyone to be a part of his life.


    He also never allowed any other woman to fill his heart.


    "But I thought we''re close enough. You live with me already," Vernon said, trying hard not to raise his voice.


    "You hired me as a maid and your personal prostitute. You want to try how does it feel to fuck your own sister-inw," Chloe stated, opening all the harsh words and actions that Vernon did to degrade her. "You see me as an item to satisfy your curiosity, and I am willingly doing it because I want to leave this city with my daughter. That is all, Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    Vernon zipped his lips. He didn''t know what to answer because all she said was true.


    Though, he didn''t do it to satiate his curiosity. He did it because he wanted to give her a taste of revenge. After all, Chloe tantly said that he was disgusting.<sub> </sub>


    Now he wanted to turn her into a disgusting, disgraced woman.


    ''But, am I satisfied now? She is already so disgraced. From Mrs. Gray, the new Mistress of Gray family, to a mere maid and my personal¡ª''


    Vernon lowered his head ashamedly.


    True, he was angry at her and still angry for what she said to him back then. But he realized that revenge against Chloe wasn''t as sweet as he expected.


    "Please, don''t ask me about this again. It''s something that I keep tight for myself, it''s too painful," Chloe got up from the sofa and looked down at Vernon, who still knelt and lowered his head like a kid that had been punished.


    "Vernon, please y along with Mackie. I''m begging you, at least until my divorce is finalized," Chloe said.


    "You can''t lie to her forever," Vernon argued.


    He disliked how his sister-inw kept lying to her daughter and covering for Vincent. It always peeved him out.


    "I won''t lie to her forever. I just need time," Chloe said firmly.


    Vernon wanted to call her out for being an idiot because he thought Mackie should''ve known the truth as soon as possible.


    But Vernon didn''t even know the truth because Chloe refused to speak.


    "Please forget what I said tonight, Vernon. I dare to raise my voice against you because I don''t want to be bullied forever. I''m exhausted¡­."


    Chloe walked away from the living room until she stopped before going downstairs. She turned her head around to check on Vernon and reminded him, "Don''t forget to at least wash your face and brush your teeth before sleep. You didn''t do it the previous night, it''s not good for your gum health, you know."


    Chloe went downstairs, and Vernon deted right on the spot. He sat weakly on the floor, trying to process what had just happened.


    "I did it again. I made her cry yesterday, and I did it again tonight," Vernon med himself for not learning from his mistake.


    But he always thought intimidation was how to get people to do stuff for you. He always did that, and it always worked, especially when you bore the Gray surname.


    Though, he had never tried it on other women because none of those women objected to his request. They were too much in love with just one sweet word or two, maybe an unforgettable wild night for them to make them do him a favor.


    It was easy.


    But he couldn''t do that to Chloe because he couldn''t pretend in front of her. He couldn''t just say that he


    "Why is she so different?" Vernon fretted. "Why can''t she just simply fall for me, like the rest of those women? Am Icking something?"

 176 Chapter 176

    "Why is she so different?" Vernon fretted. "Why can''t she just simply fall for me, like the rest of those women? Am Icking something?"


    "I don''t want to show her my true feelings. I don''t want her to see me as weak, isn''t this the correct thing to do?" Vernon asked himself.


    "If I showed too much of those fragile emotions, she would exploit me, ying me around until I begged for her mercy."


    ''But¡­ scaring her didn''t work either¡­.''


    Vernon was reflecting on his mistake. He knew that he had messed up.


    But he truly wanted to know what happened between Chloe and Vincent, so he could help.


    But he was just¡­ a little impatient¡­


    He was always like this whenever he didn''t get what he wanted. He would be impatient, often resulting in him using intimidation or fear. It always worked, of course, at least for the past ten years when he lived in Europe.


    Vernon''s mind was filled with Chloe as he worried about her. This was the first time she ever had enough courage to face him, so the trauma must''ve been excruciating.


    <o>,m ''But what can I do to make her open up?''</o>


    Vernon sighed and got up from the floor.


    He wanted to just sleep on the sofa to rx likest night. But he remembered Chloe''s words, telling him to wash his face and brush his teeth first.


    "Urgh, why do I still have to do those? I''m in a somber mood right now," Vernonined.


    He changed to simply using his boxer, washing his face, and brushing his teeth, just like what Chloe told him to do.


    Vernony on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he tried to imagine what kind of bad experience his Big brother had inflicted on her.


    He could only think of one thing¡­


    Vincent fuck around outside with random women and gave Chloe all the money she needed to have fun. It wasn''t a normal family, and they were probably out of love for each other.


    But at least both of them could live their lives to the fullest, not giving a single fuck about being loyal whatsoever.


    It was bad, but it was normal for the Gray family.


    ''There must be something else¡­ something else that changes Chloe so much¡­'' Vernon pondered, but he couldn''t find any answer to his own assumption because Chloe simply refused to tell.


    Although he barely got anything from her, he knew one thing for sure;


    "She has not been happy for ten years straight," Vernon murmured. He didn''t really know what kind of terrible experience Chloe had experienced for ten years, but it was definitely traumatic enough for her to try to bury it.


    "I have to confirm it nheless. If she refuses to tell me, then I have to find out about her secret myself," Vernon murmured. He was determined to discover what kind of experience his sister-inw experienced during ten years of his absence.


    Because clearly, she suffered way more than she could handle.


    "Now, what should I do if my Big brother actually abused her? Should I let him off and forget about it?" Vernon asked himself. His gaze darkened, and his eyes glinted maliciously.


    A smirk grew on his lips, and he scoffed, "Of course not. I''m already nning to destroy his business empire as a revenge for looking down at me. But if it''s proven that he abused her until she is traumatized¡­ then I have no more pity."


    "No more ying nice because of blood sibling bullshit. I will rest until I see his head on the floor."


    Vernon finally closed his eyes after he was satisfied with his resolute will. He would think about an idea on how to crack the secret open, and he already got one target whom he would force to speak out, or she would get fired.<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon opened his eyes suddenly. He just realized that he had forgotten about something;


    "Shit, I forgot to apologize," Vernon cursed his carelessness. "Then, how am I supposed to say sorry now? Of course it will be awkward if I say sorry tomorrow morning!"


    Thus, Vernon spent the rest of his night trying to find a good way to apologize without sounding too awkward and hurting his pride.


    **


    [Monday Morning.]


    Chloe woke up the next morning and did her morning routine in a daze. She couldn''t believe what she said to Vernonst night.


    She was brave enough to face him. Despite all the odds, the urge to bottle up her trauma was stronger than her fear of him.


    She wasn''t sure if it was a good thing because she knew she wouldn''t be able to bottle the trauma forever.


    But she did this because she didn''t want another man that might exploit her at her lowest. She was already scared when near unknown men, let alone opening up to them.


    "It''s okay, Chloe. Hopefully, Vernon understands your situation and stops asking about it. It''s okay to y pretend, right? Just a bit, so Mackie''s mental health would be protected."


    She went upstairs and started cooking breakfast early in the morning. Naturally, Mackie and Vernon went out of their bedroom, ready to eat breakfast, before they prepared themselves for school and work.


    Vernon and Mackie sat at the dining table as Chloe served their breakfast.


    "Okay, breakfasts done. I will prepare the shoes for both of you. I cleaned them yesterday," Chloe said.


    "Chloe," Vernon suddenly called her. Her body froze for a few seconds. She turned around and set up a sweet smile;


    "Yes, Sir?"


    ''Sir¡­''


    "Nothing, you can go now," Vernon said.


    "Okay, thank you."


    Vernon was at a loss as he kept staring at Chloe. She intentionally distanced herself, giving Vernon no chance to apologize for what he didst night.


    Mackie was busy eating her breakfast when she noticed Uncle Vernon didn''t touch his te at all, "Uncle, are you okay?" she asked.


    "I''m fine. You should finish your food, by the way," Vernon said.


    "Un!" Mackie finished her breakfast and burped a bit.


    She leaned on the chair and then checked on her Uncle again. She was actually curious about something;


    "Uncle, when will you meet Daddy?"

 177 Chapter 177

    "Uncle, when will you meet Daddy?" Mackie asked.


    Vernon nced at his little niece and replied, "Today."


    "Oh!" Mackie''s face brightened instantly. She grabbed Uncle Vernon''s wrist with her small hands and requested, "Uncle, can you ask Daddy today then? Please tell Daddy that Mackie wants to meet him!"


    ¡­


    Vernon nodded weakly, not wanting to talk more about his Big brother here. Besides, it was obvious that he wouldn''t be able to fulfill her request.


    Vernon still intended to hide the presence of his sister-inw and little niece from Vincent. He knew that Vincent''s power was too much for him, and he might be able to influence Chloe or Mackie to return home.


    Mackie was happy by Uncle Vernon''s nod. She released her hands around his wrist and hopped off the chair, "Thank you, Uncle! Mackie will study well in school! Daddy always said that I should be smart and strong like him, so he wouldn''t be disappointed with me!"


    Vernon''s eyes widened when he heard the word ''disappointed''ing from Mackie''s mouth.


    Because it was the same method that histe father, Vaughn Gray, often said to him so he would keep up with his study.


    Though, Vernon was always a rebel ever since he was young. He wouldn''t listen nor bow down to histe father''s threat. He didn''t care if he would be a disappointment because his Big brother, Vincent Gray, was more than enough as the heir of the Gray family.


    But he didn''t expect his Big brother to use the same threat against his own daughter.


    ''He''s really copying everything Dad did when he was still alive¡­'' Vernon thought. It would be easy to conclude what happened with Chloe if he saw histe father''s treatment of his mother.


    But it seemed that Vincent did way more than their father did back then. Because their mother didn''t end up running away like Chloe did.


    ''I don''t know what had gotten into him. I decided to leave because I thought¡­ she will be with a good person¡­.''


    Vernon''s mood turned bitter as he was constantly reminded of what his sister-inw and big brother had said back then. How both of them looked down on him for being inadequate and disgusting.


    They were looking down on him for being second and would never be able to be as good as his Big brother.


    Vernon took a deep breath to calm himself, ''Calm down, Vernon. You need to find out about the truth first before judging her. The way she reactedst night is not someone who lived a happy life.''


    **


    Chloe and Mackie left the apartment first to go to school. Chloe dropped her in front of the school gate.


    "Goodluck for school today, dear," Chloe said as she patted Mackie''s head.


    "Mommy, don''t forget about your promise!"


    "Promise?"


    "Yup! You said you will call Daddy and ask if he can talk to me! I really want to talk to him!"<sub> </sub>


    "¡­ M¡ªMommy will try to call him," Chloe said.


    "Yay! Thanks, Mommy!"


    Mackie ran towards the school entrance and joined her friends. She was always in high spirits, unlike Chloe, who felt weak after she promised Mackie to call Vincent.


    Chloe returned to her car and parked it far from the school gate. She sat in her car for a while, thinking whether it was okay for her to call Vincent or not.


    She didn''t want to call him, nor did she want anything to do with him except for the divorce that was still stuck because he refused to sign it.


    But she had already promised Mackie, and she also had to ask him whether he had considered signing the divorce paper or not.


    "Okay, Chloe, prepare yourself before calling him. Don''t get triggered by his words. He''s always like that, remember? He likes to taunt and torment you with his words," Chloe warned herself, so she wouldn''t be overtaken by anger when Vincent spoke ill against her.


    She grabbed her phone and found his contact. Her finger hovered on the green button on the screen. She took a deep breath and finally pressed the call button on the screen.


    **


    Vincent woke up in the morning in a groggy mood, as always. He slept in the master bedroom, which was supposed to be his and Chloe''s bedroom, until that bitch decided to leave.


    It had been a while since Chloe left him with Mackie. He thought she''d eventually return because she had nowhere else to go.


    Who would''ve thought that she managed to find a rich old man to hide her, like the true whore that she was?


    Vincent got up from the bed and cleaned himself as part of his morning routine. He only had one meeting today, and that was with his little brother. He always emptied the schedule whenever he wanted to meet with Vernon in case they wanted to spend more time discussing something.


    It was also how Vincent tried to respect his little brother''s presence. After all, they had lost contact with each other for ten years straight.


    After he took a warm morning bath, he wore his bathrobe and heard the door knock.


    "Good morning, Mr. Gray. I''m here with your suit," the maid outside said.


    She was the new one in charge of picking the suit¡ª including tie, shoes, cufflinks, etc. for Vincent since he had a giant walk-in closet.


    He opened the door, and the maid blushed instantly when she saw the handsome Mr. Vincent Gray, only wearing a bathrobe.


    "M¡ªMr. Gray, Ie with your suit¡­."


    Vincent looked down to check on the suit, tie, cuff, shoes, and everything she had prepared. His gaze darkened as he found her selection tacky, with a vibrant yet contrasting color, almost like a clown. He grabbed the suit on the maid''s palm and threw it onto her face.


    "Ah!" the maid was shocked. She fell backward when the suit hit her face. She looked up only to see Mr. Vincent Gray''s hostile gaze, "M¡ªMr. Gray?"


    "Do you think I''m a jester from middle age? Go get me a better selection, you tacky bitch."

 178 Chapter 178

    "Do you think I''m a jester from middle age? Go get me a better selection, you tacky bitch."


    The maid was shocked by Mr. Vincent Gray''s insult just now. It was her first day at work, and her job was easy.


    She was tasked to prepare Mr. Gray''s suit. He had a giant walk-in closet and wanted to ensure he was always well-dressed every day.


    Apparently, this was a job supposed to be handled by his wife, but she suddenly left him.


    So the maid was happy to get the job. It paid well, and she had the chance to be the new wife of Mr. Gray.


    "B¡ªBut, Sir, I think this looks well on you¡­." The maid said. She was convinced that she had picked the best working outfit for Mr. Gray. He was always handsome and well-dressed, so even if he wore something a bit more colorful, it wouldn''t change how handsome he looked.


    Vincent sighed, picked up his phone, and called the head maid, "Come here and take this bitch out of my sight!" he yelled.


    The head maid arrived five minutester. She was an early 40sdy who worked alongside Chloe before she left Vincent. The head maid respected Chloe a lot for being a resilient woman, but in the end, she still needed money and would always obey Vincent more than Chloe.


    "Morning, Master Gray," the head maid bowed her head respectfully. "Did this girl do something wrong?"


    "Do something wrong? Look at the stuff he arranged for me. Do you think I will meet my brother with that kind of tacky shit?!" Vernon snapped while pointing at the young maid sitting on the floor.


    She stared at Mr. Vincent Gray pitifully, but Vincent didn''t give a single crap about her. He didn''t even allow her to apologize because he simply said, "Fire her and find a recement!"


    "Yes, Master Gray."


    The head maid lowered her head and red at the young woman. This would be the third ''outfit maid'' who got fired by Mr. Gray. Their job was simple, yet nobody could find a suitable taste for him.


    "Get up and leave. You''re fired."


    "B¡ªBut, I¡ª I can do better¡ª"


    "Master Gray doesn''t need a maid who can do better. He needs a maid who can do her job perfectly. Don''t worry, I will give youpensation for your early dismissal," the head maid said.


    The young maid was at a loss. She had already told her friends that she would be working with Vincent Gray, and her sry would be enough to pay for her student loan.


    But she got fired on the first day¡­


    Thus, she got up weakly and walked away from Vincent and the head maid.


    Vincent clicked his tongue annoyedly as he stared at the head maid in front of him, "Why did you hire her anyway? I told you to hire apetent one!"


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Gray. I read her resume, she was a university graduate, majoring in fashion design. I thought she would be great to prepare your daily working outfit," the head maid reasoned. "But if she is not up to your expectation, then it would be hard for me to find a recement."<sub> </sub>


    "She is the third one you fired, and the previous two were older women experienced in the fashion design field. At this point, I think you won''t be able to find a good one¡­."


    "Tch, bullshit, what''s so hard to find a fitting suit for me? I have a huge walk-in closet for that!"


    ¡­


    "Mr. Gray, I don''t think anyone can do a better job finding you a fitting suit except¡­."


    "Except my wife?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "Then I would rather do it myself," Vincent said. He walked to his giant walk-in closet not far from his bedroom and yelled at the head maid who tailed him.


    "Don''t you ever dare to mention that bitch anymore. She is currently busy fucking an old man to live. A cheap whore like her doesn''t deserve to be mentioned in my house!"


    Vincent entered the walk-in closet and mmed the door on the head maid.


    The head maid sighed. She didn''t know how to tackle this problem because Mr. Vincent Gray started to get disorganized after the absence of his wife.


    Because it seemed that nobody fits or fulfilled his standard.


    Usually, Chloe was the one who prepared his suit whenever he was at home. She even brought a few spare suits she prepared and put them in Mr. Vincent Gray''s main office wardrobe in case Vincent wanted to change his outfit while he was still in the office.


    And Vincent would wear everything she prepared without question but without even a single word of appreciation for his wife.


    Chloe cooked daily for him, even though he never ate anything and preferred to eat outside.


    But these days, Vincent suddenly had the urge to eat in his house, and the chefs had been sted every day because they didn''t cook the food ording to his taste.


    The problem was¡­ Mr. Vincent Gray never specified what kind of food he wanted to taste.


    "He literally sted everyone who reced Chloe for the work she did before. How are we supposed to make him satisfied when he simply sted everyone without giving any reasoning?" the head maid murmured. "Even the suit prepared by that young woman just now, it''s not even tacky, I saw him wearing a simr outfit two months ago."


    The head maid was afraid that Vincent would yell at her if she defended the young maid just now. In the end, she was just an employee hired by Vincent Gray.


    Despite the stress, the sry was fantastic. It blew her mind because she could be a millionaire working as a head maid here.


    "Ah, but things were a lot easier for me when Chloe was around. She was a great mistress, because she managed the mansion perfectly. I don''t even understand why Mr. Gray abused her so much¡­."

 179 Chapter 179

    "Ah, but things were a lot easier for me when Chloe was around. She was a great mistress because she managed the mansion perfectly. I don''t even understand why Mr. Gray abused her so much¡­" The head maid could only sigh, and she left Mr. Gray alone dealing with his stuff.


    Nobody was ever good enough for him, so it was better to just do what he said and be prepared to be yelled at by himter on.


    ¡­


    Vincent picked his suit, tie, shirt, trouser, cufflink, shoes, et cetera. He hated doing this because he thought it was a menial task that should''ve been done by someone else lesser than him, but nobody he hired did a good job, at least not good enough to satisfy him except for one woman¡­


    And that woman was currently having sex with an old man just to avoid him.


    "Tch, this is supposed to be her job! That ungrateful bitch doesn''t know how to show gratitude to me!" Vincentined. He had to admit that Chloe did a lot of jobs as the mistress of his mansion.


    She managed everything, and that head maid wasn''t even half aspetent as her.


    Because of the mismanagement, Vincent had to deal with his problems at work and also problems in the mansion.


    He could''ve just left the mansion and stayed in a five-star hotel for the rest of his life. He did that often. For a whole year, he rarely came home unless needed, and he enjoyed sleeping in the hotel because he didn''t need to waste his time scolding Chloe.


    But, he had found a new hobby after Chloe left.


    That was¡­ to sleep at home¡ª specifically in his master bedroom where he and Chloe were supposed to sleep together.


    He didn''t know what caused him to develop this habit, but the master bedroom that had been decorated by Chloe was actually a lot morefortable and homeypared to the five-star penthouse he could live in.


    He stared at himself in the full-body mirror. Vincent was still the same handsome, dashing billionaire as the image he put up in public.


    But he felt something was missing in him, and he didn''t know what.


    He just felt the missing thing was important, and he couldn''t wait to take that missing thing back.


    Vincent shook his head lightly. He didn''t want to be distracted by weird things when he was about to meet his little brother. He had to put the same perfect image in front of him, so Vernon would always idolize him as the one above, who should be followed.


    Vincent got out of the walk-in closet in a full formal outfit. He walked to the living room and noticed the inviting aroma from the dining hall.


    He walked to the dining hall first and saw the chefs and a few maids had prepared a full breakfast for him.


    They cooked a lot every day, even when he wasn''t home. But Vincent never touched them, as he found them repulsive.


    "Ah, Mr. Gray, we have prepared your breakfast. Would you like to eat?" The chefs greeted the Master of the house.


    Vincent ignored them and walked to the dining table. He noticed a few foods that were usually cooked by Chloe. He took a spoon and scooped the broth.<sub> </sub>


    Vincent sipped the broth, and he frowned instantly.


    CLANK!


    Vincent threw the spoon on the table and turned around, "Trash! All of you are a bunch of trash! You can''t even cook a fucking soup!"


    The chefs turned pale instantly. They were all trained chefs who had worked in Michelin restaurants for years before they got recruited by Mr. Gray with a handsome sry.


    But the pressure was enormous because Mr. Vincent Gray hated everything they cooked.


    Vincent''s mood became even worse after tasting the soup. It wasn''t as good as he expected from Michelin chefs. He didn''t even know how they could fuck up a simple soup that Chloe usually made.


    "Why do I have to be surrounded by idiots, damn this," Vincent murmured as he walked to his office. He mmed the door shut and sat on his chair to rest for a moment.


    When he opened his eyes again, he took something from a drawer behind his office desk.


    He took a small, framed picture that he hid well in his home office, a picture of Mackie and Chloe together.


    Of course, he did this because he wanted to look at Mackie, not Chloe, or so he thought.


    Vincent covered half of the frame with his hand, so he didn''t need to look at Chloe''s face. He stared at his daughter''s big smile in the picture for a while, and his lips naturally perked up.


    p He rarely met his daughter because he was always busy before. Even though he thought Chloe was a useless bitch who became a stay-at-home mom because she had no other skill, he genuinely loved his daughter.</anda>


    Mackie was a smart girl, very feisty too. She could make Vincentugh whenever he had a bad day, and she was always on his side, no matter what.


    She was the perfect daughter he wanted, and Chloe took her from him.


    Vincent''s jaw clenched when she remembered that useless bitch. He couldn''t wait to show her the consequence of ever leaving him.


    Obviously, he treated her very well, and she dared to file for a divorce.


    "I can''t wait to get the information from Vernon. He should be here soon with the list of millionaires I have to take care of. I will see what I can do to punish the man who dares to hide my daughter and wife."


    Vincent was busy staring at her little daughter''s picture when his phone on the table vibrated.


    He thought it was Vernon since he would being here to report about his work.


    "What''s with the call? Does he want to reschedule our meeting?" Vincent frowned. "No, I don''t think my little brother is a person who likes to reschedule without a notice."

 180 Chapter 180

    "What''s with the call? Does he want to reschedule our meeting?" Vincent frowned. "No, I don''t think my little brother is a person who likes to reschedule without a notice."


    The phone rang again. Vincent finally picked up his phone to check the caller,


    Then, his eyes widened instantly.


    Because the caller was actually his runaway wife, Chloe Gray.


    Vincent smirked as the urge to st Chloe for running away appeared in his heart. Usually, Chloe blocked his number and only unblocked it to call him. So Vincent couldn''t just terrorize her, and changing phone numbers was too much of a hassle for a woman who wasn''t even worth his time.


    He picked up the call and leaned on the chair leisurely, "Good morning, cheap whore, why did you call me? Did your benefactor finally got tired of you?"


    Chloe bit her lower lip when Vincent greeted her with insult. It wasn''t unfamiliar since he always did that when Chloe was still living in the mansion.


    But it had been a while since she left, and Vernon never called her a bitch or a whore as they lived together, so it became a shock for her when she got called one.


    Chloe tried to calm down, so she wouldn''t just yell at him and turn the situation worse. Vincent was dangerous, and the more she retaliated, the worse it would get.


    "Vincent, about the divorce paper¡ª"


    "I burned it," Vincent replied without hesitation.


    "What?!"


    "Yes, I burned it. Do you think I will sign a stupid divorce paper?" Vincent said heartlessly.


    "But I¡ª"


    "But you want a divorce? So what? Do you think just because you want a divorce, then I will happily sign the paper?"


    ¡­


    Chloe waspletely speechless with her ex-husband. She knew he was a bastard, but she didn''t expect him to be so coldhearted. He didn''t even let her get her freedom.


    "W¡ªWhy did you do that?" Chloe asked, her voice started getting shaky. She was trying hard not to let out emotion take over her.


    "Becuase I don''t want a divorce. I know you''re an idiot, but that should be obvious enough, right?" Vincent replied. "Listen, Chloe Gray, we are not going to have a divorce, and that''s my decision. You don''t have a saying in this."


    "It''s Chloe Carlson for you¡­." Chloe argued, refusing to use the surname Gray because she wouldn''t be one any longer. "Why did you do this to me, Vincent? If you are divorced from me, then you are able to sleep with any woman of your choice. You don''t need to be careful around Mackie too, since she will be with me, isn''t that what you want?"


    ¡­


    Honestly, Vincent hadn''t slept around with anyone for a while. He slept with Jada Smite and Maya sglow, the mothers of Mackie''s ssmates in school.<sub> </sub>


    But that was out of necessity to put more pressure so Chloe would eventually crawl back to him.


    Chloe didn''t understand why Vincent would suddenly stop talking and go silent for a while, and she didn''t want to ask. She was just so done with him. Even talking with him already drained the life out of her.


    "Vincent, I''m calling you because I want you to process the divorce between us¡­." Chloe said. "I don''t need your money, and I won''t take a dime from you. Just¡­ free me, so I can leave¡­."


    "And that will never happen, dumb whore," Vincent scoffed. "Is it done? Are you done talking about divorce?"


    ¡­


    Chloe actually wanted to tell Vincent that Mackie missed her Daddy so much. But the way he kept insulting her made Chloe change her mind. She didn''t want to tell him about Mackie and doubted that Vincent cared about their daughter.


    "Then I have nothing to say to you, goodbye, Vincent."


    Beep.


    Vincent still put the phone near his ear, listening to the long beep before he threw his phone on the table.


    He was a little annoyed because the call ended so quickly. He had a lot of things to say to his wife. Though, most of them were just insults.


    "That bitch¡ª how could she sound so calm now? Did she gained confidence just because her grimy, old benefactor has given her enough money?" Vincent assumed. "I will show her. I will show her how I can turn the world upside down if I want! THAT FUCKING BITCH WILL PAY!!"


    Vincent kicked the desk in front of him in a rage, and one drawer under the desk identally opened after the kick.


    Vincent saw a few papers inside the drawer, identifying them pretty quickly. Because it was the thing that he imed to have burned. It was the divorce paper that hadn''t been touched since the first time Chloe shoved it to him.


    He put it inside the office desk because he thought it was unimportant.


    Vincent picked up the divorce paper. He had read everything before and took it as a joke since he knew that Chloe had nowhere else to go.


    But it was different now.


    Chloe and Mackie didn''t return to him of their own will, and Vincent got impatient as days turned weeks and weeks turned months. At some point, his wife and daughter might have been out of his grasp for good.


    Vincent reread the content of the divorce paper, and he chuckled, full of ridicule, "So funny, does she not realize that she is nothing without me?"


    "I guess myte father is right. If you don''t keep your wife in a tight leash, she will eventually wander off becuase she''s not satisfied," Vincent murmured, remembering one of the teachings by histe father before he passed away.


    Vincent turned on the electric firece in his home office. He walked towards the firece and stared at the fire that started to spread around the stones.


    "Divorce. Hah, what a stupid idea. I am the Master of Gray family, there is no way I will ruin my reputation by getting a divorce."

 181 Chapter 181

    "Divorce. Hah, what a stupid idea. I am the Master of Gray family, there is no way I will ruin my reputation by getting a divorce."


    Vincent crumpled the divorce paper in his hand and threw it into the fire pit. He didn''t hesitate to throw it into the fire because the idea of divorce was out of his mind as he had never intended to divorce her since day one they married.


    Vincent stared at the paper, which was engulfed in fire, and turned ash. He felt one burden had been lifted off his shoulder as he had made his decision.


    "See how you will survive when I make sure to destroy everything around you, Chloe Gray."


    ¡­


    Vincent stared at the firece idly when he heard a knock on the door.


    Vincent turned his head and asked, "Who?"


    "Big brother, I''m here!"


    Vincent''s mood improved instantly when he heard his little brother''s voice, Vernon. He walked to the door and opened it to greet him.


    Vernon had a big smile on him as he hugged his Big bro, "Big brother!"


    Vincent was caught off guard when Vernon suddenly hugged him. He paused for a second and gently tapped Vernon''s back, "Wee, Vernon. You''re earlier than I expected."


    Vernon released his hug, and Vincent told him to sit on the seat directly facing Vincent''s office desk.


    Vincent was actually quite happy when his little brother was around. He acted like a big dog most of the time, even when he was just a kid. Vernon was a feisty dog that made Vincent happy.


    "Did you have breakfast? We can eat first," Vincent offered.


    "Ah, no need, Big brother. I had breakfast at home!" Vernon replied with a wide smile that showed his teeth


    "Oh-ho, you look so happy, champ. Did your girlfriend cook you a good breakfast again?" Vincent teased, and Vernon puffed his chest proudly.


    "Of course! She is the best cook, no chef can fare against her!" Vernon imed, much to Vincent''s amusement.


    "Really? Why don''t you bring her food to me, so I can try it," Vincent asked.


    Vernon''s smile vanished instantly. He stared at his Big brother with a slightly hostile gaze, "Never, Big brother. I will never share anything she made with anyone."


    "Not even your Big brother?"


    "Not even you," Vernon said.


    Vincent noticed the hostility. Vernon wasn''t the best at keeping his emotions. He was like an open book, making it fun to tease him.


    "Hahaha, okay, okay, it''s fine. Big brother won''t take anything from you," Vincent said, and Vernon gradually rxed. He stared at his Big brother, who looked more tired than usual, so he asked;


    "Big brother, are you okay? You look¡­"


    "Tired?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes¡­"


    "Heh, of course I am. There are lots of things I have to deal with in the office, and the new head maid who managed everything is nothing but an ipetent old bitch. She can''t even hire a good chef, let alone a good suit stylist for me."


    "Suit stylist?"


    "Yes, I have a maid who prepared my suit for me. I have a bunch of stuff in my walk-in closet, and it''s a hassle to do that kind of menial task every day. So I hired a stylist for that," Vincent exined. "Though, I still hire them with the title of a maid, because I don''t want them to think they''re high and mighty for being my personal stylist."


    ¡­


    "Big brother, that kind of task¡­ wasn''t that a task for¡­."


    "Wife?"


    "Yeah," Vernon nodded. It was an old value that was maintained in the Gray family. Even their mother did that to theirte father, even if their marriage wasn''t harmonious.


    "Heh, that''s what Chloe usually did. It''s her job, after all. But that bitch decided to run away, even though I gave her everything," Vincent replied, pitting Chloe again.


    Vernon started remembering what his sister-inw usually did every morning.


    She would cook breakfast, wake Vernon and Mackie, and then prepare Vernon''s suit for the day. It seemed ingrained in her mind as Vernon never asked her to prepare his suit, so she must''ve done it out of habit.


    "So now you hired a stylist to rece her?"


    "Hmm¡­ none of them were good enough," Vincent replied. He got pissed whenever he talked about this problem. "I''ve fired three of them. They can''t even prepare a suit for one man every day. It pisses me off."


    "Then¡­ how about sister-inw, Big bro? Did she do a good job?"


    "She is¡­ eptable," Vincent replied, not wanting to admit that Chloe did an excellent job preparing his suit. She was meticulous and understood how to make Vincent look formal orx, depending on the event he attended.


    But to admit that a woman did a good job meant he was lower than her, and he didn''t want to show that he was weaker than a woman in front of Vernon who idolized him.


    ''eptable?'' Vernon was a little conflicted by his Big brother''s answer because he expected Vincent to either say that Chloe was doing a good job or a terrible one.


    The word eptable sounded very vague and neutral for Vernon to judge.


    Vernon had grown suspicious of his Big brother. He thought Vincent was prone to insulting and ignoring Chloe since that was all theirte father did to their mother.


    But when Chloe showed so much pain in her eyes, to the point that she gained courage just to hide her trauma¡ª Vernon already guessed there was something horribly wrong with Vincent''s treatment of her.


    But still, Vernon had to be careful of what he said and asked because his Big brother wasn''t a person you''d want to mess around with.


    "By the way, you''re here to give me the list of the people suspected to be her benefactor, right?"


    "Yes, Big bro!" Vernon took a document from his briefcase and put it on the desk right in front of Vincent. "I have filtered the people based on their location, age, marital situation, business stability, and rtionship with yourpany."

 182 Chapter 182

    "I have filtered the people based on their location, age, marital status, business stability, and rtionship with yourpany," Vernon said.


    "And what kind of men did you pick for me to weed out?" Vincent asked. He picked up the document on the desk and opened the file.


    He started reading the profile of the people that Vernon picked one by one while listening to his little brother''s exnation.


    "I picked millionaires with stable business, who are forty-year-old and older, married and currently in a cold rtionship with their wives, and have a few buildings¡ª houses, mansions, or apartments, that they can use to hide my sister-inw and niece."


    "I also checked their rtionship with you and the Gray family in general, Big brother. I know that you''ve never shown your wife or daughter in public, so for this benefactor to know about their existence meant that that man has had contact with yourpany and Gray family as well."


    Vincent''s eyes darted towards his little brother. A smirk grew on his face, "Vernon, I see that the millionaires you listed are mostly people who''ve worked with me, and still have a good rtionship with the Gray family. If I weed them out, it will put the whole family at a severe disadvantage and potentially massive loss in business and projects. Do you think I''m stupid enough to do that?"


    Vincent was like a viper, ready to strike his little brother whenever he wanted. He wasn''t an idiot. He knew the people on this list were his working colleagues and important business partners.


    He could strike them all down, of course. But it would affect the family in the long term. It would cause a major downfall in their business and the whole economy.


    "What you are suggesting to me is to destroy our family, Vernon Phoenix Gray, you know that, right?"


    Vernon didn''t show any kind of hesitation or fear when facing his Big brother. Normally, when someone was facing Vincent, they would be intimidated by his aura.


    But not with him. Vernon and Vincent were brothers, so they had the same intimidating aura that could strike fear in anyone who faced them.


    Vernon''s hawk-like eyes peered at his Big brother, whose viper eyes did the same. They were like viper and hawk trying to find each other''s weakness before going for the first strike.


    "Oh, I wouldn''t dare, Big brother. Do you think I''m that treacherous that I want my own family to be ruined?" Vernon asked with a taunting tone.


    "Who knows?" Vincent smirked maliciously. He found it very interesting how his little brother was able to match his aura. It showed that he had matured so much after ten years. "After all¡­ you have been out of the country for ten years straight, I couldn''t watch over you for so long, maybe you have changed and had no more loyalty for our family, Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    "Big brother, I don''t have anything against my family. In fact, I returned to New York because I want to work with you, to rekindle our sibling bond and hopefully I can reintegrate to the family once more," Vernon replied. He was calm in his response, even though his back was already wet with cold sweat.<sub> </sub>


    He had to admit that his Big brother had put so much pressure on him simply by confronting him casually like this. Vincent was the first person that made Vernon fully guarded like this, and he deserved the title of the New Master of the Gray family.


    But Vernon had no intention to back down either, especially when he was already nning everything for the past ten years.


    Vincent watched Vernon, who maintained his expression. He didn''t look nervous at all. Although Vincent was a lot more experienced than him, he noticed that Vernon took a few short breaths from time to time, meaning that he was nervous about this.


    ''Maybe he truly has the ambition to destroy his family. It''s not impossible if he wants my power as well. Though, if he just wants the Gray family businesses, and even asking for half of thepany share, I wouldn''t mind at all,'' Vincent thought.


    ''After all, we are brothers, and he has proven himself to be more than capable of managing his business without my help. He just needs to ask.''


    ''It''s quite cute that he wants to one-up his Big brother,'' Vincent chuckled. He wasn''t worried at all about Vernon''s ambition. It was quite funny to see, and he would be willing to spend time and money to see what his little brother was nning to get the Gray family''s wealth.


    ''He could''ve just asked me, I don''t mind. But if he wants to scheme or whatever, I don''t mind observing and ying with him.''


    Vernon saw his Big brother chuckle, and he frowned instantly, "What''s wrong, Big brother? Did I do something funny?"


    "Hm? Not at all, don''t worry. I was just entertained when thinking about something you do," Vincent replied with a gentle voice, but it was like a knife that scarred Vernon''s pride.


    Vernon''s gaze turned cold and hostile for a split second before returning to normal. He almost let his emotion take over him because he was pissed off to see the grin on his Big brother''s face.


    ''He underestimated me, didn''t he?'' Vernon assumed. ''It''s fine, I will let you underestimate me now. Let''s see who will get thestugh.''


    Vincent continued checking the people that Vernon had listed and then put the document on the desk.


    He leaned and rested his elbow on the desk, "Vernon, everyone that you''ve listed has many rtionships with our family. Do you not realize that?"


    "Well, isn''t that the point?" Vernon asked back. "Big brother, sister-inw and your daughter aren''t well known in public. If they run away and hide from your radar for so long, that person must''ve been someone powerful, especially when he can pay for your daughter''s tuition. Thus, I concluded the benefactor who knows about their existence is also one of the people who are close to our family."

 183 Chapter 183

    "Thus, I concluded the benefactor who knows about their existence is also one of the people who are close to our family," Vernon said.


    Vincent went silent for a while. He closed his eyes, seemingly considering Vernon''s statement, and finally nodded.


    "You''re right. Chloe is a lowborn, she has no rich rtives. So if she wanted to run away and be an old man''s whore, she would be contacting the ones she knew from the Gray family," Vincent said. "She contacted you as well, right?"


    "Yes, she did. I rejected her request of wanting to work in my office," Vernon replied. "But she seems to be so desperate, Big bro."


    "She should be desperate. She must realize that running away from me will only cause suffering for herself and our daughter. That bitch needs to know how much I hate a traitor."


    Vernon watched his Big brother''s expression tighten when he talked about Chloe. For a man who said that he didn''t give a shit about her, he sure looked very concerned.


    Vincent closed his eyes again as he realized that he had let out too much emotion in his expression. He calmed down and tapped the document on the desk, "Nevertheless, I will check all the people you''ve listed here, and I''ll investigate. I''ll see which one I can weed out. Hopefully, one of them is the man who hides my wife and daughter."


    Vincent stared at his little brother, and a thin smile appeared on his face, "Thank you for your hard work, little bro. You did well."


    Vernon''s eyes sparked with joy, and he nodded vigorously, "It''s fine, Big bro! I just want to help you!"


    "Then, do you need anything as a reward? Say it to me and I will give it to you."


    "Uhh¡­" Vernon acted as if he was confused, even though he had already predicted everything, including the possibility that his Big brother would offer him a reward for this.


    "No idea yet?"


    "Yeah, no idea yet, Big bro¡­."


    "Well, you can think about it first. I''m a man of my word, I will fulfill any request," Vincent said. He was in an even better mood after realizing that Vernon hadn''t nned anything for his reward.


    His attitude showed that he was genuinely trying to help his Big brother, which pleased Vincent to no end.


    "Thanks, Big bro!" Vernon smiled wide. "Oh, I''m also here to give you a report about the progress of our project."


    "Hm? A progress? I think it''s still too early for a report," Vincent frowned.


    "No¡ª no, Big bro, I already progressed at least halfway to the project. I just need to find the right start for the show and advertising your product as well. I uh¡­ I worked even on weekends, and I always return to my apartmentte at night because I want this project to be perfect!"


    Vernon took another file from his briefcase and put it on the desk for Vincent to check on.


    Vincent raised one brow, picked up the file, checked on it for about five minutes, and put it back on the desk, "It''s great. Continue with the progress."<sub> </sub>


    "Eh? Big bro, you only checked it for five minutes? But I prepared so much for you to check!" Vernon said frustratedly. "Isn''t the whole point of you emptying your schedule for a day so we can talk about ourpany project?"


    "Pfft¡­ Hahahaha!" Vincent suddenlyughed, which surprised Vernon.


    "B¡ªBig bro?"


    "Sorry, sorry, I didn''t expect you to think like that," Vincent snickered. It had been a while since he felt like joking around with someone. After all, his life was pretty grim, filled with nonstop work, booze, and women.


    "Vernon, I emptied my schedule because I''m meeting my only little brother. Of course I don''t want to be bugged by random troubles in the office when I''m spending my time with my family," Vincent replied. "Besides, I''m nning to invite you to y a game after this, a golf match perhaps?"


    "But I don''t have my golf set ready, Big bro," Vernon said. He looked a little disappointed, which Vincent noticed immediately.


    "Do you not like spending time with your Big bro? We''ve been doing nothing but talking about business, Vernon. It''s good to rx a little."


    "I know, but¡­ I''m here fully prepared to give you a presentation on the progress of our project, Big bro," Vernon said.


    "Hahah, fine, let''s see how you''re going to convince me with your presentation, then we will grab brunch before going to the golf course. Don''t worry about the set, I just invested in a golf club a few months ago, they will supply everything for us."


    "Sure!"


    Thus, Vernon started his professional presentation in front of his Big brother. Vincent watched how Vernon was so serious about the small project between them, it showed his dedication, but as Vincent observed Vernon, he noticed a few things that felt off¡­


    p ''Hmm¡­ is it just my eyes, or the way he styled himself in a suit looks very simr to how Chloe prepared the suit for me?'' Vincent pondered.</anda>


    He identified a few things that his bitch wife usually prepared for him, such as warm color and a tie that usually blended well with the shirt¡ª so if she picked a blood red shirt, the tie would either be ck or scarlet.


    The cufflinks she often picked were the ones that had minimal motive but always had different shapes.


    Vincent had to admit¡ª despite her status as a peasant who was born to a single mother who could barely survive from one paycheck to the next one, Chloe had a great quiet fashion aesthetic when she dressed him up.


    Which was something that still couldn''t be fulfilled by any of those fashion design graduates.


    Vincent continued listening to Vernon''s exnation until his little brother finished his presentation, "Okay, that''s all from me, Big bro. Do you have anything to ask regarding the project?"


    Vincent smiled. He rubbed his chin, seemingly trying to find a question for the near-perfect presentation that his little brother gave.


    But his focus was solely on the way Vernon dressed. Thus he asked, "Vernon, did your girlfriend prepare your suit?"

 184 Chapter 184

    "Vernon, did your girlfriend prepare your suit?" Vincent asked out of curiosity, but his little brother looked surprised when asked.


    "Why did you ask, Big bro?"


    "Just answer me, did your girlfriend prepare your suit?"


    "Yes, she did," Vernon replied.


    "Huh¡­ I didn''t know that your girlfriend has the same taste as my wife," Vincent said lightly, but his expression darkened, and his eyes grew cold while staring at his little brother. "Vernon, you''re not the one who hides my wife and daughter, aren''t you?"


    "Ehh, why did you think like that, Big bro?"


    "Easy, the color selection, the tie, shoes, even your cufflinks, all of them are very much Chloe''s style of picking my working outfit," Vincent said, listing everything he discovered.


    "I don''t know whether it''s a coincidence, or you have decided to hide my wife and daughter for whatever reason¡­." Vincent smirked maliciously at his little brother. "But you know I have no pity for a traitor, right?''


    Vernon''s eyes widened for a split second before he resumed his dumb expression. He didn''t expect his Big brother to be so meticulous and observant that he noticed even the smallest thing in his body.


    ''He is a lot more dangerous than I expected,'' Vernon thought. He got a little intimidated after knowing he had roused suspicion from his Big brother.


    He didn''t want to mess this up, not when he was already in the progress of toppling his Big brother.


    Thus, Vernon quickly calmed his elerating heartbeat and replied, "Um, this would be a little embarrassing to exin, Big bro¡­."


    "What do you mean embarrassing? Tell me."


    "You see¡­ When I was a kid until I grew up to be a teenager, who was the one who dressed me up on almost every formal asion?"


    "That would be¡­ Chloe," Vincent replied.


    "Yes, she is the one who usually dresses me up in every formal party and even when we''re going on a trip. So I got used to following her style," Vernon replied. "I told my girlfriend about a few things that I like to wear when I''m working, the ones that fit my style, and she listened to me, that''s why she prepared this style."


    "Does this remind you of sister-inw? I''m so sorry, Big bro¡­."


    Vernon looked genuinely remorseful when he mentioned Chloe, making Vincent a little annoyed because it gave off the idea that Vernon sympathized with him not being able to keep his wife on the leash.


    "Don''t say sorry, I''m not that sad just because she left," Vincent said. "I was just suspicious because it looked like you wore something that might have been prepared by her."


    "But this is prepared by my girlfriend¡ª"


    "Yeah, sorry for suspecting you, Vernon," Vincent apologized, which was something he rarely did.


    He sighed and leaned on the chair, "About the project, make sure that you casted the right star for it. I don''t care about the budget, you can even hire thetest heartthrob if you want, just tell me how much you need."


    "Okay, Big bro!"<sub> </sub>


    Vernon was relieved that his Big bro finally let go of his suspicion towards him. When facing the Master of Gray family, Vernon had to be careful not to make mistakes because a small mistake would cost him either his life, career, family, or all at once.


    After they were done discussing the project, Vincent invited Vernon to eat brunch outside.


    "Why don''t we eat here instead? I''m sure you have plenty of chefs in the kitchen, right?" Vernon asked. He remembered that Gray''s mansion had many chefs when he was a kid, and none of them could make him something satisfying, which always got him mad because he was always craving homemade food these days.


    "Those chefs are trash, they can''t even make a simple soup. Let''s just eat outside," Vincent said.


    "Okay, we can use my car, Big bro!"


    Thus, Vincent and Vernon went for brunch, and they decided to go to one of the golf courses privately owned by the Gray family.


    Both were skilled in many sports they picked up as they grew up. But Vincent was better in golf, while Vernon was better in horse riding.


    After the score was settled, Vernon sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead, "I can''t beat you in golf, Big bro. You''re too good."


    Vincent smiled and patted his little brother''s shoulder, "I''m always good with golf. But I don''t think I can beat you when ites to horse riding, or maybe archery as well."


    "Hahah, yeah, those two are my forte!" Vernon puffed his chest proudly.


    Vincent checked the time, "It''s already three. Let''s return."


    "Okay!"


    Vincent and Vernon hopped on the golf buggy. Vincent was the one who drove the caddy. They could bring a few sexy caddies with them, and Vincent would usually be the one who would be pleased to see a fewdies apanying their golfing session.


    But for an unknown reason, he said he didn''t need a caddy, so only the brothers were on the golf course.


    Unable to contain his curiosity, Vernon finally asked, "Big bro, it''s rare to see you not being surrounded with women, or at least one beautifuldy. Did something happen?"


    ¡­


    Vincent went silent for a while. Honestly, he also didn''t know what went wrong with him. Obviously, he could sleep with any woman he wanted, and he could do it in his mansion without giving a single fuck to anyone since his wife and daughter had left him.


    But he simply didn''t feel like it.


    Even with Prisci¡ª whom he took as his safety condom whenever he wanted to have raw sex, he simply didn''t have the urge to do it right now.


    "I''m just busy," Vincent said. "My mind has been upied with work, and my wife and daughter''s disappearance. I also have to manage the mansion and all the maids there. I''m way too busy to have fun."


    "Though¡­" Vincent chuckled as he continued driving the buggy. "If you want to have fun, I can ask two sexy caddies to apany us."

 185 Chapter 185

    "Though¡­" Vincent chuckled as he continued driving the buggy. "If you want to have fun, I can ask two sexy caddies to apany us."


    "Ah¡ª that''s¡ª" Vernon hesitated when his Big brother suddenly wanted him to have sex with a caddy. "You mean¡ª like a foursome?"


    "Yes, or if you''re into a threesome, we can do that too. I can ask Prisci toe, or if you want to, just use the caddy here," Vincent said lightly as if this kind of activity was leisure for him.


    Vernon wasn''t all that surprised with a threesome or even foursome. He actually did it back when he was in university.


    But he never expected his Big brother to offer that kind of thing. He couldn''t lie that it was bizarre. Even for a man with a lot of experience like Vernon, to have a ''coboration'' with your own family was just too weird for him to fathom.


    Thus, Vernon refused politely, "Big brother, I have a girlfriend at home. I have no intention to sleep around after I''m dating her."


    "Hahah, that''s funny!" Vincentughed out loud.


    "What''s funny, Big bro?"


    "When you said that you already have a girlfriend and not wanting to sleep around anymore, that''s funny, because no men in Gray family would say that," Vincent turned his head to the right and stared at his little brother.


    "Maybe it''s because you''ve been away from the family for too long. But there''s no need for you to be loyal to one woman. We are men from Gray family, we can do whatever we want, and sleep with as many women as possible, just make sure you do it safe and don''t get into trouble."


    "Besides, don''t you remember that we''ve seen our father did it once¡ª well, more than once actually," Vincent said. "Remember when I brought you to that room?"


    "Yeah¡­ I remember¡­"


    When he was about ten years old, Vernon remembered his Big brother telling him toe to an empty bedroom in the Gray mansion. When he entered with his Big bro, they watched their father having sex with three women at once.


    Vernon was surprised, but not for long because he had already gotten used to seeing his father doing this thing with so many women.


    Though, he was repulsed when he first saw it and thought that his father was very weird and gross for doing it with three women at once.


    ''Yet, I can''t help to experience the same thing when I was in university¡­'' Vernon thought, recalling his experience of having sex with two women back when he was around neen.


    Vincent saw the hesitation in Vernon''s eyes, and his lips perked up, "See? It''s a normal thing for us. As long as you give your girlfriend money, she won''t say a thing."


    "And what if she did?" Vernon suddenly asked.


    "Huh?"


    "What if she didn''t want my money, Big bro¡­." Vernon said.<sub> </sub>


    "Your girlfriend didn''t want your money? Is she a saint or something? Listen to me, Vernon. All that women cares is money, she won''t give a shit about you, or your wellbeing, or even your children with her once you two got married."


    "All she wants is money, our mother is the real case, and many of the women who have been married to the Gray family also have the same trait," Vincent kept reminding Vernon about the old view cultivated by the Gray family for so long.


    Usually, Vernon wouldn''t question this one bit. He had met many women, even the princess he dated when he was in Europe. They still checked on his money and status, so Vernon had never been emotionally involved with them.


    He knew it was natural for most women to see the importance of money, but Vernon had been raised with the idea that men''s worth is their money and nothing more.


    So he had grown resentful of those women he dated and slept with for the past ten years, making him unable to keep a rtionship for more than a month at most.


    ''Except with that princess, I guess. We had it on for a year becuase I need her connection.''


    However, his view slowly changed when he lived with his sister-inw, whom he thought to be a gold digger.


    But she was actually a lot more frugal than he expected. She constantly proved him wrong by how meticulous and careful she was with her spending.


    ''I checked my credit card ount daily, hoping to see he suddenly spending my money to buy a random house¡ª or at least an ultra expensive designer bag.''


    ''But she simply bought groceries and eat in a cheap restaurant, it''s so weird...'' Vernon thought. ''If she''s like what my big brother said¡ª a gold digger who yed pity before draining your money, then she should''ve stopped ying since it''s been a while.''


    "You got what I said, Vernon?" Vincent asked. "I just don''t want you to get trapped by a gold digger, it''s a brother duty to keep each other safe, that''s why I will never let those gold diggers to be more than just a ything."


    p "Including sister-inw?"</anda>


    ¡­


    Vincent went quiet instantly. His gaze darkened, and he stopped the golf buggy.


    He focused his viper gaze at Vernon, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Big brother, you keep saying that I should be careful not to get trapped by gold digger. But you keep saying that sister-inw is a gold digger. I don''t understand," Vernon asked.


    Vernon knew that he was treading on a difficult and dangerous topic right now, and if he displeased his Big brother so much, he might also be in danger.


    But he just couldn''t stop his curiosity. Because his Big brother contradicted his words many times.


    "Is she your wife¡­ or a ything? If she''s a gold digger, then why did you marry her? If she''s just a ything, why did you sleep around and ignored her instead of using her as a condom, like what you did with Prisci?"

 186 Chapter 186

    "Is she your wife... or a ything? If she''s a gold digger, then why did you marry her? If she''s just a ything, why did you sleep around and ignore her instead of using her as a condom, like what you did with Prisci?"


    "Make it short, what do you want to know?"


    "Big brother... is she a gold digger or not?"


    Vernon asked a question that Vincent couldn''t answer, mainly because Vincent also hadn''t found the answer.


    Should he say that Chloe was a gold digger? If she did, then why did he marry her?


    Besides, Chloe had been very, very frugal for the past ten years.


    ''But obviously, she only stays because I''m THE Vincent Gray. Just like what my father and mother said, a lowborn peasant like her will never love, and only has her eyes on money,'' Vincent thought.


    Vincent was also conflicted, and he started feeling ufortable in his heart.


    He quickly brushed off the ufortable feeling and replied, "She is a gold digger, that''s why she left me, because she doesn''t think my money is enough to fulfill her ambitions and unnecessary spending. Stop asking questions about her, Vernon. You''re pissing me off."


    "Sorry, Big brother...." Vernon apologized and patted Vincent''s shoulder. "I was just... curious."


    "Hm, just don''t make me angry while we''re having a leisure time here," Vincent said. He started the engine and continued driving the golf buggy.


    Vernon stared at the wide green field in front of him, but his mind wandered elsewhere.


    He already guessed that his Big brother was lying about his sister-inw being a gold digger because he was convinced that his Big bro wouldn''t even think about marrying one, just like how he always ignored all those women he slept with after they had sex, even to Prisci.


    ''But if Chloe isn''t a gold digger, then why did she leave? Is it because of... abuse? Did my big brother really abuse her? But why? What did she do wrong?''


    Vernon''s gaze darkened. He wanted to question his Big brother about it. But that would be suicide because Vincent was already fully guarded after Vernon asked about the contradiction in his statement.


    ''I will have to find out for myself...'' Vernon thought. ''But if it''s true....''


    Vernon nced at his Big brother, and he clenched his fist. ''Oh, I want to punch you for hurting her, Big bro.''


    **


    Vincent was better when he saw Vernon genuinely apologetic after questioning Chloe.


    He lowered his head and didn''t dare to look at Vincent, ''Just like a dog who has been scolded. Cute.''


    Thus, Vincent ruffled Vernon''s head and said, "It''s fine, just don''t ask about Chloe too much. I''m still trying to locate her right now."<sub> </sub>


    "Big bro, are you sure that you still don''t want to visit your daughter''s school? You can always meet her there," Vernon asked.


    Vincent replied with a simple shrug, "Just like what I told you before, it''s all about my pride. I don''t want to be the one who begged for her to return. If I visited my daughter, that means I am the one who wants them, not them needing my presence."


    "So you will ignore your daughter?"


    "I''m not ignoring her. My daughter will learn that nobody can beat her Daddy. That''s why I need to teach her bitch Mommy a lesson of obedience," Vincent replied heartlessly.


    Vernon went silent and nodded firmly, "Yes, I understand, Big bro."


    Vincent smiled at his little brother and said, "Well, it''s already four. I know that you want to spend more time with your girlfriend, you can go now. Don''t worry about me, I will call my chauffeur soon."


    "Okay, see youter, Big bro."


    p Vernon turned around and walked away from Vincent.</anda>


    Vincent stared at Vernon for a while, feeling proud that his little brother was now an adult with a girlfriend and stable business.


    ''Surely, I raised him well. That''s why he can be a good adult,'' Vincent thought. ''Though, it''s a little unfortunate that he has be a weak male in front of his girlfriend.''


    ''I wonder what kind of girlfriend could make him be a weak, loyal man. She''s probably a supermodel, or maybe an actress? Vernon had an entertainment agency, he could fuck any actress there.''


    Vincentpared Vernon''s girlfriend with his wife. Obviously, Vernon wouldn''t fall for a lowly bitch like Chloe. It was his fault for being stupid enough to marry her in the first ce. Now, he was stuck with a useless stay-at-home wife that he couldn''t bring to any formal party because she was ugly, formerly fat, and looked cheap.


    ''But I still need her to stay in the mansion and manage stuff there. That''s all she''s good for,'' Vincent tried to convince himself that he didn''t value Chloe more than just a decoration in his mansion.


    But at the same time, he also felt something ufortable-- even hurting in his heart. He had never felt this way, and this foreign feeling started to concern him.


    He shook his head, trying to brush off the feeling again, "Maybe I need to fuck someone tonight. I don''t want Prisci though, that woman''s pussy started to get boring."


    Vincent was thinking for a while, and a malicious smirk grew on his face, "I guess I can call Jada and Maya for a threesome. I''ll tell them to put even more pressure if they want to y with me for a night. It''ll be useful to put even worse pressure on Chloe once she realizes that our daughter''s school life will be in danger, hahah."


    Vincent snickered as he imagined the expression of terror and fear on Chloe''s face once she realized she couldn''t escape him. It was actually quite satisfying to see her being a doormat.


    Though he sympathized with her daughter, it could also be a lesson for Mackie.


    "It''s fine, it will teach Mackie in the long run that her Mommy is a useless bitch that can''t protect her."

 187 Chapter 187

    Chloe hung up the call once she heard another insulting from Vincent''s mouth. She sighed full of pity, and rested her forehead on the steering wheel.


    She knew that Vincent wasn''t a man with a sweet mouth. He was cold and wouldn''t hesitate to st at anyone who pissed him off.


    But Chloe had been very gentle and careful with her words, hoping that Vincent would at least stop with the insult for a few minutes.


    She had never been verbally abused by Vernon, so it had been a while since she heard the word bitch, slut, useless gold digger, peasants thrown at her. So she got disturbed when she got called as one.


    She was about to tell Vincent that Mackie missed him a lot. But he kept insulting her, and the line was drawn when Vincent said that he burned the divorce paper for whatever reason.


    So she changed her mind and decided not to tell him about Mackie.


    "I don''t think he will care anyway," Chloe murmured.


    "I don''t know what''s in his mind. I gave him what he wanted, he wanted to sleep with any woman he liked, and I just want my freedom so I won''t get hurt by him. Divorce is the most logical method, so we can be happy in our ways¡­."


    "Now my divorce is stuck in jeopardy. What should I do next? I can''t simply go to court. He will use his power to go to a ''marriage counseling'' which would end up with them calling me crazy and forcing me to return to Vincent ...."


    Chloe remembered when she was really depressed and thought about killing herself.


    Vincent hired a psychologist to console me, but she knew the psychologist was also one of Vincent''s people.


    The psychologist said that her depression stems because she was not grateful for what she got right now, and that was why she needed to be more thankful to her husband.


    ''Like hell I would be thankful for a man who ruined my life in the first ce,'' Chloe thought.


    Chloe felt stuck, and she didn''t know what to do next as she didn''t have anyone by her side except her daughter.


    "The only thing that I can do is to continue hiding with Mackie, and collect enough money before running away."


    "But I''m afraid it will take too long, and Mackie will eventually throw a huge tantrum to meet her Daddy¡­."


    Chloe was scared that all her effort to run away would be in vain, and once she was forced to return to Vincent, she would suffer pain worse than death.


    Chloe''s whole body trembled, and she started excreting cold sweat all over her body. She kept imagining the viper eyes of her ex-husband and all the venom he spouted from his mouth.


    She didn''t know what would happen once she returned to him, but knowing Vincent, she would probably wish she was dead instead.


    She shook her head out of distress, "No, No! I''ve had enough with him! I don''t want to get hurt anymore!"


    Chloe''s gaze got blurry, and it was difficult for her to breathe. She started having a panic attack as her mind was clouded with nightmares of her life with Vincent.


    This continued until the ring on her phone snapped her out of her daze.


    She checked the caller and picked it up immediately;


    ¡ª<sub> </sub>


    "H¡ªHello, Diamond?"


    "Gurl, what''s with your shaky voice? Did you cry just now?"


    "Ah, n¡ªnothing, I was just¡ª nevermind," Chloe quickly shifted the topic, not wanting to burden her friend with her problem. "Why did you call me, Diamond? Did something happen in the office?"


    "Gurl, I was just calling because I need to hear your story of that night! I was waiting for the whole weekend because I didn''t want to disturb you two! Come to the office, and let''s have a chat!"


    "Haha¡­ okay¡­"


    Chloe hung up the call and sighed deeply as she tried to suppress her anxiety. She didn''t want to burden anyone with her pain. Even telling Diamond a few bits of her nightmarish experience living as Vincent''s wife was already a full stretch of what she could do to open up to someone new.


    "Okay, Chloe, pretend that everything is alright. Nobody is going to be your savior here. So it''s best to keep it by yourself¡­."


    Thus, Chloe calmed herself down and drove to the office to meet Diamond.


    **


    She arrived an hourter. The office was already crowded, but she couldn''t find Vernon''s car parked in his usual VIP parking spot, so he probably had a meeting outside.


    Chloe went up with the VIP elevator and was greeted by Diamond, who was busy at her secretary''s desk, typing a report that seemed to have no end.


    "Morning, Diamond," Chloe greeted gently, and Diamond turned her head towards the elevator.


    Her eyes widened instantly. She got up and rushed towards Chloe.


    Diamond grabbed Chloe''s arms and led her to sit on the sofa, "Gurl, you look so pale, what happened?!" she asked worriedly.


    "Ah¡ª I¡ªIt''s nothing, Diamond," Chloe panicked a little. She forgot that she might already wipe her sweat and tried to push a smile on her face.


    But she couldn''t hide her pale face, which she often had when she was distressed or panicked.


    "I¡ªI just didn''t have breakfast. That''s why I feel a little weak, haha¡­."


    "Geez, you should tell me!" Diamond got up, picked a piece of croissant she had just bought in the pantry, and then handed it to Chloe. "Eat this first, gurl."


    "Thanks, Diamond¡­"


    Chloe ate slowly but surely, something that Diamond was used to seeing. After she was done eating, Diamond finally asked, "Soooo~ How was it?"


    "About what?"


    "Oh lord, do I need to keep mentioning this? You''re a grown assdy!" Diamondined. "Your night with Mr. Phoenix Gray! How was it? Did he go rough? Did he go raw and shoot it inside? Gurl, I''m so excited, tell mee!"

 188 Chapter 188

    "Your night with Mr. Phoenix Gray! How was it? Did he go rough? Did he go raw and shoot it inside? Gurl, I''m so excited, tell mee!" Diamond begged, and Chloe blushed once she remembered everything she had done with Vernon that night.


    "Y--You''re way too excited, Diamond...."


    "How am I supposed to NOT be excited, when you''re finally having some action? I literally drove to the club, picked that giant manchild, and drove him back to his penthouse. Do you know how heavy he is? It felt like carrying a gori!"


    "W--Well, yeah, I can''t move after you push him to me. But once you closed the door, he suddenly opened his eyes and picked me up. He carried me to his bedroom and--"


    "And what? And what?! Did you two finally fucked?!" Diamond couldn''t hide her excitement. She was just craving to see her homegirl have a happy life. It became some sort of life goal for her at this point.


    "Um... ah..." Chloe tried to find the right words to describe her experience with Vernon because it seemed that Diamond wanted the full description of what had happened.


    "Well, he started by kissing me on the lips, it''s so passionate that he took my breath away. He went down and started um... ying with my nips, and then went down--"


    "OMG! Did he finally--"


    "N--No, he stopped once he realized I was so thin. He asked me why I was so thin and then kissed my belly many times...." Chloe said.


    "Did you tell him about your eating disorder?"


    "I did, but he was drunk, so he doesn''t seem to remember," Chloe replied.


    "Ah, that''s a missed chance...." Diamond sighed. "I want him to know your struggle."


    "Ahaha... it''s fine, Diamond...."


    Chloe didn''t intend to tell Diamond the full detail, especially when she told Vernon about everything happening in her life, including all the pain she experienced for a decade with Vincent.


    She thought it was unnecessary to tell Diamond, as she wanted Diamond to only know about the good part.


    "He didn''t um... insert it because he said I''m too thin and he''s scared of hurting me. So he fucked my thighs and, you know-- pussy lips instead...." Chloe said.


    "GURL-- OMG!" Diamond got way too excited when she heard the descriptioning from Chloe. "Did he suddenly get possessed with Casper? Or other kind of kindhearted ghost? He was never that gentle to his other girls!"


    "Girl, I can already hear the wedding bell chimes in my head. You must make me your bridesmaid once you two got married!" Diamond said as she hugged Chloe tightly.


    "Haha-- that would never happen, Diamond," Chloe smiled thinly.


    "Why not?"


    "Because he is not being gentle to me. He''s being gentle to his ex that he loved so much in Europe," Chloe said.


    "Eh? Ah? What?" Diamond was stupefied by Chloe''s words. "What do you mean?"<sub> </sub>


    "He had mistaken me for a woman that he loved-- maybe an ex at this point. He hated her, but also loved her so much. I assume she was an ex he had in Europe since he grew up there for ten years," Chloe said.


    "Ahh, really? Howe I''ve never heard of her?" Diamond wondered. She had worked with Mr. Phoenix Gray for a few years and was quite close with him as boss-secretary.


    But she never heard of this woman he loved in Europe. He was always changing partners every month. He didn''t seem to love nor care for any woman until Chloe came and asked for a job.


    He might not want to admit it, but Diamond was convinced that Mr. Phoenix Gray at least had a very strong impression of Chloe.


    ''Did I miss something? Because I feel like, if there is a woman that he might truly love, there is nobody other than Chloe who could fit that spot...'' Diamond wondered.


    "Are you sure about this, gurl?"


    "Mhm, Vernon had a habit of sleep-talking since he was a kid. I caught him dreaming about this girl who had a special ce in his heart once. He hated, yet loved him at the same time...."


    "Hmm... maybe that girl he is dreaming of is you, Chloe," Diamond suggested.


    Mr. Phoenix Gray had never mentioned this girl whom he really loved to the moon and back. He was indifferent. If any, Chloe was the only woman who could actually spark any kind of emotion in Vernon.


    "Ahaha... let''s not dream about that, Diamond...." Chloe said. "It''s definitely a girl he met when he was in Europe. Since, he experienced his puberty and first love there."


    ...


    Somehow, Diamond was still convinced that the woman in Vernon''s heart was Chloe, but what Chloe said made sense.


    Mr. Phoenix Gray lived in Europe-- mostly in London and Berlin for ten years since he was fifteen. So it made total sense that he found his first love when he was studying there.


    Diamond was confused and unsure of her opinion, so she tried to ignore it and continued with the topic of the long night between Chloe and Vernon.


    "Did you two fall asleep after doing that?" Diamond asked.


    "W--Well, he did it like... three times, I think. Then he fell asleep...." Chloe replied. She couldn''t hide her red cheeks at this point. "He embraced me so tight, I couldn''t escape. So I fell asleep with him until morning...."


    "Oh-ho~ Daym, gurl, you are winning!" Diamond wanted to hype her homegirl but realized Vernon was like a dangerous shark. He was sure a big catch, but he was so dangerous, moody, and a handful to take care of.


    "Mhm... it was surely an unforgettable night," Chloe said. "It won''t happen again, but I will remember it for a long time."


    "Hmmm~ I''m pretty sure it will happen again, sooner orter," Diamond teased, which made Chloe blush even more that she tried to retract her neck inside her red scarf like a turtle.


    "What''s with the scarf, by the way? I know we''re on the way to autumn, but it''s not that cold yet," Diamond asked.

 189 Chapter 189

    "What''s with the scarf, by the way? I know we''re on the way to autumn, but it''s not that cold yet," Diamond asked. "In fact, summer this year is way too hot!"


    "Ah¡ª um¡­ I''m trying to hide something¡ª well, a lot of things actually¡­." Chloe replied bashfully.


    "What do you mean, gurl?"


    Chloe hesitated for at least five minutes. She pondered if it was okay to show her love marks to someone else.


    But she had already talked about many things with Diamond, so she thought it was fine to show it.


    Chloe grabbed the scarf wrapped around her neck and corbone area, then pulled it slowly, revealing the hickeys that covered her entire neck and corbone that she had umted in just one night.


    It was still pretty obvious even after two days had passed because her skin was thin, so any kind of mark around her body wouldst for days.


    Diamond''s jaw dropped when she saw the amount of hickeys covering Chloe''s neck and corbone. It was still dark as well, "M¡ªMr. Phoenix Gray did this?"


    "Um, yes¡­" Chloe nodded weakly. She took off one button and showed her upper breast, which was also covered with so many hickeys. "The hickeys are literally all over my body."


    Diamond was even more shocked. Now he was totally convinced that the woman loved by her boss was definitely Chloe.


    Because Mr. Phoenix Gray told her once that he never kissed any woman for more than five seconds at most. He said it was repulsive, so he went straight to the roley and the sex instead.


    ''Those love marks are so dark and literally covering her entire body. Even if he is dead drunk, he will not do this to any woman if he''s not in love with her,'' Diamond assumed.


    Chloe sighed and buttoned her shirt again. She wrapped the scarf around her neck to cover the shameful hickeys, then said, "My skin is thin, so marks like these won''t disappear for at least a week¡­."


    ¡­


    "Gurl¡­ he has never been THAT passionate with any woman before. Are you sure he''s not in love with you?"


    "He was thinking about the other woman when he did it with me, that''s why he can be so passionate. I''m like a stand-in. Maybe we have simr facial features, or maybe simr eyes, or hair¡­."


    Diamond couldn''t prove that the woman in Vernon''s heart was actually Chloe, so she didn''t push the idea anymore, even though he was still curious about it.


    Diamond excused herself because she was busy with the report. Chloe waited for at least two hours and found no sign of Vernoning to the office.


    "Diamond, Did Vernon go somewhere for a meeting?"


    "He told me to postpone all meetings today because he has one important meeting with a high executive," Diamond replied, still with her eyes glued to theputer screen.


    "High executive?"


    "Yeah, he didn''t tell me who this high executive was. But I do have a guess¡­."<sub> </sub>


    "What''s in your mind then?"


    ¡­


    Diamond finally turned her head towards Chloe and replied in a low voice, afraid that it might trigger her, "Vincent Gray."


    Chloe''s eyes widened instantly. She felt that blood had been drained off her body, and her legs trembled.


    She quickly sat on a chair and lowered her head as she felt dizzy just thinking about Vincent.


    Chloe put her palm on her chest to feel her heart beating uncontrobly, and fear started consuming her from inside.


    Diamond knew that Chloe had trauma with her ex-husband. So she got up and went to Chloe''s side tofort her by rubbing her back, "I''m sorry, Chloe. I thought you already knew that Mr. Phoenix Gray has a project with Vincent Gray. It''s been going for a while, actually."


    "H¡ªHe didn''t say anything about me in front of Vincent, right?" Chloe asked anxiously.


    "No, he didn''t," Diamond replied with a lie. She didn''t know if her boss ever mentioned Chloe in front of his Big brother, but she assumed that he didn''t because there was no way Vincent would stay still if he knew that his wife was under Vernon''s protection.


    Diamond''s words didn''tfort her one bit. Because she was still worried that Vincent might discover her hideout and her work rtionship with Vernon.


    She was afraid that Vincent might actually destroy his own little brother once he found out about this.


    ''I can''t forgive myself if Vernon''s life got destroyed because of my fault. I¡ªI have to talk to him about this ,'' Chloe thought.


    Chloe continued waiting for a few more hours, ignoring Diamond, who kept asking whether she was okay.


    She checked her watch and realized it was already three in the afternoon, meaning that Vernon wouldn''t return to the office and she had to pick up her daughter at school.


    ''Then I have to talk with him tonight. I really don''t want anything to happen to him just because he shelters Mackie and I.''


    Chloe got up from the chair and asked Diamond, "Diamond, if Vernones to the office and asks where am I, please tell him that I''m waiting for him at home. I want to talk to him about something."


    Diamond already knew the topic that Chloe and Vernon would discuss. She felt a little guilty for telling Chloe about the cooperation between Vernon and Vincent, especially after seeing the strong reaction from Chloe when Diamond mentioned Vincent''s name.


    <o>,m "Chloe¡­ why don''t you tell Vernon about the abuse you experienced as Vincent''s wife? Maybe he could help¡­." Diamond suggested.</o>


    "He shouldn''t know. Nobody shouldn''t know, including you, Diamond," Chloe replied. Diamond was surprised by the cold tone that Chloe used, as if she took offense to Diamond''s suggestion.


    "But you already told me about the abuse¡­." Diamond said.


    Chloe shook her head to deny it, "The stories that I told you are just a few collections of events that should be lighthearted enough for you to digest. I don''t want to tell you the full extent of his abuse, because¡­ it''s very upsetting."

 190 [Bonus Chapter] Chapter 190

    "The stories that I told you are just a few collections of events that should be lighthearted enough for you to digest. I don''t want to tell you the full extent of his abuse, because... it''s very upsetting," Chloe said firmly. She still had her frail and meek appearance, but her eyes were filled with determination.


    A determination to hide her pain from anyone.


    Chloe stared straight at Diamond and said, "Diamond, you''re my new best friend-- in fact, you are my only friend after years of istion. But I don''t want you to know everything about me, nobody should know because I will only burden them."


    "Please never tell Vernon about what I experienced, because if you did, then I will cut you off from my life," Chloe threatened. There was no hesitation in her, and that terrified Diamond.


    She heard a few stories from Chloe about the abuse that Vincent did to her, and it was BAD. It was so bad that it made her blood boil.


    But she didn''t expect it could be worse to the point that Chloe was too traumatized to tell it to anyone.


    Somehow, Diamond felt guilty for her suggestion. Diamond simply followed her gut feeling. She felt her boss wouldn''t ignore Chloe if she told him everything.


    ''But I don''t know what''s in his head, what guarantees that he will treat Chloe kindly after she told him everything?''


    It took a moment for Diamond to decide her stance. She nodded firmly and said, "Alright, Chloe, I won''t tell Vernon about it. Even if he forced me to tell, I would keep quiet. You''re the one who has the right to tell if you''re ready."


    Chloe''s expression finally eased. She looked meek and frail again, with eyes full of shyness and obedience, "Thank you, Diamond. I''m sorry for being harsh on you just now. It''s just... something that I wish to bury deep in my head."


    Diamond was frustrated by Chloe, who apologized for no apparent reason. She wasn''t even being harsh or mean to her just now. She was just trying to protect something that she deemed traumatic.


    "I understand, and you shouldn''t apologize, girl. I should be the one who does that," Diamond said.


    "Mm? Apologize for what?"


    ? ''For being unable to help you enough,'' Diamond replied in her heart. But she could only sigh and shake her head, "Nothing, you should go now. You''re going to pick Mackie from school, right?"


    "Mhm, thanks for covering for me, Diamond. I will repay you someday, I don''t know how, but I will, hihi...." Chloe grabbed her bag and went down the VIP elevator.


    Diamond stared at Chloe''s back until she left, and she sat on her seat weakly, "You don''t need to repay me, Chloe. I just want my best friend to be happy. Since you''re my only bestie."


    Diamond worked as a model before being hired as Vernon Phoenix Gray''s secretary. She had met many people and was forced to be guarded 24/7 by everyone because there were so many snakes in the industry.


    She gradually developed the skill to identify people''s hearts by talking to them for five minutes.


    Chloe''s aura was so warm, gentle, and full of love. She was the epitome of a lovely, femininedy, but she could be a doormat because she didn''t know how to fight back when she got hurt.<sub> </sub>


    It gave Diamond a feeling of warmth whenever she was around Chloe and also a sense of protection. She wanted to protect and help Chloe in any way possible.


    "I mean, I won''t be surprised if Mr. Phoenix Gray would be hopelessly in love with Chloe. He is the type of man with so much rage and passion in his heart, he needs a woman who can calm him down, making him feel at ease."


    But Diamond also knew that Vernon was a very difficult man to satisfy. Nobody would have the patience, and even if that woman did, there was no guarantee that Vernon would reciprocate.


    Her gut feeling told her that Vernon was made for Chloe and vice versa.


    "Too bad they have so many problems stacked against them...." Diamond felt pity for both, but she couldn''t do much and observed as both didn''t want her help.


    **


    Chloe stood outside her car in front of the school gate, waiting for Mackie to appear from the school building. She waited in a daze, staring at thevish school building in front of her.


    She knew this school was built on thend owned by the Gray family, and the building was alsomissioned by Vincent''s grandfather. Vincent added some more facilities for the school for free because he was the main donator.


    Basically, this whole school was controlled by Vincent.


    ''I don''t want Mackie to stay in this school for too long. Vincent has his hands here...'' Chloe pondered. ''Should I ask for Vernon''s help? I want to send Mackie to another school, I don''t mind if it''s a little cheaper, as long as Mackie doesn''t get bullied because her father is a bastard who can''t zip his pants.''


    Chloe remembered Jaden and Mia-- Mackie''s friends again.


    ording to Mackie, Jaden and Mia tried to bully her because their mothers-- Jada and Maya, were sleeping with Vincent.


    Those two kids continued to harass Mackie. But Mackie was a feisty girl. She didn''t let herself get bullied, so she fought a lot.


    ''I already reported them to the headmaster, but of course the headmaster turned blind eye because she''s just one of Vincent''s dogs....''


    While waiting for her daughter, she suddenly heard a voiceing from her left.


    "Oh wow, look who''s waiting for her child here."


    Chloe turned her head and saw twodies around her age. They looked gorgeous and fashionable for their age. They wore matching sunsses and Prada bags.


    Chloe stood straight in front of them and greeted them politely despite the resentment in her heart, "Good afternoon, Jada, Maya. Long time no see."

 191 Chapter 191

    "Good afternoon, Jada, Maya. Long time no see," Chloe greeted.


    Jada and Maya nced at each other, seeminglymunicating with their eyes, and crossed their hands.


    "I didn''t expect that you still have the guts toe here, Chloe. After all, I heard from Vincent that you ran away to be a decaying old man''s sex toy," Jada said. She had a smirk on her face, thinking she was above Chloe and had the chance to marry Vincent. "Right, Maya?"


    "Right," Maya added her support to Jada''s statement. "He also told me that you ran away with his money. How shameless can you be? He has been an amazing husband to you."


    "An amazing husband who slept with the two of you?" Chloe retorted.


    Jada and Maya weren''t surprised that Chloe knew about their affair with Vincent. After all, Vincent instructed them to tell their kids to bully Mackie in school.


    Of course, they did it willingly without questions. After all, Vincent was their breadwinner now since they separated from their husbands.


    "And what''s wrong with that? Sorry if we''re better than you in bed," Jada and Maya giggled simultaneously.


    "Vincent told many things about you, including how you are so ugly, and it''s gross to see you naked."


    "Yeah, he also said that you can''t even give him a good head. Do you need a lesson from us?"


    "I don''t need a lesson from two whores who cheated on their husbands just to be Vincent''s side chicks," Chloe said ruthlessly, poking at the sore spot of Jada and Maya. "How does it feel to be his side chick? I bet you''re his side chick #80 and #81."


    "You¡ª ugly bitch!" Jada and Maya wanted to grab Chloe''s hair and arm, ready for a catfight, but Chloe retreated immediately. Maya and Jada tried to grab her again, but the school bell rang, and waves of little children rushed out of the school gate.


    Mackie saw her Mommy was being cornered by Jaden and Mia''s mothers. She rushed to the rescue;


    "MOMMYYYY!!!"


    Mackie stood right before Chloe and protected her Mommy against the two witches. She might have a small body, but her courage wasmendable.


    "Back off of my Mommy!" Mackie yelled, which attracted the attention of everyone, including the other parents who picked up their children from school.


    Jada and Maya looked around ufortably as they were put in the spotlight. They backed off, and once Jaden and Mia came to them, they quickly grabbed their kids'' arms and returned to their respective cars.


    Jada and Maya were pissed off, but they didn''t dare to make a fuss in this school, as this school was technically owned by Vincent Gray.


    Besides, Vincent told them they couldn''ty their hands on his daughter but could deploy their kids to bully her instead.


    ¡­


    Mackie red at them until Jada and Maya drove off.


    Then, she turned around and looked up at her Mommy, "Mommy, are you alright?"<sub> </sub>


    Chloe smiled. She crouched in front of her daughter and patted Mackie''s head gently, "Mommy is alright, dear. You were so brave to protect Mommy."


    "Of course! Mommy, you don''t need to worry when Mackie is around! I will always protect you!" Mackie puffed her chest proudly. It gave her a sense of pride when she could protect her Mommy.


    Because she always thought Mommy was so weak, she needed to be constantly protected by her!


    "Thank you, dear. Why don''t we grab an ice cream on our way home? It''s my treat~."


    "Yay! I want banana vored ice cream!"


    Chloe stopped for ice cream and then drove to the apartment. Mackie was eating her ice cream in the car when she asked, "Mommy, have you called Daddy?"


    "¡­ Yes, dear¡­" Chloe replied. She knew Mackie would throw a tantrum if Chloe said she hadn''t called Vincent.


    "Really?! Does he want to talk with Mackie?" Mackie looked so expectant. "I have been a good girl for so long, Daddy should''ve rewarded me!"


    Chloe bit her lower lip. She was trying hard to find a good alibi. She didn''t want to lie every time they talked about Vincent.


    But she also didn''t have the heart to tell Mackie the truth about her father.


    "Dear, Daddy told Mommy that he is still dealing with his problems. But he does congratte you for excelling in ss!" Chloe said. "Oh, he also sent money to us, so if you want to buy anything, then you can tell Mommy, okay?"


    Mackie was disappointed that her Daddy was still too busy to talk. She had been studying hard because she wanted her Daddy to praise her and spend more time with her.


    "Daddy always gives Mackie money, but he rarely ys with me¡­." Mackiemented. She stopped eating her banana ice cream and lowered her head depressingly.


    Chloe knew this would happen and was well prepared to handle this.


    "Oh, Daddy sent you a fairy letter too, do you want to read itter?" Chloe said.


    "OH, a fairy letter!" Mackie''s eyes sparkled with joy once she heard about the fairy letter. It was a term coined by Chloe to support Mackie''s rtionship with Vincent.


    When Mackie was four years old, Vincent went on full throttle on his promiscuity. He would fuck one woman after another every night and didn''t even give a crap about his real family waiting for him at home.


    Mackie was innately attached to Vincent, and started missing her Daddy a lot and threw many tantrums just to be on call with her Daddy, but Vincent was just out of the picture back then.


    So, to calm her daughter down, Chloe tricked her by writing a letter he called a fairy letter.


    Chloe practiced copying Vincent''s handwriting and wrote a letter for her daughter. Disguising Vincent, Chloe wrote that she was very proud of Mackie and promised they would go and y somewhere together.


    Chloe also wrote that Mackie should focus on studying, so she would make Daddy proud.

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    Chloe also wrote that Mackie should focus on studying, so she would make Daddy proud.


    Mackie would explode in happiness. She would smile all day long once she got the fairy letter from her Daddy. She would hold the letter and read it everywhere for the whole day before saving it somewhere safe.


    Mackie had collected Daddy''s fairy letters since she was four years old and treasured them in a small box full of fairy letters and small essories that her Daddy bought for her as a gift.


    Though, Only Chloe knew that 90% of the stuff inside that box was Chloe''s doing. She was the one who watched her daughter''s growth. When Mackie started picking an interest, Chloe would secretly note it down and hand her daughter gifts ording to her interest. Of course, she did it under the disguise that it was all gifts from Vincent.


    ''I just want my daughter to have a normal childhood. I want her to feel treasured by her father...'' Chloe assured herself in her heart. The constant guilt of tricking her daughter ate her up slowly from the inside, but she did what she thought was correct.


    She didn''t have a normal childhood because her father left when she was just a baby.


    Her mother was left heartbroken while raising two little girls. She didn''t have the time to date anymore as she was too busy working her ass off to feed three mouths and pay the bills.


    So, Chloe used all her might and tricks to ensure that Mackie had a perfect childhood, despite how horrible her father truly was.


    ''I want to give her something that I didn''t have when I was a child...'' Chloe thought, justifying her action, even if she knew it wasn''t the right thing to do.


    "Mommy, how many fairy letters did Daddy write for me?" Mackie asked excitedly.


    "O--Only one, dear..." Chloe replied. She actually wrote four before she picked Mackie from school. But she didn''t want to give it all at once to avoid suspicion on her daughter. Sometimes, Mackie was too smart for her own good.


    "Aww, it''s okay then!" Mackie nodded happily. "I will put it under my bed, so I can dream about Daddy!"


    Chloe felt her heart pinched when she heard her daughter saying such a thing. She was just trying to give her daughter a good life despite the situation she faced right now, but the more Mackie hoped for Vincent, the more it pained Chloe.


    ''Am I doing it right? What should I do if Mackie finds out about her father''s behavior once she gets older?''


    Chloe kept questioning her actions, but she didn''t dare to think more of them. Because she didn''t want to see an expression of heartbreak stered on Mackie''s innocent face.


    ''I''m sorry, my lovely little girl. I did everything because I want you to be happy....''


    **


    Vernon arrived at the office around six, when it was already dusk, and Diamond was ready to leave the office.


    She was surprised when she saw the big figure standing in the middle of the VIP elevator when it opened, "Oh, Mr. Phoenix Gray, I thought you won''t go to the office today."<sub> </sub>


    Vernon stepped out of the elevator and walked past Diamond, "Follow me to the office, Diamond. I have something I want to ask."


    Diamond tried to remember all the reports she did today and found that she did everything perfectly, so this should be something that wasn''t rted to work.


    She tailed Mr. Phoenix Gray to enter his office and stood near the door as she watched him sitting on the sofa. He seemed to have a lot on his mind.


    Diamond waited for her boss to open his mouth, but no sign of him wanting to do it.


    They were stuck in this silence for a while until Diamond couldn''t help but ask, "Sir, if you don''t have anything to ask, then I will go home. Please excuse me--"


    "--I do have something to ask," Vernon interrupted. "I''m just unsure how to ask about this problem."


    "Is it about the project? Or maybe another problem in thepany?"


    "No, it''s about... Chloe."


    Diamond''s eyes widened, and her body stiffened instantly. She didn''t know what the problem was this time, but she hoped it wouldn''t hurt her homegirl. Chloe had suffered way too much.


    "Diamond, did you ever apany her shopping?" Vernon asked.


    Diamond frowned, she never knew that her boss would be thinking about such a trivial thing, but she nodded for an answer.


    "What did she buy?"


    "Uhh... I apanied her grocery shopping. She''s very meticulous on her spending, she often checks whether there was a price cut for an item, or maybe buy one get one, or if there was a coupon," Diamond replied, giving the full information of what she found when she apanied Chloe to go on grocery shopping.


    "I don''t care about groceries, that''s so trivial," Vernon said. "What I mean is about her spending when buying expensive stuff. Did you ever apany her to buy something she likes? Maybe a diamond ring or birkin?"


    "Huh?" Diamond had never been so confused in her life. "Sir, I thought you checked your credit card spending in your phone often."


    Diamond noticed her boss''s new habit after giving Chloe his ck card. He often checked his credit card spending in the app and would be annoyed when he didn''t find what he wanted after checking it.


    "I did, I was just asking if she ever bought something more expensive other than trivial groceries, snacks, toys for Mackie, or eating outside," Vernon said. "I believe that she secretly has her own money saved in her ount, right?"


    "Sir..." Diamond sighed. "I don''t know how you get that idea. But Chloe never spends on luxurious items and told me once that she barely has 100 bucks in her bank ount, so she always used your credit card. The most luxurious thing she ever did with your ck card is treating me and her daughter to a restaurant."

 193 Chapter 193

    "The most luxurious thing she ever did with your ck card is treating me and her daughter to a restaurant," Diamond said. "And it''s not even the expensive one, so I don''t understand how you get the idea that she spent a lot of money."


    Vernon remembered this restaurant that Diamond mentioned. Because Chloe put the bill at the dining table alongside the grocery bill.


    Vernon found it ridiculous why he had to read a grocery bill. Did she think of him as a poor man who would pester on menial things such as groceries?


    "Did she ever ask for your money?" Vernon asked again.


    "Never, even in that restaurant, I said that I could pay for everything, but she insisted on paying me because she thought of me as her friend," Diamond replied.


    Diamond watched how Mr. Phoenix Gray''s expression changed from confusion to contemtion. Diamond didn''t know what caused him to be so concerned with Chloe.


    ''Usually, he would ignore whatever I said and jump to the conclusion that Chloe is doing something bad or hurtful to him¡­.'' Diamond thought. ''Did a fairy godmother suddenly strike his head with a magic wand?''


    "Why did you keep asking about this, Sir?"


    Vernon sighed. He leaned on the sofa and closed his eyes while answering Diamond''s question, "My big brother¡ª Vincent Gray, stated that Chloe is a gold digger. She yed poor in front of others, while she was actually draining his bank ount to buyvish things."


    "He said that she would make you constantly feel bad for her, so you will give all your money to her and she''d drain the hell out of your bank ount without feeling guilty," Vernon added as he remembered all the things his Big brother said to him about his sister-inw.


    Diamond''s jaw dropped once she heard that bullshit from Chloe''s ex-husband.


    It was such a ridiculous lie that anyone who believed it would be a total dumpster idiot!


    "And you believed that?" Diamond asked.


    Vernon opened his eyes and stared at his secretary for a while. He nodded once, then lowered his head ashamedly.


    "Sir¡ª" Diamond gasped as she didn''t know how to process this information. She always had a high opinion of her boss.


    Vernon Phoenix Gray was a genius in business. He could read people and made them do his bidding willingly. He was unpredictable and should be so because he faced many work challenges.


    But now the idea crumbled in front of her because her boss actually believed that kind of bullshit!


    "Sir, pardon me for saying this¡ª and you may cut my sry if you want, but¡­." Diamond took a deep breath as she prepared herself to unleash all the frustration in her head;


    "ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT?!" Diamond yelled. Her loud voice filled the CEO''s office, and Vernon was unresponsive as Diamond kept yelling at her.


    He knew that he deserved the scolding this time. Since nobody didn''t dare to scold him, he allowed Diamond to do it for him and give him a knock on the head to clear his head.


    <o>,m "SIR! DID YOU EVER OBSERVE CHLOE? DID SHE EVER DRESS WITH EXPENSIVE STUFF?"</o>


    "HER BAG IS FUCKING 50 BUCKS, HER DRESS SHOULD BE 100 BUCKS AT MOST, AND HER SHOES ARE LIKE¡ª 30 DOLLARS, AND YOU CALLED HER A GOLD DIGGER?!"<sub> </sub>


    "I¡­ I thought it''s just a facade because she wants to look pitiful¡­." Vernon tried to defend himself, but again, he realized that reason was also stupid.


    "OH MY FUCKING GOD, YOU ARE A REAL DUMBASS! WHY ARE YOU SO BLIND!? YOU''RE UNBELIEVABLE!"


    "MY HOMEGIRL CHLOE DIDN''T DESERVE GETTING HURT BY AN IDIOT LIKE YOU! ARGHHH!!!"


    BAM! CRACK! CRASH!


    Diamond kicked a punched ceramic flower vase near her until it fell and shattered on the floor. She was like a she-hulk unleashing her rage after facing the fact that she had been working as a subordinate of an idiot for the past few years.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Diamond cleared her throat and fixed her posture. She bowed politely and said, "Pardon my sudden outburst just now, Sir. I was unable to contain my rage when I realized that my best friend has been bullied unfairly by an idiot like you."


    Diamond was ready to get scolded. Even if she got a sry cut, she didn''t mind at all. She just couldn''t handle the frustration growing in her heart.


    But when she lifted her head, she saw Mr. Phoenix Gray still lowering his head ashamedly. He was unresponsive even after Diamond exploded right in front of him.


    Vernon felt like a dumbass as he finally obtained the rity. He had been clouded with hatred for his sister-inw that he didn''t even think twice about persecuting her as a gold digger.


    ''To think about it again, she has never wasted my money, and all of her dresses and bags look so cheap, it''s unbelievable that she was once the wife of a billionaire.''


    ''Why did I believe Big bro''s obvious lie again?'' Vernon asked himself.


    Diamond waited for Mr. Phoenix Gray to reflect on the many terrible deeds he had done to Chloe. He was to be hit hard by reality because he said nothing. He was just murmuring continuously while his eyes were cast on the floor.


    She didn''t know what would happen next with this stupid asshole, but she was done yelling and venting at her boss.


    "If you don''t mind, I will leave the office and let you think for what you''ve done to her, good evening, Sir," Diamond bowed her head politely before turning her back.


    But before she could step towards the door, Vernon suddenly called her back, "Diamond, stay here. I want to ask about something."


    Diamond turned around and faced Mr. Phoenix Gray again.


    "What is it, Sir? If you are still pondering about that gold digger stuff¡ª then I''m sorry, I don''t think I can help you. I''ve spoken enough."


    Vernon finally lifted his head and stared at Diamond, who waited for him to speak;


    "No, I think I''ve gained enough rity to know that she''s not a gold digger. But I want to ask you about the abuse she experienced."

 194 Chapter 194

    "No, I think I''ve gained enough rity to know that she''s not a gold digger. But I want to ask you about the abuse she experienced," Vernon said.


    Diamond gasped again. She didn''t expect this dumbass to start questioning the abuse that Chloe experienced.


    Diamond barely scratched the surface of what kind of painful abuse Chloe had from her ex-husband, and she already thought it was excessive how bad Vincent abused her.


    But Chloe never wanted to tell the whole story because it was too traumatic to even remember.


    Vernon noticed that Diamond''s eyes were fully focused when he mentioned the abuse experienced by Chloe.


    Vernon knew that Diamond and Chloe were close friends despite only knowing each other for the past few months. Thus, seeing her reaction, Vernon confirmed that Chloe truly got abused by his Big brother.


    ''She must''ve told Diamond about it, but why does she refuse to tell me? They only know each other because of me, and I''m not allowed to know?'' Vernon thought. He started to get jealous and annoyed by this newfound fact. ''Obviously, I''ve known her since I was a seven-year-old kid, does she not appreciate that?''


    Vernon''s gaze visibly darkened, and his expression changed from annoyance to contempt, which was weird for Diamond because they hadn''t talked about anything yet.


    "Diamond, about the abuse experienced by Chloe... you know something about it, right?"


    ...


    "Yes, Sir. I know a few things," Diamond replied, not covering that she just knew a few things about the abuse.


    "Tell me then, tell me everything that you know about it," Vernon ordered.


    ...


    Diamond remembered the warning that Chloe gave to her this noon.


    She didn''t want anyone to know about it because she deemed it shameful. She went as far as gathering courage, for a meek woman who had been awfully abused, to gather courage meant that she was hiding something so painful.


    Thus, Diamond started considering whether Vernon was worthy of knowing the truth.


    "Sir, why did you ask me? Why didn''t you ask her instead? She lives with you," Diamond asked back.


    Vernon wasn''t ready to hear such a question. He didn''t want to admit that he actually made Chloe cry twice-- or probably more than twice not long ago.


    "Why do you need to interrogate me? I''m giving you an order-- as your boss-- that you must tell me everything that you know about Chloe," Vernon raised his voice. He used the same intimidation tactic that he used daily. Since Diamond was his subordinate, he thought he had full control over her.


    "Do you not realize that I am the one who paid you to work? I can fire you, and I''m also capable of firing your family from their workces.<sub> </sub>


    Diamond was scared, of course. She was facing a man with the surname Gray. She knew how powerful he was, and she was now ying with fire.


    Usually, when her boss started to get impatient when she questioned his method of dealing with a business obstacle-- he would threaten her. It was most effective because Vernon had a power that could ruin her and her family''s livelihood.


    However, Diamond didn''t feel fear right now. Her heart was filled with a firm belief that Chloe deserved a man who would love her with a gentle, healing touch to mend her broken heart. Not a-- cruel monster like her ex-husband, or this man in front of Diamond, trying to intimidate and force her to speak.


    As if she had gotten the courage from Chloe, she shook her head firmly, refusing to tell her boss about the abuse Chloe experienced, "I cannot tell you about what Chloe had experienced, Sir."


    Vernon''s veins popped into his temples immediately. He wasn''t a gentleman, to begin with, and he held back a lot in front of Chloe because seeing her cry crumbled his soul immediately.


    But Chloe wasn''t here, so he didn''t hesitate to snap at Diamond. He got up from the sofa to show his intimidating figure and pointed at Diamond with his index;


    "I am giving you thest chance, Diamond. Tell me what do you know about Chloe, or I won''t be nice after this," Vernon threatened.


    Diamond clenched her fist, ''Chloe--Homegirl-- please send me your courage. I''m doing this because I know you deserve a good man, not a temperamental asshole like him.''


    Vernon''s sight blurred for a second. He kicked the coffee table in front of him until it flipped.


    The ss of the coffee table shattered on the floor, scaring Diamond even more. This would be the first time her boss exploded in front of her.


    "YOU DARE TO OPPOSE ME?! I CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE, DIAMOND!"


    "I--I DARE!" Diamond yelled back, betting on her life with this one. They were shouting at each other, and none wanted to back off. "IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO CHLOE, THEN YOU MUST ASK HER BY YOURSELF!"


    "SHE DOESN''T WANT TO TELL ME! SHE FUCKING SHUT HER MOUTH WHEN I ASKED!" Vernon yelled back out of frustration.


    Vernon was tired of yelling, he didn''t know how Diamond got the courage to fight him, but he knew that he couldn''t get a thing out of Diamond''s mouth.


    "Urgh, why did she tell you everything, while she didn''t tell me a thing? Obviously, I''ve known her since I was seven-year-old. She should be open to everything to me!" Vernon threw a tantrum like a kid. He was frustrated and angry but also feeling guilty at the same time.


    Diamond was catching her breath after extorting so much courage. Her heart was beating wildly. It was surely something that she didn''t expect herself to do.


    But it felt good to be able to deny her malicious boss for once, thanks for the courage that Chloe sent for her.


    "Why don''t you fucking tell me, Diamond? I just want to know what happened while I was out for ten years, so I can do something to protect her!"

 195 Chapter 195

    "Why don''t you fucking tell me, Diamond? I just want to know what happened while I was out for ten years, so I can do something to protect her!" Vernon said frustratedly.


    "Sir¡ª I already promised Chloe that I cannot tell anyone," Diamond replied. She wanted to ensure that her boss got the message she wanted to deliver, "Especially you, Sir. She made me promise not to tell you."


    "WHY?!" Vernon snapped. "Why didn''t she want to tell me? Does she think I''m not powerful enough to protect her!?"


    Again, Vernon started yelling at Diamond to vent his anger. He was like a manchild who had zero control over his emotion, which Diamond realized long ago.


    She didn''t expect the problem to be so prominent in his life.


    "Sir, do you not see the problem with yourself?" Diamond asked.


    "What? Now you''re ming me because Chloe doesn''t want to tell me about what happened to her?!"


    ¡­


    Diamond sighed, "Sir, you need to know how to treat a woman gently, especially a woman like Chloe. She has been through a lot, yelling and intimidating her would only make her hide even more."


    "But¡ª"


    "¡ªI cannot tell you anything about her because you don''t deserve to know, Sir," Diamond said. She wanted to make sure that Mr. Phoenix Gray knew how much of an ass he was.


    "What do you mean I don''t deserve to know? Do you think I''m not good enough to know? Diamond, I can fucking buy your life if I want to!"


    "Oh. My. Fucking. GOD! IT''S NOT ABOUT POWER!" Diamond yelled frustratedly. She didn''t understand how his brain was wired because she never mentioned anything about power. Chloe must''ve been traumatized by that since her ex-husband was so powerful. It was terrifying.


    "Then what is it about? Money? I have a lot. She can buy anything she wants with my money!" Vernon imed. He was a multi-millionaire already¡ª even though he wasn''t as rich as his Big brother, he could buy her a private jet if she wanted.


    "Sir, I¡ª I don''t know how to tell you anymore. Just treat her well, earn her trust, and let her open up to you, that''s all I can say," Diamond said. She turned around and pushed the door open, intending to leave because she didn''t know what to say.


    ''If I stay here for too long, I think I''ll lose all my brain cells,'' Diamond thought.


    "Wait, if you''re not willing to tell me, then refer to someone else. Did she talk about her problem to someone else?" Vernon asked.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Sir, Chloe is a broken woman. She doesn''t open up easily, and even to me¡ª she only told the surface of what she truly experienced," Diamond said. She looked over her shoulder and nced at Vernon with a sarcastic look;


    "Even if there is another person that knows about this, I don''t think they will tell you either. You''re not worth telling, a man who will only hurt her like you deserves to be kept in the dark."


    SLAM!


    Diamond left the office and mmed the door behind her back. It was a total disrespect to her boss, but she just couldn''t hide her contempt towards him.


    He kept going on and on about having money and power as if she could buy everyone with those two.<sub> </sub>


    "Even if it''s important, it doesn''t mean that you can buy a heart with those," Diamond murmured as she pressed the elevator button and went down.


    She stared at her reflection in the elevator mirror and wondered, "He doesn''t realize that my homegirl only needs a man that would treat her with extra care¡­."


    **


    Vernon didn''t get any answer from Diamond, much to his frustration. He wanted to destroy something else to vent his anger, but he knew it wouldn''t solve anything.


    In fact, no matter how many things he destroyed here, he didn''t think it would be enough. Because there was a nonstop itch in his heart.


    He was itching to get to know everything as soon as possible, even if that meant he had to hurt a few people in the process.


    "But Diamond is off the limit, she is surprisingly headstrong to keep the secret," Vernon murmured. "Should I¡­ force Chloe to tell the truth then?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon shook his head, "No, I can''t do that. I don''t want to see her cry."


    "Then what should I do? Act like I''m a gentleman in front of her? I''ve never done that, damn it!"


    Vernon spent his night in the office fighting against his own demon. He already knew the answer¡ª if he wanted to get it out of Chloe''s mouth, he had to treat her very ''gentlemanly.''


    It should be simple, but not for Vernon.


    He was already a temperamental man, and the hatred for his Big bro and sister-inw fueled his life for the past ten years.


    Thus, he always thought the idea of acting nice was repulsive. Because Chloe was always acting nice when he was a kid, but she backstabbed him in the end.


    So he didn''t want to show weakness that would be exploited like before.


    But, no matter how much he tried to reason, he still didn''t get the solution he needed; he was still blind to the abuse that Chloe experienced.


    Amidst his frustration, Vernon finally opened the office pantry and popped an alcoholic beverage to calm down. He drank and continued drinking until he felt a little tipsy.


    He checked the time and murmured, "Oh, I need to get home. She''s waiting for me¡­."


    Of course, he still had zero solution of what to do with his sister-inw.


    But for now, he just wanted to meet her and tell her about something that had been lingering in his mind for a while.


    "I... I want to tell him that I''m not a bad guy..." Vernon said as he threw the bottle of wine on the floor, grabbed his suit on the chair, and left the office.

 196 Chapter 196

    Chloe checked the clock on the wall and bit her lower lip out of anxiety. It was already ten, and there was no sign of Vernon going home.


    She didn''t know what happened to him, but she was convinced that Vernon must be with Vincent now, "Where are they? Did Vincent bring Vernon to a club? Or even worse¡­ to the sex club, they could have an orgy with five women?"


    Chloe caught Vincent red-handed having an orgy with five women once when Mackie was only five months old.


    Vincent called herte at night, telling her toe to a club with their five-month-old daughter because he wanted to show a surprise. Chloe was still naive back then. She thought that Vincent had finally stopped his promiscuity and wanted to give a sweet surprise to his family.


    So she came with her daughter, who was already sleeping in her arms.


    Once Chloe came to the club, she was led by two waitresses in scantily d dresses to a VIP room. She got a bad feeling instantly, but it was toote to turn around.


    Thus, when the waitresses opened the door, Chloe saw Vincent was surrounded by five women. They were all naked and mingled into one in a steamy session.


    The smirk on Vincent''s face when he looked at Chloe was forever engraved in her mind, but what he said next literally crushed her heart;


    ¡ª


    ''Come and join them, you ugly whale. You''re a woman, you''re a whore just like the rest of them, including that daughter of yours.''


    ¡ª


    Chloe was hysterical when she witnessed this scene, she screamed over and over until the whole club heard her scream, and five-month-old Mackie woke up after she heard her mother''s hysterical scream, and she also cried so loud.


    But what did Vincent do once he saw his hysterical wife-daughter?


    He just told the security to kick her out while he continued having fun with five women.


    Chloe shuddered whenever she remembered many things that Vincent did to her. She didn''t know why he needed to hurt her so badly, and when she asked him, Vincent simply said it was his right to have sex with plenty of women because he was a powerful man.


    Chloe was worried that Vincent would be a bad influence on Vernon since Vernon idolized his Big brother a lot.


    She knew that Vernon was an adult and should be smart enough to know right and wrong.


    ''But I''m still worried¡­.''


    ''I don''t know what Vincent said to Vernon. Vincent is very maniptive and Vernon is still too young to understand his schemes¡­'' Chloe got even more anxious as she started imagining Vernon getting in the wrong crowd.


    Maybe it was just her sense of motherhood. After all, she was the one who raised Vernon, and she knew that Vernon wasn''t the brightest when it came to picking up hints.


    He could be tricked once people knew his weak spot, and Vincent knew how to trick Vernon.


    "I¡ªI really need to talk to Vernon once hees home. I don''t want him to get a bad influence from Vincent," Chloe had decided. She saw Vernon as a rising CEO who should deserve all the greatness in life. She was so proud of him despite the bad treatment she received.


    So it was also her duty to ensure he wouldn''t be ruined.


    **<sub> </sub>


    One hourter, the door was finally opened. Chloe saw Vernon dragging his suit and throwing his briefcase in random directions. He looked tipsy, with two open buttons and a shirt stained with wine and beer.


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe stood from the sofa and walked towards Vernon. She picked the briefcase and suit that Vernon threw at random.


    Vernon watched how Chloe picked up his suit and briefcase. He wasn''t drunk now, so he could still hold the urge to kiss her.


    Chloe stood in front of him and grabbed his wrist, and pulled him to the sofa, "Jeez, You came half drunk like this. What would happen if you fell asleep while you''re driving? You should at least call me, so I can pick you up. Besides, you should drink responsibly when it''s not the weekend, since you still have work tomorrow morning."


    Chloe started chiding out of worry. She sat the big boy on the sofa and went to the kitchen to bring Vernon a ss of warm water.


    Vernon stared at the ss of warm water in her hand. He clicked his tongue annoyedly, "I''m not drunk. I''m just a little tipsy."


    "It''s just a ss of warm water, drink it," Chloe demanded. Normally, Vernon would be offended when he got ordered by someone.


    But he didn''t feel like arguing with Chloe right now.


    Thus, he snatched the ss of warm water and drank it in one gulp.


    Gulk. Gulk. Gulk.


    "Urgh¡­"


    BUUUURPPP!!


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Both of them were stunned by Vernon''s long and loud burp. Vernon stared at Chloe, and his cheeks visibly reddened, "Y¡ªYOU HEARD NOTHING!"


    Chloe paused for a moment and sighed, "Okay, okay, I heard nothing."


    Chloe walked to the back of the sofa and started massaging Vernon''s shoulder and rubbing his back. Vernon automatically burped again and again, which was something that often happened when he was a kid.


    Cute little Vernon would often feel nauseous and ill after eating something that upset his stomach. Chloe would give him a ss of warm water and then rub his back until he burped many times, and he''d feel better after that.


    ''I didn''t know that he still has this habit even when he''s an adult now,'' Chloe thought.


    Meanwhile, Vernon felt ashamed that Chloe was rubbing his back like she did when he was a kid. But it felt really good andforting that he allowed her to do it until he felt better.


    "Are you feeling better now? Still feeling bloated?" Chloe asked.


    "Not anymore, I''m fine now," Vernon said. There was a long pause until he opened his mouth again. "Thank you¡­"

 197 Chapter 197

    "Not anymore. I''m fine now," Vernon said. There was a long pause until he opened his mouth again. "Thank you¡­"


    Chloe smiled and rubbed Vernon''s hair, "Don''t drink too much next time, okay?"


    "Mm¡­"


    After she was done, Chloe sat on the opposite chair, directly facing Vernon. She was relieved that the atmosphere was much more rxed after she rubbed Vernon''s back.


    ''This should be the right time. I don''t want him to mingle with Vincent, but I need to tell him slowly, or he will explode at me again,'' Chloe thought. She took a deep breath to gather her courage and opened her mouth;


    "Vernon, do you have a business project with Vincent?"


    ¡­


    "Did Diamond tell you about it?" Vernon asked back, and Chloe answered with a nod.


    Vernon scoffed in response, "I thought she could be professional about it. I never like to get snitched like this."


    "D¡ªDon''t me Diamond¡ª" Chloe quickly interrupted, not wanting to drag her best friend into this.


    "And what if I say yes?" Vernon said. He leaned on the sofa and crossed his arms, waiting for Chloe''s response.


    "That''s¡ª" Chloe gulped, trying to swallow her fear. "¡ªY¡ªYou shouldn''t get too close to him."


    "And why not? Vincent is my Big brother," Vernon imed. He noticed that Chloe was ufortable whenever he mentioned Vincent''s name, and he got the brilliant idea to continue talking about him until Chloe finally broke down and confessed everything Vincent had done to her.


    ''So I won''t need to act so kind and gentle just to get the answer I''ve been looking for,'' Vernon thought. ''I¡­ I don''t want to show weakness in front of her.''


    "I¡ªI know he''s your Big brother, but he is also my husband¡­." Chloe said. "I know him better¡­."


    "Just cut to the chase and tell me what you think about my Big brother," Vernon said. "Why can''t I get too close to my Big brother? So far, he has treated me so well."


    "H¡ªHe¡­" Chloe started getting nervous whenever she talked about Vincent. Her heart felt heavy¡ª so heavy that she couldn''t utter more words without feeling pain in her chest.


    Usually, Chloe would retreat quickly once she felt nervous and scared. But she wanted to warn Vernon because she didn''t want Vernon to get hurt by that monster.


    "H¡ªHe¡ª"


    "What? Speak now, I''m all ears," Vernon ordered.


    Not only was he listening, but he was also observing Chloe''s body gestures and expressions.


    Gradually, he noticed that Chloe''s nervousness turned into anxiety and panic. Her eyes were unfocused as if she was staring at an empty wall in front of her.


    Her face turned pale¡ª so pale that Vernon thought she was ill.


    She started saying ''umm and hmm'' many times, as if she was holding herself not to say it even though Vernon had already said that he was all ears.<sub> </sub>


    She started fiddling with her fingers and fidgeted unnaturally, apanied by cold sweat drenching her forehead and palm.


    "Why don''t you speak? I''m all ears, if you want me to know something, then do it," Vernon said as he continued pressing Chloe about the matter.


    Despite the itching in his heart, he was being so reasonable right now. If he could be true to himself, he just wanted to cut to the chase and force Chloe to tell everything.


    But he didn''t want to scare Chloe and make her cry¡­


    "I¡ªI''m trying¡­." Chloe said weakly. She was pushing herself to her utmost limit. She wanted to tell Vernon about every insult and abuse that Vincent had done to her for the past ten years, so Vernon would know how horrible his Big brother was and that he should be distancing himself from Vincent.


    But, there was this hesitation in her heart, a hesitation because she couldn''t fully trust Vernon.


    Even if Vernon wasn''t like his Big brother, he was still blood-rted with Vincent. She feared his reaction would be the same as Dorothea Gray''s.


    She told Dorothea about Vincent''s behavior but pardoned her son''s promiscuous behavior. She also gave a ridiculous alibi that Chloe was just being a crazy bitch, because what Vincent did was normal behavior of a man with power. Chloe should just follow in her footsteps by wasting all the money to forget about the pain of being cheated on.


    ''W¡ªWhat if he doesn''t see anything wrong with Vincent? What if he starts calling me a crazy bitch because I''m the one who''s overreacting?''


    ''Or maybe he will get offended once I talk shit about his Big brother and also his dysfunctional Gray family.''


    Chloe swallowed her saliva hard. The fear started eating her up, making her unable to say anything about Vincent.


    "Why aren''t you speaking?" Vernon finally asked after he had waited for a while. Chloe had turnedpletely mute when they talked about his Big brother, Vincent Gray.


    Unable to answer Vernon''s question, Chloe suddenly got up from the couch and said, "I¡ªI just want you to know that you should be careful with him. He¡­ He is not as good as you think¡­."


    "How am I supposed to know when you keep being vague like this? What''s so hard about telling me everything?"


    "I¡ªI can''t¡ª I''m sorry¡­."


    Chloe wanted to run away, just like she always did when someone confronted her. She didn''t care whether they would call her meek or stupid. As long as she didn''t get hurt, then she would be alright.


    Chloe turned around, ready to leave.


    But Vernon swiftly got up from the sofa and stood behind her. He opened his arm and hugged Chloe from behind.


    He hugged her tight, but not too tight because she was so thin and fragile, that he didn''t want to identally break her.


    Chloe''s body stiffened instantly as she didn''t know how to respond to the sudden hug.


    "V¡ªVernon¡ª?"


    Vernon said nothing, but he gently tightened his hug, afraid that Chloe would disappear had he released his embrace.


    "Why don''t you tell me about your worries? Am I not good enough for you?"

 198 Chapter 198

    [Warning: Trauma content.]


    Vernon said nothing, but he gently tightened his hug, afraid that Chloe would disappear had he released his embrace.


    "Why don''t you tell me about your worries? Am I not good enough for you?" Vernon said with an unusually soft voice, something that was almost impossibleing from Vernon''s mouth.


    He was exceptionally tender for an unknown reason, and that scared Chloe. Because the warmth emanating from his body started seeping inside her cold, bony body.


    She was scared she would get addicted to his embrace, so he struggled a bit, "V--Vernon, release me first...."


    "I don''t want to," Vernon refused. "I know you will run away again if I release my hug."


    The way Vernon became so warm towards her actually terrified her. She was used to being treated harshly. Thus, when a man treated her this tenderly, she couldn''t help but think that he secretly had malicious intent toward her.


    Chloe started struggling to no avail. She was too weakpared to Vernon. No matter how hard she tried to break free, she was still at his mercy.


    Vernon''s heart was hurting when he saw Chloe trembling in his embrace, ''Did I scare her? But I''m being as gentle as possible....''


    Vernon had never been this gentle to anyone, and he would never think about doing so if the woman he embraced wasn''t Chloe.


    She was just special. She was the source that fueled Vernon''s rage for ten years. Yet, as much as Vernon hated admitting it, she was also the woman that filled his heart and his head.


    Chloe started to get desperate to break free. She was scared of getting hurt, especially by a man who was rted to Vincent.


    "V--Vernon, please release me! I did nothing wrong!" Chloe started yelling excessively, even though Vernon didn''t hurt her.


    It was her terrible fear that ate her up. No matter how much she tried to im herself to be a strong woman, she couldn''t erase ten years of abuse from Vincent imprinted in her mind.


    "Rx, I will not hurt you, Chloe...." Vernon said, but he tightened his hug on her bony body. He didn''t know what to do in this situation. He wasn''t well-equipped to deal with a woman with trauma.


    Chloe got even more terrified once Vernon hugged her tighter than before. She started to get shes of memories from the past.


    The way Vincent hugged her so tight from behind and whispered;


    --


    ''Rx, I will not hurt you, Chloe. I''m just exploring my wife''s body.''


    ''You should be happy that I''m willing to touch a fat whale like you, I could''ve throw you to get fucked by a few homeless man if I want to.''


    ''So stay still or I will snap your neck,'' Vincent said as his hand crawled up to her neck, choking her until her eyes rolled up and she could hardly breathe.


    --


    It was one of the core memories of the abuse she experienced from Vincent. She buried it deep in her mind, hoping she would never remember.


    But being embraced by Vernon triggered her old memories, and she couldn''t think straight.


    "RELEASE ME!" Chloe yelled as she struggled wildly. She even tried to bite Vernon''s arm.


    "C--Chloe-- Calm down--" Vernon was surprised by Chloe''s sudden outburst. She was like a wild animal that was scared out of her life.


    "LET ME GO! PLEASE DON''T TOUCH ME, VINCENT!!"


    "Vincent?" Vernon was even more shocked when Chloe suddenly called him by his Big brother''s name. He was dazed for a few seconds, as he didn''t understand why Chloe referred to him as his Big brother.<sub> </sub>


    ''Did I do something that my Big brother did to her? But I''m being very careful right now....''


    However, Vernon snapped out of his daze when he felt a sharp pain in his wrist.


    "ARGH!"


    Chloe bit Vernon''s wrist, and Vernon finally released her.


    Chloe dashed away from Vernon and identally tripped until her face hit the floor.


    "Ah!"


    "CHLOE!"


    Vernon tried to reach Chloe and check on her, but when Chloe turned around to face him, Vernon halted his step.


    Because Chloe was crying, but it was a silent cry.


    She didn''t sob or wail out loud. But the tears streamed freely from her eyes down to her cheeks, and her forehead was bruised because of the fall.


    She looked so terrified, and it worried Vernon so much.


    He tried to approach her carefully, but in Chloe''s eyes-- she saw Vincent with a bigger body and more intimidating eyes. She was utterly terrified that she started to get hysterical.


    "GET AWAY! I SAID GET AWAY, VINCENT!"


    Again, Vernon stopped on his track. He could only stare at Chloe helplessly. He didn''t know what to do or even what to say.


    He felt that everything he did only scared her.


    Thus, he stood still and watched Chloe get up from the floor and run downstairs. Then he heard the sound of a door being mmed shut. He assumed that Chloe was hiding in her room right now.


    ...


    ...


    This was the first time Vernon felt so helpless in his life. He always thought that he had full control over everything;


    This wasn''t the method that he intended when he wanted to extract information from Chloe. He wanted her to befortable with him, so she could open up.


    "Yet, I can''t even soothe a terrified woman. Everything I do will only scare her...."


    Vernon clenched his fist. There was growing frustration in his heart, mostly because he still hadn''t gotten clear information about what his Big brother did to Chloe for the past ten years.


    Though Chloe didn''t say a thing about the abuse, Vernon already got a rough picture of the pain that she had experienced. He was 100% sure that Vincent had abused her so severely that she mistook him as his Big brother.


    He also med himself. Had he been more gentle since the first time they reunited, Chloe might be more open to telling everything.


    "But you''re so blinded with your hatred, Vernon. The only thing you did was triggering her trauma...."


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you''re a fucking idiot."

 199 Chapter 199

    [Music Rmendation - Dealova Guitar Cover.]


    "But you''re so blinded with your hatred, Vernon. The only thing you did was trigger her trauma¡­."


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you''re a fucking idiot."


    Vernon sat weakly on the sofa. He stared nkly at the couch opposite of him, the spot where Chloe sat just now.


    The image of Chloe, who got nervous when he asked about Vincent, was imprinted in his mind. Because that version of Chloe was vastly different from the Big sister Chloe, he knew growing up.


    Big sister Chloe was very smart, bright, bubbly, and firm when needed. She was like a gentle light that became a guiding light for Vernon amidst his life in a dysfunctional family.


    "I always thought¡­ as long as Big sister Chloe is by my side, then I''ll be doing just fine¡­." Vernon murmured. "I''ve always wanted her to be by my side. But when she''s with me right now, all I did was hurt her ...."


    Vernon was already 100% convinced that Chloe had been abused by his Big brother. Her reaction was too real and extreme to be faked, and she didn''t even wail when her forehead was bruised after hitting the floor.


    She cried silently, and in Vernon''s eyes¡ª Chloe had been enduring so much that she cried on the spot whenever she remembered Vincent.


    ¡­


    Vernon lowered his head and stared at the bite mark made by Chloe on his wrist just now.


    "Even this bite mark¡­ she was so desperate just to escape me¡­."


    Vernon lifted his arm to have a better look at the vicious bite mark.


    Chloe bit his wrist so hard that the bitten area had turned purple. It was painful, of course. But Vernon wasn''t all that bothered when he got physically hurt, so he didn''t really care about the throbbing pain.


    What he cared about the most was the pain in his heart. Because the more he stared at the bite mark, the more he despaired.


    Vernon gently rubbed the teeth printed on his wrist and murmured, "I should''ve noticed sooner. Now I''m not sure how to make you trust me."


    Originally, Vernon reunited with Chloe to torture her, so she would understand the pain he experienced. But he felt so stupid now since what he had done was just ruining the bits of trust from Chloe.


    Just because he was a petty bastard.


    "Am I toote?" Vernon asked himself. "I want to ask for her forgiveness. I want her to know that¡ª"


    "¡ªThat I will protect her," Vernon murmured. He had wanted to say this sentence the moment he entered the penthouse.


    "I want to be the one who sees your smile every morning. I want to be a good dream for you. I¡­ I want you to trust me, Big sis¡ªno¡ª Chloe."


    "This little Vernon is a full-grown man now. I can protect you, even if that will kill me¡­."


    Vernon closed his eyes, and his mouth continued spouting all the things he had been holding for so long.


    He was talking to the air like an idiot, even though he could say everything right in front of Chloe a moment ago.


    "You''re my nightmare, and also my daydream, Chloe. I don''t know if I should let my guard down or not."


    Vernon went silent for a while, trying to retrieve a piece of love he buried deep in his heart.<sub> </sub>


    "Chloe, I want you to know that you are my first love, and that feeling never disappears."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was no answer because the woman who was supposed to hear about his confession had run away because she was terrified and traumatized.


    Vernon scoffed, feeling like an idiot.


    "Ah, I don''t know if I can say that again. I will probably let it be buried deep in my heart¡­."


    **


    Chloe mmed the door shut and locked it after sessfully escaping her abuser. Her whole body was trembling, even after she had locked the door.


    She was afraid that Vincent would suddenly break in and hit her.


    She ran to the bathroom to find a safer space and locked the bathroom door.


    She stood at the corner of the bathroom while staring at the door, ready to scream if Vincent suddenly appeared.


    But after a while, she realized there was no sign of Vincent everywhere, and her mind gradually recovered.


    "I¡ª What am I doing?" Chloe asked herself.


    She opened the bathroom door and checked on the empty bedroom.


    There was no sign of struggle and no broken mirror or scattered items on the floor. Because she remembered clearly that she threw everything toward Vincent just so he would back off.


    Chloe sat on the bed and stared emptily at the door. She turned her head to look in the mirror and saw that her forehead had been bruised, and tears were still streaming down her cheeks without her knowing.


    Gradually, she remembered that she had mistakenly seen Vernon as Vincent.


    Maybe Vernon didn''t realize it, but the way he spoke, the way he hugged her from behind, and the way he tried to persuade her¡ª all of them were almost an exact copy of what Vincent did.


    Vincent was like a viper who coiled your body and spouted venom from his lips. He would destroy Chloe''s self-confidence and ensure she could only look down and obey him no matter what.


    She felt guilty for acting crazy in front of Vernon because she basically had confirmed the abuse that she had experienced for the past ten years.


    "I¡­ I''ve promised myself not to tell him because I don''t want him to think about my abuse¡­." Chloe murmured. "He also didn''t deserve to know¡ª nobody deserves to know about what I experienced. They will see me as a crazy bitch¡­."


    Chloe told everything to that psychologist and also the psychiatrist that Vincent brought, and they called her a crazy bitch. She shouldn''t make up stuff because Mr. Vincent Gray wasn''t an evil man.


    "He will not believe me, right?" Chloe asked herself. "Vernon will see me as a crazy bitch, just like the rest of them."

 200 Chapter 200

    "He will not believe me, right?" Chloe asked herself. "Vernon will see me as a crazy bitch, just like the rest of them."


    Chloe barely tolerated it when someone called her a doormat, a burden, and even a useless bitch.


    But she couldn''t bear it when someone called her a crazy bitch and invalidated all her traumatic experiences with Vincent.


    She knew nobody believed her. Even her mother sided with Vincent because he just couldn''t do wrong.


    So she preferred to keep it bottled up in her heart, and tried to forget all the traumatic experiences, so nobody would call her a crazy bitch anymore.


    "But it''s toote now. He will call me a crazy bitch, and would probably be disgusted with me," Chloe assumed. "Will he kick me out of his apartment because he didn''t want to live with a crazydy?"


    Chloe bit her lower lip, even though Vernon didn''t do anything to her, but she was just so consumed with fear that she instantly thought of the worst scenario possible.


    "What should I do so he''d let me stay?" Chloe wondered. "Should I... use my body again?"


    ...


    ...


    Chloe liked Vernon''s touch because it was passionate and gentle towards her. But she felt degraded if she had to offer her body just so he''d let her stay.


    "But what choice do I have?"


    **


    Chloe woke up early in the morning to cook as always. Despite all the crazy stuff that happenedst night, she felt it was her duty to take care of him.


    She checked the clock and was relieved, "Still five-thirty. I can cook a quick breakfast before Vernon wakes up."


    Chloe didn''t dare to cook upstairs because she might identally wake Vernon up with the sound of the utensils. So she started cooking in her apartment instead.


    She washed her face before cooking to wash out all the tears and bruises fromst night. Her forehead had turned purple, but she didn''t have time to treat it for now.


    The first thing she needed to do was cook.


    Chloe made a quick breakfast and put Vernon''s portion on a big te.


    ? She went upstairs and carefully tiptoed into the kitchen. She checked the living room from afar and was relieved when she saw no sign of Vernon, so she didn''t need to worry that she might identally meet with Vernon.


    She wasn''t ready to meet him because she couldn''t handle the contempt look that he''d given her.


    Chloe put the breakfast and ss of banana-apple juice on the dining table, and she had also prepared Vernon''s juicest night and stored it in the fridge.


    Chloe stared at Vernon''s bedroom door for a while before she turned around and went downstairs.


    She knocked on Mackie''s bedroom until her little daughter opened the door.


    Mackie rubbed her eyes and murmured, "Mommy, Mackie is still sleepy...."


    "Ah, dear, you need to go to school earlier. You should prepare yourself now, and grab your breakfast on the table," Chloe said.


    "Umm? It''s still early, Mommy...."


    "I know, but you really need to go to school early," Chloe implored.


    Mackie was a little annoyed, but she obeyed her Mommy and prepared to go to school.


    Chloe also prepared herself for the day, even though it was very early.<sub> </sub>


    She wanted to avoid Vernon at all cost, at least for a few days, until Vernon would (hopefully) get too busy and forget about what happenedst night.


    Chloe concealed her purple bruise with concealer to ensure that her daughter didn''t notice it and then came out of the bedroom.


    Mackie and Chloe came out of their bedroom at the same time. They were ready to go, although it was still six-forty in the morning.


    "Let''s have breakfast, dear," Chloe said.


    "Un! I will wake Uncle Vernon up!"


    "N--No!" Chloe grabbed Mackie''s hand to prevent her from dashing into the penthouse. "W--We will have breakfast here, on our floor, okay?"


    "Ehh, why?" Mackie tilted her head. "It''s more fun eating with Uncle."


    "U--Uncle is very tired. He didn''t sleep for the whole night, so we shouldn''t disturb his sleep, okay?"


    "Ah, okay then!"


    Mackie ate her breakfast quickly, while Chloe ate an apple with her because Mackie said she refused to eat unless Mommy ate as well.


    After they were done with breakfast, Chloe and Mackie hurried to the elevator. They left the apartment, avoiding Vernon, who was still asleep.


    ***


    "No--DON''T--CHLOE!" Vernon yelled as he opened his eyes out of shock.


    ...


    He stared at the ceiling in a daze and soon realized he had a nightmare.


    In that nightmare, he saw himself trapped in a cage while his Big brother dragged Chloe by her hair. She struggled as hard as she could to no avail, and Vernon could only watch as Chloe screamed and called his name while she was being dragged into a room by Vincent.


    The nightmare was so realistic that Vernon thought he had lost Chloe forever.


    Thankfully, it was just a dream...


    Vernon raised his hand to the air and saw the bite mark from Chloest night.


    Vernon smiled bitterly, "I wish this bite mark is also a nightmare, so I won''t feel guilty for identally triggering her trauma."


    Vernon got up from the bed and checked the clock on the small table. He frowned when he saw the time, "Already eight-thirty? Why didn''t she wake me up? Did something happen while I was asleep?"


    Vernon worried that Chloe might harm herselfst night, so he quickly opened the bedroom door and rushed to the kitchen. He wanted to check downstairs.


    But his step stopped when he saw a te full of breakfast and a ss of banana-apple juice on the dining table.


    There was also a small note, so he picked it up and read it;


    --


    Vernon, if this breakfast is getting cold, you can reheat it. I''ve also prepared another banana-apple juice in the fridge just in case this one on the table is too lukewarm for you.


    I''ve prepared your suit, it''s on the sofa, good luck with work.


    -- Chloe.


    --

 201 Chapter 201

    ¡ª


    Vernon, if this breakfast is getting cold, you can reheat it. I''ve also prepared another banana-apple juice in the fridge just in case this one on the table is too lukewarm for you.


    I''ve prepared your suit, it''s on the sofa, good luck with work.


    ¡ª Chloe.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    Vernon was quiet for a while and scoffed as he found the note funny. He crumpled the note and threw it in the bin near the kitchen sink. He had a good idea of what made her try to avoid him.


    "Obviously, I''m the one in the wrong. I''m the one who triggered her trauma, so she should be mad at me," Vernon said. He sat at the dining table and started digging into the breakfast made by Chloe.


    He knew that Chloe wasn''t mad at him because she still cooked breakfast that looked filling and pretty much suited Vernon''s taste.


    So there was only one exnation as to why she tried to avoid him;


    "You feel guilty about what happenedst night, right, Chloe?" Vernon talked to himself while he was sipping the banana-apple juice.


    "I should be the one who feels guilty and apologize to you," Vernon said. "You have the right to be mad at me. I don''t mind. I''d be grateful, in fact¡­."


    Vernon didn''t know what kind of expression Chloe would make if she was mad. He remembered clearly how she scolded and reprimanded him for ying pranks on his parents just to get their attention.


    Big sis Chloe would pull his ear until he felt a little pain and then scold him for at least two hours straight.


    Then, she would force him to do a chore¡ª cleaning up the pranks or small house chores that the maids usually did.


    He would grumble andin when he had to do chores, but under Big sis Chloe''s stern look, he could only pout and continue with the chores.


    The maids would be very worried when they saw their young master washing the dishes or even taking out the trash. They knew they would get punished if Young Master Vernon told the head butler or head maid about this.


    But Vernon never actually snitched on his Big sis Chloe and other maids.


    Because he¡ª in fact¡ª loved being punished and reprimanded by Big sis Chloe.


    It gave him a sense of security. Because when he got reprimanded by Big sis Chloe, that meant someone still cared for him.


    Because his parents would never reprimand him. They simply ignored his existence and preferred to teach his Big brother about everything, pouring all their attention on Vincent.


    Because Vincent was the heir of the Gray family, not him.


    He was just a kid that happened to be born under the Gray family, but he was worthless.


    ''And the only one who cares for my well being is Big sis Chloe. She is my guiding light¡­'' Vernon said in his heart.


    Truth be told, if it wasn''t because of what he witnessed back then¡ª that Big sis Chloe told histe father that Vernon was ''disgusting, ipetent, and not as good as Vincent''¡ª Vernon would never think about hurting her.


    He wouldn''t even think about leaving New York because he wanted to stay close by her side.


    "I still don''t understand why she said that about me¡­ maybe she already forgot about it," Vernon said. "But I will never forget."


    His heart was conflicted between wanting to embrace Chloe gently or punishing her for hurting his heart so badly until Vernon felt nothing but a restless rage for the past ten years.<sub> </sub>


    But he had his own priority.


    He might be hurt, and he still resented his Big sis Chloe for looking down on him.


    But, when he saw her crying and showing signs of deep trauma¡ª he knew that he had to do something.


    ''At least, I need to get close to her, earn her trust so she will tell me about the whole thing,'' Vernon thought.


    Even though he still resented her so much, he was willing to put aside his resentment if that meant he could heal Chloe out of her trauma.


    "But how do I even heal someone out of trauma? Heck, I think I scare people more than Ifort them," Vernon started counting how many times he helped people feel better.


    Then he realized that he had never done it.


    Ever since he was a kid, he had been spoiled rotten and enjoyed being babied by Big sis Chloe.


    Then he basically spent ten years being a ruthless, heartless bastard in Europe, ruining everything he touched as long as he got what he wanted.


    ¡­


    "Fuck, I don''t know how tofort someone. What should I do then?"


    p Vernon felt stuck after realizing that he wasn''t a tender person to begin with. Added to his scary appearance, he would probably terrify her even more.</anda>


    ¡­


    "I need someone to guide me on how to approach her carefully, but who will help me? Should I hire a psychologist to tell me what to do?" Vernon wondered.


    That thought lingered in his head for a while, even when he returned to his bedroom to take a bath and prepare himself for the day.


    He wore the suit that Chloe had prepared while standing in front of the full mirror.


    "Hmm, handsome as always," Vernon said, praising himself for gaining more confidence.


    He used the VIP elevator to the basement and drove his car out of the apartment building.


    His mind was still filled with Chloe, thinking of a way to get close to her, if that was even possible.


    He knew he needed someone to tell him what to do because he wasn''t good at making peoplefortable.


    He walked into his office building and went up to the CEO''s office with the office''s VIP elevator. He pondered;


    ''Hm¡­ who will be suitable enough to tell me what to do to gain Chloe''s trust¡­.''


    Ding!


    The elevator door opened, and Vernon saw Diamond, busy at her desk, writing a report.


    ¡­


    ''OH!''

 202 Chapter 202

    Ding!


    The elevator door opened, and Vernon saw Diamond, busy at her desk, writing a report.


    ...


    ''OH!''


    As if a lightbulb suddenly appeared and shone brightly on top of his head, Vernon found the person who could teach him a thing or two about approaching Chloe carefully.


    Because this woman sessfully befriended Chloe in less than a week, it seemed.


    ''That''s right, I could ask her how to approach Chloe. I guess I can give her a bonus for her sry if she gives me good advice,'' Vernon thought. He had the firm idea that he could buy anything as long as he had money, and Diamond would definitely help him in this.


    Diamond heard the sound of the elevator hitting the top floor. She darted her eyes to the elevator and saw her boss walking out of the elevator.


    She had no good face for him. After knowing how much of an ignorant bastard, he didn''t feel like acting nice in front of him.


    But, he was still her boss-- for now.


    Diamond was convinced that she would be fired today or maybe in a few days as Mr. Phoenix Gray needed to find a recement for her, and she didn''t mind.


    At least, she would be fired for defending her homegirl, protecting a woman who had been abused severely.


    Diamond stood up and bowed politely towards her boss, "Good morning, Sir."


    Vernon gave her a side-nce. He was surprised that Diamond didn''t resent him after their heated argument in his office yesterday.


    Vernon walked past Diamond and opened the CEO''s office door. He halted his step before entering and told Diamond;


    "Diamond, go to my office right now, I have something to tell you."


    Vernon entered his office and closed the door, leaving Diamond guessing what her boss wanted to tell her.


    She had zero expectations that her boss would be so kind to her.


    She sted at him yesterday, calling him unworthy of knowing the pain that Chloe had experienced and calling him a bastard.


    "But what I said is true, and I stand by my opinion," Diamond toughened herself.


    Money was nice, and she definitely wouldn''t get this much amount of money if she returned to modeling, let alone being a secretary in anotherpany.


    "I can survive with the money I earned from working here. I can even open my own business as I''ve saved a lot," Diamond thought. "Maybe I can bring my homegirl with me. She can work as my employee rather than suffering with that heartless bastard!"


    Diamond didn''t feel nervous as she knocked on the door of the CEO''s office as she knew her fate was already sealed.


    Knock. Knock.<sub> </sub>


    Click.


    Diamond opened the door after knocking. She saw Mr. Phoenix Gray sitting on the same sofa as yesterday. The difference was the coffee table that had disappeared because he kicked the table until it flipped and shattered, so Diamond had to tell the janitors to clean it up while she ordered another coffee table for her boss, who had an anger issue.


    She closed the door behind her and stood in front of him. She ensured that she stood at least five feet away in case Mr. Phoenix Gray wanted to kick the sofa or destroy something near her. She didn''t want to get stitches because of his idiocy.


    "I''m here, Sir. Can I help you with something?" Diamond asked, but she didn''t smile at all. She didn''t have the energy to show a fake smile in front of him.


    "Diamond, I''m calling you because I need your assistance for something," Vernon said.


    "And what is it, Sir?" Diamond tried to remember the projects and reports she had done for the past week, and she was convinced she didn''t miss anything.


    So she assumed this one wasn''t work-rted.


    "It''s about Chloe," Vernon said.


    Diamond''s breath stiffened once she heard her best friend''s name get mentioned.


    She became guarded instantly and asked, "What do you want from her? Sir, you know that you can''t force her to tell you her experience, because you will only scare her away."


    "I know..." Vernon admitted that his heart felt heavy when remembering the scenest night. "I finally know that she had experienced severe abuse, even if she didn''t tell me directly...."


    Diamond''s eyes widened instantly because she expected Mr. Phoenix Gray to get angry at her for refusing to tell him about Chloe''s trauma.


    But he actually found out by himself? How?


    ''Something must''ve happenedst night, he said that he knows about the abuse even though she didn''t tell him directly,'' Diamond suspected in her heart. ''My homegirl is pretty good at hiding her trauma, so this bastard must''ve done something terrible towards her.''


    "How do you know about it, Sir?" Diamond asked bluntly.


    Vernon went silent, facing that question. He was unsure whether he should tell the truth to Diamond, knowing that Diamond would always be on Chloe''s side and would probably be angry once she knew what happened to Chloest night.


    "That''s not important, but I need your assistance--"


    "--No, that''s important, Sir," Diamond interrupted, refusing to put this down as she knew that Vernon had done something to her.


    "If you want my assistance with anything, then you need to exin everything to me. I don''t want to be kept in the dark and might identally help someone who will hurt my homegirl," Diamond said.


    Vernon''s gaze darkened. He was being so nice to Diamond, but it seemed his secretary had be very courageous-- even disrespectful towards him.


    "Diamond, know your status. You''re my secretary, my employee. I can fire you and even ruin your life," Vernon warned.


    "I know that, Sir," Diamond replied. "But I''m working for yourpany to deal with work, not to help you hurting my own best friend."


    Vernon scoffed, "So you''re ready to get fired, huh? It will be difficult for you to get a job as long as I told all my connections to refuse your application."

 203 Chapter 203

    "So you''re ready to get fired, huh? It will be difficult for you to get a job as long as I told all my connections to refuse your application," Vernon threatened.


    Usually, this kind of threat would be very effective against Diamond, and Diamond was logical enough to know that she wouldn''t get the same amount of sry working somewhere else.


    Most of the time, Diamond didn''t care about Mr. Phoenix Gray''s personal problem. She just did what she was told by her boss.


    But this time was different because it involved her best friend, whom she treasured. Even though she and Chloe had only known each other for a few months, she already knew that Chloe was a good woman who didn''t have any ill intentions toward her.


    So she felt obligated to defend her homegirl.


    Vernon watched Diamond get silenced after he threatened her, so he assumed she had conceded and would obey him.


    "So, are you ready to assist me?"


    "No," Diamond refused.


    "WHAT?!" Vernon''s eyes widened. He didn''t expect Diamond-- who had been a very good ''no-question-asked'' secretary to actually rebel against him so far that she didn''t even care about his threat.


    "Sir, I will not help you, not until you tell me what you did to herst night. Because I knew something terrible had happened," Diamond said.


    ...


    Vernon sighed. He really didn''t want to tell anyone because he was still ridden with guilt.


    But if that would help him to get closer to Chloe...


    "Fine, but promise me that you will help me after this."


    "Depends on the story, Sir."


    Vernon''s brows twitched. He might''ve been too lenient on her. That was why Diamond could be so blunt.


    "FINE! I will tell you everything!"


    "Good, I''m listening."


    ...


    Vernon took a deep breath and started retelling the important bits, "When I came home, Chloe was waiting for me. She''s telling me not to get close with Vincent as he''s not a good person, she said."


    "I realize that could be my chance to know her secret without needing to get close to her."


    "But the more she tried to back off and got nervous, the more I wanted to push her so she''d tell me," Vernon said. "Thus, she decided to get up and leave, and I hugged her from behind and gently told her that I will never hurt her."


    "And she... reacted strongly...."


    "She struggled and bit my wrist--" Vernon pulled his sleeve to show the teeth mark. "--And when I released her, she fell face first on the floor. She was crying... but there was no sobs. It was a silent cry."


    "And..." Vernon felt heavy when he had to mention thisst part. Because this was the real moment he knew about the abuse;<sub> </sub>


    "He called me Vincent."


    ...


    Diamond closed her eyes, and even with a short retelling from her boss, she could already imagine the scene, including the extreme fear caused by the trauma that Chloe experiencedst night.


    "B--But I didn''t hurt her at all! I''ve been very gentle to her. I--I just don''t know what I did wrong to identally trigger her," Vernon defended himself.


    Diamond opened her eyes and stared at her boss, "Sir, there are many triggers that might cause someone with trauma to overreact. What Chloe did was self-defense in her mind, because she didn''t want to get hurt."


    "Besides..." Diamond observed her boss from head to toe. "You''re obviously Vincent Gray, but bigger, scarier, and also with anger issues. Of course she will mistake you as a scarier version of her ex-husband."


    "But I didn''t even yell at herst night!" Vernon was pissed when he gotpared with his Big brother.


    "You yelled at her many times before, and that must''ve been imprinted in her mind," Diamond said ruthlessly. "In fact, I am also the same, Sir. When you''re angry for no real reason, I can only stay back and watch you destroy things. Do you think that kind of behavior will be attractive to a woman?"


    "What the--"


    "So, if you want to slowly gain her trust, try to be more gentle and assure her that you wont'' hurt her," Diamond said. "Try not to stand and look down at her, you''re scaring everyone. Don''t you remember when we went to a charity party with orphans and you made all the kids literally cried because you smirked at them?"


    Vernon remembered that moment clearly. He didn''t like kids, but he had to put up a good face as it was a huge charitypany with many of his business partners.


    But his intimidating figure and scary face made all the kids cry.


    "Try to sit down while talking to her, so she wouldn''t feel so intimidated," Diamond said.


    Vernon took a mental note of that idea seriously. Though, he thought it was ridiculous that he had to sit down to look less intimidating, and he doubted it would work.


    But he had to try everything if that meant it would help Chloe open up to him.


    "I know that she has been abused, but since he doesn''t speak a thing about it, can you tell me instead?" Vernon asked.


    "No, Sir," Diamond refused firmly. "Chloe has all the right to tell you about that, and I will never spill it without her consent."


    "Ugh, darn it."


    Diamond sighed, but she was relieved that Mr. Phoenix Gray seemed to have opened up a little, even willing to talk in a civilized manner without being angry for the first ten seconds.


    But, she also wanted to test something;


    "You should work hard to make her fall in love with you. But I know my homegirl is a great woman who is perfect for you, Sir," Diamond said.


    ''I bet no girls would tolerate you and your temper and sloppiness except Chloe. She''s a real gold, seriously--'' Diamond said in her heart.


    Vernon''s cheeks turned red instantly, he felt an explosion in his heart, but he didn''t want to show it in front of Diamond.


    "W--WHY WOULD I FALL IN LOVE WITH MY OWN SISTER-IN-LAW?!"

 204 Chapter 204

    "W¡ªWHY WOULD I FALL IN LOVE WITH MY OWN SISTER-IN-LAW?!" Vernon yelled out loud, but there was no hostility in his eyes.


    He looked very shy, though¡­


    ''I never said anything about YOU falling in love with her. But go off, I guess¡­.''


    "Well, that''s all the advice I can give you, Sir. Please excuse me, I have lots of reports to do," Diamond turned around and left Vernon''s office.


    "H¡ªHEY! GET BACK HERE! I''M NOT LETTING YOU OFF FOR SAYING THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER!" Vernon yelled again, but Diamond ignored her and left him alone.


    "Ugh! That damned secretary! If she''s not thatpetent, I would''ve fired her already!" Vernonined. But really, there was no way he would fire Diamond. She was just thatpetent and quick to do her job as a secretary. He was willing to pay her really high because he knew that Diamond''s skill was worth all the sry she received.


    Besides¡­


    ''She''s the only person that Chloe opens up to, I won''t kick her out,'' Vernon thought.


    He sat silent for a while, pondering whether he should follow Diamond''s advice or not.


    "Ugh, I can''t believe I have to cater to a woman''s needs. If it''s not for Chloe, I won''t even think about doing this," Vernonined again.


    In the end, he grabbed his phone and opened contact. He was about to call Chloe, but he stopped right before he pressed the green call button.


    He felt a little embarrassed for an unknown reason, like a little boy mustering his courage to confess.


    Thus, instead of calling her¡ª Vernon decided to open Chloe''s contact and texted her;


    ¡ª


    To: Big Sis Chloe;


    Come to the office. I want to talk about something.


    ¡ª


    He curled his lips, realizing he had forgotten to change Chloe''s contact name. He was so used to refer to her as Big sis Chloe that he used the same name when he got her contact¡­ long ago.


    "Ah! Who cares about that, just send this thing already, Vernon!"


    Vernon pressed send and quickly threw his phone on the sofa. He couldn''t handle the embarrassment in his heart, even though he just wanted to get closer to Chloe, so she would open up¡­


    ''So I can protect her¡­.''


    p **</anda>


    Chloe had been sitting in her car for hours. She had no intention of going to Vernon''s office as she was still trying to avoid him.


    She was too scared to know what Vernon would do to her, and her paranoia told her that he would probably berate her, call her a crazy bitch, and then kick her out of the apartment.


    "I haven''t saved money yet¡­ how am I supposed to feed Mackie without returning to Vincent?" Chloe wondered. "Maybe I should steal something from Vernon''s apartment, or maybe steal from his ck card instead? Surely, a few thousand wouldn''t hurt him at all¡­."


    ¡­


    "Okay, scrap that, I''m not THAT ungrateful. He has been helping me so much," Chloe murmured.


    As she was busy with her n, her phone suddenly vibrated, and she got a text.


    Chloe thought it was a text from Diamond since it was almost lunch, and she hadn''te to the office yet.


    But when she checked the name of the texter, she almost had a heart attack;<sub> </sub>


    ¡ª


    From: Cute little Vernon


    Come to the office. I want to talk about something.


    ¡ª


    Chloe''s hand trembled, and she threw the phone on the passenger seat. She thought Vernon would be too busy to talk to her today, but it didn''t seem to be the case.


    "Okay, you can''t avoid him, Chloe. But you got to think of a way to reason, you CANNOT be kicked right now, especially when Mackie is still recovering from bullying at her school!"


    Chloe started thinking of many paths she could take, especially considering whether she could get a job in anotherpany.


    But then, she remembered what happened back then, when she was literally going from one office building to another, hoping she could get any job that she couldnd, to no avail because Vincent forced all thosepanies to reject her application.


    "So, my only choice is¡­."


    Chloe gulped as she realized that she had no choice other than to sell her body to Vernon again, hoping that would be enough to satisfy Vernon so he wouldn''t kick her away.


    She hated it. She hated to be turned into an item of sex because she was desperate, and she didn''t even know why Vernon liked her gross body.


    But¡­


    "Just like what I said back then. I will do anything for my daughter''s wellbeing. Even if that means I have to sell my body to him."


    Chloe felt reluctant and sad because she had to be a prostitute to the little boy she practically raised until he was fifteen years old.


    But you got to do whatever to survive.


    **


    Chloe parked her car right beside Vernon''s car. She took a deep breath to brace for the storm that woulde soon.


    "You can do this, Chloe. This is for your daughter," Chloe grabbed the lunch bag and walked to the main lobby.


    She used the VIP elevator to the highest floor. She went out of the elevator and called Diamond. Thetter was busy doing reports while listening to music with her AirPods on her desk.


    "G¡ªGood afternoon, Diamond," Chloe greeted her nervously.


    Diamond didn''t seem to hear her, so Chloe tapped her shoulder.


    Diamond looked up, and her eyes widened instantly. She got up from the chair and hugged Chloe without thinking twice.


    "GIRL!"


    "Wha¡ª!"


    Chloe was surprised by such a tight hug, but she didn''t hate it. She hugged Diamond as well.


    Diamond grabbed her homegirl''s arms, and before she could say something, her eyes caught something on Chloe''s forehead.


    ''Lots of concealer?'' Diamond wondered. She noticed that Chloe''s makeup was uneven because her forehead looked so cakey, but the rest of her face was covered with light makeup instead, so it didn''t blend well.


    Curious about this finding, Diamond touched Chloe''s forehead, and the petite woman shrieked in pain instantly;


    "AW!"

 205 Chapter 205

    "AW!" Chloe shrieked in pain when her bruise was touched.


    "Eh¡ªAh, what happened to your forehead, homegirl?!" Diamond asked out of surprise.


    Chloe separated herself from the hug and shook her head, "N¡ªNothing, it''s nothing."


    "Girl¡­" Diamond took a good look at Chloe''s face and found out that Chloe had obvious eyebags and an overall haggard face.


    She remembered that Mr. Phoenix Gray said that Chloe fell face first when she tried to break free from Vernon. If Diamond''s guess was correct, Chloe''s forehead might have been bruised badly, ''And she used foundie and concealer to cover the big purple bruise on her forehead until it looks cakey only around that part.''


    ¡­


    "Girl, did something happenst night?" Diamond asked. "You look pretty haggard¡­."


    Chloe forced a smile and shook her head, "It''s fine, Diamond. Nothing''s wrong. I was just a little sick, but I''m all better now."


    Of course, Diamond knew that was an obvious lie. But she was sensible enough not to inquire more about what happened to her homegirl, knowing it was a sensitive topic that involved her trauma.


    "Just let me know if you need anything, and what I mean anything is ANYTHING, okay?" Diamond assured Chloe that she wanted Chloe to know that she would always be there to help her.


    "Diamond, you''re so kind to me, I don''t know how to pay you back¡­." Chloe smiled thin, feeling guilty because Diamond was the only one who was genuinely concerned for her.


    "Girl¡ª you can pay me by being happy, seriously," Diamond said sincerely.


    "Haha, I''m already quite happy when I''m talking with you, Diamond," Chloe smiled. "I will bake you a caketer, as a sign of thanks from me."


    "Girl¡ª Well, I heard that you''re a great cook, since that guy inside the office likes your food so much, so I wouldn''t say no to that."


    "Haha! Sure, sure, I will bake one for you. I haven''t baked a cake for Vernon yet, so you''ll be the first one to taste!"


    "Oh! Dang, girl¡ª I will take a picture of that cake and send it to him just to make him jealous, hahahaha!"


    Diamond and Chloeughed freely until theughs gradually dissipated, and Chloe''s mood turned grim again.


    "Anyway, he told me toe here, I''ll have to face him¡­." Chloe said.


    Diamond noticed the nervousness and fear in Chloe''s eyes, and she patted her shoulder, "It will be alright, trust me."


    Chloe nodded once, trying to act normal in front of Diamond before she had to face Vernon.


    Chloe put the lunch bag on Diamond''s desk and knocked on Vernon''s office door three times before entering.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Click.


    Chloe pushed the door open and saw Vernon sitting on the sofa. He was staring at the door, and their eyes automatically met once the door was open.


    Chloe and Vernon were surprised at each other''s gaze, and their heartbeats were racing simultaneously, but for a different reason.


    Vernon''s heartbeat elerated because of shyness.


    While Chloe''s heartbeat elerated because of fear.<sub> </sub>


    "C¡ªCome in, Chloe," Vernon instructed.


    Chloe walked in. Her legs were trembling because she was scared, but she continued thinking about her daughter. She was the only source of strength for her.


    ''I did everything for Mackie, I did everything so she would have a good life despite not being with Vincent,'' Chloe chanted in her head.


    She stood in front of Vernon, but with her head lowered. She dared not stare at Vernon because she couldn''t face him after what had happenedst night.


    Vernon noticed her reluctance. She even stood so far from Vernon that it was closer for her to run towards the door than towards him.


    His heart cooled down. He really hated this kind of reaction from Chloe because he wasn''t even trying to do anything to hurt her.


    But Vernon tried to keep his calm.


    He knew that Chloe was nervous and scared. So he nned to follow Diamond''s advice by acting gentle and trying not to intimidate her.


    "Come here."


    "W¡ªWhat do you want, Vernon?" Chloe asked carefully.


    "Juste here first, I want to tell you something aboutst night," Vernon instructed, and Chloe took only a small step forward.


    Vernon clenched his fist, trying not to show his displeasure, "A little closer."


    Again, Chloe only took a small step forward reluctantly. Vernon repeated his instruction four more times and was met with the same small reluctant step.


    "GODDAMN, YOU''RE TESTING MY PATIENCE!" Vernon finally lost hisposure.


    He got up from the sofa, and with his long legs, he easily took a big step forward and caught the woman who had been trying to avoid him the whole morning,


    He gripped Chloe''s wrist firmly, but he didn''t gauge the difference in their strength. He identally gripped Chloe''s wrist too hard and hurt her.


    "AH!" Chloe screamed in pain, and Vernon instantly snapped out of his short rage.


    He loosened his grip on her wrist but held her hand to ensure she didn''t escape likest night.


    Vernon saw his Big sis Chloe was on the verge of crying, and tears were already welling in her eyes.


    "S¡ªSorry, I¡­ I didn''t mean to¡­." Vernon quickly apologized, but he knew that wasn''t enough. He literally shouted at her a few seconds ago.


    He knew he had scared her, so he followed what Diamond told him to do.


    Vernon gulped. This was the first time he would do this.


    ''It''s okay, Vernon, you did this because you want her to open up,'' Vernon assured himself in his heart.


    Slowly, Vernon lowered his body and kneeled in front of Chloe. He looked up and saw that Chloe was shocked by his sudden action.


    "W¡ªWhat are you doing, Vernon?"


    ''Well, I don''t know, but Diamond said lowering myself in front of you will make you fear me less!'' Vernonined in his heart as he found this a very cringy thing to do, but it was better than not trying at all.

 206 Chapter 206

    ''Well, I don''t know, but Diamond said lowering myself in front of you will make you fear me less!'' Vernonined in his heart.


    He found this gesture cringy, but it seemed to work since the fear in Chloe''s face gradually dissipated but was reced with confusion.


    Vernon gently cupped Chloe''s hand with his palms, so he could transfer the heat into her cold bony fingers.


    Chloe was so confused right now. Vernon was angry a few seconds ago, and now he suddenly kneeled in front of her like some kind of royal knight ready to vow his loyalty.


    "V¡ªVernon?" Chloe called him again, and Vernon obediently lifted his head and looked up until his eyes met hers.


    This would be the first time Vernon looked up to Chloe since they reunited. Usually, Vernon would look down on her and bully her until she got terrified and cried.


    But in this point of view, he felt that he was looking at his Big sis Chloe again, just like the old times.


    His Big sis Chloe would always guide him through the darkest day when he saw histe father cheat so often or when his mother screamed like a crazy woman because she couldn''t tolerate her broken marriage any longer.


    When he was only seven, Big sis Chloe would let Vernon sit on herp and bury his face on her chest while trying to deafen his ear as his parents were fighting outside his room.


    Only Big sis Chloe would apany him because he would cry nonstop whenever he saw that unsightly behavior by either of his parents.


    ¡ª


    ''Big sis, I hate them all¡­.''


    ''Hate them?''


    ''Un, I hate my Mom and Dad. They''re all bastards, and they don''t love me.''


    ''Hush! Don''t say that. They do love you,'' Chloe tried to put more positive energy into little Vernon. Though she knew that was a total lie, Vernon also knew that.


    ''Big sis, promise me¡­.''


    ''About what?''


    Little Vernon looked up to stare at Big sis Chloe''s gentle eyes and smile, then murmured, ''Promise that you won''t leave me alone¡­.''


    ¡ª


    A small childhood memory shed in his mind, and he was dazed as he kept staring at her.


    Chloe got worried that Vernon might be onto something devious. She wasn''t used to being stared at for so long, as she always assumed herself to be an unattractive woman.


    She tried to pull her hand, but Vernon didn''t let her go, "V¡ªVernon¡ª"


    "Chloe¡­" Vernon suddenly called her name in a soft voice, which caught her off guard.


    "Do you fear me right now?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe looked down and stared at Vernon for a while. Strangely, she didn''t feel fear of him anymore, but she knew the reason already.<sub> </sub>


    Because when they were in this point of view, Chloe remembered little Vernon, whom she treasured a lot when he was young.


    The young boy was spoiled yet unloved in hisvish mansion. Chloe took care of him initially because no nanny had the perseverance to take care of that little devil.


    But little Vernon was very obedient to her, and she was trained to be a babysitter since she was a teenager. Because she needed to earn money to help her mother, she usually worked as a part-time babysitter for the neighbors around her house.


    ''Ah, little Vernon. He was so cute back then¡­.''


    Chloe shook her head as a response, and a smile bloomed on Vernon''s face. He was so d this method was working. At least he didn''t scare Chloe anymore.


    "Then let''s talk while I kneel in front of you, so you will not find me threatening," Vernon said. "I want to talk about what happenedst night¡ª"


    Chloe''s eyes widened in horror once she snapped out of her daze. She had mistaken this evil, intimidating guy to be the same cute little Vernon that she adored so much.


    That kid was gone¡ª he had grown up to be cunning and ruthless, a signature trait of the Gray family.


    "Aboutst night¡ª"


    "I AM SORRY!" Chloe suddenly interrupted Vernon and panicked once he brought up the incidentst night.


    She was always told by everyone around her that she was the wrong one, and Vincent was just the man that he was.


    So she often apologized even though she knew she wasn''t the one in the wrong, but she tried to avoid conflict, even if that meant she had to bow down and apologize.


    "I¡ªIt''s my fault. I overreacted and bit your wrist!" Chloe admitted everything. Her mind nked out. She just apologized and med herself for ensuring she wouldn''t get hurt.


    "C¡ªChloe¡ª" Vernon didn''t know why Chloe suddenly apologized and admitted her ''fault'' even though it was obviously Vernon who had identally triggered her trauma and made her hurt herself.


    "I¡ªI will do anything as long as you forgive me. But please don''t kick me out of the house or fire me from this job. I really need a ce to stay for my daughter and need to save money¡ª"


    "Chloe, stop¡ª" Vernon didn''t want to hear more of her rattling because the more she spoke, the more he realized she was rattling out of sheer fear.


    Chloe remembered the real reason why Vernon allowed her to stay, even giving her an unbelievable amount of sry in the first ce.


    Aside from cooking and taking care of his penthouse, Chloe also had the duty to service Vernon on the bed as well, being her personal whore because he wanted to experience fucking his own sister-inw.


    Thus, she used her free hand to start unbuttoning her shirt quickly. She didn''t even think twice about doing it as she thought this was the only way to survive right now.


    "I¡ªI''m willing to do it with you, Vernon. Please just let me stay with Mackie, until I have enough saving to leave New York¡ª"


    "STOP! I SAID STOP, CHLOE!"


    **


    [PS: You can check artwork for young Chloe in thement section.]

 207 Chapter 207

    "I--I''m willing to do it with you, Vernon. Please just let me stay with Mackie, until I have enough saving to leave New York--"


    "STOP! I SAID STOP, CHLOE!" Vernon yelled out of frustration.


    He snatched Chloe''s hand that was unbuttoning her shirt and locked both of her wrists, making sure that she couldn''t undress anymore.


    Vernon was desperate to wake Chloe out of her nightmare, "It''s my fault... Everything is my fault. Please stop...."


    Vernon felt his heart had been shattered into pieces. He was so close to on the verge of crying. He couldn''t even imagine himself shedding tears, but seeing his Big sis Chloe in this distressed state was like torture for him.


    He knew he wasn''t a good man, and he was very petty and held a grudge against his Big sis Chloe. Thus, he got the idea to humiliate her by turning her into his personal prostitute.


    ''I got what I wanted, I ruined her...'' Vernon thought. ''But why does it hurt even more when she''s in so much pain like this?''


    ''Is this really what I want?''


    Vernon kept repeating thatst sentence over and over. He wondered if he had done too much or shouldn''t have done this in the first ce.


    He hated her so much for the past ten years and wished her to experience the same humiliation that Vernon got back then. He wanted her to beg for his mercy;


    But when he saw her current condition, he felt nothing but a knife shredding his heart. He couldn''t handle this and even thought he should forget those humiliating words that Chloe had said about him back then.


    Vernon buried his face in Chloe''s stomach and started sobbing like a little boy who had been left alone for so long.


    His sobbing actually woke Chloe up from her daze. She saw the big guy who was supposed to be the powerful man with the world in his hand and cried while burying his face in her stomach.


    It reminded her of how much of a crybaby little Vernon was. He would cry over the smallest thing possible and alwayse to her forfort.


    He gently caressed his hair and asked, "Vernon, why did you cry?"


    "Because I can''t see you like this, Big sis...." Vernon replied while he continued sobbing. He called her Big sis Chloe, but he didn''t care if he sounded childish or whatever.


    He just wanted tofort her and also herfort at the same time.


    "I didn''t know that I had hurt you so much...."


    Chloe''s mind gradually cleared after she rambled nonstop out of fear. Maybe it was his cry or the way he hugged her so dependently.


    But she felt obligated tofort Vernon as his Big sister figure, despite how much pain she bore daily.<sub> </sub>


    "Vernon, I don''t me you. It''s not your fault that you may see me as a worthless cheap woman--"


    "YOU ARE NOT! STOP LOOKING DOWN ON YOURSELF!" Vernon yelled as he didn''t want to hear her talking in such a self-deprecating manner.


    "It''s the truth...." Chloe said nonchntly, feeling there was nothing wrong with her statement. "So, if you want to use my body, as long as I can stay with my daughter--"


    Vernon looked up and stared at Chloe in disbelief. She looked so convinced about her statement that she was a worthless woman.


    ''This is not the Chloe that I know growing up...'' Vernon thought. ''She was smart, bubbly, and bright. But she''s now just a shell of her former self. She doesn''t even have a light in her eyes....''


    Vernon remembered the bright aura exuded by Big sis Chloe back then. She wasn''t born into a rich family, and her clothes were very modest as she didn''t have enough money to buy something expensive.


    But she was beaming with confidence. She didn''t mind mingling with the ''rich folks'' in many of the Gray family meetings, and she could mingle well.


    She became very popr in the Gray family circle simply because she was a joy to be around.


    ''I can''t even imagine how bad was the abuse she experienced in the hands of Vincent--fucking--Gray,'' Vernon thought. He didn''t know why his Big brother, whom he looked up to so much, was able to do many cruel things toward Chloe, but he would NOT forgive his Big brother.


    Vernon already hated him in the first ce, but this was thest straw, ''I will do everything to bring you down. Once I know what you''ve done to my Chloe, I will make sure you experienced the same,'' Vernon swore in his heart.


    Unfortunately, the sunshine girl that could charm everyone had long gone. She didn''t even look people straight in the eyes now. She mostly lowered her gaze to avoid staring at other people''s eyes, including Vernon.


    ''She did that to me many times before. I always thought she was disgusted with me...'' Vernon thought. Vernon had many unanswered questions regarding her, especially the real reason why Big sis Chloe could be so cruel to betray him.


    ...


    "So, Vernon, I--I am ready--" Chloe stammered as she thought Vernon still wanted to y with her body so she could be pardoned for hurting himst night.


    Vernon shook his head and buried his face in her stomach again, "You don''t need to do that, Chloe. You are pardoned."


    ''I should be the one who begged for your forgiveness, Chloe. I''ve also contributed to hurting you for so long by making you my sex toy. I''m not even sure what I should do to get rid of this guilt in my heart.''


    ''But I want you to tell me everything, Big sis Chloe. I want you to trust me for everything....''


    ''I know it will be a long process, and I probably will struggle a lot to be patient with you as I also have an anger issue. But I want to be your guiding light, just like what you did to me when I was just a little kid.''

 208 Chapter 208

    ''I know it will be a long process, and I probably will struggle a lot to be patient with you as I also have an anger issue. But I want to be your guiding light, just like what you did to me when I was just a little kid.''


    ''Big sis Chloe, this cute little Vernon is a big man now, I will protect you instead.''


    Chloe was surprised when Vernon said that she was pardoned. She thought that Vernon would at least scream at her for hurting him.


    "R--Really? Pardoned? Just like that?" Chloe asked.


    She had been so used to being med and intimidated that she just automatically med herself so she could stop the conflict.


    Vernon knew this would be a long battle for himself. Because he wanted Chloe to regain her confidence and self-worth and slowly heal her from the trauma.


    Just like how she pulled him out of that gutter of a family.


    "Yes, you''re pardoned...." Vernon replied weakly, this time with a thin smile. "I''m not angry at you, Chloe."


    "But--"


    "And don''t you dare take off your shirt. I won''t do it with you," Vernon instructed, though he was actually fighting against his own urge.


    But he didn''t want to put more trauma in her. He wanted to have sex with her once she was willing to do it.


    ''Ah, this is such a torture...'' Vernon thought. ''I could''ve touched any woman that I want, including you. But I don''t want to put more trauma on your difficult life, Chloe.''


    Chloe was confused. She didn''t understand why Vernon suddenly lost interest in her body. She knew that she had to repay for all of his generosity somehow, even if she hated being used as his sex toy.


    "T--Then, what can I do for you, Vernon?" Chloe asked anxiously as she was worried that Vernon had hidden intentions after he pardoned her freely. "I--I don''t think it''s right for you to just... forgive me like that."


    Vernon noticed the anxiety in her. She seemed ufortable with being favored and loved.


    Vernon clenched his jaw, enduring the heartache that was killing him inside.


    "I will think about my requestter, don''t ask me about it again, you''re going to piss me off," Vernon said.


    "O--Okay..."


    Vernon continued observing Chloe''s expression. When he saw the relief on her face, the excruciating pain in his heart got ten times worse.


    <o>,m ''Ah, you''re torturing me, Chloe....''</o>


    **


    Vincent woke up in the morning after a nightmare again.


    Well, it was supposed to be a nightmare for him because in that dream, he stood near the pastor, and his eyes gazed at the long aisle covered with colorful flower petals.


    The beautiful melody from a pair of a pianist and violinist filled his ears as the door at the end of the aisle opened wide. His bride walked with her bridesmaid and two flower girls in front of her, scattering even more petals on the aisle.


    Chloe was beautiful-- she was always beautiful, bright, and the darling of everyone she talked with.


    But she was exceptionally beautiful today, wearing a long white wedding gown. Her wavy chestnut hair was let loose, adorned with a few butterfly hairpins.


    She was like a goddess that walked on earth, and everyone was awed by her beautiful appearance.<sub> </sub>


    She smiled as she only had Vincent in her eyes, and once she stood in front of Vincent, she murmured something without saying a word.


    But from her lips movement, Vincent understood what she was saying;


    ''I love you, Vincent.''


    Then...


    Vincent woke up from his nightmare.


    He stared emptily at the ceiling, and his eyes slowly shifted towards the big framed wedding picture right above the TV. It had been a while, but Vincent couldn''t stop the dream he was having.


    He always dreamed of his wedding day with Chloe, and he somehow remembered everything clearly in his dream.


    Even though he knew it didn''t matter because he was marrying a trashy bitch like her.


    Vincent got up from his marital bed with Chloe and then went to the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror.


    He had been looking haggard these days, especially with his dark eyebags.


    Work had been very tiring, especially because he nned to expand his influence in Europe.


    He knew that his little brother already got some grip in Europe''s elite business circle, but mostly in Ennd.


    So he nned to help Vernon by signing deals with elite business circles in other parts of Europe, like Germany and Switzend.


    ''If I can gain control there, I can help him expand in Europe also,'' Vincent thought.


    But of course, he also had other reasons.


    He wanted to ensure he would always be on top of the pyramid.


    "Vernon might be a rising star, but he is still my little brother nheless. I will always have the authority over him," Vincent said to the mirror.


    He took a bath and prepared himself for the day. He decided not to hire any stylist anymore because he just fired the fourth one yesterday.


    In his eyes, all of them were simply trash that couldn''t even do a simple job.


    As Vincent walked out of his room, he saw that Prisci was already sitting on the sofa in the living room. She was wearing another skimpy work outfit.


    She had a shirt unbuttoned for the first two, showing a little bit of her bra, and a short skirt that could barely cover her butt.


    She looked more like a porn actress than a formal secretary, which actually embarrassed him.


    Prisci got up and strutted towards her boss once she saw him walking to the main door.


    She tailed him from behind and tried to hug his strong arm. But Vincent avoids her by shoving her a little.


    Prisci was a little confused by Vincent''s action just now. Usually, he wouldn''t mind if she hugged his arms and pressed her boobs to him, especially when Chloe was around.


    ''What''s wrong with him?''

 209 Chapter 209

    Prisci was a little confused by Vincent''s action just now. Usually, he wouldn''t mind if she hugged his arms and pressed her boobs to him, especially when Chloe was around.


    ''What''s wrong with him?'' Prisci pondered.


    It had been at least a few weeks since that incident when Vincent kicked her out of his mansion for no apparent reason. Prisci thought it was because Vincent was sleeping with someone else while she was away, but based on the report of a maid that she bribed¡ª Mr. Vincent Gray didn''t sleep with anyone these days.


    He spent most of his time working and resting, usually watching a movie alone in his room or ying billiards or golf with business partners.


    ''So, the problem isn''t because of a slut who wants to covet him,'' Prisci thought. ''Then, what''s his problem? Why did he change his attitude and even kick me¡ª Prisci ''Gray'' out of my future mansion?''


    Prisci tailed Vincent to the wide porch and entered the car with him. But the moment Prisci sat beside Vincent, he gave her a side nce and asked, "Who told you to sit here with me?"


    "Eh¡ª Ah¡­ isn''t it always like that?" Prisci asked back. She didn''t find anything wrong with sitting with Vincent in the car.


    "Don''t you like fondling my boobs in the car? You can do it now, you know," Prisci offered, much to Vincent''s disgust.


    He looked down and realized that Prisci''s very short skirt already showed her lingerie. Vincent''s eyes darkened with fury, "GO SIT IN FRONT!" he snapped out of the blue.


    Prisci jolted when Vernon suddenly yelled at her. She stared at him in disbelief, hoping she had misheard what he had said just now.


    "W¡ªWhat did you just say?"


    But Vincent was clear with his order, "Go sit in the front with the chauffeur, are you deaf or what?"


    Prisci still couldn''t believe his words, so she tried to reason;


    "B¡ªBut it''s always been like this! I always sit right beside you whenever you''re off to work!"


    "And I want you to sit in the front or get the fuck out of my car!" Vincent yelled again, and Prisci finally gave in. She reluctantly got out of the car and circled around to sit in the front seat with the chauffeur.


    The chauffeur''s eyes widened when he saw the view of Prisci''s lingerie that barely covered her pussy, but Prisci couldn''t care less if any man saw her private part.


    She was more concerned with Vincent, who didn''t even want to fondle her boobs or y with her clit while he was in the car. He loved doing it, especially when Chloe was trying to be a good wife by standing beside the car, sending her unfaithful husband off to work.


    Chloe was forced to see everything that Vincent did to her body. That stupid bitch would often lower her head and try to ignore the tant view, which greatly satisfied Vincent.


    ''But he did it a few times even when Chloe wasn''t there to see, so it''s not about that stupid bitch,'' Prisci thought. ''Besides, Vincent always said that he hated his useless wife, so he must''ve forgotten about that woman at this point.''


    ''But what makes him change so drastically?'' Prisci pondered. She turned her head to the backseat many times and saw that Vincent was dazed while staring at the view from the window.<sub> </sub>


    Prisc started to wonder if Vincent was thinking of another woman. Maybe he found a woman that was sexier and more beautiful than her, giving her anxiety.


    ''No way, I have him dancing in my palm for so long. I know that he can''t just ditch me that easily. But I''ve gotten the information that Vincent doesn''t have any new side-chick.''


    ''This is bad, I need to find out about the problem or else he might forget about my body when he finds another woman. I need to tie him up and be Mrs. Gray, recing that stupid bitch who can''t satisfy her husband.''


    Prisci started creating a scenario in her head. She was thinking of some way to uncover the problem because Vincent didn''t seem ready to talk about anything.


    **


    Vincent walked inside the main lobby of his office, and everyone bowed their heads respectfully at him.


    Prisci tailed him from behind as always. Once they entered the VIP elevator, she observed Vincent''s expression, which looked grim.


    "Vincent, what''s wrong? Did something happen in the office?" Prisci asked out of concern. She might be after Vincent''s money, but she still cared a little about him, especially when it was about work.


    After all, she didn''t want her money making cow to be dried up before she could taste the richness from him, right?


    "It''s nothing," Vincent replied curtly. But his mind was busy with one topic that couldn''t leave his head.


    ''Why do I keep dreaming about that worthless bitch? What''s so special about our wedding day anyway?'' Vincent pondered.


    True, he knew that Chloe looked beautiful¡ª so beautiful that she charmed everyone around her with only a smile.


    But that was it. The only thing memorable in that dream was how beautiful she was. Vincent had met so many women in his life; some were supermodels, actresses, et cetera.


    So he didn''tck women by his side, especially this one condom who didn''t even feel a little bit of embarrassment showing so much skin to everyone.


    Vincent lowered his head to look at Prisci since she was shorter than him, but his eyes were greeted with twoscivious boobs squeezed in a bra, ready to be fondled.


    Yet, he didn''t feel like touching her at all, ''Maybe I need to find a new condom. This one is already past her due date, she looks so boring after four years.''


    Prisci thought Vincent finally wanted to touch her as he kept staring at her boobs.


    She grinned and unbuttoned her shirtpletely to show her pink bra, "You can touch me if you want, Vincent."

 210 Chapter 210

    Prisci thought Vincent finally wanted to touch her as he kept staring at her boobs.


    She grinned and unbuttoned her shirtpletely to show her pink bra, "You can touch me if you want, Vincent."


    ¡­


    "I know that you want it," Prisci kept trying. She pulled her bra down, and her boobs bounced out of the tight bra, tempting Vincent to touch.


    But Vincent''s gaze only darkened with disgust as a response. He didn''t respond and raised his head to look straight, ignoring Priscipletely.


    Prisci was annoyed that Vincent didn''t react to her seduction. She decided to go further by hugging his arm again.


    Vincent didn''t refuse her hug, and Prisci buried Vincent''s arm between her boobs just to seduce him further.


    But it didn''t seem to work at all. Vincent kept his straight face and was uninterested the whole time.


    DING!


    The elevator reached Vincent''s office, and he pushed Prisci away.


    Prisci lost her bnce and fell on her butt, she groaned in pain, but Vincent simply walked away from her.


    "Vincent, that''s so mean!" Prisciined. She pouted cutely, hoping that Vincent would carry her just like he usually did when they were about to have sex.


    But he simply left her in the elevator. He busied himself talking to Maria¡ª the senior secretary who was busy doing a report on her desk.


    The old Maria got up from her seat once she heard the screaming from the elevator. She was a little surprised, but when she saw Vincent walking out of the elevator, leaving Prisci inside the elevator with her body almost naked¡ª she already knew what was happening.


    It wasn''t all that surprising, really.


    She served thete Mr. Vaughn Gray since she was in her twenties and knew well that Prisci had fallen out of favor.


    Vincent was just like histe dad. Vaughn Gray would usually change a condom at least once a year just in case he wanted to have sex to vent out his stress of work. He would use the ''condom'' like a blow-up sex doll.


    Though, with their charms, Vaughn and Vincent could hypnotize those women and make them think they would be the next Mrs. Gray.


    The old Maria had no intention of telling Prisci about the condom thing, though. That bitch had been way too arrogant, thinking that she would be the next Mrs. Gray. She dared to disrespect Maria because to Prisci¡ª Maria was just an old secretary who would be reced sooner orter. She didn''t need to work hard to be a secretary because all she needed to do was to spread her legs and let the magic do the work.


    ''Yeah, that''s not going to work for a long time hon, he spent four years with you, he will get bored eventually,'' Maria thought for a second.


    She greeted Vincent as he walked past her, "Good morning, Mr. Gray."


    "Come to my office, Maria. I want to talk about the n I told you yesterday," Vincent said before entering his office.


    "Understood."


    Maria prepared the paper that Vincent had requested before she went inside Vincent''s office, she nced at Prisci, who just came out of the elevator, still with her tits dangling freely like a cheap whore from a brothel.<sub> </sub>


    "Dress properly, this is a formal office, not a brothel," Maria said as she walked into Vincent''s office.


    Prisci red at the old woman who dared to disrespect her. This was just a minor setback because Vincent was distracted. It didn''t mean that he didn''t love her.


    Vincent had been dating her for four years straight, and he was obviously so in love with her that he allowed Prisci to sleep on Vincent and Chloe''s marital bed.


    ? He evenughed when Prisci bullied his then-wife, Chloe.


    ''I like seeing her cry, it suits her better,'' Vincent said to Prisci when she shoved Chloe to the wall.


    "Ugh, just wait, damn old hag. Once Vincent finally proposed to me, you will be the first one to get booted out of this office," Prisci said, still believing she had a chance to be with Vincent.


    "Well, for now¡ª" Prisci pulled her bra up to cover her tits and then buttoned her shirt.


    She sat at her office chair, thinking of a new strategy to hook Vincent back into her trap. It had always been her line of thought.


    How to get Vincent to quickly marry her, so she didn''t need to be wary of external threats.


    She knew that she had gotten Vincent in her palm. But Vincent suddenly gave her the cold shoulder, and she had to uncover the problem.


    "Maybe he is talking with another woman on the phone?" Prisci wondered as she knew that dating or cheating apps weren''t umon.


    ¡­


    "Ah, that''s not possible. Vincent can literally call a supermodel toe to his house for a fuck, and that woman will be head over heels for him."


    "Maybe¡­ arranged marriage?"


    Of course, Prisci knew that Vincent came from such a privileged background, a family of old money that was so rich¡ª they even owned a few private inds.


    Now that Chloe was out of the picture¡ª or so she thought. It was obvious that Dorothea Gray¡ª the matriarch of the Gray family- started arranging a new woman for Vincent.


    Prisci gritted her teeth, she wasn''t fond of Dorothea, and the dislike goes both ways.


    Dorothea viewed her as a skank who was ogling her son, and Prisci also viewed that old woman as a skank who was lucky enough to marry Vincent''s father.


    Since their hatred was mutual, none wanted to talk to each other, even on formal asions.


    Besides, Vincent had stopped bringing her to the Gray mansion because of his mother''s request.


    "Fuck, I can''t let Vincent marry someone else. I''m already going so deep with him, there''s no way I''ll let him go!"


    Thus, Prisci started thinking of a method to hook Vincent, even more, making sure that he couldn''t escape her.

 211 Chapter 211

    Vincent sat on his boss''s chair and looked straight at Maria, who entered his office and walked to his side.


    She was holding a file in her hand, which he already guessed the document''s content.


    Maria put the file on the desk and said, "Sir, this is all the information that you want about Mr. Gregory Maxwell, including private information about his life and also all the projects¡ª ongoing andpleted that he had with ourpany so far."


    "Hm," Vincent picked up the file and opened it. He checked the document consisting of all the information for this man called Gregory Maxwell, an old friend of histe father that was still running his business to this day.


    "Gregory Maxwell, 61 years old, an old friend of thete Mr. Vaughn Gray. He is running a food and beveragepany that has been doing projects with us for the past twenty five years," Maria exined the content of all the research she could find regarding this man, including hiring a private investigator to delve further into the life of Gregory Maxwell.


    "He has a disharmonious marriage with his wife, and both of them have cheated on each other since ten years ago, based on the private investigator, Sir," Maria added. "He has two kids, and both of them are living far from their parents, so there is no familial connection between them."


    "So, both of them can cheat freely without consequence?" Vincent asked while reading the document.


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Hmm, as expected," Vincent smiled mysteriously as he noticed one sentence in the document. "Apparently, he has plenty of mistresses that he kept in a few apartments."


    "Yes, he has plenty and keeps each of them in different apartments. It''s a known secret actually," Maria reported.


    Vincent chuckled once he heard that, "See? Aren''t I better than him? I never keep a mistress in my mansion, I just fuck them and ditched them away, except for a few condoms. Chloe is just being so dramatic when I''m literally the best man she could ever have in her life."


    "That is correct, Sir," Maria agreed. She might understand Chloe''s problem if she married a regr man.


    But she married Vincent Gray. Of course, she will have to deal with so many women flocking over him. After all, it was a fair price knowing that she got Mrs. Gray''s title and all the money and connection as a billionaire''s wife.


    "Well¡ª" Vincent put the file back on the desk and instructed his secretary, "I want to cut a few projects between mypany and his, at least the newest one."


    Maria''s eyes widened hearing the statement. She thought Mr. Vincent Gray wanted this man''s information as a ckmail method in order to get what he wanted.


    But he wanted to simply cut the newest project between them?!


    "Sir, may I know the reason for your decision?" Maria asked out of curiosity and anxiety. She didn''t know what Vincent was nning and was scared this guy might do something rash.


    "He is one of the main suspects from the list that Vernon made for me a few days ago," Vincent replied nonchntly.


    "A list?" Maria frowned.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, it''s a list of millionaires that he suspected to be hiding my wife and daughter. They are all billionaires residing¡ª or have a stable business in New York, and also have connections with the Gray family, because I''ve never shown Chloe and Mackie''s face to the public."


    "So, only those who have seen them in a few formal parties hosted by the Gray family know about their appearance, making it easy to find the culprit who dared to hide my wife and daughter," Vincent said.


    "Sir, that''s¡ª" Maria was speechless. She didn''t expect Vincent to be very extreme in his method. "Sir, Gregory Maxwell has years of history with thepany. Hispany can be said to be one of our branches, and cutting the newest project with him can be devastating."


    "Devastating for whom?" Vincent asked lightly. "Is it devastating for us or for him?"


    "¡­ For him, Sir¡­." Maria replied.


    "And why do I need to give a fuck about a small shrimp? He is nothingpared to me, and if this small project gets cut, we can rece hispany with another one, it''s not that hard."


    True, Maria wouldn''t lie that Vincent was sitting on top of the world right now. She couldn''t deny that Vincent was untouchable, knowing the amount of wealth he evenly spread to almost every sector in not only New York¡ª but also the whole country.


    So, a small shrimp-like Gregory Maxwell was nothing but a hindrance. Vincent could do anything to destroy that man''spany if he wanted to.


    But Maria was still unable to ept the reason that Vincent gave for suddenly breaking the ties between the twopanies, no matter how small it was.


    "Sir, are you really sure this man is the one who has been hiding your wife and daughter?"


    "No," Vincent replied lightly.


    "But how¡ª"


    "I''ve read the report that Vernon gave me, and then selected a few main suspects, we will start with this guy¡ª Gregory Maxwell. I will make him go into shock and interrogate him, making sure he will spill everything if he doesn''t want hispany to gopletely bankrupt."


    Maria wondered what kind of report Vernon gave Vincent, "Sir, may I see the report that your little brother made? I can help to sort it out."


    Vincent raised his brow, "Why do you want to see it? Didn''t I tell you to start investigating a few names? Just do what I told you."


    "But Sir, blindly selecting a few main suspects and suppressing their businesses is not good for our reputation in the long term. They will see you as unreasonable and ruthless!" Maria protested.


    Honestly, she had no emotional bond with Vincent Gray because, to her¡ª he was just a little boy who resumed Mr. Vaughn Gray''s work after his death.


    But she had a sentimental feeling about thispany because she had worked here for decades.

 212 Chapter 212

    Honestly, she had no emotional bond with Vincent Gray because, to her¡ª he was just a little boy who resumed Mr. Vaughn Gray''s work after his death.


    But she had a sentimental feeling over thispany because she had worked here for decades, so she didn''t want to let it be destroyed because Vincent was an unreasonable asshole who would ruin his father''spany for a worthless woman.


    "Sir, if you want to find your wife and daughter, why don''t you report a missing child instead? Tell the police that Chloe is running away after stealing your money, and also say that Chloe took Mackenzie by force."


    "¡ªOr you can also go to the school and meet your daughter. You can force her to say where she lives with her mother, then you can drag her back to your mansion," Maria gave out two easiest and more logical ways to find Vincent''s daughter and wife.


    But Vincent only scoffed at those ideas, "I don''t want to draw too much attention from the public. If I use the first method, the news will leak and those pesky reporters wille, and there''s a big chance that Chloe and Mackie''s face will be leaked to the public."


    "And for the second one, I don''t want to look pathetic in front of my wife. This is about the pride of a man, I will make sure that she WILL be the one who crawls back to me, begging for me to take her back," Vincent said.


    "A woman like you won''t understand a man''s pride, so just shut up and do what I told you to do¡ª go make a notice for Gregory Maxwell, saying that the contract for the new project has been terminated, that old man wille begging in front of my mansion in less than a day," Vincent instructed.


    ¡­


    "Understood, Sir," Maria bowed politely. "Then, please excuse me, I need to write and email the formal notice to hispany."


    "Hm."


    Maria turned around and walked away. She looked calm as always. After all, she was a professional senior secretary who had experienced various troubles at work.


    But she couldn''t help but feel annoyed by Vincent''s clouded judgment.


    Obviously, Vincent was being unreasonable right now. Instead of going the easy way, he decided to use a dangerous method that might ruin thepany''s reputation and even the whole Gray Family''s reputation just because he wanted to ensure that Chloe crawled back to him like a beggar.


    p ''Hmph, I would rather drag that worthless bitch by her hair and throw her to a cage in Vincent''s mansion, so Vincent can continue working normally,'' Maria cursed while she returned to her desk and started doing what her boss told her to do.</anda>


    Meanwhile, Vincent busied himself reading a text from his little brother.


    Vernon was truly a hard worker. He went so far as to report every progress their small project had aplished, even though it was unnecessary.


    Vincent didn''t reply to him most of the time, but he always read the report that Vernon gave just to appreciate the hard work that his little brother showed.


    Though he rarely texted, he would call Vernon at least twice a week just to check on him or talk about random stuff since they were still catching up after ten years.


    "Just as expected, Vernon is the only one genuine to me," Vincent murmured. He grew up taking care of Vernon because their dysfunctional parents were too busy dealing with their stupid problems.<sub> </sub>


    He knew that Vernon was a little devil who would throw tantrums over the smallest thing and ruin everyone''s day just because he could.


    But Vincent never really stopped him from doing anything. He adored Vernon so much that he allowed the little devil to wreak havoc everywhere.


    "Well, look at him now. He bes such an amazing young businessman because I raise him right," Vincent imed.


    He also did the same with Mackie. He allowed his little girl to do anything and buy anything she wanted.


    However, she didn''t grow up to be a little devil like Vernon because Chloe would often reprimand their daughter if Mackie did something that hurt the maids.


    "Heh, that bitch doesn''t know how parenting works. Obviously, if she keeps stopping our daughter from doing whatever she wants, Mackie will grow up to be a shy girl," Vincentined.


    "I will make sure to educate Mackie after everything returns to normal, she needs to know that she is a Gray, and she can do whatever she wants."


    **


    Diamond was sitting on her chair anxiously. She didn''t know what her boss would do to her homegirl, and she was just scared that Mr. Phoenix Gray might lose her patience in front of her and end up giving Chloe even more trauma.


    ''Oh god, please don''t let him hurt her, at least not now when Chloe is in such bad shape!'' Diamond prayed in her heart. But she knew that was impossible since Vernon was so well known to be a man with an anger issue.


    She waited for a while until the door slowly opened from inside, Chloe walked out of Vernon''s office, but she didn''t seem to be in distress. She looked¡­


    ''Fine? Did nothing really happen there? I thought she woulde out crying because Vernon screamed in her face until she had a mental breakdown,'' Diamond pondered.


    Chloe closed the door and stood in front of Diamond with a thin smile, "Diamond, can I get the lunch bag?" Chloe pointed at the lunch bag that Diamond put on a small seat beside hers. "I need to reheat it, Vernon said that he wants to have his lunch now."


    Diamond was still confused. She handed the lunch bag to Chloe and watched her homegirl go to the pantry and return with a te full of food that looked so delicious.


    "Diamond, can you help open the door for me, my hands are upied," Chloe asked, as she held the te in her right hand, and two small banana milk cartons on her left.


    ¡­


    "Girl, are you really fine? Do you want me to defend you in front of him?"

 213 Chapter 213

    "Girl, are you really fine? Do you want me to defend you in front of him?" Diamond asked, willingly making herself be her shield as long as her homegirl didn''t get hurt even more.


    But Chloe giggled upon hearing her offer and replied, "No need, Diamond. Vernon is not hostile with me, at least not today."


    "R¡ªReally?!"


    "Yeah, I can''t tell you the details because Vernon told me not to tell anyone, so¡­."


    "Ugh, that guy¡ª I was about to ask if you can tell me everything," Diamond said begrudgingly. She got up and opened the door for Chloe.


    Diamond peeked as Chloe entered the office, and she saw Mr. Phoenix Gray sitting calmly on the sofa. He didn''t seem to be in any mood right now. He just stared at Chloe¡ª and also the food that she brought.


    Then, Vernon noticed Diamond had been peeking behind Chloe and yelled, "Close the door, Diamond! Who gives you permission to peek?!"


    Diamond red back at her boss, but she obeyed his order and closed the door, so Chloe and Vernon could spend time together. She still couldn''t predict what her boss wanted to do, but at least he didn''t seem to be in a bad mood.


    "Well, as long as he doesn''t hurt Chloe, I guess¡­."


    **


    After that little self-confession in Vernon''s heart, alongside him hugging Chloe just like he did when he was just a kid, Vernon decided to spend more time with Chloe.


    He knew that Chloe had a lot of issues, though he still didn''t know the full story behind it. But at least he got his priority straight.


    He wanted her to befortable with him. So, Chloe could appreciate that he was being genuine about helping her.


    ''Then, she will tell me all her problems,'' Vernon thought. He also assured himself. ''This is all because I genuinely cared for her as my babysitter when I was a kid, giving me a family that I never knew I needed back then. So I''m helping her as a payback.''


    ''Nothing more. There''s no hidden intention¡­ not at all.''


    Chloe put the te on the table andmented, "You shouldn''t be too harsh on Diamond. She is a great secretary and a good friend to me."


    Vernon darted his eyes at Chloe. He was a little annoyed because Chloe took Diamond''s side. After all, she was still his employee, and he had the right to scold her if she did something out of the line.


    But when he faced the smile on Chloe''s face, his anger vanished instantly, and he just grumbled, "Hrmm¡­."


    Vernon grabbed the spoon and fork, then nced at Chloe, who was about to leave him alone.


    "Who told you to leave me?"


    "Eh¡ª I¡ª I thought you need some time alone to have lunch by yourself," Chloe said.


    "Sit here with me," Vernon said, pointing to the spot beside him on the sofa.


    Chloe reluctantly obeyed, and she sat right beside Vernon. She watched as Vernon gobbled the food like it was hisst meal on earth, which pleased her. It was good to see someone eating her food because Vincent would always throw her homemade cooking and call it dog food.<sub> </sub>


    But Vernon suddenly stopped eating halfway and drank his usual banana milk. He was satisfied with the food and wanted to eat more, but he had something bugging his mind.


    "Where''s your lunch?" Vernon asked.


    "Ah¡ª I¡ªI will eatter," Chloe replied meekly. She got a bit nervous as she thought Vernon would be angry at her for not eating. She didn''t really know the thought process behind him getting angry, but she didn''t want to trigger him, nheless.


    "Hmm¡­"


    Surprisingly, Vernon didn''t seem to get mad this time. Instead, he picked up the te, started scooping a spoonful of risotto and a meatball, and then offered it in front of Chloe''s mouth.


    "Eat this before you have your real lunchter," Vernon said.


    Chloe was stunned by the sudden change.


    Honestly, Vernon was so weird today.


    He wasn''t as crazy as usual. He didn''t get angry at her nor force her to strip and give him a blowjob.


    He kneeled and hugged her on the waist, sobbing like a little kid that finally reunited with his babysitter after being lost in a park. He was also surprisingly gentle with his words.


    Chloe didn''t believe any man would be kind to her. It was just hardwired in her head that she wasn''t worth it.


    ''He must have a hidden intention. Maybe he wants to y with my feelings? Knowing that I''m just a single old woman that has been abused¡­ so I''m very weak to a man who acts so gentle towards me¡­.''


    Chloe was fully guarded and stared at Vernon with eyes full of doubt.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Vernon asked as he got displeased with her gaze. "Do I look like some shady drug dealer to you?"


    ''Kind of,'' Chloe replied in her heart but shaking her head as a visible response.


    "Do you feel disgusted with the spoon because I used it just now?"


    Chloe shook her head again as an answer.


    "Then eat it, I don''t want you to starve," Vernon said. "Look at you, all skin and bones, bet you will get blown away by a gust."


    Chloe choked when Vernon insulted her out of nowhere. She had to get this paper-thin body because Vincent kept calling her a whale, and she worked hard to be thin.


    Chloe wanted to defend herself, but when she opened her mouth, Vernon took the chance and shoved the whole spoonful of food into her mouth.


    "Ummffh¡ª!" Chloe was shocked when her mouth was suddenly filled with a big meatball. She gawked at Vernon as if she had been wronged and wanted to get up to spit out the food.


    But Vernon suddenly grabbed her arm and scoffed, "Don''t look at me as if I''m forcing you. This is for your own good."

 214 Chapter 214

    "Don''t look at me as if I''m forcing you. This is for your own good," Vernon said, quoting the sentence that Big sis Chloe usually used to force him to do homework or study when he was a kid.


    Vernon scooped another spoonful of risotto and a meatball and shoved it into Chloe''s mouth right after she finished eating the previous one, giving Chloe no way to refuse.


    "This is the food you made, risotto as a main with lots of veggies and meatballs. I guess you''re trying to give me a healthy meal, huh?" Vernon asked, and Chloe nodded since she couldn''t speak right now.


    Vernon lowered his head to hide a thin smile lingering on his lips. He remembered that Chloe always cooked healthy meals for him every day. She ensured that Vernon got all the vitamins, protein, and carbs he needed. She acted almost like a nutritionist, in fact.


    But it still made him happy that she watched over his health and ensured he ate well.


    Vernon raised his head and resumed his t expression;


    "By the way, You''re not going anywhere until you eat everything, then we''re going to a restaurant near the office for another lunch," Vernon added.


    Chloe''s eyes widened, she was already feeling full after eating two spoonfuls of food, but Vernon kept forcing her to eat until she ate half of the food she made for Vernon.


    This was basically her food for at least three days. Since Vernon was a big boy, he ate two portions of what regr people ate per meal.


    She munched thest meatball weakly and swallowed it. Vernon gave her one of his banana milk to wash it all down.


    Chloey weakly on the sofa. She was breathing heavily, unable to recover after eating so much food, and her stomach literally bulged a bit.


    Vernon watched her for at least ten minutes and was pleasantly surprised, "You don''t feel like vomiting at all? You ate half of my portion, you know."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Chloe waited for a while and was also surprised by her body reaction. Because she didn''t vomit anything.


    She ate so much food that could allow her to function for three days straight, and she didn''t even feel the retching feeling!


    Chloe looked at Vernon in disbelief, "I¡ªI don''t know. Usually I¡ª I would retch and vomit everything¡­."


    Vernon saw this as a chance and asked, "And why so? Is it because of me?"


    Chloe shook her head adamantly. It was most definitely not because of Vernon. Her eating disorder developed when Vincent called her a disgusting narwhal or a fatty whale.


    He wouldugh at Chloe for eating even the smallest thing, telling her that she looked so disgusting for eating anything when she was fat.


    Over time, she felt nervous whenever she had to touch food. The nightmare of Vincent ridiculing her for eating even the smallest thing made her automatically vomit everything she ate unless she ate slowly and alone.


    Because the more she got watched by anyone she was scared of, the more she wanted to puke her guts out.


    ''But, Vernon is literally feeding me right now, and I don''t feel the retching? Why? I don''t even understand¡­'' Chloe pondered.


    Vernon had a theory in his mind and asked to get more information, "Then, what makes you vomit everything you ate before?"<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    Chloe didn''t dare to answer because that meant she would tell one of the horrible things Vincent did to her.


    She lowered her head, and Vernon got impatient, "Chloe, do you have¡­ an eating disorder? Bulimia?"


    Chloe jolted, and she distanced herself from Vernon immediately. She looked straight at him with fear in her eyes.


    Her reaction confirmed it, which also stunned Vernon because that was a wild guess.


    He never thought that Chloe had an eating disorder¡ª even developed bulimia since she was such a healthy woman before marriage.


    He remembered that Chloe was such a foodie that she would try all recipes in a cookbook in the Gray mansion kitchen because she could get all the ingredients she wanted without paying. Vernon would always be her guinea pig for tasting the new recipe.


    Which was all great, by the way. She was a talented cook.


    "Chloe, about that bulimia¡ª"


    "STOP!" Chloe interrupted before Vernon could proceed with more questions. "I¡ªI don''t want to talk about it, please¡­."


    "Why?" Vernon frowned. "Obviously, you reacted when I said that you had bulimia. Just tell me what''s the problem, how did you develop an eating disorder, or¡­ who is the culprit. You can tell me everything, you know."


    "I¡ªIt''s not that simple¡­." Chloe replied.


    "What''s not simple? Just tell me what went wrong," Vernon said lightly, thinking the atmosphere wasfortable enough for Chloe to open up.


    ¡­


    Chloe went silent. She had two solid reasons not to tell Vernon about her problem.


    First, she didn''t want to ruin Vernon and Vincent''s brotherhood. They had a good rtionship, and Vincent had a project with Vernon. She didn''t want to be the downfall of such a great young man.


    ''If I told him about it, he would probably confront Vincent. I know how much of a monster my ex-husband is, and I don''t want to drag Vernon in this,'' Chloe thought.


    Second, she just didn''t open up so easily because¡­


    ''Because you look so much like Vincent. Even if you''re not him, to open up to someone who looks exactly like him is¡­ difficult,'' Chloe said in her heart.


    ''Besides, I can''t trust you, Vernon. You''re not my cute little Vernon anymore. You''ve proven yourself to be more than capable of ruining my life, just like your Big brother. You''re a man with schemes and hidden interests, I don''t want to get used and ruined by another man¡­.''


    Chloe got up from the sofa and distanced herself, "I¡ªI have to leave now. I''ll return home."


    "But¡ª Chloe¡ª"


    Chloepletely ignored Vernon and went out of the office, leaving Vernon alone, wondering what went wrong with his sentence.

 215 Chapter 215

    Chloepletely ignored Vernon and went out of the office, leaving Vernon alone, wondering what went wrong with his sentence.


    "Did I say something wrong? She is obviously suffering from bulimia, just looking at her reaction," Vernon murmured. "If she keeps everything bottled up, how am I supposed to help?"


    He sighed and put the te on the table. He was gentle to her and even tried his best to be patient despite Chloe acting like a difficult child.


    Vernon also noticed that Chloe thoroughly enjoyed her lunch, but when he confronted her about her eating disorder, she immediately retreated and became extremely guarded again.


    He thought he had be his best version and was entitled to obtain all the information he wanted from Chloe.


    "This is like ying a cat and mouse game. I keep luring her out by acting nice, but whenever I want to catch her, she would retreat and hide inside her hole again," Vernon murmured.


    It was the first time he actually showed concern for another person in his life. He thought that as long as it benefited him, he didn''t care what the others felt about him.


    After all, that was the recipe for sess in the cold world of elite business.


    "Should I continue acting nice in front of her? But what happens when I have bad days? Should I continue acting nice even though I want to explode in front of everyone?" Vernon asked himself. He was fighting against his own habit at this point.


    "Urgh, I need someone to guide me in this," Vernon finally picked up his phone and searched for a contact number.


    He stopped at one contact number, pressed it, and murmured, "Okay, I think he can help."


    Vernon pressed the call button, and after a few beeps, the line was connected;


    ¡ª


    "Good afternoon, Mr. CEO. I thought you''d never call."


    Vernon heard the voice of ady in her mid-20s on the phone, and he was familiar with this woman.


    "Shailene, I need your help," Vernon said straight to the point.


    "Seriously? No small talk, or at least asked if I''ve been doing well?" Shailene chuckled amusingly.


    "¡­ Hey, Shailene, how have you been?"


    "Oh? Mr. CEO actually listens to me when I requested something? I thought you were insufferable as always, hahah!"


    "It''s not funny," Vernon said bitterly. If he didn''t have any use for this woman, he wouldn''t have called her again.


    But Shailene was a young psychologist that was very popr in the U.K. She handled many cases of trauma, mostly from people who had been abused.


    She was also dealing with people who had marital issues. Which was perfect since Vernon knew that Chloe was both, even if she hadn''t told him anything.


    "Well, it''s just fun to tease you because you always show a big reaction to a simple joke," Shailene chuckled again, and she finally stopped teasing him. "Well, what can I do for you, Mr. CEO?"<sub> </sub>


    Vernon had known Shailene since their uni days, and he knew howpetent she was in her field.


    She was the only woman there that he could actually connect with and open up to, so he talked a lot about his life¡ª even about his life growing up with Chloe as his ''Big sis.''


    ''Too bad we''re not close anymore,'' Vernon thought.


    "I want to use your service," Vernon said. "I have someone¡ª a woman in her 30s, and she has been dealing with stuff that you''re expert of, trauma from abuse and also marital problems."


    Shailene paused and replied, "Hold on, am I talking to Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray here? I checked the caller and it is his number, but this is not the behavior that he normally shows, he is an insufferable bastard who would only think of himself and think twice about helping others."


    "Yeah, fuck you too, Shailene," Vernon responded harshly. No matter how often he heard Shailene''s passive-aggressive talk, he couldn''t help but yell and snap at her.


    However, Shailene was already used to him¡ª even took amusement at his anger. So she onlyughed as a response.


    "Ahahahaha¡­ okay, okay, that''s you," Shailene confirmed. "So, you want me to console this woman? That''s surprisinging from your mouth."


    "No, I don''t want you to console her. I want you to console me instead," Vernon said.


    "¡­ Huh?" Shailene thought she might''ve misheard that. "You want me to talk with you instead? You know, I''m mostly dealing with people who have experienced severe abuse and trauma. You''re more of the type of men who inflict that trauma instead."


    "Ohe on, Shailene. I don''t need your fucking condescending attitude. I just need someone to help me so I can let her open up to me instead!" Vernon started to regret calling Shailene because this woman always talked to him as if he was an insufferable 10-year-old boy who didn''t know how to control himself.


    "Ohh, I see what you''reing now," Shailene said. "You know, I don''t really want to meet you anymore after many toxic things you did in the past. But I''m quite interested in your problem here. Vernon Phoenix Gray is asking me how to console a woman? Now that''s new. How about we set up a small dinner date?"


    "Dinner date?"


    "Yup, I''m currently in New York for at least half a year. So if you want to meet and talk, we can always do it somewhere nice."


    ¡­


    Just like Shailene, the animosity between them was mutual. He didn''t want to meet her either, but he really needed to have a direct talk so Shailene could help him.


    "Fine, we can talk somewhere. I''ll ask my secretary to reserve a table for two, I''ll text you the locationter."


    "Oh, that''s great, make sure you reserve it for tomorrow afternoon. I''m still busy dealing with a client until 9 today," Shailene agreed. "I''ll have to hang up, see you tomorrow, Mr. Phoenix Gray, the rising handsome CEO."


    "Urgh, shut up, Shailene."


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 216 Chapter 216

    Vernon threw his phone on the sofa after the call. He never thought he would call that condescending, passive-aggressive bitch again because she was the past. He hated looking at the past because only one woman filled his heart whenever he remembered all women he met or dated.


    "Damn, all these works just for me to understand her better. She should''ve thanked me instead," Vernonined.


    He was annoyed, of course. He wasn''t a perfect man who would easily change his real personality after a small revtion.


    He was still the same impatient man who wouldn''t think twice about sting others whenever he felt like it.


    Thus, Chloe trying to avoid the topic and retreating like a terrified rat only annoyed him even more.


    ''But I still want to know¡ª and I want to protect her as well¡­'' Vernon thought.


    He took a deep breath and got up from the sofa. He remembered having a small meeting to discuss a project offering from a newpany he had contacted. He also had to tell Diamond about the dinner date with Shailene.


    He pped his cheeks lightly to toughen himself, "Okay, time to focus, Vernon. She might have a problem, but you still need to earn money for her¡ª I¡ªI mean, for yourself."


    Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly because he identally said the wrong thing, but he decided not to ponder it for too long and walked to the door.


    **


    Chloe left Vernon''s office with a pale face. She didn''t expect herself to be so weak¡ª that she almost spilled everything about the eating disorder and bulimia she suffered to Vernon.


    ''I don''t want him to break off his rtionship with Vincent. That bastard is a horrible husband to me, but he is still a good Big brother for Vernon¡­'' Chloe thought, trying to justify her action of avoiding the confrontation with Vernon.


    "GURL!" Diamond got up from her chair and snatched Chloe''s arm as soon as Chloe closed the door behind her.


    Diamond checked on her worriedly since Chloe walked in with a smile on her face and walked out with a pale face and anxiety in her eyes.


    "What happened? I thought everything went well between you and Mr. Phoenix Gray just now," Diamond asked. "Did he yell at you again? Darn it, I guess I have to roll up my sleeve."


    "NO!" Chloe stopped Diamond before she stormed in and challenged Vernon.


    "Then what makes you this nervous?"


    "W¡ªWell¡­ the fault is not in him, it''s in me," Chloe replied. "He treated me well all of a sudden, and then confronted me about my eating disorder."


    "Ah¡ª" Diamond caught the problem instantly. Chloe was a very timid and reserved woman, especially after she was abused. Of course, she would retreat when confronted, especially by a not-so-gentle man like Vernon.


    That shouldn''t be enough reason to look so panicked, "Gurl, I know you have something in your mind, the reason why you don''t want to tell him about it."


    "I do, but¡­."


    Chloe hesitated to tell Diamond that Vernon''s presence and appearance terrified her.


    Vernon yelled at her, called her an idiot, and always used her of stuff she didn''t do or even think.<sub> </sub>


    All of those reminded her of what Vincent did when they were still living together.


    Vernon was the one who crushed Chloe''s trust in him with all the things he did, making a mark that he was not the same cute little Vernon that she babysat back then.


    "I¡ªIt''s my fault, Diamond," Chloe imed out of the blue. "I just don''t want him to know, no matter what¡­."


    Diamond wanted to tell her homegirl that she should be in therapy because it was obvious that the trauma she suffered had affected her in many ways.


    But before she could say anything, the CEO''s office door was suddenly opened, and Vernon came out of the office looking dapper yet intimidating.


    Diamond and Chloe got up simultaneously, but they walked on different paths.


    Diamond walked towards Vernon, wanting to give the file that her boss needed for a meeting in an hour. In contrast, Chloe walked away from Vernon, hiding behind a potted nt meekly.


    She felt guilty for avoiding him, but she felt ashamed to have been epting his good treatment just now.


    Vernon nced at Chloe, and his heart was pinched when he saw her trying to avoid him.


    ''If I talk to her now, would she even get scared? Ugh, I don''t even know what I did wrong just now," Vernon thought.


    Thus, he decided to ignore her¡­ for now.


    "Sir, this is all the data necessary for this meeting, do you want me to apany you as well?" Diamond offered, as a formality. But she kept ncing at Chloe, trying to signal Vernon to refuse her offer because she needed to console her bestie.


    Vernon ignored her signal and said, "Yes, I need you to apany me for the meeting. I haven''t studied the offer, you will help there."


    ¡­


    Diamond sighed as she picked up her iPad on the desk, "Yes, Sir."


    "Oh, before that, I want you to make a reservation," Vernon ordered.


    "Reservation?"


    "Hmm," Vernon said. He nced at Chloe again and felt proud of himself because he was doing a lot for Chloe. "Book a table for two in my usual restaurant, it''s ate noon date¡ª around 4."


    <o>,m Diamond was holding her breath at this point, not wanting to assume something that might lead to worse misunderstanding, "I¡ªIs it a formal reservation, Sir?"</o>


    "No, informal, it''s just a light meal with someone I knew a few years back."


    "A¡ªA man? You''re having an informal meeting with your MALE friend, right, Sir?" Diamond asked again, hoping she was just making a crazy assumption in her head.


    "A woman," Vernon said lightly. He didn''t even hesitate with his reply. "It''s an old acquaintance of mine in university, I want to meet her because she can teach me how to understand a woman."

 217 Chapter 217

    "A¡ªA man? You''re having an informal meeting with your MALE friend, right, Sir?"


    "A woman," Vernon said lightly. He didn''t even hesitate with his reply. "It''s an old acquaintance of mine in university, I want to meet her because she can teach me how to understand a woman."


    Diamond wanted to facepalm really hard right now. He had a feeling that her boss wouldn''t fuck another woman after he reunited with Chloe.


    Because she remembered how Vernon called her in the middle of the night while he was piss drunk, just for her to pick him up because he wanted to meet ''his woman.''


    If the drunk Vernon, who could''ve fucked so many women in one night, would still think about his woman¡ª aka Chloe¡ª that meant he wouldn''t fuck anyone else when he waspletely sober.


    ''I''m pretty sure he just wants to meet this woman for a business matter, but the way he worded his sentence makes it so ambiguous!'' Diamondined in her heart. ''Seriously, does he not understand that his words could make Chloe jealous and insecure?!''


    Of course, Diamond couldn''t call him out right now. Because the defensive Mr. Phoenix Gray would yell back at her for embarrassing him.


    So she nned to tell Chloe about thister to ensure there was no misunderstanding between Vernon and Chloe.


    "Alright, Sir, I will make a reservation for two¡ª an informal dinner meeting with a female ACQUAINTANCE, is that right?" Diamond intentionally pressed on the acquaintance part to ensure that Chloe knew it was nothing serious.


    "Why did you call it an informal dinner meeting? Just call it a dinner date. I don''t want the restaurant to arrange something weird for us," Vernon said. He used to have many formal dinners with his clients or business partners, and the restaurant would usually arrange a few entertainers¡ª usually women his clients could spend the night with.


    Or men, depending on the client''s preference, really.


    ¡­


    Diamond took a deep breath, holding herself not to p this insensitive and insufferable boss she somehow tolerated for so long.


    "Yes, Sir. I will book a table for you," Diamond replied. But she kept ncing at Chloe, who was still meekly hiding.


    "Good, now let''s go. I don''t want to bete for this meeting," Vernon said.


    Diamond followed Vernon, who walked past Chloe¡ª treating her like air. She turned her head at her homegirl, twirled her index finger near her temple, and then rolled her eyes, hinting that her boss was a crazy bastard.


    Chloe curled her lips as she almost giggled when she understood Diamond''s gesture. But she kept silent and waited until Vernon and Diamond entered the elevator.


    After they left, Chloe sighed in relief and walked inside Vernon''s office. She diligently picked up the empty te on Vernon''s table.


    She washed the dishes in the pantry before packing the lunch bag again.


    As she was getting ready to go grocery shopping before picking Mackie up from school, she got a text from Diamond;


    ¡ª


    From: Diamond.


    Girl, ignore what he said before. He is not really good atmunicating. He''ll probably talk with that woman about work-rted stuff before going home.


    ¡ª<sub> </sub>


    Chloe tilted her head slightly, finding the text to be quite weird.


    Based on Diamond''s text, it seemed that Diamond thought she would be jealous of Vernon and this woman he would meet in a dinner date. While in fact, she felt nothing when Vernon said that he had a dinner date.


    She understood that Vernon was a young, hot-blooded man who could hook any woman by his side and didn''t seem to be tied with any woman so far.


    So, it wasn''t Chloe''s business to pester about whom he hooked up with, as long as he did it safely.


    "Still, I want to make sure that he is practicing safe sex. He should always save enough condoms for a just-in-case situation," Chloe muttered.


    She felt her obligation to provide Vernon with some condoms because she worked for him, "And because I feel like a responsible Big sis for him¡­."


    Thus, Chloe decided to put a condom on her list of groceries for today.


    **


    Chloe went to her usual grocery store and bought everything she needed to restock the fridge.


    Then, she went to the condom aisle and checked between each brand.


    Honestly, she didn''t know which one was better than the others. After all, she only had sex with Vincent all her life, and that bastard never used a condom.


    "Hmm¡­ is the ultra thin one better? How about the taste? I never know there is a strawberry taste for a condom," Chloe said as she picked two packs of condoms from different brands.


    She didn''t know a thing, but of course, she knew the use of a condom, so she thought the thinner it was, the better it would be.


    Especially when she read the back of the condom pack and saw;


    -


    It feels like doing it RAW!


    -


    "Okay, I''m sold," Chloe decided to buy the ultra-thin one. But before she put the condom in her shopping cart, she remembered that she had to buy the correct size.


    "Ah¡ªUhm¡­" Chloe saw the size from small to extrarge. "S¡ªShould I call him to ask about his condom size?" Chloe asked herself, then she quickly ditched the idea as her face got hotter when she was thinking about it.


    She didn''t know the measurement of each size, so she googled it instead.


    "Okay, so¡­ extrarge should be for seven inches and more," Chloe nodded. She might not know Vernon''s exact size, but she knew he needed the extrarge one because it was definitely more than seven inches.


    Chloe''s mind automatically imagined Vernon''s big cock. She had seen it, touch it, suck it¡ª even felt it rubbing against her pussy lips for the whole night. Just thinking about all that already made her feel things, and she started feeling a little itchy down there.


    ''Mm¡­ it''s big, thick, and the tip is¡­.''

 218 Chapter 218

    ''Mm¡­ it''s big, thick, and the tip is¡­'' Chloe''s mind wandered off somewhere, and she quickly mped her thighs.


    She shook her head, trying to cleanse her perverted mind. She never had a detailed thought about a man''s penis her whole life, especially Vincent''s, because it looked kind of¡­ underwhelming.


    But when she saw Vernon''s cock for the first time in full view¡­


    ''I still remember the size, shape, the veins, and the big tip that would¡ª Okay, it''s time to stop, Chloe. How long would you keep thinking about a freaking penis?!''


    Chloe decided to pick two packs of the ultra-thin, extrarge condom for Vernon.


    She resumed her grocery shopping and identally stumbled upon a woman who was busy grocery shopping with her four boys, aged around three to seven years old.


    The boys were very loud and made a mess in the aisle, but the woman didn''t seem to mind her children. She just ignored all the bad looks she got and continued grocery shopping.


    Chloe stared at her from the end of the aisle and pondered, ''That''s weird. I''ve never seen Chelsea grocery shopping here because it was a pricey grocery store that shouldn''t be in her budget.


    ''Did she get a raise at her job?'' Chloe pondered. She hadn''t talked much with her sister for a while, but she knew that Chelsea was working as a teacher in an elementary school.


    Since that cheating ass, Tommy was working odd jobs most of the time, there was no way he suddenly earned big money, especially after Chloe knew he wasted his money on his side chick.


    Thus, the only possible exnation was Chelsea got a promotion, a raise, or maybe both.


    ''But is it enough to actually shop here?'' Chloe wondered.


    She was always worried about her sister, despite Chelsea always showing her animosity towards Chloe.


    But they lived and survived together for years, so Chloe knew the struggle that Chelsea experienced right now.


    ''I guess, if she can shop here, that means she is doing well financially¡­.''


    Chloe could only watch her sister and four sons from afar. Since she knew Chelsea hated her, she would rather avoid Chelsea, at least for now.


    ''Still, about Tommy¡­''


    Chloe felt obligated to tell Chelsea about her husband''s affair.


    But she didn''t know if Chelsea would take it kindly or call her a lying bitch.


    ''I will think about itter,'' Chloe thought. The rtionship between her and Chelsea was not good. It would only lead to disaster if she told her about it.


    Chloe was about to push her shopping cart away until one of Chelsea''s boys darted his eyes at the end of the aisle and pointed with her fingers, "AUNT CHLOE!"


    The other boys turned their heads at the same time, and their faces beamed with happiness. Aunt Chloe was their favorite because she was very beautiful and always made tasty homemade food for them during thanksgiving.


    Oh¡ª and money, of course!


    "AUNT CHLOEEE!"


    Chloe''s heart skipped for a second, and she froze on the spot when four little boys suddenly ran toward her and hugged her waist and legs.


    "G¡ªGood afternoon, you boys," Chloe forced a smile and patted her nephews'' heads one by one.


    "Aunty Chloe, why aren''t youing to our home yet?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes! I want to y with Boss Mackie!"


    "Yes, Boss Mackie knows how to have fun!"


    "Um!"


    Chloe knew well that the boys had missed their big boss Mackie. Mackie was the oldest of them all, and she was very domineering for a little girl.


    So all the boys looked up to her as their Big boss, and they would listen to her orders.


    Mackie seemed to be enjoying her role as Big boss way too much. Sometimes Chloe caught her asking her little cousins to bring her food, massaged her legs, and fanned her like Cleopatra.


    "Haha¡­ your Big sis Mackie is busy with school¡­." Chloe replied, trying to cover up the fact that Chloe had been banned from returning to her old home. Because apparently, she was the bitch who cheated on Vincent.


    Chelsea turned her head once she realized that her sons were out of her reach. She heard the ruckus at the end of the corridor and darted her eyes to that spot.


    Chelsea''s eyes darkened with hostility the moment she saw Chloe being surrounded by her boys.


    Chloe had always been their favorite aunt, even though they had many aunts from Tommy''s side.


    They often asked why Aunt Chloe or Mackie weren''t going to their home anymore, and they said they missed Mackie a lot.


    Chelsea stomped her way towards Chloe. She red at her and asked, "Why are you here?"


    "Ah¡ª good afternoon, sis," Chloe greeted politely.


    "Why are you here?" Chelsea repeated her question.


    "W¡ªWell, I''m a regr here. Shouldn''t I be the one who asks you that?" Chloe threw the question back at Chelsea, and that offended Chelsea instantly.


    "Excuse me? Do you think I don''t have enough money toe here?!" Chelsea raised her voice and attracted the attention of people around them.


    Chloe got ufortable with many people watching, especially when the boys were there. She didn''t want Chelsea''s sons to hear bad words from their mother''s mouth.


    "O¡ªOkay, I''m sorry then, just drop it and I will leave you alone," Chloe said. She lowered her head and smiled at the little boys who looked up at her. "Boys, you should return to your Mom now, okay?"


    "Ehhh, but we want to y with Aunt Chloe now!"


    "Yes! Aunt Chloe, let''se home¡ª with Boss Mackie too!"


    "Boss Mackie!"


    "Ahaha¡­ let''s do thatter. Aunty is busy right now," Chloe said. She tried to push the boys slowly to Chelsea''s side, but they all refused.


    "No, Mom is so boring! She ignores us all and never y with us!"


    "Yes! Mom is boring! She doesn''t even cook as well as Aunty!"


    "Un! I don''t want to eat cheerios everyday! Mom can''t cook!"

 219 Chapter 219

    "No, Mom is so boring! She ignores us all and never ys with us!"


    "Yes! Mom is boring! She doesn''t even cook as well as Aunty!"


    "Un! I don''t want to eat cheerios everyday! Mom can''t cook!"


    The boys'' words only put Chloe in an awkward spot. Because they made it as if Chloe was a better mother figure than their real mother, and she didn''t want that.


    After all, Chloe knew the struggle of motherhood. She was already busy just taking care of one daughter, so she still had respect for Chelsea. Chelsea had to take care of four sons without the help of a babysitter and still had to work as a teacher at an elementary school every weekday.


    Despite all of Chelsea''s animosity and ill intention toward her, Chloe still saw Chelsea as her sister. Also, Chloe respected her for all her efforts to keep her family intact, which Chloe failed to do with Vincent.


    "B¡ªBoys, go to your Mom''s side and apologize now, it''s not good to talk bad about your Mom," Chloe advised, and the boys still refused and hugged her legs and waist like a bunch of kos instead.


    Chelsea was even more pissed once she realized that her children preferred to y with their sweet Aunt Chloe more than returning to her, their real mother who struggled with life¡ª unlike that spoiled whore.


    She saw that Chloe was trying to advise the boys to be obedient kids, but in Chelsea''s eyes¡ª all she saw was a pretentious woman who acted like Mother Theresa in front of the kids.


    While in fact, she was just a whore who cheated on her super perfect husband just because she didn''t get enough attention from him. It was so disgustingly hypocritical!


    "Aaron, Mike, Nathan, Tony,e to me now or all of you will be grounded!" Chelsea said while ring at all of her children.


    The kids were feeling rebellious because Aunt Chloe was with them. Of course, they wanted to show how cool and rebellious they were!


    "No! We want to y with Aunt Chloe!"


    "Yes, Aunty, we want to meet Boss Mackie too, let''s go!"


    "Un! Aunt Chloe is the best!"


    Chloe noticed how angry Chelsea looked, and she got even more nervous. She wanted to quickly escape this mess and walk away, but before she could say a thing, Chelsea suddenly snapped and yelled;


    "Don''t hug her, you boys don''t know that your Aunt Chloe is a bitch who cheated on her husband because she''s an ungrateful whore!"


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She didn''t expect Chelsea to say such a thing in public¡ª even worse, in front of her kids!


    The boys didn''t really understand what their mother meant. After all, they were all still very young.


    They all looked up to Chloe and asked, "Aunty, what''s bitch?"


    "Yeah, and what''s whore?"<sub> </sub>


    "Aunty, answer us!"


    The other customers near them started listening quietly. They tried to busy themselves by putting stuff inside their shopping carts, but really¡ª they were all ears to the quarrel.


    Chloe''s body was visibly shaken. She felt ashamed. She didn''t want to spit out the cold, harsh truth of Tommy''s affair because she didn''t want to see a family with four young sons crumble because of her mouth.


    But Chelsea wasn''t thinking straight right now. She just wanted to embarrass Chloe, to make sure that nobody would believe she was a good woman because she was obviously not!


    She looked around and realized that many customers were listening attentively. She felt empowered to think that everyone was by her side.


    After all, she was a good woman who had a good, proper family. She took care of her husband and children, worked, and still took care of her old mother.


    Unlike Chloe, who had a perfect life with a perfect husband but still managed to cheat on him just because she was bored at home, Chelsea had to work on everything!


    The boys weren''t getting any answer from their Aunt Chloe, so they turned their heads toward their Mom, waiting for an answer.


    Chelsea thought it was a good time to reveal what kind of worthless bitch this woman was in front of her children, so they wouldn''t get a bad influence.


    ''Hmph! As if I would let my sons be close to a bitch''s daughter. I don''t even know if Mackie is Vincent''s real daughter! She might be a product of Chloe''s affair with someone else!'' Chelsea thought.


    She pointed at Chloe and yelled, "Yes, that''s right. If you boys want to know, that means your Aunt Chloe is a cheap woman who spread her legs and got fucked by a random man because she is an ungrateful bitch¡ª"


    SLAP!


    "AH¡ª!"


    The sound of a hard p rang across the aisle. Everyone went silent, especially Chelsea, who was still trying to recover from shock as she had just received a hard p on her cheek. She put her palm on her cheek to feel the painfully hot sensation.


    She darted her eyes at Chloe again and red at her.


    She thought Chloe would apologize and act like a stupid meek woman as always, but Chloe gave the same energy instead, and she red at Chelsea.


    She huffed heavily, her chest raising up and down and her hand shaking after she pped Chelsea.


    "HOW DARE YOU¡ª YOU BITCH¡ª"


    "SHUT UP!" Chloe yelled back, unable to contain her wrath. She was trying her hardest not to shame Chelsea in public¡ª especially in front of her sons because if she was overtaken by her anger, she would be spilling everything and say that Tommy had been cheating with a woman outside, and SHE HAD A PROOF!


    "Don''t you dare to say a word, Chelsea. I know how to ruin your life, and I''ve got the proof. I''m being considerate because I still care for my family," Chloe threatened with a sharp tone, something very unusualing from the mouth of a meek woman like her.

 220 Chapter 220

    "Don''t you dare to say a word, Chelsea. I know how to ruin your life, and I''ve got the proof. I''m being considerate because I still care for my family," Chloe threatened with a sharp tone, something very unusualing from the mouth of a meek woman like her.


    Chelsea was surprised by the threat. As much as she remembered, she had never done anything wrong, and she was definitely in the right here.


    Burned by her sense of sister rivalry, Chelsea gritted her threat and yelled back, "Your threat doesn''t work on me, whore! Why would I be scared of you, when I''m a good woman who lives an honest life for my husband and kids, UNLIKE YOU!"


    Chelsea shoved Chloe, and Chloe¡ª a noticeably very thin woman- lost her bnce and fell on the shelves behind her, creating a loud noise that fully attracted everyone''s attention until many people gathered around them.


    Chloe gritted her teeth. She had to channel her anger in another way so she wouldn''t run her mouth and spill about Tommy''s cheating in public and ruined Chelsea''s life forever


    Chelsea pushed her kids, who started to panic, and shielded their Aunt;


    "Mom! Don''t hurt Aunty!"


    "Aunty will cry if you hurt her!"


    "Yes, Mom, stop it!"


    "STEP ASIDE, YOU KIDS. I''M GOING TO MAKE SURE THIS BITCH DOESN''T DARE TO THREATEN ME NO MORE!" Chelsea yelled out loud. She was about to reach Chloe''s red scarf that covered her neck, which triggered Chloe''s defense mechanism because she didn''t want anyone to see the hickeys around her neck, especially not in front of her four nephews.


    Thus, the moment Chelsea reached her scarf, she quickly grabbed Chelsea''s hair and pulled it until Chelsea screamed in pain, "AHHH! NOT MY HAIR, YOU BITCH!"


    Chloe and Chelsea brawled on the floor, destroying everything around them. The items on the shelves fell and scattered on the ground. People watched on the side without intending to separate the two women who continued having their catfight.


    Chelsea used her nails to scratch Chloe''s face and arms while Chloe continued pulling Chelsea''s hair and yanked her many times. She never had a real fight with her sister, but Chelsea was out of line and wanted to defend a little bit of her pride.


    "Mom, Aunty, stop fighting!"


    "STOP!"


    "PLEASE STOP!"


    The boys started crying as they saw their mother and Aunt fighting nonstop, their loud cries echoed around the huge store until the security guards and a few employees joined in and tried to separate them.


    "LET ME GO! I''M GOING TO PUNCH THAT BITCH!" Chelsea struggled to break free because her arms were being held by two men at once.


    Meanwhile, Chloe got up, but she didn''t try to struggle nor try to incite a fight with her sister again. She quickly covered her exposed neck with the scarf, but it was toote as Chelsea noticed it.


    She looked at Chloe with scornful eyes and sneered, "Look at her neck, she''s obviously a whore who can only spread her legs!"


    Chloe clenched her fist again, her mind was clouded with rage, and she was ready to spit it out.


    But she had clearer thoughts once she felt many small hands grasp her and pull the hem of her shirt.<sub> </sub>


    She looked down and realized that all her nephews were crying while begging her not to fight, "Aunty, please stop¡­."


    The boys realized their Mom wasn''t as soft as their Aunty, so they thought they needed to go to their Aunty first to stop the fight.


    Chloe''s heart was crushed once she saw tears streaming down her four nephews'' cheeks. She was so blinded with rage and the urge to defend herself that she had forgotten that her four little nephews were looking at their fights.


    She was ridden with guilt and thus decided to be the bigger person and ignored Chelsea, who was still cursing and yelling in her direction.


    Chloe forced a smile and patted their heads, "I''m sorry, it''s my fault because I can''t control my anger. You guys shouldn''t cry, okay?" Chloe said, trying to pacify the kids.


    The boys nodded and wiped their tears.


    Chelsea was mad that the children she raised went to Chloe forfort instead. Thus, she also yelled at them, "YOU UNGRATEFUL KIDS, DON''T YOU SEE THAT YOUR AUNT IS NOT A GOOD WOMAN! COME HERE!"


    ¡­


    They had no reaction, but they hid behind Chloe''s body because they were scared of their Mom, who looked like a witch ready to eat them.


    Chloe stared at her sister with cold eyes. She was mad at Chelsea for being so unreasonably hostile, but she also med herself for reacting to Chelsea''s taunt, even though she could just turn around and leave.


    "Listen, Chelsea. I have a secret that will ruin your family. But I have no intention to spill it, because I care for the kids. I will let you live in your bubble of perfect marriage as long as it will make you feel like a perfect wife," Chloe said.


    She didn''t say a thing about Tommy''s affair, but it was enough to stun Chelsea.


    She stared at Chloe with obvious confusion and a little fear, "W¡ªWhat do you mean?"


    Chloe shook her head and decided not to talk with her sister anymore. She patted her nephews'' heads and took out four fifty-dor bills from her wallet.


    "I''m sorry for making a ruckus, you can buy something¡ª maybe a toy that you want with this pocket money, okay?"


    The boys epted the money from their Aunty. It wasn''t unusual for Aunt Chloe to give them pocket money, though the money would always be confiscated by their Mom.


    But all of them didn''t want the pocket money for now. They wanted Aunt Chloe to stay for now because they were scared of their own Mom!


    "Aunty, stay with us! Mom is so scary right now!"


    "Yes, please protect us!"


    "Um! Tony is scared, Aunty!"

 221 Chapter 221

    "Aunty, stay with us! Mom is so scary right now!"


    "Yes, please protect us!"


    "Um! Tony is scared, Aunty!"


    Her nephews begged at her, and Chloe''s willpower started to waver. Of course, she wanted to protect her nephews. She always had a soft spot for kids around her daughter''s age.


    But if she gave in and shielded them from Chelsea, that would only enrage Chelsea even more. It might ce a big resentment in her heart because her boys chose Chloe instead of their mother.


    "Go to your mother, Aaron, Mike, Nathan, Tony. She is just angry, but she''s still your mother who took care of you," Chloe said while patting the heads of the boys one by one.


    "But¡­"


    "Don''t worry, Aunty wille and visit with Boss Mackie soon, okay?"


    The boys were still reluctant, but under their Aunt Chloe''s coax, they finally released their tight hug on her waist and legs, then walked towards their Mom, who was still ring at Aunt Chloe.


    They looked scared, afraid that their Mom would yell at them. But Chelsea said nothing other than grabbed their hands one by one and yanked them to her side.


    Chelsea''s eyes hadn''t left Chloe, and she said, "Don''t you dare to get close to my children, you whore! You''re a bad influence!"


    Chloe opened her lips, ready to ridicule her sister again. But if she kept arguing with her, then everything would escte again, so she just threw a simple smile and spoke in a very soft tone, so her nephews wouldn''t be scared;


    "Chelsea, watch your mouth, or you will lose everything."


    Chloe finally turned around with her shopping cart, ignoring all the eyes staring at her. She acted as if there was nothing wrong as she went to the cashier, and the cashier looked at her with pity.


    "Ma''am, I think you should treat your wound as soon as possible. The scratch looks bad on your face¡­" the cashiermented out of worry while bagging the groceries. "Do you want to buy antiseptic and bandaids?"


    "Ah, thank you, please bag those as well," Chloe said with a smile.


    The cashier was too distracted by how calm thisdy looked despite having some bad scratches on her cheeks. So she bagged the antiseptic and bandaids before giving them to Chloe.


    Chloe went out of the store and entered her car. She checked her face in the rearview mirror and realized that Chelsea had dug her nails into her cheek and made five horrible long scratches from the edge of her lips to the tip of her left ear.


    The blood had dried out, and Chloe decided to just wash her cheeks with the antiseptic.


    She soaked cotton with the antiseptic and started wiping the wound on her cheek in careful and slow strokes. She winced a few times but didn''t stop as she knew the wounds might get infected if she slowed down.


    For many, a wound or scar¡ª or even pimples on the face would ruin their days. But it wasn''t all that concerning for Chloe because she was used to it.


    "It''s fine, Chloe, you''ve done this a lot, right? Vincent did this many times¡ª"


    Chloe stopped speaking when she realized she was about to open the pandora box buried deep in her heart. She shook her head and focused on cleaning her long scratch wounds. She put on a few band-aids to cover the wounds and called it done.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay, it''s time to pick Mackie up."


    **


    Chloe waited in front of the gate until the school bell rang and saw many kidsing out of the school''s main gate.


    Mackie looked around and saw her Mommy standing near the gate. Her face brightened, and she ran towards her.


    "MOMMY!"


    "Princess!"


    Chloe crouched and hugged Mackie, who dashed towards her. Mackie didn''t see anything wrong despite knowing that her Mommy''s cheeks were covered with bandaids, something that she was trained to do since she was only four.


    Chloe and Mackie entered the car, and Mackie just couldn''t hide her excitement and asked, "Mommy, did you meet Daddy today?"


    "Ah¡ª I didn''t, dear. He¡­ is still busy¡­." Chloe replied, but she lowered her voice, hoping that her daughter would just drop it.


    "Aww¡­ then how did you get those, Mommy?" Mackie pointed at the band-aids around her Mommy''s cheeks. "It''s usually Daddy who gives you those band-aids, right?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and she stared at her daughter, who stared back at her with her doe eyes.


    Chloe finally remembered that she had lied to her daughter many times. When Vincent¡­ hurt her, she would cover the scars and wounds with band aids, and when her daughter asked, she said it was nothing¡ª just a gift from her Daddy.


    Chloe shook her head slightly as she tried to dispel the bad memories in her head, "This is not from Daddy, dear. I fell and hurt my cheek. But I''m okay now."


    "AH?! Mommy, you should be careful!" Mackie said. She stretched her hand and caressed Mommy''s wounded cheek, "Does it hurt, Mommy?"


    "N¡ªNot at all, dear. You know that I got this a lot from your Daddy, right?"


    "Un! Daddy has a lot of bandaid gifts for Mommy!" Mackie said, still with her doe eyes staring at her mother innocently.


    Chloe''s heart was crushed once she realized she had to lie again. She wasn''t sure if it was the right choice to lie.


    But what should she say? Mackie was so used to seeing her with bandaids or regr bandages. At her worst, Chloe was too desperate to keep her daughter''s innocence, even if it would cost her sanity.


    So she lied¡ª a lot. Told her that Mommy was a strong woman who couldn''t feel pain, so it never hurt, and the band aids were her Daddy''s gifts.


    ''It hurts, my dear, a lot,'' Chloe said in her heart since nobody would hear her woe, and she didn''t want to tell anyone about this either.


    ''It hurts a lot, but I don''t want you to know it.''


    ''Because I don''t want to ruin your innocence¡­.''

 222 Chapter 222

    Vernon finished the meeting near dusk and returned to his office on the top floor, followed by Diamond, who was busy scolding her boss in her head.


    In her head, Diamond was calling this man an idiot-- or even worse, dumber than a donkey.


    Because he didn''t seem to realize that he was ruining his chance with Chloe, and Diamond wanted to smack his head to make him think!


    Vernon walked out of the elevator and asked Diamond, who was still tailing him, "Have you made the reservation for tomorrow?"


    "Yes, Sir," Diamond confirmed.


    "Good, I really need to meet her."


    "Sir, may I know what kind of woman you''re going to meet tomorrow?" Diamond asked as she couldn''t contain her curiosity. "Don''t tell me that you talked with a random woman on your phone and decided to have a one night hook up with her."


    Vernon stopped on his track and looked over her shoulder. He looked at Diamond with disgust and asked, "What kind of stupid shit you have in your mind, Diamond? I said I''m just meeting my female acquaintances from years ago!"


    "Sir, you call every woman you met as your female acquitance and proceed to fuck them for a night before ditching them the next morning," Diamond stated ruthlessly. She had no tolerance for him when it involved her homegirl Chloe.


    "Ugh, it''s literally just a female acquaintance this time! I fucking swear!" Vernon yelled as he got a little annoyed by Diamond.


    "Then what do you mean that your female ''acquaintance'' will teach you how to understand a woman better? Sir, you''re basically hinting that you''re going to have sex with this woman!"


    "WHAT?!"


    Vernon''s eyes widened instantly. He finally turned around and gave Diamond a confused look, "The fuck is in your mind?! Do you think I will fuck anyone outside when I have my woma-- I mean, when I''m very busy with work, huh?"


    "This female acquaintance of mine is a psychologist. She studied in the same university as mine, and she specialized in trauma and marital problems. '''' Vernon was thinking about holding back the information as he found it unnecessary.


    But Diamond''s usation actually triggered him, forcing him to spill out his n, "I want to meet him because-- well-- Chloe--"


    Diamond gasped when she got the answer that put ease in her heart. She covered her mouth with her palm and gawked at her boss.


    "Sir, you-- did Chloe already tell you about the whole thing?"


    Vernon''s eyes darkened, and he shook his head. He got pissed whenever he was reminded that he still had a way to reach Chloe''s heart.


    "Not yet, she still hides everything from me," Vernon replied. "Even if I act so kind to her, she still distances herself from me, damn it!"


    ''Well, that''s obvious. You don''t even have a tact with a woman, especially for a sensitive one like my homegirl,'' Diamond said in her heart.


    "But I already know a thing or two just by looking at her action and reaction," Vernon stated. "I know that she suffers from bulimia, because she was so shocked when I pointed it out."


    "And she retreated immediately?" Diamond guessed.


    "Yes."


    ''Ok, he is definitely confronting and forcing her to speak. He can''t fool me,'' Diamond thought. But she said nothing because it would only lead to an argument, knowing how defensive Mr. Phoenix Gray could be.


    "So... you''re going to meet your psychologist friend for advice?"


    "Yeah, after all, she knows about the kind of problem that Chloe faces right now," Vernon replied.


    Diamond nodded. Though, if her boss listened to her advice, Diamond already gave him the solution he needed to make Chloe open up slowly.


    But she had to give him credit for trying to understand Chloe in his own way.


    She grinned and raised one brow, "Sir, you seem to care a lot for her."<sub> </sub>


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "I mean, this is the first time you ever worked your way to get close to a woman. Usually you would smash and dash, hump and dump, ejacte and evacuate," Diamond''s grin got wider, and she asked, "May I know your motivation behind this?"


    "B--Because--"


    "Because?"


    Vernon turned around instantly, and he took a long step to his office door, "Y--You''re so fucking pesky! Stop thinking about useless stuff and do your job!"


    SLAM!


    Vernon walked in and mmed the door behind him, leaving Diamond giggling because she knew what was in her boss'' mind, even if he didn''t confirm it.


    Of course, she wanted Chloe and Vernon to get close as soon as possible. But they needed time, especially her homegirl-- Chloe. She needed so much therapy before she could finally ept Vernon.


    Thus, she decided to text something to Chloe instead.


    **


    Chloe had just finished cooking a separate dinner for Vernon when she heard a notification on her phone. She took off her apron and checked the notification.


    "Hm? Diamond?"


    She clicked on the new message and read it;


    --


    From: Diamond.


    Gurl, don''t you think I will be a perfect bridesmaid? I should probably start searching for a new dress for the special asion.


    Should I go for a pink or turquoise one? Do you have any color codes?


    Oh, should I go for a long or short dress? Probably the shorter one, right? I need to be agile and nimble when catching that damn flower bouquet!


    Gurl, I am exciteeeeeddd!


    --


    Chloe frowned after she read the random text from Diamond. It was so random. There was only one exnation that popped into Chloe''s head;


    "Did she be a bridesmaid for one of her friends?" Chloe asked herself. Obviously, it wasn''t her because Chloe didn''t have any n to remarry.


    "I guess she is asking for my opinion...." Chloe thought. She had a few friends before she married Vincent, and they became Chloe''s bridesmaids.


    She tried to remember the bridesmaids'' dress code back then and finally replied with a text;


    --


    To: Diamond


    I think you should go for a bright-- but soft color, like baby pink or lc. You''re tall and have a great body. You should be awesome in any dress, really.


    --

 223 Chapter 223

    ¡ª


    To: Diamond


    I think you should go for a bright¡ª but soft color, like baby pink or lc. You''re tall and have a great body. You should be awesome in any dress, really.


    ¡ª


    Diamond got the text from Chloe, and she was over the moon. She knew it was stupid to be THIS happy thinking about another person''s wedding.


    But she was serious about supporting her homegirl. Even since the first time they met, Diamond already knew that she and Chloe would be a bestie.


    Just the air around Chloe gave off a simple woman who didn''t really have anything insidious in her mind. Diamond had an amazing intuition to read someone''s personality.


    "Okay, I have to ensure that bullhead Vernon can finally work himself up to obtain Chloe''s heart. He needs to work hard," Diamond murmured as she made an oath for her best friend''s wellbeing.


    **


    Chloe finished preparing a separate dinner for Vernon. She checked the food on the dining table and nodded assuringly, "Okay, he should like this dinner."


    "Mommy, let''s eat! I''m so hungryyy!" Chloe heard her daughter''s voice downstairs. "I won''t eat without you, Mommy!"


    "Ah, yes, I''ll be done in a minute, dear!" Chloe replied.


    Chloe was about to go downstairs and have dinner with her daughter, but she halted after realizing that she had forgotten about something.


    Chloe fished something out of her pocket and sighed in relief, "Phew, good thing I remember this. I don''t know how to give it to him if not now¡­."


    Chloe put two packs of condoms on the dining table, right beside the te, and she wrote a small note for Vernon.


    "Okay, all set," Chloe nodded, and she finally went downstairs to join her daughter for dinner.


    She wasn''t in the mood to eat anything, honestly. Because she ate way too much with Vernon for lunch. Thus, she only ate fruits while watching her daughter eat happily.


    Mackie stared at her Mommy while munching her dinner. She swallowed the food and called her Mommy;


    "Mommy¡­"


    "Yes, dear?"


    "Why don''t we eat with Uncle Vernon? Why do we have to eat here?" Mackie asked. She had already gotten used to eating with her Big bad Uncle upstairs, so the sudden change irked her.


    "Ah¡ª Uncle Vernon is too busy with work, so he can be a little irritable. It''s better to avoid him for now, okay?"


    "Un, okay¡­"


    There were many things in Mackie''s head. Mostly she wanted to ask why Daddy hadn''t called yet.


    But she was already quite happy with the fairy letter and wanted to get more from her Daddyter.<sub> </sub>


    After all, Daddy was her superhero! Despite rarelying home, he always noticed all the good things Mackie did at home, or at school, by writing many fairy letters for her. Thus, Mackie fully believed that her Daddy was just busy with work¡ª and the ''problem'' that Mommy mentioned was just a work problem¡­


    "Mommy, do you think Daddy will take us home? I miss him¡­."


    "Dear, Daddy has a problem that he needs to solve first. Just don''t disturb him for now, okay?"


    "But¡­ he doesn''t forget about us, right?" Mackie asked again, unable to contain her insecurity. "Daddy¡­ won''t forget about Mackie, right, Mommy?"


    Chloe''s hand that was holding a fork trembled instantly. She bit her lower lip, trying not to speak the truth to her daughter.


    She wanted her daughter to know that her father was a cheating bastard who abused her mother so severely that she couldn''t even raise her head whenever Vincent was around.


    She also wanted to tell her daughter that she was the one who wrote those fairy letters. She was the one who noticed all of Mackie''s achievements and good deeds.


    As time passed, her daughter became desensitized to her presence and praise. Chloe could praise Mackie to the moon and back, and she would only say thank you and hug her Mommy tightly as always.


    But once Mackie got anything from her Daddy, she would explode in joy and show how happy she was for the rest of the day, no matter how small the gifts were.


    "H¡ªHe gave you a fairy letter as well, so he knows about what you''re doing at school, don''t worry," Chloe said.


    Mackie was pacified when her Mommy said not to worry because the sentence, ''don''t worry,'' was Mommy''s favorite thing to say.


    No matter what happened at their mansion, Mommy would always say that she was okay and not to worry about anything because she was a strong woman. Mackie was inspired to be a strong woman like Mommy!


    "Okay then, I believe in you, Mommy," Mackie said as she fully believed her Mommy''s words. After all, Mackie was taught that her Mommy would never lie to her.


    Mackie finished her food and jumped off the chair, "I''m going to do homework, Mommy! You should eat too, okay?"


    Chloe smiled at her daughter, who had slowly grown to be a strong, yet sensible girl. But she felt the sense of guilt in her heart start eating her inside out.


    She knew that lying about Vincent was wrong from the very start. But she didn''t want to ruin the image of a father figure in Mackie''s mind.


    She wanted her daughter to have a normal childhood and father figure, even if that meant she had to lie.


    But now, the lie seemed to have caught up with her because her heart started to feel an excruciating pain whenever she lied to Mackie.


    She watched her daughter''s back as her little feet ran on the corridor and entered her room.


    Mackie closed the door, leaving Chloe alone in the dining room. She stopped eating after she knew her daughter wasn''t looking and cleaned the dinner instead.


    She tried to busy herself with chores, but she couldn''t help but think about her daughter and all the lies stacked against her odds.


    "It''s my fault," Chloe murmured. "I shouldn''t have lied since the beginning¡­."


    "But what can I do to make it right? And what would happen if I told Mackie about the truth?"

 224 Chapter 224

    "But what can I do to make it right? And what would happen if I told Mackie about the truth?" Chloe asked herself.


    She went silent after that and realized that she didn''t even want to see the disappointment in her daughter''s face, let alone anger, because she had been lied to-- and betrayed the whole time.


    Chloe bit her lower lip as she got nervous, scared that Mackie might call her a liar and hate her when the cat was out of the bag.


    "No, I don''t want my daughter to hate me...." Chloe said. "J--Just a little more, please wait until the divorce goes through, and she is a little bit older, so she''s old enough to understand the problem with her father...."


    **


    Vernon finally finished work at 10. Diamond already went home three hours ago. He was exhausted, of course, and his stomach was rumbling as he hadn''t eaten anything for dinner.


    "Wonder what she made for me for dinner," Vernon murmured as he took the elevator to the basement.


    "I hope there''s meat. I''m seriously starving," Vernon said as he started the engine. He started imagining the dinner he''d get once he went home and Chloe, who would sit on the couch, waiting for him toe home like usual.


    Vernon felt something in his heart, like a tingling that he couldn''t describe. But it was a very sweet-- even addicting feeling that Vernon couldn''t get enough of.


    Vernon stepped on the gas and drove through the night to his apartment. He couldn''t wait to see her greeting him as he opened his penthouse door.


    Vernon rushed to go up to his penthouse and opened the door, "Chloe, I''m home--"


    ...


    ...


    Vernon''s eyes darkened instantly. His mood was ruined because he didn''t see the figure of Chloe sitting on the couch wearing pajamas while waiting for him.


    "Urgh-- this is annoying, fuck...." Vernon cursed in a low voice and threw his briefcase in a random direction. He kicked his shoes until it was flung and hit the wall, as if he was throwing a tantrum like a kid.


    He didn''t know why Chloe still had to avoid him.


    "Is it because of what happenedst night?" Vernon wondered as he remembered how Chloe reacted when Vernon hugged her from behind.


    Her overreaction and calling him ''Vincent'' were two very obvious signs of abuse, even if he didn''t know the details.


    "But we are fine after having lunch together, proper?" Vernon asked himself. "Then why did she avoid me? Did I do something wrong again?"


    Unable to get the answer he needed, Vernon ruffled his hair and groaned, "Argh, this is so frustrating!"


    Vernon went to the kitchen to grab a ss of water and a bottle of wine to calm himself down. He still had a long way to go to understand Chloe''s feelings. He didn''t even know where to start. That was why he called Shailene, so she could guide him on how to treat Chloe better and gain her trust.


    Vernon walked past the dining table, and his step halted immediately.


    Because he noticed tes full of food at the edge of his eyes. The food was arranged beautifully on the dining table. The food looked so tempting even though it wasn''t warm anymore.


    He turned around instantly and rushed to the dining table. He sat at the dining table, checking all the food that Chloe had made for him.


    He wiped the drool that almost escaped his lips and read a note that was left by Chloe.


    --


    I don''t know when you wille home, so if the food is getting cold, you should reheat it in the microwave, okay?<sub> </sub>


    I cooked more than usual because I ate half of your lunch, so you must''ve been starving.


    --


    ...


    Vernon felt the same tingling in his heart again, his lips slowly perked up, and the surge of warmth gradually traveled around his body.


    He knew that Chloe was a very good homemaker. She had always been great at many traditional woman roles and didn''t seem to be bothered.


    Honestly, Vernon always thought that Chloe would make a great wife, so much so that he wouldpare all women he met before with his Big sis Chloe...


    "If she didn''t say that I''m disgusting and worthless, and waited for me to grow a little older until I''m of legal age, then I would have propose--"


    ...


    Vernon shook his head. He didn''t want to think about something dangerous such as marriage.


    Because it would never happen.


    Chloe-- his Big sister-- his sister-inw, she had decided to marry Vincent Gray, not him. Even after they were separated, Vernon had no intention of marrying her-- or so he thought.


    "I don''t want to be her rebound, and she doesn''t see me as worthy anyway...."


    Vernon''s mood sobered again. He just couldn''t forget that day when his Big sis Chloe called him ''worthlesspared-to-Vincent'' and disgusting in front of histe father.


    His Big brother took him to eavesdrop on the conversation between Chloe and their father. When he heard those words spout out of her mouth, his heart sunk into the deepest pit.


    - Vernon is not as good as Vincent. Being with him would be disgusting. -


    ''Why did you say that to me, Big sis... you''re the only one I have...'' Vernon thought, repeating the same painful memory in his head like a broken cassette.


    He sat, staring emptily at the food in front of him until his stomach rumbled again, demanding to be filled.


    "Okay, okay, let''s just eat for now," Vernon said.


    He grabbed the spoon and fork. He was about to dig in when he noticed something hidden behind one of the bowls on the table.


    He pushed the bowl to the side and found two packs of condoms in his size and a note that was definitely written by Chloe.


    --


    I bought two packs of condoms for you. This should be the correct size for you, right?


    Don''t forget to do it safely.


    -- Chloe.


    --

 225 Chapter 225

    --


    I bought two packs of condoms for you. This should be the correct size for you, right?


    Don''t forget to do it safely.


    -- Chloe.


    --


    "Hold on-- wait-- did I read it right?" Vernon asked himself.


    Vernon paused for a while. He thought he must''ve read it wrong. He reread the note twice, three times, four times until he lost count of how many times he read the note.


    It was a simple note showing Chloe''s concern for him and his high sex drive.


    But he didn''t expect Chloe-- his Big sis Chloe-- whom he thought was a modest and somewhat conservative woman, to be the one who put two packs of condoms on the table as if she wanted to make sure they would be doing it safely.


    "And the note...."


    Obviously, if it was another woman who wrote this note for him, Vernon would''ve thought that she was just looking out for him, making sure that he could have sex safely outside, as there were many risks of STDs.


    But it was Chloe-- and Vernon had already made it clear that he wouldn''t have sex with anyone outside as long as Chloe lived with him.


    "Well, I never said that I won''t have sex with anyone outside. But I alwayse home even if it''ste at night, and I''ve never flirted with any woman-- nor brought anyone to our penthouse," Vernon murmured as he was pulling a conclusion. "So, Chloe must''ve known that I''m not going to have sex outside, right? She is the only one right now...."


    ...


    ...


    "Is this an invitation?" Vernon asked himself. He checked the condom again, and it was the ultra-thin one, so it felt almost like raw sex.


    Vernon actually used the same condom before he reunited with Chloe. He didn''t want to lose the feeling of going raw without the risk of knocking a woman with a baby.


    So he used this condom most of the time.


    Now, he hadn''t been having sex with anyone for a while. He mostly finished it by jacking off on his own, so a little seduction like this already messed up his brain.


    "The type, and also the size. She got me the correct condom...." Vernon murmured. "If it''s not an invitation, then I don''t know what else."


    "Does she want me to use two packs of condoms all for herself? Fuck, I didn''t know she could be so fucking wild!" Vernon could not think straight as he started imagining Chloe trying to remember his size while picking the correct condom for them.


    Slowly, he felt his trousers were getting tighter and ufortable because he found that the image of Chloe trying to remember his size and shape was so exciting for him.


    "Fuck, why''s that so hot?"


    He had lost all his appetite. He didn''t even feel hungry anymore because there was something more urgent than just hunger.


    Vernon couldn''t help but ce his big palm on top of his crotch and started rubbing unconsciously as he kept imagining Chloe.<sub> </sub>


    "Fuuuckkk..." Vernon groaned as he hopelessly drowned in his desire.


    Vernon tried to shake his head to clear his thoughts. He suddenly remembered what happenedst night when he tried to pacify Chloe, and she reacted violently.


    He held his breath for a second, and the unfamiliar feeling of anxiety started crawling inside his mind;


    "Wait, what if this is all just a misunderstanding?" Vernon thought. "Maybe she is just looking out for me. After all, she doesn''t seem to care when I told her that I''m spending my night in that club before."


    Vernon remembered how he tried to make Chloe jealous by saying that he would fuck a woman outside, but Chloe only told him to stay safe and wear protection.


    Her answer infuriated him so much that he had lost all his lust to fuck another woman.


    How could she be so nonchnt about it? They had been living together for-- a few months! That was the longest Vernon had ever lived with someone else, as he never liked to get close to anyone after he went to Europe.


    "That should be enough for her to feel something, at least!" Vernon demanded.


    Although that was what Vernon wanted, the reality was-- Chloe didn''t see him as a romantic-- or even a sexual partner. It was all crystal clear when Chloe looked terrified at noon, thinking that Vernon wanted to fuck her as a sign of her apology.


    ...


    "So, it''s more believable that she thought I''m going to fuck another woman outside and is just looking out for me by buying me condoms...."


    Thus, after finding out that everything might be a misunderstanding, Vernon''s lust started to dissipate. Though his bulge was still pretty obvious down there.


    "Maybe it''s all just in my mind, and I was just getting excited about nothing...." Vernon murmured. The realization hit him hard and gave him a somber mood.


    He was so excited before and couldn''t think straight as he kept imagining Chloe in various positions. He was a man with a high sex drive, and to hold himself for so long, he should be called a monk or priest at this point.


    "Ah, this sucks...." Vernonined.


    He reread the note again and realized Chloe''s tone was very formal. She was like a big sister looking out for her little brother, which only worsened Vernon''s mood.


    "Tch, I don''t need her to do this kind of crap. Do you think I will use this condom on random women?"


    "Well, since I''m not in the mood to fuck anyone, might as well threw these things out," Vernon said. He picked up the two condoms, and the moment he picked them up, he saw another note hidden beneath the condoms the whole time.


    It was a smaller note, but he could read it clearly under the light.


    --


    Don''t be too rough, okay?


    No woman wants to be treated roughly without consent. Especially with your size, any woman would scream if you do it too rough.


    --

 226 Chapter 226

    ¡ª


    Don''t be too rough, okay?


    No woman wants to be treated roughly without consent. Especially with your size, any woman would cry if you do it too rough.


    ¡ª


    Vernon''s eyes widened instantly. He paused again, but this time, his eyes wide open and jaw dropped out of disbelief.


    The note was obviously written by Chloe because it had the same handwriting style as the previous one.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Is she for real?" Vernon asked himself. He could still guess that everything was just a misunderstanding with the previous note because it could be seen that Chloe was just looking out for him.


    But he couldn''t make the same reason with this note.


    "Obviously, she wants me to treat her gently before going rough," Vernon concluded, and he started feeling guilty.


    "Did I go too rough on her before? Nobody everined about me getting rough," Vernon wondered. "Is she the type that wants to do a gentle forey before going rough? Fuck, I didn''t know that."


    He hadn''t had real sex with Chloe, not yet, at least. Because he wanted her to fatten up first since she was rmingly thin, and he knew it would be absolutely painful for Chloe to have sex, especially if she got fucked by an eight-inch.


    "I can''t defend her anymore. This note¡ª she is obviously trying to seduce me! FUCK!" Vernon mmed the table out of frustration.


    He was ready to call it off and concluded that Chloe was just trying to take care of him¡ª as a Big sister figure.


    But not anymore.


    "I thought she''s not interested in me," Vernon mumbled. "But I might be wrong all this time."


    She was trying to rile him up, inviting him toe to her room and using the condom to fuck her silly.


    He didn''t know if Chloe wanted him to be a romantic partner or simply a fuck buddy. Either way, he would be more than willing to spend the night and fuck her until the sun rose.


    Vernon''s pants got tight again, and it started to get painful as his dick was rock hard under the trousers right now.


    Vernon started rubbing his bulge again, and his rock-hard cock twitched, demanding to be set free. He gritted his teeth and got up from the chair.


    His eyes darted at the staircase near the kitchen leading to the lower floor. He didn''t know if Chloe was already asleep or not since it was alreadyte at night.


    But in his imagination, Chloe must''ve been sitting on the sofa downstairs, naked¡ª or with a set of kinky purple or red lingerie, leaning sensually on the sofa while waiting for Vernon toe down and fuck her all night with the ultra-thin condom that she bought.


    The imagination was like a burst of explosion in Vernon''s mind. It was too much for his poor brain to handle.


    His cock was getting too painful, and he couldn''t wait to go downstairs and feast upon his real dinner.


    Vernon unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned the trouser, and unzipped the pants. His cock was fully erect, with the tip peeking out of his underwear.


    Vernon started rubbing the tip, but his eyes were focused on the stairs leading to the lower floor.


    His mind started ying tricks on him again. He kept imagining Chloe in various lingeries, toys, and even various postures. His imagination was endless when the woman in his fantasy was her.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon''s legs started moving out on their own. He walked to the stair but halted before taking the first step on the staircase.


    "Wait, Vernon Phoenix Gray, wait-the-fucking-moment," Vernon tried to clear his muddled mind a little.


    "You don''t know what waits for you down there. If the stimtion is too much, you might not be able to control yourself," Vernon reminded himself.


    He was a rough man, even in sex. The more he liked the woman in bed, the rougher he got.


    And he simply knew he would go crazy when he saw her wearing stuff he liked.


    He didn''t want to scare her, nor did he want to hurt her. His heart was in too much pain when he saw her trauma reaction, and he assumed he also had sexual trauma.


    "No, I don''t want to hurt her. I don''t want to lose control and be way too rough on her," Vernon murmured.


    "Besides¡­ She is still way too thin. I might identally break her fragile body if I do it now," Vernon said.


    The first thing that came to his mind when he saw Chloe''s naked body for the first time was how sexy she was and how fragile she looked.


    She had perfect boobs, nice ass, and smooth skin like porcin.


    But her protruding bone concerned, and he knew he would hurt her if he thrust everything deep inside.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon gnashed his teeth and clenched his fist as he tried to gather his willpower, "No, not now, Vernon. She might be seducing you right now. But she doesn''t know the fire she''s ying with."


    "She will be in so much pain, and you will only contribute as one of the perpetrator who triggered her sexual trauma in the end," Vernon continued feeding his mind with rationality, as much as he hated it.


    He was more of a spontaneous man. He would do it first and thinkter.


    But Chloe was different, her pain was his pain, and her pleasure was also his pleasure.


    "Not now. You need to make sure she''s healthy physically and mentally first, then you can finally feast on your meal, Vernon," Vernon said to himself.


    He finally turned around despite all the unwillingness in his heart. If he followed his lust, he would probably toss Chloe and fucked her crazy right now.


    But she wasn''t just a random whore outside;


    "She is special, so don''t you dare hurt her."


    Vernon walked away from the kitchen while grumbling, "I will make sure to fuck her everyday once we solved this problem."


    His dick was still rock hard, and he was thinking about jacking off in his bed to relieve his lust.


    He walked towards his bedroom, but he stopped right before he opened the bedroom door.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    He paused for a moment and turned around. He walked to the main door of his penthouse instead, heading to the parking lot.

 227 Chapter 227

    [Explicit jack-off scene.]


    Vernon walked towards his bedroom, but he stopped right before he opened the bedroom door.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    He paused for a moment and turned around. He walked to the main door of his penthouse instead, heading to the parking lot. He still had the same intention, that he wanted to jack off and release his desire, so he would have a good night''s sleep.


    But to do it in his bedroom might not be as stimting and rewarding for him.


    So he walked into the parking lot, heading straight to his parked car in the basement. He pressed the car key and entered his car.


    Vernon sat for a while and looked down.


    "Darn it, why are you still hard? Do we really need to do this?" Vernon cursed as his rock-hard cock still demanded to be rubbed and serviced.


    Vernon sighed defeatedly and pulled down his trouser and boxer. His cock sprung up instantly. Under the dim light of the basement lot, Vernon could see his cock twitching, and the tip was already leaking precum.


    "Unbelievable¡­" Vernon murmured. He could usuallyst for at least an hour or two when having sex with any woman. But now, he was just thinking about Chloe¡ª not even touching her, and he was already leaking precum?!


    What kind of lust spell did she put on him?!


    Vernon grabbed the shaft of his thick and veiny dick and started slowly stroking it up and down. He leaned on the chair and closed his eyes.


    His mind started creating vivid imagery of the woman that made him hard as a rock right now, the woman who dared to seduce him even though he was trying to hold himself.


    "Fuck, I don''t know what''s her intention, but this is literally torture," Vernonined.


    Despite his annoyance, he was easily led by the nose, and the figure of Chloe was vividly pictured in his mind.


    In his mind, Chloe was wearing thin ck lingerie that basically covered nothing, but it made her look even more sensual than simply being in naked.


    Shey on his bed, looking at Vernon with a subus-like grin on her face. She trailed her hand from her neck down to her boobs before patting her pussy gently.


    Her sweet voice asked, ''Do you like what I wear right now?''


    "Ugh¡­ yes, I¡­ I like it¡­." Vernon groaned and replied clearly, even though Chloe''s voice was only in his head right now.


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    Vernon leaked even more precum, and it flowed down from the bulbous tip of his cock to his veiny shaft. The image of Chloe seducing him was too much for his poor cock that hadn''t found its proper release for months.


    ''Boy, you look so eager, why don''t you teach me a thing or two about sex. You imed to be longer, harder, and bigger than your Big brother. I don''t like a boy who''s all talk, you know?'' Chloe said, and she giggled coquettishly.


    "Ahh¡ª fuck yes! I''m¡­ I''m better, bigger, longer, harder than my Big brother! I will prove it to you, I will show you that you only need mine!" Vernon imed out loud in his car.<sub> </sub>


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    He stroked his dick even faster than before, his chest rising up and down, and his breath was getting heavier. His desire had overtaken him, and his vivid imagination about Chloe was like a strong aphrodisiac that made him hallucinate, making him unable to discern the difference between imagination and reality.


    Chloe licked her lips in his imagination. She started ying with the string of her thin ck panties that basically covered nothing and said;


    ''Do you want to take this lingerie off? I know that you''re obsessing over my panties, right, boy?''


    "Fuck! Yes! I¡ª I love it when you''re wearing lingerie, Chloe!" Vernon replied loudly and shamelessly. In his imagination, his free hand twitched as if wanting to strip the ck lingerie off Chloe''s body.


    Vernon could not deny that he loved the image of Chloe wearing various styles of lingerie. Lingerie was basically his fetish, which was why he liked seeing other women he hooked up with wearing lingerie.


    But deep down, he knew he was lusting over those women because of the lingerie, not because of the women wearing them.


    But it was different when Chloe was the one who wore it.


    Because he knew that Chloe + lingerie was a deadlybo worth dying for.


    His free hand felt empty as he wanted to touch the ck lingerie, and he knew well what he should do to relieve this obsession.


    It was also the reason why he jacked off in his car.


    Vernon opened his eyes, and his gaze was solely focused on the dashboard glove box where he stored random stuff.


    He opened the glove box and saw kinky ck panties that were the exact same lingerie in his imagination just now.


    He retrieved these panties when Chloe and he spent the night in his room when he was stupid drunk that night.


    He had always been self-conscious about the existence of the ck lingerie in his car and ought to throw it away many times.


    But he never had the willpower to throw it away and decided to keep it inside his glove box for no reason.


    Until this day, of course.


    Vernon picked up the ck lingerie and crumpled it with his free hand. He put the crumpled lingerie right under his nose and sniffed deep.


    His eyes rolled up, and his cock started twitching and throbbing ufortably.


    "Ugh¡­ it''s her lingerie that rubbed on her pussy lips¡­ I love this," Vernon murmured while speaking vulgar stuff.


    He took another deep sniff. Unfortunately, the scent was no longer there since it''s been inside his car for days, but the psychological pleasurebined with his imagination made it ten times better than it actually was.


    "I want the one she just wear, but this will do¡­."

 228 Chapter 228

    "Ugh... this is her lingerie that rubbed on her pussy lips... I love this," Vernon murmured while speaking vulgar stuff. "I want the one she just wears, but this will do for now...."


    Vernon couldn''t hide the obsession in his eyes. He took another sniff and started stroking even faster than before.


    Shlick! Shlick! Shlick! Shlick!


    "Urgh! Fuck! I love your smell, Chloe," Vernon said. He could feel something surging from his balls rising up to the tip of his cock. His eyes looked down at his cock and the crumpled lingerie in his hand. He followed his instinct by kissing the lingerie a few times before his cock twitched and cummed.


    "ARGH! Fuck! FUCK! I''M CUMMING!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Vernon''s sight turned white for a second, and his big dick erupted semen like a geyser. He shot so high until his cum hit the car ceiling, and then his face, steering wheel, and also the front windscreen.


    Vernon slumped on the car chair as he tried to regte his breath.


    His chest was still rising up and down, and he breathed heavily for at least five minutes straight. Because the pleasure he got for jacking off while kissing Chloe''s lingerie was amazing, so amazing that he ejacted way too quickly.


    "Damn it, Vernon. You''re not a teenage boy. You have tons of experience, why are you cumming so quickly? Fucking embarassing!" Vernon med and cursed at himself.


    He didn''t want to be looked down on, especially by that woman. What would happen if they did it and he ejacted in less than a minute?


    "Fuck, I''d rather bury myself if that actually happen."


    Vernon finally opened his eyes after ten minutes of resting. He looked around his car and realized he had made a terrible mess.


    His semen was thick, white, and sticky, spread everywhere in his car; the steering wheel, the car ceiling, his face, the front windscreen.


    His semen also sttered everywhere on the passenger seat next to his and the shifting gear.


    "Fuck...." Vernon cursed slowly.


    The post-nut rity hit him hard, and he just realized the mess that he had made in his car.


    Of course, he couldn''t just bring this car to the car wash and let someone else clean the inside. Because his semen was too obvious, knowing how white and thick, it looked.


    So, he had to clean it by himself.


    He grumbled and looked down to find the tissue but then paused when he saw the crumpled ck lingerie still in his hand.


    Somehow, the vivid image of Chloe grinning at him and inviting him to do the second round came to his mind again. He shook it off quickly because his cock twitched and got hard again in response.


    "No, there''s no way I''m going for the second! I don''t want my fucking car to be covered with cum! ARGH!"


    Vernon threw the lingerie back into the glove box and closed it shut. He pulled many tissues and started by wiping his cock, which was still rock hard and wet because of thebination of precum and semen.


    Then, he wiped his face to get rid of the sweat and the semen sticking to his cheek.


    After he pulled his underwear up, he started cleaning his car until he spotted zero white stuff sticking around.


    "O--Okay, all clean now," Vernon said nervously.


    He finally zipped and buckled his trouser beforeing out of the car.


    He walked like a penguin because he was still ufortable with his rock-hard dick.


    For some reason, only looking at that damn lingerie for a few seconds was enough to incite his lust to the fullest.<sub> </sub>


    "Damn it, stop being hard, Vernon! You already did it half an hour ago! Why are you hard again?!" Vernonined to no avail. He entered his penthouse and sneaked to his bedroom.


    Before he entered his bedroom, he looked around the kitchen across his room. He was disappointed because he didn''t see any sign of Chloe anywhere, and the food on the table was untouched.


    His stomach grumbled again, much to his disdain, and he decided to walk to the dining table and eat everything that had been prepared by his Big sis Chloe.


    Vernon saw the two packs of condoms again and picked them up this time.


    "I swear I will use all of this on her when I can finally have my fill! Damn it, how could she seduce me when I''m trying hard not to touch her?"


    **


    Meanwhile, Chloe was busy in her bedroom. She checked on Mackie''s math homework to see whether she had answered everything correctly before turning them in tomorrow.


    She has done this since Mackie entered elementary school. Whenever Mackie made a mistake, she would patiently teach her daughter until she understood what was wrong with her answer.


    Chloe was pleased after confirming that her daughter answered everything perfectly.


    "Well, Mackie is pretty smart, so homework like this should be a piece of cake for her."


    Chloe stretched her limbs and jumped on the bed. She checked on her phone to see any text and just realized there was a text from Vernon ten minutes ago.


    --


    From: Vernon


    Good dinner.


    I''ll keep the condom and use itter. Don''t regret giving this to me.


    --


    Chloe frowned after she read the text, "Regret it, why? I''m just looking out for him. I don''t want him to catch random STDs outside."


    "Well, I don''t know what''s in his mind. But I''m d he keeps the condom," Chloe said nonchntly.


    Chloe knew Vernon was a vigorous young man with a high sex drive, so she texted back.


    --


    To: Vernon


    No problem, just tell me if you need more, okay?


    I''ll give it to you, as much as you like.


    --


    Chloe chucked as she sent the text. She had just realized that her cute little Vernon was now a big man and would be able to talk about adult stuff, just like what he said back then.


    -


    ''Big sis! When I''m an adult, you must talk about adult stuff with me! I don''t want to miss it!''


    -

 229 Chapter 229

    Chloe chucked as she sent the text. She had just realized that her cute little Vernon was now a big man and would be able to talk about adult stuff, just like what he said back then.


    -


    ''Big sis! When I''m an adult, you must talk about adult stuff with me! I don''t want to miss it!''


    -


    "Well, now we''re talking about adult stuff," Chloe smiled as she put her phone beside her pillow. Shey on her bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze as shes of nostalgia came to her mind.


    She kept thinking about little Vernon, the young master so stubborn and wilful.


    He was always well-known to be a kid who liked to destroy things, no matter how expensive it was. But since he was spoiled rotten by his family, he didn''t understand-- nor try to understand that he couldn''t destroy everything just because he liked it.


    So Chloe had to reprimand him many times.


    Chloe smiled when she fondly remembered her times with cute little Vernon, and that memory was actually a core memory of Vernon.


    So, no matter how much of an asshole Vernon could be, Chloe couldn''t hate him. She wouldpromise or maybe scold him a little, but that was it.


    "Ah, to think about it... I don''t think I''m that scared of Vernon..." Chloe murmured. "He is not a bad man, he''s certainly ruthless. But between him and Vincent, it''s like picking the lesser evil, and that would be Vernon...."


    Chloe fully knew why she avoided Vernon was because she got ufortable looking at his face.


    After what happenedst night when Vernon identally triggered her trauma, Chloe couldn''t see Vernon without thinking about Vincent.


    His appearance was so simr to Vincent''s. His face, voice, and gesture, even how he smiled or smirked.


    "He''s also bigger... he''s basically the more intimidating version of Vincent...."


    Chloe knew that it was Vernon, not Vincent.


    But whenever Vernon raised his voice and red at him, her body instantly turned weak, and she would tremble from head to toe.


    Her survival instinct told her to get the fuck out, and she tried to minimize encounters with Vernon to avoid confrontation since Vernon had a bad temper.


    "Ah, I don''t know... I just hope that he doesn''t pry on my problem...." Chloe thought as she wanted to push Vernon away. Just like how she pushed everyone away. "I don''t want Vincent to target him-- or anyone. Only I know the extent that Vincent would do just to prove his point that he was better than everyone."


    "The more Vernon knows about me, the more he will get involved, and Vincent will surely destroy him..."


    Chloe closed her eyes and curled her body into a ball as she hugged her own legs to feel safer;


    "Vincent-- he told me that he will hurt anyone who''s close to me, and I don''t want that to happen."


    "So let me bear this pain alone..."


    **


    Vernon had just finished taking a bath and came out of the bathroom with only a bath towel covering his lower body.


    He dried his hair when he heard the sound of a notification on his phone.


    His body tensed immediately because he knew who had just texted him back.<sub> </sub>


    He was a little nervous about her response, but he sent the text before as a sign of sarcasm since Chloe dared to seduce him despite knowing well that Vernon couldn''t touch her.


    He put on the hairdryer and picked up his phone to open the text sent by Chloe just now;


    --


    From: Chloe


    No problem, just tell me if you need more, okay?


    I''ll give it to you, as much as you like.


    --


    ...


    ...


    Vernon paused for a moment as he reread thest sentence at least ten times before he clenched his phone and threw it on the bed;


    "THIS IS BULLSHIT!"


    Vernon was venting his frustration by ruffling his freshly dried hair. He walked back and forth around his room whileining, "How could she say that to me? I''ve been taking a cold bath just now so I can calm down, and now--"


    Vernon took off his bath towel, and his fully erect cock sprung up again. He yelled right in front of the phone on the bed;


    "--Look what you''ve done to me! I''m rock hard again!"


    "God-fucking-damn-it! Do you know how hard it is for me to take an ice cold shower in the middle of the night?!"


    Vernon kept yelling at the phone frustratedly. In his imagination, Chloe giggled as she kept teasing him like this.


    "Is this some kind of revenge after what I did before? Because I''ve been harsh on her, that''s why she used her strongest weapon to taunt and torment me?!"


    "Fuck, why am I dancing in her palms right now?!"


    Vernon was convinced that Chloe did this out of spite, but he also had a resolution in his heart, "Just wait until you''ve finally opened up to me about your trauma, I will fatten you up and then eat you every fucking day! FUCK THIS! ARGH!"


    Vernon kicked the bedpost and threw his body at the bed. He was still naked, with his dick standing high like a g pole.


    He didn''t really want to do the second round of masturbation because he actually felt pathetic to do so. But he knew he couldn''t fall asleep with his cock fully erect. He needed to release his tension first, then close his eyes for a good night''s sleep.


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, who''s nevercking in any woman wanting to jump on my bed. Now you''re pathetically jacking off twice in one night alone, because she keeps teasing you while you can''t touch her," Vernon announced, then chuckled at the ridiculousness of this new fact. "Ah, what a fucking joke."


    Vernon stared at his cock that twitched, ready for the second round, and he scoffed as he grabbed the veiny shaft;


    "It can''t be helped."


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.

 230 Chapter 230

    Chloe woke up the next morning with an rm. She stretched her arms and checked the clock. She was relieved that it was still five in the morning, so she had enough


    time to prepare separate breakfast for Mackie and Vernon.


    She went to the bathroom and stared at the mirror. She looked a little tired, but that was understandable since yesterday was a long day.


    She also noticed that the long wound on her cheek inflicted by Chelsea had dried out and be scabs. So it was safe to peel off the band-aids.


    Chloe took off the band-aids slowly, and she was quite satisfied with the recovery speed, "Okay, now I can use make-up to conceal the scab... is that even possible though?"


    She already saw herself as ugly, so she wanted to look presentable despite her shorings.


    "Maybe I should use a mask today, that should be easier than applying make-up."


    Chloe went upstairs to start cooking in Vernon''s kitchen.


    "Oh, he ate everything-- and took the condoms. Great!" Chloe smiled in satisfaction. She put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher before she started cooking.


    "Ah, good thing I can use the dishwasher here," Chloe murmured as she started preparing the ingredients from the kitchen.


    She couldn''t use the dishwasher in Vincent''s mansion. The maids could use it, but when she was using it, Vincent would say that she was a stupid woman who didn''t know how to save money and wasted a lot of water and electric bills.


    So she was forced to manually wash the dishes in the kitchen sink as a punishment for being a stupid wife.


    ? Chloe scoffed as she chopped the vegetables, "He is a literal billionaire. I know that he is doing that just to bully me..."


    Chloe didn''t know what Vincent was thinking and why he had to bully her so badly. She was never close to any man because she wasn''t allowed to go and hang out with her old friends, let alone with a man.


    She had never cheated because she believed inmitment.


    So, she didn''t understand what she did wrong to make him treat her like trash.


    ...


    "The answer is because I''m not good enough," Chloe suddenly answered her own question. "He keeps telling me that I''m born poor as shit, so I don''t deserve a husband like him...."


    "In a sense, that''s true. I don''t deserve to be treated like shit by a husband like him--"


    Chloe grew irritated as she kept thinking about Vincent. She was mostly scared of him, but behind the fear lies anger as she felt wronged for the past ten years by that bastard.


    She started venting her anger by lifting the knife like a guillotine when cutting the vegetables and meat ruthlessly. She also made a loud noise when she used a spat to stir-fry the food in the pan.


    She stopped for a second, afraid that Vernon might have woken up when she was busy venting her anger.<sub> </sub>


    But then, she realized that Vernon''s room was basically soundproof, and he slept like a log most of the time. So there was no need to worry.


    Thus, she kept venting her anger by making loud noises while cooking. It was her only way to vent a little because in Vincent''s mansion, she couldn''t even make the slightest noise without being called a noisy bitch by Vincent.


    Little did she know, Vernon was already awake about fifteen minutes ago.


    He was a little thirsty and wanted to go to the kitchen for water.


    But when he opened his door slightly, he saw the petite back of Chloe preparing breakfast in the kitchen. He halted his step and hid behind the door while watching Chloe''s back.


    She was busy cooking, as always. But the aura around her told Vernon that she was feeling irritated for an unknown reason.


    She started cutting the veggies as if she was giving them a death sentence, making lots of noises with the kitchen utensils.


    She was venting her anger, and Vernon couldn''t lie that he was a bit intimidated by her.


    ''Holy shit, did I do something wrong? Why is she angry this early in the morning? I doubt it''s about Mackie, she''s so gentle to that feisty little devil, it''s not even fair for me,'' Vernon thought.


    He couldn''t see her face as she was facing her back the whole time, but in Vernon''s imagination, Chloe must''ve looked vicious while cursing someone who made her mad.


    Verno had never seen Chloe being mad after ten years. But he knew how scary Big sis Chloe could be when she was mad. Because Vernon had been reprimanded, scolded, or even punished by Chloe many times when he was a kid.


    Though, all the scolding and punishment were justified because Vernon also acknowledged how much of a troublemaker he was, especially since he couldn''t control his urge to destroy things for entertainment and the shock factor of the people around him.


    After so much scolding and punishment as a kid, Vernon slowly developed respect based on fear towards his Big sis Chloe. She was the only one he was scared of offending, and he would stop doing whatever prank he pulled when Big sis Chloe yelled at him to stop.


    ''Wait, it''s not me, right? I''m not the one who makes her angry, right, RIGHT?'' Vernon started panicking. He got nervous and scared that he might be scolded by his Big sis Chloe.


    He tried to remember if he had done anything wrong, but he couldn''t find any reason. Other than yelling and bullying her a few times, he didn''t do anything vicious. At least, that was what he wanted to believe.


    Vernon gulped as he kept observing Chloe''s back.


    Chloe finally turned around and walked to the dining table with two tes of food for his breakfast.


    However...


    Vernon''s eyes widened instantly when he saw long scabs covering her cheek, the wounds seemed to be a wound inflicted by a sharp nail, and stretched from the edge of her lips to her earlobe.


    "WHAT THE--!?"

 231 Chapter 231

    Vernon''s eyes widened instantly when he saw long scabs covering her cheek. The wounds seemed to be a wound inflicted by a sharp nail and stretched from the edge of her lips to her earlobe.


    "WHAT THE¡ª!?" Vernon yelled out loud as he saw the scabs on Chloe''s beautiful face. His blood rose up instantly, and he mmed the door open.


    BAM!


    Chloe had just finished putting the te on the table when she heard the loud sound of the mmed door. Her eyes darted towards Vernon''s room across the kitchen, and she froze instantly.


    Vernon was too angry to notice the stunned expression that Chloe had made. He rushed to the dining table until he stood right across Chloe, with only the dining table separating them.


    Vernon''s gaze lingered on the scabs on Chloe''s cheek, and he asked in a voice full of repressed rage;


    "Who made that wound?"


    ¡­


    Chloe didn''t answer, but for some reason, she looked down, and her eyes looked at something else instead.


    Vernon thought Chloe was just being her meek self as always. He was too angry to be soft right now. The more he stared at the dried wounds on her beautiful face, the more he felt irritation that couldn''t be quenched.


    Vernon mmed the table, and Chloe jolted again. But her eyes kept looking at something down there as if she was hypnotized by something.


    "Look at me, Chloe! Tell me who hurt you!" Vernon yelled.


    But Chloe kept her silence until Vernon couldn''t handle it anymore. He wanted to walk around the dining table and reach Chloe, but Chloe retreated quickly;


    "V¡ªVernon, don''t get closer¡ª" Chloe warned as she took another step back.


    Vernon halted his step immediately. He took a deep breath and studied Chloe''s face to see whether there was fear in her eyes.


    Which was... Slim to none.


    Surprisingly, Chloe only had a tint of fear in her eyes, but there was another emotion that Vernon could read from her eyes and reddened cheeks.


    And it was¡­ embarrassment?


    ''Why is she embarrassed?'' Vernon frowned. The anger surged from the depth of his heart. It was still taking control of his body, but the embarrassment now confused him.


    ''Why did she blush?'' Vernon asked himself.


    "V¡ªVernon, go wash first and get dressed¡­." Chloe said. She pointed at Vernon''s lower half. "Um¡­ that¡­"


    Vernon looked down immediately, and his anger vanished in an instant. Because he forgot that he didn''t wear a thing¡ª not even a boxer.


    What made it worse was the dried cum covering his erect cock. Because he fell asleep right after cumming, he didn''t even think about cleaning up.


    Vernon knew he looked more like a gross teenage boy who had just hit puberty. He gulped and raised his head. He looked at Chloe and tried to exin, "W¡ªWait, let me exin this¡ª I¡ªI mean, let me get dressed first! You wait here and don''t run! We''re not done yet with this!"


    "Ah¡ª uhm¡­ it''s fine. Young men can be very¡­ uh¡­ messy, I guess¡­." Chloe said.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon gritted his teeth and rushed back to his bedroom to at least wear a boxer.


    Vernon mmed the door again as he wore his boxer in a hurry, but when he turned his head towards the dining table, Chloe was nowhere to be found.


    She was probably already going downstairs to hide from him and to hide the wound on her cheek.


    "DAMN IT!" Vernon yelled out loud and punched the wall on his right to vent his frustration a bit.


    He walked to the dining table and then to the kitchen. He stared at the stair downstairs and considered for at least a few minutes. He was contemting whether he should go down and pull Chloe out of her safe space to question her about the wound or let her be.


    Of course, logically, he should be patient and let Chloe open up.


    But he also had the pride of a man.


    "I''m not a man if I let my woman to get hurt, so¡ª argh, fuck it!" Vernon said spontaneously without thinking at all.


    He rushed downstairs and looked around the apartment to see no one.


    He went to the dining area and identally stumbled upon his feisty little niece eating her breakfast.


    Mackie turned her head towards her big bad wolf Uncle, who stood wearing nothing but a boxer.


    Mackie smiled wide until her teeth showed and greeted, "Morning, Uncle!"


    "A¡ªAh, m¡ªmorning¡­." Vernon was a bit embarrassed to only be wearing a boxer in front of his niece. He was promiscuous and wild, but even a wild man like him knew a bit of decency, especially in front of kids.


    He hid behind a tall ceramic vase and asked, "Where''s your Mom?"


    "Mommy is taking a bath right now. Uncle, why are you hiding there? Come and eat with me!" Mackie hopped off the chair and approached her Uncle innocently.


    She stood beside Uncle Vernon and grabbed his wrist with her two small hands. She tried to pull him, but her Uncle didn''t budge at all.


    "I¡ªI will eat breakfast upstairs. You go eat yours here," Vernon said, feeling ashamed for being almost naked in front of Mackie.


    Mackie pouted, she tried to pull her Uncle again, but she soon noticed a weird smell on her Uncle.


    Sniff. Sniff.


    "EW! Uncle, go take a bath! You smell like fish! Uncle is a smelly wolf!" Mackie quickly released her Uncle''s wrist and distanced herself.


    She made an exaggerated gesture by pinching her nose, "Smelly uncle, go away!"


    "You¡ª"


    Vernon was slightly annoyed by his niece, who dared to mock him. But he was too ashamed to say anything. So he just turned around and returned upstairs because he couldn''t handle the shame.


    Vernon returned to his penthouse and sat on a dining chair. He stared at the breakfast on the dining table, and the image of Chloe putting the food on the table with stripes of scabs on her cheek shed in his mind.

 232 Chapter 232

    "Urgh, fine, I can''t really ask her here, since there''s Mackie," Vernon said. "And she''s probably going to avoid me again, but I''m not all hopeless."


    "Even if Chloe refused to tell me. Diamond will help me instead. I''m sure she will not let this slide, after all, it''s her best friend who got hurt."


    ¡­


    Vernon realized that he could also guilt-trip Diamond into working together with him.


    Based on his short observation, Diamond already saw Chloe as his true best friend since she dared to challenge his authority no matter how much intimidation Vernon did to her.


    ''She''s very capable, and I''ll make sure she will work with me to reveal who hurts my beloved¡ª I¡ªI mean, my Big sis Chloe,'' Vernon shook his head once to make sure that he didn''t think of a ridiculous idea.


    Thus, Vernon ate his breakfast easily because he was certain he could influence Diamond to be on her side in this case.


    **


    After preparing himself, Vernon walked out of the penthouse and used the elevator to head downstairs. He went to the parking lot and noticed Chloe''s car was already gone.


    He scoffed;


    "She''s still avoiding me for whatever reason," Vernon said dissatisfied, but he chose to ignore the annoyance in his heart and focused on his work and also personal mission today.


    He drove to his office and used the elevator straight to his floor.


    When the elevator door slid open, he saw Diamond busy with her reports. She nced in his direction for a split second and stood up reluctantly to greet him as a sign of formality.


    "Wee, Sir."


    Honestly, Vernon still didn''t understand why Diamond looked so pissed ever since he told her to book a table for him and Shailene. Shouldn''t she be happy that he was taking his step to know Chloe better?


    ''Surely, women are hard to please,'' Vernon thought.


    He walked past Diamond and said, "Diamond,e to my office. I have an important matter to tell."


    Diamond raised her head and nced at her boss. She didn''t know what this man was trying to pull this time. But if he wanted her to spill anything she knew about Chloe''s abuse, that wouldn''t happen.


    "Yes, Sir," Diamond followed her boss to his CEO''s office.


    Vernon sat on his executive chair and looked at Diamond standing in front of him.


    He cleared his throat and asked, "Do you know why I called you just now?"


    "I don''t know," Diamond replied truthfully.


    "Well, I have bad news about Chloe," Vernon stated.


    Diamond''s body tensed immediately. She was afraid that something would happen to her homegirl, "D¡ªDid you do something to herst night?"<sub> </sub>


    "What the¡ª" Vernon felt wronged when Diamond used him.


    Little did she know, he was the real victimst night! Chloe was seducing him nonstop, and he had tofort himself TWICE just because that subus was teasing him mercilessly!


    But, of course, he wouldn''t tell Diamond about that. Not because it was private stuff. Diamond already saw him fucking a girl in the velvet room once, after all.


    But because it was a shameful thing for Vernon.


    A heartless yboy like Vernon had to jack off twice a night just because of one woman? That was the joke of the century!


    "Anyway, it''s not about that," Vernon quickly shifted the topic back. "I identally saw something terrible this morning, and it''s about Chloe."


    Diamond started to get nervous. Her boss seriously knew how to lead someone with his words, "What happened to her?"


    "She got hurt by someone," Vernon replied, and his gaze darkened. "I won''t tell you the details, because I want you to see it for yourself."


    "Sir, you''re making me nervous. Why don''t you tell me now, so I won''t get a heart attackter?" Diamond reasoned. "Who hurt her?"


    But the devil shook his head. With a little grin and a shrug, he replied, "Well, just like how you don''t want to tell me about her trauma because you''re respecting her choice. I also don''t want to tell you without her consent first."


    "So you have to find out yourself," Vernon said.


    Diamond was agitated. She was so worried about her homegirl Chloe that it made her worry if something really bad happened to her.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not a fatal wound," Vernon added to ease Diamond''s tension. "But, no matter how light the wound is. I will never allow anyone to hurt her¡ª at least not without consequence."


    "Wound¡­" Diamond''s mind started wandering about so many possibilities. In her mind, Chloe was a kind andpassionate but meek and weak woman, so it wasn''t surprising that she got bullied or hurt by someone else outside.


    "Once you see her wound, you shall return to me, and we will work together to find the culprit," Vernon ordered. "Don''t you want to help your best friend? Surely, you won''t allow someone else to hurt her."


    Diamond gulped. She swore that she wouldn''t help Mr. Phoenix Gray unless it was for work-rted stuff.


    But his offer was too tempting.


    He was right. Diamond had a strong protective feeling for her homegirl. She wanted Chloe to be happy and well-protected.


    So when Mr. Phoenix Gray said that Chloe had been hurt by someone, her anger rose immediately.


    But she also understood that Chloe was dealing with so much trauma it wasn''t easy to open up.


    Vernon observed the small change in Diamond''s expression, and he already guessed that Diamond wanted to do something for her best friend.


    "Now, now, I know that you''re afraid that Chloe would refuse your help. After all, she always backed off whenever I tried to pry more information about her traumatic experience," Vernon said.


    "But listen to me, Chloe''s current wound is not because of her trauma. There must be someone out there who''s actively trying to hurt Chloe, so we have the right to protect Chloe by eliminating any threat," Vernon added. "Isn''t that right, Secretary Johnson?"

 233 Chapter 233

    ? "Chloe''s wound is not because of her trauma. There must be someone out there who''s actively trying to hurt Chloe, so you and I have the right to protect Chloe by eliminating any threat," Vernon added. "Isn''t that right, Secretary Johnson."


    ¡­


    Diamond bit her lip. What her boss said was correct. If Chloe experienced bullying and abuse outside, even after she left her bastard husband, it would be stupid if Vernon and Diamond didn''t do anything to help her.


    "But¡­"


    "Don''t tell me you don''t want to help me because you''re afraid of invading her privacy? Ohe on, she clearly needs my, no, OUR help!" Vernon insisted. "Do you want Chloe to get hurt right in front of your eyes? I thought you''re her best friend."


    Vernon''s persuasion seemed to have shaken Diamond''s firm belief that she shouldn''t interfere with Chloe''s problem and would just support her best friend emotionally (and financially if she could).


    A smirk grew on Vernon''s lips. He might specialize in intimidation, but that didn''t mean he had no skill in persuasion.


    "Sir, I¡ª I will help you to eliminate whoever that person is. But let me see her wound first to see if it''s worth the risk," Diamond said.


    "Fair enough. I bet you''ll return to me immediately after looking at her wound though," Vernon said confidently. "You can return to your desk now. But remember, Diamond, don''t tell Chloe about this."


    "Chloe can be too much of a doormat sometimes, and refuses to tell anyone about her problem. So I will eliminate whoever hurts her in silence. I can hire some people as well," Vernon said with deep, dangerous eyes staring at Diamond''s soul.


    Diamond shivered from head to toe after being stared at by that kind of scary face, but she kept her professionalism, "Then, please excuse me, Sir."


    Vernon watched as Diamond left his office. He snorted as he found it quite funny, "At least, we''re on the same page in this one."


    Of course, Vernon could use all of his connections to search for the perpetrator¡ª the one who hurt Chloe.


    But he preferred to persuade Diamond in this, so Diamond understood his worry and wanted to work with him in the future.


    As much as he hated to admit it, Diamond waspetent in almost every job she handled, making her an invaluable member of his office.


    ''I can imagine many ways to utilize herpetence to get closer to Chloe,'' Vernon thought. ''But we''re not on good terms right now. Somehow, she thinks that betraying Chloe and telling him about the trauma that Chloe experienced is harder to do than defying my order as her boss.''


    "Why is she switching sides towards Chloe anyway? She has known me for two years,pared to Chloe whom she had just known for a few months," Vernon asked himself. "Shouldn''t she have unwavering loyalty towards me instead?"


    "What kind of charm did Chloe use to make someone like Diamondpletely turn to her side?"


    He fished his phone out of his pocket, checked his gallery, and then clicked on one picture taken not long ago.


    It was a picture of Chloe cooking in the kitchen. She looked cute, especially with her pink apron and hair tied in a ponytail.


    Vernon smiled as he kept staring at the pic and sighed before putting the phone back in his suit pocket.


    "I guess I got charmed too¡­."


    **<sub> </sub>


    Diamond felt even more conflicted after she left her Boss'' office.


    Diamond was worried about her homegirl. Because if Chloe got hurt by someone else outside and refused to tell her about it, should she stop asking and act as if nothing was wrong.


    Or should she interfere and ask who dared to hurt her homegirl?


    "This is difficult¡­." Diamond thought as she faced the dilemma. "I will have to see the wound first and wait for her exnation. I don''t want to act rashly and make Chloe ufy..."


    **


    About two and a half hourster, the elevator opened, and Chloe came out of the elevator. She was wearing a simple ck shirt and jeans. On top of that, she wore a red scarf to cover the evesting hickeys around her neck and a medical mask to cover half of her face.


    Diamond didn''t get up and greet her best friend as usual. Instead, she squinted at Chloe, full of suspicion.


    Chloe smiled beneath her mask and greeted Diamond first, "Morning, Diamond. Is Vernon still inside?"


    "He has a meeting outside with a client. He told me that he''ll be a bitte for lunch. So you can just put the lunch in the pantry, and I''ll reheat it for himter," Diamond replied.


    "Ah, okay, let me put this in the pantry first¡­." Chloe said.


    Diamond''s eyes followed Chloe, who went to the pantry and returned. She still wore her medical mask, even though she took off her red scarffortably in front of Diamond.


    Chloe sat on the sofa across from the secretary''s desk. She yed with her phone for a second until she realized that Diamond was staring at her without a pause.


    Chloe got ufortable and finally asked, "Um¡­ Diamond, is there something wrong?"


    Diamond sighed and rxed her tense shoulder. She got up and walked towards her home girl.


    She sat beside Chloe and asked, "Gurl, why are you wearing a mask in the office?"


    "Ah¡ª I''m sick..."


    "Really? But you looked fine yesterday," Diamond said.


    "I¡ª" Chloe lowered her head instantly. Because Diamond''s peering gaze made her nervous. "I''m fine, don''t worry about me¡­."


    "If you''re fine, then you shouldn''t be afraid of taking off that mask, right?"


    ¡­


    Chloe felt the pressure under Diamond''s suspicious gaze, and she finally took off the mask that covered half of her face.


    Diamond''s eyes widened, and she gasped when she saw a few long wounds that had dried and turned into scabs on Chloe''s face, stretching from the edge of her lip to the tip of her earlobe.

 234 Chapter 234

    Diamond''s eyes widened, and she gasped when she saw a few long wounds that had dried and turned into scabs on Chloe''s face, stretching from the edge of her lip to the tip of her earlobe.


    "GURL! WHAT THE HELL!?"


    Diamond grabbed Chloe''s chin and inspected the scabs carefully, and the horrified expression she made said it all.


    Diamond was a model before she worked with Mr. Phoenix Gray, so she always took care of her face and would be in a terrible mood for a whole day if she got one pimple.


    Thus, she was horrified and reacted bewilderedly when she saw the wounds on her homegirl''s cheek.


    "Gurl, what the hell happened?! Oh my god, that looks so bad!" Diamond yelled while she kept checking on the scabs. "Oh no, it will take a while until you get your smooth skin again. Damn it!"


    Chloe understood why Diamond freaked out, but that was because Diamond was a model, and she was a beautiful woman.


    But Chloe wasn''t an attractivedy like her, so she didn''t really worry about a wound like this.


    Chloe tried to separate herself from Diamond, who was busy checking the wound, and replied, "Um, I fell down in the apartment''s parking lotst night and got wounded like this. It''s fine. It''s just a wound, haha¡­."


    "Gurl¡ª" Diamond rolled her eyes and found the alibi ridiculous. "We both know that''s a lie. Why don''t you tell me the truth instead?"


    "I¡ªI''m telling the truth¡ª" Chloe continued to dodge.


    Honestly, she kept dodging and refused to tell the truth because she didn''t want Diamond to know that the one who did this was her own sister.


    As much as she was angry at Chelsea yesterday, she still wanted to protect her. Because based on Chloe''s assumption, Diamond was a bold woman that wouldn''t hesitate to confront someone if she had to.


    Diamond tried hard to hold the urge so she didn''t roll her eyes twice. Her Boss was right. Chloe could be such a doormat to someone who has bullied her.


    "Gurl¡ª I ain''t an idiot. That''s obviously a wound inflicted by scratch, and it''s definitely from human''s nails, because¡ª" Diamond lifted her other hand and showed her freshly manicured, medium-length nails with hot pink as the color of choice that suited her so much.


    "¡ªI can scratch your face with my nails, and make the same wound. Gurl, let''s be real, who hurt you?" Diamond asked again.


    This time, Chloe knew that she couldn''t escape Diamond''s question. Chloe gulped and quickly tried to find a good alibi;


    "Um¡­ I was having a fight with a random woman yesterday, and I got this wound¡­." Chloe said. "D¡ªDon''t take it too seriously, Diamond. The woman has apologized¡­."


    "Are you sure it''s a random woman?" Diamond asked again, knowing well that was aplete lie.


    "Y¡ªYes¡­"


    Chloe kept lying over and over, giving Diamond enough reason to know this woman wasn''t just a random woman.


    First, she knew that Chloe was someone who would apologize first in a conflict. She had a peaceful nature, after all.


    Second, she wouldn''t have to lie in the first ce if that was the truth!


    ''Of course, I can''t really confront her like this. I have to find out for myself¡­.''


    Diamond sighed and finally released Chloe, "Gurl, if I were you, I''d press charge on that woman. She''s literally assaulting you!"<sub> </sub>


    "Ahaha¡­ It''s fine, Diamond. It will heal sooner orter¡­."


    ''Mhm, sure, it''s fine. But I''ll still talk with Mr. Phoenix Gray after this. Don''t me me for snooping around, gurl. You''re just too kind for your own good,'' Diamond thought.


    **


    They started talking about random stuff for at least an hour until Diamond got a call from Vernon, telling her to meet him in the client''s office for an extended meeting with a document.


    So Diamond got up and picked up the document she prepared in advance and the lunch bag in the pantry, "Gurl, I''ll have to help my Boss with work. You should go home or do something because both of us won''t be here until dusk."


    "Oh, don''t worry about him. I guarantee that he won''t do anything with that woman he will meet today for dinner date," Diamond said, thinking that Chloe would be jealous because Vernon would meet that psychologist for dinner.


    "Eh? I think it''s fine¡­." Chloe replied innocently. "I bought him two packs of condoms yesterday. So he would practice safe sex."


    ¡­


    ''Oof, you gotta work hard, Boss. She doesn''t even see you as a potential romance partner,'' Diamond said in her heart and finally entered the elevator to leave.


    She went to the parking lot and drove to the client''s office. She was ready for a meeting, but when she was led to the meeting room, she only saw her Boss, Vernon Phoenix Gray, sitting alone while ying with his phone.


    "Sir?" Diamond called him while closing the door behind her.


    Vernon lifted his head, and his face brightened when he saw the lunch box in Diamond''s hand, "Damn, my lunch is finally here. I''m starving."


    ¡­


    "Sir, how about the meeting?"


    "Huh? What meeting? It''s done an hour ago. I told my client if I can borrow his meeting room for a few hours for a private meeting."


    "And he allows you?"


    "He''s my friend. It''s not a problem," Vernon chuckled. "Now, go prepare my lunch. I''m so hungry."


    ? ¡­


    Diamond was still he confused. Why would her Boss borrow anotherpany''s meeting room to eat lunch?


    But she followed the order and returned to Vernon with a te full of food made by Chloe.


    Chloe sat on a seat while watching her Boss eat his lunch. He finished lunch quickly and patted his stomach while drinking his banana milk.


    Diamond kept silent until Vernon started the conversation, "Have you met her?"


    "Yes, I did."


    "And what do you think?" Vernon asked. "Do you still want to ignore what happened to her? Are you a deadbeat best friend or what?"

 235 Chapter 235

    Diamond kept silent until Vernon started the conversation, "Have you met her?"


    "Yes, I did."


    "And what do you think?" Vernon asked. "Do you still want to ignore what happened to her? Are you a deadbeat best friend or what?"


    Diamond knew that Mr. Phoenix Gray was trying to persuade her. She worked with him long enough to know all of his tricks.


    But his persuasion was based on fact, and the cold hard fact showed that Chloe had been hurt by someone.


    ''I know I shouldn''t be badgering her problem. But ain''t no way I''m gonna let my home girl get hurt. If she got scratched by someone, then let me scratch that woman in return! Eye for an eye!'' Diamond toughened herself and finally decided;


    "I will work with you, Sir. But let me ask one thing before we proceed¡ª"


    "And what is it?"


    "¡ªwhat will you do to the woman who hurt Chloe?" Diamond asked. She knew that Mr. Phoenix Gray was more than capable of being ruthless to any obstacle in his business.


    And she also knew how angry he was right now. He looked calm, but the calmer he was, the more terrifying he became in Diamond''s eyes.


    ''Well, I can''t really me him this time. After all, the one who got hurt is the only woman in his heart.''


    "Hmm, I''m not sure. I haven''t thought of it, actually," Vernon replied, still with a grin. "Should I ruin her life then? I bet she has family and a job. I can ensure that she will get fired and never financially recover."


    "She will be thrown to the street and begged for food. I''d love to see a picture of that woman¡ª whoever she is¡ª begging in the street. I think it''s a fair punishment for hurting Chloe. Don''t you think so, Diamond?"


    Vernon stared at Diamond as he was waiting for her answer.


    Diamond shuddered as she saw the gradual change in her boss'' expression. His gaze deepened like a hawk looking at his prey, and the grin widened into a malicious smirk.


    Diamond took a step back subconsciously, knowing that Mr. Phoenix Gray wasn''t ying around right now.


    She took a deep breath and clenched her fist to brace herself, "Sir, I think we need to find the culprit first, then we can decide a fair payback for hurting Chloe."


    "Hah, boring," Vernon scoffed. "I thought we''re on the same page, Diamond."


    ''Oh, thank god we''re not on the same page for that one. I don''t want to be an evil bastard like you,'' Diamond replied in her heart.


    "But fair enough, you can start with Mackie''s school, and then Citare Gourmet market. I checked my credit card ount to see the history, and Chloe went to the grocery shop there yesterday."


    "I know that you''re more than capable to do some inspection, so I''d rather ask you to do it than someone else whom I might not trust," Vernon said.


    "Understood, Sir," Diamond nodded. She noted two ces she had to visit. She knew she couldn''t just call the private school, as it was an open secret that the Gray family owned the school.


    If she directly asked the headmaster, there was a big chance that the headmaster would just report to Vincent Gray that someone was inquiring about Chloe and Mackenzie Gray.


    ''I''ll think of a way,'' Diamond thought. ''But for now¡­.''<sub> </sub>


    Vernon burped carelessly as he finished drinking the second banana milk and wiped his lips with a tissue. He patted his belly happily and said, "Ah, her cooking is the best. I don''t think I can seriously eat anything other than her food."


    "Sir, about your dinner date with your colleague¡­."


    "Yeah, what about it? Did the restaurant cancel it?"


    "No, Sir. I''m just curious about your rtionship with her¡­."


    "Didn''t I tell you that she''s an old friend from uni? What more do you need to know?"


    Diamond wanted to ask if Vernon was serious about meeting this woman. As much as she remembered, her boss ALWAYS fucked whoever woman he took in a dinner date.


    She was still on her boss'' side because she saw Mr. Phoenix Gray as a suitable partner for her home girl.


    But if he dared to fuck this random woman, Diamond might as well put her resignation letter on the table and help Chloe pack her things. She would rather start a small business and work with Chloe as she didn''t want her best friend to be entangled with another scum after her ex-husband.


    "Sir, are you sure that you''re going there for a talk?"


    "Yes," Vernon frowned as he got annoyed by Diamond. "What''s with your pesky questions? Why are you asking the same thing over and over?"


    "I''m just making sure, Sir, after all¡­."


    Vernon finally caught on to what Diamond meant.


    "Wait, do you think¡­ that I will fuck her after the dinner date?"


    "It is usible, Sir. You have a full track record of sleeping with all women you went on a dinner date with," Diamond replied without hesitation.


    "And you think I will continue doing that?"


    "¡­ I''m just looking out for my best friend, Sir," Diamond replied bluntly. As she felt that her rtionship with her boss had slowly grown to be more of a friend rather than a working colleague.


    Of course, only when the topic was Chloe. They maintained the same professional work if it wasn''t for her.


    Vernon scoffed as he thought it was so ridiculous.


    Obviously, he could not do so because his full attention was now on Chloe.


    Besides, he had already vowed to save all his condoms for Chloe.


    After all, she was the one who dared to y with fire. She teased him nonstop and forced a yboy like Vernon to jack off twice in one night.


    "That woman¡­" Vernon clenched his fist as he felt humiliated for thest night. "Do you know what she did? She gave me two packs of condoms right beside my dinner, and wrote a note, telling me to use it if I want to do it with her."

 236 Chapter 236

    "That woman..." Vernon clenched his fist as he felt humiliated for thest night. "Do you know what she did? She gave me two packs of condoms right beside my dinner and wrote a note, telling me to use them if I want to do it with her."


    "I was ready to go downstairs and have a go with her, but then I knew that she was still too thin and fragile, especially for my size and energy. So I have to resort-- well... You know-- man stuff...." Vernon said ashamedly.


    Though, he didn''t hesitate to tell Diamond about his sex life. After all, Diamond already saw everything. Including all the women he fucked, she was the one who basically managed Vernon''s sex life before he reunited with Chloe.


    "Then, after I was done, she texted me again, telling me that she''d love buying a lot of condoms for me, and allowed me to do it with her any time I want."


    Vernon mmed the table frustratedly and red at Diamond, "Can you believe that woman? She seduced me TWICE, and I still have the willpower to resist."


    "My name should be Vernon-Monk-Gray for all of my patience and willpower at this point! Fuck this!"


    ...


    Diamond kept her silence, but she had an idea in her mind that she didn''t want to share with her boss;


    ''I bet that''s not really what Chloe meant with her text. But he''s a horny beast, so he interprets it that way...'' Diamond thought. ''Should I tell him or should I not?''


    Diamond was considering the possibilities of telling or not telling, and she decided to not tell Vernon about it.


    After all, her boss was obviously in love with Chloe. He just didn''t want to admit it because of his past grudge. Though he never told her about that grudge, Diamond could pull a conclusion from how he tried to ruin his Big brother''spany.


    ''Meh, I''d rather let this slide and watch from the side. It''s fun seeing him struggling so hard to contain his own feelings. Let''s call it a little revenge for me, since he often ruined my days with his unreasonable antics,'' Diamond thought.


    After all, it was fun to see Mr. Phoenix Gray, the proud CEO and also high-profiled yboy, trying so hard to chase the woman he loved.


    ''Good luck, boss,'' Diamond cheered on her boss, at least for now. Since she saw there was no suitor for her home girl except for Vernon.


    **


    After an hour inside the meeting room, Vernon told Diamond to return to the office. At the same time, he drove his car to the restaurant for an early dinner date with Shailene.


    It was still four-thirty, and since Shailene was in New York, Vernon decided to pick her up instead.


    He texted Shailene, asking about her location, and Shailene shared her location via WhatsApp.


    "Oh? It''s not far from here," Vernon said. He drove to the hospital building where Shailene worked and saw the female psychologist standing on the hospital porch.


    Shailene was an Irish girl with long red hair. She was tall and had this somewhat cold and distant expression on her face, as if she was annoyed most of the time.


    In short, she had a resting bitch face that intimidated and repelled most men from approaching her despite her beauty.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon didn''t care much about her condescending gaze toward everyone back then. After all, he also had the same gaze that intimidated everyone around him.


    Vernon dated her to prove to his friends that he could date the prettiest woman in their university. Shailene was very popr among his friends in university as the hottest college chick, and it was also rightfully so, seeing that she was as beautiful as ever. Even a few years had passed after their breakup.


    Vernon stopped his car in front of Shailene and slid the car window down. He stared at Shailene and said, "Come in. We''ll have an early dinner, just like your request."


    Shailene raised her brow and chuckled, "You''re letting ady wait for more than fifteen minutes here, Mr. CEO. Shouldn''t you say sorry for being a littlete?"


    "Then, should I call to drive you to a subway station instead? Bet Lady Shailene Walsh wouldn''t mind using the New York subway, I heard it''s pretty clean."


    Shailene''s lips twitched. She was annoyed that she couldn''t find a sentence to retort that statement from Vernon''s poisonous mouth.


    "My my, we haven''t met for so long and the first thing in your mind is arguing with me?"


    "I''m just returning the energy," Vernon retorted again.


    Shailene rolled her eyes and entered the car. She sat on the seat right beside Vernon, who didn''t even give her a second look. He simply drove out of the hospital and headed to the restaurant where they''d have their dinner today.


    There was only silence for a good while between them until Shailene couldn''t hold back and asked the most important question in her head right now;


    "To take the initiative to pick me up, and set a dinner date for us. I bet this woman is very important to you, right, Vernon?"


    ...


    Vernon didn''t say anything, as he thought it wasn''t something appropriate to ask.


    Shailene had dated Vernon long enough to know that his silence meant yes. Vernon was always the type to hide his true feeling when he felt vulnerable and exposed.


    But Shailene didn''t want to help someone who didn''t want to open up to her, so she asked again;


    "I wonder if she is the same woman whose name you mentioned when we were having sex back then," Shailene guessed.


    Vernon''s body stiffened instantly. Her words unlocked the core embarrassing memory Vernon tried to bury deep in his head. He identally called Shailene the wrong name as he was having such wonderful sex while being drunk with Shailene.


    It was also one of the reasons why they broke up back then.


    Shailene studied Vernon''s bodynguage and realized she had just hit the mark.


    "I see, so it''s her."

 237 Chapter 237

    It was also one of the reasons why they broke up back then.


    Shailene studied Vernon''s bodynguage and realized she had just hit the mark.


    "I see, so it''s her."


    ¡­


    "Let me try to remember the name of the woman you called that night¡­." Shailene said. She hummed, trying to remember the name, but it didn''t pop up in her head because it had been years ago.


    "Chloe."


    Shailene''s eyes widened when Vernon suddenly opened his mouth and murmured the woman''s name. After she got the name, her core memory started pouring out. She vividly remembered that night they were young university students, horny and drunk.


    They went to Vernon''s apartment and started undressing right after Vernon closed the door.


    Shailene remembered how he carried her to the bed, started touching her boobs, and caressing her thighs.


    Shailene took the initiative to give him a blowjob, so she stocked Vernon''s rock-hard cock a few times before kissing the tip. The atmosphere was so hot, and the alcohol they consumed also heightened the sensation.


    Vernon groaned a few times and grabbed Shailene''s hair in response. Vernon looked down, and under the dim light, he saw wavy brown hair instead of red.


    His mind instantly recalled the hair of the woman that filled his head and heart day and night, and then he murmured;


    ¡ª


    ''It feels so good, Chloe¡­.''


    ¡ª


    Shailene ended their rtionship a month after that incident, as she realized there was no space for her in his heart.


    "Well, it''s kind of funny to see a yboy like you to be so loyal and dedicated to this woman," Shailene said. "But then again, I feel like you''ve never been in love with me in the first ce. It''s so unfortunate."


    Vernon zipped his lips tight. He had nothing to argue with Shailene on this topic. Because he acknowledged that it was entirely his fault.


    He dated Shailene just for the status of campus'' hottest couple. It was just a fun thing to do to pass the time in the university.


    He wouldn''t lie that he had formed an emotional connection with her.


    He and Shailene had many things inmon, which was naturally shown with their harmless insult banter and how they rarely fought because Shailene was the only one who could talk Vernon out of his rage whenever he got pissed off.


    Too bad, despite being a good match, Vernon''s heart had beenpletely owned by only one woman, and that never changed even after ten years.


    Vernon had nothing to say to refute Shailene. He was sensible enough to acknowledge his fault and allowed her to yell at or even curse him if she wanted to.


    Because he yed her like scum, he returned to her, asking her for a favor.<sub> </sub>


    Strangely, Shailene didn''t say anything after confirming the woman''s identity that Vernon wanted to help. She leaned on the chair and crossed her arms right under her bosom.


    She stared emptily at the road, and their situation suddenly became awkward.


    Vernon wasn''t really a chat initiator. He would rather hear what someone said to him and give a response ordingly.


    But this awkwardness was choking him, forcing him to start a conversation.


    So he opened his mouth, "So, how''s New York? You like it here? I heard you''re. working with many high profiled clients now."


    "It''s pretty fine. I''m busy most of the time and usually wouldn''t ept an invitation, especially from a man who shattered my heart years ago," Shailene said nonchntly while her eyes were still on the road.


    Vernon''s body tensed immediately, "I¡ªIs that so?"


    "Mhm, but I''m very interested with this woman that could make a scum man fall to his knees and called a one-time ex like me, just to ask for my help¡ª"


    Shailene finally turned her head towards Vernon. With a thin smile, she said, "¡ªSo you better stop trying to make unnecessary conversation with me. Save your breath to talk about this woman. She seems to be much more interesting than you."


    Vernon swallowed his saliva hard. It was rare for him to get nervous, especially in front of a woman. But Shailene could do that easily, and that caught him off guard.


    ''I guess it''s also my fault that she is being so hostile. I was such a bastard back then¡ª not anymore though, I treat people with kindness after I graduated university, at least to a certain degree,'' Vernon thought.


    As detestable as he was right now, the college Vernon was much more scummy.


    He had calmed down after graduating, which was quite an achievement.


    ''Well, partly because I''m starting a business, and I¡ª I want to look more presentable in front of her¡­'' Vernon thought.


    **


    His car stopped in front of the restaurant. The restaurant hosts opened the door for them and bowed their heads slightly as a sign of respect for Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    Vernon gave one of the hosts his key and said, "I have a reservation for dinner."


    "Yes, Mr. Phoenix Gray. We have prepared everything for you," the host said. One of the hosts guided Vernon and Shailene to a seat reserved for the important guest.


    Because Vernon was one of the investors and also a good friend of the owner, he always got special treatment whenever he reserved a seat for dinner here.


    Vernon and Shailene sat in a special seat separated from the rest of the seats. This one was on the balcony, with a beautiful water fountain and garden view directly facing the balcony.


    The light in the fountain was lit up, giving a romantic atmosphere to whoever sat there, and it made Vernon ufortable.


    Vernon frowned the whole time. He was displeased by the treatment because he specifically told Diamond not to make it weird since it was a professional meeting.


    ''Did Diamond make a wrong reservation? I told her many times that it''s just a professional meeting, and she''s not the type to make such a simple mistake.''

 238 Chapter 238

    ''Did Diamond make a wrong reservation? I told her many times that it''s just a professional meeting, and she''s not the type to make such a simple mistake,'' Vernon thought.


    He nced at Shailene, who leaned on the table and propped her cheek with one hand while staring at the beautiful fountain view. Her expression was unreadable, making it even more nerve-racking for Vernon.


    ''Damn, I know that she''s excellent at her job as a psychologist, but why does she have to be so unreadable like this? Is it part of her job to be mysterious all the time?''


    A waiter came pouring wine for them, and after he did his job, Vernon grabbed his arm and pulled him close.


    Vernon whispered to the waiter, asking for this weird dinner setup;


    ''Did my secretary make the wrong reservation? I told her this is just a professional meeting, not a romantic one. She''s not my date.''


    The waiter didn''t seem to be surprised. He smiled and replied by whispering in Vernon''s ear as well;


    ''Ms. Diamond Johnson did make a reservation for business purposes. But it was Mr. Leed who answered her call yesterday. She said it would be a business dinner between you-- Mr. Phoenix Gray, and ady.''


    Vernon was even more surprised. His friend, Rick Leed, was the owner of this restaurant, and he was a trustworthy one. How could he make this mistake when Diamond had already specified the business meeting?


    ''Then, what''s the order for you guys?'' Vernon asked again.


    ''Mr. Leed told us to prepare the reservation in the usual manner. Even if Ms. Diamond Johnson specified a business meeting, he refused to believe it''s just a simple business between you and thedy.''


    ''After all, Mr. Phoenix Gray never brings a woman for a dinner date here without the intention of spending a night with her. Isn''t that right, Sir?''


    Vernon took a deep breath. He was trying so hard not to facepalm in front of Shailene.


    <o>,m He didn''t want to make a wrong impression on Shailene because there was no way in hell he would romance her again.</o>


    Even if they were a great match, he already swore to himself that he would never fuck another woman other than that special woman.


    The waiter sensed the annoyance in the special guest''s face. He hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Sir, do you want to change the reservation? We can move you to the regr seat if you want. But the full course--''


    The waiter became nervous as he realized that Mr. Phoenix Gray was ring at him displeasedly, ''--The course has been modified, just like what you usually ordered when you have a dinner date with a special woman, Sir.''


    Vernon almost grunted out of mental pain at this point. Of course, it would be even more embarrassing to suddenly change seats, but the full-course meal prepared for them was the same romantic food Vernon usually ordered whenever he wanted to fuck the woman he brought.


    ''Just-- ignore this and proceed like usual,'' Vernon said hopelessly, knowing it would be less embarrassing to pretend it wasn''t a romantic dinner date.


    ''Yes, Sir.''


    After the waiter left, Vernon and Shailene were trapped in yet another awkward silence.<sub> </sub>


    Shailene didn''t seem to be in the mood to talk for no reason, and Vernon couldn''t help but ask;


    "Are you in a bad mood right now?"


    "Not really," Shailene replied curtly. "I''m just waiting forn you."


    "Waiting for me?" Vernon was surprised by that statement.


    Shailene finally turned her head and stared straight at the scum who broke her heart so badly that she couldn''t fall in love with another man years after they broke up.


    "I''m waiting for you to start a conversation about this woman named Chloe. Didn''t I tell you many times that I''m very interested in her?" Shailene said.


    Vernon held his breath and realized there was a little hostility in Shailene''s eyes.


    However, he knew that hostility wasn''t directed only at him but also at Chloe.


    She seemed to be holding a grudge against her, and that was all because of his fault.


    Vernon returned the hostile energy by leaning on the table while ring back at her.


    His lips thinned, and that nervous behavior he showed just now suddenly vanished, leaving a dangerous man who would do the absolute worst if anyone dared to speak ill towards his Big sis Chloe.


    "You seem to be misguided, Shailene," Vernon said in his deep voice. "I''m not asking you a favor without any rewards. If you did your job right, I will give you a nk check, and you can write any number that you want. Isn''t that enough of a reward for you?"


    Shailene scoffed and red back at Vernon, "I don''t think you understand, Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    "About what? Didn''t I call the right person to assist me? You are a renowned psychologist with many experiences dealing with people with trauma, especially marriage trauma," Vernon said.


    He had a lot of choices, but he simply knew that Shailene was the right person to solve this problem.


    "Indeed, but I am wealthy enough to live off without any reward from you. My parents own a few hospitals in the UK and US. I don''t need money from a young businessman who''s yet to fully cement his status in the US, especially when he''s still working under his Big brother''s small project like hisp dog," Shailene rebuked, which Vernon angered Vernon instantly.


    "You''ve been inquiring about me, Shailene," Vernon used. "Nobody knows about the deal with my Big brother except the affiliated CEOs working on this project."


    "That-- I did," Shailene admitted without hesitation. She stared at Vernon with a dangerous gaze that could kill.


    "After all, who wouldn''t want to see their scummy ex get the karma he deserved for hurting you badly? I would be the first one willing to see you in ruin, Vernon Phoenix Gray."

 239 Chapter 239

    "After all, who wouldn''t want to see their scummy ex get the karma he deserved for hurting you badly? I would be the first one willing to see you in ruin, Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    Vernon sensed that Shailene''s hostility was deeply rooted, something he didn''t understand.


    Of course, he had many enemies in this world. He was a reckless scum when he was in high school and college. He was also a rising businessman who didn''t even think twice about tackling the other businessmen away as long as he got what he wanted.


    Thus, he made a lot of enemies, but he also proved himself to be a very tough entrepreneur.


    But he still didn''t understand why Shailene hated him that much. They dated and broke up in university, but that was years ago! Shouldn''t she already forgive him at this point?


    "Your hostility is over exaggerated, Shailene," Vernon said. "We dated and broke up. It might be a bad break up, but it was years ago, and you should''ve moved on after all this years."


    "I should," Shailene nodded as she agreed with that. "I should''ve moved on long ago. But I am not going to forget the way you broke up with me, Vernon."


    "Uh..." Vernon tried hard to remember how he broke up with Shailene because he didn''t remember at all.


    He dated and broke up with so many women in the past he didn''t even remember most of their faces.


    Shailene scoffed, full of irony, as she realized that Vernon didn''t even remember how much pain he inflicted with his method of breaking up.


    She was alsoughing at herself because that meant Vernon didn''t even give a single crap about her, nor did she exist in his memory until he was the one in need.


    "Oh well, forget it. I don''t need you to remember anyway, it''s not that important," Shailene said.


    "No, please tell me what I did wrong--" Vernon was curious because Shailene''s deep-rooted hatred was definitely out of his expectation.


    Shailene stared at Vernon, who stared back at her, and she finally took out her phone from her back and then checked on her gallery.


    After she found what she was searching for, Shailene shoved her phone screen in front of Vernon and yed the video in full volume, making sure that Vernon-- and probably the waiters heard about what was in the video.


    Vernon was stunned when he saw himself in the video, fully naked while fucking a random woman in college.


    One of his friends seemed to record him while he was pping that woman''s ass.


    --


    "Yooo! Look what we have here!" the man behind the camera said as he kept recording Vernon and the woman doing the deed.


    The sound of the woman groaning and moaning in both pain and pleasure was sted in full volume, while Vernon only grunted slightly while his lower half kept thrusting back and forth into her pussy.


    "Man, save some for me. You''re going to make her loose!"


    "Oh, I don''t fucking care," Vernon said carelessly. "Go find your own bitch to fuck, don''t bug me here."


    "What-- you sound aggressive, what if I send this video to Shailene? I bet you''re going to regret it, hahah!"<sub> </sub>


    "Shailene? Oh-- that woman, yeah, you can send it to her. I don''t care," Vernon replied, still concentrating on the woman under him.


    "Hahah! Man, you''re such an ass! Don''t you know that Shailene loves you so much?"


    "She refused to do it with me sincest month, might as well find another woman," Vernon said. "Urgh, fuck! Her pussy feels so good!"


    "Does that mean you''re breaking up with her?"


    "Huh-- uh... yeah, whatever. You can do her if she''s willing," Vernon said.


    After that, there was only the sound of Vernon grunting, the woman moaning in pleasure, and the friend jacking off whileughing at Vernon, saying that he would definitely send this video to Shailene.


    And he did.


    --


    Vernon was stunned by his own behavior in the video. He knew that he was scum, but damn that was a different level of being scum.


    p Though, he would probably still do the same had he not thought about his Big sis Chloe. The vengeful drive to make her taste the pain he experienced stopped him from going too wild. He finally focused on finishing university and starting his ownpany.</anda>


    He wouldn''t lie that he was still going on to date many rising actresses and even the established ones after working in his business.


    But it was nowhere near the one in the video. Vernon was more private with his sexual life after university and fully stopped right after reuniting with Chloe.


    "Damn..." Vernon murmured as he kept staring at the phone screen.


    "Want me to y it again?"


    "No, that''s enough," Vernon said. He dodged his gaze to avoid the screen as he found it really painful to watch.


    "Heh, it''s so easy for you to just dodge your eyes and try to avoid your shitty behavior. But I saved this video that your friend sent years ago. I watched this a few times over the years, so I will know not to fall for a scum like you," Shailene said, directly attacking Vernon in his conscience.


    Even he felt really guilty after what he had done to her.


    "Uh... why don''t you confront me back then?" Vernon asked, thinking he could at least salvage this a little bit.


    Surely, he still had something to defend himself, right?


    "Confront you? Oh, Vernon, I did," Shailen said coldly. "But you know your response after I asked you to be honest to me? You tantly said you fucked a new chick the night before, and you med me for refusing having sex with you for a whole month."


    "Oh my god, Vernon. You called me the wrong name the month before, how am I supposed to feel loved when I know that you have another woman in your heart?"

 240 Chapter 240

    "Oh my god, Vernon. You called me the wrong name the month before, how am I supposed to feel loved when I know that you have another woman in your heart?" Shailene raised her voice out of frustration.


    "Think, Vernon Phoenix Gray¡ª think why I don''t want to have sex with you for a month! Damn, You''re the lowest kind of scum on earth!"


    Vernon gulped out of nervousness. This time, he waspletely tongue-tied, unable to respond properly as he realized he was 100% at fault here.


    Vernon noticed that Shailene was getting worked up as she unleashed her grudge for so long, "Okay, okay. Can I do something topensate for what I''ve done? Is money enough forpensation?"


    Shailene took a deep breath. God knew how much she wanted to punch this jerk in the face for being so insensitive.


    A few years had passed, and he looked much more mature and wise, but all that was just a look. He was still the same manchild that didn''t understand how to apologize. Even a simple sorry would have been great.


    After all, it was years ago, and she was the one epting Vernon''s request to help him in the first ce.


    Shailene took a deep breath and said, "Again, I don''t need your money, Vernon."


    "Then what do you want?"


    ''I dont know, maybe a simple fucking SORRY would be great,'' Shailene said in her heart.


    But since Vernon didn''t seem to understand, she would rather keep it by herself. Because if she was the one who told Vernon to say sorry, then the apology would be insincere.


    "Let''s just forget about me. I''ve said what I want to say for so long. It''s time to focus on this woman named Chloe¡ª"


    Shailene was interrupted when she noticed a waiter walking to their seat with a tray in his hand. He served the entree, two tes of grilled scallops with ginger and lime.


    After the waiter put the tes on the table, he announced in a gentle voice, "Distinguished guests, we will provide music to help set up the mood."


    The waiter pped twice, and a man in a suit holding a violin came to their seat.


    He bowed his head politely, "Sir, Miss, please let me know if you have any music request."


    Vernon''s jaw dropped again. He forgot that he usually had a violinist ying for his dinner date here. He usually did it to set up the mood and make the woman he dated feel loved.


    Though really, all he wanted was just fucking her or the connection she had to help his business.


    Shailene frowned, knowing that Vernon had no intention of romancing her again. She guessed there was some kind of mimunication here.


    "Did you identally set this up as a romantic date?"


    "It''s a mimunication. My secretary already said that we''re having a business dinner, but the owner thought I was having a romantic dinner with a new date," Vernon replied.


    "Oh, thank god."


    "Huh? Thank god? For what?" Vernon asked.


    "Becuase there''s no way in hell I''m going to fuck a dirty scum like you," Shailene said ruthlessly.


    She expected Vernon to insult her back, but Vernon only bit his lower lip and said nothing.


    Then, he proceeded to eat his food without talking, thinking it was the best way to make the situation less tense between them.<sub> </sub>


    Shailene sighed, and she started eating the scallops as well;


    ''He is so hopeless. I don''t know what kind of woman will be willing to stay with him.''


    **


    Vernon and Shailene had a full-course meal in silence until the dessert came.


    Realizing that the mood had settled down, Vernon finally asked, "So, Shailene, I don''t know if you still remember this. But I invite you for dinner because I need your help as a psychologist."


    "Yes, I remember," Shailene replied. "You want me to console you, right?"


    "Yeah, I need your advice, because I don''t know how to face her," Vernon said.


    "Mind telling me the profile of this woman first?" Shailene asked. "I only know her name, age, and status¡ª"


    "¡ªChloe, age 30, status: the woman that you''ve been in love with for so long."


    Vernon''s cheeks reddened out of shame. Since he was facing Shailene, it would be unhelpful if he denied thest information.


    So he nodded and murmured, "Yeah, that''s correct."


    "You know that it''s easier if I simply meet her, right? I can ask many things from her, and will give a better judgment on what kind of advice I should give," Shailene said, giving a better option for Vernon.


    "I can do that, but not now,"


    "Why not?"


    "She¡­ she still hasn''t trusted me yet. I don''t think allowing you to meet her is a wise choice. She will feel ufortable," Vernon exined.


    "So, you want me to give you an advice on how to make her open up and trust you?"


    "Yes."


    "Then let''s start with the basics, tell me everything you know about her," Shailene took out her iPad, ready to make a note for the information from Vernon.


    Vernon was thinking for a while, trying to find a good start before he spoke.


    Shailene waited until she finished her dessert. Vernon only hummed and looked up many times as if trying to filter everything in his head.


    Shailene silently noted this since Vernon never seemed to be in so much thought when it involved someone before, at least from her observation.


    But after almost twenty minutes of not speaking, Shailene got a little impatient and said, "Vernon, are you ufortable speaking about her here?"


    "Ah, you finally understand me," Vernon said. "I''m just inviting you here to ask if you''re down to help me. You know¡ª I thought I had to persuade you a little."


    "Oh, usually, you need to persuade me a lot, Vernon. But I happen to take interest in this woman named Chloe, remember?" Shailene said. "Then, why don''t we go to my apartment? It''s not far from here, it should make you morefortable talking about private things, right?"

 241 Chapter 241

    "Then, why don''t we go to my apartment? It''s not far from here, it should make you morefortable talking about private things, right?" Shailene offered.


    Vernon paused for a few seconds. He stared at Shailene, wanting to grasp the intention behind her invitation.


    He was a man with plenty of experience, and when a woman invited him to her apartment, there was only one thing that would happen next.


    But, Vernon refused to believe that Shailene wanted to have sex with him. Because she obviously hated him to the bone.


    Shailene noticed the silence and alerted gazeing from Vernon, and she scoffed, "Don''t tter yourself, Vernon. I have a private office in my apartment, that ce is where I usually talk to my clients if she doesn''t feelfortable talking in a formal space, like in a regr office or clinic."


    "Ah, okay then," Vernon said. He was relieved by Shailene''s answer. After all, he had encountered many women who wanted to have sex with him without consent, either by spiking his drink or other methods.


    ''She seems to be the right person for this. Since she can maintain her professionality,'' Vernon thought.


    **


    Vernon and Shailene finally left the restaurant after they finished their dinner. It was still seven-thirty in the evening, and Vernon drove through the street, heading to Shailene''s apartment as he listened to her order as a guide.


    Vernon entered the basement to park his car and then followed Shailene as they entered the elevator to her floor.


    The elevator stopped at floor 18, Shailene opened the door with a card, and they went through it.


    "Do you n to stay in New York permanently?" Vernon asked as he walked inside with Shailene.


    "No, I''m going to return to London next year. I''m here for an important client that demands me to stay for extended time. She was a rich old woman with severe mental problems because of a cold marriage with her cheating husband," Shailene said.


    Vernon wasn''t all that surprised by it. After all, Shailene''s job mostly covers that kind of psychological problem.


    "And that woman stayed with her husband?" Vernon asked.


    "Yes, up until his death about twelve years ago," Shailene replied. "She''s a widow now, but she can''t be happy because the trauma that herte husband inflicted was too much, and that affected her rtionship with her sons," Shailene looked over her shoulder towards Vernon, and she had a mysterious smile. "Shees from an old money family in New York, and the family is extremely influential just so you know."


    "Uh¡­ okay?" Vernon didn''t understand why Shailene had to tell him. He didn''t give a crap about a rich old widow''s problem. "Do I really need to know about this old woman''s problem? Is it important for me and my problem?"


    Shailene only gave a vague answer, "The identity of my clients is confidential, I can''t tell you in detail and also can''t tell you her name."


    "Good, I also don''t give a damn about a random old window''s problem," Vernon said carelessly.


    "Hahah, you never change, Vernon," Shailene chuckled out of amusement. "Still the same uncaring bastard who doesn''t give a shit about anyone as long as you get what you want."<sub> </sub>


    Vernon shrugged it off. It was the truth, and there was no need to deny it, especially in front of Shailene, who knew how scummy he was.


    Shailene led Vernon to a room. She turned the light on and showed Vernon her office.


    It was a simple room with a big window to stare at the view outside, a big bookshelf, a chaise longue for the patient to rest on, and a small chair for Shailene as the psychologist.


    It reminded Vernon so much of a typical psychologist''s office, and he didn''t understand why Shailene said this private office of hers was better than a regr formal office.


    Shailene seemed to understand what was in Vernon''s mind. She chuckled and picked a remote.


    She pressed a few buttons, and the AC started blowing gentle warm air and calming scents.


    "Wait, is this¡ª" Vernon sniffed their air a few times. "¡ªLavender and Chamomile?"


    "Mhm, this private office has been modified with my request. I can control the rxing scents blowing out of the AC. It also has a huge aquascape and a wide view to the city," Shailene exined as she pressed another button. The wall slowly slid open, showing an aquascape hidden under the wall. It was huge and stretched from one corner of the room to the other.


    "Now, goy there," Shailene pointed at the chaise lounge, and she walked to the desk to grab a note and pen.


    She sat on the small couch directly facing the chaise lounge. She crossed her legs and nced at Vernon, who stood still near the door.


    She nudged her head towards the chaise lounge again, and Vernon finally walked in andy awkwardly on thezy couch.


    He had never been in this kind of position before, and this would be the first time he had ever met a real psychologist.


    He always thought a mental illness was a sissy thing, just like his Big brother said.


    ¡ª


    ''As long as you have money and power as a man, then there is nothing to worry about. Those mentally sick people are because they''re poor and useless, and that''s why most of them are women,'' Vincent said to Vernon, who was only nine years old.


    ¡ª


    Thus, the idea of going to a psychologist as a man-made him shudder. So he just bottled whatever negative things inside his head and unleashed it by fucking a random gurl, breaking things, or simply doing a reckless thing to let the steam off.


    He thought that was the right way to appease the exploding anger in his heart, so he didn''t need to be a sissy bying to a psychologist or a psychiatrist.


    Little did he know that he would be sitting in this chaise lounge with his ex as the psychologist, all for that woman.

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    Little did he know that he would be sitting in this chaise lounge with his ex as the psychologist, all for that woman.


    Vernon gritted his teeth silently, ''If it''s not for her, then I would never think about doing this. This is so embarrassing.''


    Shailene had faced many clients knowing that Vernon was very ufortable right now, and it was a natural reaction for many, especially men.


    Shailene knew that many men were still trapped in their toxic pride and masculinity, which prevented them from seeking emotional help.


    ''They don''t even speak about their problems to their loved ones most of the time, let aloneing to a psychologist like this,'' Shailene thought.


    "Don''t worry about yourself, Vernon. You''re here not to talk about yourself¡ª" Shailene said. ''¡ªEven though I know that you have a lot of psychological issues as well,'' she added in her heart.


    "You''re here to talk about this woman named Chloe. I want to know what makes be so attached to her, and what kind of person she is in your eyes," Shailene said.


    Vernon nodded slightly, but it didn''t help him ease his nervousness and difort.


    The topic might not be about him but the woman he had dreamed about since the first time they met. It is something that he thought he would hide for the rest of his life.


    But when confronted by a stranger like this, it made him very nervous.


    Shailene sighed. This would take forever for Vernon to speak if he stayed like this.


    Thus, Shailene said, "Close your eyes, Vernon."


    "Huh? Why do I need to?"


    "Close your eyes so you don''t need to look at me. I know that you''re very nervous right now," Shailene said. "With your eyes closed, you can imagine you''re talking to yourself about that woman named Chloe."


    Vernon felt really exposed right now, but what Shailene said made sense.


    Besides, she was the expert in this, not him.


    So, Vernon closed his eyes slowly.


    With only darkness in front of him, Vernon''s other senses heightened. His ears and nose became more sensitive to sound and scent.


    He heard the sound of the water from the aquascape and the rxing scent of chamomile andvender blowing out of the air conditioner.


    Vernon''s muscles gradually rxed, and his breathing stabilized.


    "Okay, that''s good, rx yourself first, and think about that woman who filled your life day and night," Shailene said. "Think about any kind of memory about her, whether it''s good or bad."


    Vernon''s mind created a vivid imagination about his Big sis, his sister-inw, and his Chloe Gray.


    In his head, Chloe had just finished cooking. She was wearing a simple shirt and jeans.<sub> </sub>


    She was wearing a pink apron and smiled at Vernon as she put the food on the table in front of him.


    Vernon felt his body had shrunk. He looked down and saw a pair of tiny hands holding utensils for kids.


    It seemed that he had regressed back when he was only seven.


    ''Vernon, don''t forget to eat a lot, okay? Don''t you want to grow big and strong? You said that you will carry Big sis Chloe on your back like a bear,'' Chloe said jokingly.


    Vernon stared at Big sis Chloe, who was young, bright, and beautiful.


    Ever since he was a baby, Vernon had met many women of various social statuses, races, and ages.


    His father¡ª Vaughn Gray, would often carry him around as a toddler while flirting and talking about raunchy stuff with those women he met in many events.


    His father often whispered many things to small Vernon about women, saying that Vernon must be a powerful man in the future and fuck as many women as he could get his hands on.


    He needed to show how much of a man he was by fucking many women; that was the only way for Vernon to get his father''s validation.


    Vernon listened to everything since he was a toddler, but the more his dad whispered about those things, the more he found the women his dad brought distasteful and gross.


    As he grew up, he became increasingly hateful towards those women who became the source of a fight between his parents. His life at the age of seven became hell on earth.


    His parents didn''t give a shit about him, he could literally jump from the rooftop, and his parents wouldn''t even know about it. They were too busy with their affairs and fights.


    He had his Big brother close to him, but his Big bro got noticeably busier as he focused in high school and would scold Vernon if he tried to disturb him.


    He started breaking things to gain attention, hoping his parents would see him again, even if he had to be scolded.


    But his parents usually told the housekeepers to clean the mess he made and locked Vernon inside his room as a punishment before they were busy with their own things.


    All nannies had given up on him, and he had no intention of bing close to anyone.


    That was until his Big brother brought a girl to their mansion.


    She was a woman around his Big bro''s age. She had wavy chestnut hair, big doe eyes that made her look very kind, and an aura that made everyone who talked with her feelfortable.


    To top it all off, she was gorgeous. She was the most beautiful woman little Vernon ever saw in his life.


    ''That''s my little brother, the one I talked about with you,'' Vincent said as he pointed at young Vernon.


    Chloe approached little Vernon who stared at her, trying to guess her intention. She crouched until they were about the same eye level.


    ''Hey, Vernon, my name is Chloe Carlson. Your Big brother told me a lot about you,'' Chloe said as she gently patted Vernon''s head. ''You can call me Chloe, but I would prefer you to call me Big sis, since you call Vincent as Big bro, right?''

 243 Chapter 243

    ''Hey, Vernon, my name is Chloe Carlson. Your Big brother told me a lot about you,'' Chloe said as she gently patted Vernon''s head. ''You can call me Chloe, but I would prefer you to call me Big sis, since you call Vincent as Big bro, right?''


    "Big sis Chloe¡­." Vernon mumbled in real life.


    Shailene frowned as a response. She heard the name muttered by Vernon, but she didn''t expect Vernon to address this woman as ''Big sis Chloe.''


    ''It seems this woman named Chloe is not just a random woman that came to his life. For him to call her Big sis Chloe, that means she has been present since he was a kid.''


    ''But she''s not his blood sibling, right? I know that Vernon only has one brother as sibling, and that is the famous billionaire Vincent Gray,'' Shailene thought as she noted the name that Vernon muttered just now.


    ''Maybe she is someone hired by their parents to take care of him? But I doubt they''d hire a young woman to take care of young Vernon when they can pay the most expensive and experienced nanny to do that.''


    She continued listening without interrupting as she realized that Vernon relived the core memory with his ''Big sis Chloe.''


    ¡ªVernon''s memory¡ª


    Little Vernon stared at the doe eyes that looked so kind. He could see his reflection in Big sis Chloe''s eyes, giving him the illusion that Big sis Chloe was looking at him and only him.


    Little Vernon hugged Big sis Chloe for the first time without hesitation, much to Chloe''s surprise, ''Oh¡ª Vincent said that you''re a difficult kid. But you seem nice.''


    Nevertheless, I promised him to take care of you, so¡ª'' Chloe gently separated herself from Vernon, who hugged her tightly. She gently caressed little Vernon''s cheek and smiled at him, ''¡ªYou can count on Big sis Chloe for everything, got it?''


    Despite being seven years old, little Vernon already had enough brain capacity to read someone''s intention. When those women his dad brought to the house tried to coax Little Vernon, thinking he was just another clueless kid with no idea of what was happening around him.


    Usually, Vernon would show a disgusted face and throw a huge tantrum whenever he was touched by those women.


    But right now, he had no feeling of disgust as he stared unblinking at Big sis Chloe.


    Instead, he felt this gradual throbbing in his heart that got harder and hotter. Then, he realized that his heart was beating faster and faster until his cheeks reddened.


    ''Un¡­'' little Vernon nodded bashfully.


    "I¡­ I will be with Big sis Chloe¡­." Vernon said it out loud while Shailene listened attentively.


    Shailene noticed a smile perking up on Vernon''s lips. And it was a smile offort as if he was content with his dream.


    As if he got everything he wanted inside his fantasy.


    Shailene continued writing in her note. She concluded that Big sis Chloe''s presence must''ve influenced Vernon''s life massively.


    But the real question was¡­


    ''Was it a good or bad influence?'' Shailene asked herself.


    ¡ªVernon''s memory¡ª


    Little Vernon became much better when Big sis Chloe visited him almost daily.


    She woulde right around noon and go home after ten when Vernon finally fell asleep.<sub> </sub>


    Because if Big sis Chloe left while Vernon was still wide awake, the little devil would make a huge tantrum that would destroy the whole mansion.


    So Chloe had to understand how attached Vernon could be despite constantly trying to pull pranks to get her full attention.


    Little Vernon was so happy about everything, and after he reached the age of ten, he confessed to Big sis Chloe.


    "Big sis Chloe, once I get older, I will marry you! You will be Vernon''s wife!" Vernon imed out loud, which shocked Shailene.


    But Vernon was so deep into his imagination that he didn''t remember he was inside Shailene''s office, with her listening to his mumbling and talking to himself.


    Big sis Chloe in his imagination, chuckled lightly and patted his head, ''You want me to be your wife?''


    "YES!"


    ''Then, Little Vernon needs to grow up first. Be strong, so you can protect the woman you love in the future, okay?''


    "That woman is Big sis Chloe!" Vernon insisted.


    ''Haha, okay, okay, that would be me,'' Chloe replied, thinking it was just harmless banter as she knew that Vernon would eventually forget about these things.


    Little did she know, Vernon still remembered vividly the promise and confession he made, and he took it very seriously.


    He thought, as long as Big sis Chloe could wait for him, he would definitely marry her!


    He held that dream of marrying Big sis Chloe until it shattered when he was fourteen years old because he witnessed what his Big sis Chloe said to his dying dad.


    ¡ª


    Shailene waited for Vernon to speak again, but she waited for at least twenty minutes, and no movement or any word wasing out of Vernon''s mouth.


    His breath stabilized, and Shailene frowned in response.


    "Wait, Vernon?" Shailene tried to call him, but there was no answer.


    "Vernon?" Shailene got up from the chair and walked toward Vernon to check him.


    Vernon didn''t seem to be in distress, but the smile on his lips had disappeared for an unknown reason.


    Shailene put her finger right under Vernon''s nose and let out a relieved breath, "He''s still alive at least."


    "But damn, you''re falling asleep while imagining your Big sis Chloe. What kind of sweet dream are you having right now?"


    Shailene didn''t want to wake him up as he seemed tired. So she took a spare nket from her room and covered Vernon from neck to toe.


    She also took off his shoes, making sure this scum had a good sleep.


    She stared at Vernon for a while and clicked her tongue annoyedly, "I don''t even know why am I being so kind to you, Vernon. You''re the worst man I''ve ever met."

 244 Chapter 244

    Shailene stared at Vernon for a while and clicked her tongue annoyedly, "I don''t even know why am I being so kind to you, Vernon. You''re the worst man I''ve ever met."


    She started questioning her sanity as she found it ridiculous.


    To be so gentle to a bastard like him...


    ''Maybe... maybe I still love him....'' Shailene thought.


    Deep down, she knew that was the real answer. She knew she was an idiot for having that feeling after being hurt by this bastard so badly that she couldn''t even trust men anymore.


    Shailene kept staring at sleeping Vernon, and the urge to kiss him grew in her heart.


    She wanted to taste his lips again, even if that would be thest.


    Shailene clenched her fist, trying to ward the stupid idea off her head.


    But she couldn''t help it, and the urge started to grow bigger and more uncontroble.


    ...


    Shailene took a deep breath and said, "Just once, Shailene. Then you must promise yourself to forget this bastard. She is not worth your time."


    Shailene kneeled beside the chaise longue, her eyes lingering on Vernon''s lips, and she slowly leaned in for a kiss.


    ...


    However, before their lips touched, a loud ringtone from Vernon''s suit pocket shocked Shailene, and she jolted away immediately.


    "What in the--"


    Shailene''s chest rose up and down. She was shocked and also terrified. She thought Vernon would wake up upon hearing his phone ring at full volume.


    But the big buffoon was still the same. He could sleep through any kind of noise, a habit that Shailene noticed when they were still dating.


    The phone stopped ringing after a while, but it rang again, hinting that this call was an important one.


    Shailene sighed. She got up and slipped her hand inside Vernon''s suit to grab his phone.


    She was thinking about waking Vernon up before giving the call to him.


    But when she checked the caller''s name, her body stiffened instantly.


    Then, her lips perked up as she changed her mind.


    She didn''t give the call to Vernon and picked it up instead.


    "Hello?"


    **


    Chloe was a bitte to clean Vernon''s room today. She cooked dinner for Mackie and then helped her check her homework.


    She was a little tired, so she rested a bit, intending to get a power nap for at least ten minutes before herst cleaning duty.


    But she fell asleep for at least two hours, and her heart jumped immediately when she checked the clock.


    "Crap, it''s already nine!"


    Chloe got up from the sofa and went upstairs to the penthouse. She knew Vernon had a dinner date tonight, but she didn''t know if he would stay and have fun with that woman or returnte at night.


    So she had to do her duty before he came home.<sub> </sub>


    Which was-- to clean his bedroom.


    Of course, Chloe could just call the housekeepers to clean it, but Vernon asked her a few days ago that his room should be cleaned by herself. He wouldn''t allow any housekeeper to touch his bedroom anymore.


    Chloe entered Vernon''s bedroom and turned on the light before she started cleaning.


    "Tch, he is such a messy guy. He''s an adult, but why can''t he put his clothes in theundry basket?" Chloeined as she picked up Vernon''s dirty socks, shirt, trousers, and boxers on the ground before putting them in theundry basket at the edge of the room.


    "Did I teach him to be tidy when he was a kid? Did he forget about everything after he left? What kind of life did he has when he was in highschool and uni?" Chloe wondered.


    But she couldn''t get any answer since there was no way she would ask Vernon about it.


    She wanted to know why Vernon suddenly left for ten years without contacting her or even Vincent, and she wanted to know if his sudden departure was connected to her.


    "My gut feeling told me that I''ve done something wrong that might upset him. But I don''t know why," Chloe murmured.


    She sighed helplessly and continued cleaning until she noticed something familiar in the drawer near the bed.


    "Huh? Isn''t that--"


    Chloe walked towards the drawer to confirm, and she panicked once she realized that it was the condoms she had bought yesterday.


    "Wait, did he forget to keep this in his car or his wallet?" Chloe started panicking as there was a chance that Vernon might have practiced unsafe sex that might lead to many unwanted things, such as STDs and unwanted pregnancies.


    "Oh no--"


    Chloe put the condom in the drawer again and then rushed out to grab her phone.


    She quickly dialed Vernon''s number, but the first call didn''t connect.


    So she tried it again, and the call was finally connected.


    "Hello?"


    Chloe''s heartbeat skipped for a second when she heard a woman''s voice answering the phone call. She started panicking even more as she didn''t expect someone other than Vernon to pick up the call.


    "Hello? Who is this?" the woman on the phone asked her.


    Chloe snapped out of her panic and answered, "Ah-- um... My name is Chloe, and uh... where is Vernon right now? Is he with you?"


    The only thing that came to Shailene''s mind when listening to the voice of Chloe was;


    Gentle.


    She sounded very gentle. She had the mature voice of a woman, but there was a hint of sweetness in her voice despite her sounding nervous.


    ''Huh, didn''t he tell me back then that he hates a woman who pretends to be sweet and cute?'' Shailene wondered.


    "Hello? Are you there?" Chloe asked again, making sure the call was connected.


    "Yeah, I''m here," Shailene replied. "Vernon is sleeping beside me right now. Is there something wrong?"


    Of course, that was a total lie. There was no way in hell she would sleep with Vernon again, not after he called her the wrong name.


    "Ah--" Chloe assumed that Vernon and this woman had done it, so she asked to make sure;


    "Um, did he use protection before doing it?"

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    "Ah¡ª" Chloe assumed that Vernon and this woman had done it, so she asked to make sure;


    "Um, did he use protection before doing it?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Huh?" Shailene was utterly dumbfounded by the question. She thought this woman named Chloe would confront her, yelling like a madwoman and calling her a bitch for sleeping with her lover.


    But Chloe didn''t seem to get mad. Instead, she sounded worried about Vernon''s condition right now.


    Chloe thought the woman on the phone didn''t understand her question because she wasn''t being straightforward.


    Thus, Chloe took a deep breath and braced herself;


    "I just want to know if he used condom when having sex with you. Because he left his packs of condoms at home," Chloe exined, which stunned Shailene even more.


    "You''re calling him just for that?"


    "Um¡­ yes," Chloe confirmed.


    She felt responsible as a Big sister figure for Vernon. Even though Vernon was already grown up and would probably hate her if she kept babying him.


    But taking care and watching over Vernon was like an instinct for Chloe. It was innate and ensuring that Vernon practiced safe sex was her duty as Big sis.


    Meanwhile, Shailene was trying to grasp what the hell was in Chloe''s mind.


    "You''re not mad that I had sex with Vernon?" Shailene asked. She had never been this crass to someone, but her curiosity urged her to push the narrative further to see Chloe''s reaction. "You know, he said that he never had this much fun in his life. He hit it rough and fell asleep after we did it three times."


    "Oh no¡­" Chloe felt weak after she heard this. "Did he¡­ cum inside?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, he did, what''s wrong with that?" Shailene asked. Even if she knew that was simply ridiculous, all she wanted to hear was Chloe''s extreme reaction.


    Shailene remembered that Vernon had a high sex drive in college. She didn''t know if this bastard was still the same fuckboy, but if he was, he should be pping Chloe''s cheeks every night, right?


    ''So she should be burning in jealousy by now,'' Shailene thought.


    Chloe stayed silent while listening to this woman describe her wonderful night with Vernon, which wasn''t a surprise. Chloe also knew that Vernon had a high sex drive, proven by how many times he ejacted that night when he was so drunk and horny.


    But Chloe also wouldn''t lie that she felt a little pain in her heart, not because of Vernon.


    But because this kind of phone call reminded her of Vincent.


    Whenever she called Vincent and asked where he was, the ones who would answer the call would be random women he slept with, and they would taunt and torment Chloe.


    Unfortunately, Chloe couldn''t do anything other than cry in silence,menting her fate.


    But Vincent was married with a daughter, while Vernon was still single and didn''t seem to have a girlfriend.


    So he was still free to do whatever he wanted.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe cleared her throat, trying to adjust herself to sound more mature when talking to the woman on the phone;


    "Miss, I really don''t mind you having sex with Vernon. But you two are still unmarried, and unwanted pregnancy is very troublesome and dangerous. Please get yourself checked after a month, and I will scold Vernon for this once he returns home, okay?"


    ¡­


    ''What the fuck is happening right now?'' Shailene asked herself.


    Chloe''s response was so out of her expectation that she was left speechless.


    "Do you not hear what I said just now? I said that we¡ª me and Vernon, had a st of a night. We had the most wonderful sex ever," Shailene repeated to ensure she got the proper response.


    "Yes, I heard it well, Miss," Chloe replied lightly. "So please wear protection if you ever do it again with him, okay?"


    Chloe was convinced that Vernon would just fuck this woman once and leave. At least from what Diamond told her before, Vernon changed his lover like changing his underwear.


    Shailene was ever so intrigued by Chloe''s reaction. There seemed to be something that Vernon didn''t tell her here.


    "Who are you anyway? I saw your name registered as Chloe Gray in Vernon''s phone. But to be so worried to the point of asking about private stuff, that means you''re probably his girlfriend, right?" Shailene guessed. "Estranged girlfriend? Or in an open rtionship with him?"


    "Ah, no¡ª I''m neither," Chloe replied. "I''m not his girlfriend."


    "Then who are you and why are you calling him just for this? You''re not his mother, right?"


    "I''m uh¡­ I''m his Big sister¡­." Chloe replied awkwardly.


    "I heard that he only has a brother," Shailene rebuked.


    "I mean, I''m his Big sister figure. I''m uh¡­." Chloe was trying hard not to say that she was Vincent''s wife. Because she felt so disgusted just thinking about it.


    But that would be the easiest way to answer this, honestly.


    "Big sister figure? Huh, like a sister-inw?"


    ¡­


    "Is that a yes or no?"


    "Yes¡­" Chloe replied weakly. The moment she was referred to as ''sister-inw,'' she knew that she would be recognized as Vincent''s wife again, something that she absolutely hated to admit.


    Shailene raised one brow and scoffed as she stared at the sleeping scum bastard;


    "My, my, my, that is very interesting," Shailene said. "Vernon never told me that she has a fussy sister-inw."


    Chloe went silent instantly, she didn''t know how to react, and she was so ashamed this woman called her fussy.


    "Ah, sorry, I didn''t mean to make you mad," Shailene said. She had predicted the response she would get for calling Chloe a fussy sister-inw, and she was in for it.


    "It just surprises me that Vernon was so close with his sister-inw, to the point that she would ask about private stuff like his brother-inw''s sexual life," Shailene scoffed. "What''s next? You''re going to feed him cake and call him a good boy for being an obedient little brother for you? That''s so weird."

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    "What''s next? You''re going to feed him cake and call him a good boy for being an obedient little brother for you? That''s so weird," Shailenemented.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened out of shame. She knew it was weird to get so involved with Vernon''s sex life outside.


    But she couldn''t help it, as she felt it was her duty to keep him safe, just like how she always protected him when Vernon was just a kid.


    Shailene tranted Chloe''s silence as a sense of shame and guilt at the same time. She knew that Chloe was supposed to be her client since she was the main reason Vernon contacted her after years.


    But she couldn''t help being a little petty toward this woman.


    Because Chloe was also the reason why she broke up with Vernon. Even if it wasn''t her fault, his mind and heart were constantly filled with her.


    Shailene was his girlfriend, but she never had the chance to be Vernon''s number one in his heart and never will.


    Thus, Shailene formed a new lie out of pettiness and told Chloe;


    "Well, you should know that I''m not his only woman. He has a lot of side chicks outside too," Shailene said. "You should probably scold him after this. Who knows whether he used a condom or not with those women."


    "Anyway, I feel tired after having a rough sex with him, bye, sister-inw," Shailene made a fake yawning noise before hanging up.


    She put the phone back in Vernon''s suit pocket and stood silent while staring at the sleeping bastard for at least ten minutes.


    She knew what she did was wrong, which would probablyplicate everything for Vernon and his woman.


    "But it''s not really my fault, Vernon," Shailene said. "Don''t you realize that your woman doesn''t even see you as her romantic partner. She is your sister-inw, and obviously unattainable."


    "I thought, there is a possibility that she might be into cheating. Maybe you''re just a way for her to feel young. But she doesn''t even seem to be angry at you sleeping around," Shailene scoffed. "She''s not even bothered when I told her that we had sex."


    "Vernon, you''re so delusional. You''re desperately clinging to a woman who doesn''t even love you," Shailene bent her back and whispered in Vernon''s ear gently;


    ''Don''t worry, I''m not that malicious. Take this as a little revenge for what you''ve done to me. After all, you said that you willpensate me to atone for your sin, right?''


    ''Then I will punish you a little. So you will try really hard to get what you want. So you will know how painful it is to love someone while that person doesn''t even seem to put you in their eyes.''


    Shailene smiled full of satisfaction. There was a chance that Vernon might never call her back after this, and that was okay.


    "But if you call me and ask for my help again, then I promise that I will help you. At least we''re even after this, Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    Shailene chuckled mirthlessly, and she finally walked away from her private office, leaving the scum bastard Vernon to sleep alone, probably dreaming about his beloved Chloe again.


    **


    Chloe was left speechless after the call ended.


    That woman''s words pricked her heart, giving her a sense of shame and guilt simultaneously.


    She never realized how much she babied Vernon until that woman told her it was weird.


    "Ah, but it''s not wrong though¡­ to think about it again. It is weird¡­." Chloe was rethinking her current action.


    <o>,m She was worried about a grown man and wanted him to practice safe sex as if he was a teenager who had just hit puberty.<sub> </sub></o>


    "But I really don''t have a bad intention. I''m just worried that he might get entangled with the wrong woman and get her pregnant. There''s always a chance that someone will baby trap her¡­."


    Chloe was in a dilemma right now. She wasn''t sure whether she should confront Vernon and scold him about this or simply act like she knew nothing.


    After all, she didn''t want to be referred to as a fussy sister-inw.


    "Ah, I don''t know. I feel like I''m doing the right thing, but maybe Vernon is notfortable with what I''m doing¡­."


    Chloe pondered for a while, trying to find the best decision so Vernon wouldn''t be mad at her.


    After a long ponder, Chloe finally decided;


    "Alright, I will keep supplying him with condoms. I think that''s the right way to warn him to always practice safe sex outside."


    "I will also write a few notes to warn him in a uh¡­ non-direct way. That''s better than confronting him, right? So he won''t feel ashamed."


    Chloe had a thin smile as she had found a good solution to this problem.


    With this, she didn''t need to face Vernon''s condescending gaze whenever he was annoyed.


    Chloe shuddered as she imagined that gaze, "Ah, he reminds me so much of that scum. But, they are brothers after all, it can''t be helped."


    **


    Vernon slept through the night, and his dream ranged from a good dream, such as meeting his Big sister Chloe, to a terrible one, like the first time he witnessed his father kissing another woman in their mansion while his mother was busy adorning herself with a new set of jewelry she bought.


    It was surreal and became one bad memory for Vernon.


    However, all of them paled inparison with the worst one.


    The worst dream he always got whenever he had a sweet dream about Chloe.


    And that was¡­


    ¡ªVernon''s dream¡ª


    Back then, Vernon was fourteen years old. He had just hit puberty and realized he was in love with his Big sis Chloe.


    And it wasn''t sibling love.


    It was Eros, a passionate and romantic love, and he didn''t shy away from the feeling.


    In fact, he wanted to embrace and dere to the whole world about it.


    The naive him was so in love that he told his Big brother about it;


    ''Big bro, from now on, I will be fighting for Big sis Chloe''s love too. So you better watch out, haha!''

 247 Chapter 247

    --Vernon''s dream--


    His love for Big sis Chloe was Eros, a passionate and romantic love, and he didn''t shy away from the feeling.


    In fact, he wanted to embrace and dere it to the whole world about it.


    The naive him was so in love that he told his Big brother about it;


    ''Big bro, from now on, I will be fighting for Big sis Chloe''s love too. So you better watch out, haha!''


    Back then, his Big bro didn''t react much. He just smiled thin and replied;


    ''Watch out for what you want, cute little Vernon,'' Vincent said, addressing the teenage Vernon with the nickname Big sis Chloe gave him.


    It sounded condescending, and Vernon also felt the same way.


    But he didn''t seem to catch his Big brother''s hostility.


    After all, they were brothers, and Vincent had always treated him nicely. So, everything was just meaningless fun, right?


    But that wasn''t the case anymore. Because that day, his Big bro suddenly called him, saying theirte father took Big sis Chloe to his room.


    Vernon panicked and said, ''I will beat him to death if he dared to touch Big sis Chloe!''


    He rushed back to the house, and his Big bro told him to enter the room right beside their father''s room.


    The room had a connecting door, and Vincent intentionally let it open a bit, so they could eavesdrop on the conversation between Chloe and theirte father.


    When Vernon entered the room, it seemed the conversation was ongoing.


    ''Big bro, where is Big sis Chloe? I will kick my father''s ass for--mmf!''


    Vincent quickly covered his mouth and told him to shut up because the connecting door was slightly opened, so Chloe and their father might''ve heard them.


    ''What happened, Big bro?'' Vernon asked, now in a low voice.


    ''They are discussing something. You''re a littlete, but I will summarize it for youter,'' Vincent said.


    Thus, Vernon hides behind the connecting door with Vincent while eavesdropping on the conversation between Big sis Chloe and theirter father.


    Unfortunately, he was already toote. Because by the time Vernon arrived, theirte father only had two questions to ask;


    -


    ''So, you have the answer now?'' Vaughn asked with a repressive tone.


    ''Um, yes... Mr. Gray...'' Chloe replied weakly.


    This was weird for Vernon because he had never heard his Big sis be this meek.


    ''Well, what do you think? About my two sons, Vincent and Vernon,'' Vaughn mentioned. ''Which one do you like the most?''


    There was a long pause until Chloe replied;


    ''Vincent Gray.''


    ''And why so?''<sub> </sub>


    ''Because Vincent is smarter and better at everythingpared to Vernon. That little kid is... not--not g-g-good enough...'' Chloe stammered a little before she continued, ''I would rather marry Vincent. Because I''m born poor. So I need to marry Vincent....''


    ''Hmm, I see. So that''s your resolve,'' Vaughn Gray said. ''Is there more reason when choosing my first son?''


    ...


    ...


    Again, there was a long pause until Chloe opened her lips;


    ''Vernon will probably end up being a disgusting useless man in the future. He is dumb, and untalented, and not good in anything,'' Chloe said, but her voice got weaker and weaker as time passed.


    Then, she ended the conversation the most painful sentence Vernon ever heard in his life;


    ''He will never be as good as his Big brother. That''s why I would rather marry Vincent.''


    -


    Vernon heard everything, and he was so shocked he thought he would faint right now.


    He stared at the door in a daze, and Vincent gently closed the connecting door to ensure the other side won''t hear him.


    Vincent put his hands on Vernon''s shoulder and patted him gently, ''I don''t know how to say this, Vernon. But dad knows that you and I are in love with Chloe, so he asked Chloe about it.''


    ''I didn''t expect her to be so mean though. Why does she need to say that you''re dumb and untalented? I thought she cares for you deeply, but it seems that she is just using you to get close to our family.''


    Vincent patted Vernon''s head as if he was also saddened by Chloe''s words and added;


    ''Vernon, you should know that all women are trash. They are only after your money, that''s why your Big sis Chloe wants to marry me instead of you.''


    ''Because in her eyes, you and I are just a pile of money. But I have my worth because I have everything that you don''t, while you... you''re a pitiful excuse of a human. It''s all her words though, not me.''


    ''So me her if you want to be angry, Vernon Phoenix Gray.''


    --Vernon''s dream end--


    Vernon opened his eyes abruptly. He stared emptily at the ceiling under the dim light, still trying to process his dream.


    Vernon gritted his teeth, and his jaw tightened as he tried to fight this urge to destroy everything around him.


    "That fucking dream again, I''m so tired of dreaming the same exact shit over and over, man," Vernonined.


    It wasn''t the first time and surely wouldn''t be thest.


    That scene was like a video that kept reying in his head in repeat. Whenever he wanted to think about something sweet with his Big sis Chloe, that memory of how much his Big sis despised him came up, making him unable to control his rage.


    Because whenever he wanted to believe that his Big sis Chloe was genuine, he would be reminded of the truth.


    That Chloe only saw him as a pile of money. She stayed with him right now because he had money.


    Imagine if he was just a nobody, then Chloe would probablyugh in her face and call him a wasted lowlife.


    "She is not genuine, I know that...." Vernon murmured as his chest started to tighten out of rage. "I can''t be an idiot, I need to hate her, I need to make her suffer, just like what she did to me!"

 248 Chapter 248

    "She is not genuine, I know that¡­." Vernon murmured as his chest started to tighten out of rage. "I can''t be an idiot. I need to hate her. I need to make her suffer, just like what she did to me!"


    "Get it together, Vernon! Where is the hate that drives you to the brink of insanity?!"


    Vernon repeated that multiple times, something that he used to do when he was in Europe. The drive to hurt his Big sis Chloe made him able to push through and be the way he is right now.


    He thought he could maintain the same hatred after he reunited with Chloe.


    But he was still the same idiot, it seemed.


    Because the moment he saw Chloe cry, he felt the whole world crumble before him.


    Vernon covered his eyes with his arm and mumbled, "I can''t see her cry. Her tears are enough to wash away all the hatred I have, it''s not fair."


    Vernon stayed in this position for a while until he tried to assess his current location. He was sleeping in the chaise longue, with the rxing scent ofvender and chamomile blowing out of the air conditioner.


    He also noticed the big beautiful aquascape embedded in the wall, and the information flowed inside his brain until he remembered everything.


    "Ah, I was in Shailene''s apartment when she told me toy here and imagine about Chloe¡­."


    Vernon raised his arm to check the time on his watch and then frowned.


    "It''s already five in the morning? How could I sleep that long?" Vernon asked himself. "Why didn''t Shailene wake me up? Ah, wait, speaking about her¡ª where is she?"


    Vernon was already feeling guilty for what he had done to her back then. He embarrassed himself by falling asleep like a baby while thinking about Chloe.


    "Damn, Vernon. You''re embarrassing," Vernon med himself.


    He got up from the chaise longue, wore his shoes, and walked out of the office.


    He looked around the empty apartment. He assumed that Shailene must''ve been sleeping right after he fell asleep.


    So he sneaked out of her apartment and texted her after he returned to his car.


    -


    To: Shailene Walsh - Psychologist


    I didn''t expect to fall asleep. Why didn''t you wake me up?


    Anyway, I''m returning to my apartment. I''ll send you money aspensationter and will call you again for the next schedule.


    -


    Vernon sent the text, thinking this was enough to show his guilt.


    He arrived at this apartment after an hour, and it was already 6.30 when he opened his penthouse door.


    He was exhausted, and his sleep wasn''t particrlyfortable in that chaise longue. He threw his suit and shoes at a random spot in the living room and walked to the kitchen to grab a ss of water.


    Vernon leaned on the fridge while drinking a ss of warm water. He was staring at the wall in a daze.<sub> </sub>


    His head was banging, and he''d appreciate another good sleep in his bed.


    "Alright, time to hit the bed again," Vernon said.


    He put the ss on the kitchen countertop, but before he returned to his room, he heard a loud gasping from the edge of the kitchen where the stair was located.


    He turned his head instantly and saw Chloe, who froze while staring at him with wide eyes.


    "V¡ªVernon?" Chloe called him. "W¡ªWhy did you return so early?"


    Honestly, Vernon had no intention of talking with Chloe right now. The image of Chloe looking down on him, mixed with hisplicated feeling, gave him an even worse headache.


    But he had one thing to check before he returned to his bedroom.


    "Hmm¡­" Vernon blinked a few times because his gaze was a little blurry. He walked close to Chloe and grabbed her hand before she could escape.


    "Wha¡ª"


    "Don''t move, I''m just checking on the wounds on your cheek," Vernon said.


    He leaned closer and caressed Chloe''s cheek. There was still a trace of scabs, and it would probably take a while until it healedpletely, displeasing Vernon so much.


    ''I will make sure to give a proper punishment for any bitch who dares to hurt you like this, Chloe,'' Vernon swore in his heart. ''I just need the information from Diamond. She''s working on it.''


    Chloe felt ufortable being this close to Vernon, especially when he looked so caring as if he really put her in his heart.


    ''Obviously, he''s just worried about me. But why am I feeling ufortable?'' Chloe asked herself, then she tried to rationalize the feeling by adding, ''Maybe because I''ve never been cared for by my ex-husband before, so it gives me strange feelings¡­.''


    Chloe quickly pushed herself away from Vernon in an attempt to separate their bodies. She knew her boundary, and she didn''t want to cross it, especially after what that woman on the phone callst night said.


    It was weird. Her attentive care for a grown man like Vernon was weird.


    Vernon''s heart was grieving when Chloe suddenly pushed herself away from him. But he wasn''t in the mood to argue with her right now.


    Vernon sighed and said, "Go apply some medicine or something from the doctor. I don''t know what will work. Don''t worry about money, I have plenty for you."


    "Um, yes, thank you¡­." Chloe lowered her head meekly. She was also fighting the urge to tell Vernon that the doctor was super expensive and it was just a regr wound. She might as well have waited if that meant she didn''t need to spend much money.


    Vernon didn''t care about her silence and turned around, but before he could return to his bedroom, Chloe suddenly offered;


    "Um, do you want to have breakfast first? I can cook for you¡­."


    "No need, I''m more sleepy than hungry right now," Vernon replied.


    "Really? I mean, we¡ªwe can talk about random things while I''m cooking your breakfast¡­."


    "A talk?" Vernon turned around, interested in the invitation. "What kind of talk?"

 249 Chapter 249

    "I mean, we--we can talk about random things while I''m cooking your breakfast...." Chloe offered.


    "A talk?" Vernon turned around, interested in the invitation. "What kind of talk?"


    Chloe was surprised by Vernon''s sudden enthusiasm. His eyes were glimmering with expectation, though she didn''t know what kind of expectation he had.


    Chloe thought that Vernon would just dismiss her as usual.


    But now that the spotlight was on her, she got nervous and tried to find a way to deliver her intention.


    Her true intention was to tell Vernon to have sex responsibly. Because she knew that a man like Vernon could be very reckless when he was in the mood for some humping.


    "Um... we can talk about your habits...." Chloe said very carefully, not wanting to offend Vernon.


    "Habit? What kind of habit?" Vernon frowned. He didn''t think he had any bad habits besides being a picky eater.


    "You know-- about your habit of going outte... Talking to many women outside and uh--"


    "Going outte? Talking to many women outside? What the fuck are you talking about?" Vernon asked. He was genuinely confused since he had never talked to any woman without any clear intention.


    After he reunited with Chloe, a part of his conscience made him unable to talk with women unless it was work-rted.


    He knew his reputation as a yboy was already cemented in his name outside. Vernon didn''t even try to deny it because it was mostly true how much of a womanizer he was.


    But Chloe should''ve realized that he never fucked anyone outside after they reunited, right? He was such a good boy. Even Vernon didn''t understand how he could be so docile now.


    So why did she suddenly confront him about this kind of nonsense?


    ''Wait, maybe she heard someone talking about me in the office? Damn, those bitches can really gossip, huh? Bet they will shut up after I talk to themter.''


    Chloe noticed that Vernon seemed a little pissed for an unknown reason, which made her even more nervous.


    But she had to steal her will. As a responsible Big sister, she had to teach Vernon.


    "J--Just please don''t be too wild outside, right? Don''t forget to use c-c-c-" Chloe swallowed her saliva as she felt thest word was stuck in her throat. "-condom."


    Vernon scoffed as he thought it was ridiculous that Chloe was lecturing him about using a condom as if he was a teenage boy.


    He had a lot more experience than her, as she was stuck with just one man for such a long time.


    Besides, he hadn''t used any condoms for a few months now. Because he hadn''t had sex with anyone, he waited patiently until Chloe could recover before he could eat her clean every night.


    "Did you hear some weird gossip in the office? Don''t mind them, it''s all just gossip anyway," Vernon said, trying to pacify Chloe as he thought that she was just being jealous.


    Meanwhile, Chloe felt there was a little misunderstanding when Vernon mentioned gossip.


    Because it was definitely not gossip when the one who picked up the call was a woman he spent the night with.<sub> </sub>


    ''But he doesn''t want to admit it. Is he embarrassed?'' Chloe pondered. After all, Vernon was a grown-up, and confronting him about this might make him defensive.


    So Chloe continued speaking indirectly.


    "J--Just make sure you wear protection, okay?"


    Vernon clicked his tongue as he felt annoyed by Chloe. Talking about this weird gossip also worsened his headache.


    "Ignore whatever people say outside. I know how to control myself."


    "But--"


    "Tch, why are you going in circles about this?" Vernon finally showed a bit of his annoyance to Chloe as he found her irritating. "I''m not doing anything lewd outside. Do you think I''m some kind of sick fuck who would stick my dick to every pussy I found?!"


    "Ah--s-sorry, I didn''t mean it that way," Chloe retreated immediately as Vernon''s annoyance immediately reminded him of Vincent.


    "And why do you keep reminding me to use a condom? Don''t act like you''re my mom or something. It''s weird," Vernon said contemptuously before turning his back and walking to his bedroom.


    He wasn''t sure if this was the correct response, but Chloe kept going in a circle about this condom and gossiping about him having sex outside. It was cute initially, seeing that Chloe might be jealous of him.


    But when she started insisting, it made him feel like he was being used of something he didn''t do.


    "Why doesn''t she trust me with this? I keep telling her that I''m not fucking anyone outside! Damn it!" Vernon was frustrated by how little trust Chloe had for him, and the headache only worsened his irritation.


    Vernon knew that his headache would only worsen if he kept feeling irritated. So he threw his body to the bed and then closed his eyes. He fell asleep quickly and wished he didn''t have to dream about that scene again.


    **


    Chloe could only watch Vernon''s back as he returned to his bedroom.


    Chloe lowered her head regrettably.


    "Ah, as I expected. He''s a grown man, of course he will hate to be confronted about his bad habit," Chloe murmured. "He even went as far as denying everything, even though he just had sex a few hours ago with the woman he had a dinner date with."


    Chloe didn''t feel jealous about Vernon sleeping around. After all, she was just a Big sister figure worried about his little brother.


    But it seemed that her worry was also deemed as weird by Vernon.


    "He said that I''m being weird for worrying about it...." Chloe was disheartened. She had a little burst of courage a few minutes ago, thinking that it was the time for her to at least warn Vernon to practice safe sex.


    But the way he called her weird hadpletely stomped her courage.


    Chloe sighed and murmured;


    "Then what am I supposed to do? I thought taking care of you is my job, Vernon...."

 250 Chapter 250

    It was only six-thirty in the morning, and Diamond had already parked her car not far from the school gate.


    Just like the instruction that Diamond got from Mr. Phoenix Gray, she was tasked to investigate and find the perpetrator behind the attack that hurt her homegirl, Chloe.


    She had never done this before and certainly wouldn''t do this kind of unnecessary shit if it wasn''t for Chloe. The amount of effort she put into her homegirl was immeasurable.


    "I''ll be mad if she doesn''t let me be her bridesmaid when she marries Vernonter," Diamondined. She was already scrolling through an online catalog, thinking of a perfect bridesmaid dress for the event.


    It was ridiculous to be this excited over someone, but Diamond simply felt like she had some kind of aplishment just to see Chloe smiling and thanking her for the hard work she did.


    ''I''ve never been this invested and protective over someone. But I guess, home girl just gives off that aura to make you feel like you have to protect her,'' Diamond thought.


    "Okay, Diamond, you can do this. Go find that culprit, and let your boss handle the rest," Diamond encouraged herself.


    She kept staring at the school gate and realized that she might be too early today because even the school guard and janitor were nowhere to be found at this hour.


    Just like what Vernon said before, she couldn''t directly ask the school staff, the headmaster, about any kind of confrontation regarding Chloe.


    Because her boss warned her that this school was indirectly owned by Vincent as the new patriarch of the Gray family after Vaughn''s death, even thend was owned by them.


    So if Diamond inquired about Chloe to the headmaster, she would definitely snitch on them and tell Vincent about it.


    So her only way to inquire about any information was from the janitor or school guard. After all, they were the ones who stayed near the gate, so if there was a fight urring, they must''ve known about it first.


    Diamond waited thirty minutes more until it was seven o''clock, and the school guard finally opened the gate.


    "There he is--" Diamond was about to get out of the car and ask the school guard a few things, but before she could open the door, another car came to the driveway and stopped right in front of the gate.


    ? Diamond''s heart skipped for a second when she quickly noticed the car and the te number.


    "Oh shit, why is she so early?" Diamond asked herself. She saw Chloeing out of the car with her daughter-- Mackenzie.


    She guided Mackie until the little girl entered the school gate and went to the school''s main building.


    She continued observing and noticed that Chloe smiled at the school guard and chatted a little before returning to her car and driving away.


    After making sure that Chloe was out of her sight, Diamond checked her watch and was unable to fathom Chloe''s action.


    "It''s still seven in the morning. Isn''t that way too early to drop her daughter to school? I thought the ss starts at around eight-thirty here," Diamond wondered.


    Amidst her confusion, she saw the school guard was about to return to his post, so Diamond quickly left her car and approached him.<sub> </sub>


    The school guard was a middle-aged, stout man with a thick beard and mustache. He was a bit short, but with his heavy build, he seemed to be someone capable of doing his job.


    The security guard was about to return to his post when his eyes darted at a beautiful woman walking toward him. He was stunned because this woman seemed too young to be a mother of an elementary student.


    Diamond stood in front of the security guard and leaned a little, "Excuse me, you''re the security guard of this school right?"


    "Y--Yes, I am," the school guard said hesitatingly. "Can I help you with something, Miss, and may I know your name first?"


    "Hmm... my name is Prisci, I''m a guardian of one student here," Diamond lied through her teeth, taking the name of that bitch secretary of Vincent Gray.


    "N--Nice to meet you, Miss. My name is Gustaff," Gustaff, the security guard introduced himself nervously. "May I help you with something?"


    "Yes, I just need a little information. It''s about a woman named Chloe. Chloe Gray."


    "Ah!" the school guard made a surprised expression. "Lady Gray had just left a few minutes ago, Miss. Is there something wrong with her?"


    "Yes, I got the news that she got a scar on her cheek after a fight," Diamond bluffed her way through. "And the news told me that Chloe had a fight here, is that correct?"


    Of course, Diamond was just bluffing, she had zero information about Chloe, but it was a good way to fool the school guard and bait her.


    "That--" the school guard''s eyes widened when he was confronted with a simple question, which indirectly told everything about it.


    "So there is a fight here between Chloe and someone else, huh?" Diamond concluded that she had hit the jackpot based on his reaction.


    The school guard was thinking about lying by simply telling this beautiful woman there was no such fight.


    But this woman wasn''t only beautiful, but she also had a sharp mind. So there was no way he could fool her.


    "M--Miss, please don''t tell anyone about it I will get fired if the headmaster knows that I didn''t try to separate them," Gustaff said. "I wasn''t in the scene because I was busy somewhere else, so I only heard about the fight from a janitor who happens to be near the gate when it happened."


    "Then, can you tell me what''s the fight all about?" Diamond asked.


    Gustaff was scared that he might get fired for being sloppy. But he also didn''t want to tell this woman without a reward.


    After all, if he were fired because of this problem, he had to get something out of it, right?


    Gustaff stared at the young woman''s body from head to toe. His eyes started to get clouded with lust, "Miss, it''s risky for me to tell you about it, but I can do it for an exchange."

 251 Chapter 251

    Gustaff stared at the young woman''s body from head to toe. His eyes started to get clouded with lust, "Miss, it''s risky for me to tell you about it, but I can do it for an exchange."


    Diamond scoffed as a response.


    It wasn''t her first time facing a man like this, and it certainly wouldn''t be herst.


    As an ex-model, she had the habit of maintaining her figure, making her the target of some tame catcalling to borderline sexual harassment.


    But she never took that kind of shit from anybody. She wasn''t an easy target that would ept any kind of harassment.


    Diamond looked down at the stout man who was only her shoulder tall. She crossed her arms and replied, "What kind of exchange?"


    The man was a little intimidated by her gesture. She was beautiful but also fierce at the same time.


    But Gustaff was interested in her body. This woman in front of him had a perfect body with nice boobs, which he had longed to touch for a while.


    Gustaff stretched his hand as he wanted to fondle Diamond''s boobs.


    But Diamond caught his wrist immediately and red at him, "I asked you, what kind of exchange do you want?"


    "Ah¡ª" Gustaff was surprised by the question. He didn''t expect this woman to not even flinch when he was about to reach her boobs. He grinned wide, but his eyes still stared straight at her boobs. "Miss, you know what I want, right?"


    "I see, so you want to touch me in exchange for the information?" Diamond asked, and Gustaff replied with a firm nod.


    "Hah¡ª that''s stupid. Are you not scared that you''ll get jailed for sexual assault?"


    "Oh, Miss, nobody is looking right now. It''s fine¡­."


    "Nobody is looking, huh? Let me call someone," Diamond released Gustaff''s hand and took a step back. She fished out her phone and called someone.


    Gustaff was alerted instantly and thought that Diamond was calling a cop, "Miss, there is no proof of me assaulting you. The police will think that you''re lying."


    "Oh no, I''m not calling 911. I''m calling someone I know," Diamond said.


    It didn''t take a while until the line was connected. Diamond asked the man on the phone toe to the school, which was well known to be a prestigious one.


    "Mhm, you''re patrolling around here? Sure,e here quickly, I need your help," Diamond said.


    Diamond hung up the call and looked down at Gustaff again.


    Gustaff got nervous about the sudden call and said, "I don''t need to tell you anything. I owe you nothing! So get the hell out of the school gate, you cunt!"


    "Mhm, I was being so nice because I thought I could pay you or something as a deal so you can tell me. But since it''s no deal, then I can use something more coercive," Diamond said.


    It only took ten minutes for a police car to drive in and stop right in front of Diamond and Gustaff.


    A big, burly man almost seven feet tall came out of the police car and walked towards Diamond.


    He stood straight in front of Gustaff and looked down at him, "Is this man giving you trouble?"<sub> </sub>


    "Mhm, he''s about to grope me," Diamond replied.


    The man''s expression tightened instantly. He red at Gustaff and grabbed the man''s cor.


    "YOU!!"


    Gustaff shrieked out of fear, almost like a rat about to get squashed.


    The policeman was about to swing his fist, but Diamond stopped him by patting his arm, "Don''t do anything yet. I can forgive him as long as he told me about the fight between Chloe and someone else here."


    "A fight?"


    "Yes, that''s the reason why I''m taking you here. This pervert wants to touch me in exchange for information. Since he wants it the rough way, then I''m going to be the one threatening him now," Diamond said with a smirk. "So, Gustaff, tell me now or you''ll get beaten to death."


    "I¡ªI get it! Okay, I will tell you! Please release me now!"


    The policeman nced at Diamond, and thetter nodded.


    Thus, he released Gustaff, and they waited for the school guard to speak.


    Gustaff secretly cursed in his heart, thinking it was unfair for this woman to call her big burly police boyfriend a shield. But he had no choice now.


    So he told Diamond about it;


    "It happened a few days ago¡ª no, a week ago, I think," Gustaff said. "Chloe was waiting near the school gate to pick up her daughter as always. Then two other moms approached her and started arguing with her, a fight broke out and the two moms were trying to grab Chloe."


    "And they started scratching her face?" Diamond asked.


    "What? No! The fight didn''t actually happen because the bell rang, and the kids stormed out of the school. The janitor said that her daughter yelled and rushed in to shield her mother," Gustaff said truthfully.


    Diamond frowned as the information obviously didn''t match the date.


    Chloe got the scar two days ago, not a week ago. And there was a clear scar on her cheek.


    ''So this is a different fight. Damn, did she make enemies with someone? But for a woman like Chloe, I don''t think she''s the one who creates problems,'' Diamond thought.


    "Do you know what they''re arguing about?"


    "Huh, no. I only heard it from a janitor anyway," Gustaff replied.


    "I see, then tell me who those two women are," Diamondmanded.


    Gustaff went silent instantly. He didn''t want to get beat up, but he also didn''t want to get entangled with two women who happened to be the parents of students in this school.


    Diamond clicked her tongue as Gustaff was giving her silent treatment. She elbowed the policeman beside her, giving a silent instruction to beat the shit out of this pervert.


    But before the policeman could grab his cor again, Gustaff quickly replied, "I¡ªI will say it!"

 252 Chapter 252

    Diamond elbowed the policeman beside her, giving a silent instruction to beat the shit out of this pervert.


    But before the policeman could grab his cor again, Gustaff quickly replied, "I¡ªI will say it!"


    "Good, then say it, who are those women?"


    "They''re the parents of two students here, Jada Jackson and Maya sgow. I don''t know what happened between them, but they''ve always been hostile to Chloe Gray," Gustaff exined.


    The answer satisfied Diamond but didn''t really answer anything about her mission.


    In fact, it only gave her even more homework to do to help Chloe.


    "Okay, I think that''s all, now give me your ID card," Diamond said.


    "Y¡ªYou can''t do that! Why do you need my ID card anyway?!" Gustaff became defensive in an instant.


    "Just give it, or¡ª" Diamond nced at the burly policeman again.


    Gustaff gritted his teeth and gave his ID card to Diamond.


    Diamond took a picture of the ID card and handed it back to Gustaff, "I have your information. If you dare run your mouth and tell anyone about our meeting here, then I won''t hesitate to make your life a living hell."


    Gustaff shuddered as he noticed that Diamond wasn''t ying around with the threat. So he nodded reluctantly and promised not to tell anyone.


    "Good, follow me, officer," Diamond said, giving order to the big burly man.


    They entered their cars respectively, and Diamond told the policeman to drive away from the school first before they talked.


    After they were at least a few kilometers away, their cars stopped. The policeman came out of his car to enter Diamond''s instead.


    "So, what is it all about, sis?" the policeman asked.


    Diamond sighed, "It''s Chloe."


    "Oh, your best friend, Chloe? What happened to her?"


    "Yeah, she got attacked by someone. But she''s a very guarded person, and always scared of confrontation. So she tries to say that it''s nothing," Diamond replied. "My boss and I decide to investigate what truly happened, because there''s no way I''m gonna let my homegirl get hurt."


    "I see, do you need my help for other things then?"


    "Not anymore. I''ll continue investigating it myself," Diamond refused the offer. She patted the policeman''s shoulder, who was actually her little brother. "Anyway, thanks for the help, Damien. I won''t be able to extract some information from that creep."


    "Anytime, sis," Damien said. "I''m going to work again. Tell me if you need something, oh and¡ª tell me if Chloe is interested in a policeman. I fell in love after you showed me your selfie with her."


    "HAH! As if! I won''t let you do anything to my homegirl!" Diamond yelled, and Damien responded with augh as he returned to his car.


    The police car honked at her before driving away.<sub> </sub>


    Diamond might be saying no to her little brother, but she was considering whether she should introduce Chloe to her Big brother.


    Diamond was close to Damien, and she knew he was a good man who would help Chloe heal. Despite his big build, Damien was a patient man and had been single for at least a year after breaking up with his long-term high school girlfriend.


    Diamond showed her little bro a selfie she took with Chloe. In that selfie, Chloe smiled sheepishly while Diamond winked at the camera. Chloe looked like a shy angel in the selfie, no wonder Damien was interested.


    "Honestly, I''d love her to date Damien instead. I think they will be a perfect match. But I don''t want the whole family to be ruined by that one person," Diamond said.


    She knew well how much influence her boss had. If she took Chloe away from him, he would probably go on a rampage and ruin her entire family''s livelihood for the sake of destroying things and appeasing his anger.


    Her boss might look calmer and reasonable on the surface, but that was simply because he had reunited with Chloe.


    He was¡ª and still, the same heartless bastard regarding his business and would stay the same as long as Chloe wasn''t around.


    "He is destroying all kinds of emotional connection to anyone, working as if everyone around him are enemies who are about to get him," Diamond murmured as she assessed Vernon''s behavior.


    "As much as I despise him, I think he needs Chloe more than anyone," Diamond said. "If it''s not her, then I don''t know who else can fill the void in his heart."


    "And Chloe too¡ª home girl needs a powerful man to protect her from her scum ex-husband. Vernon is all she needs. He has money, influence, and he is obviously in love with her the whole time."


    Diamond rolled her eyes and remembered all the women her boss spent the night with. They were all white women with chestnut hair, doe eyes, and sweet smiles.


    It was his type, he said. Which was total bullshit in Diamond''s eyes.


    "Meh, I think you''re just in love with Chloe the whole time, and you''re sleeping with women simr to her as a way to appease yourself and fill the emptiness in your heart," Diamond said ruthlessly.


    At first, Diamond didn''t understand her boss'' obsession with this type of woman. If Chloe Gray was that beautiful, surely she would be a supermodel, not a housewife, by now.


    That was¡­ until Diamond met Chloe in person.


    She was thin, fragile, but beautiful indeed.


    She might not be a supermodel-level beauty, but there was something about her.


    Something that made Diamond feel safe andfortable whenever she was with Chloe, which was also why she imed Chloe to be her best friend so quickly.


    Because her gut told her that Chloe was a good woman, simple as that, and she quickly understood Vernon''s obsession with her.


    Because only a woman like Chloe could be the safe home for Vernon, a woman who would soothe his raging heart and make him more docile.


    A woman he could call home.


    "Sadly, none of them can really portray the image of Chloe, that''s why you keep going from one woman to another as long as you can find Chloe''s recement, right, Boss?"

 253 Chapter 253

    "Sadly, none of them can really portray the image of Chloe, that''s why you keep going from one woman to another as long as you can find Chloe''s recement, right, Boss?"


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t say it right in front of Vernon''s face as she was afraid he would be angry and destroy things in his office again.


    Diamond didn''t want to spend another busy week just ordering and buying furniture for Vernon''s office again since he was so picky about everything.


    "I should''ve suggested that he put a punching bag inside the velvet room instead. That should be more useful than all the sex toys he had in there," Diamond stated. "Besides, that Velvet room hasn''t been used for a while. It''s all dusty now."


    Diamond also appreciated her boss'' patience. After he realized that Chloe was abused and traumatized, he hadn''t touched her ever since.


    "Guess I got to give him an apuse for that, knowing how much of a sex-crazed stud he is."


    "Now, back to the topic¡ª" Diamond took out her phone and started typing to make a note. She wanted to point out a few things.


    1. Chloe had a fight with two women a week ago. Unknown reason.


    2. It was almost impossible for her to be the one who instigated the fight. So it seemed that she might''ve been bullied.


    3. She never told me¡ª or anyone about it. She had been bullied by many over the years.


    4. I have a theory about this¡­


    Diamond stopped typing on the fourth point. She hesitated to type the theory she had in mind and tried to rethink it;


    ''I know that Vincent is such an asshole. Homegirl told me a few things about the abuse she experienced. But she seems to always try to cover up for her ex-husband for no apparent reason.''


    ''I have a feeling that the one who caused the fights between Chloe and those women is Vincent Gray. After all, he likes to fuck anyone he met.''


    ''He could just fuck those women and then told them to bully Chloe, right? It''s possible knowing there is nobody who wants to hurt a homegirl more than Vincent.''


    Diamond was about to cement her theory until she realized there was one thing that made her wonder because she couldn''t answer it;


    "Why did Vincent Gray, who was obviously an extremely busy man, bullied his own wife? What kind of sin did she do to him? Or he just enjoys her misery? But why?"


    The questions started stockpiling in Diamond''s head, and she couldn''t answer none. Because her homegirl refused to talk more about the abuse and kept it all by herself.


    Diamond shook her head in disbelief, "I don''t understand why Chloe keeps covering up for that bastard. He is obviously a piece of shit!"


    Diamond was frustrated because she felt helpless. If only Chloe had been more active in fighting back, everything would be better.


    But¡­


    Diamond took a deep breath, "I can''t say that about Chloe. I don''t know the extent of trauma she experienced. So it''s better to just put this problem aside and focus on the culprit who wed the homegirl''s face two days ago."


    Diamond put her phone in her bag and drove to the next destination based on Vernon''s credit card information.<sub> </sub>


    **


    Diamond parked her car in front of the grocery store where Chloe always does her weekly grocery shopping. It was still morning, so the parking lot was empty.


    Diamond walked in and headed straight to the only cashier who had just started his shift.


    She stood in front of him with her arms crossed and said, "Is there a manager here? I''d like to speak with him."


    The cashier was surprised by the sudden confrontation. He thought he had done something wrong and asked carefully, "I''m sorry, Miss. I don''t know if I did something wrong-"


    "No, it''s not about you. I just want to see the manager because I have a request."


    "A request? May I know what it is, Miss?"


    Diamond clicked her tongue. She didn''t have that much time. So she simply took two hundred bucks out of her wallet and put it in the cashier''s chest pocket.


    "Let''s just cut to the chase and bring me to your manager, okay? I promise it''s not about you."


    The cashier was shocked by the sudden two hundred bucks in his pocket, but he epted it in the end and led Diamond to the manager''s office''s door.


    "Miss, I don''t dare to knock on the door, and I can only lead you here. Don''t tell her that I''m the one who brings you here. I don''t want to get into trouble," the cashier warned.


    "Mhm, sure, thanks."


    After the cashier left, Diamond finally knocked on the door a few times until she heard the voice of a woman who replied from inside, "Come in!"


    Diamond opened the door and saw a middle-aged woman who was surprised by her sudden presence. But she kept her professionality and asked politely, "Is there something I can do, Miss?"


    "Yes," Diamond replied. "Mind if I sit in, because I want to ask about something private."


    The manager noticed the seriousness, and her face turned solemn instantly, "Please sit down and let me know if there is something I can help you with."


    Diamond sat directly facing the manager''s desk, and she quickly uttered her intention.


    "I want to see the CCTV from two days ago."


    The manager frowned, she had to be careful with customers, and this woman in front of her didn''t seem to be an easy one to appease;


    "May I know what you need it for, Miss?"


    Diamond kept up with her arrogant posture. She crossed her legs and replied with a confident yet cold voice;


    "I heard there was a fight happening in this store between two women two days ago. That woman is my client''s wife, and he wants to press charges on whoever hurt her that day."

 254 Chapter 254

    "I heard there was a fight happening in this store between two women two days ago. That woman is my client''s wife, and he wants to press charges on whoever hurt her that day."


    The manager went on full guard instantly.


    Of course, she knew about the fight in the store two days ago, because it was big and involved children.


    But none of the women who fought seemed to want to press charges. After they fought and were separated by the staff, they argued again before one of them left. The woman with four kids threw all her groceries and left without buying anything.


    It was a wild situation. Luckily, nobody and nothing got damaged in the store except for the woman who got horrible long scratches on her cheek.


    The manager had no affiliation with them, but she had to be careful. Who knew if one of them might be the wife of a billionaire or something.


    "I can give you the CCTV recording, but¡­ may I know to whom you work? At least let me know the identity of the woman¡­."


    Diamond''s body stiffened, and her heartbeat skipped for a second when the manager basically confirmed there was a fight happening two days ago.


    Thus, Diamond continued her pretense;


    "My client is Vernon Phoenix Gray, and his wife is the one who got into a fight two days ago," Diamond replied. Diamond could see the doubt in the manager''s face.


    Vernon was very popr on the inte. Thus the manager must''ve known a few things about him.


    "Miss, I don''t think Vernon Phoenix Gray is married. I heard he''s dating that one actress, and that woman who fought two days ago doesn''t look like the actress he dated," the manager said.


    ''Oh yeah, that actresssted for a week at best, because by the time they dated, my boss already had his eyes upon Chloe,'' Diamond replied in her head.


    Diamond was already bluffing in the first ce. She acted like awyer handling a client''s case, even though she knew damn well that her homegirl would rather keep it for herself. Her boss would rather deal with the problem using his own style.


    ''Should I call Mr. Phoenix Gray to convince the manager?'' Diamond started considering.


    But she scrapped the idea quickly.


    Because her boss was a man who used intimidation and power to get what he wanted. If Diamond called him, he would probably threaten this poor manager who was just doing her job.


    So, the only way to get the recording was to convince her another way, and Diamond knew the right person for this.


    ''I guess I need his help, huh?''


    "Do you want me to call my higher up? He is the one directly handling the case, I''m just a subordinate doing my job," Diamond said.


    "Oh, sure, Miss."


    Diamond fished her phone out of her bag and called another man she knew well.


    "Mhm, yeah, can youe here, boss? It''s about the recording that you requested, I''m in the manager''s office of that grocery store," Diamond murmured on the phone. "Okay, yes, boss."


    After she hung up the phone call, she sent the location to the man via Whatsapp and a brief exnation of what to do to convince the manager.<sub> </sub>


    "Please wait for about fifteen minutes, is that okay?" Diamond asked the manager.


    "I can wait, don''t worry."


    After roughly twenty minutes, someone knocked on the door before it was opened.


    A tall, handsome ck man wearing sses and a neat suit walked in. He was probably in his early thirties and looked quite intimidating.


    Diamond rose from the chair and bowed respectfully, "Sir, this is the store manager. She wants you to handle this case personally because I''m just an associate."


    "Hm," the man sat on the seat, recing Diamond and pulled something out of his pocket.


    He slid his attorney id to the manager''s desk, "My name is Desmond Johnson, I''m an attorney from Kirnd & Ellis. I''m handling the case from Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray. His wife was attacked two days ago, and the report said that she was attacked here by a woman."


    "Now, if you don''t mind, I''d like to see the recording to gather evidence," Desmond Johnson said.


    The manager checked the attorney''s id for a few seconds and nodded without hesitation.


    "Please follow me to the security office," the manager said.


    Diamond and Desmond followed the manager to the security control office. The manager talked with the head of security of the building, and the head of security agreed to show the CCTV recording from two days ago.


    The head security clicked on a few things and showed the CCTV to them.


    "Here''s what you want," the head of security said.


    Diamond took a closer look at the screen. She saw an empty aisle for a few seconds until a woman walked in with four children¡ª all boys tailing from behind.


    She seemed to be ignoring all her children. She focused on picking a few items, even though the kids were running around the aisle and knocking on a few things.


    The scene continued until another woman pushed the shopping cart, which Diamond quickly recognized as her homegirl. Chloe stopped in the aisle, watching the woman and the four boys for a while for an unknown reason.


    She was about to walk away, but the boys noticed her and ran towards her. They hogged Chloe''s legs as if they were familiar with each other.


    The mother of those four boys quickly noticed Chloe, and an argument ensued between them.


    The mother of the four boys suddenly attacked Chloe first, and a fight broke out.


    Chloe was trying to defend herself, but all she did was yank the hair of the woman. In contrast, the woman mercilessly tried to scratch Chloe''s face a few times until one of her attacks seeded.


    People were already gathering around, and the security guards finally separated them.


    The four boys hid behind Chloe''s legs, and it took a while until they returned to their mom. After that, Chloe was left with scratch wounds on her face.


    And the recording stopped.

 255 Chapter 255

    Diamond was astonished by the recording. She thought the attacker was a random crazy woman who would attack anyone for no apparent reason.


    But it was a mother of four, and the children seemed overly familiar with Chloe.


    In fact, just by looking at the recording, Diamond could say that the boys seemed to favor Chloe much more than their real Mom.


    ''With that kind of familiarity, this woman who attacked her must be her family. But what kind? Cousin? Sister? Or just a close friend?'' Diamond wondered.


    But before she could think more about the problem, the head of security asked, "Do you need something else?"


    Desmond nudged Diamond''s heel with his shoe, signaling Diamond to stand straight again.


    Diamond resumed her nonchnt expression and replied, "That is all. Can you send this CCTV recording to me?"


    The head security nced at the manager, and the manager nced at Desmond, the attorney who seemed to be holding a high rank.


    Thus, the manager nodded.


    "Alright, I will put this in a sh disk," the head of security took out a new sh disk, copied that recording inside, and then handed it to Diamond.


    Diamond gave Desmond a side nce, hunting they had gotten everything they needed.


    Thus, Desmond cleared his throat and said, "Thank you for your cooperation. Don''t worry about the store, we will try not to give you too much trouble."


    Diamond and Desmond left the grocery store and went into Diamond''s car.


    They took deep, relieved breaths together as they had finished their pretense.


    Desmond looked at his little sister and asked, "What the hell was that? Why do you need that kind of recording? I thought your boss was a single fuckboy who barely managed to maintain a rtionship for a week."


    "But now he is already married apparently?" Desmond asked.


    Diamond often told stories of what was happening with her job to her brothers, and she oftenined about how much of a fuckboy Vernon Phoenix Gray was.


    So this was a surprise for Desmond, who suddenly got a call from his little sister, asking for help to pretend that he was the attorney handling this case.


    "Well, this case is about Chloe. She got attacked in the grocery store, and I''m trying to find the culprit," Diamond told her Big brother.


    "Chloe¡ª oh, you mean the beautiful woman you had a selfie with?" Desmond said.


    "Yeah, she''s my best friend. That''s why I''m willing to help my boss to find the culprit," Diamond confirmed.


    "I see¡­" Desmond nodded as he suddenly took this seriously. "If Chloe wants the help of an attorney, you can always contact me. I will handle her personally."


    Diamond shuddered as she quickly realized the true intention of her Big brother;


    "Ain''t no way I''m gonna give her to you!"


    "Hahah! Fine, fine, but don''t forget to contact me if she happens to be interested in an attorney. I can give her a good life with my current sry too. I saw the selfie you took with her, and I think I fell in love."


    Diamond rolled her eyes. She couldn''t believe that all her brothers were in love with Chloe with a single look at her selfie.<sub> </sub>


    But then again, Diamond also loved Chloe, but in a sisterly way.


    ''So, let''s just say she is my whole family type,'' Diamond thought. If one of her brothers married Chloe, then Chloe would be everyone''s dearest. Her parents seemed to be fond of her simply from Diamond''s story.


    ''Maybe I should bring homegirl to the next thanksgiving, or christmas, bet everyone will love her,'' Diamond thought.


    "Well, I''m off to work now. Bye, Diamond."


    "Bye, Desmond. Thanks for the help."


    Desmond exited the car and returned to his car.


    Diamond started typing a note on her phone again, this time for a new problem;


    1. A Homegirl got attacked in the grocery store.


    2. The attacker was a mother of four that might be close to her. Presumably a very close friend, cousin, or sister.


    3. Chloe doesn''t attack back. She is just defending herself and refuses to tell the attacker''s identity. So¡­


    "It''s probably her sister," Diamond theorized. "Chloe never told me about her family, though. She only talked about how much Vincent''s family despised her because she didn''te from a rich background.


    But she said nothing about her own family, ''The only thing she told me about her family was how much she appreciated her mother for raising her as a single mother. Heck, I don''t even know the name of anyone in her family.''


    Diamond felt depressed as she realized that her feeling of closeness might not be well reciprocated with Chloe.


    Diamond told Chloe everything about herself, but Chloe hid everything from her.


    The realization disappointed her. She wouldn''t lie.


    She told Chloe everything about her family, even many of her secrets because she knew that Chloe would never tell anyone.


    But she also expected Chloe to open up and share many of her secrets.


    "I know that she has a lot of trauma, and it''s difficult for her to open up. But I can''t help feeling disheartened¡­." Diamond murmured. "Am I just being too excited over being her best friend? Maybe she doesn''t think of me the same way?"


    There was a lot of disappointment stacked up in her heart right now. She had never tried this hard just to help someone who might or might not feel the same for her.


    But she still wanted to help her homegirl to find justice nheless.


    "At least she should know how serious I am to help her. Maybe she will eventually open up about everything in the end."


    Diamond returned to the case that she was handling right now.


    She had a strong guess the attacker was Chloe''s sister, or at least her close cousin if she had one.


    "If that''s the case, then it made sense how she tried to hide the identity of the attacker. She must''ve thought about covering up for her sister, especially looking at how close she is with her nephews."

 256 Chapter 256

    "If that''s the case, then it made sense how she tried to hide the identity of the attacker. She must''ve thought about covering up for her sister, especially looking at how close she is with her nephews."


    Diamond remembered how the four boys hugged her tightly like a bunch of kos hugging their mother. They hid behind Chloe instead of returning to their real mother after the fight.


    Diamond knew well that Chloe had such a strong sense of motherhood, which could be why she was trying to hide this.


    "Maybe she''s not close with her sister, but if something happened to that woman, her sons'' life would be in danger," Diamond theorized again.


    This time, she was sure that her theory was correct, which only left a dilemma in her head.


    "Should I tell Mr Phoenix Gray about this?" Diamond asked herself. She was afraid that her boss would take drastic measures. As he said, he wanted to make the attacker''s life a living hell.


    "After all, I know how ruthless and mean he could be. He is already a treacherous bastard who wants to take down his own family. Why would he care about someone else''s family?"


    Diamond hesitated. If she was in Chloe''s shoes, she would probably try to hide everything as well, not because she still had a good feeling toward her sister who attacked her but to her nephews whose life would be in peril if something happened to their mom.


    But what would happen with her report if she never told her boss about the truth? Should she say a random name just to help her home girl?


    No, that was a total jackass move.


    "Ah, I don''t know what to do!" Diamond groaned out of mental pain. She had never had this much dilemma in her own life.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray will check on my report after lunch, that means I don''t have much time to reconsider..."


    Diamond bit her lower lip. She checked her watch and realized she only had two hours before lunch started and would be obligated to return to the office.


    Diamond considered that she should just drop the whole thing and pretend to be sick for work, so her boss wouldn''t ask her, and hopefully, he would forget about the whole thing.


    But then, she remembered how her boss remembered everything about Chloe literally.


    ? Diamond was stuck in her dilemma for a while until her phone rang.


    She checked the caller, afraid that it might be her boss calling.


    But her eyes sparked with hope instantly when she saw the name. She quickly picked up the call;


    ¡ª


    "Homegirl!"


    "Ah¡ª you surprised me, Diamond," Chloe''s gentle voice was heard from across the phone. "Um, where are you? I''m in the office and nobody is here. Are you alright?"


    "Gurl¡ª" Diamond paused for a few seconds, and a sh of an idea came to her mind. "Stay in the office, gurl. I''m on my way right now."


    "Okay¡­"


    Beep


    ¡ª


    Diamond drove to her office and up the elevator to the top floor.


    Since she couldn''t decide what to do and the dilemma started eating her up, she would ask her homegirl instead.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, not in a direct way, as Chloe would probably get defensive after.


    But Chloe''s answer should be detrimental, as she was the one who experienced it.


    Ding!


    The elevator stopped at the top floor, and the door slid open.


    Diamond saw Chloe sitting on the sofa with a lunch bag. She was still wearing a mask as the wound must''ve been visible to the naked eyes.


    Chloe turned her head towards the elevator and smiled behind the mask, "Good morning, Diamond. Sorry for calling you out of the blue, I''m just worried that you might catch a cold or something, the weather is quite chilly these days¡ª"


    "GURL!"


    Diamond suddenly rushed to her homegirl and threw her weight on her.


    Diamond hugged Chloe so tightly that their boobs started pressing on each other.


    Chloe was shocked and also embarrassed at the same time. Because she felt a little ticklish as she had never been so close to a woman.


    "D¡ªDiamond, what''s wrong?" Chloe asked. She noticed the troubled look that Diamond showed in her eyes. "Did something happen to you today? Can I help?"


    "Gurl¡ª" Diamond kept hugging Chloe, refusing to separate herself as she wanted to give her homegirl a big hug.


    Because the more she investigated Chloe and her life, the more Diamond wanted to protect her.


    ''Ah, homegirl, I don''t even know how you could stay sane after so long. If I was in your position, I''d probably kill that bastard Vincent and end up in jail.''


    Diamond took a deep breath and asked, "Gurl, you''ve never told me about your family."


    "Ah, I thought I told you a lot about my life, Vincent''s family was¡ª"


    "No, not that scum''s family. I mean YOUR family. The family you were born to," Diamond said. "You''ve never told me a thing about your side except that you appreciate your mother a lot."


    Chloe went silent instantly. She never told Diamond about her side of the family because it was a total mess right now.


    Well, it was always a total mess ever since she married Vincent, as her mother¡ª Judith,pletely sided with Vincent and saw him as the perfect man.


    So Chloe was never heard, all the desperate-for-help signs she showed towards her mother and sister were ignored, and she realized that she was nothing but a cash cow since her family would get money from Vincent every month. They all would suck up to him.


    She was ashamed to admit it herself, let alone tell it to anyone, even Diamond.


    "Um, they¡ª they are good to me¡­." Chloe said with hesitation.


    "Gurl¡­ why don''t you tell me the truth?"


    "Eh? I¡ªI''m telling you the truth¡­."


    Diamond closed her eyes and rested her head on Chloe''s shoulder, "Gurl, you won''t be here if that is the truth. You came to Mr. Phoenix Gray because you''re desperate for a ce to stay and a job. Where is your good family when you need them the most?"

 257 Chapter 257

    "Gurl, you won''t be here if that is the truth. You came to Mr. Phoenix Gray because you''re desperate for a ce to stay and a job. Where is your good family when you need them the most?" Diamond asked, and Chloe went silent instantly.


    The question was a bullseye that stabbed Chloe in her heart.


    Where was her family when she needed them the most?


    Well, they didn''t know about the truth, or to be more precise¡ª they refused to listen to the truth.


    Vincent fed them with money every month, making them unable to think straight, and he would always take his side no matter what.


    So, even though Chloe tries to tell them the truth, they would deny it and use Chloe of being an ungrateful whore.


    Because to Judith and Chelsea, Chloe was just a bridge connecting them to the real treasure, Vincent Gray.


    Chloe''s heart was aching right now.


    ''The truth is, I know that I have no worth to my own family, to my mother who raised me. My worth is the man whom I marry,'' Chloe thought. ''Even my mom keeps telling me that I should be more obedient and try to be a good wife for that bastard Vincent.''


    ''But is it wrong for me to keep clinging to my desperation?'' Chloe asked herself. ''I just want to feel loved. How am I supposed to live with the realization that even my mother doesn''t love me anymore¡­.''


    Diamond sensed that Chloe''s body started shaking for an unknown reason. She got worried, so she patted Chloe''s back and asked, "Gurl, what''s wrong?"


    "N-nothing¡­" Chloe replied, but her voice was shaky, and she was obviously on the verge of crying.


    Diamond separated herself from Chloe to check on her expression. Her eyes widened when she saw tears falling from the edge of Chloe''s eyes.


    She quickly wiped the tears and forced a smile, "Sorry, I got a little emotional there¡­."


    "Chloe¡­" Diamond was concerned. She wanted to inquire more about Chloe and her family, but it seemed that it was something very sensitive to her.


    ''Yet, even without saying a word, I already have a clear picture of your rtionship with your family, Homegirl¡­'' Diamond said in her heart.


    If her guess was correct, Chloe still wanted to make amends and try to get close to her family. But they probably had a falling out caused by none other than that bastard Vincent.


    ''But if your family truly loves you, why wouldn''t they ept you in their home? You were literally homeless with your little daughter, even if you had an argument with them, shouldn''t they at least let you stay for a while until you get back on your feet?''


    Diamond could only say those in her heart because if she attacked Chloe with even more facts than what she could handle, her homegirl would probably have a mental breakdown right now.


    Chloe noticed the look of pitying from Diamond, and she tried to shift the topic again.


    She wasn''t ready to tell Diamond how much of a loser she was because she couldn''t maintain her marriage, nor could she maintain her family.


    Just like what Vincent told her back then;


    -<sub> </sub>


    ''Chloe, you think you can run away from your family? I shoved your stupid mother with so much money. If I stopped sending her money, would she me me, or you instead?''


    -


    ''He forced me to be a housewife and locked me in, so I can''t work anywhere, but he also demeaned me for being a simple housewife because I don''t earn money,'' Chloe thought. ''Ah, being vulnerable makes me feel so shit¡­.''


    "A¡ªAnyway, Diamond, where were you? It''s so rare for you to bete today," Chloe asked as she shifted the topic.


    Diamond sighed and yed along, "I was busy doing Mr. Phoenix Gray''s errand, as always."


    "I see," Chloe nodded. She was thinking for a few seconds, and a sh of an idea popped into her head. She asked, "Diamond, what do you think would be a suitable job for me?"


    "A suitable job?" Diamond frowned as she found that question so out of the blue.


    "Yes, I mean¡ª what kind of regr job would fit me, based on your observation?"


    "Hm¡­" Diamond thought of a few jobs in her head for a few seconds. If she could be honest, Chloe was perfect as a housewife.


    She was tailored to be one and did a great job as one.


    Her daughter was real proof of how much of a great mother Chloe was because that little girl could grow up normal and happy despite having a total asshat of a father.


    She was also a good wife. Just look at how she had subtly taken control over Vernon. So, even though they weren''t married yet, Diamond could already see that Vernon saw Chloe more like a wife than a sister-inw.


    But that didn''t seem to be the answer that Chloe wanted. Her doe eyes were glimmering with hope and determination, and Diamond felt butterflies in her stomach.


    ''Damn, I''m not even into girls, but Chloe could be an exception,'' Diamond thought.


    Diamond took a deep breath to calm herself and replied, "Well, I think you can be a cook¡ª maybe even a chef."


    "A chef?" Chloe was stunned by the answer.


    Never had she ever thought of herself as a good cook. She was just a woman who cooked for her family, and that was all.


    "Um, I don''t think I''m close to that level, Diamond," Chloe said. "I''m just cooking regr stuff for my family."


    "It''s not regr stuff, gurl," Diamond clicked her tongue as she was quite irritated by how much Chloe looked down on herself.


    "Do you know how much of a picky eater my boss is?" Diamond started recounting her daily headaches before Chloe came into Vernon''s life.


    Now Diamond was in the mood toin;


    "That bastard, he is such a picky eater that he ordered me to drive for hours just to pick his lunch every. single. day!"

 258 Chapter 258

    "That bastard, he is such a picky eater that he ordered me to drive for hours just to pick his lunch every. single. day!" Diamond rolled her eyes to show the amount of bullshit she had to take every day to ensure her boss would stop being a big baby.


    "Eh, really?" Chloe was even more surprised. "I know he is a picky eater. But is he really that picky? He never denies any food that I serve...."


    "Well, duh!" Diamond retorted. She almost slipped her words and said Vernon was in love with her homegirl. That was the reason why he always ate everything Chloe served.


    "I mean-- he always makes such a big fuss every lunch whenever I don''t serve him the food from a specific chef and specific restaurant. He can even taste the base seasoning and ingredients, so if something felt off in his tongue, he would spit it out and would be in a terrible mood for a whole day!" Diamondined without hesitation, just to let out some of her frustration working with that big manchild.


    "He would even make his way to basically tell me that he had a terrible lunch. Can you believe that?!"


    "Ah, that''s--" Chloe remembered that time when Vernon was still a kid. He would sulk, kick some stuff, or even throw something just to make noise because he wanted to make a statement.


    Usually, that statement involved Chloe. Either Chloe simply had no time to cook for little Vernon, or she was too busy studying, so she couldn''t visit the mansion.


    Then the young master would give headaches to all maids and butlers in the mansion.


    ''I didn''t expect him to keep that habit to his adult life,'' Chloe thought.


    Diamond judged Chloe''s expression and asked, "Gurl, don''t tell me that he never showed that kind of habit in front of you?"


    "He did-- when he was seven to ten years old," Chloe replied. "But he never showed me that kind of habit now, at least as much as I remember."


    "Oh, for fuck sake!" Diamond cursed as she felt emotional pain right now.


    So it was true, that big manchild tried to act like an adult in front of Chloe, but showed his true self to anyone other than Chloe.


    That was so fucking UNFAIR!


    Diamond wanted to punch her boss'' face if she could. Unfortunately, she was still employed by him, so she could only punch that bastard in the face in her imagination.


    DING!


    The elevator door slid open right before Chloe and Diamond could chat more.


    The situation became a little tense when Vernon walked out of the elevator. He seemed to be in a terrible mood; his aura was gloomy, and the dark bags under his hawk-like eyes showed everything.


    Chloe realized that Vernoncked sleep because he had a wonderful night with a woman. She got a little concerned and said, "Vernon, you look tired. Why don''t you sleep more--"


    Vernon red at Chloe, waiting for her to finish her sentence. But Chloe quickly deted as she got red at.


    She remembered Vernon disliked her peskiness, so she zipped her lips and lowered her head.


    Diamond was also ufortable with the tense atmosphere, so she kept silent until Vernon walked past them.


    "Diamond,e to my office. I want to hear the report," Vernon said.<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, Boss."


    With that, Vernon entered his office and closed the door.


    They were silent for a while until Chloe held Diamond''s hand and encouraged her, "You can do it, Diamond. Vernon is justcking sleep. Just make sure that you won''t suddenly make him explode."


    "Ahaha... thanks for the encouragement, gurl...." Diamond let out a dryugh because she knew that her report would probably enrage him even more.


    "Alright then, I''m off to the battlefield," Diamond said as she braced herself to face the devil.


    **


    Vernon sat in his executive seat in a daze. He rubbed his eyes a few times to ward off the drowsiness.


    "Fuck, do I need to drink even more coffee? But I already had one before going to work," Vernon murmured.


    Truth be told, he felt so exhausted after what happenedst night.


    True, all he did was sleep, but that dream drained him physically and mentally, making him feel weak for the whole day.


    He only had a few hours before he was forced to wake up as he knew he had a meeting at noon.


    "Did I scare her?" Vernon asked himself. He knew that his eyes were really intimidating to everyone. When in a bad mood, he would re at anyone in default without malicious intention.


    So when he saw that Chloe looked scared and stopped speaking after one re, Vernon felt inexplicably guilty.


    ''I should''ve treated her more gently, even if I''m in a bad mood,'' Vernon thought. ''After all, I don''t want to be the source of her trauma.''


    ''Should I apologizeter then? Or maybe I should buy her something aspensation?'' Vernon pondered. ''I''ve never seen her with an expensive dress or at least a bag-- should I buy her a bag then? Hermes? It''s always the safest choice.''


    His mind wandered off for a while until he heard a knock on the door, and Diamond opened the door without waiting for his answer.


    Vernon red angrily towards Diamond, "Did I allow you to enter? Who are you entering my office without permission just now?"


    ''Oh, here we go, another pissy day for my boss,'' Diamond was trying hard not to roll her eyes out of annoyance.


    She kept her professionality and approached the desk.


    Vernon clicked his tongue and raised his voice, "Who do you think you are?! You''re my secretary, so you better apologize!"


    "Sir, I have collected all the data about the one who attacked Chloe. I also have concrete evidence in the form of CCTV footage of the attack," Diamond reported.


    Vernon quickly forgot that he had been mad at Diamond a second ago. He leaned in with full interest and asked, "Okay, so who is the bitch that attacked my Chloe?"

 259 Chapter 259

    "Sir, I have collected all the data about the one who attacked Chloe. I also have concrete evidence in the form of CCTV footage of the attack," Diamond reported.


    "Okay, so who is the bitch that attacked my Chloe?"


    ¡­


    "My Chloe?" Diamond raised one brow as she found that statement to be quite amusing.


    Vernon was surprised by his own statement. He was so excited to know the bitch who hurt Chloe that he identally slipped in his word.


    "I mixed up words," Vernon tried to dodge. "I was about to call her Chloe and My sister-inw. But I mixed both and called her My Chloe¡ª"


    "Ehh~ Sure, I guess," Diamond said, but with a teasing grin on her face. She giggled happily when she saw her boss panicking.


    Vernon''s cheeks were slowly painted in red hue as he got embarrassed. He cleared his throat and tried to shift back to the main topic, "I¡ªI''m not paying you to speak about unnecessary stuff, Diamond. Just tell me, who is the culprit behind the attack? I want to ruin that bitch''s life just like how she ruined my¡ª I mean, Chloe''s cheek."


    The light atmosphere disappeared instantly when her boss asked about the attacker''s identity.


    She could and should tell him the truth.


    That the attacker was definitely Chloe''s close family member and based on Chloe''s reaction, she still wanted to protect her family.


    ''I mean, that woman has four young children. Of course, it would deter Chloe from reporting the attack,'' Diamond thought.


    "Diamond? Why are you pursing your lips now? Tell me who the attacker is," Vernon demanded.


    Diamond was considering the options. She couldn''t lie, of course. Because the moment she showed the CCTV footage, her boss would automatically know that the attacker was someone close to Chloe.


    <o>,m So she had to tread this case very carefully, with the four children held at the utmost importance, because Diamond knew that would be Chloe''s priority too.</o>


    Diamond knew how ruthless Vernon could be, so she asked first as a precaution;


    "Sir, may I know what will you truly do once you know about the identity of the attacker?"


    Vernon frowned in displeasure. He didn''t understand why Diamond seemed to hesitate to name the culprit.


    But if he could stay true to himself, then he would¡­


    "I haven''t thought about it. But if she''s a working woman, I will make sure she gets fired, and has her savings drained until she is left homeless."


    "Once she bes homeless, I will send someone to attack her and ruin her face, ten times worse than what she did to Chloe," Vernon answered without hesitation. "Does that answer your question? Now, name the attacker, so I can execute her quickly."


    Diamond sighed and shook her head, "I''m afraid I cannot give her name if you want to make her homeless, Sir."


    "Why not? You''ve never bat an eye whenever I was doing this thing to my business rival! Why are you being so soft right now?!" Vernon raised his voice, thinking it would be enough to make Diamond submit.


    But Diamond stayed firm on her ground and replied, "Because the woman who attacked Chloe is a mother of four. Yes, she has four young kids, so if you make her homeless, then those kids will¡ª"


    "¡ªDo I look like I''d give a shit about a random kid''s life?" Vernon interrupted and stated ruthlessly.<sub> </sub>


    Diamond wasn''t all that surprised by it, though. Her boss had so many business rivals that he wanted to take him down, and he dealt with them. Those rivals would sell their children and say they had kids to feed, so Vernon shouldn''t make them go bankrupt.


    But Diamond knew his weakness once she dropped this news.


    "Sir, I bet you will care once I told you the attacker''s family member."


    "Wait¡ª" Vernon had a hunch that he wouldn''t like the next sentence uttered by Diamond. "¡ªDon''t tell me¡ª"


    Diamond nodded solemnly, "Sir, do you know if Chloe has a sister?"


    Vernon was caught off guard by that question.


    Because he inquired about Big sis Chloe''s family long ago, when he was only fourteen years old. From his information, he knew that Chloe was raised by a conservative single mother who had a big sister who was only one year older than her.


    They seemed to have a good rtionship, but that was ten years ago.


    Vernon was never interested in inquiring about Big sis Chloe''s side of the family because he thought they were a close-knit simple family, unlike the Gray family, who was veryplicated and had a lot of issues.


    "So, you''re saying that the attacker is¡­ her own sister?"


    "Yes, Sir. That is the only usible exnation," Diamond said.


    She took out the sh disk from her purse and booted theputer in Vernon''s office.


    She stuck the sh disk and opened footage she got from the head of security in that grocery store.


    "You can watch it by yourself, Sir. The attacker is a woman with four children," Diamond said.


    Vernon put all his attention to the screen and watched the CCTV footage.


    He noticed the four little boys who suddenly rushed to Chloe, who was all alone, and they were hugging her legs and waist affectionately.


    Obviously, the kids were familiar with Chloe, but their mother stormed in and started yelling at Chloe.


    There was no voice in the footage, but Vernon could already see the hostility from the gesture.


    The argument continued and ended with the mother of four pushing Chloe to the rack behind her and starting to attack.


    Vernon clenched his fist when he saw Chloe struggle to defend herself. Chloe yanked the attacker''s hair to stop the attack, making the woman even more furious.


    "Stop the video," Vernon gave out a sudden order, and Diamond stopped the video.


    She looked at her boss and asked, "Sir, are you sure you don''t want to watch more?"


    "Watch more? Just watching this movie already makes my blood boil! FUCKING HELL!"

 260 Chapter 260

    "Sir, are you sure you don''t want to watch more?"


    "Watch more? Just watching this movie already makes my blood boil! FUCKING HELL!"


    BAM!


    CRACK!


    Vernon unleashed a part of his rage by punching the desk in front of him.


    The punch was so strong that it left a long crack on the desk, making Diamond''s heart jump out of fright.


    Not because of his rage and strength. She already knew that her boss had great physical strength and a habit of punching and destroying things when he was mad at something or someone.


    She was frightened because of the ruined desk;


    ''Shit, that desk is made of ziricote wood, and I will need to import it from Mexico. It needs at least a month of work too.''


    Diamond was distracted for a few seconds as shemented her fate. But her boss'' thundering voice soon brought her back to reality;


    "THAT BITCH--!"


    "Ssh!" Diamond interrupted and signaled her boss to lower his voice because his loud voice could be heard by Chloe outside.


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He wanted to choke that bitch to death because she dared to continue her attack towards Chloe, even though Chloe wasn''t even fighting back.


    He punched the desk again and made an even bigger crack on the surface, which scared Diamond even more.


    "As you can see, Sir. The attacker had four sons, and they are all so close to Chloe, even closer to her than their own mother. So I guessed that she--"


    "--She is her sister," Vernon confirmed. "I haven''t checked on her side of the family, because I always thought that she is part of the Gray family. But it''s obvious from the four boys'' affection and familiarity, they must be her nephews."


    "So, after you know all this, do you still want to ruin the culprit''s life?" Diamond asked. "I mean, I get why Chloe is trying to protect the identity of her attacker, because she doesn''t want you to do anything to her sister."


    "Ugh, if you want my real answer, I still want to get my revenge on that bitch, seriously," Vernon replied. "But--"


    ''But you don''t want to hurt the woman you love, right? That''s why you''re hesitating right now,'' Diamondpleted the sentence in her heart because she knew that her boss would never admit it.


    "My job here is done, Sir. I will give you time to think, then I will help you to do your next bidding," Diamond said politely. "I implore you to think before doing, Sir. Because I will never do something that will make her my best friend."


    Diamond left Vernon alone, contemting what he should do next.


    Vernon continued staring at theputer screen. He clenched his fist to endure the urge to beat someone right now and then resumed the footage.


    After the security guards separated Chloe and that woman, the four boys rushed to hide behind Chloe''s back. They looked really scared at their mother, which was unnatural behavior.


    Then Chloe tried to persuade the kids to return to their mother before she left, and the footage ended.


    Theputer screen faded to ck, and Vernon could see his own reflection on the screen.


    He was ring at the screen, his carefullybed hair was messy for an unknown reason, and the veins around his forehead were visible.


    He was holding a lot of anger right now. Even he was surprised at how well he had on not punching theputer screen.<sub> </sub>


    "Fuuuuck..." Vernon groaned as he held himself, not screaming as he didn''t want to scare Chloe outside.


    "What should I do now?" Vernon asked himself. "Well-- obviously, I won''t let this slide. Even if that woman is Chloe''s sister, I still won''t let her off without retaliation."


    Honestly, he also didn''t give a shit about Chloe''s nephews. But he knew how much Chloe loved nurturing and guarding kids. She had a strong sense of motherhood.


    So if he did something to her nephews, and she happened to find out, then it would only make him even more unfavorable in her eyes.


    No, she would definitely hate him for that.


    "But, I need to do something or I will be haunted by guilt," Vernon said to himself.


    What kind of guilt?


    Of course, the guilt of being unable to protect his beloved--


    Vernon shook his head immediately, "No, she''s not my beloved. I mean, she is under my protection right now. Of course I won''t let someone hurt her."


    Vernon wanted to teach anyone who dared to hurt Chloe that she had him behind her.


    "Then, what should I do?"


    Vernon tapped his shoes as he got impatient with his own dilemma.


    He then remembered the long scar on Chloe''s cheek that would take months until it would return to normal.


    "I want that bitch to experience an even worse scar on her face, at least...."


    As he murmured that sentence, an idea popped into his head, and he finally found a good way to avenge without hurting the kids.


    "Oh, that''s right! I can just send someone to attack her while she is out doing something. I want her to have a scar that can''t be healed! So she will have that as a reminder for the rest of her life!" Vernon said ruthlessly. Though, this was already the softest he could be.


    He used to be even more unforgiving to the business rivals that tried to ruin his life.


    "But I also want to know about her side of the family. That part really slipped in my mind."


    Thus, after finding the ruthless solution to avenge his Big sis Chloe, Vernon sent a text to Diamond about it;


    -


    To: Diamond Johnson


    I''ve found the solution. Don''t worry. I won''t hurt the kids.


    But I will make sure she will be scarred for life.


    And also,


    I want you to start investigating her family. Just ask around, don''t let them know that they''re being watched, understand?


    -

 261 Chapter 261

    Diamond went out of Vernon''s office and closed the door behind her while keeping eye contact with her home girl, who stood near the secretary''s desk with a worried face.


    "Diamond, are you alright?" Chloe asked out of concern. "I heard a loud bang inside, and also Vernon yelling something."


    "I''m alright, Gurl. Mr. Phoenix Gray is just mad at someone on the phone. You know¡ª business stuff, it''s not important," Diamond replied with a lie.


    Chloe let out a relieved breath, "Thank god. I was scared that he might hurt you or something."


    Diamond chuckled, "And would you do something if I got yelled at?"


    "I¡ªI mean, I will try to speak to him at home. Telling him not to abuse his power, because he is lucky to have a secretary like you!"


    "A, gurl, no need to sacrifice yourself for me," Diamond said with a sincere smile.


    "W¡ªWhy not? You''re¡­ um¡­." Chloe lowered her head ashamedly. She didn''t know if she had the right to say this because she had never done anything worthy for Diamond.


    But she wanted Diamond to know that¡ª


    "Y¡ªYou''re my friend, Diamond," Chloe imed. "So, I won''t let you get hurt¡­."


    Diamond felt warmth all over her body. She knew that Chloe was sincere with her words.


    But that also saddened her because she realized Chloe had the courage to protect people she loved but didn''t dare stand up for herself.


    ''Now I feel guilty for doubting her. She saw me as her friend, but it took some time for her to open up,'' Diamond thought. ''Be patient, Diamond. Chloe was an abuse victim. If that scum Vernon can be so patient dealing with Chloe and all her problems, you can definitely do better than him.


    Diamond opened her arms in response, "Another hug?"


    Chloe nodded and hugged Diamond without hesitation. Diamond gently patted her homegirl''s back, "Gurl, you don''t need to do anything. Just make sure to protect yourself, okay?"


    Chloe knew that Diamond must''ve been talking about the attack that she got, and she was embarrassed to think about it.


    To show that kind of scar¡­ if Chloe was still living with Vincent, that scum would''ve pped her for showing it to someone else.


    She nodded reluctantly, "I¡ªI will try."


    While they were still in a tight hug, Diamond heard a notification from the phone. She separated herself from Chloe and checked the text.


    -


    From: Mr Phoenix Gray


    I''ve found the solution. Don''t worry. I won''t hurt the kids.


    But I will make sure she will be scarred for life.


    And also,


    I want you to start investigating her family. Just ask around, don''t let them know that they''re being watched, understand?


    -


    Diamond''s heartbeat skipped for a second. She lifted her gaze and looked at Chloe instinctively.<sub> </sub>


    <o>,m Chloe smiled at her in response and asked out of curiosity, "What''s wrong, Diamond? It looks like you just saw a ghost or something."</o>


    "Ah¡ª it''s nothing, Gurl. I was just shocked by the new work that I have to do," Diamond replied hurriedly.


    "New work? From Vernon?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, I''ll be busy after lunch. Why don''t you serve his lunch first and then we can go to a nearby restaurant to grab ours?" Diamond suggested.


    "Oh, yes, I need to serve this food or Vernon will startining."


    Chloe turned around and grabbed the lunch bag she had prepared for Vernon.


    Diamond stared at her homegirl''s back and bowed slightly out of respect and guilt.


    Because she would be spying on her homegirl''s family without her consent, and her boss¡ª Vernon, said he found a solution that wouldn''t hurt the kids.


    But Diamond knew her boss wasn''t an angel that would punish Chloe''s attacker fairly.


    Vernon would definitely hurt her somehow, just to make sure it would scar her for life.


    ''I''m sorry, gurl. But this time, I also want that bitch to get a consequence of her action. I''m not as kind and forgiving as you,'' Diamond said in her heart.


    ''So I will let the devil do cruel justice. I have to trust him that he will not hurt the kids, surely he''s smart enough to think of a way, right?''


    **


    Diamond helped Chloe by opening the door, so she could deliver a tray full of food for Vernon.


    When Chloe came in, she saw Vernon was so engrossed texting someone on his phone that he didn''t notice Chloeing in. He had a thin smile while texting. Chloe got the image that Vernon was a teenage boy texting his crush.


    ''Ah, is this the woman fromst night? She has a sharp tongue, but if she is his type, I guess I have to support him in any way!'' Chloe thought. ''Though, I shouldn''t pester him too much, I don''t want to be called weird for being overly nosey.''


    Chloe was happy that Vernon finally found someone that could rece the woman in his heart.


    After all, it wasn''t good to dawdle in the past for too long. Maybe that woman had moved on by now.


    Chloe hadn''t been able to watch over Vernon as he grew up in high school, which was always her worry.


    She was always thinking about little Vernon during the first few years of her marriage, even when she was pregnant with Mackie. She wondered if little Vernon still remembered that he had a family here, in New York.


    So this would be the best time to support Vernon in all of his chase because Chloe really wanted Vernon to settle down and have a happy family.


    Chloe put up a light smile and put the food on the long table.


    "Vernon, it''s time for lunch."


    Vernon finally stopped texting and put his phone down once he heard the gentle voice reminding him to eat.


    He looked straight and saw Big sis Chloe smiling at him, she had prepared everything, and Vernon''s eyes lit up as he stared at the food on the table.


    "About time! I''m starving already!"

 262 Chapter 262

    Vernon looked straight and saw Big sis Chloe smiling at him, she had prepared everything, and Vernon''s eyes lit up as he stared at the food on the table.


    "About time! I''m starving already!"


    Vernon got up from his executive chair and walked to the sofa.


    He sat on the sofa and drank his first banana milk before lunch. Chloe watched how excited Vernon was just looking at his lunch, and there was a warmth in her heart.


    ''Truly, taking care of my family is my passion. I really want everyone that I treasure to have a good life,'' Chloe said in her heart. ''Is it wrong to be a regr housewife nowadays? I just have my family in mind, to be honest¡­.''


    Chloe sighed. She liked being a mom and a housewife. She dreamed of being a teacher once, but that was before she had Mackie.


    After she got married and had Mackie, she just wanted to raise her right. She would support her daughter, who said she wanted to be a policewoman.


    ''Well, I''d love to take care of more children, I guess. Mackie will grow up and leave the house once she gets older, which would make me feel lonely¡­.''


    Chloe sighed as she realized that she wouldn''t be able to have more babies. Vincent was an ass, and she refused to be pregnant with his baby, and she also had no n to remarry.


    Marriage was too traumatizing for her.


    ''Well, I guess I can take care of Vernon until he kicks me out once he marries a woman that he loves. I guess I should treasure these times with him too,'' Chloe thought.


    Vernon had just cleaned the te when he realized that Chloe stood silently while staring emptily at the wall.


    He stopped munching and carefully swallowed the food inside his mouth before checking on the empty te. He ate so fast, probably around five minutes, because he was starving, and the food was too good.


    So he forgot about Chloe, who hadn''t eaten anything for lunch.


    Chloe didn''t hear the sound of utensils hitting the te, so she looked down to check on Vernon, and the empty te genuinely surprised her;


    "Vernon, why are you eating so fast? That''s not good for your digestion, you know that, right?"


    "I¡ªI''m not a baby! I can handle this!" Vernon retorted as he felt his Big sis Chloe treat him like a kid.


    "But you still need to eat slowly¡­ what if you choke on the food?" Chloe sighed. She bent over to pick up the dirty te, but Vernon grabbed her arm to stop her from doing so because he wanted to ask her something.


    Chloe turned her head towards Vernon, "What?"


    "C¡ªCan you cook some more for me?" Vernon asked.


    "Eh? You want more? But I already cooked double portions for you, because you''re a big man. If you eat more than this, you might be putting up too much weight," Chloe said.


    "Oh, by the way¡ª" Chloe used her other hand to reach Vernon''s face and wiped a trace of mayo from the edge of his lips. "¡ªSee? This is why you shouldn''t be eating too quickly."


    Vernon''s cheeks reddened in an instant. His Big sis Chloe made it so casual for her to touch the edge of his lips with her finger.


    For her, that might be a small gesture that wouldn''t change a thing.


    But Vernon¡­ he could feel the trousers tightening around his crotch area.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon quickly released Chloe''s hand as he didn''t want her to notice his bulge.


    "Anyway, don''t forget to cook one more portion for tomorrow''s lunch. I''m not full with this portion," Vernon instructed.


    Chloe still didn''t understand why Vernon needed more than this, it was already a big portion for a big man, and she always watched the food that she cooked for Vernon because she wanted him to always be in top shape while he was working.


    "Are you sure you can eat it?" Chloe asked. ''I don''t like someone who wastes food¡­.''


    "I¡ªI will eat it! Why are you asking unnecessary questions anyway? Just do what I said!" Vernon insisted. Though, obviously, that extra portion wasn''t for him.


    "Alright, fine¡­" Chloe sighed. She cleaned the table and brought the empty te with her. She turned around, but before she walked out of the office, Vernon asked;


    "You¡ª did you uh¡­ have your lunch?"


    "I will go with Diamond for lunch in a nearby restaurant. Do you want me to buy something?" Chloe offered.


    Vernon shook his head in response as he was already so full.


    "N¡ªNo need, just make sure you eat a lot," Vernon said.


    Chloe pursed her lips. She actually disliked being told to eat a lot because she remembered how Vincent treated her when she was fat.


    Chloe nodded, but she knew she wouldn''t be able to do that. She would probably eat two or three spoonfuls of her lunch, but that should be enough for her, who could put on weight easily.


    After Chloe left the office, Vernon slumped on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with one hand gently rubbing his bulge. His erection got bigger under his trousers.


    "What? I am a man!" Vernon yelled into the air. "Which man wouldn''t get hard on when a woman like Chloe rubbed your lips with her smooth finger? My bulge is totally justified!"


    Vernon was about to go further and unzip his trousers when he heard a notification from his phone on the desk.


    He got up and checked the text.


    -


    From: [Private number]


    On it, Sir.


    -


    Vernon smirked as he read the simple text from an unknown number. He texted one of the private agents working with him for the past three years.


    Vernon told his private agent to help Diamond inquire about Chloe''s family. Then once he obtained the correct information, he wouldunch an attack towards that bitch who attacked Chloe.


    The image of that woman being scarred for life gave him such bliss that he started smirking out of sadistic pleasure.


    "I will teach her not to mess with my woman."

 263 Chapter 263

    ? Vernon had just finished the meeting atte noon. He lifted his sleeve to check the time and then texted Shailene for the second treatment.


    ¡ª


    To: Shailene Walsh


    Yo, are you free tonight? I want us to meet because I hadn''t told you anythingst night.


    I''ll pay, don''t worry.


    ¡ª


    He got a reply five minutester;


    ¡ª


    From: Shailene Walsh


    I just finished a session with my main client, that widow I talked aboutst night.


    You cane to my apartment anytime after dusk. I''ll be waiting.


    And I don''t need your money, for fuck sake!


    ¡ª


    Vernon sighed. Of course, he had to offer money. Because other than that, he had nothing in his arsenal topensate for all the hassle Shailene had to go through to help him.


    Vernon always thought that his worth was determined by the amount of money he could get. So when a woman said she didn''t need his money, he got visibly confused and flustered.


    ''Just like when I realize that Chloe doesn''t use my ck card to buy anything extravagant¡­'' Vernon thought. ''I thought all women love money, don''t they?''


    Vernon somewhat understood when Shailene said she didn''t need money. She was born into an elite family that ensured she would be wealthy until her death.


    But Chloe came from a middle-ss family¡ª almost lower ss. Now she got the chance to experience all the luxury stuff she wanted, but she didn''t seem interested in anything luxurious Vernon offered with that ck card in her hand.


    ''If this is because of a trauma and abuse, I wonder what kind of abuse Chloe got until she didn''t even want to use a lot of money for herself¡­.''


    ''Big brother, why are you doing this to her in the first ce? I really thought she would be happy with you¡­.''


    Ding!


    Vernon heard another notification on his phone. He thought it was Shailene, but Vernon got nervous as he read the sender''s name;


    ¡ª


    From: Chloe Gray


    Vernon, do you want something to eat for dinner?


    Mackie just got a high grade on her exam, so I''m nning to throw a little celebratory dinner at home.


    ¡ª


    Vernon gulped.


    Of course, he wanted to join Chloe and Mackie. He started thinking about all the food Chloe had made for her and wondered if he could eat his favorite banana cake too.


    But he had already promised Shailene, and he didn''t know if Shailene would be avable tomorrow.


    ''Focus on your priority, Vernon. This is for Big sis Chloe as well, so you will understand what she feels and what you can do to help her.''


    Thus, Vernon reluctantly replied;


    ¡ª<sub> </sub>


    To: Chloe Gray


    I have a meeting untilte at night, so I''ll eat outside.


    No need to wait for me.


    ¡ª


    Vernon pressed send and put his phone on silent mode because he didn''t want to read another text from Chloe.


    "Urgh, stay with your priority! Vernon, PRIORITY!" Vernon yelled as he tried to toughen his resolution.


    **


    Chloe read the text from Vernon and giggled, "He must be meeting that woman again. Gee, he looks like a teenage boy trying to impress his first love."


    Mackie sat on the chair while staring at her Mommy, who was giggling when checking the phone, "Mommy, did you see something funny?"


    "Ah¡ª no, dear. I was just happy for your Uncle Vernon," Chloe replied.


    "Happy?"


    "Yeah, he''s searching for an aunt!"


    "Aunt!" Mackie''s eyes widened in fear when she heard ''aunt''ing from her Mommy.


    She shook her head out of disbelief and said, "Mommy, don''t let Uncle get an aunt! Aunt is bad! They are bad!"


    Chloe rushed to her daughter and gave a warm hug tofort panicking Mackie.


    She forgot that Mackie had a deep trauma when she got kidnapped by one of her aunts from the Gray family. There were also many aunts with sharp tongues who mocked Chloe and her whenever they had a Gray family gathering.


    "Mommy, I will tell Uncle not to get an Aunt!" Mackie said determinedly.


    "W¡ªWell, you shouldn''t do that yourself. I will be the one who told him, okay?"


    "Why not? I will make sure Uncle listens to me!"


    "No-no," Chloe kept denying, afraid that Vernon might find Mackie annoying if she dared to pester about his love life. "Mommy is an adult, and this is adult talk. Your Uncle will listen to me more, so leave it to me, okay?"


    "Um¡­ okay then¡­." Mackie nodded weakly. She really disliked all her aunts because they were so mean to her and her Mommy.


    "But if Big Bad Uncle got an aunt, that means we have to return to Daddy! I don''t want to live with an aunt!"


    "O¡ªOkay, okay, now calm down, dear. It''s not good to get worked up over it."


    "Mommy, promise Mackie that we will return to Daddy if Uncle gets an aunt! You haven''t promised!"


    "Okay then, pinky promise, we will return to¡ª" Chloe paused for a second. It was so difficult for her to let these words out. But she had to because she needed to calm her daughter down. "¡ªyour Daddy if Uncle Vernon got an aunt, okay?"


    "Un¡­ thank you, Mommy¡­." Mackie buried her face in her Mommy''s chest, searching for safety that she could only get from her Mommy. "I don''t want you to get hurt. Aunties mocked you, but you don''t allow me to fight them¡­."


    Chloe stayed silent.


    She thought Mackie would forget about all the hurtful words those women had said to her since she was a toddler.


    But it seemed that bad memories made during childhood would always stay in your mind until you were an adult.


    ''Ah, I guess we will have to move out sooner orter. Mackie is scared of aunt, and Vernon must be disturbed by our presence in his house once he brought his girlfriend here.''


    ''I just hope that woman will be kind to us, so we can visit Vernon sometimes. Maybe for Christmas and thanksgiving.''

 264 Chapter 264

    Vernon drove to Shailene''s apartment. He knocked, and Shailene opened the door for him.


    She was wearing a casual loose shirt and tight jeans, very different from what he saw yesterday.


    "Huh, you''re far more casual today," Vernonmented without intention.


    But Shailene didn''t take this kindly, "Why not? You''re not so formal with your messy suit as well. You looked like a middle-aged sryman."


    Vernon''s brow twitched. He wanted to continue the banter by arguing with Shailene. But he really had no time for bickering. He wanted to get this over with, so he could get an answer on what he should do next to help Chloe.


    "Okay, okay, can we just skip to this bickering part and get straight to the therapy?"


    Shailene responded with a scoff. She turned around and told Vernon to follow her to the same private office she had.


    "Goy on that chaise longue," Shailene pointed at thezy chair while she walked to the desk to pick up a pen and a note.


    Vernon followed her instructions andy on the chaise longue while Shailene sat on a chair right beside it.


    She crossed her legs and cleared her throat;


    p "Now, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray, this will be our second therapy session. Though, this might as well be the first because you fell asleep and slept like a logst night," Shailene quipped. "Anyway, you''re free to start telling me about Chloe, but don''t fall asleep, you''ll dirty that chaise longue with your drool."</anda>


    "I''M NOT DROOLING!"


    "You''re snoring loudly and also drooling, admit it,"


    "Urgh!" Vernon constantly got annoyed and really wanted to argue again. But he didn''t want to waste more time, so he took a deep breath and started talking about Chloe.


    "Well, Chloe and I-- we''ve known each other for so long. She practically raised me when I was a kid because she has been in my life since I was seven-years-old," Vernon said reluctantly, feeling a little vulnerable as he had to tell secrets in his heart to someone else.


    "That long?" Shailene raised her brow while writing something in her note. "How did she meet you? Through family gatherings?"


    "No, she was--" Vernon paused for a while. He nced at Shailene, who was staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze as if she wanted to know everything in his mind, making him very ufortable.


    After all, he was not really the type to open up about his problem.


    Vernon took another deep breath and continued, "--she was my big brother''s girlfriend in high school. My Big brother was in love with her so much, that was why he brought her to my family mansion."


    "She took care of me when no nannies were mentally strong enough to endure my antics. She was the only one who could make me listen," Vernon said.


    "She is the one who raised me right, the one who listened to my worries, and also the one who taught me many things. She did everything that my ever-ignorant parents didn''t do."<sub> </sub>


    He wanted to close his eyes to better visualize his childhood again.


    But if he did it, he was afraid he might drown in his fantasy and fall asleep again.


    "I see..." Shailene nodded. She continued writing on her note and asked, "So I assume that you fell in love with her because of familiarity, correct?"


    "Familiarity--?"


    "Yes, when you live with someone that is not blood-rted to you, you will get familiar with them," Shailene exined. "When two people are familiar with each other, a romantic connection might develop. I think this is what happened to you."


    "Now, the question is... if Chloe is reced by someone woman who took care of you when you grew up, will you fall in love with that woman as well?" Shailene left a question that got Vernon thinking.


    What she said made sense.


    If Big sis Chloe was reced by someone else growing up, would he fall in love with that person?


    Vernon was thinking for a long while, and he hesitated, "I--I''m not sure. But... I don''t think she is receable. She is the only one who could understand me. So there is nobody to rece her."


    Shailene sighed, "That is what we call familiarity and dependency. That is not love, Vernon."


    "What?!" Vernon got up from the chaise longue and red at Shailene. "I''ve been in love with her for more than fifteen years, and you imed that my feeling is not love?! What kind of stupid psychologist are you?!"


    Shailene wasn''t phased at all by Vernon''s sudden outburst. She looked at the tall man and replied, "I am just analyzing within my field of expertise. No need to get worked up."


    "I''m here to get help, so I can help my Chloe at home!" Vernon raised his voice as he found that statement to be very offensive for him.


    He was in love with Chloe for fifteen years straight. Although he would never admit it in front of Chloe, he knew deep in his heart that she was the woman who kept him going every day.


    Because if he had to be true to himself, he was a man who didn''t give a shit about reputation, status, and such.


    He started doing business because he knew that women wanted money, and if he wasn''t as rich as his Big brother, then he had no worth as a man. He also thought that Chloe wouldugh at him if he wasn''t filthy-fucking-rich.


    So when his love for Chloe got questioned, he felt that his whole existence was also being questioned.


    Shailene shrugged it off lightly and added more fuel to the fire, "Do you want me to be more ruthless with my assessment? I think your ''Big sis Chloe'' is a groomer who manipted you to fall in love with her when you''re a kid. That''s why you''re hopelessly in love with her now."


    "Everything is just part of her maniption tactic because she''s a pedophile."

 265 Chapter 265

    "Everything is just part of her maniption tactic because she''s a pedophile."


    Shailene dropped the bomb and stunned Vernon to the point that his face paled for a second before it got red out of rage. He clenched his fist and roared at Shailene;


    "TAKE THAT BACK, YOU BITCH!"


    "That''s not a kind word to say to someone who wants to help you, Vernon," Shailene said nonchntly.


    Vernon thought she sounded callous and ingenuine right now. How could she say that she wanted to help him but also that Chloe was


    a pedophile who had groomed Vernon since he was a kid!


    She was framing Chloe for something that she didn''t do at all!


    "Listen, you dipshit. Big sis Chloe never did anything sexual, nor did she ever harrassed me when I was a kid. All she did was nurturing me, and teaching me to be a better human!" Vernon insisted.


    But Shailene scoffed again as she found that ridiculous: "You''re saying that because you see things on rose-coloured sses. Maybe she did it when you were too young to understand. She is a pedophile."


    "STOP SLANDERING HER, YOU¡ª" Vernon could not hold his rage anymore. He walked towards Shailene. He wanted to punch her face, but when he saw that Shailene didn''t feel scared, he knew that punching her would be a bad idea.


    Because she came from an influential family, anywsuit would be very troublesome for Vernon.


    So he held himself from hurting Shailene and kicked the drawer right next to her seat until it flew and hit the wall.


    Vernon was still angry and knew that he would eventually destroy everything here if he didn''t get out.


    "I''m leaving. I don''t want to stay here for too long or I might identally snap your neck, bitch!" Vernon yelled. He walked to the door, and Shailene only stared in silence until she opened her mouth right before Vernon left the office;


    "We''re not done with the session, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    Vernon halted on his track and looked over his shoulder.


    His eyes were filled with wrath. He was so close to jumping at Shailene and snapping her neck.


    "Are you fucking nuts? Do you really think that I will continue this bullshit session?" Vernon sneered. "I''m here to get help, but what I got was a condescending bitch who can''t stay professional with her work."


    "Go on, you can call it off for today''s session. But you should think about it once you get home," Shailene said. "Do you actually love her, or is it just because her presence has filled your childhood, that''s why you have nobody other than her filling your heart."


    "You''re being manipted, Vernon," Shailene said. "I am an expert in my field, and I know what I''m talking about."


    "And I don''t give a fuck, Shailene!" Vernon snapped. "You''re not helping me, that''s what I know!"


    "¡­ Question yourself first, and after you make sure that you got the answer, you can return here," Shailene said. "And I know you WILL return to me, I know that you picked me as your psychologist for this case because you''re not someone who can open up easily, especially to strangers."


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    Vernon didn''t say a thing after that and left the office. He mmed the door behind him and rushed out of the apartment as he didn''t want to be close to that bitch, Shailene.


    He entered his car and sat in silence for at least ten minutes before punching the dashboard, "HOW DARE SHE SAID THAT MY CHLOE IS A PEDOPHILE?! I SWEAR I WILL FUCK HER UP!"


    Vernon remembered her words. She kept insisting and telling Vernon to question whether he was in love with Chloe or if he was just in love with her because of childhood dependence.


    ¡­


    "Why am I thinking about this now?" Vernon asked himself. He started to doubt himself. He was so sure that he was in love with Chloe, even though he never admitted it in front of Chloe.


    But Shailene said that he might''ve been groomed by Big sis Chloe since he was young, which was why he became so dependent on her.


    ¡­


    "No, I don''t want to think about it. The only reason I''m branching out in New York is that I want to meet Chloe, and ruin her as an act of revenge¡ª initially. Everything that I do up to this point is because I have her in my mind¡­."


    Vernon closed his eyes for a while, trying to dispel the lingering doubt about this in his mind.


    But no matter how often he told himself not to think about it, he kept worrying, scared that his feelings might not be true.


    So he had an idea;


    "I have to meet her. I have to make sure."


    **


    Meanwhile, Shailene sighed as she heard the front door being mmed shut. She got up and put her notes on the table.


    She sat on the chaise longue while staring at the vast skyscraper adorned with lights.


    "I made a mistake," Shailene confessed to herself. "I know that as a psychologist, I shouldn''t let my emotions cloud my judgment. But I got jealous when I heard from his mouth how he regarded his Big sis Chloe in such high regard. As if she was an angel on earth."


    Shailene had never seen Vernon be so zealous over a woman. He treated Shailene like trash, but he was different when discussing Chloe. Even his eyes were glimmering with love.


    It made Shailene feel so wronged as she had to sit here while listening to that scum Vernon who broke her heart, talking about his beloved woman whom he had been in love with since he was a kid.


    So Shailene assessed the situation with a coldhearted approach and used Chloe of being a child predator who groomed Vernon when he was young. That was why Vernon became so attached to his Big sis Chloe.


    Shailene bit her lower lip as she tried to defend herself by doing the right thing;


    "But it''s true. There is a big chance that woman has groomed Vernon, right?"

 266 Chapter 266

    Shailene bit her lower lip as she tried to defend herself by doing the right thing;


    "But it''s true. There is a big chance that woman has groomed Vernon, right?" Shailene said. "I refuse to believe there''s a woman who could make a scum like Vernon be so obsessed without any kind of mental maniption when he was a child."


    "Especially with how she was portrayed like an angel by Vernon. That misogynistic bastard has no right to put one woman in a higher position than the rest!" Shailene spouted out of spite. She felt it was unfair to her and all the exes that Vernon had hurt before.


    She knew she was being very unprofessional here and would never do this if his client wasn''t Vernon.


    "But I guess¡­ I am still in love, so much in love with that bastard¡­." Shailene murmured. "I don''t even know why I am like this¡­."


    Shailene was thinking about whether she should drop the case and stop helping Vernon altogether.


    However, deep inside her heart, she still wanted tomunicate with Vernon. Hopefully, one day, there would be a moment when he finally realizes his mistake and apologizes to Shailene.


    "¡­And love me once more¡­."


    Shailene knew there was no ce for her, but was it wrong for her to hope?


    After all, men''s interests are erratic. They could love a woman in the morning and another in the evening.


    "At least I know he will return here eventually. I know well that he''s not the type to open up easily to someone else," Shailene said. "The only reason why he chose me is because I already know the identity of his Big sis Chloe. So he has a little courage to contact me again."


    "Chloe, what a terrible woman¡­." Shailene murmured the name of the woman who destroyed her rtionship with Vernon. "I wonder what maniption you used to be able to trap Vernon for more than a decade."


    **


    Vernon drove to his apartment and rushed to his penthouse on the top floor. He felt antsy as he wanted to meet his Big sis Chloe to confirm his feelings.


    He unlocked the door with his fingerprint and mmed the penthouse door open.


    "Chloe!" Vernon called her name out loud. His voice echoed inside the now-clean but empty penthouse.


    Vernon checked the time, and it showed half past ten.


    "Damn¡­" he cursed in a low voice. "Did she fall asleep already? But isn''t it too early for that?"


    Vernon walked to the kitchen and didn''t see any food on the table.


    He knew that it was his fault who said he would eat outside, so Chloe didn''t need to cook anything for dinner for him.


    But he still felt wronged.


    He realized the absence of Chloe and her dinner had ruined his moodpletely.


    Usually, he would see Chloe sitting on the sofa while waiting for him. Once he returned home, she would reheat the dinner and let Vernon eat before she returned to her room.


    Now it was empty. There was no Chloe and also no dinner.


    "Urgh!" Vernon ruffled his hair frustratedly.


    He was already in a bad mood when he yelled at Shailene. But now his mood worsened with Chloe''s absence.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon sat on the sofa in the living room. He turned on the TV for background noise but stared emptily at the screen.


    His mind was flooded with fear.


    A fear that his feelings were false, and everything he had done up until now was just a byproduct of maniption because he knew well that his Big sis Chloe wasn''t an evil woman.


    He sat in a daze until he heard a voiceing from the kitchen.


    "Vernon?"


    Vernon turned his head immediately and saw Chloe wearing a simple pajama. Her hair was still damp. It seemed that she had just taken a bath.


    "Big sis¡­" Vernon murmured slowly.


    Chloe looked at Vernon with worry. She approached him and stood before Vernon, who sat on the sofa. "I heard someone shouting when I took a bath, so I went up here."


    "Are you okay? Your face looks a little red¡­." Chloe gently ced her soft palm on Vernon''s forehead to check his temperature. She was shocked by the result because Vernon usually had a natural warm temperature, but tonight was slightly different.


    Thus she asked, "Vernon, what happened to you? Why is your temperature so hot?"


    Vernon didn''t react. He kept staring at his Big sis Chloe, who looked so anxious just because he was a little warm.


    It reminded Vernon of when he was just a kid and Big sis Chloe was only 17 years old.


    Vernon caught a fever after stubbornly running around outside during winter and didn''t wear any winter jackets.


    He was a cocky child who would defy anyone''s order and suggestion to prove that he was a strong boy.


    Which led to him getting a bad fever.


    Big sis Chloe was the first person to realize that he was sick, and she would always ce her palm on his forehead to check before saying;


    "I think you have a fever. Maybe you''re too tired of work. Let me make chicken noodle soup first, and then you should drink medicine and sleep, okay?"


    Vernon kept staring, and his eyes glinted with an obsession for Chloe.


    Before Chloe removed her palm from his forehead, Vernon suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side.


    "AH¡ª"


    Chloe lost her bnce and fell towards Vernon''s embrace. Her boobs hit his face, and he quickly wrapped his hand around her waist to ensure she couldn''t escape.


    "V¡ªVernon?!"


    "Stay like this for a while. I want to feel you," Vernon said firmly while he buried his face in Chloe''s boobs.


    "B¡ªBut¡ª" Chloe tried to wiggle her way out of Vernon''s embrace because it was embarrassing, but the more she tried to escape, the more Vernon tightened his arm around her waist, and he buried his face even deeper until she could feel his breath circting around her cleavage.

 267 Chapter 267

    Vernon''s breath started tickling her skin, especially when he bit one button off the pajama to take it off, so he could bury his face until the tip of his nose nudged on the depths of her cleavage.


    "Um¡ª uhh¡­" Chloe moaned softly as Vernon''s breath continued tickling her skin.


    She didn''t know why Vernon suddenly wanted to do this to her. After all, it had been a while since he requested to be serviced by her.


    ''Did something happen between him and that new woman? I know he''s not really the type who can hold a rtionship for too long¡­'' Chloe wondered. ''Maybe they fought, and he felt like he wanted to wind up? So, he used my body to relieve himself.''


    ''After all, I''m just a stand-in¡­'' Chloe thought, as she already acknowledged her contract as Vernon''s bed warmer.


    Vernon''s tight embrace around her waist forced Chloe to spread her leg and sit on top of Vernon''sp.


    They were still wearing trousers and pajamas that separated their skin. But the fabric only made Chloe and Vernon feel more sensitive than usual as herbia rubbed against his cock, which had gotten rock hard after hearing Chloe''s soft moan.


    Chloe''s face turned red instantly. She thought Vernon wanted her to do something because he had just fought with her girlfriend and wanted to release his pent-up tension.


    So Chloe shyly asked;


    "V¡ªVernon, do you want me to¡ª um¡­ do something?"


    Chloe gathered enough courage to start rubbing her pussy lips back and forth against Vernon''s rock-hard cock, thinking it was what Vernon wanted.


    But Vernon took a deep breath and held Chloe''s waist in ce, stopping her from doing more.


    "Stay still, I don''t want that," Vernon instructed.


    "Eh, really?" Chloe was quite confused by Vernon. She thought he was a sex-crazed beast, thus why he started having sex with his new girlfriend.


    Meanwhile, Vernon was thinking of a different thing.


    Obviously, he had a reaction down there, and he was also sexually frustrated.


    But no matter what, he WOULD NOT touch Chloe until she was fully healed of her trauma.


    ''I want to paint a sweet memory when we''re having sex, Chloe¡­'' Vernon said in his heart. ''I am a scum, but I will never be one when I''m with you.''


    ''Besides, what I want to do right now is to feel your warmth, your heartbeat, and your presence all around me¡­.''


    They stayed in this position in silence until Chloe started panicking because Vernon''s hot temperature started affecting her, making her sweat, especially inside her cleavage.


    "Um... V¡ªVernon, please release me. I''m sweating. You will feel gross¡ª"


    "It''s not gross," Vernon said. ''Everything about you is not gross,'' he added in his heart.


    "But¡ª"


    "I said it''s not gross, so stop struggling," Vernon repeated, but Chloe kept on struggling because she felt her body start sweating here and there.


    Vernon finally lifted his head from Chloe''s cleavage and looked up to see the beautiful woman with flushed cheeks staring down at him with her anxious doe eyes.


    She looked cute, even if she was a thirty-five-year-old woman, but she still looked youthful and beautiful in Vernon''s eyes.


    She was the woman who filled Vernon''s dream every night.<sub> </sub>


    The woman that became his daydream and nightmare.


    The woman who drove him to be a powerful CEO.


    Now she was in his embrace, yet her heart wasn''t his.


    She was still dealing with her trauma that she tried to hide, even though Vernon was desperately pleading with her to open up.


    So Vernon was willing to wait and support her behind her back if that meant she would recover.


    Vernon knew that he would never do this to another woman. It was only for Chloe. His Big sis Chloe whom he fell in love with when he was only ten, continued to love through the years.


    Vernon continued staring at the beauty in his embrace until he noticed the scar on her cheek. It would take a while to recover, and it hurt Vernon''s heart whenever he saw it.


    ''You are under my protection, but why can''t I protect you from a simple attack?'' Vernon asked himself. He raised one hand to touch the scar, but Chloe quickly dodged before Vernon touched her cheek.


    She covered her cheek with one hand to hide the scar, "S¡ªSorry, I should''ve worn a mask."


    "Why?"


    "Because of the scar," Chloe said, adding an awkwardugh in-between. "D¡ªDon''t worry, it will be healed soon¡ª I think. Did it disgust you?"


    Vernon noticed that Chloe always said something degrading about herself without much thought.


    As if she was hard-wired to think that she was ugly and worthless, and Vernon knew who the culprit was.


    ''My god, what did Vincent do to you, Big sis Chloe?'' Vernon asked in his heart. ''You were so confident with yourself when you were young, what had he done to you?''


    There were lots of questions in Vernon''s mind. However, he couldn''t get any answer because Chloe was still ultra-defensive about the things she experienced.


    "It''s not ugly," Vernon said sincerely.


    "Um¡ª Pardon?"


    "I said the scar is not ugly," he repeated. "You are beautiful, Chloe. The most beautiful woman I''ve ever met in my life."


    Ba-dump!


    Chloe''s body stiffened as her heart started beating fast. The way Vernon said it¡ª it sounded so genuine.


    It gave off the idea that Vernon seriously thought she was the most beautiful woman, and his statement flustered her. Even though she knew well she wasn''t pretty.


    She was old, and haggard stay-at-home jane doe mom at best.


    Besides, Vernon had met so many women in the past ten years. She heard from Diamond that Vernon even dated a real princess once.


    "Ahaha¡ª um¡­ t-t-thank you, I guess¡­." Chloe said as she didn''t know how to ept apliment.


    Besides Diamond and Mackie, she had never receivedpliments for the past ten years. The only thing she got was a bunch of insults from Vincent anyway.

 268 Chapter 268

    [Music Rmendation: The Weeknd - Call out my name.]


    "Ahaha-- um... t-t-thank you, I guess...." Chloe said as she didn''t know how to ept apliment.


    Vernon realized that Chloe didn''t take him seriously. Even though Vernon was genuine with his words.


    He truly saw Chloe as the most beautiful woman on earth. He met many women growing up, and nobody was prettier than her.


    Even after ten years and already a 35-year-olddy, she still held that one and only special ce in his heart.


    So he concluded that he was in love with her.


    But then, he remembered what Shailene said about his Big sis Chloe.


    -


    "I think your ''Big sis Chloe'' is a groomer who manipted you to fall in love with her when you''re a kid. That''s why you''re hopelessly in love with her now. Everything is just part of her maniption tactic because she''s a pedophile."


    -


    Vernon hated how Shailene judged and ndered his Big sis Chloe without knowing her personally.


    In Vernon''s eyes, his Big sis Chloe was an angel that could do no wrong!


    She was the best woman, the only one who could make him feel at ease, and he still firmly believed that he was in love with Chloe.


    But he also wanted to confirm it himself.


    Thus, he asked;


    "Chloe..."


    "Y--Yes?"


    "Can I kiss you?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened instantly. Vernon''s words were straight to the point, and he didn''t even stutter with his request.


    Vernon kept staring at her with his determined eyes as if he knew that was what he wanted.


    Chloe gulped nervously because a kiss felt way too intimate for her, especially when Vernon was fully sober.


    ''I thought he only wanted to use me as a stand-in. But why did he ask for a kiss now? Isn''t that too personal?''


    "O--On the cheek?"


    "No, on your lips," Vernon replied with no hesitation. "I want to kiss you on the lips, Chloe."


    "Um... that''s-- W-what for?" Chloe asked again. She knew she was just dying, hoping that Vernon would eventually drop the idea and do something else. Because she was afraid that she might enjoy the kiss and want more from Vernon, something that she wasn''t supposed to do.


    ...


    Vernon didn''t answer this time. If he had to be honest, he wanted to kiss Chloe to make sure whether the feeling in his heart was love or simply a feeling of wanting to have sex with her.


    Because Vernon had kissed many women before, and the sole intention of kissing them was to get him in the mood to have sex.


    ''If I feel something more than just my dick getting hard, then I know I am in love with you, Chloe...'' Vernon replied in his heart.


    "Vernon?"


    "No real reason. I just feel like it," Vernon replied.


    "N--No real reason? Then, shouldn''t a kiss on the cheek be eptable as a recement?"<sub> </sub>


    ...


    "I want to kiss your lips," Vernon''s hand crawled from Chloe''s waist up to her shoulder, and he pushed Chloe deeper into him until their faces were close to one another.


    The tips of their nose touched as Vernon asked for thest time, "May I?"


    Chloe was still hesitating. She didn''t want to drown in this forbidden feeling.


    But the mood that Vernon set was too effective, weakening her body, and she finally replied with a light nod.


    Vernon finally smiled, full of relief. Usually, he wouldn''t ask any woman in his embrace for a kiss. He just naturally kissed the woman.


    But Chloe was different. He didn''t want to scare her, as she was fragile, and a slight coercive action might trigger her trauma of being forced.


    "That''s what I want," Vernon said. He leaned forward and kissed Chloe on the lips.


    He closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss of the lips he had longed for so long.


    Chloe''s lips were thin and soft, with a hint of sweetness that made Vernon want more. His hand crawled up again until he reached the back of her head.


    He gently pushed Chloe''s head deeper to intensify their kiss.


    "Ummh-- ah... Ver--nohn..." Chloe was passive at first, but the more Vernon kissed her lips, the more she drowned in pleasure.


    She started opening her mouth and proactively participated in the kiss.


    Their lips smacked against each other in perfect harmony, and none of them hesitated to stick their tongue out and share their saliva. Vernon and Chloe tried to deepen their kiss even more until Chloe was short of breath.


    "Ah-- umhh... Vernon, I--" Chloe separated herself, and Vernon opened his eyes reluctantly.


    He stared at Chloe, whose eyes were zed with tears, and the red hue around her cheeks made her look even more enchanting than before.


    "My angel..." Vernon murmured in a low voice, but since they were so close, Chloe could hear his voice.


    She felt even more embarrassed because she realized Vernon was now fully erect beneath his trousers.


    She thought Vernon wanted to kiss her as an opening for them to do something.


    But Vernon continued holding Chloe so tightly, making her stuck inside his embrace for so long.


    "V--Vernon, do you want--"


    "No, Chloe," Vernon replied. "Not now."


    "Then, why did you kiss me?" Chloe asked. "T--There must be a reason, right?"


    "Why?" Vernon chuckled. He felt a warm sensation engulfing his heart when they kissed, and the feeling lingered inside him.


    It was the feeling of contentment. When Vernon tasted her lips, he realized she was all he needed in his life.


    He could have everything in this world, but if there was no Chloe in his life, everything could be burned in hell for all he cared for.


    "Because I want to confirm something," Vernon replied.


    "Confirm something?"


    ''Yes, I want to confirm whether my feelings for you is genuine love, or simply a feeling of physical attraction because I just want to have sex with you.''


    ''But after I had my kiss, I realize that I seek validation as a man from you, I want to be a powerful man because of you.''


    ''Chloe Gray, my heart beats for you, and will continue to do so until myst breath.''

 269 Chapter 269

    Vernon didn''t answer Chloe''s question when she asked what kind of thing Vernon wanted to confirm.


    All he did was stare at her with his deep hot gaze. If Chloe was given the right to fantasize, she would fantasize that Vernon was deeply in love with her, thus why he kept staring at her with that longing gaze.


    As if he only had Chloe in his eyes and heart for a long time.


    Chloe bit her lower lip, she knew this feeling was wrong, and she should be happy that Vernon was finding love after he had his heart broken by this woman who kept haunting his dream.


    ''But I can''t escape the feeling of wanting more,'' Chloe said in her heart. ''I feel greedy, and wished that someone would see me with those eyes.''


    Chloe was still trying to deny it, but deep down, she knew that she wanted VERNON to be the one looking at her with such love.


    ''Maybe because he is the only man other than Vincent I''ve ever grown close with? Or maybe because I just find him handsome?'' Chloe asked herself. ''I don''t really know. But what I know is this forbidden feeling needs to be exterminated. I should not have this feeling towards the boy I raised ten years ago.''


    ''I am just an olddy preying on young men, know your ce, Chloe!''


    Chloe scolded herself for feeling a certain way about Vernon. She kept reminding herself that she was just a stand-in for Vernon to relieve himself. Once he found the woman he wanted, Chloe would probably get kicked out of the apartment anyway.


    They were in another long silence until Chloe couldn''t handle it anymore and struggled to push herself away from Vernon''s embrace.


    Vernon was enjoying the moment right now. He didn''t intend to do more than this because he knew that he would only hurt Chloe if he fucked her now.


    So he was visibly annoyed when Chloe tried to separate herself.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked while tightening his arm around her waist.


    "Um¡­ we have been like this for um¡­." Chloe turned her head to the right to check on the clock. "Almost an hour. Let me go, Vernon. I need to make chicken noodle soup for you."


    "I''m not hungry," Vernon replied.


    He hadn''t had dinner yet but was full because of that kiss.


    ? Though, he wouldn''t mind going for a dessert¡­ which was another kiss, ''On her tits, of course.''


    Vernon wanted to say that, but he refrained because he didn''t want to scare Chloe.


    "Whether you''re hungry or not, I still have to make you something to eat, so you can drink medicine after that and take a rest, okay?" Chloe said.


    "It''s just a simple fever. It''ll go down tomorrow," Vernon said. Usually, he left something so mundane, like a small fever, by sleeping, and he would be healthy the next morning.


    "No, you need to at least drink cold medicine, and also eat something to fill your stomach. Release me now, Vernon," Chloe changed her tone to be stricter, which reminded Vernon so much of Big sis Chloe trying to reprimand him for being stubborn.<sub> </sub>


    The way she changed her tone made Vernon also respond by acting spoiled. He buried his face in Big sis Chloe''s boobs again and replied, "Don''t wanna!"


    "Vernon¡ª" Chloe sighed and patted his head. "Don''t be stubborn, okay? You''re a busy man, so you need to be healthy everyday!"


    "Don''t wanna! Let''s stay like this for the whole night!" Vernon refused again.


    "Hmm, then if you keep being stubborn, I won''t cook you anything for breakfast tomorrow morning," Chloe said. Vernon lifted his head immediately, staring at his Big sis Chloe with a pout.


    "That''s not fair! I''ll die hungry because of Big sis!"


    Chloe giggled when she heard Vernon calling her Big sis again. Really reminded her of the good old days.


    "Well, if you want your breakfast, that means you have to release me now."


    Vernon was still reluctant but slowly loosened his embrace and allowed Chloe to get up from hisp. She took a few steps back and said, "Okay, you should change your suit while I''m making you a chicken noodle soup, okay?"


    "Un¡­" Vernon hummed while his eyes followed Chloe''s figure, who walked to the kitchen and started preparing food for him.


    He had the urge to hug her from behind and simply fucked her on the kitchen counter like some kind of porn plot that he had fantasized about a lot.


    But then shook his head, ''Okay, Vernon. I guess you could also take an ice cold bath right now.''


    Vernon got up and went to his bedroom to take a cold bath. When he left the bedroom, only wearing his boxer, he saw Chloe already putting the chicken noodle soup on the table.


    "Ah, Vernon, eat it while it''s still warm, and this is the cold med and also paracetamol for the fever, don''t forget to take a rest right after this, okay?" Chloe said as she put the meds with a ss of water on the dinner table.


    "I will go downstair, good night¡ª"


    "Stay here, Big sis¡­." Vernon said like a spoiled boy.


    "Eh? What for? Do you need something else?"


    Vernon pouted again. If he had to be honest, he just wanted all the attention his Big sis Chloe gave him. It reminded him how much she cared for him when he was sick.


    Chloe sighed, seeing that Vernon was in the mood to get spoiled. She heard that adult men were usually very sticky and spoiled when they were sick, so maybe it was just Vernon''s way of showing that he wanted Chloe to apany him for the rest of the night.


    ''But that''s usually done by a wife¡ª or at least a girlfriend, right? Why am I a stand in for literally everything?'' Chloe sighed. But she gave in as she wanted Vernon to wake up fully recovered tomorrow morning.


    "Okay, I''ll apany you. Go eat the soup."

 270 Chapter 270

    "Okay, I''ll apany you. Go eat the soup," Chloe instructed.


    "Nice! Don''t run away, Chloe!" Vernon said, and he smiled full of satisfaction, which was something that only happened once in a blue moon.


    He was usually grumpy and wouldsh at anyone whenever he was in a bad mood.


    The smile that he showed also put Chloe in a good mood. She was more than happy to care for this giant baby if that would make him feel better and less stressed.


    Chloe sat on the dining seat, directly facing Vernon, who was eating the chicken noodle soup, sipping it eagerly.


    Chloe observed Vernon for a while. When he wasn''t intimidating and yelling at everyone, he reminded Chloe of the cute little Vernon she once nurtured from the age of seven.


    He might''ve forgotten about many things since he was just a kid. But Chloe remembered how much of a detached kid he was.


    He was a little rich master of an old influential family whocked love.


    His parents were a mess that barely cared for their kids. They always thought that paying nannies and maids would solve everything.


    ''Vincent once told me that Vernon was a troublesome kid who would only give me hell, but what I saw was... a kid who just wanted to be loved....''


    To think about it again, even his Big brother didn''t know how to take care of Vernon, so he was left with a bunch of yes-maids and butlers who would allow him to destroy everything just for fun or make noises.


    ''I still remember how he cried when his parents fought, he would ask me to hide inside his room, and curled while hugging me. He would try to cover his ears as much as possible because he hated seeing his parents yelling at each other....''


    Chloe remembered everything perfectly since she was already seventeen-year-old when she met little Vernon for the first time and continued taking care of him until she was busy with university, and then got married to Vincent.


    ''I also don''t know why he is absent on my wedding day, I thought he would be happy for me....''


    Chloe called Vernon, who was fifteen-year-old at the time. She wondered why her little Vernon wasn''t attending her wedding, but Vernon didn''t answer her call or text.


    She asked Vincent, and Vincent took it as a joke, a painful one that was;


    -


    "He told me that you look ugly in a wedding dress. You look better with a maid dress because it suits you more, haha!" Vernon joked, which Chloe could only gasp at as a response.


    Because she never thought her cute little Vernon would be so cruel to say that.


    "Don''t worry about him. He is just a teenager, of course he will say something edgy here and there," Vincent reassured her. "Why don''t we enjoy the wedding party instead?"


    -


    Chloe never saw him again after that because Vernon suddenly left New York to live somewhere in Europe just two days after her wedding.


    ''Well, look at the bright side. At least he turns out good. He bes a sessful CEO all by his own work, because Vincent repeatedly said that Vernon is mostly uncontactable.''


    Vernon noticed Chloe''s long stare and a thin smile at the edge of her lips. He finished drinking the broth and put down the ceramic bowl.<sub> </sub>


    nk!


    "Chloe, what are you thinking about?" Vernon asked.


    "Ah--" Chloe was surprised by the sudden question, and she shook her head in response. "N--Nothing."


    "Really? You can always tell me if you need something, you know...." Vernon said gently, hoping that Chloe would open up a bit.


    But Chloe didn''t want to get caught reminiscing about the past, so she pointed at the medicine and said, "You should drink the meds and go to sleep, Vernon."


    Vernon looked at the medicine reluctantly. He rarely took any medicine because he always brushed off all kinds of medication. He always happened to be a very tough young man with high immunity. One good sleep was all it took for him to be in great condition the next day.


    "I don''t need medicine. I''m all healthy now."


    "Don''t talk nonsense. You need to drink this!" Chloe insisted. She got up from the chair and helped Vernon by grabbing the medicine on the table and then putting it in Vernon''s hand. "Drink it and go to sleep, okay?"


    Vernon gulped as he stared at the meds. He disliked being forced to do something, but when his Big sis Chloe forced him, he started to think it was necessary as he didn''t want to make her mad.


    "Vernon."


    "Okay, okay! I''ll drink them! Sheesh, why are you nagging me?" Vernonined. At first he was going to drink the meds and got it over with. But then he realized how worried his Big sis Chloe was.


    So a devious idea popped in his head, "But if I drink these, you need to sleep with me tonight!"


    "Sleep--" Chloe gasped out of shock. She thought Vernon didn''t want to do anything to her tonight since all he did was lock her in his tight embrace.


    Who would''ve expected that Vernon wanted to do more, and in bed!


    Chloe took a step back defensively. She knew that she had to do it eventually because she was nothing but a bed warmer, a woman he could have sex with when he was feeling it.


    But she was still nervous nheless.


    Vernon''s lips twitched when he saw her reaction, "Damn it, I''m not going to fuck you tonight!"


    ''Though, I wish I could,'' Vernon added in his heart.


    "But you can sleep on your own..."


    "Tonight is different. I want someone to hug on my sleep, because I''m feeling sick right now!" Vernon insisted.


    "Really? I thought you said it''s nothing to worry about..." Chloe said. She still remembered how Vernon didn''t seem to bother with his fever.


    "W--Well, now I''m in total pain! I feel so sick! Very, very sick!" Vernon suddenly became dramatic all the sudden. "Oh, I think I''m going to faint, my head is spinning... ugh, I think I''m going to die soon, Chloe."

 271 Chapter 271

    "Really? I thought you said it''s nothing to worry about¡­."


    "W¡ªWell, now I''m in total pain! I feel so sick! Very, very sick!" Vernon became dramatic all of a sudden. "Oh, I think I''m going to faint, my head is spinning¡­ ugh, I think I''m going to die soon, Chloe."


    "But you can sleep alone, right?" Chloe continuedpromising.


    "Cough, Cough, ugh, I''m in so much pain," Vernon said while faking his cough.


    ''That''s not how a real cough sounds like¡­.'' Chloe thought. She didn''t know why Vernon became so clingy to her. ''Was it the effect of being sick? He should''ve done this to his girlfriend then¡­.''


    "I don''t think¡ª"


    "Cough."


    "Vernon, you''re an adult¡ª"


    "Cough. Cough!"


    "You can sleep alone¡ª"


    "Cough. Cough. Cough!"


    "I¡ª"


    "Cough. Cough. Cough. Cough!"


    Chloe went silent after getting interrupted by so many fake coughs. The more she tried to speak, the more Vernon faked his cough for attention.


    She sighed defeatedly, "Alright, I will apany you to sleep tonight."


    "YES!" Vernon said out loud, his cough suddenly disappeared, and he didn''t seem to be in pain.


    "Um¡­ I think your cough has stopped. Can you sleep alone tonight?"


    "Cough, Cough," Vernon cleared his throat. "What is it again?"


    ¡­


    "Nothing," Chloe sighed. "Drink your meds."


    Vernon willingly drank the medicine and then walked to his bedroom. He opened the bedroom door but leaned on the wall beside it, "Come in," he said while looking at his Big sis Chloe.


    Chloe walked slowly. She really didn''t like this. Because sleeping together was not something that two adults without romantic interest should do.


    ''Servicing him sexually and cuddling with him are two different things. I can always regard him at the same level of Vincent, a bad man who would never understand how humiliating it was for her to be used like this.''


    ''But with cuddling, obviously, I will feel something other than disgust and fear¡­.''


    Chloe entered the dim bedroom first, followed by Vernon from behind. She was familiar with this bedroom as she cleaned it daily, but tonight felt different.


    Because she would be sleeping with Vernon while he was fully conscious.


    "Hii¡ª!" Chloe shrieked when she felt two big hot palms touch her shoulder.


    "Sleep on the bed, Chloe. I''m going to brush my teeth first," Vernon said.


    He whistled happily as he entered the bathroom while Chloe nervously sat at the edge of the bed.<sub> </sub>


    ''Vernon is so weird today,'' Chloe thought. ''Usually he would just ask Chloe to cook dinner if she hadn''t, and then ate in silence before returning to his room. Sometimes he would just simply eat whatever she cooked even though it was already cold, and say nothing the next morning.''


    ''But he called me today, grabbing my waist and pulling me to his embrace. I thought he was in the mood for THAT, but¡­'' Chloe reimagined how Vernon asked for a kiss before kissing her gently and then stared at her with such a hot gaze that he never showed.


    The gaze of a man who was deeply in love.


    Chloe shook her head to dispel the thought immediately, as she was scared that she would get greedy.


    It took a while for Vernon to finish brushing his teeth. Once he went out of the bathroom, he saw Chloe sitting awkwardly at the edge of the bed.


    He frowned and asked, "Why aren''t you lying on the bed?"


    Chloe turned her head and got a good look at Vernon, who was almost naked. His chiseled muscle was on full disy, and he only wore a very short boxer that barely covered his half-erect big dick.


    He wore a regr boxer that was knee-length when having his dinner. But he came out with an even shorter boxer, which only gave Chloe dirty thoughts.


    Her face blushed as red as a tomato, and she quickly lowered her gaze so she wouldn''t have any naughty thoughts.


    "W¡ªWhy are you changing your boxer?" Chloe asked. "And, um¡­ why aren''t you wearing a shirt at least¡­."


    "Huh? Because I want to sleep well, of course," Vernon replied. "I sleep naked usually, or do you want me to be naked now? I don''t mind."


    "NO!" Chloe denied quickly, afraid that Vernon would actually do it.


    Vernon chuckled, full of amusement, "Hup!"


    He jumped to the bed, rolled towards Chloe, who was still sitting at the edge, and then wrapped his hands around Chloe''s waist, "Come on, let''s go to sleep!"


    Chloe resisted, not wanting to fall back andy beside Vernon. So she gave herst struggle, "Y¡ªYou look fine. You can even jump around. Should I return to my room now?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Cough! Cough! Ughh¡­ Big sis Chloe, I think I''m dying," Vernon acted again. "Do you want to leave me like this? What if I die without anyone by my side? Are you really that cruel?"


    Chloe''s brow twitched. She finally turned around and yelled, "You''re not dying! You''re just having a little fever! Goddamn it!"


    Chloe saw Vernon smile wide until his teeth were showing. He looked very happy.


    "Then, let''s go to sleep? I''m pretty beat up today, Big sis¡­."


    ''Ugh, he is addressing me as Big sis because he knows I can''t refuse him if he did it. That''s not fair!'' Chloeined. But she couldn''t do anything to fight back. ''It''s not like I hate it. I''m just¡­ embarrassed¡­.''


    Chloe slowly crawled to the middle of the bed, with Vernon lying readily with his cock half erect and ready tounch at any point.


    ''I bet he will do something soon,'' Chloe suspected.


    Once shey on the bed beside Vernon, the big muscr man turned to the side, facing Chloe, who put her hands in front of her boobs in a futile attempt to protect herself.


    Vernon chuckled, "Why are you covering yourself like I''m going to do something tonight?"


    "I¡ªI mean, you probably would¡­." Chloe replied meekly.


    "Do you think I''m a sex-crazed monster or what? I''m not even horny right now!"

 272 Chapter 272

    "Do you think I''m a sex-crazed monster or what? I''m not even horny right now!" Vernon tried to defend himself as he felt he had been falsely used of being a pervert who only cared about sex.


    <o>,m ¡­</o>


    ¡­


    Chloe said nothing, but she looked down at Vernon''s crotch, silently pointing at the half-erect cock that would definitely spring up and get fully erect after one gentle touch.


    Vernon''s cheeks turned red instantly. He covered his crotch with a pillow and yelled, "T¡ªThat is a regr reaction! I''m a man! And all men get hard on randomest things!"


    "Really?"


    "Really!" Vernon insisted.


    ¡­


    Both Vernon and Chloe knew that was not the case. But they also had a tacit understanding not to push this topic further, or Vernon might not be able to control himself.


    "W¡ªWell, I want someone to cuddle while I''m sick. Is that too much to ask?" Vernon put up a pitiful expression that Chloe could not refuse- once again.


    She sighed, "It''s not too much. Come here, let me hug you."


    Chloe opened her arm, and Vernon willingly buried his face in Chloe''s boobs and hugged her waist. They huddled together so close that there was no gap between them.


    They had been living together for a while, but this should be the first time they were cuddling¡ª when Vernon wasn''t piss drunk, of course.


    Vernon knew that Chloe wouldn''t trust that he wouldn''t do anything if he didn''t prove it, so he kept the pillow right between their hips, ensuring their vital area didn''t rub against each other.


    This proved a bad move because Vernon¡ª no, his little Vernon was grieving right now.


    ''Ugh, whose smart idea to use the pillow down there? Now I can''t even rub around her thighs!'' Vernon med himself.


    But then he realized how perverted he sounded, even though it was something that casually popped into his mind.


    ''Oh no, I can''t even spend a minute without thinking about having sex. Is it true? Am I the sex-crazed perverted monster?'' Vernon asked himself.


    He knew that he liked having sex as he got a really high sex drive, and many sexual thoughts popped into his mind at random, and he found it to be a natural thing to do.


    But when he was forced NOT to do it while his face was rubbing against Chloe''s boobs¡­ now that was a true challenge.


    Vernon was restless, and Chloe also realized it because his breath was quick. His stubbles were rubbing against her tits, making her ufortable and itchy.


    "Vernon, why don''t you sleep?" Chloe asked.


    Vernon shook his head. With his face still buried in Chloe''s boobs, he replied in a muffled voice, "I''m not sleepy."


    "Well, sleepy or not, you need to close your eyes at least," Chloe suggested.


    "You can tell?"<sub> </sub>


    "Of course! Now close your eyes! I will pat you to sleep," Chloe instructed.


    Vernon didn''t know what patting to sleep meant, but before he asked, Big sis Chloe suddenly patted his back gently and continued to do so.


    Vernon paused for a while. He was embarrassed at first.


    He thought this was very childish because patting one''s back to make one fall asleep was a way to make a child fall asleep.


    "Big sis, I don''t want¡ª"


    "Sshh, go to sleep."


    Gradually, Vernon felt drowsy when he kept being patted on his back. He closed his eyes and indulged in such warmth and afortable feeling that he hadn''t experienced for so long.


    He had forgotten thest time he was hugged by his Big sis Chloe in such a tight and warm embrace, and it was that nostalgic feeling he missed every night.


    ''I must endure cold nights for a decade and counting, Big sis. Hoping that one day you would embrace me again, just like this,'' Vernon said in his heart. ''Is it the sign that I''ve been dependent on you? Just like what Shailene said, my attraction to you is solely based on dependence and maniption when I was a child¡­.''


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ''I really don''t understand what''s on your mind, Chloe. I doubt everything about you, even now¡­.''


    ''I doubt that you would be willing toe to my side if I''m not rich and powerful, like my Big brother.''


    ''I doubt that you see me as a worthy man right now. Maybe you''re secretly mocking me because I''m not as good as Vincent, just like what you said back then when I was only fourteen.''


    ''I doubt that your intention too. I don''t understand why you are so cruel to me. Why did you say that I''m just a bum without a future in front of myte father?'' Vernon recalled his nightmare again. The memory was so strong that it was basically imprinted in his mind.


    ''Why humiliate me? Am I that low in your eyes?''


    Vernon felt the heartache again. The same heartache that almost drove him crazy while he was at his lowest when his Big brother forced him to leave the Gray mansion only a few days after he got married to Chloe, and he said it was based on Chloe''s request.


    Vernon despised both of them because they could be happy while ditching Vernon the picture.


    As if he never existed in the first ce. Thus he vowed to drag them down to hell.


    Yet, when Chloe came to him, everything he had meticulously set up for years to destroy her life gradually crumbled and Vernon''s true feeling was exposed once more.


    ''Ah, I have so many doubts. But at least I am one-hundred-percent certain about one thing¡­'' Vernon buried his face deeper and stated;


    ''I am certain that I''m in love with you. I don''t care whether you might have manipted me when I was a kid. I don''t care if you''re actually an evil bitch like what my Big brother, my mother, or even Shailene portrayed.''


    ''I have loved you for fifteen years and more, and will continue to do so, Chloe Gray.''

 273 Chapter 273

    ''What makes him like this, though?'' Chloe asked herself while waiting for Vernon to fall asleep.


    ''He suddenly returned home in the middle of the night. I though he would spend his night fucking his new girlfriend,'' Chloe wondered. ''Maybe they had a fight? I mean, it''s possible. Since Vernon is such a hot-head. Maybe that woman is saying something that triggered Vernon.''


    Chloe wondered what kind of woman could maintain a rtionship with Vernon.


    He had an obvious anger issue that would make him explode at the smallest thing possible.


    He was also spoiled and very impatient.


    ''Vernon is basically a grown-up brat. I wonder who can handle him,'' Chloe continued wondering. ''W--Well, there is me. I''m pretty sure I can take care of him. But that''s because I knew him since he was a kid.''


    Chloe really wanted Vernon to have his own happy life with a perfect family of his own. He grew up in a messed-up family but still had a chance to grow up to be a good person, and Chloe really wanted that to happen.


    Chloe continued patting Vernon''s back for at least thirty minutes until she felt his breath getting slower and calmer. She stopped once she realized that Vernon seemed to have fallen asleep on her bosom.


    She checked by calling his name gently, "Vernon? Are you asleep?"


    ...


    "Good, he''s asleep now," Chloe murmured in relief.


    She moved her hand towards Vernon''s hair and then patted the back of his head to make himfortable.


    ''Ah, when''s thest time I did this to someone?'' Chloe wondered as she started reminiscing. But she only remembered doing this stuff when Mackie was a toddler.


    Mackie had difficulty sleeping when she was a kid, and the only way for Chloe to make her drowsy was to pat her back for at least twenty minutes.


    ''Oh, I remember I did this to Vernon when he was seven to eight years old too,'' Chloe reminisced. ''Vernon and Mackie are so simr in many ways. Was it because I kept thinking about little Vernon when I was pregnant with Mackie?''


    When Chloe was eight months pregnant, Vincent started leaving her alone in the mansion while he was having fun outside like a stallion without a mare.


    ? He fucked everyone outside and didn''t even hesitate to admit that he was cheating in front of Chloe.


    Thus, amidst her depression, she tried to salvage any happy moment she had before she married Vincent.


    And the only person who gave her happiness was the cute little Vernon.


    He was smart and brave, amidst very naughty and a handful to deal with. But he never had any ill intention towards Chloe. After all, in Chloe''s eyes, Vernon was just an ignorant little boy she had raised wholeheartedly.


    ''I started thinking it would be nice to have a child like Vernon. So I kept thinking about him....'' Chloe thought. ''Maybe that''s why Mackie has so many simrities with her uncle.''


    Thus, she always saw Vernon as the cute wilful young master. He would create chaos just to get everyone''s attention and treat him ording to that.


    Chloe treated Vernon like a child-- or a teenager, at least.


    "That''s also my own way to stop this forbidden feeling, Vernon," Chloe murmured sadly. "I don''t want to be a greedy old woman who''s trying to seduce a younger man, especially the one I raised."


    "Even though my heart is saying otherwise...." Chloe said.


    She kept deluding herself into always seeing Vernon as a cute little boy she had to care for, not a grown man she might fall in love with.<sub> </sub>


    "I know my ce, Vernon. I''m just a stand-in to fulfill your needs and wild fantasy. You will ditch me after you''ve settled down," Chloe said. "So, please settle down with someone sooner, okay? I don''t want to be a thorn in your woman''s eyes."


    Chloe gently kissed Vernon''s head and closed her eyes peacefully, falling asleep while embracing the man she raised and the man that might make her fall in love for the second time.


    **


    [The next morning.]


    "Mmhh..." Chloe grunted as she gradually regained consciousness. She woke up feeling a little stuffy despite the air conditioner blowing cold air. Vernon kept hugging her so tight that she had no room to separate their bodies.


    She checked the clock on the table, ''Five in the morning. I still have time to cook them breakfast,'' Chloe thought.


    She tried to separate her body from Vernon to no avail. She clicked her tongue annoyedly, "Vernon, release me first. I need to cook breakfast."


    ...


    There was no answer from Vernon. She frowned, thinking Vernon''s fever hadn''t gone down a bit.


    She touched Vernon''s forehead, "Huh, you''re not warm anymore. You''ve recovered, right?"


    ...


    Still no answer.


    But, despite his silence, Chloe knew that Vernon was wide awake. Because she felt something was constantly moving to poke her pussy.


    She looked down and saw that Vernon was fully naked. His underwear had been thrown out of the bed, and the pillow that separated their bodies had been kicked out.


    Vernon''s cock was fully erect, and the tip continued poking herbia, which was protected by her thinyer of pajama.


    "Vernon, wake up!" Chloe tried to p Vernon''s cheeks a few times until Vernon got disturbed and grunted.


    "Hrrm... what?"


    "I know that you''re wide awake, stop poking down there!" Chloe scolded.


    "Hrmm..." Vernon snorted. "I''m still sick, Chloe...."


    "Sick? But I checked your temperature. You are not sick at all!"


    "That''s because the fever has gone down...." Vernon replied.


    "Yeah, that''s right. Your fever has gone down--"


    "--No, that''s not what I mean...." Vernon interrupted. "I mean, the fever has gone down to my cock. It''s feeling the heat right now."


    "You should touch it, you''ll realize that my cock is having a fever right now," Vernon carefully separated himself from Chloe and then grabbed Chloe''s hand.


    He led her hand to touch the tip of his cock, and said, "See? I have a cock fever."

 274 Chapter 274

    [Explicit.]


    "You should touch it. You''ll realize that my cock is having a fever right now," Vernon carefully separated himself from Chloe and then grabbed Chloe''s hand. He led her hand to touch the tip of his cock, and said, "See? I have a cock fever."


    Chloe was speechless by Vernon''s shamelessness. Obviously, Vernon didn''t have a ''cock fever''. He simply had morning wood and was horny as fuck!


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened when Vernon started using her hand to rub and jack off his rock-hard dick.


    "Vernon--"


    "Humm..." Vernon still closed his eyes, but Chloe could see the faint crimson hue on his cheek, just like how she was feeling hot right now, and her cheeks also blushed like a ripe tomato.


    He continued using her hand to jack off. Chloe was embarrassed when she could feel the precum leaking from his horse''s eye.


    [Note: horse eye: the opening/slit of the urethra for men at the tip of his dick.]


    "If you want to make me healthy, then help me to reduce my cock fever," Vernon said.


    Chloe started feeling the heat as well. She might be a middle-aged woman, but she still had the lust and the urge to have fun, and after ying with Vernon a few times, she realized she was just as much of a pervert as he was.


    So she decided to y along and asked;


    "W--what should I do to reduce your cock fever?"


    Vernon started breathing heavily. He was pleasantly surprised that Chloe was ying along with him. He woke up half an hour ago and soon realized the pillow separating their crotches was gone.


    Vernon was having his natural morning wood. He would usually jack off in the morning to relieve himself, but today was different.


    He woke up with his cock fully erect while poking at Chloe''s pussy lips, which were only guarded by a thin fabric from her pajama.


    He didn''t want to force Chloe, so he tried quietly to relieve himself by poking at her pussy lips.


    But it wasn''t as quiet anymore since Chloe was wide awake now, and his cock wasn''t going to cum anytime soon.


    "You can reduce the swelling by releasing the heat, Chloe," Vernon said softly.


    "A--And how do I release the heat?"


    "Stroke my cock, make me cum, then my fever will go down," Vernon said. "Use your... fingers and lips."


    "T--Then, let me try...." Chloe agreed.


    Vernon finally released his grip around her body and allowed Chloe to go down andy under Vernon''s crotch while the many t on his back.


    Under the dim light, Chloe saw Vernon''s cock spring up like a big tower. It was swelling, especially the bulbous tip waiting for a release.


    Chloe gulped, and she held Vernon''s cock with one hand.


    Her fingers were small and couldn''tpletely cover the whole shaft, so she used two hands instead.


    She started stroking Vernon''s cock gently, up and down a few times, until Vernon groaned out of pleasure, "Urghh...."<sub> </sub>


    Chloe saw the precum leak again from his horse''s eye, and she used her middle finger to collect the precum and ther the shaft with it.


    Thus, the cock got slippery and started making a squelching noise while being stroked.


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    "Ahh... that''s good...." Vernon said. He opened his eyes and looked down at Chloe, still stroking his cock.


    He wanted to give her instruction, but at the same time, he was curious, wanting to see what Chloe would do to make him cum without any instruction.


    So he kept silent and let out a few groans while letting Chloe in charge.


    Chloe checked at Vernon, who seemed to be enjoying this. She didn''t want to just stroke his cock, because that was very vani.


    She had given him a blowjob once but wanted to do something else today.


    Chloe lowered her head and kissed the tip of Vernon''s cock with her tender lips while her hands kept stroking his cock.


    "Ughh! Fuck!" Vernon showed a big reaction when he felt the soft lips kissing his cock.


    He thought Chloe wanted to give him a blowjob today, but she didn''t.


    Instead, she continued kissing the tip of his cock, and then went down to kiss the rim of the tip.


    "Mmhh..." Chloe''s lips continued to go down, kissing Vernon''s shaft from top to bottom, letting no part of his cock untouched with her lips.


    "Ugh, fuckk..." Vernon never realized how much he wanted a blowjob in his life.


    Chloe was teasing him by kissing every inch of his cock with her tender lips but never opened her mouth to give him a real blowjob.


    ''Fuck! This is not teasing anymore! She is torturing me!'' Vernonined in his heart. He wanted to grab the back of her hair and force her to open her mouth and give him a blowjob.


    But he had already promised himself not to do that thing until Chloe was fully healed, and he also wanted to see Chloe in charge of servicing him.


    Chloe sensed that Vernon''s cock started throbbing. He wanted more than just a kiss. Chloe giggled devilishly because she was well aware that she was teasing him the whole time.


    Still, she didn''t want to choke on cock in such an early morning, so her lips went up again, and she started kissing his tip again while her hands continued stroking.


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    "Mmhh... you want more?" Chloe asked daringly, and Vernon-- whose chest was already rising up and down replied with a hum.


    Chloe giggled. She opened her lips a little and started sucking the horse''s eye.


    "Aghh! Fuck! W--Why are you only sucking that part--" Vernon protested.


    Chloe continued sucking the horse''s eye and sucked all the precum that spurted out of the opening of the urethra. Then she stopped for a moment to answer.


    "Because this is a punishment for lying to me! Who told you to lie that you''re having a cock fever? You''re simply horny as fuck! You''re a bad boy!"

 275 Chapter 275

    "Because this is a punishment for lying to me! Who told you to lie that you''re having a cock fever? You''re simply horny as fuck! You''re a bad boy!" Chloe scolded as she yed along.


    Vernon was stunned. He never realized how perverted Chloe could be when she was in the mood.


    This whole time, he thought that she was a modest woman who wouldn''t know about roleying or even dirty talking.


    He even thought that Chloe had never had any dirty thoughts while she was making out with him a few times before.


    But she seemed to be very capable of ying along, much to Vernon''s pleasant surprise.


    He started imagining many scenarios they could y in the future, and the imagination made his cock throb even harder.


    "Oh? You''re getting harder? Then we shouldn''t waste time, okay?" Chloe said.


    She kissed his tip again, then sucked Vernon''s horse''s eye hard.


    She sucked so hard as if Vernon''s cock was a big straw for her to get the morning thick milk out. For each suck, she sucked harder and harder until Vernon started panicking!


    "W--Wait! Argh! S--Stop sucking that part! Ah! Arghhh!" Vernon felt his soul had been sucked out by Chloe, who used his cock like a big straw.


    He grasped the bed sheet as his whole body trembled and jolted out of reflex.


    "ARGH! FUCK! CUM-- CUMMING! ARGHHHH!!"


    Vernon''s eyesight shed white as he ejacted so much cum that he had built up for a few days.


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    "MMMHH!" Chloe gasped, keeping her lips partly open while sucking all the semen gushing out of Vernon''s cock.


    He shot all of his spunk into Chloe''s mouth, and Chloe swallowed everything, not letting a drop dripped out of her mouth.


    "Ughh... uhh..." Vernon was like a fish out of water. He had never experienced an orgasm that was so good until he was at her mercy.


    Chloe licked the cum that dripped at the edge of her lips and smiled at Vernon, "Well, now your ''cock fever'' has gone down. You should clean yourself and wear proper clothes before going out, okay? I''ll cook breakfast for you and Mackie."


    Chloe got up from the bed and left the bedroom, leaving Vernon alone, staring at the ceiling while trying to control himself after such a crazy orgasm.


    "Damn, now I have no reason not to fuck her. Isn''t she supposed to be a modest stay-at-home mom? Why is she so good at this?" Vernon asked himself.


    He thought that Chloe must''ve had something that she wasn''t good at, so he wouldn''t be so addicted, but it seemed that he had fallen too deep.


    He looked down at his still-erect cock, and cursed, "Fuck, now I want round two."


    **


    Chloe closed the bedroom door carefully, and her cheeks got even redder after she left Vernon''s bedroom.<sub> </sub>


    ''AAAAAAAA!!!'' Chloe was internally screaming out of embarrassment because she said and acted like a pervert just now. ''I wonder if Vernon will see me in a different light now. Maybe he will see me as a pervert? A whore?''


    Chloe was scared that Vernon might see her as a lowly whore because she showed a bit of her desire.


    But she knew that her fear was unfounded. Because she wouldn''t stay with Vernon for a long time anyway.


    "I--I mean, I''m just trying to help him a bit, and I followed a scene from a literotica, I swear!" Chloe tried to defend herself and herscivious action just now.


    Though, she knew well that ying with Vernon''s cock was her original idea.


    ''I never knew that I''m as much of a pervert as Vernon. Because I never have a chance to experiment anything with Vincent...'' Chloe thought. ''I wonder if I should experiment more with Vernon--''


    Chloe stopped her train of thought before I got wilder. She shook her head and rushed to the kitchen to keep herself busy. She needed a distraction before she turned into a real pervert.


    Chloe started cooking breakfast, and it took her twenty minutes until everything was ready. She put the food on the dining table and checked the clock.


    "Okay, still six. I need to wake Mackie up," Chloe took off her apron and went downstairs to wake her daughter.


    She knocked on the door a few times and then entered Mackie''s bedroom, only to find Mackie had already woken up and washed her face.


    "Oh? You woke up so early today, are you excited about something?" Chloe asked as she helped her daughter make the bed.


    Mackie smiled wide until her teeth showed and replied, "Yes! There will be a pumpkin festival in school, and I''m selected to be ying in a drama! Today is the first day of practice!"


    "Drama?" Chloe was surprised. She knew there was an annual pumpkin festival in Mackie''s school, and each ss would showcase something in front of their parents.


    Last year, Mackie was only six years old, and her ss only showcased a choir with her ssmates wearing cute costumes.


    ''Hmm, if they''re doing a y, I guess it will be a simple one,'' Chloe guessed. "And what is the drama all about?"


    "Umm, there are three dramas! But Mackie will y with three little pigs and a wolf!" Mackie replied.


    Chloe remembered that story when she was a kid. It was about three little pigs who built houses, and the wolf who wanted to eat them, so he destroyed the pigs'' houses.


    "Are you ying as one of the pigs?" Chloe asked.


    "Nope!" Mackie shook her head. "I''ll y as the wolf! Awoooo!"


    Chloe was surprised for a second, thenughed as she found it hrious.


    "Mommy, don''tugh!" Mackie protested. "Mackie will be a fearsome wolf! I will blow the pigs'' houses and eat them!"


    "Haha! Okay, okay, Mommy will definitelye to see you ying as a wolf!" Chloe said. "Mommy will cheer on you, be a good wolf and blow their houses, okay?"


    "Yes, Mommy!" Mackie jumped enthusiastically. "Besides, if I want to learn how to be a good wolf, I can always ask Uncle Vernon! He is a big bad wolf!"

 276 Chapter 276

    "Besides, if I want to learn how to be a good wolf, I can always ask Uncle Vernon! He is a big bad wolf!" Mackie stated, which prompted a visualization in Chloe''s head.


    She imagined Vernon teaching Mackie how to be a good wolf, with both of them wearing wolf costumes while howling, trying to outdo each other.


    ''Okay, that''s funny, hihi!''


    "Mommy¡ª Mommy!"


    "Ah¡ª yes?"


    "What are you thinking about, Mommy?" Mackie asked. "Why are you smiling?"


    "It''s nothing, dear," Chloe replied lightly. "You should ask your Uncle to teach you how to be a good wolf. Maybe he will teach you how to howl!"


    "Really? I can do that?"


    "Yes!" Chloe snickered. "But don''t be mad if he can''t do it. He is very busy, remember?"


    "Un! I will ask Uncle when he is free!"


    After Chloe and Mackie finished making the bed, Chloe grabbed Mackie''s hand and said, "Let''s go up. Uncle Vernon must''ve been waiting for us to have breakfast."


    "Wait, we can eat with Uncle now?" Mackie asked excitedly. She was still in bitter rivalry with Uncle Vernon, especially after the pancake ident.


    But eating with Uncle was a lot more fun than eating alone!


    Chloe smiled, she thought Vernon must''ve been in a good mood afterst night, so there was no harm in having breakfast together. Since he wouldn''t explode and yell in front of Mackie.


    Mackie and Chloe went up to the penthouse and saw Vernon sitting patiently at the dining table. He was wearing an oversized shirt and jogger pants.


    "Whoa! Uncle!"


    Mackie rushed towards his Uncle''s side to hug him. Vernon was unresponsive, but he watched as Mackie walked to him, asking for a hug.


    "Uncle, hug me!" Mackie requested.


    "Why are you so sticky today? So suspicious," Vernon frowned. But he still picked Mackie up and hugged her for a second before sitting on the next seat.


    Mackie was pissed because Uncle didn''t seem so happy with their small reunion. She crossed her arms and snorted, "Hmph! Uncle is still the same big bad wolf! You''re sweaty and stinky too!"


    Chloe''s body stiffened in an instant. She nced at Vernon, who was also as awkward.


    "T¡ªThat''s because I just had an exercise! You see my biceps?" Vernon raised his arm and folded it to show his muscr biceps. "This is because I exercised everyday!"


    "Hmph! That''s because Uncle is being fed by Mommy''s food! Mackie can do that too once I get older!" Mackie imed, much to Vernon''s annoyance.


    Because he had to hit his private gym at least 4 times a week just to maintain his physique. After all, he was a big eater. If he didn''t transfer the food into muscle, he would be fat in only a year.


    "You need to work hard to have this bicep!" Vernon continued bickering, not wanting to lose against a seven-year-old girl.


    "Then Mackie will work hard! I will be a big bad wolf like Uncle too! So I can protect Mommy before Uncle eats her!" Mackie imed boldly.<sub> </sub>


    "Okay, you two. Stop bickering and have your breakfast," Chloe finally broke off the argument because Vernon and Mackie had simr personalities. If no one separated them, they would continue to argue for a whole day.


    Chloe put the banana-apple juice on the dining table, "Eat slowly, okay? We still have plenty of time."


    Vernon and Mackie stared at the delicious pancake with cream in front of them, then looked at Chloe, stood a few inches away from the dining table and smiled at them.


    Vernon and Mackie had the same thing in mind and spoke simultaneously, "Where is your breakfast?"


    "Ah¡ª I¡ªI''m not hungry," Chloe replied. "You two should eat first. I''ll clean the kitchen."


    Chloe was about to turn around and leave, but Vernon grabbed her wrist before she could do that.


    "Wha-!" Vernon yanked Chloe to his side and forced her to sit on hisp.


    "V¡ªVernon¡ª"


    "You need to eat," Vernon said seriously. He knew that Chloe was suffering from bulimia. She was also rmingly thin, much to his grievance.


    Thus, he vowed to never let Chloe skip her food as long as Vernon was around.


    "Mommy, you need to eat! You can have Mackie''s food too!" Mackie said as she pushed her pancake towards her Mommy, who sat on Uncle Vernon''s thigh.


    Vernon nced at Mackie and pushed the food back to the little girl, "Not you too. You need to eat. Don''t you say that you want to be as strong as me? That means you need to eat a lot."


    "But Mommy¡ª"


    "I will feed her with mine," Vernon said.


    He wrapped his hand around Chloe''s waist to make sure she didn''t escape, used his free hand to start digging the pancake, and then offered it in front of Chloe''s mouth, "Open up, Chloe. You need to eat."


    Chloe was embarrassed. This wasn''t the first time Vernon forced her to eat.


    He did it once in his office, shoving food into Chloe''s mouth and forcing her to eat.


    It was hard to swallow so much food, but surprisingly, she didn''t feel the retch in her stomach. She kept eating repeatedly, and as long as she was spoon fed by Vernon, she would eat without a problem.


    Which was strange for her.


    "Come on, eat up," Vernon nudged Chloe''s lips with the spoonful of pancake. His hawk-like eyes were staring at her deeply, but she sensed no hostility in him, and he didn''t mean to intimidate.


    After knowing the now-adult Vernon for a while, Chloe realized that Vernon''s eyes were just intimidating for almost everyone, even if he didn''t mean to.


    Vernon patiently nudged Chloe''s lips until she opened her mouth and ate the pancake. She munched slowly and nced at Vernon, who was smiling at her.


    "See? It''s not that hard to eat," Vernon said. He continued scooping a big slice into the spoon and waited for Chloe to finish munching and swallowing the pancake. Then he nudged Chloe''s lips with the spoonful of pancake again.


    "I¡ªI''m full¡­." Chloe replied weakly.


    "No you''re not," Vernon insisted. "You''re going to eat or we''re going to get stuck like this for a whole day."

 277 Chapter 277

    "I¡ªI''m full¡­." Chloe replied weakly.


    "No you''re not," Vernon insisted. "You''re going to eat or we''re going to get stuck like this for a whole day."


    Chloe was speechless.


    She never expected Vernon to take this seriously. His eyes kept staring at her, waiting for Chloe to open her mouth again.


    ''Why is he so fussy about this though?'' Chloe asked herself. ''It''s not like my eating disorder will affect him anyhow.''


    ''Is it because I''m unpleasant to look at?'' Chloe wondered.


    She understood that she might not be beautiful because she was paper thin right now, but that was better than her being fat.


    Because when she was fat, Vincent humiliated her over and over, imprinting the idea in Chloe''s mind that a fat woman was not worthy of love, despite her weight gain being caused by pregnancy and childbirth.


    ''Either way, he doesn''t need to go this far just to make sure I eat, right?''


    Meanwhile, Vernon had a different idea in his mind;


    ''Come on, eat more. I really want to fatten you up, so you can get healthy and I can use all the condoms you''ve stocked.''


    ''Fuck, I''ll make sure to eat you clean every single night and feed you in the morning, so we can do it again and again,'' Vernon thought. He started thinking about a few positions they could try together, and his cock started hardening again.


    Vernon quickly warded off the thought, afraid that his erection might be too obvious. It wasn''t proper, especially when Mackie was here.


    Thus, with his one-track mind on the goalpost, Vernon continued persuading Chloe to eat.


    Chloe was about to refuse again, but then she saw her daughter Mackie looking at her with hopeful eyes.


    "Mommy, please eat. You''ll make Mackie happy if you eat!"


    ¡­


    Unable to bear the guilt of being watched by her daughter, Chloe finally opened her mouth and ate the pancake again.


    She felt like a baby being spoon fed. It felt weird, especially when the man spoonfed her was the little boy she used to spoon feed when he was a kid.


    Yet, this weird stuff was proven effective because Chloe continued eating without needing to puke anything. She ate like a normal human, and she didn''t understand why.


    ''Why am I only eating well when I''m being spoon fed by Vernon like this? Is this some kind of weird fetish?'' Chloe asked herself.


    Mackie''s eyes were glimmering with happiness. She always pitied her Mommy, who puked anything she ate, but whenever she asked about it, Mommy always replied that it was normal for her.


    However, once she saw Mommy eating well when being fed by Uncle Vernon, Mackie realized that Mommy could eat like her too!


    Her small mind concluded that;


    ''As long as Uncle Vernon is the one who feeds Mommy, then Mommy can be big, strong, and healthy too!'' Mackie was overjoyed by the new finding.<sub> </sub>


    She pped Uncle Vernon''s arm, and Vernon turned his head towards his little niece, "What?"


    Mackie pushed the ss of her banana-apple juice towards Uncle Vernon''s side of the table and said, "Mommy should drink my banana juice! Uncle, make Mommy drink this!"


    "D¡ªDear, I made that for you¡­." Chloe tried to refuse, but Mackie didn''t want to listen.


    "No! I can drink banana milk from the fridge! But Mommy needs to drink my banana-apple juice so Mommy can grow big and strong!"


    Vernon chuckled and nced at Chloe, stunned by Mackie''s idea, "Hear that, Chloe? That means you need to eat and drink a full breakfast before I can release you, and we will do this every day, by the way."


    Chloe swallowed her saliva. She didn''t know whether she should be happy or not. She was relieved that she could eat like a normal person, something she hadn''t experienced for at least four years.


    But at the same time, she imagined herself being spoon fed by Vernon every day and felt weirded out by the notion.


    ''Aren''t I supposed to be the one who took care of him? How could the table turn like this?''


    Chloe might be feelingplicated right now, but Vernon was more than happy once he realized that Chloe ate at least half of his pancake for breakfast and half of the banana-apple juice offered by Mackie, which was already a lot since Vernon was a big eater naturally.


    Vernon finally loosened his grip around Chloe''s waist and allowed her to escape.


    Chloe got up from Vernon''sp slowly. She felt sluggish after eating and drinking so much. She didn''t feel nauseous, though, but she didn''t have the energy to do another activity other than sitting down.


    Thus, Chloe was forced to sit on the dining chair and watch Mackie and Vernon, who were busy resuming breakfast, since they were assured that Chloe was eating well.


    Vernon finished his breakfast quick because he was genuinely hungry after only eating chicken noodle soup as dinnerst night, and Mackie nced at her Uncle a few times before chirping;


    "Uncle, you can''t eat Mackie''s pancakes!"


    "Wha¡ª"


    Mackie covered her te with her hand and red at her Uncle. She was like a small wolf guarding her hunt, "I will share with Mommy, but not with you!"


    "W¡ªWho wants to eat your pancake anyway? Am I a pancake thief or what?"


    "You are a pancake thief!" Mackie used loudly. "Uncle stole my pancake before, remember?"


    "Ah¡ª" Vernon remembered the first time he encountered his feisty little niece, and they were fighting over a te of pancakes.


    Mackie pushed her pancake away from Uncle Vernon, afraid that her Big bad Uncle would steal again, much to Vernon''s annoyance.


    Chloe giggled and tried to get up despite feeling too full, "I will make another one for you, Vernon."


    "No need!" Vernon stopped Chloe. "Just sit there and rest until you don''t feel bloated. You''ve eaten a lot for breakfast today."


    "But, you''re not feeling full, right?"


    "I can grab a snack on my way, or I can just call Diamond," Vernon said. "Just make sure to cook two portions for lunch."

 278 Chapter 278

    "I can grab a snack on my way, or I can just call Diamond," Vernon said. "Just make sure to cook two portions for lunch."


    Vernon got up from the chair and headed to his bedroom to prepare himself for work. He picked the formal outfit that Chloe had prepared on the sofa and entered his room.


    Mackie finished her pancake and drank the rest of the banana-apple juice before jumping off the chair. She walked towards her Mommy and hugged her waist;


    "Mommy, I''m so happy today!"


    "Really? Because you ate with Uncle Vernon again?"


    "Um¡­ that''s one thing. But seeing you eating a lot makes me really happy! You can eat Mackie''s food as much as you want, Mommy!" Mackie said. "I feel really sad when I saw you eating so little. So if you can eat like this everyday, you will make Mackie happy everyday!"


    Chloe was stunned by her daughter''s statement. It was so innocent and warmed her heart.


    She knew that Mackie was a smart little girl, but she didn''t expect Mackie to be sopassionate.


    She always thought that her daughter was simply a little girl who was ignorant of everything.


    But it didn''t seem to be the case because her daughter could sense the distress and depression that Chloe had experienced so far.


    ''Ah, I''m about to tear up¡­.''


    Chloe rubbed her daughter''s head carefully and replied, "Then Mommy will try to make you happy every day."


    "Yayyy! Mommy is the best!" Mackie tiptoed and kissed her Mommy''s cheek before going down to prepare herself for school.


    Chloe stared at the dirty tes on the dining table, and a smile slowly bloomed on her lips, "Ah, I feel so peaceful right now. Is this what it feels like to have aplete family?"


    Chloe lifted her gaze and stared at Vernon''s bedroom door, "To have a man who loves me tenderly. It feels like heaven¡­."


    **


    Chelsea threw herself on the bed after a long day at school. She had so much headache right now.


    She was dealing with a lot in life currently. She was overworked and underpaid as an elementary school teacher, and her mother''s health started deteriorating because of that whore Chloe''s actions.


    Usually, she could handle those two problems, but things worsened after she had a fight with Chloe in the grocery store a few days ago.


    Because her four sons acted weird after the incident.


    They became distant and looked at Chelsea¡ª their own mother as if they were looking at a monster that would eat them.


    They became quiet and rarely bugged Chelsea for the most random topic ever, something they used to do before that ident.


    In short, they simply became reluctant to get close to their mother, and the more Chelsea saw this, the angrier she got over time.<sub> </sub>


    Chelsea was staring at the ceiling fan while lying on her bed. She gritted her teeth and med one woman for making her life even more difficult, "It''s all because of that whore, Chloe. She''s trying to taunt me until I''m angry andshed out at her!"


    "She''s a maniptive whore. Why did Vincent married her in the first ce? Obviously, he is too good for her!" Chelseained. "There are a lot of better women for him. A strong woman who can handle him and support his work!"


    One thing that kept bugging her was that Vincent decided to settle down with Chloe.


    Chelsea knew that Chloe was gorgeous when she was young. But that shouldn''t be a reason for Vincent to marry her because Vincent was the Master of the Gray family. He could even marry a supermodel if he wanted to!


    Chelsea had to admit that her resentment towards Chloe stemmed from the fact that Chloe dated and married the best bachelor ever, Vincent Gray.


    Chelsea saw him for the first time when Chloe brought Vincent to their shabby apartment, and she was instantly awed by his look.


    Vincent had that handsome and gentle aura. Chelsea''s heart was beating like a drum whenever Vincent smiled at her.


    p He even spoke like a real gentleman, soft-spoken towards Chelsea''s family but firm and could be harsh to his chauffeur or bodyguard.</anda>


    He was the perfect man for Chelsea¡ª and for many women in this world.


    His eyes were only for Chloe, no matter how many times Chelsea tried to strike up a conversation to warm up her rtionship with Vincent, but that perfect man kept mentioning Chloe in their conversation, giving no chance for Chelsea to crawl inside his heart to rece Chloe''s position.


    Thus, a seed of jealousy towards her little sister sprouted in Chelsea''s heart, which would bloom into an ugly flower as time passed.


    ''This is all because she doesn''t let me have my chance. She kept upying Vincent, even though I already hinted that I want to have my chance to be with him as well!''


    Chelsea knew it was childish of her to throw a tantrum at this age. She was already 36, yet her love and worship towards Vincent never dissipated.


    But she would go insane if she had nobody to me, especially when she had to work and care for her sick mother, four sons, and Tommy¡ª her husband. He was barely earning any money since he was working odd jobs outside.


    She hated everything, especially because she wasn''t married to a rich man like Vincent. Thus, she had to bear living in poverty, barely able to cover her family expenses.


    If it hadn''t been for Vincent''s generosity in giving her family an allowance every month, they would be living in the street now.


    "Ah¡­ if only I can have a perfect husband like Vincent Gray. My life would''ve been a lot easier and happier," Chelsea said. She started imagining Vincent''s face on the ceiling, smiling at her with his gentlemanly smile as he called her name¡ª


    Ding-Ding!


    Chelsea snapped out of her daze when she heard her phone''s text ringtone. She grabbed her phone to check the sender, and her expression brightened when she saw the name.


    ¡ª


    From: Mr Handsome Vincent.


    ¡ª

 279 Chapter 279

    Ding-Ding!


    Chelsea snapped out of her daze when she heard her phone''s text ringtone. She grabbed her phone to check the sender, and her expression brightened when she saw the name.


    ¡ª


    From: Mr Handsome Vincent.


    Good evening, Chelsea.


    Mom said you had a fight with Chloe in the grocery store a few days ago. Are you okay?


    ¡ª


    Chelsea''s cheeks reddened as she read the text, a smile bloomed on her lips, and all the gloomy clouds hovering above her head were swept away instantly.


    Mr Vincent Gray, the billionaire and the Master of the famous Gray family, personally sent her a text to ask about her condition.


    Well, this wasn''t the first time. Vincent texted many times in the past, but that was all because he asked about Chloe.


    Vincent constantly monitored Chloe whenever she visited her family''s house and always chatted with Chelsea to ask for an update.


    Chelsea couldn''t help but get jealous most of the time, but chatting with a handsome billionaire was like a dreame true, so she helped Vincent take pictures of Chloe in the house.


    As long as there was no man other than Tommy in the house when Chloe and Mackie were visiting, Vincent would be happy and send some money to Chelsea as a reward.


    Thus, despite chatting many times, this was the first time Vincent texted her to ask about her condition, not Chloe.


    Chelsea was thinking of a proper answer for a while until she typed;


    ¡ª


    To: Mr Handsome Vincent


    p I''m okay, Vincent. Thank you for asking.</anda>


    It''s Chloe who taunted me first, saying that I''m just a poor woman who doesn''t deserve to shop in the same grocery store as her.


    Then she was also the one who attacked me first. I was just defending myself and my four sons!


    You should see their expression, that bitch¡ª my sons are terrified of her!


    ¡ª


    Chelsea sent the text and waited for an answer for at least fifteen minutes, but there was no notificationing in.


    She was disappointed. She really thought that Vincent would ask more about her condition. It would definitely make her happy for a whole week if he sent another text to her just to encourage her.


    She sighed and threw her phone in the drawer beside her bed. She closed her eyes, wanting to rest for an hour at least.<sub> </sub>


    ''But I still have to clean the house and cook dinner for Mom and the kids¡­'' Chelsea thought. She also remembered the unfinishedundry because she barely had enough time to wash them.


    ''Ah, my life is so difficult. What did I do wrong to have such a hard life?'' Chelseained. ''Why can''t I have Chloe''s life? She is living a great life with Vincent. She has huge mansions, maids, chauffeur, expensive car, and to top it all off¡­ She has a perfect husband, rich, understanding, and gentlemanly.''


    ''Maybe that''s why she became a fat shit a few years back, it''s because she became sozy and wasted Vincent''s money for expensive food! What an ungrateful bitch, ugh!''


    The more Chelseapared her life with Chloe, the more she felt the growing resentment in her heart. And the resentment grew over time, turning into blind hatred towards Chloe.


    "Vincent is single now, but what could I do? I''m not young anymore, and I have four kids. If he ever moved on from that whore Chloe, he''ll probably marry a younger woman from his elite circle instead," Chelsea said. "Ah, why can''t I have my happiness? I want Vincent to marry me instead¡­."


    Chelsea continuedmenting about her fate until her phone rang from a call.


    She clicked her tongue annoyedly and grabbed her phone, "Is it Tommy? What does he want this time? Another pocket money because he hasn''t earned enough?"


    Chelsea checked the caller''s name and her eyes sparkled once more. Her body shook out of excitement for a second, and she quickly answered the call;


    ¡ª


    "Good evening, Chelsea."


    Chelsea heard the soft but manly voice of a man on the phone. She was about to jump out of happiness, but she tried to hold herself and stammered, "H-h-h-hello, Vincent. Good um¡­ evening¡­."


    "You sound nervous, are you okay?" Vincent asked out of concern. "Are you outside? Be careful, it''s already dusk."


    "N¡ªNo, I¡­ I''m in my house. I was just shocked because you called me¡­." Chelsea replied shyly.


    "I see. I was shocked when I read your text, so I thought I should call you to check your condition," Vincent replied in his gentle tone. "Did you get hurt somewhere when fighting with Chloe?"


    Chelsea paused for a second, thinking whether she should lie or not.


    But her answer would affect Vincent''s favorability towards her.


    The truth was¡­ Chelsea suffered no scar, no internal injury, nothing¡­


    Because she knew that Chloe didn''t attack her at all. All Chloe did was yanked Chelsea''s hair to stop her from attacking. Chloe also tried to cover her face with one hand to defend herself.


    ''If I told him the truth, he would think that I''m the one vicious one¡­'' Chelsea thought. ''In my defense, I attacked her because she keeps taunting me. She keeps acting like an angel in front of the kids, even though I know that she isughing at me in her head!''


    Thus, Chelsea had to change a bit of the story to fit the narration for herself;


    "Well¡­ I don''t have a visible injury. But she punched me a few times in my stomach. I''ve been feeling pain on my left nk because of the attack. I kept telling her to stop, but she refused until the security separated us¡­."


    "I see¡­" Vincent''s voice became solemn instantly as if all the gentle and warming voice Chelsea had heard before was just an illusion to charm her.


    "Then, I will have to take responsibility as her husband. I will cover for the damage and injury, since she is the one who attacked you," Vincent said. "I will send you ten thousand dors, is that enough?"

 280 Chapter 280

    "Then, I will have to take responsibility as her husband. I will cover for the damage and injury, since she is the one who attacked you," Vincent said. "I will send you ten thousand dors, is that enough?"


    Chelsea almost jumped out of fright when she heard the amount of money.


    "W¡ªWhat is that for?" Chelsea asked nervously.


    "Hm? Forpensation, of course," Vincent still replied solemnly. The more their conversation continued, the more pissed off Vincent sounded in Chelsea''s ears.


    "My wife has hurt you. Of course I have to give youpensation for the injury," Vincent exined. "Is it too little? I can double that amount if you want."


    "No need! That''s more than enough!" Chelsea replied.


    Of course, she could ask more from Vincent, and the billionaire wouldn''t even bat an eye for the amount.


    But she didn''t want to be seen as a gold digger, despite wanting more. But that amount should be enough for her family¡ª no, for herself at least.


    She could use that money to treat herself to nice things, right?


    "Okay, my secretary will send the amount to your bank ount. Once again, I apologize for my wife''s action, and please take care of yourself, okay?" Vincent said, with his tone returned to his normal gentlemanly self.


    "T¡ªThank you, I didn''t expect you to give me so much money¡­." Chelsea said.


    "It''s fine. You can use the money to take care of your family, or maybe treat yourself a bit? After all, you''re a housewife. I know how difficult it is to take care of a family. That''s why I never yelled at Chloe when she messed up."


    Vincent''s words were like rain that wet her dry heart. Her married life with Tommy had been so dry over the years. Tommy didn''t give her enough money and not enough attention and gratitude for all the sacrifices that Chelsea gave for him.


    ''Ahh¡­ Vincent is so sweet. He is so gentle and understanding to his wife. It''s just that bitch Chloe who doesn''t know how to be grateful!'' Chelsea kept on cursing at Chloe in her head. It was one of her favorite activities right now.


    Chloe had fallen out of favor. She ran away from Vincent because she was a whore who wanted to taste a new dick.


    That narration made Chelsea feel better because now she knew she was better than Chloe.


    "Okay then, I''ll hang up now. I still have work to do, please take care. Bye."


    "B¡ªBye, Vincent, thank you for the money¡­."


    Beep.


    Chelsea waited for about five minutes when she got the notification from her mobile banking that she had just got ten grand from Vincent.


    "Damn, he is serious aboutpensation¡­." Chelsea checked her bank ount twice to ensure she saw it right.


    "He''s such a gentleman, hihi~," Chelsea giggled as she rolled on the bed joyfully.


    She felt like a teenager being pampered by the richest boy in her school!


    "If only I could have him all by myself. My life would be a lot easier. I can be rich without needing to work, and I have a handsome husband who would pamper me every night, kyahh!" Chelsea squealed like a teenage girl out of excitement.<sub> </sub>


    Chelsea continued rolling around until she stopped abruptly, "Wait¡ª Chloe has run away from Vincent. If Vincent still loves her, he will eventually move on, right?"


    "That means I might¡­ I might have a chance on him!" Chelsea stated. She knew the chance was slim because Vincent could always find a more suitable woman outside.


    "But Vincent is a perfect man. He is very loyal to Chloe. So if he falls in love with me, doesn''t that mean he will devote himself all for me?"


    The idea of being Vincent''s wife started seeping into Chelsea''s mind. She started imagining all the splendor she could have if she had married Vincent.


    Thus, after a not-so-careful consideration, she said, "Okay, I need to take a careful approach so I can crawl into Vincent''s heart and make him forget about that whore!"


    After being certain of her n, Chelsea started imagining Vincent kissing her gently while whispering many sweet things in her ear and giggling like a mad woman.


    **


    Beep.


    Vincent hung up the call with Chelsea after getting some information from her.


    He clenched his phone until the veins around his hand were showing. His previously gentle expression turned really ugly to the point that he wanted to chew someone for dinner.


    "That lying bitch¡­." Vincent cursed in a low voice. "Did she really think I would believe her? Chloe is a submissive woman by nature. She will never attack anyone, and she will never taunt someone, especially not her own family."


    Vincent naturally knew many things about Chloe since they were husband and wife. She knew her habit and how much she loved her family.


    Initially, he contacted Chelsea to gain more information about their fight. He wanted to use the fight to make Chelsea, and her family hate Chloe even more.


    But he didn''t even need to try to break them off.


    Because Chelsea ndered his wife so hatefully, that triggered a new mood in Vincent''s heart.


    He felt¡­ angry.


    Really angry.


    He didn''t understand how he could develop this feeling of anger and annoyance upon hearing the nder from Chelsea''s mouth. But right now, he wanted nothing other than ripping that bitch''s mouth for speaking shit!


    Vincent tried to curb his unreasonable anger, but he couldn''t. His heart was burning with anger, so he went to the bathroom to wash his face and cool himself.


    Vincent stared at the mirror and gritted his teeth when he realized the feeling of anger hadn''t dissipated at all.


    "Why are you feeling angry, huh?" Vincent asked himself. "Shouldn''t you be happy that everyone hates Chloe now? She will have nowhere to go, and will eventually return home."


    "Isn''t that what you want, Vincent Gray?" Vincent waited until the anger subsided, but he couldn''t. He got even angrier because he might have¡­ just a little¡­ wanting to protect Chloe.

 281 Chapter 281

    "Isn''t that what you want, Vincent Gray?" Vincent waited until the anger subsided, but he couldn''t. He got even angrier with the fact that he might have¡­ just a little¡­ wanting to protect Chloe.


    Vincent was surprised by his own feeling because he thought it was stupid.


    So weak.


    So stupid.


    So pathetic.


    Vincent scoffed as he ridiculed himself, "Vincent Gray, isn''t that a bit funny to hear? You¡ª the Master of Gray family, the billionnaire that everyone loved, actually wanted to protect your stupid, worthless wife?"


    Why?


    Vincent continued thinking the whole ordeal was pretty funny. He just wanted to ensure that Chloe would return to him sooner orter by her desperation because she had nowhere else to go.


    He wanted to make her kiss his feet and begged like a discarded whore on the street because he was her only savior.


    So far, the n seemed to be working smoothly. He had sessfully cut contact with everyone around Chloe, forcing her into prostitution by hiding behind this unknown millionaire for now.


    Vincent exited the bedroom and sat on the bed. He was in his bedroom right now, and contrary to people''s expectations, he was all alone.


    He could always call a woman to apany him for the night, but he never had the urge after Chloe left.


    It was weird because he went full throttle when Chloe was around.


    But now, when she left him, he just had no urge.


    Most of the time, he finished himself by masturbating while staring at a few framed pictures of him and Chloe.


    Vincent scoffed again, "Ah, isn''t that a bit stupid? Why am I jacking off to that filthy woman? She is not even beautiful."


    "Maybe I just need her here. I can get off by looking at her dramatic freakout," Vincent chuckled out of amusement. "I still remember how funny and dramatic she was when I fucked a new woman in the living room while she was breastfeeding baby Mackie."


    Vincent stared at the big framed picture above the TV. It was their wedding photo, and just as he said before, Chloe looked gorgeous in that photo.


    She was wearing a white wedding dress, holding a bouquet of roses and hugging Vincent''s arm with the other.


    Her doe eyes were bright and full of happiness, a trait that Vincent hadn''t seen for years.


    Vincent''s eyes deepened with malice as he kept staring at Chloe''s picture.


    "I don''t understand why you are overreacting about all this? You should be happy that I invited you to see some of my side-chicks. That means I''m introducing you to them, so they know that they shouldn''t wish to be my wife, because I have one," Vincent said. "After all, they are all just discardable side pieces, you should be proud to be my only wife."


    Vincent still didn''t understand Chloe''s line of thinking. She should be happy to bear his surname and that he was loyal to her.


    He was everything she could ever wish for.


    Yet, she left without reason.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. I''m a very amicable man. I will forgive you as long as you admit that you''re just a nobody without me," Vincent said. "This might as well be an interesting game to spice up our married life."


    Vincent went out of the bedroom and headed to the dining room.<sub> </sub>


    As usual, the cooks had prepared everything for Vincent. He had hired the best cooks and even a chef from a Michelin-star restaurant to cook him dinner.


    But when he sat and took a light sip of the soup, he paused and then put the spoon back.


    He nced at the maid standing stiff in the corner of the dining room.


    "You,e here," Vincent ordered.


    The maid jolted. She was scared that her boss mightsh out at her. He was usually very calm and controlled most of the time. But when it was about dinner, he wouldn''t hesitate to berate or fire people in front of him.


    The maid braced herself and walked towards Vincent.


    "Who made this soup?" Vincent asked.


    "T¡ªThat would be the new chef you just recruited, Master Gray¡­" the maid replied weakly.


    "I see¡­" Vincent grabbed the ceramic bowl and smashed it on the floor until it shattered.


    CRACK! CRUNCH!


    The maid jolted when she saw the bowl shattered into pieces on the floor.


    Vincent continued tasting the rest of the food on the table. He never actually requested expensive food. He just requested home cooking, food that was akin to being cooked by regr housewives.


    He tested the chicken, the fish, the sd, and even mashed potatoes, and he dropped every ceramic te and bowl to the floor.


    CRACK! CRUNCH!


    CRACK! CRUNCH!


    CRACK! CRUNCH!


    The maid''s body trembled. She was so close to shrieking because Master Gray''s expression was nothing but terrifying.


    Master Vincent Gray wasn''t really a man who would yell or scream when he was mad.


    He would rather show his displeasure with his face, which was damn effective. Because everyone was absolutely terrified of him.


    He used to be fairly reasonable when the house mistress, Mrs Chloe Gray, was still around.


    He dumped all his displeasure and bullied Mrs Chloe Gray until she couldn''t handle it and often cried hysterically.


    All the maids knew about it and even often saw Mrs Gray''s hysterical cries.


    But they did nothing because Master Gray told them not to bother with her. Apparently, he said that Mrs Gray was just a crazy bitch, and that was all about her.


    However, when Mrs Gray finally left the mansion, the title of crazy was better suited for Master Gray now.


    He became so unreasonable, unpredictable, erratic and yelled at everyone. He also fired so many people, dramatically increasing the turnover of the maids in this mansion.


    After shattering all the ceramic and ss bowls and tes on the floor, he asked the maid with a thin smile, "Now, do you understand what I''m hinting on here?"

 282 Chapter 282

    After shattering all the ceramic and ss bowls and tes on the floor, he asked the maid with a thin smile, "Now, do you understand what I''m hinting at here?"


    The maid gulped. She looked down to stare at the amount of shattered ceramic and ss on the floor, with all the food that had been carefully crafted by a popr Michelin chef that got hired two days ago.


    "Do you get the hint?" Master Gray asked her for the second time.


    "Um¡­ I-i-it means the chef doesn''t do a good job¡ª"


    Vincent clicked his tongue and mmed the table.


    "WRONG!" he shouted, and the maid shrieked in fear. She stepped back and slipped on the food until she fell on her butt.


    Her palm identally pressed on a piece of broken ss and stabbed her until blood started trickling down from her palm to the floor.


    However, she was too terrified of Master Gray''s wrath that she didn''t even feel the physical pain on her palm.


    "That means none of you did a good job!" Vincent yelled. "Didn''t I tell all of you to taste the food first before serving it to me?"


    "W¡ªWe tasted it, Master¡ª"


    "Then your tongues are all cheap, and broken!" Vincent continued berating the maid. "It tastes like dog food! How dare you serve me with dog food?! Damn, I didn''t know that I''m hiring so many trash dogs in my mansion!"


    The maid lowered her head and continued listening to Master Gray''sint.


    This often happened after Mrs Gray left the mansion. He rarely ate any food cooked by Mrs Gray and would often insult her for no real reason.


    But after her departure, he suddenly had the urge to eat dinner every night at the mansion. If he was in a bad mood, he would suddenly say the food was trash, fire the chef and even all the cooks.


    The chef had the highest turnover rate to the point that the head maid had to hire a new chef weekly.


    So the problem wasn''t the food. The chef delivered the food really well, but Master Vincent Gray just wanted to have someone he could abuse.


    Since Mrs Gray wasn''t here anymore, he abused everyone instead.


    ''How I wish Mrs. Gray could be here to protect us and take the beating instead¡­'' the maid thought.


    Vincent ordered, "Fire that chef and try a female chef instead. Maybe they can actually make good home cooked food. Seriously, why can''t nobody make a dinner that is simr to my wife''s cooking? What''s so hard about making some simple homemade food? You are all fucking useless!"


    He left the dining room and walked to his home office to spend time reading a few documents. It was the only way for him to keep his mind busy.


    He sat in his chair and read a few documents, and then he heard a knock on the door.


    "Master Gray, there is a guest at the gate. He wants to have an audience with you. His name is Mr. Gregory Maxwell," the maid said behind the door.


    Vincent''s mood eased a little once he heard this. Thus he replied, "Let hime to my office. I''ll deal with him myself."


    Vincent waited for about twenty minutes until he heard another knock on the door, and the maid opened the door carefully.


    "Master Gray, Mr. Gregory Maxwell is here."<sub> </sub>


    "Let him in."


    Gregory Maxwell slowly entered the home office of Vincent Gray, the Master of the Gray family.


    He saw Mr Vincent Gray sitting on the chair, still wearing a formal shirt and trousers, still reading a document.


    "G¡ªGood evening, Sir," Gregory Maxwell greeted first, and Vincent gave him a quick nce before returning to read his document.


    "Sit down," Vincentmanded, and Mr Maxwell sat obediently.


    They were inplete silence for a while because Vincent was still reading his document, and Gregory was too nervous to start the conversation, despite being twenty years older than Vincent.


    After all, Vincent Gray was far more ruthless than Vaughn Gray in any way.


    Vaughn could be bribed by women. He would be in a better mood after he fucked a new beauty, but that didn''t work with Vincent.


    Vincent was immune to any kind of bribery. He would fuck the beauty offered but still go on his ruthless way for business.


    Vincent finished reading one document, then took off his sses and stared at Gregory Maxwell, an old colleague of histe dad¡ª Vaughn Gray.


    Mr Maxwell had been cooperating closely with thepany for at least twenty years. In fact, if it wasn''t for Vaughn¡ª and now Vincent''s generosity, Mr Gregory Maxwell would never be this rich.


    He was basically a millionaire because he sucked up to the Gray family. With somepetence, he could rack up his wealth over twenty years.


    Too bad it would end soon.


    "Mr. Gregory Maxwell."


    "Y¡ªYes!"


    "May I know why you came to my mansion? I don''t remember inviting you here," Vincent asked, still with his smile that always scared everyone facing him.


    Mr Maxwell gulped nervously. He came here because he got the letter from Vincent Gray''s secretary, stating the one-sided termination of cooperation between thepanies.


    Despite being a sessful businessman, he knew hispany would crumble in less than a year without Gray''s family. Vincent''s giant enterprise was the main client that generated at least 80% of thepany''s ie. Vincent was also the main shareholder.


    He was shocked by the sudden termination because everything seemed to be working just fine as much as he remembered.


    The business was booming as always, and under Vincent''s great management, all the project partners earned a lot of profit from his various businesses.


    So why?


    Why did Vincent suddenly terminate their partnership? Theirpanies had been together for twenty years!


    "That¡ª I wonder if there is a problem with our business. Because I got the news a few days ago that our long-time partnership got terminated," Mr Maxwell said. "Please tell me if there is something wrong, I will fix it immediately."

 283 Chapter 283

    "That¡ª I wonder if there is a problem with our business. Because I got the news a few days ago that our long-time partnership got terminated," Mr Maxwell said. "Please tell me if there is something wrong, I will fix it immediately."


    Vincent didn''t reply immediately due to a few considerations.


    If he had to be honest, he deposed Gregory Maxwell not only because of Chloe''s problem, though that was the main use.


    But this 50-something man had been working with thepany for over two decades. Vincent also noticed a few times he was cutting corners by supplying Vincent''spany with products made with cheaper materials.


    Gregory Maxwell was the one who supplied the main materials for the snack and beverage package. One of the Gray family''s main businesses, owned and controlled by Vincent (previously Vaughn), was a multi-billion dor snack and beveragepany on par with Pepsi.


    He had a fewints from the quality control, saying the quality of the cans and stic wasn''t as good, and the leading supplier was this old man in front of him.


    Vincent took a new document from one of the drawers and put it on the desk. He slid it towards Gregory Maxwell and said, "Mr Maxwell, this is theint I''ve gotten from the quality control. They said the quality of the beverage cans and snack packaging weren''t as good as they used to be, even though I have never given the order to reduce the quality of the material."


    Gregory Maxwell picked the document and got even more nervous once he read the content.


    Because the quality control tantly showed the reduced quality, he knew well that he was the reason.


    He had been cutting corners and did it because he wanted to expand his business.


    He thought Mr Vincent Gray wouldn''t notice it since the quality of the material had just been downgraded a bit.


    But Vincent lived up to his name as the Master of the Gray family. He had full control over everything and wouldn''t let even a small corruption off of his viper eyes.


    "Mr. Gregory Maxwell, you have been cutting corners by reducing the material quality, haven''t you?" Vincent said. His viper-like eyes petrified the old man instantly, and the old man''s back started sweating.


    "T¡ªThat¡ª that must be one of the managers!" Gregory Maxwell tried to defend himself. "I''ve never once thought about doing this kind of dishonest thing!"


    "After all, I''ve worked with your dad for ten years, and then with you for ten more years! Ourpanies are tightly knit!" Gregory Maxwell continued, hoping that Vincent would eventually soften on him. "I promise that I will find the culprit behind this. Don''t worry, by the end of the week, all the material supplied will return to normal, with great quality as well!"


    Vincent knew that Mr Maxwell was just trying to save hispany. Because without their cooperation, Mr Maxwell''spany would crumble in less than a year.


    Of course, Vincent could always forgive what he did, and business would continue as usual.


    But, he wanted to use this old man as a catalyst to hunt all those millionaires and see which one dared to hide his wife.


    "Mr. Maxwell, you don''t need to hide it. I know that you''re the one who''s telling your management to start cutting corners. While I think it is very disgraceful, it''s nothing severe," Vincent said. "We can always scrap this whole thing and pretend like nothing happened as long as you return with the original quality of the material provided."


    "T¡ªThen, am I forgiven?"<sub> </sub>


    "No," Vincent denied harshly.


    "But you said it''s not a big deal!" Gregory Maxwell grew increasingly desperate as time went on. He felt like Vincent Gray was leading him to confess.


    "I''m not terminating our long-time cooperation because of your petty crime," Vincent exined. "I did it because you''re one of the prime suspects of a crime much more severe."


    Gregory Maxwell was confused this time. As much as he remembered, he never did anything that could end him in jail. But if Vincent Gray said it, that meant there must be something.


    "M¡ªMay I know what it is?"


    Vincent went silent for a while. He sighed and flipped the small framed picture on the desk.


    Mr Maxwell saw the picture inside the frame. It was a picture of Vincent''s wife and daughter, Chloe and Mackenzie Gray.


    "Mr. Maxwell, do you know about my wife and daughter?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes, I know about them, Sir¡­."


    "Then, tell me what you think about them."


    Gregory Maxwell knew about them because he was invited to attend many events hosted by the Gray family. He attended Vincent and Chloe''s wedding ten years ago. He also saw Mackenzie running around in the hallway of the Gray mansion whenever he attended the Gray family''s event.


    Honestly, he was dazzled by Chloe''s beauty. When she was young, she looked like a goddess with her sweet smile. Even though she was still beautiful when she got fatter and then thinned.


    She rarely wore expensive jewelry, which gave off the aura of pure, untainted beauty.


    To sum it up, Mr Maxwell¡ª and many of the men who worked with the Gray family and knew about Chloe Gray were enchanted by her beauty.


    She was the kind of woman who would look beautiful despite her condition.


    Gregory Maxwell didn''t know why he had to tell Vincent his view about Chloe and Mackenzie Gray. He never even spoke to them!


    But Vincent Gray had always been unpredictable, and this was a perfect moment to suck up. As long as he could put Vincent in a good mood, he might have forgiven Gregory about everything!


    "So, what do you think about my wife and daughter?" Vincent repeated his question.


    "I think they are sweet and beautiful, Mr. Gray," Gregory Maxwell replied. "The first time I saw your wife was on your wedding day ten years ago. I remember she was so beautiful, with her doe eyes and sweet smile, she looked like a goddess."

 284 Chapter 284

    "The first time I saw your wife was on your wedding day ten years ago. I remember she was so beautiful, with her doe eyes and sweet smile, she looked like a goddess," Gregory Maxwell said.


    Vincent''s viper gaze deepened, full of malice, but Mr Maxwell was too engrossed in telling his story and trying to make it sound like Chloe was the best woman to ever grace the earth.


    "She is also very kind and gentle. Your wife makes all men wish they have her, and all women wish they are her," Gregory Maxwell said. "Mr. Gray, you''re one lucky man!"


    After he finished praising Chloe to the moon and back, he saw Vincent Gray smiling at him, but the smile didn''t reach his eyes. He looked so pissed off. His viper gaze showed that he wanted to curse Mr Maxwell for offending him.


    Gregory Maxwell didn''t know what he said wrong. Obviously, he wanted to give a favorable impression so Vincent would be happy, so he was visibly confused when Vincent got angry.


    "Mr. Gray, did I¡­ say something wrong?"


    Vincent said nothing.


    He got up from his chair and walked towards Mr Maxwell''s chair. He stood in front of the old man, and when Mr Maxwell wanted to get up from the chair, Vincent suddenly raised his leg and kicked the old man''s chest ruthlessly.


    "ARGH!" Mr Maxwell fell while he was still on the chair. He hit the floor face-first until he had a nosebleed.


    He got a concussion. He also had a throbbing pain in his chest that made him unable to breathe properly for a few seconds.


    Mr Maxwell yelled at Vincent, "W¡ªWhy did you kick me?!"


    "Because you dare to call my wife beautiful," Vincent replied coldly. "Nobody is allowed to call her beautiful. I want all of you call her as fat bitch, or whale. Whatever to humiliate her."


    Mr Maxwell didn''t understand why Vincent disliked seeing his wife being praised. He even went as far as wanting to humiliate his obviously beautiful wife.


    Shouldn''t he be proud to have a wife like Chloe? After all, she was also well-educated and seemed to be a good mother.


    However, Gregory Maxwell didn''t dare to ask because he was scared it might infuriate Vincent even more.


    Vincent walked towards Mr Maxwell, who was trying to avoid him by crawling away.


    Vincent stepped on his back to stop him from crawling and continued, "You want her, right?" Vincent used


    "W¡ªWhat?! I¡ªI never said that!" Gregory Maxwell denied it. He had plenty of mistresses already.


    And even if he found Chloe attracted, it wasn''t his style to go after someone''s wife. And he wasn''t stupid enough to go after Vincent Gray''s wife. That was basically suicide!


    Vincent didn''t know why he was so angry about this.


    He had long expected this old man would try to bootlick him by praising Chloe to the moon and back. So he shouldn''t be angry.


    But he could no longer bear it when Gregory Maxwell kept praising Chloe''s beauty.


    ''Even if what he said is true. That ungrateful bitch should not be praised for being beautiful. She is just a cheap woman I picked up in high school. She has no worth,'' Vincent thought.<sub> </sub>


    He tried to convince himself, thinking that was the best method to humble Chloe and make her obey.


    "You should never covet someone else''s wife," Vincent said. "I will never allow anyone to touch her. She is ugly, filthy, disgusting, and she is mine, do you understand that?"


    "I never want to covet your wife!" Gregory Maxwell tried to defend himself. He wanted to rify because Vincent Gray didn''t seem to be in the right mind.


    He seemed to havepletely lost it when they talked about Chloe Gray.


    "I know that you have a lot of mistresses, and you tend to keep your mistress in an apartment, right?"


    "I¡ªI didn''t¡ª ARGH!"


    Vincent pressed his shoe sole on the old man''s back until he groaned in pain, "Speak the truth, or you''ll never leave this mansion alive."


    Gregory Maxwell knew that Vincent wasn''t ying around, and he couldn''t fight back nor report that kind of death threat to the authorities. Because Vincent had way too much power, he could easily twist the fact to make Gregory be the suspect instead.


    "Yes¡­" Gregory Maxwell replied weakly. "I have many mistresses. But I will never covet your wife! I was just giving genuine praise to her¡ª ARGH!"


    Vincent pressed the sole harder until the old man felt his intestine squish.


    "Didn''t I tell you not to praise her?"


    "S¡ªSorry¡ª"


    "Tell me that she is disgusting."


    "She¡­ is filthy¡ª urk¡ª"


    Vincent lifted his feet after he saw the old man was about to puke out his dinner. He didn''t want a filthy thing to dirty his office.


    "Good, now we can have a proper conversation," Vincent said. He returned to his chair and sat leisurely while Gregory Maxwell tried to recover from the pain.


    Gregory Maxwell got up by holding onto the desk and then fixed the chair before sitting on it again. His whole body was still in pain, but he didn''t dare to show it because he didn''t want to anger Vincent even more.


    Vincent waited until Gregory Maxwell was ready for another conversation and said, "My ungrateful wife has run away from home. She is now living with a millionaire in New York. I''ve hidden my wife and children away from the media for so long, so the only people who can hide them are the ones who''ve seen them, and the culprit should be closely connected with Gray family."


    "You are one of the prime suspects, Gregory Maxwell," Vincent said. "You''ve known her since my wedding day. You have the habit of hiding your mistresses inside an apartment and visiting them one by one. You said it yourself that my wife is a beauty."


    "All you did so far only makes you more suspicious, Mr. Maxwell."


    ''Ah, so this is the real problem. He simply fucked my business because he wanted to

 285 Chapter 285

    "You''ve known her since my wedding day. You have the habit of hiding your mistresses inside an apartment and visiting them one by one. You said it yourself that my wife is a beauty," Vincent said. "All you did so far only makes you more suspicious, Mr. Maxwell."


    ''Ah, so this is the real problem. He simply fucked my business because he is suspicious of me.''


    Gregory Maxwell didn''t really understand what kind of ideas were guing Vincent Gray''s mind, or maybe there was apetitor who wanted to drag him down by using Vincent Gray''s anger and current unreasonable actions.


    ''Nevertheless, I need to keep my position. I cannot afford to lose the cooperation with the Gray family. Mypany has been relying way too much on them,'' Gregory Maxwell thought.


    He was still angry at Vincent, who dared to kick and step on him. But he knew his ce, he would never be on par with Vincent, so it was better to be subservient.


    "Mr. Gray, what you''re doing is throwing usations without any proof to me. What if it''s not me? Maybe it''s another millionaire that has worked with the Gray family for so long," Gregory Maxwell said.


    Vincent Gray smirked, "I know that I''m just throwing baseless usations on you. But I can flip yourpany upside down to find my family."


    "T¡ªThen if you don''t find them?"


    "Then I''ll leave. I''ll leave yourpany in shambles. You might file for bankruptcy in less than a year," Vincent said ruthlessly.


    Gregory Maxwell knew that Vincent Gray was a vicious man, but he was saying crazy things.


    ''Crap, if he really did that. I''ll really lose everything in less than a year,'' Gregory Maxwell thought. ''There must be someone who wants to drag me down. Was it someone in the Gray family? I know everyone who worked with this crazy family are all treacherous!''


    The old man didn''t want to be destroyed alone. If he had to suffer Vincent Gray''s craziness, he had to drag everyone inside their business circle!


    "Mr. Gray, I feel wronged with the usation. May I know if there is someone who has been giving you the idea that I''m the one who hides your wife? I bet it''s one of mypetitors, right?" Gregory Maxwell said as he got heated. "I know one of those scumbags is trying to use me so they can ruin my business!"


    Vincent had predicted everything, including the fact that Gregory Maxwell would feel wronged by the baseless usation.


    "I can''t tell you who gave me that information. But he is indeed someone from our business circle. He gave me all the information about millionaires who might''ve hid my wife and daughter," Vincent said. "I know my usation is baseless. But I still have the power to make you go bankrupt. So, let''s make a deal."


    "A¡ªA deal?" Gregory Maxwell had a bad feeling about this. He knew that Vincent Gray wouldn''t make a deal that wouldn''t benefit him, and he didn''t care if the other party would be at a disadvantage.


    "Yes, I will offer you a new contract tomorrow. Yourpany can work with me again, but only half of the previous portion from the old contract," Vincent said.


    "Why can''t I get the full work again?"<sub> </sub>


    "Because I''ve gotten another supplier," Vincent sighed. "You''re not the only one who wants to work with me. So I can only offer you half of your old contract."


    "That''s¡­"


    ''If I can only supply half of the material, that means my earning will be down by at least 40%. I can''t allow that to happen in the long run,'' Gregory Maxwell thought.


    "Mr. Gray, can I do something to get my old contract back? This will hit mypany severely!"


    "You can, and that will be included within the deal," Vincent smirked again. He grew more malicious as time went on. He saw the desperation in the old man''s eyes.


    ''Ah, truly, seeing someone so desperately clinging to me is a satisfying feeling to have,'' Vincent thought.


    "My deal is; Go use all of your connections to find that man who dared to hide my wife and daughter. You can use anyone in the business circle who might have seen Chloe and Mackenzie''s face."


    "But DO NOT let the media know about this, and you should not touch my daughter, who is still in school. I cared a lot about her," Vincent said, making sure the news didn''t leak to the public, or it would be a shame for the whole family.


    "If the news leaked to the media, I will make sure to destroy you and everyone in my list, bear that in mind."


    Gregory Maxwell swallowed his saliva nervously. The deal was a battle royale between all the millionaires working with the Gray family.


    They were going to use and fight each other just to desperately find who is the true culprit before all of them got a death sentence from the ruthless tyrant Vincent Gray.


    "So, do you ept the deal or not?" Vincent asked. "If you''re not going to ept it, then I''ll give all of your old contract to another man instead. They would be joyful to know that they''re going to be rich soon."


    Gregory Maxwell clenched his fist. He knew there was no way he could escape Vincent''s crazy agenda.


    So he nodded unwillingly, "I''ll try my best to find the culprit who hid your wife and daughter, Mr. Gray."


    "Good, I expect a good result. I will keep half of your regr supply to mypany until you can find the culprit. And don''t worry, you''re not the only one who will face me like this," Vincent said. "I will make sure to hunt whoever dared to hide my wife and daughter."


    Mr Maxwell got nervous since he knew that Vincent wasn''t ying around. However, he had one question left in mind.


    "Mr. Gray, what would you do to the culprit behind all this once you find him?"

 286 Chapter 286

    "Mr. Gray, what would you do to the culprit behind all this once you find him?" Mr Maxwell asked.


    "Hmm..." Vincent seemed to be thinking for a few seconds. "Death is too kind, that one is for sure."


    "I will not kill him, but I will make sure he wishes to die instead," Vincent replied calmly. "I will ruin his life, making sure he cannot financially recover. I will destroy all of his properties, and I will burn his family if I have to, leaving him a broken man without any family by his side."


    "Then, I shall make him die of overdose by supplying him with a lot of drugs while he is in his lowest state. He will die a pathetic man, and that should put a smile on me," Vincent started with a meaningful smile.


    ''I shouldn''t have asked....'' Gregory Maxwell thought. Because that n was so crazy and cruel, I thought it was befittinging from Vincent Gray.


    "So, you should know the punishment that you''ll get, in case it is proven that you''re the one who hid my wife and daughter, right, Mr. Maxwell?"


    Gregory Maxwell shuddered in fear. Even though it wasn''t him who hid Chloe and Mackenzie, just imagining the fate of that poor man already scared Mr Maxwell enough.


    He nodded quickly and got up from the chair, "Mr. Gray, if there is nothing I can do, may I excuse myself to leave?"


    "So quick? I was about to invite you to an evening snack," Vincent said. He smiled, but the smile was deep and malicious, forcing Gregory Maxwell to shake his head hard.


    "I--I dare not, Mr. Gray. I also have to meet my wife, she has been waiting for me," Mr Maxwell said, hoping it would be a good enough reason for Vincent to release him.


    Vincent chuckled and waved his hand, "You can leave now. Don''t forget to work hard if you don''t want yourpany to be ruined."


    "Y--Yes, Sir!"


    Gregory Maxwell sought out as he wanted to escape Vincent''s viper eyes as soon as possible. Just staying in the same room with Vincent made the old Gregory almost piss himself out of fear.


    ''I know he is crazy, just like histe dad. But I didn''t know that he can be a lot crazier when it''s about his wife and daughter,'' Gregory Maxwell thought.


    ''Now I understand why she ran away. If you have to live with a man like Vincent, you''d probably want to escape every single day.''


    Vincent watched the old man finally leave his office. He sighed and quietly picked up the framed picture of Chloe and Mackie on the desk.


    He smiled at the little girl in the picture, "Mackie, my princess, you should bear for a little longer, okay? Daddy is trying to punish your Mommy for being an ungrateful whore. You''ll understand Daddy someday."


    He then shifted his eyes towards Chloe, and the gentleness he showed to his daughter disappeared instantly.


    "And you, fat bitch. Look what you made me do. I have to go on my way to create this kind of borate n just to destroy the man who hid you," Vincent''s re became even more apparent the more he stared. As if he wanted to tear Chloe in half.


    "I will turn you into a pig once more, then you will never be able to escape. Know your ce, you''re my woman, you''re supposed to be beneath me."


    **


    Vernon arrived in his office around nine in the morning. Diamond was already sitting on her secretary''s desk, but Chloe was nowhere to be found.<sub> </sub>


    "Where is she?" Vernon asked before he entered his CEO''s office.


    "Mrs. Gray texted me, saying that she will bete because she still has to cook lunch for Mackie and you."


    "I see..." Vernon nodded. He walked to the CEO''s office door, but Diamond stopped him on his track.


    "Sir."


    Vernon halted his step, "What?"


    "I''ve received a little information about the attacker. Though I''m not sure if this would be enough since we''ve only investigated in less than a day."


    "Tell me now," Vernon said.


    Usually, he''d tell Diamond to go to his office for this kind of talk, but since there was no Chloe around, they could talk freely about this.


    Diamond took a deep breath. She knew that her homegirl might disapprove of this, and Chloe would probably hate her for snitching.


    But she was not a kind-hearted woman like Chloe. Once anyone dared to hurt her, Diamond would go on her way to hurt that person back as revenge.


    ''Gurl, I''m sorry about this. But you will never find justice if you don''t do anything. I know this will ruin your sister, but she got what she deserves,'' Diamond thought, hoping Chloe would forgive her if she got discoveredter.


    "Sir, the attacker''s name is Chelsea Davis, 36 years old. Her maiden name is Chelsea Carlson. She is the first daughter of Judith Carlson. She is also Chloe''s older sister."


    "She is working as a teacher in a public elementary school with a small wage. She has four sons, and they are all six years and younger. She doesn''t seem to be living happily because of all the mundane, yet troublesome things happening in her life."


    "I see..." Vernon wasn''t all that surprised by this. He knew that Chloe''s side of the family was struggling financially. Which was unusual.


    Usually, when someone marries the Gray family, that person and his entire side of the family get enough money to support afortable life.


    But it didn''t seem to be the case with Chloe''s family.


    However, he knew he still hadn''t gotten his full report and asked;


    "How about her husband?"


    "Ah, that is...." Diamond hesitated. Because she knew when she told her boss about Chelsea''s husband, Vernon would start thinking of a new idea to ruin Chelsea''s family.


    "Come on, Diamond. What are you hesitating about? I just need the full story before making a... fair judgment."

 287 Chapter 287

    "Come on, Diamond. What are you hesitating about? I just need the full story before making a¡­ fair judgment!" Vernon urged.


    Diamond zipped her lips tight while signaling Vernon to enter the CEO''s office.


    She was afraid that her homegirl would suddenly pop out from that elevator and hear what they were talking about.


    She wouldn''t be able to forgive herself if she saw the betrayed look in her homegirl''s eyes.


    Vernon was already impatient. He clicked his tongue as a sign of displeasure but understood the signal, "Fine,e in, and let''s discuss this inside my office."


    Vernon and Diamond entered the CEO''s office, and Vernon told Diamond to lock it, just in case Chloe might identally storm in.


    Vernon sat on his boss''s chair and put his hands on the desk. He stared at Diamond, standing straight in front of him, "Okay, you can speak now."


    Diamond sighed in relief.


    "Sir, I did a small investigation about Chelsea''s husband. His name is Tommy Davis, 40 years old," Diamond reported.


    "A small investigation?" Vernon frowned. "Would that be enough for me to make a fair judgment of what I should do next?"


    "Should be enough because there is nothing interesting about him other than this one fact that I discovered," Diamond said. She took another deep breath because the moment she opened her mouth and spilled everything, that would be the end of Chelsea''s small family.


    "Sir, Tommy Davis is an unemployed middle-aged man who works odd jobs that barely give him money. He is basically a deadweight for his wife," Diamond said. "And also, he cheats on her wife with a woman in her early twenties, presumably a college student."


    Vernon frowned upon hearing the information, "Are you sure about that? You''ve just investigated her family in less than 24 hours and you already uncovered that kind of secret?"


    "I am a hundred percent certain, Sir," Diamond confirmed. "And it''s not really a secret, because I discovered his affair while he was going to the crowded mall, watching some movies with his date."


    "I see¡­" Vernon nodded. "I got the gist now. I think I will use that bastard to hurt his wife."


    Diamond gulped. She had a few rough ideas about what her boss would do next.


    "May I know your n, Sir?"


    "Hm. I will send someone to attack Chelsea when she is on her way home, should be at dusk," Vernon said. "I won''t kill her or even gravely injure her. But I will instruct that guy to sh her cheek, so she will have a permanent scar that will make her face ugly."


    Diamond gulped. She knew that was a deserved revenge for what Chelsea did to Chloe, who wasn''t even trying to attack.


    But it was still scary to listen to.<sub> </sub>


    "Then, I will use her husband¡ª Tommy Davis. I will send someone to take a picture of him on his date with his girlfriend, and then use it to ckmail him."


    "I will force him to drop as much money as possible to empty his wife''s bank ount, or I will send the pictures to his wife," Vernon said.


    "And if he refused to send any money?" Diamond asked. As much as she remembered, Tommy Davis was literally broke 90% of the time. He was leeching off his wife''s sry.


    Working odd jobs in New York wouldn''t give you a lot, especially when you have a family to feed and a side chick to please.


    "That is still a win-win situation for me. His family will be torn apart if he gets discovered, and it will probably lead to divorce," Vernon replied. "After all, who would keep a deadbeat husband who''s leeching off of your wallet and still has the audacity to cheat?"


    ''But, how about her kids?'' Diamond wanted to ask that, but she refrained. She didn''t want to think too much of the aftermath because she knew damn well her boss didn''t give a shit about it.


    Diamond knew how ruthless Vernon could be, and he must be furious when he saw the wound on Chloe''s beautiful face.


    But no matter how ruthless he was, Diamond knew that her boss wouldn''t hurt the kids. After all, they were all innocent.


    ''I''m sorry, home girl. But I hope we can sort this outter. I hope I can help the kids with thepensation. But I will never allow anyone to walk free after inflicting horrible scars on your face!'' Diamond toughened herself.


    "Okay, I will start nning for it, Diamond. You can go out and resume your work as always," Vernon instructed. "And don''t you dare tell me¡ª I mean, don''t you dare tell Chloe about this. She is too timid. Too soft hearted. She would be mad at me if she knew I did something to her family."


    "Understood, Sir. Don''t worry, I will never tell her because I am also involved in this."


    Diamond and Vernon reached an agreement, something that rarely happened.


    Diamond finally left the office after she spoke about everything she knew, and she saw her boss started calling someone to deal with this.


    She unlocked and opened the door. However, when she went out, she stumbled upon Chloe standing in front of the CEO''s office.


    They were both startled and gasped at the same time.


    "H¡ªHomegirl, why are you here?" Diamond asked awkwardly. She quickly closed the door as she didn''t want Chloe to see or hear Vernon calling one of his subordinates to deal with Chelsea and Tommy.


    "Ah¡ª uhm¡­. I''m here to deliver Vernon''s lunch, of course¡­." Chloe replied. She noticed Diamond''s nervousness, and it got her wondering. "Diamond, are you okay? You look¡­ nervous."


    "Nervous? Who? Me? W¡ªWhy would I be nervous? There''s nothing to be nervous about, nothing at all!" Diamond was afraid that she would run her mouth and identally spill something.


    Usually, she was someone who could keep a secret and act very calm and collected in any situation. But when facing her homegirl after reporting her findings, she felt indescribable guilt that made her nervous.

 288 Chapter 288

    Usually, she was someone who could keep a secret and act very calm and collected in any situation. But when she faced her homegirl after reporting her findings, she felt indescribable guilt that made her nervous.


    "A¡ªAnyway, I have lots to do. So I better return to my desk and work!" Diamond said.


    "Okay, let me meet Vernon. There is something that I want to discuss with him," Chloe said. She stepped towards the CEO''s office door, but Diamond quickly blocked her.


    "L¡ªLet me confirm whether he is busy or not, girl!" Diamond said frantically.


    She opened the door and yelled loudly, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, Chloe is here to speak with you!"


    Vernon, who was still busy calling one of the executors, was surprised. He quickly ended the call and cleared his throat before confirming, "Let her in."


    Diamond sighed in relief.


    Really, they were just discussing how not to be discovered by Chloe, and they were so close to getting caught red-handed just now.


    She stepped out of the door frame and stared at her homegirl. She forced a smile and said, "He is free to meet you now, homegirl."


    ¡­


    Chloe definitely sensed there was something off with them today. Because Diamond looked so nervous, Vernon''s voice sounded nervous when he answered just now.


    ''Did they do something in private? Maybe Diamond and Vernon are¡­ nah, I don''t think that''s even possible, knowing how low Diamond''s opinion towards Vernon¡­'' Chloe thought.


    But she still had to confirm.


    After all, it would be a joyful asion if her little Vernon and best friend dated for real.


    Chloe would be their first supporter!


    Chloe entered the office and saw Vernon sitting on his chair with his back straightened. He looked so nervous, which had never happened before.


    Usually, he''d either slump on the sofa or lift his legs and rest them on the desk while calling someone on the phone.


    "Vernon?"


    "Y¡ªYes, Big sis¡ª" Vernon realized his mistake and fixed it immediately. "Yes, Chloe."


    Chloe got even more confused by his nervousness. Usually, when Vernon was guilty of something when he was a kid, he would call her Big sis and sit straight on a chair.


    He would listen to every scolding that Chloe gave him. He wouldn''t cry. Instead, he would look sad and feel guilty for the whole day.


    Chloe put Vernon''s lunch bag on the table and walked towards Vernon.


    Vernon''s breath stiffened instantly. He clenched his armrest, afraid that Chloe might''ve heard about what he was nning and would be mad at him.


    Vernon knew it was unnatural for him, a powerful CEO from the Gray family with great physical prowess and above 190 centimeters in height, to be intimidated by a petite sweetdy like Chloe.


    But he truly feared Chloe right now.


    To be scolded and hear his Big sis Chloe say, ''I''m disappointed in you, Vernon,'' was a childhood nightmare he didn''t want to repeat.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe noticed the nervousness immediately. He walked around the desk and stood beside Vernon, who was bound to his boss''s chair.


    "Vernon, are you okay? You look too nervous," Chloe asked. She gently put her hand on his shoulder, and Vernon jolted instantly.


    "Wha¡ª" Chloe took a step back out of reflex. "Vernon, did something happen while I was out?"


    Chloe didn''t want to assume. But the way Vernon jolted like he was about to get caught for doing a severe crime worried her so much.


    "N¡ªNothing, Big sis!" Vernon replied quickly. But he dodged Chloe''s eyes.


    ''Ah, he still keeps his old habit when he''s trying to hide something. He''ll try to dodge my eyes as much as he can, because he will eventually burst out crying when our eyes meet,'' Chloe thought.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes! Yes, I''m sure!" Vernon replied. "N¡ªNow, go sit on the sofa, or somewhere not too close to me!"


    ''Oh, it''s so obvious,'' Chloe thought. ''But I don''t want to embarrass him. So¡­''


    Chloe returned to the sofa and sat there, staring at Vernon, who was still sitting on his executive chair while doing his best to dodge her eyes.


    "Well, um¡­ Diamond said you want to meet me. Is there something I can help you with?"


    "Ah, before that¡­ did you and Diamond have a¡­ you know¡­ affair?"


    Vernon''s eyes widened instantly. She red at Chloe as if he had just been ndered and replied, "Why would I have an affair with Diamond? That''s gross!"


    "That''s not nice¡­."


    "I don''t care if it''s nice or not! Ugh, fuck, thinking about it seriously weirded me out!" Vernon was truly disgusted by the idea. Because he never actually saw Diamond as a potential partner.


    He saw her as a work partner as she waspetent and a quick thinker.


    "If it''s not about that. Then what makes you look so nervous?" Chloe wondered.


    "I¡ª" Vernon paused for a second. He was trying to find a good lie so Chloe would question no more. "I¡ª I''m thinking about surprising you with something¡­."


    "Me?!" Chloe''s doe eyes were staring at Vernon with sparkle. She tried to hold her excitement, but Vernon could see that Chloe was happy with the idea of surprise.


    "Y¡ªYou shouldn''t do something for me. It''s too much of a hassle, and you''re very busy too¡­." Chloe said.


    She tried to reject Vernon''s idea, but she was so happy inside that she wanted to jump and dance around right now.


    It had been ten years since she got a good surprise from someone. For the past ten years, Vincent only surprised her by fucking a random woman each time she caught him cheating, and he looked so proud of it.


    Vernon saw how happy Chloe looked, and he went along with it. This would also coincide with his agenda, as he had been nning to buy her something as gift and alsopensation for snapping at her many times before.


    "It''s not a hassle, Chloe! I''ve prepared the surprise, so you better expect something good this evening!"

 289 Chapter 289

    "Y¡ªYou shouldn''t do something for me. It''s too much of a hassle, and you''re very busy too¡­." Chloe said.


    "It''s not a hassle, Chloe! I''ve prepared the surprise, so you better expect something good this evening!" Vernon insisted.


    Chloe felt like she didn''t do anything to deserve a surprise. All she did was just work as a maid in Vernon''s apartment.


    ''Well, also his cook, his suit styler, and¡­ his bed warmer,'' Chloe counted all the work she had to do.


    But she would get paid by Vernon at the end of the year anyway, so she hadn''t done anything meaningful to Vernon.


    She was scared that Vernon might give her something expensive, so she said, "I¡ªIt''s not an expensive item, right?"


    "Nope, not at all," Vernon said. He was thinking of the gift he would have to purchase this afternoon and thought it was pretty cheap for someone so precious.


    ''Hmm, what counts as an expensive gift to her?'' Vernon asked himself. ''A yacht? A private jet? I think I have enough money to buy those if she wants me to buy them for her.''


    ''Nothing is expensive if that means I can make you happy, Chloe,'' Vernon said in his heart.


    "Y¡ªAre you sure it''s not expensive? I¡­ I don''t want you to spend a lot of money for me¡­."


    Vernon sighed, "Stop looking down on yourself. Besides, there is nothing expensive in my eyes. Just be expecting to have a nice gift for yourself this evening, and worry not, I won''t give you something too much."


    "Okay¡­" Chloe was relieved that Vernon promised to go a little cheap on her. She would feel extremely guilty if she got an expensive gift for doing nothing.


    Vernon watched Chloe looking shy when he promised her a gift. He was secretly d Chloe didn''t continue pestering him about what had happened between him and Diamond.


    ''At least I can divert her attention. I don''t know what I would do if Chloe got mad at me,'' Vernon thought. ''There''s nothing scarier and heartbreaking than seeing Chloe reprimanding me¡­.''


    "So, what do you want to talk about, Chloe?" Vernon asked. "I heard from Diamond that you have something to discuss."


    "Oh¡ª uhm¡­ I want to ask whether I can borrow more money from your ck card¡­." Chloe asked meekly. Of course, she could use Vernon''s money because everything would be billed by the end of the year anyway.


    But she was talking about BIG money! The amount of money that she never had cash on, and if she dared to spend this amount in front of Vincent, that bastard would probably call her a wasteful bitch.


    So, she thought she had to ask for permission first to avoid being yelled at.


    Vernon''s breath stiffened. He was about to get angry when Chloe asked his permission for such a thing.


    Because it always poked Vernon''s sore spot. He didn''t want to be looked down on by anyone, especially Chloe.


    But he knew that Chloe had a history with Vincent.


    Vernon didn''t know much about what Vincent did to Chloe. But he knew this habit of asking for permission must''ve stemmed from her experience with Vincent.


    So he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and asked, "What do you want to buy? And how much do you need?"<sub> </sub>


    ''Ugh, this is humiliating,'' Vernon thought. ''Why can''t you understand that I don''t give a shit how much money you spend! I became rich because of you!''


    Chloe was relieved that Vernon didn''t outright yell at her, which he often did whenever she asked for permission.


    "Well, um¡­ Mackie is going to have a drama y for the autumn festival in her school. She''s going to y as the Big bad wolf in the story of Three Little Pig," Chloe exined. "She is so excited for it, and she will start practicing for the drama today. I want to buy her something as a gift for her hard work."


    "So, um¡­ I want to borrow a lot of money from your credit card¡­."


    "How much?" Vernon started imagining a few possible numbers that should be enough for Mackie''s gift. ''I think twenty-thousand dors should be enough for a gift, right?"


    "Um¡­ t¡ªtwo thousand dors¡­." Chloe replied meekly, thinking it was a big amount since Vincent would never allow her to hold that much money and spend it all for herself.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Chloe raised her head, afraid that Vernon might''ve been angry with Chloe for spending that much money.


    What she saw was a slightly annoyed face, but nowhere near angry.


    "V¡ªVernon?"


    "Is this a fucking joke?" Vernon asked. He was trying hard not to roll his eyes when he heard the number.


    It was simply ridiculous! Why would you look so nervous for spending a mere two thousand dors?!


    "It''s not a joke¡­." Chloe replied meekly. "I want to buy Mackie a few things, such as an iPad and let her buy whatever she wants in the mall. It''s been a while since I bought her anything¡­."


    "I¡ªIs it too much? Then how about a grand? I think a thousand dor is enough¡ª"


    "No, it''s not that. It''s so ridiculous that I¡ª" Vernon facepalmed hard. "Just use whatever amount you need. I will give you that ck card so you can spend as much as you like."


    "I¡ªI would rather spend on necessary stuff¡­." Chloe said. She didn''t want to fall into the same trap twice.


    Vincent also gave her a ck card and told her to use it for whatever she liked. But Vincent would ridicule and even insult Chloe for using that card for anything other than groceries and buying Mackie''s stuff.


    Then, Vincent would use the ck card as an excuse whenever he made a mistake or got caught cheating;


    -


    ''Ohe on. I gave you my ck card. That should be enough to shut you up, right? That ck card doesn''t have a limit. So you can use it to buy anything you want.''


    -

 290 Chapter 290

    -


    ''Ohe on. I gave you my ck card. That should be enough to shut you up, right? That ck card doesn''t have a limit. So you can use it to buy anything you want.''


    ''You''re a woman, I know that you just want money. So just shut up and let me have fun outside. It''s not a big deal, and it won''t change a thing between us,'' Vincent said while he brought another woman into their bedroom.


    -


    Chloe didn''t want to experience that kind of situation anymore, to be looked down on because she used a man''s money...


    ''I''ll wait until I get my first sry by January, and then I will give this ck card back to Vernon and use that sry to start living frugally,'' Chloe fretted. ''After all, I don''t want to be charged 10x every time I have to use it.''


    Chloe shuddered when she imagined twenty-thousand dors down the drain because of that 10x charge policy implemented by Vernon.


    ''Damn it, now that I think about it, twenty thousand dors is way too much! I should''ve saved a lot, then I can buy something for Mackie after I get my first sry!'' Chloe quickly darted her eyes at Vernon and said;


    "V--Vernon, I think I''ll only need to borrow seven-hundred bucks. That should be enough to buy a new iPad for her--"


    SLAM!


    Chloe jolted when Vernon suddenly mmed the desk out of annoyance.


    "V--Vernon?"


    "I don''t understand why you kept talking about this? Didn''t I tell you just now, that you can use my ck card for anything you want!" Vernon yelled. "I don''t care what you buy. Heck, you can buy a literal private jet and I won''t bat an eye! Stop making it sound like I''m a stingy poor bastard!"


    ...


    ''Did he forget his own words? I will have to pay 10x of the amount I used in his credit card for any purchase outside of grocery...'' Chloe still remembered the agreement she made with Vernon when she was hired as his maid.


    Chloe lowered her head as she didn''t really know what to say to Vernon, and Vernon was caught off guard because he was acting out of emotion.


    He was slightly annoyed at first, but the more Chloe raised the issue about being frugal and not spending too much on his ck card, the angrier he got.


    ''Crap...'' Vernon regretted his action instantly and tried to backpedal. He lowered his voice and tried to soften it as he didn''t want to scare Chloe, knowing his history, Vernon often intimidated someone without even realizing.


    "W--What I mean is... I don''t care how much you spend. I gave that card to you. I know that all women are materialistic and only love their men because of their money. So I won''t question a thing about what you buy, okay?"


    Chloe''s heartbeat skipped for a second. She lifted her head again and saw Vernon trying to smile at her. Though, it looked like he was smirking rather than smiling...


    Chloe''s face visibly paled, and Vernon got even more worried. He felt like he was walking on an eggshell right now. No matter what he said, it would turn out to be wrong.


    "Chloe?" Vernon called her and waited for a response. "Is everything alright?"


    Chloe paused for a long while and nodded, "Everything is alright...."


    ''Okay, that''s definitely NOT alright. But I don''t know what I said wrong!'' Vernon thought.


    "Um... I''ll have to prepare for your lunch. Please excuse me," Chloe got up from the sofa and grabbed the lunch bag.


    "Wait--!"


    Chloe halted her step and turned her body to face Vernon, whose face looked so troubled, "Yes?"


    Vernon wanted to ask what he did or said wrong. Because the face that Chloe made when she was sad lingered in Vernon''s mind.


    But he knew he wouldn''t get any clear answer from Chloe if he simply confronted her.


    Thus he asked;<sub> </sub>


    "Did you make two portions of lunch for me today?"


    Chloe nodded in response.


    "Then prepare it on different tes and you should sit here to have lunch with me!" Vernon instructed.


    "That extra portion...."


    "Isn''t that obvious? Of course that''s your lunch!"


    "But I''m not hungry...."


    "I don''t care! You have to eat with me!" Vernon insisted, and Chloe had no way to refuse.


    Thus, she nodded reluctantly and left the CEO''s office.


    Vernon sighed in relief once Chloe left his office. He wanted to confront Chloe about her trauma. He asked her everything so there wouldn''t be any more misunderstanding between them.


    "But if I did, Chloe would just hide everything and be so defensive."


    ...


    "I really need someone who can give me advice on this," Vernon murmured. "Well, that''s supposed to be Shailene''s job. But that bitch seriously thinks that my Big sis Chloe is a pedophile and a maniptor."


    "I should probably find a new psychologist. But..."


    -


    ''I know you WILL return to me, I know that you picked me as your psychologist for this case because you''re not someone who can open up easily, especially to strangers,'' Shailene said back then.


    -


    Vernon hated to admit it, but it was difficult for him to open up. If he had to find a recement for Shailene, it would take him a long time to adjust and getfortable with that new psychologist.


    "Ugh, I feel like I''m stuck in a dead end. What could I do to make Chloe open up to me more?"


    **


    -


    I know that all women are materialistic and only love their men because of their money.


    -


    That sentence lingered in Chloe''s mind while preparing Vernon''s lunch.


    She put Vernon''s lunch in the microwave and closed the lid.


    Chloe saw her reflection on the microwave''s lid and paused while staring at herself.


    Her heart was heavy. Vernon''s words really hit her conscience until she was speechless.


    Vernon''s words offended... and saddened her at the same time.


    ''That is the same words said by Vincent back then....''

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    Vernon''s words offended¡­ and saddened her at the same time.


    ''That is the same words said by Vincent back then¡­.''


    Chloe had an almost photographic memory of all the terrible things Vincent had said and done to her for the past ten years. She remembered Vincent said that same sentence.


    Word by word, Vincent and Vernon literally said the same thing.


    Chloe knew that was bound to happen. After all, Vincent and Vernon were blood brothers and seemed to have a good rtionship. So it was bound to happen that they would share a simr way of thinking and a simr view of a woman.


    ''Both of them think that all women are only into money¡­'' Chloe sighed. ''I know that money is important. But is it enough to cover all the damages that have been done?''


    ''Dorothea doesn''t seem to be happy with all the money she has,'' Chloe often watched how Dorothea bought so many expensive things just for the sake of it. But no matter how much she tried to cover herself with gold, Chloe knew that deep down, Dorothea was depressed by how her husband cheated on her many times.


    ''I mean, I married a billionaire, which is the worst mistake in my life¡­.''


    ''Maybe I need to be as materialistic as Dorothea, so I can be happy with Vincent¡­ and Vernon¡­.''


    Chloe thought that Vernon would be different from Vincent. But it turned out he also had the same view.


    ''Maybe it''s just in their blood, they are a traditional family in a sense¡­'' Chloe tried to rationalize Vernon''s words, hoping it would mend the damage that had been done. ''It''s fine, you''re used to seeing a man who looks down on a woman like you. You experienced that for ten years anyway.''


    Chloe knew that deep down, she was angry and disappointed in Vernon. But she wasn''t the one who could reprimand him for his view.


    ''He''s an adult. He should''ve known better.''


    Chloe finished preparing for Vernon''s lunch, and she put it all in a tray.


    She walked past Diamond, who sensed the sadness in Chloe''s eyes, and she stopped Chloe abruptly, "Hold on Gurl. You look sad. What did he do to you?"


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe was surprised that Diamond noticed her sorrow even though she said nothing.


    But that shouldn''t be apliment because Chloe wasn''t good enough at masking her pain.


    "I¡ª"


    "Gurl, before you say there''s nothing wrong, you should''ve known that you''re not really a good liar," Diamond interrupted, ensuring that Chloe told the truth.


    Chloe zipped her lips immediately. She was about to lie, but Diamond must''ve been used to seeing her lying at this point.


    "I¡­ I''m just a little disappointed at Vernon¡­." Chloe said truthfully. "But it''s alright. It''s not my obligation to teach him. He''s already an adult."


    Chloe quickly left Diamond alone and then went inside Vernon''s office.


    Diamond watched Chloe''s back worriedly.


    ''That sorry excuse of a man must''ve said something hurtful again,'' Diamond theorized. ''He often said something that hurt others without realizing. And I know damn well it must''ve been so offensive.''


    Diamond knew that her boss didn''t seem to grasp how to be a proper gentleman who could care for ady, especially a frail one like Chloe.


    ''I have to ask him after this. I will give him a sh course on how to be a proper gentleman that won''t hurt a woman''s heart for at least an hour!''


    Chloe saw Vernon already sitting on the sofa while waiting for his lunch. It looked like he was pondering about something so heavy that he didn''t realize Chloe was already inside his office.


    Chloe walked towards Vernon and called him, "Vernon, I bring your lunch."<sub> </sub>


    "Huh? Ah¡ª okay¡­"


    Vernon snapped out of his daze. He was trying to recall all the words he said towards Chloe to find any w.


    But he couldn''t find any. He wasn''t trying to offend her at all!


    Vernon watched Chloe arrange the lunch on the table, "Alright, all done."


    "And where''s yours?" Vernon asked. He quickly grabbed Chloe''s wrist to make sure she didn''t escape.


    His eyes swept through the food on the table, scanning everything, and he realized there was no food for Chloe. "Didn''t I tell you we''re having lunch together?"


    Chloe kept her silence.


    She didn''t feel like having lunch with Vernon, at least not right now. Because what Vernon said reminded her of Vincent, and there was no way she would want to be in the same room as that guy.


    ''Besides, if I eat while thinking of Vincent. I will probably vomit everything I ate¡­.''


    "I¡ªI will eat outside¡­."


    "No, I want you to eat with me. Didn''t I make it clear before?" Vernon insisted.


    "I¡ªI''d rather eat alone for now¡­."


    "NO! Damn it, I told you that I want to have lunch with you! Why are you avoiding me?!"


    "I''m not avoiding you¡­."


    "YOU ARE AVOIDING ME!" Vernon raised his voice out of frustration, and he regretted it immediately. "L¡ªListen, I don''t know if I said something wrong before. But could you just let it slide? It''s nothing big after all, right?"


    Chloe darted her eyes at Vernon immediately. She was ring at Vernon, who dared to say it was ''nothing big.''


    "Vernon, release my hand now."


    Vernon was stunned by her re.


    It wasn''t scary. Chloe couldn''t be scary or intimidating with her doe eyes.


    But Vernon felt Chloe''s doe eyes were like a knife that stabbed his heart.


    "Chloe?"


    "Release my hand now. I will eat outside."


    ¡­


    "Vernon."


    "Urgh, damn it! Fine!" Vernon released Chloe''s wrist, and thetter quickly took a distance away from Vernon.


    Chloe rubbed her wrist that Vernon held just now. There was a feeling of disgust in her heart, to the point that she couldn''t control her facial expression.


    She was disgusted to be touched by someone with the same mindset as Vincent, even if that man was her cute little Vernon, whom she raised and adored so much.

 292 Chapter 292

    She was disgusted to be touched by someone with the same mindset as Vincent, even if that man was her cute little Vernon, whom she raised and adored so much.


    Vernon sensed the hostility and disgust in Chloe''s eyes. He noticed how she kept rubbing her wrist as if she wanted to get something dirty off her skin.


    Vernon''s eyes turned red, and his veins popped out almost instantly. He got up and yelled at Chloe, "How dare you rub your wrist like that?! Do you think I''m disgusting?!"


    Chloe said nothing. She was scared right now, of course.


    But there was another feeling that beat fear, and it was disgust.


    "Say something!" Vernon yelled again. Chloe''s action seriously angered him to the point that he was losing control.


    He didn''t want to be looked down on by anyone, especially not by Chloe, whom he had built his entire career for.


    Chloe kept ring at Vernon for a while. She wanted to yell back at him, telling him that he was disgusting for looking down on her just because she was a woman.


    But she didn''t have the urge to be mad.


    Or perhaps she simply couldn''t raise her voice at Vernon, the little boy she raised so dearly.


    Thus, Chloe opened her lips slowly;


    "I raised you and taught you to be respectful, Vernon Phoenix Gray," Chloe said. Her voice was shaky, and she was absolutely terrified right now.


    But she stood on her ground. Because she wanted to save a little bit of dignity that she had.


    She had thrown most of her dignity for the sake of survival. She became a maid and a bed warmer for her brother-inw because she needed to survive with her daughter.


    But she was working an honest job that didn''t hurt anyone.


    So when someone said that all women were materialistic, it also poked that small dignity she desperately tried to protect.


    "Yeah, you raised me to be respectful, and then what? I AM respectful to you! Don''t you see how kind and patient I am?!" Vernon continued yelling.


    He saw that Chloe didn''t look scared or run away like usual. She stood on her ground, and that somehow made him very ufortable.


    The way she kept ring at him as if she was challenging his authority!


    "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Am I some sort of criminal to you?!"


    "Vernon..." Chloe called his name gently but with a certain reprimanding tone that she usually used when he was a kid. "You don''t understand, do you?"


    "W--What? What do you mean?" Vernon was taken aback by that question. Because truthfully, he didn''t understand anything right now.


    He was like a lost kid that got angry when someone pointed out that he was lost.


    His defense mechanism told him to get angry, so he could mask the fact that he was ashamed for knowing nothing.


    "I--I understand! I understand that you''re offended by some of my words!" Vernon retorted, trying to get some confidence back. "That''s why I told you to let it slide, because I feel like I haven''t said anything wrong!"<sub> </sub>


    "I can''t let it slide. Because it''s offensive to me...."


    "Then tell me what I said wrong!" Vernon gritted his teeth and pointed at Chloe''s face. "Why are you so dramatic over this? Just tell me and we can sort it out!"


    ...


    "If you don''t realize what you said wrong, then I have no obligation to tell you, Vernon. You''re an adult...." Chloe said. "But let me tell you why I don''t want to eat with you now...."


    Chloe took a deep breath, knowing this would be painful and she would definitely regret everything after this.


    But she couldn''t endure this in her heart for too long, especially after Vernon called her dramatic.


    "You want me to be healthy and eat well, right?"


    Vernon nodded without hesitation, still not understanding the connection between those two different topics.


    "Well, I can''t look at your face right now, Vernon," Chloe said coldly. "You remind me so much of Vincent, and I can''t eat anything when I imagine him around me. He... disgusts me."


    Vernon was stunned the moment Chloe mentioned Vincent. He never expected himself to be in the same category as his vile Big brother.


    "W--What do you mean by that?" Vernon''s voice softened, but he was mostly confused and in shock. That sentence was hard for him to digest.


    "You remind me so much of him, Vernon. You literally said the same thing that he usually said to me. You and him... have the same mindset."


    Chloe was trying hard to cover Vincent''s abuse from Vernon. But at some point, she knew that a few things were bound to get leaked, especially after Vernon identally triggered her trauma and she called him the wrong name.


    ''Ah, I regret this already...'' Chloe fretted. ''But whenever I remember about Vincent, I feel like fighting back. There is no way I''ll keep being his doormat after ten years of abuse.''


    Chloe felt that her anger was misced towards Vernon. After all, Vernon looked absolutely devastated right now.


    But she just couldn''t hide her disgust.


    ''I don''t know what Vernon will do next. Maybe I should be the one who apologized... but not now. I just... can''t.''


    "Please understand that I can''t see you right now, Vernon...." Chloe said. "Please excuse me, and... don''t forget to eat lunch. You have a meeting after lunch, right?"


    Vernon continued staring at Chloe in silence. He watched her back as she left the office.


    Vernon continued gazing emptily at the door until his gaze started getting blurry.


    "Ugh! Don''t cry, you loser!" Vernon scolded himself. He rubbed his eyes to stop the tears that almost dropped from the corner of his eyes.


    Vernon lowered his head and stared at the food that Chloe had prepared.


    "She''s right...." Vernon murmured. "I seriously have no idea what I did wrong. But what should I do if she refuses to tell me? How can I correct myself?"

 293 Chapter 293

    "She''s right¡­." Vernon murmured. "I seriously have no idea what I did wrong. But what should I do if she refuses to tell me? How can I correct myself?"


    Vernon slowly put his palm on top of his chest and grasped it as he endured the pain.


    He was experiencing the familiar heartache that he hated so much.


    Usually, whenever he felt this heartache attacking him on an almost weekly basis, he would spend his time getting drunk and fucking his then-girlfriends.


    But he couldn''t do that now, and he didn''t know how to ignore the pain without the use of alcohol.


    He gritted his teeth while staring at the lunch served by Chloe. Knowing this was made by the woman he loved, he decided to grab the spoon and started digging.


    First bite and his gaze got blurry again. He started tearing up and desperately tried to rub his eyes to ensure he didn''t cry.


    But he was heartbroken, like a child that had been scolded and reprimanded. He could only sob while eating his lunch.


    "Ugh, so pathetic! Stop tearing up, Vernon!" Vernon yelled at himself for crying over a woman. But no matter how often he tried to man up, his eyes would eventually pool with tears again.


    He had identally triggered his own fear. That one fear that could make a heartless devil like Vernon cry.


    To be reprimanded, scolded, and yelled at by his Big sis Chloe. As if she saw him as a failure and disappointment.


    Sob. Sob.


    "Why can''t you tell me my mistakes, so I can apologize, Chloe¡­." Vernon murmured. He was tearing up while eating his lunch, to the point that he tasted the saltiness of his tears inside the food.


    "Pathetic, don''t cry, Vernon. Why are you crying just because a woman yelled at you?" Vernon continued cursing himself for being weak. "Aren''t you the one who broke many women''s hearts in the past?"


    Sob. Sob.


    "Y¡ªYeah, that''s true. I am a man. I''m a yboy that breaks many women''s hearts! I shouldn''t be crying like a bitch!" Vernon chanted to strengthen himself.


    But it didn''t seem to be effective¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Sob. Sob.


    Vernon finished his lunch. He cleaned everything and was currently drinking the banana milk from the straw. He slumped on the sofa, staring at the ceiling emptily.


    He had calmed down after a while. But the guilt was still eating him up inside.


    He wanted to apologize to Chloe, even if he didn''t know what he had done wrong.


    "Maybe I should ask Diamond how to apologize properly," Vernon thought. "I''m gonna buy her a lot of expensive gifts as apensation, hopefully she''ll like it."


    Vernon finished his banana milk and checked his phone. He was about to text one of his friends who was directly connected with many expensive fashion brands'' executives.


    But he suddenly got a new text from someone he despised so much.


    ¡ª


    From: Shailene


    I''m free this evening.


    Do you want to go on another therapy session?


    ¡ª


    Vernon was staring at his phone screen for a while.


    If this was a regr situation, he would just scoff or ridicule her for being so shameless.<sub> </sub>


    She was ndering Chloe, insulting her by calling her a pedophile and using her of manipting him since he was a kid.


    She knew NOTHING about Chloe and was very unprofessional the whole time.


    Vernon wanted to refuse, but she needed someone to talk to.


    While Vernon was still deciding on whether he should go to Shailene or not. He got another text from her.


    ¡ª


    From: Shailene


    I will apologize for what I said yesterday.


    I may have been a bit too rash in my judgment, so I will give you another therapy session, and this time, I promise I won''t judge her.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    ''Maybe it''s worth giving another shot,'' Vernon thought. ''She promises not to nder Chloe. So it should be alright.''


    Vernon didn''t give a shit if Shailene called him out or insulted him. Because honestly, he was involved in a big part of her love trauma.


    He was such an asshole, and he admitted that.


    But that didn''t give her the right to insult his loved one.


    Vernon took another minute to consider whether it was worth it to meet Shailene right now.


    But he didn''t want to talk to another psychologist and had to go through the process of opening up again.


    Because truly, he really disliked the feeling of vulnerability.


    Thus, Vernon texted;


    ¡ª


    To: Shailene


    After dusk, around seven. I will be there.


    ¡ª


    Vernon sent the text.


    He was thinking about contacting his friend who could him a lot of limited edition branded fashion items, such as bags, shoes, dresses, et cetera.


    He wanted to buy it all for Chloe.


    But now he hesitated. He was afraid to make another wrong step. He didn''t want to unknowingly hurt Chloe even more¡­


    "Alright, I''ll buy those stuff after I talk with Shailene. Maybe she will give me good advice, though I doubt that¡­.''


    Vernon went to the bathroom to wash his face and washed all the traces of tears. He might have had a moment of vulnerability just now, but he absolutely refused to show that kind of tears to anyone. Not even Chloe was allowed to see him cry.


    Because he had pride as a man. And as a man, to show your weak side in front of the woman you loved was the worst thing you could do.


    "I want her to see me as a powerful and rich man, worthy of her love. So better not show that kind of tears in front of her," Vernon reminded himself in the mirror.


    Vernon fixed his hair and tie and stood straight. He had another meeting soon. So, he returned to his imposing self.


    He was ready to face his business partner. He went out with his chest puffed out proudly, showing the world that he was the intimidating Vernon Phoenix Gray, the devil CEO you shouldn''t mess with.

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    He was ready to face his business partner. He went out with his chest puffed out, showing the world that he was the intimidating Vernon Phoenix Gray, the devil CEO you shouldn''t mess with.


    Vernon left his office and saw Diamond, who was ready with her iPad. She was going to go with him to another meeting as usual.


    Vernon frowned when he saw the obvious frown on Diamond''s face, "What?"


    "What do you mean what?" Diamond asked back. She was so pissed right now that she didn''t even care about her status as Vernon''s subordinate. "My homegirl came out of your office crying. I asked her what happened, and she said nothing. She just picked up her bag and left."


    "What did you do to her?" Diamond asked with full suspicion.


    "Uhh¡­ I¡­ I don''t know either," Vernon replied since there was no use hiding anything from Diamond. "Apparently, I said something bad, and that offended her."


    "Did you apologize to her?"


    "I did, I think¡­." Vernon imed. Though he didn''t remember if he ever said sorry to her the whole time.


    ¡­


    "Do you not remember what you said wrong? Like, are you THAT clueless?" Diamond continued pressing Vernon, thinking that her boss was being dishonest right now.


    Diamond''s usation pissed Vernon off, so he tried to brush off the topic, "Stop giving me that look, and stop questioning me. I''m not in a good mood right now."


    ''Not in a good mood? You make a grown woman cry!'' Diamond yelled in her heart.


    Vernon walked past Diamond and headed to the elevator, "Come with me. We have work to do."


    ¡­


    Diamond took a deep breath. She was still angry at him, and she was also worried about Chloe.


    But she still had to be professional, just like her boss, who could maintain a stone face after making Chloe cry.


    Thus, Diamond followed her boss to the elevator, and they went downstairs to the meeting room as his client had been waiting.


    **


    Vernon and Diamond entered the meeting room. He saw that his new potential business partner had been waiting for him.


    His new potential business partner was a man in his fifties. He was a bit fat, with thinning hair and a thick mustache.


    He looked even more nervous than Vernon, even though he was thirty years older than the devil CEO and had tons of experiencepared to Vernon.


    "Sorry for the wait, Mr Gregory Maxwell. I didn''t know you were this early for our meeting," Vernon greeted the old man with a handshake, and they sat face to face, ready for their first contract.<sub> </sub>


    Gregory Maxwell observed the imposing man sitting across the table. He was calm and didn''t seem interested in Mr Maxwell, which was a bad sign since Gregory Maxwell desperately needed more profit to keep hispany running.


    Ever since Vincent Gray halved the usual supply, Gregory Maxwell had tried to find a new client everyday. But, nobody wanted to take him because they didn''t want to identally offend Mr Gray.


    After all, Gregory Maxwell was well-known in the entrepreneur circle as the Gray family''spdog for two decades.


    Amidst his desperation, he found that Vernon Phoenix Gray¡ª Vincent''s little brother, was in the process of creating his new beverage product that would be sold around west Europe as a trial.


    Thus, he was searching for a new supplier for the material for the beverage can.


    Gregory Maxwell didn''t know if it was alright for him toe to Vincent''s little brother after he got stomped and kicked out by Vincent before. But he was too desperate to think clearly now, as hispany was too reliant on Vincent.


    ''Besides, I heard that Vincent Gray and his little brother are in a very good rtionship. They seem to be working in separate areas,'' Gregory Maxwell pondered.


    ''From the information that I got, Vincent allowed his little brother to develop in the entertainment industry in America. He also gives his little brother enough freedom to develop many businesses in Europe by not entering the market until Vernon Phoenix Gray has enough footing of his own.''


    ''Even though Vernon Phoenix Gray is not as rich as his Big brother. But he seems to have inherited that wretched family''s business skill. So hispany would probably rival his brother''s sooner orter.''


    ''I think it will be alright. Maybe this guy would rmend me back to Vincent as long as I do a good job,'' Gregory Maxwell continued assessing the condition, and after he was assured that everything would be alright, he cleared his throat and said;


    "I should be the one who thank you for giving me this opportunity, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I''ve heard a lot about yourpany. When I heard that you''re searching for a new can supplier, I think that we can make a great team!"


    Gregory Maxwell started his usual bootlicking to the Gray family. It was something he had done for twenty years, and he''d continue to do so.


    Vernon''s lips perked up as he listened, "Indeed, I am searching for a can supplier that can handle big batches and ship them across the continent."


    "Then I must be the correct man for this, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Gregory Maxwell imed. "I''ve been doing this for twenty years!"


    "Oh yes, I know that you''ve been doing this for a long time, Mr. Maxwell," Vernon agreed. "After all, you''re the main supplier for my family''spany under myte father, and now under my Big brother, correct?"


    "Yes, Sir! I''ve been working closely with your family for two decades."


    "Hmm, you are surely a trusty businessman, Mr. Maxwell," Vernon said, and the old man almost choked on air by that statement.


    Because that wasn''t the case, he got caught by Vincent Gray for sending worse material to cut corners and earn more profit.


    But it didn''t seem that Vincent had shared anything about this, which was good for Gregory.


    "Then, can we sign a contract¡ª"


    "¡ªHowever¡ª" Vernon interrupted Mr Maxwell. Vernon didn''t want this old man to think that it was so easy dealing with him. "¡ªI wonder if you''re able to fulfill my demand, Mr. Maxwell. After all, you''re supplying at least 80% of your material to my Big brother''spany, right?"

 295 Chapter 295

    "I wonder if you''re able to fulfill my demand, Mr. Maxwell. After all, you''re supplying at least 80% of your material to my Big brother''spany, right?" Vernon asked.


    "That¡ª"


    "I''m afraid that you might bite off more than you can chew. This beverage will beunched in the early spring, and you need to ship a lot of them to the factory in Southern Europe," Vernon said. "I''ve made it clear that I won''t be funding the shipping because I can always find another supplier located in Europe instead."


    What Vernon said made sense. He wasn''t really interested in taking a supply from the U.S when that beverage product would beunched in Europe.


    He could take a supply from Europe or Asia, which was connected bynd, and should be cheaper.


    "You know that I never n to take material supplies from the states, right?" Vernon said. "So, unless you can supply me with the best quality material, then there will be no deal between us, Mr. Maxwell."


    Gregory Maxwell gulped when facing such a question.


    It was true. Mr Phoenix Gray didn''t announce to anyone about his n. He talked to a few circle members about it, and Mr Maxwell got the information.


    So he came here trying to pitch a business deal because he was desperate to find a new big contract to cover the losses.


    He thought he could just give Vernon all the cans with bad quality that had been discovered by Vincent. So he could make a lot of profit without spending a dime.


    But it seemed that Vernon would''ve taken a clear inspection of the cans, so Gregory Maxwell couldn''t do that.


    ''Ugh, now I really have tons of unused material. What to do with them then?''


    Vernon smiled as he sensed that he had cornered this old man, "So, Mr. Maxwell. I might make a contract with you because you''ve been working with my family for two decades."


    "But you need to answer these two questions," Vernon said. "First, can you fill the amount of supply needed, since I know that my Big brother has a lot of his materialing from you? Second, will you be able to send me high-quality material? Because I will closely inspect them before using them for my new product."


    Gregory Maxwell didn''t expect to be put in a tough situation again. He thought Vernon would be less troublesome than Vincent since he only had a few years of experience working on a big industrial-scale project.


    ''Fuck, they''re the same,'' Gregory Maxwell cursed. ''What was I thinking anyway? Of course they''re the same, they''re brothers!''


    ? Mr Maxwell cursed at his own stupidity. He was trapped by another Gray now.


    If he backed off and said that he couldn''t fulfil those two requirements, Vernon would definitely ask about his ipetence and say that Gregory Maxwell was wasting his time.


    ''At least, that''s what Vincent usually does. He will make sure to trap his business partner and make sure no time is wasted on his side.''


    Gregory Maxwell wasn''t all that bothered about this young man''s opinion. But if he refused right now, Vernon might call his Big brother and say Mr Maxwell wasn''t professional. There was nothing scarier than facing the pissed-off Vincent.


    Thus, knowing there was no way out, Gregory Maxwell decided hastily.<sub> </sub>


    "First, I can definitely fill the supply requested by yourpany, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Gregory Maxwell replied. "Second, I will make sure to give you the same quality as the one I used for Mr. Vincent Gray''s products."


    "Good, that means we''re not wasting any time here," Vernon turned his head to the left, where Diamond stood with a document. "Secretary Johnson."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Diamond put the document she had been holding the whole time on the table. She slid it towards Mr Maxwell, who was stunned when he identally read the first sentence in that document.


    ''Contract.''


    "This¡­"


    "Yes, it is exactly like what you thought, Mr. Maxwell," Vernon replied. "That is the contract between us. I''vee prepared. Since you said you can fulfill all my requirements, I see nothing wrong with working with you."


    "You can read it first, and see if everything fits your standard," Vernon offered.


    Gregory Maxwell carefully read the contract. His breath stiffened, and his body went cold when he realized that Vernon Phoenix Gray had already made a contract that would be a perfect fit for theirpanies.


    He listed everything, including the required material, price per shipping, and even the tax cut.


    ''Fuck, the uracy of this contract is terrifying. Did he already predict everything? Am I ying under his hand right now?'' Gregory Maxwell raised his head and met Vernon''s hawk-like eyes, who stared back at him without blinking.


    Vernon smiled thin, "What''s wrong, Mr. Maxwell? Is there anything wrong with the contract? I can ask my secretary to make a few adjustments if you don''t agree with any point."


    "Though, I believe the contract has been made fairly. So there shouldn''t be anything that''s notpatible with your standard."


    ''Well, because it''s so fucking urate, that''s why it''s terrifying!'' Gregory groaned in his head. ''I feel like you have a dubious n behind me, and you''ve nned everything, including my arrival here!''


    Gregory Maxwell started sweating on his back. He didn''t know what would happen if he signed this contract or if he didn''t.


    He was wondering if he could say a few things that needed to be discussed internally first, so he had to bring this contract to hispany.


    But since the contract had no w, Vernon would''ve continued pressing about the matter and told him to clear every disagreement between them right now.


    "What''s wrong, Mr. Maxwell? You don''t seem well," Vernonmented, though he knew what caused this old man to be nervous.


    "A¡ªAh, it''s nothing, Mr. Phoenix Gray¡­."


    "Then, if there''s nothing to worry about, you may sign that document and we can start working soon."

 296 Chapter 296

    "Then, if there''s nothing to worry about, you may sign that document and we can start working soon," Vernon continued pressuring Mr. Maxwell, and the old man went silent instantly.


    He kept reading the document and scanned through everything to ensure he found any w with the contract, so it could give him a chance to escape.


    But he found nothing.


    This contract was so beneficial it might even him a big profit if he signed it.


    But Gregory Maxwell was unsettled by Vernon''s behavior. The way he had predicted everything gave off the idea that this man in front of him was the one who knew about him cutting corners and told Vincent about it.


    ''I know it''s just a baseless usation. But my gut feeling said I shouldn''t sign this¡­'' the old man thought.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, this is a tantalizing offer, but¡­."


    "But?"


    "M¡ªMay I bring this to my office first? I need to discuss this with some of my stockholders."


    "I see¡­" Vernon sighed. He leaned on the chair and continued, "That means you''re notfortable with the contract, even though I already give you many benefits within that contract, and I''m sure your shareholders will be more than happy after you signed it. Do you have any reason to reject it?"


    ¡­


    Gregory Maxwell couldn''t think of any reason. In fact, what he said was true. If he showed this contract to his shareholders, they would be the ones who pressured him to sign it immediately.


    What made the old man hesitate was his instinct. He was solely motivated by the fear of the unknown.


    He was scared that Vernon might''ve been plotting something against him that would lead to his downfall.


    Vernon dropped the bomb, knowing there was no use in pressuring this old man anymore, "Well, Mr. Maxwell, if you''re not interested in our cooperation, then I''d want you to hand that contract back to me."


    "B¡ªBut I''m nning to bring this to my office, Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    "No need, I don''t have time to wait for your confirmation," Vernon said. "You see, I have no real incentive to ept you as my supplier in the first ce, Mr. Maxwell. But I did so because of sentimental value between us, since you''ve been working closely with my family for two decades."


    "I thought this would deepen my rtionship with businessmen within my Big brother''spanies. But it seems that you think I have something more sinister nned against you, right?"


    Gregory Maxwell was stunned at how urately Vernon read his mind.


    It was true. He was scared that Vernon might''ve nned everything to trap him this far.


    ''Now that I think about it. Why would he need to trap me? What''s the use? I don''t have any bad blood with him,'' Gregory Maxwell thought.


    "Well, Mr. Maxwell, please hand me the contract in your hand and you may leave my office. I will find a supplier from Asia or Southern Europe instead."


    "W¡ªWait, Mr. Phoenix Gray!" Gregory Maxwell clenched the document in his hand even tighter. He was still unsure whether this was a bad move or not.<sub> </sub>


    But he shouldn''t be passing up a golden opportunity during these hard times just because he was scared.


    Thus, Gregory Maxwell took a deep breath and fished a pen from his suit pocket.


    He signed the contract in less than a second and then handed it back to Vernon, "I''ve signed it, Sir."


    Vernon smiled as he saw Gregory Maxwell''s signature.


    "Good. Diamond, go make a copy of that, and give it to Mr. Maxwell," Vernon instructed.


    "Yes, Sir."


    Diamond quickly made a copy of the newly signed agreement between the twopanies and then handed one to Mr. Maxwell.


    "Mr. Maxwell, I hope this work between us will go well, and will deepen our trust in each other in the future," Vernon said. He got up and stretched his hand, waiting for a handshake.


    Gregory Maxwell got up, shook Vernon''s hand, and tried to fake a smile, "Likewise, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I hope this will go well, without any ident."


    Vernon sensed the uneasiness of the old man. But he didn''t care because he got what he wanted, and everything was going ording to his n.


    "Now, please excuse me. I have another meeting with one of my clients outside," Vernon turned around and left the meeting room, followed by Diamond.


    Gregory Maxwell was alone in the meeting room. While staring at the contract, he was contemting whether it was a good decision or not.


    "Technically, this is a good decision because I''ve gotten a beneficial contract that will help to maintain thepany while I''m under Vincent''s pressure. But¡­"


    Gregory Maxwell couldn''t lie. There was this unsettling feeling he just couldn''t get a grasp on.


    As if he was just a pawn yed by Vernon Phoenix Gray all along.


    "I still have to be careful. I don''t want to get into another Gray family''s bad side, or it might be the end of me," Gregory mumbled. "Besides, I still have to find that woman¡­."


    Gregory Maxwell was still trying to find Chloe Gray. Honestly, he wanted to just go and find the daughter in her school, but Vincent forbade him because he imed to love his daughter so much, so he didn''t want her innocent daughter to be involved.


    "Tch, what kind of bullshit is that? I don''t understand why can''t he just kidnap his daughter and Chloe will return to his side," Gregory Maxwellmented. "Besides¡­ What kind of crazy man would hide the wife of Vincent Gray? Does he not know being discovered means death?"


    He also didn''t understand what was on Vincent''s mind. He was creating a battle royale inside his own business circle filled with businessmen that had been working closely with the Gray family rather than fixing everything by himself.


    "I don''t understand how Vincent''s mind works, but then again¡­." Gregory Maxwell lifted his head and stared at Vernon''s back, who had just entered the lift with his secretary.


    "I also don''t understand how his little brother''s mind works¡­."

 297 Chapter 297

    Diamond followed her boss, who went down to the ground floor, and they headed to his car as he had another meeting with a client.


    Vernon drove the car to their client''s office while Diamond sat beside him.


    She wondered about the whole thing, especially if her boss had predicted everything. He told her to make a contract for him and Gregory Maxwell''spany.


    ''He also gives me specification on what to write down to the smallest number, making sure that I don''t fuck this up,'' Diamond pondered. She nced at Vernon and had to fear crept up from the bottom of her feet to her head.


    "Sir, about Gregory Maxwell¡­"


    "What?"


    "Did you n everything?"


    "I did," Vernon replied nonchntly, eyes still on the road. "He is my prime target, I know that he has been cutting corners in my Big brother''spany, so I make sure to put his data on the list of suspects that I handed to my Big brother."


    "My big brother is smart. He definitely has investigated Gregory Maxwell prior to me giving him the list of suspicious men that he needs to weed out to find Chloe. So he will naturally weed that old man out first."


    Diamond had been informed about her boss'' n to take down his Big brother. She knew that he was using Chloe''s disappearance in some ways. Many of his previous ns had been revoked as his heart had been softened by Chloe, much to Diamond''s relief.


    ''If he''s still thinking about using Chloe in a more extreme way. Then I might have to turn my back on him,'' Diamond thought.


    "And about the contract that you told me to write?" Diamond asked more.


    "Naturally, I am the one who leaked my n ofunching a beverage product in Western Europe to some of Gregory Maxwell''s close friends. That''s why he came to us," Vernon exined. "That contract is meant to be perfect, even beneficial for him because I want to make sure that he cannot refuse my offer."


    ''Seriously? You''ve nned everything so perfectly. You''re literally so smart!'' Diamondined in her head. ''But you didn''t do what you said wrong to make Chloe cry? Oh for fuck sake!''


    While Diamond was cursing her boss in the head. Vernon''s eyes deepened as he continued driving through the road.


    "Everything is ording to n. But there''s one thing that''s not within my range of expectation," Vernon said.


    "And what is that, Sir?" Diamond was quite appalled by that statement. As much as she observed, it seemed Mr. Phoenix Gray had executed his n perfectly.


    "About my Big brother¡­ I thought he would simply ditch Gregory Maxwell."


    "And he didn''t?"


    "No, he only halved the usual supply from that old man''spany instead. I''ve also heard from one of my informants that Gregory Maxwell started asking a few of his friends whether they''re having a mistress in her 30s, definitely referring to Chloe."


    Diamond slowly pieced a few things from her boss'' statement, then concluded, "So, do you think Vincent Gray is¡­."<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, he is definitely using Gregory Maxwell as a pawn to startbing through the list. He knows that culling all of his business partners to find Chloe is too risky and inefficient. That''s why he is using that old man to start using each other."


    "In short, my Big brother wants those people who''ve been working closely with the Gray family to start using each other, eventually breaking them off and hopefully will catch the one who hides Chloe," Vernon exined.


    "But how is that effective, Sir?" Diamond asked again.


    "It is very effective, because all of them will start being suspicious of their friends. They will start spying on each other trying to save their asses and present the head of the real culprit. So Vincent wouldn''t need to work too much, because everyone is doing the job for him."


    Vernon clenched the steering wheel, and his gaze deepened with a mix of fear and anger, "I hate to admit this. But my Big brother¡ª Vincent Gray, is a genius tactician. He knows how to get the most with minimum effort. He knows how to control people."


    "And you''re facing him, Sir¡­." Diamond murmured.


    "Yes. After all, I''m nning to take him down," Vernon replied. "I have to face him, and I will do anything as long as I can pull him down until he has nothing."


    "That''s why, Diamond¡ª" Vernon nced at Diamond for a split second. "¡ªI trust you with this secret. Because I know you''repetent, and I know you have lots of connections even without me. Don''t worry, you''re going to get what you want."


    "What I want¡­."


    "25% of Gray family''s stock, right? You want to be a big shareholder," Vernon stated.


    "Ah, yes, that one, Sir¡­." Diamond murmured.


    Truth be told, Diamond still had no idea why her boss hated his Big brother so much.


    She knew it wasn''t because of Chloe¡ª at least not initially. Because he hated both Vincent and Chloe at first, to the point that he hired Diamond and proposed to her a very tempting offer as long as they would join forces.


    Diamond was young but very ambitious. She had all that was needed to be Vernon''s assistant, and she was charmed by the devilish smirk, just like the rest of the woman in Vernon''s bed.


    Thus, she took that deal out of whim because she never expected Vernon to be able to topple down the Gray family, she didn''t think much about being the shareholder.


    ''Besides, the sry he gives is literally ten times¡ª or more than the expected sry of a secretary. I cannot pass that up.''


    Though, as time passed, Diamond changed her opinion about Vernon.


    ''He is an insufferable, stubborn man-baby who cannot admit that he is living in the past and obsessing over one woman who''s already married and has a child,'' Diamondmented.


    ''But on the bright side, that''s what makes me able to work with him for so long. He is a jerk that has no pity for those who don''t fit his interests, my type of work partner.''

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    ''But on the bright side, that''s what makes me able to work with him for so long. He is a jerk that has no pity for those who don''t fit his interests, my type of work partner.''


    Diamond was initially a very cold woman, ''Or so they say, a cold hearted cold bitch.''


    She had no regard for others'' well-being and safety as long as it wasn''t her family that was harmed. Thus why she was a perfect partner for Vernon.


    However, something changed inside her once she met Chloe.


    ''I always assume the worst of everyone because I don''t want to let my guard down. But with Chloe¡­ I cannot assume anything bad about her because she is just a simple, peaceful woman¡­.''


    ''She has no devious idea in her mind, and her priority is just to earn money and save her daughter from that bastard Vincent Gray¡­.''


    Diamond felt at peace and generally happier with Chloe around. Chloe might not realize it, but she was Diamond''s precious best friend¡ª even sister at this point.


    ''Ah, I''d love to have a Big sister. All I have are two stinky brat brothers,'' Diamondined. ''I really should consider bringing Chloe and her daughter to my family, they will be happy with her presence.''


    Vernon parked his car and patted Diamond''s shoulder, snapping her out of her daze.


    "We''re here, Diamond. You know what this meeting is about, right?"


    "Yes, Sir," Diamond replied professionally. "This should be the casting for that cooking show you''ve nned with Vincent Gray."


    "Yes, and after this, everything should be set in motion. I want my Big brother to be happy with my performance, and will give me a bigger workload with more money. I want him to trust mepletely."


    "Understood, Sir."


    **


    Chloe was driving through the city, holding back the tears she identally shed when she faced Diamond kept questioning her.


    Chloe wanted to return to the apartment to hide. Just imagining Vincent already gave her anxiety and fear.


    A fear that Vincent might eventually find her and drag her back to that dreaded mansion, where she was treated like a punching bag for him to insult andugh at.


    She drove past the apartment and decided to continue as she didn''t want to be reminded of the Gray family in any way for now.


    Chloe continued driving aimlessly until she saw a familiar diner she had visited before marrying Vincent.


    It was a cheap dinner, but it was enough for her. Since she didn''t have much money in the first ce.


    Since Chloe had nowhere to go, she parked her car and entered the diner.


    She looked around andmented in a low voice, "Huh, this ce is¡­ kind of empty¡­."


    Chloe sat on one of the seats and ordered a simple sandwich. She didn''t know if she could eat it, but it was cheap, so it wouldn''t be a waste if she couldn''t eat at least half.


    She waited for ten minutes, and the sandwich sliced in half was served on her table.


    She stared at her lunch for a while and felt sick immediately.<sub> </sub>


    "Ugh, why do I keep thinking about Vincent? How am I supposed to eat this sandwich if I keep vomiting everything I eat?" Chloeined to herself.


    It took her a while until she picked up half of the sandwich and opened her mouth. She took one bite, but a woman suddenly stormed to her table before she could chew her food.


    SLAM!


    Chloe spat out her sandwich instantly as she was surprised by the woman who suddenly mmed the table.


    She looked up and saw a familiar face she didn''t want to see for now¡ª and forever.


    "P¡ªPrisci?" Chloe called her name, unsure if it was because her appearance wasn''t like the usual Prisci, the bitch secretary.


    Usually, Prisci would wear a low-cut shirt and short skirt that barely covered half of her thighs. She wore full makeup whenever Vincent was around and usually had her proud smile.


    But now¡­


    She looked like she hadn''t taken a bath for at least two days, wearing no makeup, a hoodie that covered her messy hair, and loose jogging pants.


    But that wasn''t the worst¡­


    "P¡ªPrisci, how could you find this ce? This is a¡ª"


    "¡ªCheap diner? Well duh!" Prisci rolled her eyes. She sat in front of Chloe even though Chloe hadn''t allowed her, ssic Prisci.


    Prisci stared at Chloe, who was nervous by her presence, and she scoffed, "What? Do you want tough at me now?"


    ¡­


    "Laugh all you want. This is just temporary!" Prisci suddenly became hostile even though Chloe said nothing. But for Prisci, just looking at Chloe''s face was aggravating enough for her.


    Because she didn''t understand why Vincent kept saying she couldn''t rece Chloe.


    ¡­


    "Heh, I know that you''re ridiculing me in your head right now. Well, I''ll tell you, Vincent is still mine! He might not want me right now, but that''s because he''s busy. Wait until he clears everything, including you, and then I can be the new Mrs. Gray."


    "You will be his ex-wife soon, you fat bitch!"


    ¡­


    Chloe said nothing because she was still stunned by Prisci''s haggard appearance. But Prisci continued running over her mouth, giving so much information to Chloe.


    ''So apparently, Vincent is not sleeping with Prisci now? Why? I don''t understand him,'' Chloe asked herself. ''Usually they''re doing it everywhere. They even did it in the backseat of the car, while Vincent forced me to sit in the front and heard this bitch moaning so loudly.''


    ''Shouldn''t he be happy that I am gone? He can fuck Prisci whenever and wherever without the risk of getting discovered by Mackie¡­.''


    Chloe had many questions in her mind, but she stayed silent while Prisci continued making scenarios in her head, "Why don''t you say anything? Were you still scared? Traumatized like a teeny-weeny baby? Uuuu, I remember how you cried like an idiot when Vincent pped your ugly face, and he does it like this¡ª!"

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    "Why don''t you say anything? Were you still scared? Traumatized like a teeny-weeny baby? Uuu, I remember how you cried like an idiot when Vincent pped your ugly face, and he does it like this¡ª!"


    Prisci raised her hand and swung it hard towards Chloe''s cheek. There was a heightened sensation of ecstasy, thinking she would p this bitch for being a pest who kept disturbing her rtionship with Vincent.


    But Chloe caught Prisci''s wrist with one hand and shocked Prisci immediately. Prisci slowly shifted her gaze from her wrist towards Chloe''s face.


    But before she could say a thing¡­


    PA!


    "AH!"


    Chloe pped Prisci''s cheek with her other hand. She was ruthless enough not to hold back and made Prisci''s soft cheek red with the shape of Chloe''s handprint.


    Chloe released Prisci''s wrist immediately, and the bitch fell to the floor as if she had a concussion.


    Prisci''s eyes were blurry. She held her cheek that was stinging in pain, "Ugh¡­ uhk¡­."


    It took a while for Prisci to recover from the concussion. She gritted her teeth once she realized what had just happened. She had never realized that Chloe would be able to fight back, even going as far as pping her without mercy.


    It was so NOT her!


    Prisci red at Chloe, who sat neatly on the diner chair, looking down at her unblinkingly.


    "You!"


    "What?"


    "You''re supposed to take it! You fat bitch!" Prisci yelled. "How dare you hit me like that? Once I told Vincent about it, you will beg to be saved!"


    "Prisci, I think you should stop ying like a high school bitch against me," Chloe said. Her doe eyes, which usually looked very sweet and harmless, became somewhat unsettling and gave Prisci an ufortable feeling.


    But Prisci thought that Chloe was bluffing just to look intimidating, "H¡ªHow dare you call me a high school bitch! I will fucking report this to Vincent, I swear!"


    "Go on, report it to him," Chloe said nonchntly. "Besides, you will tell him that you met me nheless."


    "You should realize that I am not Vincent''s wife anymore. You can have him all you want, if you can," Chloe added. "Don''t expect me to let you p me without retaliation. I am not tied with Vincent anymore, I have no fear against one of Vincent''s bitches."


    Prisci was shocked by how scary Chloe was right now. She never knew that Chloe could say something like that to her.


    Usually, Chloe would beg her to stop or simply cower in the corner as Vincent watched Prisci hit Chloe. He wouldugh asionally and usually said that they should do this often.


    "D¡ªDon''t you know who I am?" Prisci still tried to maintain her pride to no avail.


    "You''re too far gone, Prisci," Chloe sighed. "If you think you have any worth in his eyes, then you''re severely mistaken. You''re just one of the bitches in his life. Get over yourself, insufferable witch."


    Chloe put a fifty-dor bill on the table and walked past Prisci, still slumped on the floor.


    "W¡ªWait, I''m not done with you!"<sub> </sub>


    "But I am," Chloe replied. "I am done with you, Prisci. You and Vincent have nothing to tie me down now."


    Chloe left the diner without looking back. She entered her car and drove away immediately.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Prisci was still sitting on the floor in silence. She was just too stunned to react right now.


    <o>,m The waitresses who had been watching the whole time were too scared to approach Prisci because they saw how she attacked that poor woman.</o>


    They were thinking about calling the police, but that thin woman was surprisingly able to defend herself, even pping that woman back until she fell on the floor.


    They started to whisper at each other, and Prisci caught them.


    "What are you looking at?" Prisci confronted, and the waitresses shut their mouths and looked away, acting as if nothing had happened just now.


    Prisci gritted her teeth and got up from the ground. She dusted her butt and walked out of the diner.


    She stomped her feet as she returned to her apartment not far from there. It had been a month since she rented a cheaper apartment because Vincent only paid her the base sry, no bonuses, which she usually got after having sex with him.


    Usually, through sex, she could earn at least five times her base sry each month, added to manyvish gifts that Vincent usually had for her.


    But after Chloe left, he suddenly refused to have sex, no matter how hard Prisci tried to seduce him.


    It had been months, and Vincent finally told her not toe to the mansion anymore because she wasn''t needed there.


    Prisci unlocked and kicked the apartment door open.


    She took off her hoodie and threw it in a random direction.


    Prisci took a bath and came out looking fresh but still without a smile.


    She still looked pissed off, as if she wanted to chew someone.


    Prisci sat in front of the vanity table and prepared all of the makeup items she would use. She wanted to look stunning in front of her special someone, the man that she loved so much.


    "That fat whale! How dare she p and humiliate me in public!" Prisci said as she was putting on her foundie. "Just because Vincent is not into me right now, doesn''t mean I can''t seduce him!"


    Prisci drew her brows while cursing the life out of Chloe, "I will get what I want. I will be Mrs. Gray, and you''ll cry when you see me with a diamond wedding ring from Vincent! You fat fucking whale! AHHHHHHH!!"


    Prisci looked unhinged right now. Even the thick makeup that she applied didn''t cover the redness from her uncontroble anger.


    She applied the ssic red lipstick as thest touch and kissed the air while winking at the mirror.


    She had a malicious smirk on her face as she was satisfied with her makeup, "See? I am still the prettiest woman Vincent ever has."

 300 Chapter 300

    She smiled maliciously as she was satisfied with her makeup, "See? I am still the prettiest woman Vincent ever has."


    Prisci walked naked around her bedroom and opened the wardrobe. She picked her favorite ck dress that was barely covering her butt. The tight dress entuated her hips and pressed her boobs as if they would burst out soon.


    Prisci wore her high heel and sprayed her sweet perfume that would incite a man''s desire. She fixed her hair a little, and after she was done with her preparation, she walked around the bedroom while posing in front of a tall mirror.


    She was awed by her beauty and thusmented, "There is no way Vincent wouldn''t be tempted by this. This is the dress he bought on my birthday. He said I should save it for a special asion."


    "Well, there is no special asion. But I will use it anyway, I will make sure he will not be able to resist me!" Prisci imed.


    She checked the time, just to ensure she woulde at the right moment, and seduced Mr. Vincent Gray, the Billionaire CEO and the Master of the Gray family.


    "Hmm¡­" Prisci smirked. "Should be the right time toe to his mansion. He always returned to that mansion after work ever since that fat whale left him."


    Prisci didn''t know what had changed in her beloved lover. She thought Chloe was just an insignificant bug that stopped them from marrying.


    Thus, Prisci was so happy when Chloe finally left, as she had nopetition to be the new Mrs. Prisci Gray.


    But it didn''t seem to be the case.


    Vincent suddenly changed without reason and became so¡­ strict.


    "Hmph, who cares whether he has changed or not. Maybe he''s just dealing with stress. After all, he has so much work to do."


    Prisci grabbed her handbag and left her shabby apartment. She called a cab.


    ''And I will be one who helps him de-stressing,'' Prisci thought as she entered the cab and headed straight to Vincent Gray''s mansion.


    **


    Chloe was clutching the steering wheel as she left the diner and drove to Mackie''s school.


    She felt giddy and nervous simultaneously because she had just punched Vincent''s current bitch without mercy.


    "Holy crap, I was so cool!" Chloe celebrated and praised herself for having some guts.


    Though, she knew that courage came because of Vincent. She was so pissed off and angry about anything rting to Vincent, so she would automatically retaliate when there was someone who looked simr or was rted to him in some way.


    So what she did to Prisci was¡­ a part of her anger towards her bastard ex-husband.


    She was happy, but¡­


    "Prisci will definitely report this to Vincent. I don''t know what Vincent would do to me¡­." Chloe wondered.


    She shuddered out of fear. No matter how much she hated Vincent, she couldn''t simply erase the impact of ten years of abuse in a few months.


    She still feared him and wanted to retaliate as much as possible, even though she knew how powerful he was.


    "Will he¡­ hunt me down?" Chloe wondered. "H¡ªHe won''t search me and then beat the shit out of me, right?"<sub> </sub>


    Chloe started questioning whether she did the right thing standing up for herself or if she should just let Prisci p her¡­


    She parked her car in front of Mackie''s school gate and waited for her daughter to leave the school. The idea of Vincent beating the shit out of her was still lingering in her head, like a nightmare she couldn''t dispel.


    But she snapped out of her daze when the bell rang. Chloe saw Mackie waving her little hand at her and running toward her Mommy.


    "MOMMYYY!"


    Chloe smiled as her heart felt warm and waved back at Mackie.


    ''Ah, I don''t know what will happen in the future. But I want to be strong, just like my daughter. So I should not regret anything that I''ve done.''


    ''Everything happens because Vincent can''t straighten himself for seven years.''


    "Mommy!"


    "Princess!" Chloe crouched and hugged her daughter. "How''s school? And how about you practice for the drama?"


    "Everything went well, Mommy! But Mr. Rush told me to practice my growling, so I will look scarier as a big bad wolf!" Mackie reported. "I will ask Uncle to practice with me on the weekend!"


    ''Uh-oh¡ª I don''t think that''s a good idea¡­'' Chloe thought, though she didn''t have the heart to tell Mackie.


    After all, Mackie had no idea that her Mommy and Uncle had a fight because her Uncle was a sexist pig, just like her Daddy.


    "Mommy?" Mackie noticed that her Mommy looked nervous. "Can I practice with Uncle?"


    Mackie remembered that she couldn''t have breakfast and dinner with Uncle Vernon for a while. She didn''t understand why, but Mommy forbade her to go up for some reason.


    "A¡ªAh, yes, I¡ªI will talk to your Uncleter. Let''s just go home now, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    **


    Vincent went home early after he finished a meeting. He was satisfied with the new arrangement that he had made.


    ''Now, every businessmen working close with my family will be suspicious of each other. They will start hunting for the one who hides Chloe and Mackie,'' Vincent thought.


    ''And to save their asses, they wouldn''t hesitate to report to me if they found their former colleagues had been doing something shady behind my back, like what Gregory Maxwell did.''


    ''They will startpeting for my favor, and that is exactly what I want, hahaha¡­.''


    Vincent had always been able to control those crooked bootlickers with ease. After all, he was the one who made them depend on hispany so much, to the point that all of theirpanies would crumble once Vincent broke the contracts between them.


    But he just didn''t have the urge to do so as he thought it was unnecessary.


    "Well, not anymore. One of them is brave enough to hide my wife and daughter. He is challenging my authority, so everyone will have to suffer until that guy''s identity is revealed."

 301 Chapter 301

    "Well, not anymore. One of them is brave enough to hide my wife and daughter. He is challenging my authority, so everyone will have to suffer until that guy''s identity is revealed," Vincent murmured.


    Vincent was deep in his thoughts until the driver stopped and opened the car door for him.


    "Sir, we''ve arrived."


    "Hm."


    Vincent exited the car and was greeted by four maids who bowed their heads politely, "Wee home, Sir."


    <o>,m ...</o>


    Usually, he did not need this kind of greeting as he arrived. He didn''t need it and wasn''t vain enough to act like he was some kind of king.


    But it felt a little empty when there was nobody who greeted him as he returned home.


    ''It should be Chloe''s job,'' Vincent posited. ''She would usually rush to greet me at the front door everytime I returned home. She acts like a cute little wife, even though she is fat and ugly.''


    Of course, Vincent would ignore or straight-up insult her if he was in the mood. Calling her a perfect doormat because she acted like one, a doormat he could stomp and clean his feet on.


    ''Usually she would look sad and even hold back tears, because there were so many maids watching. But I know she''s crying in secret,'' Vincent recalled. ''Ah, good times.''


    Vincent nced at the beautiful maids that were assigned to greet him. They were young, probably not more than 25 years old, and they were trembling in shyness.


    ''Hmm, they''re beautiful, even more than my previous condom, Prisci...'' Vincent thought. ''But...''


    It was hard to admit, but Vincent truly had no lust for them right now. In fact, he had no strong desire to have sex for months.


    ''What I truly want to do right now... is to make that bitch give up and surrender herself in desperation. Then I will beat her until she cries and begged for her life.''


    ''Only with that, I can feel at east and fuck every single one of these women, like usual.''


    Vincent was quite content with his life before. Too bad Chloe decided to be a bitch and ran away, ''Well, it''s just a matter of time ''till she returns home with Mackie.''


    Vincent entered the master bedroom. He changed into a regr white polo shirt. He headed to his private office as he still had a few documents from his old secretary, Maria.


    He would rather leave the office at five and then continue his work in his private office in the mansion.


    He didn''t know the exact reason, but when he entered his home office and looked around the office decorated by Chloe, he feltfortable and at ease.


    ''Well, it looks cheap, and doesn''t show the mightiness that my family has. But it does feel homey,'' Vincentmented.


    He started working on a document when he heard a knock on the door.


    The maid from outside opened the door and then bowed her head politely, "Sir, there is a guest insisting to meet you outside."


    Vincent frowned. He didn''t remember inviting anyone tonight.


    "Who''s the guest?"


    "Ah-- um..." the maid hesitated for a moment. Because, based on Master Vincent''smand a month ago, this woman wasn''t allowed to enter the mansion anymore.


    "Speak."<sub> </sub>


    "I--It''s Miss Prisci, Sir," the maid replied. "The security guards already asked her to leave, but she insisted on staying until you epted her in."


    Vincent''s expression turned ugly instantly. He was already tired of that woman after using her for four years.


    Her pussy started to feel loose, and he wasn''t in the mood to have sex with anyone for now.


    So he simply ditched her.


    ''I''ve given her more than enough for the past four years. Her loose pussy has passed the expiration date,'' Vincent thought.


    "Tell her to leave--"


    "VINCEEEEENTTTT!!!!"


    Vincent was interrupted by the deafening scream that filled the mansion.


    Prisci broke through the barrier of maids by pping and pushing them away, "Let me go, you bunch of peasants! I''m going to meet my boyfriend, don''t you see? I AM PRISCILLA GRAY!"


    The maids were also scared of this woman. Because she really looked like a crazy whore from the street.


    She attacked everyone who dared to approach her and screamed rape whenever the security guards-- all men, tried to grab her arms and exposed shoulder.


    Vincent sighed and told the maid in his office, "Let her in."


    "Y--Yes, Master Gray."


    ...


    "Hmph! I will fucking fire all of you for touching me! Don''t you see that I will be your new mistress?!" Prisci continued yelling at the maids who escorted her like a madwoman. She didn''t even care if Vincent heard her.


    In her head, she just needed to give Vincent one wink, and he would be crazy about her again. It had always been like that for the past four years.


    The maids escorted Prisci into Vincent''s home office, and they left quickly.


    The maid closed the door with Prisci still yelling at them, "Ungrateful servants! I will rece all of you!"


    Vincent was already ring full of displeasure at this street whore. But he refrained frommenting because he wanted to see her next move.


    Vincent coughed once to catch Prisci''s attention, and Prisci turned around to stare at her handsome boyfriend.


    Priscibed her hair with her fingers quickly. She strutted towards Vincent while shaking her hips left and right to create a sexy aura around her body.


    Vincent watched Prisci without any interest. His dick didn''t even get hard when watching Prisci''s big tits bouncing, almost bursting out of her tight dress.


    Honestly, he didn''t understand what had happened to him. He used to like sucking on this woman''s tits before.


    But now, he felt nothing but disgust, as he found her body quite repulsive, especially when she acted like a slut in front of him.


    ''Has my taste changed? Usually I love looking at women who act like a whore in front of me. But now... I found them to be disgusting.''

 302 Chapter 302

    ''Has my taste changed? Usually I love looking at women who act like a whore in front of me. But now¡­ I found them to be disgusting,'' Vincent thought.


    He leaned on the backrest as he watched Prisci approach him.


    He remained silent and motionless as Prisci sat on his thigh coquettishly. She leaned on Vincent and rested her head on his firm shoulder. Her strong sweet perfume wafted under his nose, making him nauseous.


    "Darling~ why are you so cold to me these days?"


    ¡­


    Vincent had had no reaction so far. He was waiting for his dick to get hard. But even when they embraced each other like this, he had no desire for her.


    He found her repulsive, and that was all of it.


    Prisci realized that Vincent had no reaction down there. Usually, he would start kissing her shoulder, neck, and tits.


    But he just sat still like a statue right now.


    ''This is still okay. Vincent was often unresponsive because he was stressed with work. I just need to be more proactive and tease him more,'' Prisci tried to convince herself, even though deep down, she knew that Vincent was no longer interested in her.


    But Prisci continued clinging to the idea that Vincent wouldn''t get bored of her. She recalled so many moments where they shared their loving embrace and how many times he uttered the word ''love'' while fucking her.


    ''There is no way his feelings would disappear so easily. He''s obviously in love with me!''


    Prisci continued seducing Vincent by cing her palm on his chest, then whined sweetly;


    "Umm¡­ darling~ Why don''t you touch me these days? I''ve been waiting for you to taste my body and ram your hard dick inside me¡­."


    ¡­


    Vincent continued staying still, not moving a finger even though he felt nothing but disgust and wanted to p the fuck out of this bitch for sitting on hisp.


    He wanted to see how far she would go to seduce him and whether he would actually get hard from it.


    Seeing that Vincent didn''t refuse her, Prisci got bolder. She caressed his neck and the firm pecs under the thin polo shirt.


    Vincent was still unresponsive. He felt a little ticklish, but it wasn''t something that would make him go crazy. It didn''t even awaken his desire.


    Prisci''s palm went down and started rubbing Vincent''s stomach while she leaned closer until her tits were rubbing against the polo shirt.


    "Ummhh¡­ Mr. Vincent Gray¡ª Darling~ why don''t you do something with my boobs? I want you to y with them~."


    ¡­


    Prisci started worrying because Vincent wasn''t moving or looking interested in her seduction. Thus, her hand went down again, and started rubbing his crotch.


    To Prisci''s surprise, Vincent didn''t get hard at all, even after all she had done so far.


    Prisci stopped rubbing Vincent''s crotch and looked up to check his expression.<sub> </sub>


    "V¡ªVincent?" Prisci''s blood went cold when she saw how Vincent was looking down at her with a cold gaze, and it was the same gaze that he usually showed in front of Chloe.


    "Vincent, why are you staring at me like that?" Prisci asked.


    Vincent finally opened his mouth, and the first sentence he said was;


    "Get off me."


    "B¡ªBut¡ª"


    "I said get off me," Vincent repeated as he got more impatient.


    Prisci refused to believe that Vincent felt nothing when trying her best to seduce him. She couldn''t believe how a man who was crazy over her could change in less than a year.


    "W¡ªWhy don''t you touch me? Am Icking in something?" Prisci asked. "Do you want me to do something? I thought you love me!"


    Prisci desperately clung to Vincent''s body. She hugged his arms as tight as she could, not wanting to lose the man she had loved for four years straight.


    Vincent was pissed off now. This bitch seriously believed he would love a condom, a woman he used to have sex with at random ces and random times because he didn''t want to get random STDs.


    "Get off now or I will call the guards to bring random hooligans outside to fuck you here," Vincent threatened.


    Prisci almost fainted when she heard that threat. Vincent never backed off from his threat, and she definitely didn''t want to get fucked by a random hooligan.


    Thus, she released his clutch and separated herself from Vincent.


    She hopped off and took a step back from Vincent, afraid she might identally incite his anger even more.


    Vincent observed Prisci from head to toe with his viper gaze, and she lowered her head instantly.


    She was scared and had never felt this way for four years of their rtionship. He was nothing but sweet for her, but why did he change so suddenly?


    ''What did I do wrong? I thought we would have a beautiful life together¡­'' Prisci pondered as she still couldn''t ept the new fact that she wasn''t Vincent''s favorite woman anymore.


    ''This is supposed to be Chloe''s position. She is supposed to be the one who''s hated and unloved by Vincent, not me!''


    Vincent noticed the anger and resentment in Prisci''s eyes. She seemed shocked to react but continued making up scenarios in her head.


    ? Though, it didn''t seem to be directed towards him since she didn''t even dare to look him in the eyes right now.


    To be honest, Vincent was still pissed off by this delusional bitch who dared to seduce him even though he kept showing that he wasn''t interested in her at all.


    She passed her expiration date as a condom. She was all used up, and Vincent simply had no interest in using her service or finding a new condom. Since he was too upied with work and setting up everything to ensure his wife returned by his side.


    Though, he still needed to give this woman more leniency and appreciation.


    After all, he had been using her service for the past four years, the longest duration that Vincent had ever kept a condom.

 303 Chapter 303

    Though, he still needed to give this woman more leniency and appreciation.


    After all, he had been using her service for the past four years, the longest duration that Vincent had ever kept a condom.


    There was a long silence between them until Vincent opened his mouth;


    "So, what do you want?" Vincent asked straight to the point.


    "Ah, w¡ªwhat do I want¡ª"


    Of course, Prisci had something that she wanted to say. She wanted Vincent to catch that fat whale Chloe, drag her to the bathroom, and let Prisci get her revenge by beating the shit out of her.


    But she couldn''t outright say that.


    Whenever she wanted something or wanted Vincent to do an errand for her, she would say it after sex. Because Vincent would be in a good mood and would just nod and ept whatever request Prisci had.


    ''This is obviously not the right moment for that request¡­.''


    Hearing no response from Prisci, Vincent repeated his question;


    "I said, what do you need? I know that you want something, right? Is it money? I thought I''ve given you enough for four years, but I guess that''s not enough."


    Prisci was stunned by the usation and even more stunned when Vincent ripped a nk check and then wrote fifty thousand dors in it.


    He stuffed the check inside Prisci''s cleavage and said, "Here''s your money. Don''t you dare ckmail me after this, or I might have to solve the problem with a bit of force."


    ¡­


    Prisci looked down and grabbed the check squeezed between her tits. She checked the number, and it was true. He gave her fifty thousand dors.


    Prisci was humiliated. She couldn''t believe that Vincent would put a price on her for a measly fifty thousand dors!?


    She wanted to rip the check in front of him to show that she wasn''t a cheap whore, but then she remembered that she barely had enough money to support herself in her bank ount.


    Of course, she had money in the form of expensive bags and jewelry that Vincent had bought for her for the past four years. But those held sentimental value to her, and she refused to sell them unless she needed to.


    So, she refrained from ripping the check and simply hid it behind her back.


    Vincent watched her movement and scoffed, full of irony and ridicule, when he saw how she epted the check reluctantly, "You get what you want, leave me alone."


    ¡­


    Prisci didn''t move an inch even after Vincent told her to leave, but she lowered her head as she didn''t dare to look straight at him, staring at her with his displeased gaze.


    The same gaze that he often gave to Chloe.


    "What now? Do you want more money?" Vincent sighed. He was about to rip another nk check and wrote fifty thousand dors again, so Prisci would get a hundred thousand dors.


    But Prisci quickly refused, "That''s not what I want¡­."


    ''Besides, I don''t need that kind of small money when I can have you, Vincent. I am going to be Mrs. Gray in the future after all,'' Prisci said in her heart, still trying to convince herself that she deserved the title.<sub> </sub>


    "Then what do you want? Say it quickly, I have things to do."


    "I¡ª" Prisci tried to find a good sentence to start the conversation. "I met Chloe today."


    Vincent''s heartbeat skipped for a second. His gaze darkened, and he inquired more, "Where and what time?"


    "In a cheap diner in downtown Brooklyn. I met her around two in the afternoon, she was having her lunch alone ...." Prisci replied.


    "Did you take a picture of her?"


    "Huh? Why would I take a picture of her? That''s a waste of space in my phone!" Prisci retorted quickly.


    She couldn''t imagine having to save that fat whale''s picture in her phone, ''Yuck, that would take half of my phone storage, ew¡­.''


    Vincent clenched his fist instantly. He wanted to rip this bitch''s mouth for talking shit about his wife.


    But he controlled himself from doing so. He wanted to see what this bitch had to report.


    "Then, what''s her current condition?"


    Prisci started to get annoyed when Vincent kept asking about Chloe''s well-being. Obviously, he should''ve asked about her condition first.


    ''Ugh, why did he be so affectionate to that fat whale? There''s something seriously wrong about him!''


    However, Prisci replied reluctantly, "She is putting on some weight¡­."


    "PUTTING SOME WEIGHT?!"


    "Y¡ªYes¡­"


    "So she looks normal now?"


    "No¡­ she''s still thin. But not as thin as before¡­." Prisci replied. She knew that Chloe''s weight had fluctuated extremely for the past four years.


    When she first met her, Chloe was obese. She was simply unkempt, fat, and ugly. That was why she kept calling her fat whale or blobby to tease her because the image of fat Chloe was already ingrained in her memory.


    But after three years, she lost so much weight that she was practically skin and bone.


    Vincent gritted his teeth.


    ''All my hardwork for the past ten years to keep her either extremely obese or thin as paper will be in vain at this point,'' Vincent thought. ''I have to make her starve to near death by her own free will again once she returns. Or if she''s already fattening herself, I need to make her extremely fat and disgusting again.''


    The more Vincent imagined the sexy and gorgeous young Chloe who made everyone fall in love, the more pissed off he got.


    ''What did that asshole do to my wife? Did he make her feel safe and happy, so she will start bettering her body again? HAH, what an idiot! You''re supposed to make her ugly and unwanted!''


    Prisci witnessed the range of emotion that Vincent showed on his face. She got concerned because Vincent was supposed to be a very unreadable and unpredictable man.


    He never showed too much emotion unless when he wasughing at Chloe, who cried and begged to be left alone.

 304 Chapter 304

    Vincent never showed too much emotion unless when he wasughing at Chloe, who cried and begged to be left alone.


    It made Prisci wonder if she should tell him about her request or not...


    Meanwhile, Vincent was busy with his own thoughts right now. He was angry at Chloe for running away and fixing herself. In his mind, the way Chloe became ugly and unwanted waspletely justified, because he was protecting her.


    ''That bitch, she wants to be beautiful like ten years ago because he wants to seduce men, huh? All my hard work for ten years to keep her safe will be in vain, what an ungrateful bitch!''


    It took him a while to calm down, trying to regte his breathing as he was about to burst at this point.


    ''Okay, calm down, Vincent. You can always mold her againter. She is a weak-willed woman. You just need to do the usual.''


    After he calmed down, he shifted his attention to Prisci, standing still the whole time. All her usual sassiness was gone after Vincent didn''t even get aroused by her seduction.


    "What did you do when you met her in that diner?" Vincent asked.


    "Ah!" Prisci thought this was her chance to report what Chloe did to her. So Vincent would be angry and punish that fat whale for defending herself, even attacking Prisci.


    Thus, she pouted, puffed her cheeks to make herself cuter, and replied, "I approached her, and then asked her what she was doing there."


    "And then?"


    "Then I lifted my hand. I want to p her!"


    ...


    Vincent''s breath heaved again. He knew that it was something he usually told Prisci to do. He even took joy when he saw Chloe getting pped by Prisci.


    But for an unknown reason, he was furious when he heard that Prisci wanted to p his wife.


    "Did you do it?"


    "Well, sadly no...." Prisci grieved as if she had been wronged. "She caught my hand, and then pped me back until I got dizzy and fell to the ground...."


    Prisci finally lifted her head and stared at Vincent with eyes zed with tears, "She pped me so hard that I almost cried, Darling... Please avenge me. I want you to beat her, p her ten times more than what she did to me!"


    ...


    Vincent got up from the chair and walked towards Prisci. Prisci didn''t notice any hostility from him, so she stood still until Vincent stood before her.


    "Tell me, love. Where did she p you?"


    "My left cheek. She pped me on my left cheek, and left a bruise that I need to cover with makeup...." Prisciined pitifully.


    The cute and pitiful beauty would have roused the desire to protect from any man''s heart, and nobody would be able to resist her charm.


    Unfortunately, Vincent wasn''t just ''any man.''


    "I see..." Vincent gently put his big, warm palm on Prisci''s right cheek and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Is your right cheek still hurting, my love?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, it''s still hurting!" Prisci replied. She felt happy when Vincent was


    "Well, let me help you."


    Vincent raised his hand and--


    PA!


    "AHHH!"


    Prisci fell to the floor when she felt a shocking, stinging pain on her right cheek.


    Vincent pped her so hard that she got a concussion twice as painful as Chloe inflicted on her, to the point that she was paralyzed while lying on the floor.


    Her ear rang after the p, but she could hear Vincent''s words clearly, "Don''t you ever hurt my wife again, you cheap whore."


    Prisci couldn''t believe what she had just heard. She tried to open her mouth despite the concussion and muttered weakly, "Why... Why did you do this to me? Aren''t I... your lover?"


    "Lover? Don''t make meugh," Vincent rejected and showed a disgusted face. "I tolerate you because I''ve been using you for four years so I won''t get random STDs. But I''ve grown tired of your pussy. You''re loose, and I''m no longer interested in you."


    Prisci''s heart sank when Vincent hinted that she was just a woman he used for fun. Because she knew that wasn''t the case.


    ''He''s just unstable right now. He still loves me. I know he still loves me... right?'' Prisci asked herself, trying to make up whatever reason she had in her mind just to picture Vincent in a better light.


    "But... but... you told me to p her before...." Prisci murmured. "Why... Did you change, Vincent? We... we''re supposed to torment her, right?"


    Vincent was taken aback by the question.


    True, he had changed for an unknown reason. He still wanted to beat the shit out of Chloe, but he would get angry when someone else did it for him.


    Usually, Vincent would allow Prisci or a random maid he appointed to p or push Chloe to the floor.


    <o>,m They could also gang up on her whenever Vincent was in the mood to see Chloe begging for her life.</o>


    ''What happened to me, seriously? Why did I be so lenient on Chloe? Am I the good guy now?'' Vincent knew that he was a good guy in the first ce. The amount of praise and worship he got from the masses because of his money and charity act was enough to prove it.


    But he never knew he could be a good person for his filthy wife.


    ''Does that mean I''ve spared Chloe by not allowing someone else other than me to beat her? Ah, she should be grateful then, knowing how benevolent and forgiving I am when we reunite.''


    Vincent was still trying to process the idea of being kind and forgiving to Chloe. He rarely beat Chloe with his hand because he didn''t want to dirty his hand and only did it when Chloe tried to struggle or fight back.


    But now, imagining someone else beating Chloe gave Vincent an unprecedented sense of jealousy.


    He lowered his head to look down at Prisci, ''Good thing this side piece didn''t hurt my wife.''

 305 Chapter 305

    Vincent lowered his head to look down at Prisci, ''Good thing this side piece didn''t hurt my wife.''


    Prisci was still lying on the floor, the concussion made her unable to get up, and the pain spread from her head to her entire body, making her paralyzed for some time.


    "V¡ªVincent¡­ darling¡­ what''s wrong with you?" Prisci asked.


    Vincent scoffed, "Don''t call me darling. You''re no longer allowed toe to my mansion, and you''re fired as my secretary. I have no use for a loose hole like you."


    Vincent walked over Prisci''s body and headed to the door. He opened the door and was greeted by the worried maid who was eavesdropping the whole time.


    "Master, about Miss Prisci, what should we do to her?"


    "Kick her out. I''ve given her fifty thousand dors aspensation," Vincent replied. He walked past the maid and headed to the dining room, feeling a little hungry.


    "Oh, if she''s daring enough to threaten to publish this to the media, tell her I know all about her family. I will make her regret if she ever did something stupid," Vincent said unfeelingly before leaving.


    The maid was staring at Prisci, whoy on the floor. Her body trembled, and it seemed that she was sobbing.


    The maid sighed. She heard from other senior maids that Master Vincent Gray had many side chick he kept for a year or two before ditching them heartlessly.


    This woman was the one he kept the longest, but that didn''t mean she would stay forever.


    The maid approached Prisci, who was still lying on the floor. She nudged Prisci''s body with her shoe and said, "Miss, please get up and leave now."


    ¡­


    Prisci was unresponsive. She continued crying until her tears flowed to the floor and made a pool.


    She felt so much pain that was very new for her, and it was devastating.


    ''I thought we had something. I''ve been in love with him for the past four years¡­'' Prisci grieved. ''Turns out, you only see me as a bitch you can use whenever you''re horny¡­.''


    ''Then what''s the point of saying that you''ll marry me after we had such a wild and loving sex? Did you lie? Or did you change your mind?''


    The maid sighed when she saw this woman crying as if the world had ended and she had lost everything in her life.


    She had no need to be respectful to this woman since Master Gray had officially ditched her.


    The maid nudged Prisci''s body again and said, "Do you really think that you have a chance with Master Gray? Here, let me tell you, you''re just one of his side chick. He has a lot of side chick before you, and also other flings outside."


    "He is also fucking some of the maids here too!" The maid continued without a filter. "Well, all of us already know what kind of man he is. As long as we got the money, then we simply forgot about it and continued living as usual."


    The more the maid attacked Prisci with the cold hard truth, the more painful it was in her heart.<sub> </sub>


    "I know he has other women he slept with other than me. But I''m the one by his side for the past four years¡­." Prisci finally replied.


    Her voice was weak and coarse, but she continued mumbling, "Aren''t I supposed to be special?"


    The maid sighed again, dropping the bomb, "You''re not special. Nobody is special to him other than his wife and daughter."


    "You might think that Mrs. Gray is just a woman to be bullied, and well¡­ that is the truth," the maid replied. She felt a little guilty because she pped Mrs. Gray once under the order of Master Gray.


    "But she is the one who stayed by his side for the past ten years. You''re literally nothing," the maid added. "So you better forget about him. You''ve gotten enough money, right?"


    The maid took out her phone and started calling the security guard outside.


    "Yeah,e here and drag this woman out. She has been crying on the floor for a while," the maid said.


    Two security guards rushed to Vincent''s private office.


    "Ah, there you two¡ª go grab this woman and kick her out. Master Gray said she''s not allowed to enter this mansion anymore," the maid said. "And he also told me that¡­ he will make you regret it if you ever told this to the media."


    Prisci''s heart was crushed once more. She knew that Vincent was so powerful. She and her family would suffer if she dared to say something to the media.


    She witnessed¡ª and participated in the intimidation of one woman who imed to have had sex with Vincent.


    Vincent made that woman leave this country for good because she felt unsafe everywhere.


    The security guards grabbed Prisci''s arms and dragged her like a ragdoll out of the mansion.


    She slumped in front of the main gate like a puppet whose string had been cut.


    "Go, miss. Move on and stop pestering Master Gray," a security guard said. He threw a quick nce at the check in Prisci''s hand. The maid told them it was a fifty thousand dor check.


    "Well, if you don''t want it, I will take it¡ª" the security guard crouched, wanting to take the check from Prisci, who was still too shocked to react.


    But when she felt the check was about to get snatched, she regained some of her strength and grasped the check even tighter.


    She red at the security guard, "Fuck off or I will scream."


    The security guard''s body stiffened. He sighed and got up, "Alright, alright. Go take your check and leave the mansion before I get scolded by Master Gray."


    The security guards returned to their post and closed the gate, leaving Prisci alone on the street.


    Prisci slowly got up. She stood still for a while, trying to process what had just happened.

 306 Chapter 306

    Prisci slowly got up. She stood still for a while, trying to process what had just happened.


    Her tears had dried up since she cried too much in Vincent''s office, but the pain still lingered in her heart. It might be permanent at this point.


    "He ditched me so easily, even though I dedicated four years of my life to him¡­." Prisci murmured. "Then what about all the sweet moments we went through? Was it all just a lie? Or maybe just a product of a heated moment because he was so horny about fucking me?"


    Deep down, Prisci knew that Vincent never loved her. That guy didn''t love anything or anyone other than himself.


    But she continued deluding herself, thinking she had a chance.


    Prisci opened her fist to see the crumpled fifty thousand dor check.


    "So this is what you call the st payment'', huh?" Prisci scoffed. "Oh well, I''ll take it. This is alsopensation for the assault you did to me just now."


    Prisci called an Uber and returned to her apartment. She was silent the whole time, but her heart was burning with fury.


    She took another bath, washing away all the dirt and tears that stained her beautiful face.


    After she was done with the bath, she stared at herself in the vanity and calmly said;


    "I will find a man better than you, Vincent. I will find a man richer, stronger, smarter, and a lot more handsome than you! I''ll make you regret ever ditching me."


    "And I know the right man to look for."


    **


    Shailene had just finished another therapy session with her most prominent client.


    An old woman who had a cheating husband. She was rich after her husband passed away and inherited all the money for her.


    But the emotional damage was permanent in her heart, straining her from making a new rtionship with another man, and making her unable to get close to her two sons.


    Shailene sighed, "Dorothea Gray is obviously suffering. But I can see why Vernon doesn''t like her at all. Because he was groomed by a woman named Chloe.


    Shailene listened to some of the words from Dorothea from the most recent session.


    How she could not take care of Vernon because she was dealing with her own trauma, and in exchange, he was being taken care of by Chloe since he was seven years old."


    ¡ª


    "That girl¡­ shees from a poor family. She used her charm to hook my first son, and then used her charm to groom my second son," Dorothea said during one of her sessions.


    "Grooming? That is a strong allegation, Mrs. Gray," Shailene frowned, but her hand continued writing something in her notepad. "Maybe she is just taking care of him? Since you''re unable to do so."


    "No, I have proof that she is seducing my first and second son! She''s a pedophile!" Dorothea imed.


    "A proof?"


    "Yes! My second son was so innocent before Chloe came to his life. But in only a month after her arrival, Vernon suddenly knew about how to have sex in a very detailed way, and he was only seven at that time!" Dorothea yelled as she got worked up.<sub> </sub>


    She might not be close to Vernon, but he was still her second son! So she was worried when Vernon suddenly told her he wanted to have sex with Big sis Chloe at seven.


    She wanted to do something but was busy with her depression, and Vernon was too much for Dorothea to handle.


    So she ignored it and dealt with her depression by buying a lot of expensive stuff with Vaughn''s ck card.


    "And you think Chloe was the one who taught him about it?"


    "Who else?!"


    "Maybe it''s Vincent? Or yourte husband," Shailene theorized. "Boys usually discover and talk about sexual stuff with their male rtives, whether it''s father, brother, uncle, or male cousin."


    Dorothea got annoyed because Shailene didn''t believe herpletely, "Do you really think that my husband and first son would do something so despiseful such as teaching my seven-year-old son explicitly about sex?!"


    "They might not be saints, but they''re not that deprived! The only one who can teach Vernon about that stuff is Chloe!" Dorothea insisted. "You don''t know how obsessed Vernon was with that woman when he was a teenager!"


    ''I know, I know very well,'' Shailene replied in her heart.


    After all, Chloe was the reason why she and Vernon broke up at university.


    Vernon called the wrong name. He called his ''Chloe'' instead of ''Shailene'' when she gave him a blowjob.


    So she knew that Vernon was still obsessed with that woman named Chloe.


    "That kid boldly imed to everyone that he would be the one marrying Chloe. He didn''t even care if he had to face his Big brother," Dorothea said.


    "Now, do you think that kind of idea is normal for a teenage kid? He is too obsessed with her, to the point that Vernon''s mind is all about her. That''s why I agreed immediately when he said he wants to leave New York and study abroad!" Dorothea imed. "I want him to forget about that maniptive woman Chloe. She had gotten my first son, I don''t want her to seduce my second son too!"


    "That bitch¡ª Chloe, she must''ve been manipting Vernon the whole time. She knew that Vernon was just a kid, so she indoctrinated him to think that he cannot love anyone other than her."


    "Now, do you really think I will ever forgive her for that? I already hate her for marrying my first son, and I will hate her even more if she dared to seduce my second!"


    ¡­


    ''It seems to be toote for that, Mrs. Gray,'' Shailene replied in her heart. ''That guy now lives with Chloe, and is still as obsessed as ever.''


    Shailene only nodded as a response in front of Dorothea, which prompted Dorothea to say;


    "You have to trust me, Shailene! That bitch is dangerous! She is using her charm to hook my sons, and I will forever resent her for it!"


    ...


    "Yes, Mrs. Gray. I trust you."


    ¡ª

 307 Chapter 307

    Shailene worked on her report while she was waiting for Vernon toe.


    She recalled all the words said by Vernon''s mother;


    "But what she said makes sense," Shailene murmured while writing her report on Dorothea Gray. "There is no way Vernon can be so obsessed with his sister-inw without any kind of mental maniption when he was a kid."


    "Especially when they had been separated for ten years straight without contact, and Vernon maintained his obsession even after going through countless dates," Shailene added more reason not to believe that Chloe was innocent.


    Shailene stopped writing when she realized something hical with her observation, "Am I biased against Chloe because of my experience with Vernon?"


    Shailene started questioning herself. She put her pen down and leaned on the chair while looking at the ceiling. She wondered if she might have a clouded judgment because of her animosity against Vernon.


    "I may also have animosity against Chloe as well¡­" Shailene murmured. "She is the one who indirectly caused me to break up with Vernon. After all, I am just a woman for Vernon to spend his free time with before he returns to Chloe¡­."


    Shailene started thinking about Mrs. Gray too.


    Initially, she took the job as Dorothea Gray''s main psychologist because it was her specialty to deal with a woman who suffered from the trauma of cheating and an abusive husband.


    But that wasn''t the only reason¡­


    "I wish to know more about Vernon. I thought I could get more information about that scum through his mother, but what I found is¡­ Chloe."


    "Even his mother only knows him because of his attachment to Chloe," Shailene concluded. "So it''s not wrong for me to say that Chloe is a groomer knowing their age gap. Vernon must''ve been in his most vulnerable state when he was a kid because of his parents'' marital problem too¡­."


    "Added with the fact that Chloees from a lower-middle ss family who could barely survive per month, it''s very logical for her wanting to have a good life by manipting Vernon."


    As much as Shailene imed she hated Vernon, she wouldn''t lie that she still had feelings for him.


    He was her first love and also the one she genuinely fell in love with.


    He was wild and emotional, with that devil-may-care attitude that was the pr opposite of Shailene, who always calcted everything.


    "You might never love me, Vernon. But I''ll do you a favor and help you to escape the chain of a pedophile," Shailene promised. "I''ll knock some sense into you."


    Ding-Dong!


    "Ah, that must be him."


    ? Shailene got up and left her private counseling office. She opened the front door of her apartment and was greeted with the sight of Vernon, who seemed to have a lot on his mind.


    Which was rare, knowing that Vernon usually didn''t think twice when deciding upon something and wouldn''t think about the aftermath.


    He would rather deal with what was in front of him. At least, that was all based on Shailene''s observation of her ex-boyfriend.


    "Uh¡­ hi," Vernon greeted awkwardly. No matter how often they met, he felt guilty for breaking her heart.


    Shailene checked her watch, "You''re earlier than I thought."


    "Yeah, I went here right after meeting with one of my clients," Vernon replied. "Is that a no? Do you still have another client inside?"<sub> </sub>


    "No, I''ve emptied my schedule in the evening for you," Shailene replied. "Come in."


    Vernon followed Shailene to enter her apartment. He thought she''d lead him to the private office to start the counseling.


    But she went to the kitchen instead and started rummaging through her fridge, "Have you had dinner?"


    "Uh¡­ I haven''t¡­"


    "Then I''ll cook something for you," Shailene said. "I''ll make two tes of spaghetti meatballs."


    "Uhh¡­ why don''t we just do the counseling instead?" Vernon suggested. He found eating weird in someone''s house, especially a woman.


    Because he already had a woman at home, and Chloe''s food was the best.


    ''Though, I don''t know if she''s cooking me something for dinner tonight. Since I said something wrong that hurt her heart, apparently,'' Vernon thought.


    "Nonsense," Shailene retorted while preparing the ingredients. "It''s much better to have counseling with a full stomach, so we can focus on your problem. Besides, I''m also starving, my main client was so fired up telling the story of her second son."


    Vernon didn''t give a crap about that main client of hers. He didn''t understand why Shailene kept mentioning her main client whenever they met.


    ''Maybe she just wants me to know that she''s a professional? Well, I won''t return to her after what she said before if she''s not the best in this field.''


    Vernon wanted to refuse Shailene''s invitation to dinner, but Shailene had already put the spaghetti in the pot, so he had no choice.


    "Go sit at the dining table. It won''t be long," Shailene said.


    ¡­


    Vernon still felt weirded out by the fact that he would be eating Shailene''s cooking.


    ''It makes me feel like I''m cheating on my wife¡ª'' Vernon thought. And then he quickly snapped out of his stupid idea. ''Wait, wife? W-w-w-why would I think of Chloe as my wife? I do love her, and I¡­ I want to spend my time with her¡­ for eternity.''


    ''But wife? T¡ªthat''s too much man! I won''t let myself be tied up by a woman, never!''


    While Vernon was busy with his own dilemmatic world, Shailene had finished her spaghetti and served a te in front of Vernon and the other one for her.


    She sat and started digging her food when she noticed that Vernon was still unresponsive.


    "Hey, Vernon," Shailene kicked Vernon''s shin lightly to snap him out of his daze.


    "Huh, what?"


    Shailene rolled her eyes, "The dinner is ready. Go eat it, and then we can continue with our counseling."


    "Oh, yeah, thanks¡­." Vernon stared at the spaghetti and meatballs served to him. The food looked good, but he had no appetite. Because the one who cooked this wasn''t Chloe¡­

 308 Chapter 308

    Vernon stared at the spaghetti and meatballs served to him. The food looked good, but he had no appetite. Because the one who cooked this wasn''t Chloe...


    Shailene noticed his reluctance and said, "I would be offended if you''re not eating the food I made. I hate you, but I won''t poison you over it. So don''t worry and eat it."


    "Well, that''s not what makes me reluctant...." Vernon replied.


    "What''s the cause then?"


    ...


    "Tch, fine, I''ll eat it," Vernon grabbed the fork and started eating the dinner served by Shailene because he didn''t want to tell Shailene that her food wasn''t as good as Chloe''s.


    Shailene lowered her head and smiled thinly as she was happy. She cooked simple stuff for Vernon when they were in uni.


    He would thank Shailene for it, even going as far as praising Shailene for being a good girlfriend, and it was Shailene''s pride to be able to do so for her loved one.


    "How is it? Tasty?" Shailene asked.


    "Uh... yeah, tasty..." Vernon replied, even though he had a different opinion in his head.


    ''It''s nd. There''s no difference in the spaghetti meatballs that you madepared to the store-bought instant spaghetti meatballs.''


    ''Chloe made me spaghetti meatballs once, and the sauce is so good, I actually licked it clean. Maybe you should ask for her recipe instead.''


    Vernon finished the spaghetti meatballs slowly. He was dissatisfied and still feeling so hungry because he had just finished nd spaghetti meatballs.


    But he said nothing because he didn''t want to make Shailene angry because he was the one who needed her help.


    Shailene drank a ss of water before wiping her lips with a tissue, "Okay, we can start the counseling now,e in."


    Vernon followed Shailene into the home office. Heid on the same chaise lounge and stared at the ceiling as Shailene turned on the heater withvender aromatherapy that eased Vernon''s mind.


    Shailene picked up her note and sat on the seat beside the chaise lounge, and started the counseling;


    "Alright, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Let''s pick up the session with the topic from thest session."


    "The one when you said that Chloe is a groomer and pedophile?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, fuck you, Shailene," Vernon cursed without hesitation. He didn''t yell this time, as he knew that yelling would only tire him out.


    "Hm... you haven''t changed your opinion?" Shailene asked back.


    "Never, She is not like that. All she did when I was a kid was take care of me, and teach me how to be a good kid even though my family was a mess."


    "So you don''t you fucking dare calling her pedophile and a groomer. I know her more than you ever will!" Vernon imed.


    Shailene sighed. She was trying to help knock some sense in Vernon''s head since he was obsessed with Chloe.


    But it didn''t seem to be working.<sub> </sub>


    "Besides, I''m not here because of that. If you keep trying to convince me that Chloe is a maniptive woman, then I might as well leave and nevere back."


    Vernon got up from the chaise lounge, but Shailene quickly grabbed his wrist and said, "Okay, I think we started on the wrong footing. Let''s just forget about what I said before and we can start by discussing other topics."


    ...


    "Fine."


    Vernon returned toy on the chaise lounge so they could resume the session.


    Shailene was relieved that Vernon was still open for discussion, or else, how would she be able to knock some sense in Vernon''s head that his Big sis Chloe was a toxic, maniptive woman?


    "I know that you''re still angry at me about what I said before, and I apologize about that," Shailene said. However, she didn''t directly say that she was wrong in her opinion about Chloe.


    "As you should!" Vernon nodded in full agreement.


    "I know that you''re still angry with me from the previous session. So I suspect that you have another problem with her, correct?"


    "... Yeah, I do...."


    "How about we start with that?" Shailene suggested. "You may tell me about the new problem."


    Vernon sighed. He stared at the ceiling for a while and started talking;


    "I identally made her mad. So mad that she refused to have lunch with me today," Vernon said. "She told me that I said something offensive, so offensive that it hurt her heart."


    As he told the story, Shailene watched how Vernon''s expression gradually became sadder. It seemed that he was devastated by this problem because Vernon never showed that kind of sadness in front of everyone, not even when they were still dating.


    Shailene clenched the pen in her hand, trying to endure the heartache that she experienced.


    She was angry and envious because Vernon never showed that sad expression to her, to the point that she thought Vernon was incapable of showing remorse and feeling grief.


    ''I''m not special, I know that,'' Shailene thought. ''But I still stupidly want him back....''


    "Did it hurt you badly when she said that she didn''t want to have lunch with you?"


    "Mm..." Vernon nodded weakly. "It might be something simple. But it''s so devastating to me. My mind is constantly thinking about it. I wonder what did I say wrong and how am I able to fix it, so she will ept me back."


    "That means she is very important to you, right, Vernon?"


    "Of course!" Vernon proimed without hesitation. "She is the sole reason for everything that I''m doing right now! I will never think about opening a business, broadening my reach over my sectors! I did everything because I wanted her!"


    ...


    "I see..." Shailene started writing something in her notepad. She threw a quick nce at Vernon, who was still staring at the ceiling.


    The heartache started to bother her a lot, but she tried to endure it for the sake of professionalism, "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you imed that you love your Big sis Chloe, even went as far as saying that you did everything for her. But it seems that you know nothing about her."

 309 Chapter 309

    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you imed that you love your Big sis Chloe, even went as far as saying that you did everything for her. But it seems that you know nothing about her."


    Vernon turned his head towards Shailene and red at her, "How dare you question my love for her. Didn''t I tell you that I did everything so I could be with her? We will never meet if it''s not because of her."


    ''I know,'' Shailene replied in her heart. ''I heard from your mom, that you left only a few days after Chloe''s marriage with your Big brother. You must''ve been heart broken, right?''


    Shailene had much information about Vernon from his mom, and she gathered enough information about Chloe from the same source.


    ''For example, I know that you only ate food that was cooked by your Big sis Chloe since you were a kid, Vernon. That''s why I know that Chloe must''ve been training Vernon to be solely dependent on her,'' Shailene stated in her head. ''What a poisonous woman.''


    Too bad Shailene couldn''t reveal everything in front of Vernon because it was against her ethics as a psychologist.


    Shailene stared back at Vernon without fear, "You can im that you''re the strongest man in the world, but it will take a long road to im it. Just like when you im that you love your Big sis Chloe so much, do you have any proof of that?"


    "I told I¡ª"


    "¡ªthen tell me the proof that you''re in love with her," Shailene interrupted Vernon, knowing how stubborn this guy was.


    "Ugh, you''re so fucking annoying, Shailene. Why do I keep repeating myself?" Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. "I work tirelessly everyday because I want to show her that I am a capable man. I am also powerful, and I can afford anything that she wants."


    "I might just be a multi-millionaire for now. But I will be a billionaire sooner orter," Vernon imed. "And by that time, she can be the queen of the world. I will make her the queen of the world."


    ¡­


    "Is that it?" Shailene asked nonchntly.


    Vernon''s eyes widened. He gnashed his teeth as he got offended by Shailene''s nonchnt attitude.


    "Fuck! You''re supposed to be the best in this field! Why do you continue to undermine my hard work?! You''re not helping at all!"


    "Calm down," Shailene replied, still with a nonchnt attitude. "I am just asking. Because all I see is YOUR achievement. What YOU want, not hers."


    Vernon was stunned by that statement, "What do you mean?"


    Shailene sighed, full of woe.


    ''I know it. Vernon is not really in love with his Big sis Chloe. He''s just obsessing over her.''


    "Vernon, to love someone is to understand about your loved one," Shailene said. "You may have everything in this world. But if you don''t know one thing about her, then you''re not in love with her. You just think that giving her everything is what is called love."


    "O¡ªOf course I know everything about my Chloe!"


    "Then, let''s start with the easiest one," Shailene put her note down and leaned towards Vernon''s direction. "What is her favorite color?"


    Vernon was stunned. His breath stiffened for a second because he was caught off guard by the question.


    "W¡ªWhat is her favorite color? Ah¡­ uh¡­" Vernon realized that he didn''t know Chloe''s favorite color. He never thought of that, in fact.


    "I¡ªIt''s not an important thing! Why do I have to answer the most trivial question ever just to prove that I love her?!"<sub> </sub>


    "You have no idea about her favorite color, right? Something like that should''ve been very obvious just by looking at her stuff, mostly clothes," Shailene sighed. "What''s her favorite food then?"


    "That''s¡ª"


    "What''s her favorite tv show?"


    "Wait¡ª"


    "What''s her favorite ce to go on the weekend?"


    "I¡ª"


    "What''s her favorite thing to do to unwind after a stressful day?"


    ¡­


    Vernon was finally silenced when he realized he couldn''t answer any of the questions from Shailene.


    The realization hit him hard because he realized that he actually knew nothing about Chloe.


    "As expected," Shailene said. "You don''t know a thing about her. Do you call that love?"


    "¡­ Just¡­ trivial things¡­" Vernon replied weakly as he tried to defend himself.


    "Indeed, those are trivial things. But would you im yourself to be in love, when you know nothing about her?" Shailene added. ''And let me knock some sense in your head, Vernon.''


    "Let me tell you something, Vernon. You might be mad after this, but this is the truth and you should take my credibility as a woman, and a person who studied female psychology."


    "You''re not in love with her," Shailene stated boldly. "What you feel is called obsession and dependency. That feeling is usually created and molded since you were a kid."


    "You''re dependent on her presence, and you''re obsessed with the idea of loving and owning her," Shailene said. "You know nothing about her, and you''re not really interested in her as a person. You''re just interested in the idea, and it is all about yourself."


    "Admit it, Vernon. It''s all because you want to have a nice, fulfilling life with any woman. If I''m the one who took care of you when you were a kid, you willtch yourself on me instead."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon waspletely speechless by Shailene''s statement. He had a few things in mind that contradicted Shailene''s statement, such as when she said he wanted to have a fulfilling life with any woman.


    Vernon would boldly im that he would rather never settle down unless it was with Chloe.


    But he didn''t want to deny her for now because he was confused.


    ''What she said confuses me. I don''t even know what to think right now¡­'' Vernon already had a lot of doubt in his heart. He was unsure about many things, and his only anchor was one truth.


    That he was undoubtedly, hopelessly in love with Chloe Gray.

 310 Chapter 310

    Vernon already had a lot of doubt in his heart. He was unsure about many things, and his only anchor was one truth.


    That he was undoubtedly, hopelessly in love with Chloe Gray.


    ''But... a concept of love? Am I in love with Chloe just because I''m obsessed with the idea of love?'' The more Vernon tried to process Shailene''s words, the more confused he got.


    He wasn''t well versed in psychology, and everything that Shailene said didn''t help him.


    In fact, it only made him wonder if everything he had worked on so far was in vain.


    And whether his hard work to give Chloe a good life was all just because he was obsessed with the idea of love, not because he loved Chloe.


    Vernon nced at Shailene for a second, ''I feel like I''m the one getting manipted here. But... Why would she do that? I''m hereing as a client, and I''m paying her for it.''


    Shailene allowed Vernon to process everything before she continued. She leaned back on the chair and crossed her leg, "No wonder you identally said the wrong thing that hurt Chloe. You''re not in love with her, Vernon."


    "I--" Vernon hesitated.


    Usually, he would be quick to jump and defend himself for this.


    But right now, he wasn''t sure about everything.


    He was confused, too confused to process anything.


    Shailene was quite satisfied with the development, ''That''s good, Vernon. I''m helping you, so you will release yourself from the grasp of that evil, maniptive woman.''


    Shailene cleared her throat and asked, "So, Mr. Phoenix Gray, shall we continue with the session?"


    "No... no need..." Vernon replied weakly. He got up from the chaise lounge and walked away from her.


    "Wait, really? But we''ve just started with our session. It''s not even an hour yet," Shailene said. "Don''t you have another thing in your mind you want to say?"


    "No, in fact, I would rather not say anything to you anymore, Shailene," Vernon replied. "You''re confusing me with my own feelings."


    "That is normal, Vernon. You''re just trying to fight off the truth that I just told you."


    "It''s not the truth! You''re just putting words in my head, and confusing me!" Vernon insisted.


    "What I saides from the words of an expert. You might think I have a malicious intention to you. But I am 100% doing this based on my study and professionalism."


    He looked over his shoulder and saw Shailene still sitting on the chair. "Professionalism my ass! I don''t care if you''re the expert in this field or whatever. I know in fact that you''re not fucking helping!"


    Vernon left the private office and grabbed his suit on the sofa. He left Shailene''s apartment and mmed the door behind him.


    BAM!


    Shailene flinched a little when she heard the door being mmed. Though she wasn''t surprised that Vernon would deny the fact again.


    "He''s always so stubborn. I know him very well."


    "But it''s fine. It''s just the way he is," Shailene said confidently. "Like when he was yelling at me for calling his Big sis Chloe a pedophile and groomer. He was so mad, but he returned to me after a few days."<sub> </sub>


    Shailene was certain that Vernon would eventually realize that Chloe was not a good woman.


    Shailene stared at the view of the skyscraper in front of her and murmured, "Chloe, you''ve ruined a man''s life. You confused him for your own selfish desire. You ruined a family, and I will not allow that to happen."


    "Because the man you ruined is the man I love."


    **


    Vernon went to the parking lot and left Shailene''s apartment building as fast as he could.


    He was scared that he might be even more confused by Shailene''s words the longer he stayed around her.


    "That bitch!" Vernon gnashed his teeth as he drove through the city. "She knows that I''m not good at this psychological bullshit, that''s why she''s trying to manipte me!"


    "Does she think I''m just a kid who cannot differentiate between real love and not? Why does she keep on insisting that I''m not in love with Chloe?"


    "I AM HOPELESSLY IN LOVE WITH HER! I FUCKING KNOW THAT!" Vernon imed boldly.


    However, no matter how often he tried to convince himself, a dark cloud brewed in his head, making him unsure about his feelings.


    Shailene''s words got into his head, and he hated himself.


    "I shouldn''t havee to her. I know she''s just doing this to get her revenge on me."


    Vernon knew that he had made the wrong move bying to Shailene. But he was just so devastated by Chloe''s words that he was trying to find someone who could ease him a little.


    "I shouldn''t have contacted her in the first ce. She''s nothing but a poison," Vernon said.


    He continued driving until he saw his apartment building on his left.


    All he needed to do was to turn to the left and enter the parking lot. But somehow, he was hesitant.


    He wasn''t ready to face Chloe. He didn''t want toe home only to find Chloe staring at him with disgust in her eyes.


    "I also want her to eat her dinner. She said she can''t eat anything when I''m around because I remind her of Vincent...."


    Vernon bit his lower lip as he drove away from the apartment, enduring the heartache that only worsened as time went by. He drove aimlessly as he just wanted to spend time alone.


    "It hurts. My heart hurts so much because of your words, Chloe," Vernon said. "Why can''t you just tell me what I did wrong, and then we can work on it."


    "Now I feel lost, I don''t know where to go when you reject me like this. I tried going to a psychologist, but she didn''t help at all."


    Vernon felt his heart get heavier and heavier until he couldn''t handle it anymore.


    He drove past the exclusive bar he usually visited before he reunited with Chloe. He knew that he shouldn''t use alcohol as an escape, but...


    "Ah, fuck it!"


    Vernon made a U-turn with his car and went to that bar.

 311 Chapter 311

    He drove past the exclusive bar he usually visited before he reunited with Chloe. He knew that he shouldn''t use alcohol as an escape, but...


    "Ah, fuck it!"


    Vernon made a U-turn with his car and went to that bar.


    He parked the car and entered the bar.


    The sight of the handsome-but-intimidating Vernon Phoenix Gray caught the attention of everyone in the exclusive bar.


    A few of the waitresses and bartenders gasped because it had been a while since thest time Mr. Phoenix Gray visited the bar a few months ago.


    They knew from the owner that Mr. Phoenix Gray rejected the advance of a young waitress, even proiming that he already had a woman at home.


    So most of them assumed that Mr. Phoenix Gray simply had a serious rtionship with his new girlfriend, maybe even going as far as settling down soon.


    But it didn''t seem to be the case since he came to the bar tonight.


    Vernon''s eyes observed around the bar until he saw the owner eagerly walking towards him.


    "Wee, Mr. Phoenix Gray, may I escort you to the VIP room before taking your order?"


    "Hm," Vernon nodded. But he quickly added, "With a woman. Bring a waitress with long, chestnut hair, doe eyes, and with a sweet look. I want that type or I will not take anyone tonight."


    The owner was surprised by Vernon''s request. He thought Mr. Phoenix Gray wouldn''t take any woman since thest time he made a scene, refusing the advance of one desperate waitress.


    But he would never say no to the request of a VIP customer, "Certainly, Sir. I do have one simr to your type. But she''s in herte 20s, not young, if you don''t mind."


    "Perfect, I want her tonight."


    "Yes, Sir, this way please."


    The owner led Vernon to the same VIP room where Vernon was out drinking with that waitress. He barely remembered a thing, but he clearly remembered how that young woman was clinging desperately to him.


    "Please sit down and rx, Sir. The waitress wille soon," the bar owner said. He excused himself and closed the door.


    Vernon was left alone in the VIP room. He was gazing emptily at a random corner of the room as his mind was stillgging, thanks to Shailene and her theory that confused Vernon''s mind and heart.


    Ding!


    Vernon frowned when he felt a vibration in his chest. He fished out his phone and checked the text he had just received.


    His breath stiffened when he saw the text sender.


    --


    From: My Chloe.


    Vernon, it''s already nine.


    Where are you? Will youe home tonight?


    Please tell me when you''reing home, so I can reheat the dinner.<sub> </sub>


    --


    Vernon stared at the text for a while until he scoffed, "What do you care about me? You said that you''re disgusted with me. You can''t even eat when I''m around. I shouldn''t be around you."


    Vernon typed a reply for Chloe, but his thumb hovered when he was about to press the send button.


    He wondered if he should send it or not.


    After all, Chloe did not want his presence, "And she must''ve been asking my whereabouts because of her responsibility working as a maid in my penthouse. Not because she cares..."


    Vernon considered it for a while until he heard a knock on the door, "Excuse me, Sir. I''m the waitress you ordered tonight."


    "Ah, yeah,e in," Vernon replied. He threw his phone on the table as the door opened.


    The waitress came in with theplimentary drink. She stood before Vernon and introduced herself, "My name is Cynthia, Sir. I am the waitress that has been ordered to serve you tonight."


    Vernon observed the woman''s appearance for a while. She had features simr to Chloe, especially her long, wavy chestnut hair and doe eyes.


    Though this waitress, Cynthia, wasn''t as sweet-looking and gentle as Chloe, she would do it for the night.


    "Bring me the Seven Star Fantasy set, I want to get wasted tonight," Vernon ordered.


    Cynthia was surprised that Mr. Phoenix Gray knew about the Seven Star Fantasy. It was a set of seven drinks ranging that would make youpletely wasted by the sixth or seventh shot, depending on the person''s alcohol tolerance.


    It wasn''t something that was ordered often because beingpletely wasted wasn''t fun at all.


    But it wasn''t her ce to say no, so she bowed respectfully, "Certainly, Sir. Please wait for a moment."


    The waitress turned around and walked out of the room. Vernon watched her back, and his heart ached when he realized this waitress had a simr figure to Chloe from behind.


    "I can''t believe I have to find a recement when I have you at home, Chloe...." Vernon murmured. He wanted tough at himself, as he found it ridiculous that he would drink his night away to release his stress while embracing a woman that looked simr to Chloe.


    When he could juste home and embrace the real one.


    "Well, it''s not as easy as it sounds. She doesn''t want me around after all," Vernon reasoned.


    Cynthia entered the VIP room while pushing a fancy gold food trolley. The seven drinks had been neatly arranged on the three trays, giving a luxurious feel that didn''t awe Vernon.


    Because this wasn''t the first time, he had this set of drinks.


    "This is the Seven-star fantasy that you''ve ordered, Sir," Cynthia, the waitress, said. "Shall we start with the first shot?"


    "Hm," Vernon nodded and watched the waitress pour the drink from the bottle into a shot ss.


    She carefully served it on the table in front of Vernon and took a step back, waiting for Vernon to drink the first one.


    Vernon quickly nced at the ss and then at the waitress, "Is this how you will serve me today?"


    Cynthia''s heart jumped for a second, "E--Excuse me, Sir. I don''t quite understand--"


    Vernon patted the spot beside him on the sofa, "Sit here and apany me for the night."

 312 Chapter 312

    Vernon patted the spot beside him on the sofa, "Sit here and apany me for the night."


    Cynthia gasped upon hearing the invitation from Mr. Phoenix Gray. She knew that it was very normal¡ª even encouraged in this bar for the waitresses to serve the VIPs.


    But she never expected the young and handsome Vernon Phoenix Gray to ask for herpany.


    Because she was old, at least for the standard of the waitresses here, she was one of the oldest. It was rare for her to be invited by the VIP members of the bar because most of them wanted the young women.


    "S¡ªSir, do you want me to invite a younger waitress?"


    "No," Vernon replied curtly. "Just sit here and apany me, don''t worry, I will pay you for your service."


    Cynthia gulped nervously, and the hawk-like gaze thrown by Mr. Phoenix Gray at her didn''t help at all.


    In fact, it only made her feel even more nervous, to the point that she wanted to leave the room immediately.


    She knew that she should be happy to be able to apany the up-anding celebrity CEO who dated a lot of actresses.


    But there was this sense of danger from him, ''I feel like he''s eyeing me because he wants to hurt me, not to have fun with me.''


    "Come on, don''t make me wait," Vernon urged, and Cynthia reluctantly approached Vernon and sat at the edge of the sofa.


    "I¡ªI''m here, Sir."


    "Tsk, not close enough," Vernon clicked his tongue and wrapped his hand around her waist. He pulled the waitress closer to his side until their thighs rubbed on each other. "See? This is more intimate."


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir."


    Cynthia lowered her head ashamedly. She felt nothing but fear as Vernon''s fingersbed her hair to the back of her ear, "You look beautiful tonight."


    "T¡ªThank you, Sir¡­."


    Vernon smiled, satisfied with her obedience, ''Ah, why is Chloe not as obedient as her? Why can''t she let it slide and forgive me if I ever said something wrong? I''ve been nothing but good to her¡­.''


    "Well, what are we waiting for? Grab another ss and drink with me, we will have a beautiful night together."


    **


    "It''s an hour before midnight, where is he?" Chloe murmured after checking the clock.


    She walked back and forth in the penthouse''s living room, waiting for Vernon to open the front door so she would feel at ease.


    "Usually he''d reply to my text quickly. But it''s been two hours since thest text I sent."


    "Did he get mad because of what I said during lunch?"


    Chloe was worried that Vernon might refuse toe home because he was mad, and Chloe knew it was partly her fault.


    ''I know it''s my fault too. I should''ve told him what he said wrong. He looked so lost when I scolded him¡­.'' Chloe thought. She nced at the dining table, where she cooked a lot of food,plete with a banana pudding in the fridge, Vernon''s favorite type of dessert.


    She cooked a lot today because she wanted Vernon to be in a good mood, so he wouldn''t be easily triggered.


    ''I want to apologize for being too emotional. I shouldn''t have med him for being clueless. I don''t know if it''s okay for me to say it, but at least I would tell him what he said wrong in my eyes. And maybe, through a miracle, he would change his view,'' Chloe thought. Though she also doubted that.


    As far as she knew, all of the Gray family men she met had been misogynistic and racist, and it wasn''t surprising if Vernon was one of them. After all, he was Vincent''s blood brother, and that guy was a narcissistic monster.


    Chloe knew it wasn''t her ce to ''fix'' Vernon''s view. Because that guy was a fully-grown adult. So, he should''ve been able to see right and wrong.<sub> </sub>


    "But I can still see my cute little Vernon when I see him looking so lost when I scolded him, and I¡­ I can''t be mad at him for too long¡­."


    "So maybe, I can teach him how to be a good man once more, just like how I taught him when he was a kid."


    Chloe waited for another thirty minutes without any news from Vernon.


    So she started ringing his phone.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Three times.


    Vernon didn''t pick up the call until the fourth call when the call was suddenly connected.


    -


    "Uh¡­ huh¡­ hello?"


    Chloe''s heart sank when she heard Vernon''s voice.


    ''He''s drunk,'' she realized.


    "Hello? Who''s this? Why are you calling me? Don''t you see I''m uh¡­ I''m busy!" Vernon yelled on the phone.


    ''He is definitely drunk as a skunk right now.''


    "Hey, speak something¡­ or I''m hanging up!"


    Chloe mustered her courage and asked, "Vernon, where are you?"


    Vernon regained some of his consciousness when he heard the soft voice. But it wasn''t enough for him to speak like a sober person because he was already down to his fifth ss of that seven-star fantasy.


    But he knew that his woman was on the phone right now.


    "I¡­ I¡­ uh¡­ I''m in a bar¡­." Vernon replied.


    "A bar?!"


    "Y¡ªYeah¡­"


    "Sir, who is on the phone?" Chloe heard a woman''s voice on the phone, and Vernon tried to silence her by shushing. Though it was toote because Chloe had heard her voice already.


    Chloe knew that Vernon was free to sleep with any woman since he wasn''t married to anyone. But she had always worried about him identally knocking a woman with a baby or catching random STDs.


    So she quickly asked, "Did you bring your condom?"


    "Condom?! Why would I need one?!" Vernon was angry when Chloe asked such an unnecessary question, and the alcohol only blurred his mind, even more, making him unable to think with a clear mind.


    "I won''t use a condom! I''m not doing anything! I swear!" Vernon yelled like a kid that had been caught red-handed.


    Chloe massaged her forehead as she suddenly got a headache thinking about this unbridled young man.


    "Obviously, you''re with a woman right now! I know you will sleep with her tonight! Go use a condom!"

 313 Chapter 313

    "Obviously, you''re with a woman right now! I know you will sleep with her tonight! Go use a condom!" Chloe yelled on the phone.


    Vernon was stunned for a second. Whenever Chloe raised her voice, Vernon felt something in his heart breaking.


    As if he just couldn''t bear seeing her sad or angry.


    Vernon''s hand trembled out of shock, but he quickly clenched the phone in his hand so he wouldn''t sound or look vulnerable while calling Chloe;


    "Do you really think that I''m going to fuck random woman outside? DO YOU THINK I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL!?"


    Chloe was also stunned by Vernon''s voice. She got scared, and her legs trembled a little.


    But she couldn''t stop here, she had to tell Vernon not to be too wild, or he might get into deep trouble.


    He might be a big man, but he was still Chloe''s cute little Vernon that she had to guard from time to time.


    Imagining Vernon, who might get hurt in many ways for having little to no self-control, gave Chloe newfound courage.


    ''Even if he doesn''t see me as his family, I still see him as one, and I...'' Chloe clenched her fist, trying to dispel all the fear, at least for now, because she had an obligation to do so.


    ''I will always protect my family, no matter what!''


    "Tell me your location, Vernon," Chloe asked.


    "What do you want to do when you''re here?" Vernon asked back. Despite being drunk now, he knew this ce wasn''t good for Chloe.


    He didn''t want Chloe to see that he was actually spending time in a ce where depravity most likely happened.


    Vernon knew he didn''t have a good image in front of Chloe, but he didn''t want to make it worse!


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Chloe said. "I will pick you up. You''re so drunk right now, Vernon. Someone might take advantage of you when you''re drunk, and I won''t let that happen!"


    "Tch, stop treating me like a kid! I''m an adult! I can do whatever I want! You''re so fucking weird!"


    "No, Vernon, you''re going to get in trouble--"


    "Urgh!" Vernon hung up the call and threw his phone to the floor until the phone screen shattered.


    His breath was heavy, and he watched the phone with distress.


    He regretted his action immediately, calling her weird and uncalled for, and he said it out of reflex because she kept treating him like a kid!


    ''She should''ve known that I am an adult! Why does she keep treating me like a teenager?!''


    Cynthia, the waitress, saw the distressed young CEO.


    She assumed that the woman on the phone was Mr. Phoenix Gray''s girlfriend, so she asked, "Sir, are you sure it''s wise for you toe here?"


    Vernon gave Cynthia a side-eye for a second and sighed, "I don''t care. I came here to release my pent-up frustration. I don''t need to be wise when I''m fucking drunk."


    Cynthia nodded reluctantly. She felt she might''ve identally made thingsplicated by asking Vernon when he was on the phone.<sub> </sub>


    But she was here to work, so she offered, "Well, you''ve down to your fifth ss, Sir. Do you want to go for the sixth? It might make you dead drunk though...."


    "Pour it for me," Vernon said.


    Cynthia did as ordered. She poured the sixth bottle into the shot ss and put it in front of Vernon. This one contained very strong alcohol that could make someone pass out.


    If Vernon remembered, he was down to his sixth drink when he came here before. It made him so drunk he couldn''t remember anything other than refusing that desperate young waitress'' advance and calling Diamond to pick him up.


    ''I think I will be piss drunk again with this sixth shot,'' Vernon thought. He picked up the shot ss and swirled the dark liquid inside.


    He kept staring at the swirling water until he took a deep breath and drank it in one go.


    **


    "No, Vernon, you''re going to get in trouble--"


    Beep!


    Chloe''s jaw dropped when she realized that Vernon had suddenly hung up the call.


    She panicked. She didn''t mind if Vernon got drunk or had sex with any woman he wanted.


    But she wouldn''t allow him to throw away his bright future just for a moment of happiness!


    Thinking that Vernon would just go with his usual devil-may-care attitude and fucked someone without protection or get extremely drunk, someone would use the situation.


    "Come on, pick up the call, Vernon!" Chloe urged. She kept calling Vernon''s phone over and over. It was ringing, but Vernon must''ve intentionally ignored her.


    Chloe became desperate. She didn''t know what to do, and she couldn''t pick him up because she didn''t know where he was right now.


    The only clue she got was a bar. Vernon was apparently in a bar, apanied by a woman right now.


    "Think, Chloe! How could I get the information about his whereabouts right now?" Chloe murmured. She walked back and forth, trying to find a solution, until she noticed piles of documents on the coffee table in the living room of the penthouse.


    Diamond brought it in thete noon, saying the documents were meant to be signed by Vernon.


    "Diamond... OH!" Chloe got her answer and quickly scrolled through her phone contacts until she found Diamond''s number. She didn''t hesitate to press the call.


    The phone rang for a few seconds until Diamond picked it up.


    -


    "Homegurlll, what''s up? Why are you calling me sote?" Diamond asked. "I''m snacking while watching a Netflix documentary about a serial killer. Gurl, they''re so scary, but... so fascinating!"


    "Yeah, Diamond, we can talk about thatter, I really need your help right now!" Chloe said.


    Diamond sensed the urgency, and she became serious instantly, "What is it? Do you want me to do something?"


    "I need you to tell me about a bar that Vernon often visited, especially if he is a VIP member there!"

 314 Chapter 314

    Diamond sensed the urgency, and she became serious instantly, "What is it? Do you want me to do something?"


    "I need you to tell me about a bar that Vernon often visited, especially if he is a VIP member there!" Chloe urged.


    Diamond was surprised by how panicked Chloe sounded. As if she was about to lose Vernon forever because of this.


    "Gurl, rx¡ª"


    "No, Diamond, I can''t rx now. I need to pick him up, he is drunk and he''s with a woman! I don''t want him to make a mistake that will cost him his future!" Chloe insisted.


    Diamond was silenced for a moment, and she realized something.


    ''Are you afraid that Vernon might identally get a woman pregnant, or you''re just jealous?'' Diamond suspected in her heart. ''Because he''s an adult, and he''s not that dumb.''


    Diamond remembered thest time her boss got really drunk and was calling her so Diamond could pick him up.


    No matter how drunk he was, Vernon still remembered that he had a woman at home, and that was enough proof that Vernon would not identally sleep with another woman while he was drunk.


    ''I feel like¡­ Homegurl just wants to gatekeep Vernon, so he wouldn''t cheat on her,'' Diamond concluded. ''Even though she might not even realize it yet.''


    "DIAMOND!"


    "WAH! Gurl, you scared me!" Diamond snapped back at Chloe, who was suddenly screaming at her on the phone.


    "S¡ªSorry, Diamond, I¡ª I just need to pick him up¡­."


    "It''s okay, gurl. Yes, Mr. Phoenix Gray is a VIP member in one exclusive bar not far from the office, let me send you the full address."


    Diamond texted the name and address of the exclusive bar to Chloe and said, "Okay, that should be the bar he''s in right now. I picked him up from the same bar before. Remember that time when I had to prop a Gori to the penthouse?"


    "T¡ªThank you, Diamond."


    "Gurl, you sure you don''t want my help? I can p some bitches if one of them dares to mount on him."


    "No need, Diamond. It''s past midnight, you also deserve some rest," Chloe said. "Thank you, I''ll repay you with somethingter, okay?"


    "Aww, it''s okay, Gurl. Go get your man!"


    "Wait, he''s not my man¡ª"


    Beep!


    Diamond hung up the call before Chloe could finish her sentence. She felt a little embarrassed because she could not refute Diamond''s words who said that Vernon was her man, because that was simply not true.


    But there was something more urgent than that.


    Chloe went downstairs and grabbed her sweater. She locked the door because her daughter was still sleeping inside the apartment and then went down to the parking lot with the elevator.


    Chloe checked the address given by Diamond and used Google Maps to navigate so she could reach that bar as soon as possible with her car.


    **<sub> </sub>


    Vernon was floating right now. He felt weak and would rather sit in silence, doing nothing other than staring at the ceiling emptily.


    His mind started getting cloudy after he gulped the sixth shot. However, unlike the previous time with that crazy waitress, this time, he could still see and hear everything around him.


    He understood what Cynthia, the waitress, was saying. He could still see the view around him, even though it was a bit blurry. And the most important one, he still retained some of his consciousness.


    Though he got a bit of a headache, his body felt heavy. So he wanted to do nothing but sleep right now.


    ''I guess I''ve gained resistance from that drink¡­'' Vernon thought. He wasn''t a heavy drinker, but it wasn''t easy for him to get drunk, either.


    "Sir, the seventh drink?" Cynthia asked.


    "Uh¡­" Vernon hummed for a while and replied weakly, "Pour¡­ uh¡­ pour it for me¡­."


    "Certainly, Sir."


    Cynthia poured the seventh bottle into the shot ss. It was the strongest alcohol, and one shot was enough to send people into dreand for a long time.


    Cynthia was shocked when Mr. Phoenix Gray could drink the sixth shot and still maintained his consciousness as if he was simply drunk.


    He was still responsive and replied to some of Cynthia''s questions. He could even hold the shot ss carefully.


    Though, appearance-wise, he looked like someone who would pass out anytime soon because his face was tomato-red, and his eyes were droopy.


    Vernon was holding the seventh ss. Once he drank this one, he knew he would definitely pass out and sleep for a while.


    Truthfully, he didn''t want to pass out in a random ce, especially when someone was around him. That was the reason why he often drank alone in his penthouse.


    Too bad he couldn''t do that tonight.


    "Sir?" Cynthia snapped him out of his daze. "It''s okay if you don''t want to drink it."


    "¡­ I don''t feel like it," Vernon put the ss on the table and slowly leaned back on the sofa. "I''m just going to rest¡­ for a while."


    Vernon gradually became sleepier as time went on. He turned his head toward Cynthia and noticed the waitress'' resemnce to Chloe.


    The same long chestnut hair, doe eyes, and sweet expression despite being a mature woman.


    But this womancked the warmth he could only get from Chloe, and it was too jarring because his heart was still cold even though he was drunk right now.


    He thought he could get so drunk to the point that he wouldn''t be able to differentiate the real and fake Chloe.


    Sadly, his heart couldn''t lie. He felt nothing when he tried to nestle closer and rested his head on her shoulder.


    ''Ah, what do I expect? Of course I feel nothing. This is not Chloe, no matter how much I tried to fool myself,'' Vernon thought. ''But just for a night, I need someone to rece her.''


    "D¡ªDo you want me to leave, Sir?" Cynthia asked as she felt ufortable.


    "No, stay," Vernon replied. "Stay and pat my head, Chloe. I need you by my side."

 315 Chapter 315

    "D¡ªDo you want me to leave, Sir?" Cynthia asked as she felt ufortable.


    "No, stay," Vernon replied. "Stay and pat my head, Chloe. I need you by my side."


    **


    Chloe arrived at the bar about thirty minutester. She saw Vernon''s car parked alone, and she parked her car right beside his.


    Her mind was in chaos now; she was scared that she might be toote, and Vernon might''ve done something to that woman already.


    She stormed inside the empty bar, which shocked all the waitresses there.


    They were even more shocked when they saw a woman wearing pajamas and a loose sweater walking in, which had never happened before.


    Chloe looked around the bar, trying to find Vernon to no avail.


    The bar owner walked towards Chloe and greeted her respectfully, "Good evening, Miss. May I help you with something?"


    Chloe turned her head towards the bar owner and asked without hesitation, "Where is Vernon? And don''t tell me that he is not here. I saw his car parked outside."


    The bar owner was taken aback. He knew this woman must''ve been rted to Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    First, she knew about his car and could carelessly call that intimidating CEO by his first name.


    Second, this woman¡­ looked very simr to the waitress Mr. Phoenix Gray ordered to apany him.


    They had the same long-wavy chestnut hair, doe eyes, and sweet smile.


    Even the bar manager had to admit this woman was a lot more soft-looking and beautiful, albeit very thin.


    He knew something bad would happen soon. But he still maintained his proper posture, "May I know if you have any rtion with Mr. Phoenix Gray, Miss?"


    "I¡ª" Chloe paused for a moment. She wanted to say she was his maid, sister-inw, and Big sister.


    But she doubted the bar owner would let her find Vernon if she imed to be one of those above.


    Because that kind of status wasn''t important enough for the bar owner to disclose Vernon''s location in this bar.


    ''I have to be believable. I must say that I''m his girlfriend or¡­ wife¡­'' Chloe was shocked by her idea.


    Because she would never wish for too much, knowing that Vernon deserved a better woman, a more beautiful and younger one than a woman like her.


    Chloe started hesitating but realized she shouldn''t because it wasn''t the time to pause.


    ''No, don''t back down, Chloe!'' Chloe encouraged herself. ''You need to drag Vernon out of this ce now!


    Chloe considered whether she should im to be Vernon''s girlfriend or wife, but the wife was too big of a im. It might lead to a scandal that would ruin Vernon''s image.


    So she only had one choice¡­


    ''I don''t know if the bar owner will believe me. But I have to try¡­.''


    Chloe took a deep breath and imed loudly, "I am his girlfriend!"


    The waitresses who heard Chloe''s im gasped in unison, but the bar owner wasn''t surprised.


    "Understood, Miss. I will escort you to Mr. Phoenix Gray''s VIP room."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, "Y¡ªYou will?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes, you''re his girlfriend, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, yes I am!" Chloe imed. She was still confused because the bar owner epted her im so easily.


    She thought the bar owner would question her further or at least suspect her a bit.


    "Please follow me, Miss," the bar owner said.


    Chloe followed the bar owner through a long corridor leading to one door at the end of the corridor.


    The bar owner stood in front of the door and turned around, "Miss, this is where Mr. Phoenix Gray is enjoying his time right now. Before I open it, promise me that you won''t make a big scene."


    Chloe''s breath stiffened, and it became gradually heavy for her to breathe.


    Because of this moment¡­


    ''This moment¡­ I feel like I''ve been back in time. When I was still pregnant, Vincent told me toe in a bar like this, and when I opened a door at the end of the dark corridor, I saw him having a group sex with five women at once¡­.''


    ¡ª


    ''Come and join them, you ugly whale. You''re a woman, you''re a whore just like the rest of them, including that daughter of yours,'' Vincent said when he got caught red-handed.


    ¡ª


    That scene forever haunted Chloe in her dream. She was hysterical at that time. She cried so loud, begging Vincent to stop, but Vincent onlyughed at her.


    As if her cries were music in his ears.


    As if her suffering was a joyful thing for Vincent.


    Chloe''s mind started getting hazy. She started sweating out of nervousness, to the point that her legs were about to give up on her.


    "Miss? Miss, are you there?" the bar owner gently tapped Chloe''s shoulder until she snapped out of her daze.


    "Ah¡ª S¡ªsorry," Chloe replied. She snapped out of her daze.


    She tried to regain herposure, but she couldn''t lie that the fear was still creeping into her heart.


    Would she witness the same event?


    ''I''m scared that Vernon will be just like his big brother. He might be having sex with so many women inside this room¡­'' Chloe thought. ''I know it''s his right to do it. But I¡­ I don''t know if I can watch it¡­.''


    "So, Miss, do you promise that you will not make a scene?"


    "I¡ª" Chloe gulped. No matter what, she still had to save Vernon.


    Vincent was rotten to the core. Chloe had to endure ten years of abuse, waiting for him to get better and be a responsible man and father, but he never changed.


    But Vernon¡­


    ''I raised him. I¡ªI hope I can make him better. I hope he will be different from his Big brother!''


    Chloe clenched her fist. She had to stay strong. If she kept being the doormat she was, she would never be able to save Vernon.


    So she nodded and replied;


    "I promise I will not make a scene. Please open the door, Sir."

 316 Chapter 316

    Chloe clenched her fist. She had to stay strong. If she kept being the doormat she was, she would never be able to save Vernon.


    So she nodded and replied;


    "I promise I will not make a scene. Please open the door, Sir."


    The bar owner nodded. He opened the door and allowed Chloe to see what was happening inside.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Chloe was prepared for the worst. She was expecting something absolutely deprived, maybe to see Vernon fucking at least three women at once.


    Or maybe even ten since he had much more vitality than Vincent.


    She knew it would hurt her heart to see the little boy she raised growing up to be just like his Big brother, malicious and debauched.


    But what she saw wasn''t what she expected.


    She saw Vernon sleeping while resting his head on a woman''sp. They were both still fully clothed, and there was no sign of fear or struggle from that woman who was definitely the woman on the phone.


    The bar owner sighed in relief. At least it wasn''t as bad as he thought, "I will leave you to deal with this alone, Miss."


    Cynthia, the waitress, was petrified when she saw a woman with simr features standing at the door, staring at Mr. Phoenix Gray, who was sleeping soundly.


    Cynthia panicked. She tried to wake Vernon up by giving him a few light ps on his cheek.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, Sir! Please wake up!" Cynthia called his name, but Vernon didn''t respond. He was too drunk and exhausted after so many things happening today.


    Chloe watched everything, and she ambled toward Vernon and Cynthia.


    She feltplicated in her heart.


    Truthfully, she was relieved that Vernon wasn''t fucking this woman because she would forever see Vernon as Vincent 2.0.


    But when she saw Vernon sleeping peacefully on this woman''sp, she felt something she wasn''t supposed to.


    There was a burning sensation in her heart, as if...


    As if she was jealous...


    ''No, why would I get jealous?'' Chloe asked herself as she approached Vernon and the waitress. ''I''m not supposed to get jealous. Vernon and I... we''re supposed to be a family....''


    Chloe stood in front of Vernon and Cynthia, and thetter stared at Chloe with fear in her eyes, "M--Miss, this is not what it looks like. Mr. Phoenix Gray is--"


    "It''s fine," Chloe interrupted, not wanting to hear even more description of what these two were doing. She feared she''d get even more jealous if she heard how intimate they were.


    Chloe checked the woman with simr features to her, which was strange. But Chloe took this as a coincidence since her facial features weren''t umon.


    "Miss, did he do something to you?"


    "N--No, he just... he did nothing but sleep...." The waitress tried to exin, so there wouldn''t be any misunderstanding.


    "Well, as long as he didn''t force you...." Chloe replied. She shifted her attention to Vernon, sleeping on the woman''sp.


    His face was reddish, so Chloe knew Vernon was drunk right now.<sub> </sub>


    "Vernon, wake up..." Chloe said to Vernon.


    "M--Miss, I don''t think Mr. Phoenix Gray will wake up. I''ve tried to wake him up to no avail...."


    ...


    Chloe called his name again, "Vernon, let''s go home. I''m here to pick you up."


    "No, don''t wanna...." Vernon mumbled in his sleep, much to Cynthia''s shock.


    Mr. Phoenix Gray waspletely unresponsive when she tried to wake him up, but he responded to his lover''s voice.


    Cynthia observed Chloe from the corner of her eyes. This woman looked so soft and fragile, but her eyes were brimming with determination.


    Chloe knew that Vernon could hear her. It was the same case as before when Vernon was dead drunk but still responded and reacted to what Chloe said and did, to the point that they almost had... sex.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, and she shook her head, trying to dispel the perverted idea in her mind.


    She knew that Vernon needed a bit more persuasion, so she lowered her head and whispered;


    "Vernon,e home with me, okay? I''ve been waiting for you...."


    ...


    Vernon opened his eyes instantly. His eyes were bloodshot red, but when he heard the sweet voice of his beloved woman, his sleepiness suddenly disappeared.


    Vernon got up from Cynthia''sp. He sat on the sofa with Chloe standing in front of him.


    He looked at Chloe with eyes full of love and worship.


    Chloe showed him a sweet smile that made his heartbeat elerate, ''Am I forgiven?'' Vernon wondered.


    He was still drunk, and everything was blurry around him. But Chloe''s face glowed with gentle light, giving the illusion that she was a goddess that would take him to heaven.


    And because of her, he regained some of his consciousness.


    "Vernon, can you walk?" Chloe asked gently.


    "Yes... I... I can walk...." Vernon replied, his eyes continued staring at Chloe without blinking.


    "Good," Chloe slowly reached Vernon''s cheek and caressed his cheek tenderly.


    Vernon closed his eyes and willingly rubbed his cheek on the soft palm of his woman. His heartache gradually disappeared, leaving a trace of sweetness.


    He lowered his defense as he thought he wouldn''t be punished, and Chloepletely forgave him for his mistake, even though he still didn''t know what he did wrong.


    "Since you can walk...." Chloe''s fingers traced back and gently fiddled with Vernon''s ear.


    Vernon felt a little ticklish when Chloe yed with his earlobe, "Mhm, I... I can walk. But I need you to lead me, Chloe...."


    "I will lead you back home, Vernon," Chloe said.


    Vernon really thought that Chloe would kiss him here, he was eager for a kiss, but Vernon suddenly felt a quick but sharp pain on his earlobe when Chloe suddenly pinched and pulled his ear.


    "Ah! Aw... aw... ouch! My ear!" Vernon''s eyes were wide open due to the sudden pain.


    Chloe pulled Vernon''s ear and forced him to get up, "You made me worried sick! Vernon Phoenix Gray!"

 317 Chapter 317

    "Ah! Aw¡­ aw¡­ ouch! My ear!" Vernon''s eyes were wide open due to the sudden pain.


    Chloe pulled Vernon''s ear and forced him to get up, "You made me worried sick! Vernon Phoenix Gray!"


    Vernon could break free from Chloe by pushing her away or brushing her hand off. After all, he knew how weak Chloe waspared to him.


    But he didn''t want to identally hurt his beloved, so he had to suck it up and follow Chloe, who forcefully escorted him out of the room.


    "Aw! Ouch! Stop pulling my ear, I''m not a kid!" Vernon yelled.


    "Not a kid?! Well you act like one! How could you be so reckless?! Be a responsible adult, Vernon!" Chloe yelled back, and Vernon zipped his lips instantly.


    Cynthia watched as the woman named Chloe escorted the handsome-but-intimidating Mr. Phoenix Gray out of the room by pulling his ear.


    It was a surreal view, and she didn''t expect the intimidating CEO to be such a henpecked boyfriend.


    Cynthia sat in silence as she stared at the two who walked in the corridor. She was relieved that she didn''t have to spend a night with Mr. Phoenix Gray, and she was also d that he didn''t do anything to her.


    Besides, she knew she was just a recement, "I realized that Mr. Phoenix Gray was just using me as a recement to spend the night after I saw that woman."


    Cynthia heard the gossip about the young waitress, Nicky.


    She was so desperate to get fucked by Mr. Phoenix Gray that she threw herself into his embrace, much to his disdain.


    That girl was gossiped about andughed at by the other waitresses after the incident. She resigned shortly after, unable to bear the shame of being rejected by Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    "Well, I never had any intention with that man. He''s too young for my taste," Cynthia said.


    She continued staring at the pair of fierce wife and henpecked husband until they exited the long corridor.


    Cynthia sighed, lowered her head, and noticed something on the floor.


    "Oh¡­ I need to give that back to him."


    **


    "Let''s return home, Vernon! We will have a long-ass scolding session!" Chloe yelled as they entered the main area of the bar again.


    All the waitresses darted their eyes toward the view of the intimidating Mr. Phoenix Gray being dragged out of the corridor by a woman who pulled his ear.


    It was a shameful view for Vernon. Luckily, there was no other customer right now, or else Vernon would never show up in this bar anymore.


    The bar owner was also stunned when he saw how obedient Mr. Phoenix Gray was to this woman.


    He brought his ex-girlfriends here plenty of times; they were all high-profiled actresses or millionaire''s daughters.<sub> </sub>


    Usually, the cold CEO wouldn''t even give his date a second nce at the bar, as if all of them were just a fleeting rtionship to cover up his loneliness.


    ''Who would''ve expected¡­ that Mr. Phoenix Gray would be conquered by a thin woman wearing pajamas and a sweater?'' the bar owner thought. ''She is beautiful, but so were all of his dates before. So I guess there''s something else other than beauty that makes him so in love.''


    The bar owner was confident with his im that Mr. Phoenix Gray was definitely in love because he would never allow any woman to humiliate him in public, let alone pull his ear like a little kid.


    ''Yet, I feel like Mr. Phoenix Gray is secretly happy with this. I mean¡­ he literally pouted like a little kid just now¡­'' the bar ownermented in his heart.


    He didn''t dare to say it out loud for fear that the cold CEO would confront him.


    Chloe stopped right in front of the bar owner, still with one hand pulling Vernon''s ear, "Sir, please tell me how much the bill for all the food, beverage, and service he used. I will pay."


    Vernon''s eyes widened for a second when he heard that. Of course, he wouldn''t allow his woman to pay. That was unthinkable!


    Vernon¡ª who was standing tall behind Chloe, red at the bar owner. His hawk-like gaze was about to eat him up if he dared to charge Chloe for the stuff he bought here.


    The bar owner gulped. He was about to say the number.


    But he stopped immediately after seeing that re because he knew his life would be over if he dared to charge Mr. Phoenix Gray''s woman for it.


    "D¡ªDon''t worry, Miss. You don''t need to pay for anything. It''s all free!"


    "Free? How could that be!" Chloe protested. She looked up to check on Vernon, but Vernon quickly changed his expression to be more pitiful, so it wouldn''t look like he was intimidating the bar owner.


    Meanwhile, the bar owner was astonished at how fast Mr. Phoenix Gray changed his expression.


    "How could we leave without paying, Sir. Please tell me the number," Chloe insisted, much to the bar owner''s grievance.


    Because the cold CEO continued intimidating him, no matter how much he insisted that everything was free.


    However, the tension between them quickly dissipated when a woman came in from the front door.


    "It''s okay, Gurl. I''ll pay, and then bill it to Mr. Phoenix Gray tomorrow."


    Chloe turned her head and saw Diamond walking towards her, wearing a simple jeans and cardigan.


    "Diamond, why are you here?" Chloe asked out of surprise.


    "Cuz'' I thought you''d need my help," Diamond replied. She threw a mocking gaze at her boss, whose ear was pulled by Chloe. "Though, I don''t think you need my help at all."


    "Well, Vernon is drunk right now. But he''s surprisingly obedient, so I have no problem," Chloe replied. "Oh, about the payment¡ª"


    "No need to bother, Gurl. It''s my duty to pay," Diamond replied. "Mr. Phoenix Gray came here often, and I''m usually the one who paid for his expenses, since he usually came out dead drunk."

 318 Chapter 318

    "Oh, about the payment¡ª"


    "No need to bother, Gurl. It''s my duty to pay," Diamond replied. "Mr. Phoenix Gray came here often, and I''m usually the one who paid for his expenses, since he usually came out dead drunk."


    "Ah, I see¡­." Chloe sighed in relief. She didn''t have any money, to begin with. She might have to use the ck card that Vernon gave and have to cut his sry.


    "I see, then, please take care of this, Diamond. I have to bring this super drunk guy back home," Chloe said. "I think he is just as drunk as before."


    ''Just as drunk?'' Diamond nced at Vernon again. ''Eh, I don''t think he''s dead drunk. He''s just a little dizzy and sleepy, perhaps. I can see the difference.''


    Diamond knew well that her boss was fully conscious but acted as if he was going to pass out anytime soon.


    ''Acting, huh? Hopefully something good wille out of it¡­ like a baby, perhaps,'' Diamond chuckled. "You should return home now, Gurl. I''ll handle this."


    "T¡ªThank you, Diamond."


    Chloe led drunk Vernon out of the bar.


    Diamond watched Chloe, who tried to stuff the big guy inside the passenger seat of her car, and her boss was struggling for some reason.


    Diamond chuckled. She was happy to see Chloe, who seemed to have gained some courage in front of Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    ''Well, as long as she''s happy. I''m willing to help her with anything,'' Diamond thought.


    Diamond turned around after being satisfied watching the banter between two potential lovers.


    She crossed her arms, and her eyes darted at the bar owner, "Okay, business as usual, tell me how much he spent tonight."


    The bar owner was about to say the number, but Diamond interrupted him again;


    "¡ªOh, and¡­" Diamond''s eyes swept around the empty bar. She stared intensely at each of the waitresses standing on every corner of the bar. "¡­ The matter about Mr. Phoenix Gray''s girlfriend shall never leave this ce. None of you is allowed to tell anyone about this, because¡ª"


    Diamond went silent for a while, trying to find the right words to intimidate everywhere here "¡ªbecause Mr. Phoenix Gray''s current girlfriend is very private. We need to give her time until they go public, understand?"


    The waitresses replied in unison, "Understood."


    "Good, I will give all of you generous tips as a reward," Diamond said.


    She shifted her attention back to the bar owner and added, "You have to watch over everyone who witnessed this tonight. Mr. Phoenix Gray will NOT be happy if this news leaked."


    "C¡ªCertainly," the bar owner nodded without thinking twice. That name was enough to strike fear in his heart because he knew that Mr. Phoenix Gray wasn''t someone you''d want to mess around with.


    He might be young, but he had so many powerful connections that fighting him meant death¡­ or at least bankruptcy.


    **


    <o>,m "Come on, Vernon. Just sit still and buckle up!"</o>


    Chloe struggled to put on the seatbelt around Vernon''s chest because Vernon kept struggling and refusing to sit still.


    "No, I will drive!" Vernon insisted.


    "You¡ª!" Chloe was trying so hard to maintain herposure. Vernon had done enough to make her worried sick, so she didn''t have much patience to deal with this big baby.


    "Vernon, you''re drunk! We will die if you''re the one who drives!" Chloe yelled. "Just sit still and let me put on your seatbelt!"


    "NO!" Vernon also didn''t understand why he became so stubborn. He wasn''t that drunk, or so he thought.


    But the alcohol surely made him act in certain ways.<sub> </sub>


    He med the alcohol for making him unreasonable because he refused to sit in the passenger seat while Chloe drove him home.


    Why? Because he felt like a fucking kid!


    He was a big boy! An adult!


    Big sis Chloe had already humiliated him enough by pulling his ear as a punishment. Now she also wanted to drive him home?


    She even put on the seatbelt for him, as if he couldn''t do it alone!


    "I will drive!" Vernon insisted. "I''m not drunk!"


    "Not drunk?"


    "Yes!"


    "Then tell me your apartment address," Chloe said.


    "Uh¡­ ah¡­" Vernon tried so hard to remember his apartment''s address to no avail. "It''s¡­ uh¡­ something street with¡­ long road, I guess. Urgh! I remember! I swear!"


    Chloe was astonished by how stubborn Vernon was. She wondered if the effect of alcohol could be this strong because she had never experienced being so drunk like this.


    Vernon continued struggling, "I will drive!"


    "Why do you want to drive so bad?"


    "Cuz'' I''m a big man!" Vernon puffed his chest proudly. "I can drive you home!"


    Chloe was stunned by Vernon''s statement.


    The alcohol regressed his mind, making this big man act like a kid.


    Chloe wasn''t all that surprised by Vernon''s drunken stupor.


    She remembered how Vernon acted so spoiled that night when he was drunk and identally mistaken Chloe for the woman he loved, maybe one of his exes.


    So she naturally knew how to calm this big baby, even though she didn''t want to do the method.


    ''Ugh, it''s so embarrassing, especially when I have to do it in public, but I have to do it because I need him to stop struggling,'' Chloeined.


    Thus, Chloe took a deep breath and leaned toward Vernon.


    She didn''t give Vernon time to react, and she kissed Vernon''s forehead gently.


    Chu~


    "Wha¡ª" Vernon was stunned by the kiss. He stared at Chloe with nk eyes. He wanted to know what was the intention behind the kiss.


    Chloe gave a sweet smile to the intimidating CEO, who happened to turn into a big baby right now, and said;


    "My cute Vernon, stay still and let''s go home, okay?" Chloe said with her sweet voice. She pretended she was talking to the little Vernon she cared for when she was young.


    The shock was too much for Vernon. He was unresponsive but attentively stared at his beloved woman''s beautiful doe eyes.


    Then he replied with a simple nod.


    "Un, let''s go home..."

 319 Chapter 319

    "Un, let''s go home," Vernon said obediently. He lowered his head and sat still on the passenger seat like a good boy.


    Chloe was relieved.


    It seemed that Vernon was still guaranteed drunk because there was no way the real sober Vernon would obey her just because she kissed his forehead.


    ''Well, good thing he''s drunk. At least I can see some part of the cute Vernon that I raised years ago,'' Chloe thought.


    She mmed the passenger door and circled the car to the driver''s seat.


    However, the moment she was about to enter the car, there was a woman who called her name, even yelling from afar;


    "Miss! Miss Gray!"


    Chloe frowned when the waitress apanying Vernon in the bar rushed towards her.


    The woman waved something in her hand, but Chloe couldn''t determine the item.


    Cynthia rushed towards Chloe and huffed a few times before opening her hand, "Miss, this is Mr. Phoenix Gray''s phone. The screen cracked because he threw it when he had a fight on the phone, whom I assume was you, right?"


    ...


    Chloe was a little embarrassed because the whole fight with Vernon was heard by someone else.


    She took the cracked phone and thanked them politely, "Thank you so much for taking care of him. I apologize on his behalf if he... did something unscrupulous to you."


    "Oh, no! Not at all!" Cynthia shook her head as quickly as possible. "Mr. Phoenix Gray did nothing, I swear!"


    "You... I don''t need to protect him. Did he intimidate you?" Chloe asked, knowing well that Vernon liked to intimidate people, whether it was intentional or not.


    "Miss, Mr. Phoenix Gray did nothing wrong to me. He didn''t harass me, nor did he say something gross or disrespectful," Cynthia exined. "All he did was drink his alcohol because he was obviously stressed out."


    "Stressed out? Because of work?" Chloe was quite surprised by the exnation. She lived with him for half a year but never saw him stressed out because of work.


    "No, he said that he is stressed out and sad, because of you, Miss..." Cynthia replied.


    "Me?!" Chloe''s eyes widened. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I''m sure. He said he is sad because he had a big fight with his woman, to the point that his woman said she couldn''t eat with him because she was disgusted," Cynthia added. "He was devastated, and the worst is... he didn''t know what he said or did wrong."


    ...


    Chloe paused for a moment. Her heart felt ufortable when this waitress hinted that Chloe was Vernon''s girlfriend.


    "I... I think you made a mistake. Vernon has a woman he loves--"


    "I don''t think I made a mistake, Miss," Cynthia interrupted. "Even though Mr. Phoenix Gray was tipsy by the time he started talking, I could still clearly hear his story, and he mentioned one name many times."<sub> </sub>


    "And that name was... Chloe..." Cynthia said. She stared Chloe straight in the eyes and asked, "Miss, your name is Chloe, right?"


    ...


    Chloe went silent instantly. She was still trying to process what this waitress implied.


    ''So she implied... that I am the woman Vernon has been in love with for a long time? Why?'' Chloe asked herself.


    "I take your silence as a yes, Miss," Cynthia said.


    "I--I don''t think I am the woman...." Chloe continued to deny it despite the tant proof from the waitress. "D--Did you drink too? Maybe you also got drunk, just like him. That''s why you heard stuff...."


    "I do not drink, Miss. I ampletely sober when apanying Mr. Phoenix Gray," Cynthia stated with certainty, giving no way for Chloe to escape the predicament. "Besides, he specifically ordered a long and wavy chestnut-haired woman, with doe eyes and sweet face, and our features are very simr, Miss."


    Cynthia sighed when she saw the shocked expression, ''It seems that their rtionship is far moreplicated than I thought.''


    "Miss, you need to give Mr. Phoenix Gray a break. He was so devastated when he told me about the fight. He must''ve regretted everything leading to that fight. So... if you could... Please give him a second chance...." Cynthia said.


    "Why did you defend him so much?" Chloe asked.


    She just found it unbelievable that someone would vouch and defend Vernon.


    Because Chloe thought... Nobody really liked him, because he was unpleasant to so many people outside...


    "Uh..." Cynthia was also wondering about that. She was never this persistent in making a rtionship between two people work.


    But she had one thing in mind...


    "It might sound a little... disgraceful. But I''ve never seen someoneing to this bar to get drunk, but without touching me at all," Cynthia said. "I''m used to see men who would use me when they were horny."


    "But Mr. Phoenix Gray just needed thepany of someone simr looking to his loved one, so he''d feelfort."


    "Miss, I... I found it really adorable. I don''t know what you think, but that kind of man is a keeper."


    Cynthia gently held Chloe''s hand and assured her for thest time, "So please, give him a chance. I am very much jealous of you because I wished I had that kind of loyal man in my life. Don''t waste him, okay?"


    Cynthia released Chloe''s hand and turned around. She rushed back to the bar without saying goodbye, and Chloe didn''t intend to call her as she was still too stunned to process everything.


    Chloe lowered her gaze and observed that Vernon''s phone had been badly damaged, especially the screen, which had been cracked to the point that it might shatter anytime soon.


    Chloe witnessed the moment Vernon unleashed his rage many times, but he never destroyed his phone, and she knew why.


    Because this phone was important, many of his business partners and clients'' data and personal contact were gone when this thing was destroyed.


    "But he smashed his phone because he had a fight with me...." Chloe murmured. "I don''t understand, Vernon. Why did you mention my name during your drunken stupor?"

 320 Chapter 320

    "I don''t understand, Vernon. Why did you mention my name during your drunken stupor?"


    The question lingered in Chloe''s mind. All this time, she was convinced that Vernon was in love with a woman he met in high school or uni when he was in Europe.


    Because it made much more sense for him to find the love of his life when he was far from his family.


    When he was a teenager who first knew about love in high school or university¡­


    Now that she was faced with the possibility of being the woman in Vernon''s dream, she felt¡­ very ufortable.


    It was hard to describe, but she didn''t find it repulsive.


    She just¡­ didn''t want to be put in the spotlight, ''Besides, he deserves to have a much better woman than me¡­.''


    Chloe entered the car and sat in the driver''s seat in a daze.


    She kept staring straight at the bar in front of her, much to Vernon''s annoyance.


    "Chloe¡­ when are we going home?" Vernon asked. He was like a kid that got very sticky. He leaned towards Chloe and then hugged her small arm.


    Feeling unsatisfied hugging such a scrawny arm, Vernon opted to hug Chloe''s body instead.


    Chloe instantly struggled when Vernon became so sticky to her. It was like a defense mechanism, as she was scared she might like it.


    "V¡ªVernon, get off of me!" Chloe yelled. She pushed Vernon''s face as he tried to rub his cheek on hers.


    But her physical strength was not a match against Vernon, so she gave up and allowed Vernon to rub his cheek against her, "Mmm¡­ Chloe, so¡­fortable¡­"


    Chloe felt the itch around her cheeks and neck because Vernon''s stubbles were rubbing against that area. She had no choice but to coax him one more time.


    So she gently rubbed Vernon''s head and said, "Vernon, just sit still for now, and let me drive, okay? Don''t you say that you want to go home?"


    "Um, I want to go with you¡­." Vernon said. "¡­ To our home¡­"


    Chloe bit her lower lip, trying to endure this ufortable feeling in her heart.


    She nced at Vernon, who returned to sit in his seat obediently. He rested his head and stared to the front with an empty gaze.


    ''You''re too much, Vernon. You''re making me so nervous here,'' Chloeined.


    But she said nothing as she didn''t want to coax Vernon for the third time.


    Thus, Chloe pressed the gas pedal with her feet and drove back to Vernon''s apartment building through the somewhat-empty road.


    She parked her car in the basement parking lot and carefully dragged Vernon out of her car.


    Luckily, Vernon was very cooperative this time.


    He didn''t struggle or mumble about embarrassing stuff. He just grabbed Chloe''s arm wrist and allowed the petitedy to lead the big guy back to his home.


    Ding!


    They exited the elevator and walked towards the main door of the penthouse.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon''s mind started to get hazier as time progressed.


    He knew he was drunk, but he didn''t know that the effect of the sixth shot of the Seven-star fantasy would be gradual despite developing a resistance to it.


    He couldn''t see anything right now, and his body gradually got heavier.


    Chloe was leading him by his hand but realized that Vernon''s step had be unstable.


    "Hang in there, big boy," Chloe said as she quickly propped his body, just like what Diamond did back then. "Don''t fall, okay? I''m not as tall and strong as Diamond, you''re going to squash me."


    Vernon looked to his left, where a petite woman was trying to prop him as they struggled to reach the main door.


    Vernon quickly realized the one helping him was his woman, so he imed, "I¡­ I will not fall. I am strong¡­."


    "Mhm, yea, sure," Chloe replied nonchntly.


    She finally reached the front door and was relieved when she unlocked it and opened it wide."


    Chloe continued to lead Vernon past the living room and headed straight to his room.


    Vernon''s gaze was blurry, but his eyes didn''t leave Chloe''s figure because she was the only person that looked like the guiding light for him.


    Chloe carefully sat Vernon on his bed and then turned around, intending to leave Vernon.


    Vernon grabbed her wrist and squeezed it as she tried to pull her hand out, "Vernon, let go."


    "No," Vernon replied firmly. All his spoiled sweet expression suddenly disappeared, leaving only a trace of hostility in his eyes. "Where are you going? Are you going to leave me?"


    "No, I''m not going to leave you," Chloe replied. Though she was half-lying.


    Because she wanted to leave and return tomorrow morning when this man was sober, she didn''t need to face the ufortable fact that Vernon might be in love with her the whole time.


    "You''re lying," Vernon replied. "You said you''ll stay by my side forever. But you left me alone, Chloe."


    "Shouldn''t I be the one who said that?'' Chloeined. "You''re the one who suddenly left for Europe without giving any information to anyone. You even rejected all of my calls and changed your number."


    Vernon''s mind returned to that time when he left New York for good and went to London to further his study.


    He knew his decision was rash and shouldn''t have happened had it not been because of that incident.


    That incident when Vernon eavesdropped on the conversation between histe dad and Big sis Chloe.


    He was devastated to hear Big sis Chloe called him a talentless, good-for-nothing young man.


    That he would never be able to reach the same height as his Big brother, Vincent.


    And she would rather marry Vincent because he would be the new Master of the Gray family. She would live avish, luxurious life, something that she would never get with Vernon¡­


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He wanted to yell at Chloe, telling her that he eavesdropped on everything, so there was no need to lie!

 321 Chapter 321

    "I¡ªI left for a reason¡­." Vernon said weakly.


    "And what was the reason?" Chloe asked.


    Vernon red at Chloe, who acted as if nothing wrong had happened between them. "I know everything, Chloe. You don''t need to hide anything from me," Vernon imed.


    "Hide?" Chloe frowned in response. As much as she remembered, she didn''t hide anything from Vernon.


    ''Well, except for the abuse that I experienced from his Big brother. But that was something unrted to his current drunken rambling¡­'' Chloe thought.


    "I don''t think I ever hide anything from you," Chloe said lightly.


    Vernon was angry again, ''How could she still lie through her teeth?! How could she not realize how much pain she caused me?!''


    Vernon continued staring at the beautiful eyes and sweet face of the woman he loved, and the heartache returned.


    ''Or maybe you don''t remember a thing? Maybe all you said about me back then wasn''t something worth remembering, because I am not worth anything to you?! Fuck! She''s making me mad again!''


    Anger and frustration were mixed and brewed into one in Vernon''s head. He wanted tosh out again in front of Chloe. He wanted to tell everything.


    He wanted Chloe to know how that conversation between histe dad and her had be a nightmare that haunted his nights.


    But¡­


    ''I don''t know¡­ if I can control my rage¡­'' Vernon thought. Despite being drunk, he still cared more about Chloe''s well-being than the woman who hurt him badly.


    On top of that, he remembered how his soul crumbled each time he saw Chloe cry. The image of Chloe crying seemed to have seeped deep into his mind, turning it into an instinct.


    An instinct that told him not to make his beloved woman cry, or he would also feel the same or even greater pain by witnessing her tears.


    ''The situation is not right. I don''t want to be angry and hurt her by ident again¡­'' Vernon thought.


    So he lowered his head, trying to cool off, and stopped talking about the supposed ''secret,'' or he might identally trigger another fight between them.


    In his head, Chloe simply refused to acknowledge what she said wrong because she either didn''t want to be confronted with her past sin or didn''t remember anything because he was unimportant in her life.


    And both were just as bad for Vernon''s heart.


    ¡­


    Chloe tilted her head in confusion. It seemed that Vernon''s drunken rambling had stopped, and he went to his dazed state again.


    ''Huh, I guess those are just meaningless stuff you say when you''re drunk,'' Chloe thought. ''Still, he almost gave me heart attack when he said he knows everything. I think I''ve never said or did something hurtful to him..''


    She was still annoyed by Vernon, who could easily use her of leaving him. But he was drunk, so she assumed everything he said was just slurring that came when you were drunk.


    "Okay, you can release me now, Vernon. I have things to do," Chloe said. "At least let me close the damn front door. It''s still wide open now."


    Vernon shook his head and got up from the bed. He stood tall in front of Chloe and stared down at her, "You want to close the front door?"


    "Y¡ªYes," Chloe replied. Though it was just a reason to avoid spending the night with unpredictable drunken Vernon.<sub> </sub>


    "Alright," Vernon released her wrist, and Chloe thought she could finally escape.


    "Okay, nowy on your bed and go to sleep¡ªWAHH!" Chloe was shocked when Vernon suddenly kneeled slightly, scooped her up by her thigh with one hand, and carried her on bridal style.


    Chloe was shocked, but even more shocked when Vernon suddenly left his room while carrying her like this.


    "Vernon!" she yelled. "Put me down!"


    Vernon ignored her and walked to the front door.


    He stood silently in front of the door and said, "You said you want to close the front door, right? Now close it with your hands, then we can return to my bedroom."


    ¡­


    ''How could he think like this?!'' Chloe was perplexed by how Vernon''s mind worked.


    He found the weirdest way to keep her by his side, no matter how hard she tried to avoid him when he was drunk.


    ''Is he even drunk? He looks and acts like a drunk, but could do stuff like this. Shouldn''t he just¡­ flopped on the bed and started drooling or puking like a proper drunk?'' Chloe wondered.


    "Go on, close the door," Vernon urged.


    Chloe turned her head towards the door and grabbed the door handle while being carried by Vernon.


    Vernon took a step back, and the door closed before them.


    Chloe locked the door and looked up towards Vernon, who seemed satisfied.


    "Okay, let''s go back to our bed," Vernon said.


    Chloe gave Vernon a pissed-off look. She was annoyed that she didn''t have any method to avoid him.


    Vernon returned to the bedroom and then gentlyid Chloe on the bed. He locked the door before taking his stained suit and shirt off.


    "W¡ªWait!" Chloe quickly jumped out of bed. "What are you doing?!"


    "Ah? Uhm¡­ uh¡­ taking my shirt off?" Vernon dropped his shirt on the floor, showing his well-proportioned muscle and the hawk tattoo on his chest.


    "W¡ªWell, if you want to change your shirt before going to sleep, then let me leave the room first," Chloe said. She rushed to the front door, but Vernon suddenly leaned at the door before she could reach it, blocking Chloe''s only way out with his Big body.


    "We''ve seen each other naked, why do you need to leave?" Vernon said.


    "B¡ªBut that doesn''t mean we can do this!" Chloe said. "Besides, you''re drunk, Vernon! You don''t understand what you''re doing right now!"


    "Oh, I know what I''m doing," Vernon replied. He was drunk but still had some part of his consciousness after regaining resistance from that seven-star fantasy stuff.


    "No, you''re not!" Chloe yelled. "You were this drunk before, and we¡ª"

 322 Chapter 322

    "No, you''re not!" Chloe yelled. "You were this drunk before, and we--" Chloe stopped right before she said that they were almost having sex at that point.


    And back then, Chloe also didn''t have the energy to fight back. She was drowned by desire that she wished Vernon would do it.


    The only thing stopping them from having full-blown sex was when Vernon felt her body and realized she was stick thin.


    He was afraid to hurt her, especially with the size of his dick. So he simply rubbed her pussy lips with the tip of his bulbous cock, and Chloe was stuck with the conflicted feeling.


    She wanted it because Vernon was really skillful at ying with her body. But she also didn''t want to have sex with a man who saw herself as a stand-in for his real love.


    ''But I''m not so sure now,'' Chloe thought. ''Am I the stand-in, or am I the woman that Vernon loves?''


    "And we what?" Vernon asked, genuinely curious about what they were doing back then.


    He couldn''t remember a thing that night but woke uppletely naked with Chloe on his bed. So he was sure something very explicit had happened to them the night before.


    He had wanted to ask Chloe about it many times, but Chloe didn''t seemfortable speaking about it, so he had to curb his curiosity.


    "N--Nothing! We did absolutely nothing!" Chloe shook her head. She didn''t want to tell Vernon how much of a pervert she was that night, catering to all his teasing.


    Vernon shrugged, "Well, if you refused to tell me, then what about we do something fun today? I''m sure I can remember everything by tomorrow morning."


    Chloe gasped and stepped back, "Y--You-- are you even drunk?!"


    "I am," Vernon replied. "I am drunk, and remember that I was sleeping on thep of a random woman until you came to pick me up, then everything became clearer in my eyes."


    "That''s bullshit!" Chloe retorted. "How could my presence change you that much?!"


    Vernon''s lips perked up when he heard that question. He thought it was clear that he was hopelessly in love and obsessed with this woman.


    His world became much clearer, and his strength would recover the moment this woman appeared in front of him, and no other woman had the same effect on him.


    "Well, how about we see your presence on my dick," Vernon said. The alcohol made him wild and vulgar, not that he wasn''t a vulgar man, to begin with.


    He started unbuckling his belt and unbuttoned the tight-fitting trouser.


    He pulled down his trousers and underwear simultaneously, and his big cock with thick girth sprung up and stood strong like a machine gun, ready tounch its bullets.


    Chloe''s jaw dropped instantly.


    She knew that she had seen Vernon''s dick plenty of times, even going as far as giving him blowjobs on a few asions.


    But the size and the veins around the shaft were still something to marvel at, especially the tip that was throbbing hot.


    Vernon smirked when he noticed Chloe didn''t take her eyes off his rock-hard cock.


    "My eyes are up here, you know."


    "Wha--!" Chloe quickly raised her head, and she saw the satisfied smirk of this supposedly drunk man.<sub> </sub>


    Vernon raised his brow and teased more, "Your face is so red. Did you have a good look down there?"


    Chloe quickly turned around so Vernon wouldn''t notice her embarrassment.


    "Still shy seeing me naked?"


    "I''m not shy, I''m fucking embarassed!" Chloe yelled. "Which woman wouldn''t be embarrassed seeing a man naked? Stop joking and wear something!"


    "Well..." Vernon locked the door and walked towards Chloe, who was hunching out of nervousness.


    He gently ced his hot hand on her shoulder and leaned down until his breath tickled the back of her ear.


    ''Chloe, why don''t we cut to the chase and have fun tonight?'' the devil whispered softly in her ear, tickling her ear canal with his hot breath.


    It was a sensation that made all her hair stand up, and her body started trembling in response.


    It didn''t take long for Vernon to realize that Chloe''s thighs were squeezing each other, a sign that she was trying to hide something between her legs.


    "Hahah, couldn''t be more obvious than this," Vernonmented. He trailed his free hand from her hip down to her stomach, belly button, and stopped when he reached her clit hidden under the thin pajama she wore.


    Vernon separated her mped thighs with his hand at first, and then--


    "Haah--!" Chloe gasped out of reflex when Vernon suddenly fiddled with her clit with one finger. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand to avoid making more sounds.


    She didn''t expect Vernon to be so direct that she was still caught off guard, even though she already expected that things would escte like this whenever Vernon got drunk.


    She didn''t know that someone could be so horny when he was drunk, but Vernon was a living example of that.


    Vernon smirked when he heard her gasp, "Does it feel good? Should I do more?" he asked.


    "N--No, don''t..." Chloe refused.


    She wouldn''t lie that her body told her otherwise. She wanted Vernon to touch her body and ravage her, just like he did when he was drunk back then.


    But this was a different case.


    Vernon was drunk, but he seemed to still maintain some of his rationality and consciousness. So he waspletely aware of what he was doing and that the woman he was ying with now was Chloe.


    ''I know we did it a few times when he was fully sober. But... I feel like Drunk Vernon has so much passion that''s not supposed to be given to an ugly, old woman like me...'' Chloe thought.


    "V--Vernon, don''t..." Chloe refused once more.


    "Why not? You seem to enjoy it."


    "Well, um... yeah, but..." Chloe replied truthfully. "Do you not realize who you''re ying with now?"


    "I do," Vernon replied calmly yet with certainty. "I''m ying with you, Chloe."

 323 Chapter 323

    [Song rmendation: I Want To by Rosenfeld.]


    "I do," Vernon replied calmly yet with certainty. "I''m ying with you, Chloe."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and her heartbeat skipped simultaneously when she got the answer from Vernon. She didn''t expect the answer and definitely didn''t expect him to say it so boldly.


    "B--But--"


    "But what?"


    "But you''re ying with me, Chloe...."


    "Yes, didn''t I say it already?"


    ''Does he not realize that he is wasting his passion on an old and ugly woman? If he wants to use my body, he could just... do it when he isn''t drunk...'' Chloe thought.


    "You.... You''re drunk, Vernon. You will regret this tomorrow morning...."


    "I won''t," Vernon reassured her. "Do you think the alcohol makes me forget about everything? And touched any woman I can find near me?"


    ''Well, of course! You literally forgot about everything when you were drunk before. Even went as far as iming me as your woman-- which I don''t want to think about, right now.''


    Chloe nodded in response.


    Vernon scoffed, "The alcohol doesn''t make me forget. But it makes me bold. Gives me the courage to do something that I should''ve done... no, what I should be doing with you every day. "


    Vernon licked the back of Chloe''s ear and gave her neck a light bite.


    "Ah!" Chloe jolted out of shock, much to Vernon''s glee.


    "I''ve been holding back for a while. Maybe I should take a small bite of you tonight, hm?"


    Vernon teased Chloe by caressing her pussy lips with his middle finger, following the shape of her pussy underneath the thin pajama. He made sure that every crease was touched.


    "Uhh... mmmhh!" Chloe couldn''t hold her voice anymore. She tried to mp her thighs again, but that only pressed Vernon''s hand on her pussy until she felt one of his fingers press gently on the entrance.


    "Ahh! V--Vernon!" Chloe quickly separated her legs again, afraid his finger might go too deep!


    Vernon chuckled full of mirth when he saw Chloe''s reaction. He was just pressing gently, yet Chloe made such a big reaction, showing how sensitive her body was.


    "Well, what do you think, Chloe?" Vernon whispered like a devil while his finger continued fiddling with her clit until she felt that her pussy started to get a little damp. "Do you want me to stop?"


    "I--" Chloe was about to say that Vernon should stop before this went too far. But she stopped because she was contemting.


    Her logic told her to stop because she didn''t know how to face Vernon tomorrow morning after they did this.


    But something deep inside her heart told her not to stop because... well... she had never felt so good under a man''s hand.


    Granted, she only had Vincent as her only experience before.


    ''Should we stop... or should we not?'' Chloe wondered.


    Vernon smirked when he noticed Chloe trying to fight her desire. He continued caressing her pussy with his finger and asked, "So, you don''t want it?"


    "I-- B--but-- Ahh!" Chloe felt her mind start corroding because Vernon''s finger was so distracting. She kept making small moans and could not think straight because of it.


    "Ah! Mmh! V--Vernon, stop... stop your finger first, so I can-- ahnnn! I--I need to think!" Chloe yelled desperately, trying to fight the desire that started taking over her body.<sub> </sub>


    "Stop? Okay," Vernon stopped fiddling with her clit and lifted his finger. He checked his finger for a second andmented, "Hmm~ It has gotten a little damp down there."


    Chloe looked over her shoulder immediately and saw Vernon licking the same finger that he used to y with Chloe''s pussy.


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and she yelled, "VERNON!"


    "Hm? What?" Vernon responded lightly, with his eyes glimmering with innocence.


    "Y--You--" Chloe''s face was tomato red at this point. "H--How could you lick your finger! That''s gross!"


    "Gross?" Vernon frowned. "What''s so gross about it? You drank my cum without a problem."


    "But, that''s different!" Chloe yelled.


    "What''s so different?" Vernon shrugged. "Both came naturally, so there''s nothing wrong with tasting yours, just like how you taste mine."


    Chloe was still too shocked to react right now.


    In her days with Vincent, he would say that only a slut would leak out from her pussy, so he alwaysughed and ridiculed her when she was feeling good.


    So she thought it was a gross thing...


    "Besides..." Vernon leaned close to her again, his arms wrapped around her hips tightly. "Do you know what I want to do for dinner?"


    "S--Should I cook you something?" Chloe offered.


    "Hahah! No need to cook it, it''s already well served in front of me," Vernon replied. His innocent gaze gradually turned devilish as he was staring at his hunt tonight.


    "W--What do you mean?" Chloe asked.


    "I want to eat you," Vernon replied. "To be more specific, I will eat your pussy tonight."


    Chloe''s heart jumped when she heard that bold statementing from Vernon. She turned around to face the big guy and shook her head in disbelief.


    "You-- Vernon, that''s so--"


    "What? Are you going to tell me that''s gross? You sucked my dick, Chloe. There''s no difference in them," Vernon said. "Besides, do you not know about the 69 position?"


    "That--umm..."


    Chloe''s legs felt so weak in front of Vernon. All the vulgar words he spouted somehow stimted her, making her unable to resist this man''s passion.


    Vernon''s lips curled as he kept staring at Chloe, who was overtaken by desire. He stood straight again and shrugged, "Oh well, it doesn''t matter. I can''t do what I want today because you don''t want it."


    "WHAT?!" Chloe yelled out of reflex.


    "I might be a bastard, but I won''t hurt a woman during sex," Vernon stated. Which was actually aplete lie.


    He liked seeing women getting hurt, mostly because he had some BDSM tendencies and had always been rough with them.


    But not to Chloe, because she was... not just some random woman.


    She was THE woman that Vernon wanted in his life.

 324 Chapter 324

    She was THE woman Vernon wanted in his life., thus he would never hurt her, as he knew she had suffered enough from his Big brother.


    ''Too bad she still doesn''t want to open up about his abuse case to me,'' Vernon thought.


    "Oh, woes in me. I really want to eat your pussy tonight, but you don''t want it...." Vernon started to act dramatically to catch Chloe''s attention."But I can''t force you. You can leave my room now, Chloe."


    Chloe couldn''t believe what she had just heard.


    Vernon... he would release her?


    Just like that?


    ''But I thought he would--'' Chloe stopped her train of thought because she was about to say something vulgar.


    Vernon walked to the door and opened it wide for Chloe, "You can leave now, I won''t mind."


    Chloe stared at Vernon in disbelief. She had never been put in this position before.


    Usually, Vernon would force himself into her, giving her no choice or chance to escape.


    So she was always passive and epted everything, and she thought the dynamic between them would never change.


    ''Now that he is giving me a choice....''


    Chloe lowered her head and realized that her pajama pants had dampened because her pussy got a little wet when Vernon used his finger to y with it.


    ''I... I want to feel good too...'' Chloe wanted to give herself to her vulgar desire. She wanted to feel good and knew only one man could give her just that.


    She clenched the hem of her pajama to gather her courage and replied weakly, "I--I want to do it."


    Vernon raised his brow and grinned mischievously, "Hm? What did you say? I can''t hear it clearly."


    "I--I said I want it...." Chloe repeated her answer, it was too embarrassing for her to utter it, and she definitely didn''t want to say it out loud.


    "Still can''t hear you~."


    Chloe clenched her fist. At this point, Vernon was just teasing her because he could.


    She lifted her head courageously and proimed, "I said I want it!"


    "Heh, expected so," Vernon shut the door and locked it. He walked towards Chloe, who stood awkwardly like a frightened virgin on her first night.


    "Strip," he ordered.


    Chloe bit her lower lip, she wanted to say no, but it would be very hypocritical of her to say that after what she said before.


    So she started unbuttoning her pajama until her tits were exposed and pulled her pants down. She was now naked, just like the big man whose cock was fully erect again after seeing her body.


    Vernon whistled while his eyes greedily scanned all around the naked body of his woman.


    Chloe quickly covered her tits and pussy with her hands and yelled, "D--Don''t look! I--I know my body is disgusting--"


    "Disgusting? I think it looks sexy," Vernon said truthfully.<sub> </sub>


    "L--Lies..."


    "Well, if you think I''m lying, then maybe my dick will tell the truth," Vernon grabbed her wrist and ced her palm on top of his bulbous tip. "Stroke it, baby."


    Chloe gulped, she could feel his throbbing hot dick in her hand, and she grabbed Vernon''s bulbous tip and yed with the horse''s eye with her thumb.


    ''Ahh... your hand feels so soft, fuck...." Vernon knew that nobody could give him the same sensation except Chloe. She was the woman that would be his doom, the woman that could control his cock like a joystick.


    Chloe''s breath heaved when she realized that one hand wasn''t enough to y with Vernon''s thick cock.


    Thus, she used her free hand to cover her tits to start stroking the shaft while one hand was ying with the tip.


    Vernon grunted in response, and it didn''t take long for him to start leaking precum that Chloe used to ther it all on his thick dick for a smoother stroking experience.


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    "Ohhh... fuck! Go on, you make me feel so good," Vernonmanded. His eyes were lustful as he gazed down at Chloe''s exposed tits.


    He grinned as he had intrusive thought, ''I wonder if I could tit fuck herter. Not now though, gotta fatten her up some more, so I can eat her up all day and night, hahah!''


    Chloe continued stroking his dick until Vernon realized he couldn''t hold on any more.


    "Urgh, I''m close. Kneel in front of me, Chloe," Vernonmanded.


    Chloe looked up and was met with Vernon''s deep yet lustful gaze. It was like hypnosis that made her obey. She nodded weakly and kneeled in front of Vernon, which made her face stay on the same level as his cock.


    "Continue stroking it, fuck! I''m so fucking close!"


    Chloe followed his order, and she quickened her tempo.


    Shlick! Shlick! Shlick! Shlick!


    "Ahhh! I''m cumming! Take it all on your face, woman! ARGH! FUCK!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Vernon grunted before he felt the heightened sensation when his gaze blurred out white for a second, and he shot many thick cum right on her face.


    "Ah--umph!" Chloe quickly covered her eyes and closed her mouth when she saw the thick hot semen shot right into her face. She could feel Vernon''s scalding hot semen slowly flowing from her forehead to her chin.


    "Hahh... hahh..." Vernon was breathing heavily after such a stimting ejaction. He stared at his beloved''s face, stained with his cum, and his cock hardened again almost instantly.


    ''Fuck, she looks so hot,'' Vernon thought. His breath was rushing again, and he was ready for the second round.


    Meanwhile, Chloe was still closing her eyes. She didn''t know how to react because this was the first time for her to get a cum facial.


    She didn''t hate it. In fact, it opened something in her.


    ''I... somehow like it. I don''t know why...'' Chloe pondered as she got a little worried. ''But is it okay for me to like it? I feel like... Vernon keeps introducing me to weird kinks. It makes me worried....''


    "Now, for the snack I''ve been saving for the night."

 325 Chapter 325

    [Explicit.]


    "Now, for the snack I''ve been saving for the night."


    While Chloe continued pondering, Vernon wrapped his hand around her waist and lifted her.


    Chloe opened her eyes in shock but couldn''t react because Vernon suddenly threw her to his soft bed.


    "Ah--" Chloe''s body bounced on the bed, and Vernon was amused at how her tits jiggled right when shended on his bed.


    "God, you startled me!" Chloe yelled at him, and Vernon grinned in response.


    He stood at the edge of the bed, grabbed Chloe''s ankles, and then spread them wide, giving a full show of her pussy in front of the lustful beast.


    "AH! D--Don''t!" Chloe yelled out of panic.


    She desperately tried to cover her private area with her hands, but Vernon''s gaze seemed to prate her hands. It gave her a feeling of vulnerability as if everything she did would not help her and she would soon be devoured by this Big bad wolf.


    Vernon licked his lips, "Why did you cover it?"


    "I--It''s embarrassing...." Chloe murmured weakly.


    "Ugly? Hahahaha!" Vernonughed freely, finding Chloe to be funny yet cute at the same time. "Why do you need to be embarrassed? Didn''t I tell you that your pussy will be my dinner tonight?"


    "How could you say that so lightly...." Chloe protested weakly. She simply didn''t understand how he could say many vulgar things without thinking twice as if everything was just a regr thing for him.


    "Why not?" Vernon smirked. "You need to rx and let it all out, Chloe. I want you to feel good with my touch, is that wrong?"


    "N--Not wrong, but...." Chloe wanted to say that Vernon''s touch was like a wave crashing down on her small body, drowning her and making her unable to control herself.


    She was scared that she... might be a slut under the constant pleasure given by this man, and there was no turning back after that.


    "See? It''s also not wrong to eat your pussy tonight," Vernon said. "In fact, I''ve been wanting to do this for... a long while."


    He released his hands on Chloe''s ankles, and her leg drooped slowly until it made an M-shape, still exposing the private area she desperately covered with her hands.


    Chloe bit her lower lip as her body grew hotter under Vernon''s prating and lustful gaze.


    Vernon''s gaze deepened as his lust surged up, just like his cock got rock hard again. He leaned down and kissed the hands that covered her pussy.


    He nced up, staring at Chloe, who was checking what he was doing down there, and asked, "Would you mind lifting your hands off my dinner, or should I do it myself?"


    "D--Dinner-- I--it''s not food--"


    "Oh it is my food for the night, I will nibble and slurp the fuck out of it," Vernon said. He started to get impatient as Chloe yed a long game with him.


    He was naturally an impatient man. If he wanted something, he wanted it NOW.


    He could be this patient because he cared for the fragile woman he loved.


    But sometimes, that sense of impatience leaked out, just like now.<sub> </sub>


    Knowing that Chloe wouldn''t move her hands away, he got a good idea.


    He smirked mischievously and kissed her inner thighs, even licking the area around her covered genital.


    "Ah! U--uhm! S--Stop it, Vernon! It''s ticklish!" Chloe yelled. She didn''t do anything other than try to close her legs, which she couldn''t do because he grabbed her inner thighs with his hands.


    Vernon lifted her thighs and used a pillow under her butt, ensuring Chloe couldn''t do anything to hide now.


    "Ahh! Uh... V--Vernon... please..." Chloe started begging when Vernon continued kissing and licking her inner thighs and the area around the covered pussy.


    But Vernon ignored it all and continued stimting Chloe to the point that Chloe couldn''t hold it anymore.


    "Vernon, s--stop! You''re tickling me!" Chloe lifted her hands and tried to push Vernon''s head away from her private area.


    "Heheh, finally," Vernon quickly wrapped Chloe''s wrists in one hand, giving her no chance to hide her delicious pussy now.


    "Ah! N--No!" Chloe was so embarrassed that Vernon saw her exposed private part. She started struggling, and Vernon got a little overwhelmed and confused by her struggle.


    "Whoa, calm down, Chloe. I don''t know why you are struggling so much," Vernon said. "I thought you said you wanted it."


    "B--But I--" Chloe''s body started trembling, and she looked traumatized to the point that she almost cried. "I don''t want you to see that...."


    "Why not?"


    "It''s--" Chloe''s eyes were pooling with water. She couldn''t hide her pain and fear anymore.


    She had been ashamed when one particr man looked at it andughed at her.


    Vernon held his breath when he saw tears flowing from the corner of her eyes to her cheeks.


    "Chloe?" he called softly, but he was also confused, afraid that he might''ve done something wrong. "Why do you cry?"


    "I--It''s so ugly. Please don''t look at it...." Chloe begged. "He said it''s so ugly...."


    Vernon realized that something was wrong. His gaze darkened as his eyes started to be filled with rage, "Who said that?"


    Chloe gasped once she realized that she identally spilled one of the humiliations she suffered from Vincent.


    She had a trauma when a man saw her private area because on her first night with Vincent, she got a little tip from her mother to make herself wanted by her husband.


    So she washed up, shaved all the hair, sprayed some tantalizing perfume, and prepared for everything.


    She thought Vincent would like everything about her, but when he separated her legs and looked at that cherry, he instantlyughed and said;


    --


    "I don''t know why did I fuck you back in high school. Your pussy looks so ugly, even when shaved, it''s still looks fucking terrible," Vincent said condescendingly. "You should be grateful that I''m a good man who will ept my wife''s ugly... stuff."


    --

 326 Chapter 326

    "S--Sorry, I misspoke...." Chloe tried to cover up for the damage that she had done. She knew that Vernon must''ve realized much of the abuse that Vincent did to her.


    No matter how hard she tried to cover it, she knew the secret would leak out sooner orter.


    Vernon already knew that she was abused by Vincent and that bastard physically and mentally abused her.


    And now, Vernon would also know that Vincent sexually abused her.


    She never wanted the secret to leak out because she didn''t want to ruin the rtionship between the two brothers. After all, Vernon would still need Vincent''s help if he wanted his business to grow.


    So she... didn''t want to be an obstacle.


    "What do you mean misspoke?" Vernon asked.


    "N--Nobody said anything about me. I''m so sorry...." Chloe replied as she was covering for Vincent''s sin. She tried to force a smile but couldn''t, and her tears continued flowing down as she felt a heartache.


    Deep in her heart, she wanted to shout every sin that Vincent Gray hadmitted as loud as possible. She wanted to have a man who would protect her from that malicious bastard.


    She wanted a man whom she could lean on.


    But she knew that Vernon wasn''t the man, nor anyone in this world.


    Because Vincent was too powerful, if Chloe leaned on a man, that monster would ruin that man''s life.


    So, practically, if Chloe leaned on Vernon... he would also be destroyed by his big brother.


    Chloe would never allow that to happen. Vernon had helped her enough, and she loved him... as his Big sis. She felt responsible for his well-being and prosperity.


    So even if she had to sacrifice herself for his sess, she would do it in a heartbeat, despite the pain she had to bear.


    "I--I''m sorry, please forget what I said before--" Chloe started sobbing as she said something against her heart''s desire.


    Vernon''s lips trembled when he saw how hard Chloe tried to hide her abuse.


    Vernon knew that his Big brother was abusive towards her, but as he kept learning new things about their dynamics, he realized how much of a monster his Big brother was.


    He gritted his teeth and asked, "Vincent called your pussy ugly, didn''t he?"


    "N--NO! He did not!" Chloe denied it desperately.


    But the more she denied it, the more obvious it was in Vernon''s eyes.


    Vernon''s anger almost exploded when he saw her tear. He wanted to grab a knife, drive his car to his Big brother''s mansion, and stab that bastard in the heart.


    But if he did that, he would never be able to see his beloved woman again. So he had to take a more careful and clever approach to drag that monster to the mud.


    Chloe watched how Vernon tried to hold on to his anger, and she started to get scared.


    She had to admit that she still-- and probably always saw a shadow of Vincent in Vernon, which always scared her whenever Vernon looked angry.


    "V--Vernon, I''m so sorry. Please don''t be mad...."<sub> </sub>


    "HOW CAN I NOT BE MAD?!" Vernon snapped.


    Chloe jolted out of fear, and her tears started flowing even more, "I--I''m sorry..."


    "Huh? For what?"


    "F--For making you mad. I''m sorry, please stop being mad at me...."


    "Mad at you? Howe?!" Vernon retorted spontaneously. "I''m not mad at you, I''m mad at that bastard for hurting you!"


    Chloe, who closed her eyes, slowly opened them after that sentence came out of Vernon''s mouth. Her gaze was blurry because of the tears in her eyes, but she knew that Vernon was staring at her right now.


    She didn''t know what kind of stare he made, though, and she intentionally didn''t wipe her eyes because she was too scared to see the expression that Vernon had made right now.


    "I--I thought... you''re mad at me..." Chloe replied weakly. She felt very exposed and vulnerable right now.


    The ugliest part of her body was seen by Vernon, and no matter how much he tried to say that he didn''t find it unattractive, Chloe would never believe him.


    ''All his words about eating my pussy. Those are just words to make me feel better. I know he won''t do it....'' Chloe thought. She felt a little sad but also relieved. At least Vernon wouldn''t puke, just like how Vincent always made that vomiting gesture in front of her.


    Vernon felt his heart pinched when he saw Chloe''s eyes pooling with tears as she tried to hold on.


    He knew this was a trauma that Chloe had experienced after a long time of the abuse, and he wanted to help-- no, he wanted to save her.


    He wanted to know that she was in the right hand, even though he wasn''t even sure if he could control his anger from time to time.


    But for now...


    Vernon released her inner thighs and slowly crawled until Vernon''s head was on the same level as Chloe''s.


    He gently slipped his hand behind her and pushed her head in his direction.


    Chloe was a little surprised, "Vernon, what are you--umphh!"


    Chloe''s eyes widened when her lips were by his kiss. She closed her eyes slowly as Vernon started kissing her deeper and used his tongue to pry open her lips.


    "Ah--uhmp..." Chloe opened her mouth and let Vernon''s tongue find hers in their deep french kiss.


    She started to feel more rxed when Vernon kissed her, and he gently trailed his big and hot palm from her back to her hips and then to her butt.


    Vernon fondled her butt while he deepened the kiss, and Chloe drowned deeper as her body and mind were split between thefort and lust that Vernon brought to her body.


    But she liked it.


    She liked everything that Vernon gave to her, and she wished...


    ''I wish I could fall in love with a man like you, Vernon. Even though I know it''s so selfish of me to ever wish that....''

 327 Chapter 327

    ''I wish I could fall in love with a man like you, Vernon. Even though I know, it''s hical for me¡­.''


    They finished their kiss after Chloe started losing her breath. Vernon separated their lips, and Chloe opened her eyes slowly.


    She thought Vernon was still closing his eyes, but to her surprise, she was greeted by the mystifyingly deep eyes that stared at him with thousands of unspoken meanings hidden inside his ck pupils.


    "Vernon¡­" Chloe murmured his name without thinking, and Vernon smiled in response.


    "Feeling better now?" he asked.


    Chloe nodded in response. She felt less nervous after Vernon kissed and embraced her with such a gentle yet lustful touch.


    She had never felt this safe when she was in a bed with a man, granted that she only had Vincent as her previous experience.


    But Vincent always ridiculed her. He forced her to strip naked andughed at her fat or thin body.


    ''He made me feel so worthless of my own body¡­'' Chloe thought. She lifted her gaze slightly to check on Vernon''s eyes, and her heart skipped when she realized that Vernon was still staring at her with a thin smile on his face.


    ''But with him¡­ I want to¡­ give myself¡­'' Chloe gently lowered her head again. She wanted to rest her head on his muscr chest, but she hesitated because she was afraid that Vernon might see her as an over-eager cheap woman, just like how Vincent saw her.


    But Vernon seemed to catch on to what Chloe wanted to do. He pushed her head into his embrace until her face was buried in his naked, muscr chest.


    "No need to be shy with me," Vernon said assuringly.


    "T¡ªThank you¡­." Chloe closed her eyes as she felt safe under Vernon''s embrace. She could feel his heat engulfing her body, and she wished that time would stop right now and let her die like this, protected by a man who would love her wholeheartedly.


    She started to get drowsy because it was alreadyte at night, and she didn''t have enough rest for such a long day.


    Thus, she fell asleep fairly quickly.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Vernon was still wide awake. His hand that was fondling Chloe''s ass started going down to rub on her pussy.


    "Ugh, so soft¡­." Vernon held his breath as his finger trailed on Chloe''s pussy ps. He was still fully erect and yet to get his dinner¡­ aka eating her pussy.


    So he gently called her, "Chloe, are you there?"


    ¡­


    "Chloe?"


    "Umh¡­" Chloe buried her face deeper into his chest, and thus he realized she was already sleeping in his embrace.


    "What the¡ª" Vernon was about to yell out loud but realized that he shouldn''t wake her up because she looked sofortable, so he could only murmur hisints.


    ''That''s so unfair. I haven''t got the time to eat your pussy tonight¡­'' Vernonined in a low voice. ''Maybe if I thrust one finger in, you''ll wake up and let me eat it, right, Chloe?''<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    "Ah, forget it," Vernon took a deep breath and removed his finger from Chloe''sbia. He realized his finger was wet, so he licked it in a grievance, tasting something he was supposed to have eaten today.


    "Well, isn''t this a little annoying?" Vernonined. He was annoyed, of course.


    `He was still a man, and when he got blue balled* by the woman he loved, he would feel much more grievance than just a simple no from her.


    [Blue balled: Teased, but nothing happened after that.]


    However¡­


    Vernon checked at Chloe, who had fallen asleep. She felt so safe andfortable in his embrace, much to his relief.


    "I don''t like getting blue balls like this. But I''d endure it as long as you''refortable and feel safe around me, Chloe," Vernon murmured.


    "But I am a very vengeful man, Chloe," Vernon said. He lowered his head and kissed Chloe''s head lovingly. He stared at the woman in his embrace with hungry eyes. "Since you''ve teased me like this for so long, then I will eat you whole, through and through every single night, and you will never escape me again."


    "So¡­ i don''t think that I''m a selfless man who wants to make you better without any reward. I DEMAND my rewardter, when you''re physically and mentally healthy."


    Vernon couldn''t help but lick his lips and swallow his saliva as he felt his throat had gotten dry when he imagined all the crazy things he wanted to do with Chloe.


    "Fuck, let me find a dietician tomorrow. I need to find a perfect meal n for her," Vernon said. "Maybe also finding a new psychologist. There''s no way I''m going to talk to Shailene again. That bitch seriously has something against Chloe for no reason at all."


    Thus, Vernon closed his eyes while embracing his beloved woman. The woman that always haunted his night, whether in a sweet dream or in his nightmare.


    ''I don''t care if you''re staying by my side because of me, or because of what I have right now. But I promise I will never let you go.''


    ''Because I feel cold when you are not by my side.''


    **


    "Mmhh¡­" Chloe woke up early in the morning because she felt stuffy as her nose rubbed against a warm, warm pillow,plete with a musky smell of a man.


    She opened her eyes slowly, and the first thing she noticed was that she had buried her face in a man''s muscr chest.


    Chloe jolted and tried to separate by pushing herself away, but her body was wrapped tightly, almost like a cocoon, by two big hands.


    "Hrrm¡­" Vernon grunted in dissatisfaction when he felt his beloved woman wasn''t near him anymore.


    "V¡ªVernon, please release me¡­." Chloe asked politely.


    ¡­


    Vernon said nothing, but he nted her face on his sweaty chest again, and Chloe struggled even harder, "V¡ªVernon, you''re sweating, it''s so stuffy!"


    "We''re both sweaty, Chloe. Do you not remember what we didst night?"

 328 Chapter 328

    "We''re both sweaty, Chloe. Do you not remember what we didst night?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened when she heard that, "W--What? What did we dost night?"


    Vernon opened his eyes slowly. His eyes were red because he was still damn sleepy. He squinted at Chloe and asked, "You don''t remember?"


    Chloe shook her head in response.


    She wasn''t drunkst night, and she still remembered thest thing they did was a deep kiss before Vernon embraced her.


    She buried her face in his chest and quickly fell asleep because she had never felt so safe.


    "D--Did you do something when I was asleep?" Chloe asked. Her face paled as she started thinking about the worst.


    She was scared that Vernon might have... raped her while she was sleeping. She started having this feeling of grossness and humiliation in her heart.


    It was the same feeling she got when Vincent forced himself on her. He pped her hard, forced her to strip, and fucked her even though she struggled and begged not to be touched.


    Because Vincent had just had a gangbang with five other women in the evening, and she just couldn''t handle the disgust of being the sixth woman that night.


    "D--Did you do something, Vernon?" Chloe repeated her question, much to Vernon''s annoyance.


    "I was just messing around," Vernon replied halfheartedly, still unable to ept that he got blue balledst night. "I fell asleep not long after you. I keep trying to wake you up, but you don''t seem to hear me."


    "So I have to hold myself, tch...." Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. "I still haven''t gotten my night snack, by the way."


    "S--Sorry..." Chloe apologized but was also relieved that Vernon didn''t do anything to her body when she was sleeping.


    Because if he did... Chloe might vomit her gut because she''d instantly remember Vincent again.


    Naturally, Chloe knew what Vernon wanted.


    He said he wanted to eat her pussy, even though she didn''t understand why he would do such a disgusting thing.


    But if that was what he wanted...


    "D--Do you want to do it now?" Chloe asked.


    Vernon, who was half asleep, regained all of his consciousness in one second. He stared at Chloe without blinking, afraid that he might''ve misheard it because he was still sleepy.


    "Did I hear it right?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe nodded weakly, "D--Do you want to do it now?" she repeated. "I--I don''t mind...."


    "Do what? Make it clear because I want to make it clear," Vernon asked again.


    Chloe was embarrassed. She didn''t want to say it because it was embarrassing for a woman like her.


    "S--Should I really say it?" Chloe asked.


    "Yes, say it, I want to hear it," Vernon ordered firmly.


    "I--" Chloe gulped. She lowered her head, wanting to bury her face in his chest again because she was too embarrassed to say it.


    "I-- I want you to eat... um... my pussy...." Chloe said weakly.


    Vernon''s breath heaved instantly. He separated himself from Chloe and sat on the bed right beside her.


    Chloe opened her eyes and stared at Vernon, sitting with his cock fully erect and throbbing at the tip.


    "Do you really mean what you said just now?" Vernon asked again.


    Chloe didn''t understand why Vernon was so careful with her.<sub> </sub>


    Usually, Vernon would use her body without regard.


    She liked it but also couldn''t help but feel like a sex toy for him to vent.


    And this would be the first time he asked for her consent...


    "If you''re pressured just because of myint, then I don''t need it... at least not now," Vernon said.


    "I--I don''t feel pressured...." Chloe replied. "I just want topensate for what we missedst night...."


    ...


    Vernon was unresponsive...


    He was staring at Chloe''s naked body, from head to toe, and his cock got even harder until his erection started to get a little painful.


    It would be a lie if he said that he wasn''t tempted.


    Of course, he was fucking tempted.


    ''Who the fuck doesn''t want to taste your beautiful body, Chloe?'' Vernon thought.


    He gently caressed Chloe''s cheek. He took his time caressing the corner of her eyes with his thumb, ''This is the spot where tears dropped from your eyes to your cheek. It hurts me so much seeing you cry because of your fear, Chloe.''


    "Vernon?" Chloe called his name, but Vernon didn''t react.


    He kept staring at her for a while, then his eyes trailed down alongside his hot palm.


    "Vernon-- ah! Hmmh!" Chloe bit her lower lip when Vernon ced his hand on her tits and then started fondling her left breast.


    She started squirming when he used his thumb to fiddle with her nipple, "Ah-- mmh! V--Vernon, no, it''s so... ticklish!"


    Vernon swallowed his saliva again. He was holding back a lot right now. He was already sweating because they didn''t turn on the ACst night, and now his body was drenched in sweat.


    To endure such coquettishness from his beloved woman, he could be a monk at this point.


    He used his right hand that was on Chloe''s right tit, and with a devilish grin, lightly pinched her nipple. He lightly pulled it then kneaded it between his fingers before pressing it back in and flicked it, only to keep repeating the process.


    He couldn''t help but want to tease the woman he desired so badly.


    "Ah! Uhh! S--stop, umh..."


    "Do you really want to stop?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe opened her eyes and stared at Vernon, who suddenly stopped ying with her nipples.


    He looked serious, which was something that he usually didn''t do.


    Usually, Vernon would ignore her plea entirely and use her body as much as he liked without needing her consent.


    Meanwhile, Vernon stopped because he noticed her bony body squirming under his touch.


    He was so turned on that he wished to fuck her right here.


    But when he saw how thin she was, he instinctively held back, not wanting to hurt her.


    ''There is no way I''m going to force you after I saw you cryingst night....'' Vernon thought.


    After realizing the seriousness of his question, Chloe realized that she had to be true to herself, to what she really wanted right now.

 329 Chapter 329

    [Explicit.]


    After realizing the seriousness of his question, Chloe realized that she had to be true to herself, to what she wanted right now.


    And she knew what she wanted...


    ''I want you, Vernon...'' Chloe thought. ''I want you to touch me with your warm hand. y with me and give me pleasure that I''ve never experienced in my life....''


    Chloe had a lot on her mind, but it was difficult for her to speak it out because she was afraid that Vernon might find her repulsive for being so horny and vulgar.


    So she mustered her courage and delivered the short sentence that represented everything in her mind.


    "I--I want you to make me feelfortable, and um... m--make me feel horny, Vernon...." Chloe said weakly.


    Vernon took a deep breath when he got the green g from Chloe. He had been holding out for so long, and now that he had gotten the consent, he wouldn''t hold back anymore.


    "Don''t regret it," he said with his deep yet somewhat hoarse voice.


    "Wuh-- Ahn!" Chloe''s eyes widened when Vernon suddenly buried her face between her tits and kissed her cleavage hungrily.


    His hands were fondling her breasts without mercy and pinched her nipples until she started squirming again.


    "Ah-- ahh! Vernon!" Chloe called his name amidst the lust that started to take over her body.


    Vernon yed with her nipples before his hand touched her bony hips.


    He paused for a second and then continued caressing her hips.


    His kiss went down from her cleavage down to her stomach. He stopped at Chloe''s belly button and kissed that spot for a long time.


    Vernon felt heartache each time he kissed his beloved woman''s belly button.


    Because she was just too damn skinny, and he knew who caused this;


    ''I swear I will fucking kill you. Just you wait, Vincent Gray,'' Vernon swore in his heart that had been fueled with rage toward his own Big brother.


    Chloe was confused about why Vernon kept on kissing her belly button. She also felt ashamed because she was too skinny for his taste.


    Thus, she called him, "Vernon?"


    Vernon snapped out of his daze, "Sorry, I''m going down now."


    Vernon grabbed Chloe''s inner thighs and spread them into M-shape, directly exposing her delectable private area.


    "Ah--!" Chloe''s heartbeat sped up instantly when she realized that Vernon could see her pussy now.


    Even though she told him that she was ready, that didn''t magically make her insecurity disappear.


    She was still afraid that Vernon would be grossed out by her body.


    Vernon realized that Chloe''s body tensed when he spread her legs open. So he took the chance to prove his willingness by lowering his head and kissing herbia without hesitation.


    "Ah! V--Vernon!" Chloe was startled by his action. She also felt a new weird sensation when her pussy was kissed.<sub> </sub>


    It took a moment for Vernon to lift his head and give Chloe a mischievous grin, "I thought you''ve given me your permission to eat my delicious snack."


    "B--But-- that''s not--"


    "Your pussy is delicious, and beautiful as well, so let me get my slice, okay?"


    Chloe was stunned when Vernon suddenly threw a question at her.


    How was she supposed to answer that kind of question?


    Vernon continued grinning, "Come on, tell me if I''m allowed or not, so I can eat my snack."


    Chloe was too embarrassed to say it, so she covered her tomato-red face with her hands and murmured, "Y--You''re unbelievable, Vernon...."


    "I take that as a yes then."


    Vernon lowered his head again. He kissed herbia once, twice, and for the third kiss, he nted a light kiss and suddenly sucked her pussy.


    "Ahh!" Chloe was shocked when Vernon suddenly sucked her clit. She quickly closed her legs out of reflex, locking Vernon''s head, and thetter buried his face deeper into her pussy.


    Vernon took a deep whiff, and his eyes rolled up, ''Fuck, it smells incredible. I''m going to get addicted,'' he thought.


    Vernon continued taking a deep whiff for a while as he continued with his kissing.


    "Ahh! Uhnn! V--Vernon, s--slower!" Chloe begged. She had never felt this kind of sensation before.


    Vernon''s hot breath was tickling her pussy,bined with his hot lips that continued kissing every crease and even between ps of herbia until she started shaking out of extreme joy.


    "Uhhnn... umm! Vernon, I--It feels so... Ahhnn!" Chloe continued moaning, which got louder when she realized that Vernon had started using his tongue to lick her pussy lips clean, and there was no trace of him feeling disgusted.


    Instead, he got even more vigorous whenever he heard Chloe moaning in response to his service.


    In the end, he went for the most important part. He stared at Chloe''s jewel, her clit that was a little wet from his y just now.


    In fact, Chloe had still been leaking herdy juice ever since Vernon licked her pussy all over.


    He nudged and rubbed on her clit with his nose, and announced, "Here we go, my favorite snack."


    "Huh? Uaaahhh! Ahhhnnn!" Chloe, who had been intoxicated since the moment Vernon kissed and sucked her pussy, suddenly felt extreme pleasure when Vernon suddenly opened his mouth and sucked on her clitoris.


    "Auuhh! Vernon! Ahh! S--Stop, I-- Ahnnn!" Chloe didn''t know what to do at this point. She was like a fish out of water.


    She could only moan uncontrobly, feeling that her soul had been sucked out of her body.


    She was staring at the ceiling, and her gaze got blurry as she was overwhelmed by pleasure until she felt something brewing under her belly.


    Her eyes widened when she realized something. She looked down and saw Vernon was still sucking, licking, and nibbling her clitoris.


    "Mmhh! V--Vernon, s--stop! Stop it, I--I can''t hold it any longer! Uuaaaahhh!" Chloe yelled as she realized that she was about to squirt at any point.


    Vernon nced up, and rather than lifting his head, he opened his mouth wider and sucked her pussy harder.

 330 Chapter 330

    Vernon nced up, and rather than lifting his head, he opened his mouth wider and sucked her pussy harder.


    Chloe''s body trembled from head to toe. She felt an electric jolt surging around her body and concentrated around her lower half, especially around her pussy.


    Vernon knew what would happen next. Thus he fervently sucked her pussy and opened his mouth wider.


    Chloe tried her hardest for thest time to tell Vernon to move his head because she was going to--


    "V--Vernon... no... I--I can''t... uuhhh! Stop sucking! I--I can''t... Auhhhhhh!!" Chloe''s eyes rolled up as her body convulsed involuntarily.


    Squirt! Squirt! Squirt! Squirt! Squirt!


    Chloe felt a gush of watering out of her pussy, shooting into Vernon''s mouth.


    Vernon quickly wrapped his hand around her inner thighs to ensure that Chloe didn''t jump around as she squirted all of her juice out.


    He took a deep breath as he drank his beloved woman''sdy juice fresh out of her pussy. He made sure that he swallowed everything, just like how Chloe swallowed his cum without leaking a single drop.


    "Uuuhh... uuuu...." Chloe whimpered as she kept twitching after a wave of pleasure that she had never experienced before.


    She was on cloud nine right now, unable to think of anything other than enjoying Vernon''s service on her cunt.


    Slurp! Sluuurp!


    Vernon cleaned Chloe''s pussy with his lips after he swallowed her juice and lifted his head.


    He was staring at Chloe, still twitching, and grinned proudly, "Thank you for the honey."


    Chloe''s blurry gaze slowly cleared up. She saw how Vernon continued grinning ear to ear, showing his teeth as if he was so proud that he had swallowed all of her cunt juice without leaking a drop.


    Chloe''s tits rose up and down as she still tried to catch her breath, "Vernon, you... why did you do that?"


    "Did what?"


    "D--Drinking my... um... that..."


    "Hahahah, why are you so nervous anyway?" Vernonughed freely. "You swallowed all of my cum without hesitation, why am I not allowed to do the same?"


    "W--Well, I--I just... it just feels weird...." Chloe said weakly.


    "That''s just because you''re not used to it, so..." Vernon grinned as he used his finger to trace around herbia again. "Get used to it. We''re going to do that often."


    Chloe swallowed her saliva as her heart started pumping faster.


    She knew Vernon was a wild man, but she didn''t expect how wild and vulgar he could be.


    "By the way, I''m also in need of being serviced here...."


    Plop.


    Vernon grabbed his fully erect big cock and gently pped Chloe''s clit with his tip.


    Chloe held her breath when she saw that veiny cock rubbing on her pussy. She felt a tingling sensation again, and she wouldn''t lie that she... might have expected something.


    Vernon smirked as he kept observing the change of expression on Chloe''s face.<sub> </sub>


    "Guess what I''ll do next," Vernon teased. He continued rubbing the tip of his cock around her wet pussy lips.


    He seemed to be eager, and Chloe naturally knew what Vernon wanted.


    But she was unsure if she should give in right now. She was afraid that she might take this too far and that Vernon might ditch her after he got what he wanted.


    ''Besides, he is too big...'' Chloe slowly closed her thighs, trying to protect her delectable pussy against that giant cock that might ram in anytime soon.


    "W--Will you do it?" Chloe asked nervously.


    "Do what?" Vernon raised his brow mischievously.


    "Y--You know... um... put it... inside..." Chloe''s voice gradually lowered until it was almost inaudible as she got ashamed just talking about it.


    "Hahahahah!" Vernonughed freely again. He found Chloe to be so cute with all of her nervousness.


    Obviously, he wouldn''t do it now.


    He didn''t even have the heart to treat her a little rougher because whenever he saw her bony body, he would constantly be reminded how much she suffered under Vincent''s hand.


    ''I won''t hurt you, Chloe...'' Vernon said in his heart.


    "Well, as much as I''d love to do it, I won''t do it now, Chloe," Vernon replied. "But let me get my release, I want to rub my cock around your wet pussy lips at least."


    Chloe bit her lower lip. She was relieved that Vernon didn''t fuck her right now because she felt she wasn''t ready for it.


    But she also started to feel ticklish as his bulbous tip kept rubbing around herbia, "Uhhnn... ah-- I--itchy--" Chloe murmured.


    "Heh," Vernon scoffed. He realized that Chloe''s pussy got wetter as he kept rubbing. "Fuck, you''re so sexy, Chloe. I want to--"


    KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!


    Vernon and Chloe turned their heads toward the door at the same time. Then they heard the voice of a little girl from outside.


    "BIG BAD WOLF UNCLE! LET GO OF MY MOMMY!" Mackie yelled from outside.


    "Damn it!" Vernon cursed as he knew he''d be blue-balled again this time. He gritted his teeth and turned his head back at Chloe. "Let''s ignore her for now--"


    CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!


    Their focus was shattered when Mackie banged the door with something made of metal, probably the frying pan.


    "UNCLE, RELEASE MY MOMMY NOW! MOMMY, YOU''RE INSIDE, RIGHT? DON''T WORRY, MACKIE WILL SAFE YOU!" Mackie yelled out loud.


    Chloe stared at the door and then at Vernon, who was really annoyed.


    She felt apologetic at Vernon, but she definitely couldn''t ignore her daughter.


    "Vernon..." Chloe called his name gently.


    "I know, I know. Ugh, so annoying!" Vernon got up from the bed, and with his cock still erect, he walked to the kitchen. He grumbled because he was blue balled again, "I''ll have to take a cold bath in the morning or else I''ll stay rock hard for a long time."


    Vernon entered the bathroom, and before he closed the door, his head popped out to stare at Chloe, "We''re not done yet, Chloe! I refuse to be fucking blue balled twice! Grrrh!"

 331 Chapter 331

    "We''re not done yet, Chloe! I refuse to be fucking blue balled twice! Grrrh!" Vernon grunted to express his dissatisfaction. He entered the bathroom and mmed the door.


    Chloe couldn''t help but giggle when she saw how Vernon looked so annoyed by Mackie''s interruption but still got up on his own and took a bath to calm his raging cock.


    ''At least he knows that a child is still a priority,'' Chloe thought.


    "MOMMY!"


    Chloe finally got up from the bed when her daughter called for her desperately. She felt a little ufortable because she was still wet with sweat and her pussy was still... a little damp.


    But she had no way to clean up right now.


    "I need to make a quick breakfast for them before taking a bath," Chloe murmured. She wore pajamas and a sweater.


    She checked herself in the mirror, making sure there were no suspicious hickeys that her daughter might notice.


    "Okay, all safe."


    Meanwhile, Mackie was holding a frying pan while yelling in front of her Big Bad Uncle''s bedroom. She was ready to m the frying pan on the door again and was also ready to fight him in case he wanted to kidnap Mommy!


    "UNCLE--"


    Click.


    Mackie looked up and saw her Mommy looking exhausted. She was sweating, and her hair was wet because of the sweat.


    However, Mackie found nothing wrong as her Mommy wore pajamas and a sweater.


    Thus, Mackie simply dropped the frying pan and hugged Chloe, "Mommy!"


    "Oh dear," Chloe hugged her daughter and gently caressed her hair. "What are you doing waking up so early?" Chloe asked as she had just checked the time.


    "Umm... I was thirsty, Mommy. I want to drink water, and see your room is open!" Mackie reported. "I can''t find you anywhere, so I know that Big Bad Uncle must''ve caught you against night!"


    "Hmph! Where is Uncle now?" Mackie said bravely. "Did he bully you with a big police stick again, Mommy? Mackie will beat him!"


    Chloe''s face turned tomato red instantly. Mackie seemed to vividly remember when Chloe''s inner thighs were bruised because Vernon rubbed his hard cock between her thighs.


    Chloe quickly dragged Mackie away from Vernon''s bedroom and closed the door.


    "U--Uncle Vernon was too exhaustedst night, that''s why Mommy helps him a little in the morning," Chloe tried to find a good reason that wouldn''t make her daughter suspicious.


    "Um... What kind of help, Mommy? You''re sweating so much, your hair is wet too!" Mackiemented. "Did Uncle do something to you?"


    "N--No-- well, yes, but no--" Chloe started panicking because she was still trying to recover from the shame of being yed by Vernonst night and in the morning.


    Mackie tilted her head curiously, "I don''t understand, Mommy. What are you doing with Uncle? Did he beat you?"


    "N--No, he didn''t...." Chloe replied. She started to get nervous under her daughter''s innocent but critical question.


    Thus, instead of answering, she simply ignored it and led Mackie to sit at the dining table.


    "Dear, just sit here for a moment, okay? Mommy will make a pancake for you and Uncle," Chloe said.


    "Un! Yay, pancake!" Mackie''s attention was diverted quickly, much to Chloe''s relief.<sub> </sub>


    ? She washed her hand and started cooking a few stacks of pancakes, and brewed three sses of warm chocte milk because it was quite chilly outside.


    Chloe served the two tes of stacked pancakes with a bottle of honey and sliced banana for Mackie and Vernon at the dining table, then she served two sses of hot chocte milk.


    "Okay, you can eat now, Mackie. Mommy will check on Uncle first, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    Chloe walked to Vernon''s bedroom again. The door wasn''t locked, but she knocked out of politeness.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Vernon, breakfast is ready."


    ...


    Click.


    Vernon opened the door. He was fresh out of the shower, and his hair was still wet. He was topless but wore sweatpants, much to Chloe''s relief.


    "Y--You can have breakfast with Mackie at the dining table...." Chloe said weakly. She lowered her head instinctively, still ashamed of what had happened between themst night and this morning.


    Vernon stared at Chloe intently. He noticed that Chloe was still wearing the pajamas fromst night, and her hair was damp because of sweat.


    In fact, she was still reeking of sweat and sex, much to his pride.


    "Shouldn''t you take a bath? Or maybe you just want to treasure what happenedst night, hmm?" Vernon teased.


    "D--Don''t say that, Mackie might hear us," Chloe warned.


    Mackie heard her Mommy and Uncle whispering about something, and she turned around to see her Uncle. Uncle was grinning devilishly while her Mommy was lowering her head pitifully.


    She dropped her spoon and yelled instantly, "UNCLE! DON''T BULLY MOMMY!"


    "Huh?" Vernon shifted his gaze and saw the fierce little devil ring at him without fear.


    Honestly, he was still annoyed that he got cock blocked, but he couldn''t force Chloe to wait until he finished because he knew Chloe would always prioritize Mackie over everything else.


    So he had to endure the pain of getting blue balled twice...


    But his petty heart still wanted to get a little revenge against this little devil.


    So he wrapped his hand around Chloe''s waist and raised one brow provocatively, "Do you think I was bullying your Mommyst night?"


    "YES! Uncle must''ve bullied Mommy! Mommy came out of the room sweating and looking tired!" Mackie used. She hopped off the dining chair and rushed towards her Uncle and Mommy.


    She grabbed her Mommy''s hand and tried to pull her out of Big bad Uncle''s embrace, "Ugggghh! Uncle, let my Mommy go!"


    "V--Vernon, stop it...." Chloe said as she also wanted to break free from Vernon. She didn''t want to tease her daughter even more because she feared Vernon might say something unscrupulous in front of her..


    True, Vernon could have dropped the teasing right now, but his petty heart wanted to im something, a im of ownership after their hot night.

 332 Chapter 332

    Thus, Vernon smirked at the little girl who tried her best to pull her Mommy out of his embrace and teased, "Heh, you little devil. You can''t save your Mommy because I ate your Mommy cleanst night."


    Mackie''s eyes widened. She was so shocked that she identally let go of her Mommy''s hand and fell on her butt.


    "Oh no, Mackie!" Chloe struggled to release herself from Vernon, and once Vernon released her, she quickly kneeled on the floor and picked her daughter up.


    Mackie''s eyes were still on her Uncle''s big body and scary face. She wasn''t scared of her Uncle.


    But she was worried that her Mommy might''ve been hurt.


    "Mommy, were you hurt somewhere?" Mackie asked.


    "No dear, Mommy is fine," Chloe said.


    "But Uncle said he ate youst night!" Mackie insisted. "Did he eat you in your thigh? Just like how he beat you with a police stick?!"


    Mackie shifted her gaze at her Uncle again and red at him, "Uncle is bad! Mackie is mad!"


    Meanwhile, Vernon simply stuck his tongue out to mock the little girl.


    "Ugh, Uncle is annoying!" Mackie yelled. She buried her face in her Mommy''s shoulder, and her body trembled as she was about to cry.


    Chloe turned her head and red at Vernon as well. She also got annoyed at him for being so petty that he made a little girl cry.


    Vernon wasn''t scared when the fierce little devil was ring at him.


    But Chloe was a different case.


    Thus, he sighed and shrugged, "Don''t cry, I was just messing with you."


    Mackie lifted her head slowly. She was actually sobbing, sad that she couldn''t protect her Mommy.


    "Uncle¡­ Uncle is not hurting Mommy, right?"


    "No, I didn''t," Vernon rolled his eyes. "Your Mommy and I were exercisingst night. That''s why she was sweaty."


    "What kind of exercise?" Mackie asked.


    "Ah¡ª that''s¡ª" Chloe tried to find a solid lie. But Vernon interrupted her by giving the worst answer possible;


    "Horse riding," Vernon said.


    "Horse riding?" Mackie stared at her Uncle with her innocent gaze. "Um¡­ Mackie also ys horse riding at home with Mommy. Let''s go horse riding togetherter, Mommy, Uncle!"


    "D¡ªDear, that''s¡­"


    "Pfft¡­ PUAHAHAHA!" Vernonughed freely as he heard something funny, while Chloe was so ashamed that she wished she could just bury her head like an ostrich.


    "What''s so funny?" Mackie asked.


    "N¡ªNothing, let''s just continue eating breakfast, okay?" Chloe got up and guided Mackie back to the dining table.


    Mackie hopped back to her chair while Vernon followed soon after. He sat side by side with Mackie and waited until Chloe sat on the opposite side.


    He stared at the empty table and asked, "Where''s your food?"


    "Ah, I''m not hungry," Chloe replied.


    ¡­<sub> </sub>


    "Fine," Vernon patted hisp. "Sit here, and I will feed you, like yesterday."


    "Oh! Yes! Mommy, let Uncle feed you like yesterday! I love seeing you eat!" Mackie chirped happily, much to Chloe''s embarrassment.


    "N¡ªNo need. I will have hot milk for breakfast. My stomach can''t handle heavy food in the morning¡­."


    ¡­


    Mackie and Vernon turned their heads to each other simultaneously, and they nodded in tacit understanding.


    Chloe''s eyes scanned at Mackie and Vernon, who said nothing but seemed to be nning something in their heads, "Do you guys need something? Or maybe you want another food for breakfast? I can cook something else."


    Chloe was about to get up when Vernon suddenly ordered, "Stay put."


    "Eh?" Chloe returned to her seat, confused about what Vernon and Mackie would do.


    Vernon got up and grabbed a te. He put the te on the dining table and put one pancake, while Mackie also donated one pancake.


    Vernon put a few blueberries and a sliced banana while Mackie smeared the pancake with honey.


    Vernon served the pancake right in front of Chloe and returned to his seat, resuming his breakfast with Mackie.


    Chloe stared at her ''portion'' of breakfast and looked at her family, "Y¡ªYou two, this is¡­."


    "Mommy''s breakfast, of course!" Mackie replied cheerfully. "Mommy cannot eat much, so Mackie and Uncle give you a smaller portion!"


    "Yeah, so there''s no reason for you not to eat breakfast with us," Vernon said. "Or do you want me to feed you like before?"


    "No need!" Chloe refused fervently. She was too ashamed to be treated like a toddler in front of her daughter.


    Vernon was a little disappointed. If he had to be honest, he liked feeding Chloe because it made him feel safe knowing that Chloe was eating her food.


    He desperately wanted her to have a healthier body, after all.


    Chloe gulped as she stared at so much food in front of her. Honestly, she was still scared that she''d get fat from overeating. That idea of being fat was nted deep in her subconsciousness.


    She grabbed the fork and knife and cut the pancake into tiny bits.


    ''So much sugar and starch. I will get fat. I will seriously get fat and ugly if I eat this¡­'' Chloe''s mind started to get gued by fear again. ''I will get fat. I will get fat and ugly, and he willugh at me¡­.''


    She was scared that the memory of Vincentughing at her would pop into her mind and make her want to vomit her guts out.


    Vernon noticed Chloe''s face paled while trying to put that tiny bit of pancake inside her mouth. She looked nervous, and it seemed that she would cry anytime soon.


    Vernon knew he had to help her, or she''d never eat anything.


    Thus, he got up from his chair and sat right beside Chloe.


    He snatched the fork and knife from Chloe''s hand and then cut a normal-sized pancake slice with banana and honey.


    "Vernon, why are you¡ª amph!" Chloe''s eyes widened when Vernon suddenly shoved the food into her mouth.


    "Start munching," Vernon instructed, and Chloe slowly munched the pancake and banana inside her mouth. She swallowed the food and apologized;


    "S¡ªSorry."


    "If you feel sorry, then you should eat more, so I can feel at ease."

 333 Chapter 333

    "If you feel sorry, then you should eat more, so I can feel at ease," Vernon said.


    Chloe held her breath after Vernon said that. She just couldn''t believe what she had heard just now.


    Vernon was still busy cutting the pancake into small pieces and stabbing it with his fork, so he didn''t realize that Chloe was staring at him intently for a while.


    "Okay, here''s another one," Vernon said as he continued spoon-feeding Chloe.


    Chloe didn''t open her mouth, but she kept staring at Vernon until thetter lifted his gaze a little, "What? Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look too handsome to you?"


    Chloe was caught off guard by Vernon again, "Ah¡ª no, I¡ªI was just surprised by your words¡­."


    "By my words?"


    "Mhm, when you said that you want me to eat more, so you''ll feel at ease¡­."


    Vernon frowned, "I see nothing wrong with my statement."


    "But¡­ that''s not normal¡­" Chloe murmured. "Y¡ªYou''re a man. Aren''t you um¡­ grossed out when you see a woman eating too much?"


    "Huh?" Vernon got even more confused with her question. "What kind of stupid question is that? Don''t you see that you''re just skin and bone right now?"


    "That¡ª" Chloe lowered her head ashamedly. She didn''t know what was good for her.


    When she was fat, Vincentughed at her by calling her fat bitch or whale.


    But when she was skinny, Vincentughed at her, calling her a bony bitch, or ugly skeleton.


    Vernon noticed how Chloe looked sad when he mentioned the condition of her body.


    He didn''t want Chloe to misunderstand his intention, so he gently pinched Chloe''s chin and lifted her head slightly until they were at the same eye level.


    Ba-dump!


    Chloe''s heartbeat elerated instantly when her eyes met with Vernon''s deep hawk-like eyes.


    That deep gaze was the same gaze Vernon showed when they shared a long and hot kiss togetherst night, and it made her ufortably warm all over.


    She wanted to retreat, but Vernon pinched her chin even harder.


    "V¡ªVernon, you''re too close¡­." Chloe murmured. She saw her daughter from the corner of her eyes, staring at them without blinking. "M¡ªMackie is looking at us¡­."


    "Tch, I''m not going to do anything," Vernon clicked his tongue, "Stop struggling and listen to me first."


    Vernon had wanted to say this for a while but never found the right time.


    ''This will be the right time. I need her to know something.''


    "Chloe, I don''t want you to be too skinny, nor do I want you to be fat," Vernon said truthfully. "I want you to be healthy, and I will be your support for that."


    "You''re literally nothing but skin and bone right now, that''s why I''m going to feed you until you get into your healthy weight," Vernon said. "I will also hire a dietician for youter."


    "Chloe, I will do everything as long as you''re healthy."


    Chloe finally stopped struggling after she heard Vernon''sment about her body.<sub> </sub>


    She knew that Vernon was very harsh with his words, but what he said made sense, especially about her current condition.


    She knew she was dangerously thin, and her habit of throwing up after eating anything was because she had gone through many extreme diet methods for the past four years.


    All her attempts to look beautiful and presentable in front of Vincent. After all, which woman wouldn''t want to show a nice body in front of her husband?


    ''Too bad, I was never enough¡­'' Chloe thought.


    ? Vernon noticed how Chloe''s mind started to fly off even though they were staring at each other at such close distance, to the point that they could feel each other''s breath.


    ''He must''ve been thinking about that bastard again,'' Vernon thought.


    Of course, he was jealous. They were so close, yet Chloe kept thinking about that bastard who abused her mercilessly.


    "I''m the one in front of you, Chloe. Think about me!" Vernon raised his voice, so Chloe could snap out of her daze and stop thinking about Vincent.


    "Ah¡ªVernon¡­"


    "Yes, think only about me when you''re living in my house," Vernon insisted.


    "S¡ªSorry¡­" Chloe realized that Vernon had caught her thinking about Vincent again.


    "Sorry is not enough," Vernon said. "You need to obey my order."


    ¡­


    Chloe went silent, waiting for the order. She thought Vernon simply wanted to order her to do something, just like he ordered her like a maid.


    "I only have one order for you, and that is¡­ I want you to try to be healthy," Vernon said. "Eat well, and never skip your meal everyday. I will be watching you every single time, making sure you eat together with me and Mackie."


    Vernon turned his head toward Mackie and asked, "Don''t you think so too?"


    Mackie, who had been attentively watching and listening to Mommy and Uncle''s conversation, nodded happily.


    "Yes! Mackie wants Mommy to eat a lot! I feel lonely when I have to eat alone while Mommy is just watching. I want Mommy to be strong like Mackie too!"


    Vernon grinned with pride when they finally had something to agree on together, which was about Chloe''s wellbeing. i


    "We''re going to watch your Mommy together. Tell Uncle if she''s trying to skip dinner while I''m out for work, okay?" Vernon instructed her little niece.


    Mackie saluted like a small policewoman, "Yes, Sir! Mackie will report to you if Mommy is skipping meals again!"


    Vernon was satisfied with Mackie''s answer. He stopped pinching Chloe''s chin and said, "See? Even your daughter is on my side right now."


    "Un! Mackie is so happy to see you eat, Mommy! You''ve never done so at home!" Mackie said.


    Chloe''s eyes shifted between Vernon and Mackie simultaneously.


    She thought that Vernon and Mackie were like cat and mouse that would never be able to work together. But they agreed upon something, and that was regarding her health.


    ''I know that being too thin is not healthy, but I can''t help myself...''

 334 Chapter 334

    ''I know that being too thin is not healthy, but I can''t help myself...'' Chloe sighed, ''I''m so scared that I''d get fat again, and everyone would call me blobby, or fat bitch, including Vernon¡­.''


    ''Vernon could easily im that he is okay with me getting fatter. But when I do get fat, I bet he will also be disgusted with me¡­.''


    There was a lot of suspicion and self-doubt in Chloe''s heart. It wouldn''t disappear so easily, no matter how often Vernon imed he was okay¡ª even willing to feed her food just so she could get ''healthier.''


    Truth be told, Chloe refused to believe that Vernon was in love with her because it was simply impossible to happen!


    Vernon could score someone a lot better than an old, divorced woman like her, so she wanted to snap Vernon out of his stupid idea and let him find a more suitable woman.


    ''Time will tell. I know you will eventually kick me out of your life once you see me fat and undesirable, but by that time¡­ I think I can stand on my own feet and leave with Mackie.''


    Thus, after a long consideration, Chloe nodded, "I¡ªI will try to eat more, so I can gain some weight¡­."


    "Really?!" Mackie and Vernon asked at the same time. Their eyes were sparkling with joy as if it was something worth celebrating.


    "Y¡ªYeah¡­" Chloe assured. "I¡ªI can eat by myself, you don''t need to feed me anymore, Vernon."


    "Oh¡­" Vernon was a little lost. He actually enjoyed feeding Chloe. Maybe he simply liked how she depended on him, or he liked the innocent face Chloe made when she was spoonfed.


    ''Argh, I don''t know. I simply like it!'' Vernon insisted in his heart.


    Thus, when Chloe was about to grab the fork, Vernon suddenly snatched it first and said, "Y¡ªYou will be fed by me during breakfast. I will ensure that you eat everything!"


    "I can eat by myself¡­."


    "And I have no problem feeding you, so open wide and eat it!" Vernon insisted.


    ¡­


    Chloe didn''t understand why Vernon was so stubborn about something like this. But she saw that Vernon''s ear reddened for an unknown reason.


    ''Now I seriously suspect that he has some kind of feeding fetish¡­'' Chloe thought. But she didn''t want to talk about it in front of Mackie.


    In the end, Chloe epted her fate of being fed like a kid by Vernon while her daughter watched them happily.


    It was bizarre, but hey¡­ this was her new family, so she might as well enjoy the good time before it ended.


    **


    Vernon went to his office earlier and didn''t forget to tell Chloe to make two portions of lunch for an obvious reason.


    "Diamond and I have a meeting with clients outside. So we won''t be in the office until around half past one. You don''t need toe to the office early today," Vernon said as he stood still while Chloe was fixing his tie.


    "Okay, I''ll do grocery shopping first then," Chloe said lightly.<sub> </sub>


    "Where will I go grocery shopping?"


    "Um, the usual Citare," Chloe mentioned. She looked up and saw the displeasure on Vernon''s face. "What''s wrong? Is there something bothering you with it?"


    "Go somewhere else," Vernon said with amanding tone. "Find another grocery store."


    "Huh? But that''s where I usually buy your food too¡­."


    "Doesn''t matter. Food is food. You can buy any kind of raw ingredients anywhere, just don''t go there," Vernon insisted. "Or you can wait here, I''ll tell Diamond to apany you, in case you really want to shop in that grocery store."


    "But you said that you two are going to a client meeting this morning¡­."


    "I can go on my own, you need someone by your side!"


    "Vernon¡ª" Chloe didn''t understand why Vernon became so overprotective of her. "I''m fine. It''s just grocery shopping. It''s not like¡ª I''m going to war or something¡­."


    ''Oh, I know you''re going on a war, Chloe. Do you think I don''t know that you got attacked by your Big sister in that grocery store?'' Vernon said in his heart. He almost slipped and said it out loud a few times.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t tell Chloe that he knew about everything, including the culprit of the attack, because he knew that Chloe would protect that bitchy Big sister of hers.


    It was just in her blood to protect everyone she considered family, despite them abusing her nonstop.


    "Go to a different grocery store if you want to shop alone, or I will tell Diamond or a security guard to tail you from behind!" Vernon said. His word was clear and firm, giving no way for Chloe to refuse.


    Chloe sighed as she fixed his tie, "Alright, if you say so. I''ll find another grocery store."


    Vernon''s expression gradually eased up once Chloe agreed to his demand.


    "I don''t understand, why are you so naggy about the grocery store," Chloe wondered. "Shouldn''t you focus on something more important¡­ like your business perhaps?"


    "Both are equally important!" Vernon replied. ''I built thatpany for you, and I want you to find another grocery store so you would be safe. I did everything for you, that''s why both are equally important.''


    "Alright, alright, I promise I won''t be shopping in that ce. Now go and work hard, big guy. So you''ll earn lots of money, hihi," Chloe patted Vernon''s back with her small hand a few times.


    She thought Vernon would be annoyed at her. But surprisingly, Vernon nodded seriously and replied, "I will be the richest man, just wait and see."


    Vernon picked up his briefcase and walked to the front door while puffing his chest.


    Chloe gazed at Vernon''s broad shoulder and sighed, full of awe, "My cute little Vernon has grown up to be a handsome and powerful man. I am proud of you¡­." Chloe mumbled to make sure that Vernon didn''t hear her.


    "But you have to find a woman worthy to stand by your side, Vernon. I know you can do better¡­."

 335 Chapter 335

    Vernon went to the lobby of his apartment building and saw Diamond leaning on his car that had been parked in front of the lobby.


    She was ying with her phone when she noticed a tall figure standing before her.


    She lifted her head and raised one brow full of teasing, "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Did you have a good sleepst night?"


    Vernon''s cheeks reddened in response, and he answered with a grumble, "Shut up, Diamond. Go sit on the other side. I''ll drive."


    "You sure? You were so drunkst night, you know,"


    "I wasn''t that drunk, I gained some resistance after the first incident," Vernon replied, reminding Diamond of what happened when she was forced to carry him out of that bar.


    "Oh well, if you say so," Diamond lifted her butt and walked around the car. She opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat right beside Vernon.


    Vernon sat in the driver''s seat and headed straight to the client''s office, where they had a final meeting with the board of directors tounch that cooking show to help boost Vincent Gray''spany products.


    It was a coboration between Vincent and Vernon, and Vernon took this very seriously. Despite Vincent, who didn''t seem to be bothered if he lost a little bit of money.


    "Everything has been finalized?" Vernon asked Diamond, who was holding all the documents needed.


    "Yes, Sir," Diamond nodded without hesitation. She knew the capability of her boss and knew that the meeting would go well nheless.


    She was more concerned about another thing instead¡­


    "Boss, do you know that I have to call my friend to drive my car, while I drove yours in the middle of the night? I slept at 3! Shouldn''t you at least say thank you to me?"


    ¡­


    "I will give you a bonus for this month. Don''t worry," Vernon said. He was too embarrassed to say thank you since he knew well that Diamond must''ve seen him getting his ear pulled by Chloest night.


    Diamond sighed. She knew it was impossible for Mr. Phoenix Gray to say a basic ''thank you'' and ''sorry.'' Because those two simply didn''t exist in his dictionary for an unknown reason.


    ''Or maybe he''s just into his tough guy, big guy persona. I saw him looking so docile when my Homegurl pulled his ear, hihi~.''


    Diamond covered her lips as she giggled, and Vernon immediately noticed it.


    "What are youughing at?" he asked with hostility in his tone.


    "Nothing, Sir. I was just a little surprised at how tame you are in front of Chloe," Diamond stopped giggling, but she still couldn''t hold her smile. "Do you know what kind of expression you made when Chloe pulled your ear? You were like a kid that got punished for being naughty, hihi~."


    Vernon''s cheeks reddened at first, then it spread to his whole face and ears.


    "F¡ªForget about what happenedst night. I was just drunk," Vernon replied weakly, all his usual fierceness dissipating.


    "Sure, boss~," Diamond teased for another second, then she turned serious once she remembered one thing. "Why did you go therest night? I thought you said you don''t like being too drunk."


    ¡­


    Diamond was suspicious when Mr. Phoenix Gray went silent instantly.


    It was weird for her because she knew him well. He could just say that he was stressed out by his fight with Chloe, or maybe¡­<sub> </sub>


    ''Maybe there''s another reason?''


    "Sir, was it only because of Chloe, or is there something else weighing your mind?"


    ¡­


    Vernon didn''t want to answer that. Because it was all his fault.


    He shouldn''t havee to Shailenest night, thinking he could get good advice.


    However, instead of giving him good advice and calming him down, Shailene made him even more confused and frustrated.


    She pointed out all the ws in Vernon''s love for Chloe and imed that he wasn''t in love with Chloe.


    Everything he felt was a shallow trace of obsession and dependence because Chloe was a groomer and pedophile.


    He was in love with the idea of falling in love and owning Chloe, but not with Chloe herself.


    Proof? Shailene said that Vernon didn''t know a thing about Chloe.


    He didn''t know the smallest thing, such as Chloe''s favorite color or even her favorite food, despite them often having breakfast and dinner together.


    ''Coming to her apartment was a big mistake, seriously¡­'' Vernon thought. ''I''ll cut her off and find another psychiatrist.''


    "Sir?" Diamond called him again. Her suspicion rose when Mr. Phoenix Gray kept silent despite being asked twice. "There is another reason, I suppose?"


    "Diamond, you''re Chloe''s best friend, right?"


    "Well, I imed so. I don''t know what''s in her mind, though," Diamond replied truthfully. She could always im to be Chloe''s best friend, and she had never been so close to anyone other than Chloe.


    Unfortunately, she wasn''t 100% sure that Chloe felt the same.


    "Then, do you know her favorite color?" Vernon asked out of the blue.


    ¡­


    "Huh?" Diamond was caught off guard by that question. "Her favorite color? Yeah, I know. What''s wrong with it, Sir?"


    "Wait, you actually know her favorite color?!" Vernon asked again. He just didn''t expect Diamond to know about it. "Did she tell you?"


    "No? She didn''t need to anyway," Diamond replied. "You''ll notice it sooner orter. She often wore something with that color, usually her bag or shoes, or even a sweater and shawl."


    "What is it then? Tell me," Vernon demanded.


    "Wait, I don''t understand, Sir. Why do you need to ask such trivial questions? Shouldn''t you focus on something bigger? Such as¡­ I don''t know¡ª fucking apologizing at her, since you hurt her heart yesterday?"


    "I will do that. I also want to know what I said wrong..." Vernon nodded assuringly. "But I also want to know more about her. I¡­ I realized that I know nothing about her. I don''t know her hobby, her favorite color, favorite show, food she liked the most, and many more."

 336 Chapter 336

    "Diamond, I just realized that I know nothing about her, despite us living together for the past... six months or so," Vernon said. "That''s why I want to start learning."


    Diamond went silent, but her scrutinizing eyes observed her boss sitting on the driver''s seat from head to toe.


    She didn''t have much information about what happenedst night, and she only knew how sad Chloe looked when she had a fight with Vernon yesterday.


    ''But for him to ask those small things about Chloe, and wanting to know her more... I guess he met with someone elsest night, right?'' Diamond theorized.


    She had a few names in suspicion, but the most suspicious was a psychologist named Shailene.


    Because Mr. Phoenix Gray seemed engrossed with the idea of meeting Shailene.


    ''So... he might''ve met herst night....''


    Diamond didn''t know if it was a good idea because this was the first time Mr. Phoenix Gray talked to another woman after he reunited with Chloe, even taking the initiative to invite her to dinner.


    ''Did he fucked her? I mean, I know that he''s in love with Chloe, but who knows... he was an animal before meeting Chloe after all...'' Diamond remembered all the things happening between her boss and many women in that secret room in the office.


    Diamond felt ufortable in her heart. She didn''t want her homegirl to get hurt again, not by a man she trusted.


    ''Fuck, I''ll take homegurl and run away if this bastard dares to cheat on her,'' Diamond swore in her heart.


    Vernon was driving when he noticed that Diamond was eyeing him hostilely.


    He didn''t know what was in Diamond''s mind, but he knew it wasn''t good.


    So he went to exin a bit;


    "I met with a psychologistst night, right after we finished our meeting," Vernon said. "And I asked for advice."


    "Shailene?"


    "Yeah, Shailene."


    "... And what did you get from her, Sir?"


    ...


    Vernon didn''t want Diamond to know everything that bitch Shailene said to him.


    He just found it distasteful for someone else to know how Shailene called Chloe a ''pedophile'' and ''groomer.''


    So he filtered most of the conversation and went straight to the point;


    "She told me that my love is shallow," Vernon replied. "I don''t know a thing about Chloe. I don''t even know about trivial stuff, so I have no right to im that I... am in love with her."


    Diamond was relieved once she got the answer from Vernon.


    She was already scared that the psychologist might''ve said something wrong to manipte her boss.


    ''After all, I don''t believe that an ex lover could be a psychologist...'' Diamond thought. ''She would be biased no matter how much she imed to be professional.''


    Diamond hummed for a second, ''But this Shailene girl gives a good insight for my boss. Maybe she''s not so bad.''


    ''I''ll try to set up more meetings between themter. Shailene seems to be a good psychologist for Mr. Phoenix Gray,'' Diamond thought.<sub> </sub>


    Little did she know, Vernon wished that bitch to die in a fire for confusing him and his feelings towards his beloved woman.


    Diamond cleared her throat as they continued, "So, Boss, you want to know about small things to know Chloe better?"


    "Yes," Vernon nodded seriously. "Maybe I offended and hurt her heart because I know nothing about her. So I... I want to take small steps to get to know her better."


    "Well, that''s great, Sir!" Diamond said. "But you shouldn''t ask me about it. You need to be the one observing Chloe, so you will know more about her."


    ...


    "I guess so..." Vernon was a little disheartened that Diamond refused to help him.


    But he got what she meant.


    He wanted her to pay attention to Chloe, and he would naturally know a thing or two about her.


    Diamond stared at her boss, who looked serious, and sighed.


    "Her favorite color is Maroon, Sir," Diamond replied. "So if you want to give her something, find the right color for her."


    **


    Chloe waved at her daughter as she ran towards the school''s main building and joined her friends.


    Mackie was in high spirits these days because she was so excited about that wolf and three pigs drama y in the autumn festival.


    "Ah, I should''ve asked Vernon about the y. Maybe he''ll help Mackie to look more intimidating," Chloe murmured.


    Chloe returned to her car and sat in the driver''s seat for a while, "Okay, since Vernon forbids me to go to Citare for whatever reason, I guess I have to find another grocery store."


    Chloe turned on the engine and was ready to leave until someone suddenly knocked on her car window.


    Chloe''s heart jumped as she got scared, especially when she saw the wrinkly hand of the one who knocked.


    She turned her head in the direction of the woman knocking, and her poor heart jumped twice.


    Because she saw a familiar olddy standing menacingly outside of her car. She was wearing an office zer, her face was strict and t as always.


    She crossed her wrinkly arms for a few seconds, tapped her heels on the ground, and knocked on the car window again.


    Chloe seriously didn''t want to meet this old woman, because she was directly rted with Vincent and Vaughn Gray.


    Chloe was about to press the gas and acted as if that old hag didn''t exist, but the old woman boldly walked around and stood right behind the car, giving Chloe the choice to stop the car or run over an olddy.


    Thus, Chloe was forced to turn off her car engine and rolled her window down. She gulped, and greeted the woman politely, simply out of respect, as this woman was an experienced senior.


    "G--Good morning, Secretary Maria."


    "Good morning, Mrs. Gray," Vincent''s old secretary-- Maria, greeted back at her. But the senior secretary didn''t even care about putting a perfunctory smile at Chloe.


    In fact, Maria looked so pissed that all her winkles became so prominent on her face.


    "We need to talk, Mrs. Gray. I know about the problem between you and Mr. Gray," Maria said. "Would you minding to Mr. Gray''s office? I think that''s the safest ce for us to have a long talk."

 337 Chapter 337

    "Would you minding to Mr. Gray''s office? I think that''s the safest ce for us to have a long talk."


    Chloe was stunned by the offer. She thought that Maria must''ve been kidding since she imed she knew about the problem between Vincent and her.


    ''There is no way in hell I''m going to go to Vincent''s office,'' Chloe thought.


    But she still had to approach the conversation carefully. Secretary Maria might be an old woman, but she was shrewd and full of dangerous surprises.


    Thus, after mustering some courage, Chloe stated boldly, "If you actually know about the problem between Vincent and I, then there is no way you''d offer us to talk in Vincent''s office."


    "Oh, I know the problem really well, Mrs. Gray," Secretary Maria replied. She still had her arrogance and strict expression, as if she had deliberately calcted everything. "That''s why I offered to talk in Mr. Vincent Gray''s office, in case you want to admit your mistake."


    "Admit my mistake?" Chloe''s eyes widened. "What do you mean?"


    "Oh, admit it, Mrs. Gray. You''re the one at fault here," Maria sneered, intentionally fishing Chloe out of her safe zone. She had known this woman since she was still working with thete Mr. Vaughn Gray, and she knew that Chloe was cautious and timid.


    One re and Chloe would retreat like a turtle.


    ''And I know how to pull her head out of that shell,'' Maria schemed. She gave Chloe that condescending gaze and added, "At least from what Mr. Gray said, you''re the one who ran away because you want to have another man outside."


    "What the-- he said that?!" Chloe got agitated as Maria started twisting the story to hook her into the web of lies.


    "Yes, he told me that you''ve nned to run away because you want to cheat," Maria said. "I am a professional at work, and I refused to side with Mr. Gray if it''s not the truth."


    "Mr. Gray told me to spread this news about you cheating with another man outside the Gray family, but I want to know your side of the story first," Maria said.


    Chloe gritted her teeth and snapped back, "Well, you can say whatever to the Gray family. I have no rtion with them anymore!"


    "Are you sure?" Maria put up a concerned face in front of Chloe. "You may leave and ignore this problem, and I can spread this misinformation to the Gray family. But wouldn''t that also ruin your daughter''s rtionship with her family?"


    "Do you want to cut your daughter off from her Gray family? That''s so selfish," Maria taunted.


    ...


    Chloe clenched the steering wheel as her blood started boiling.


    She knew she shouldn''t get triggered by this old hag''s words.


    But when the topic was about Vincent and his family, she couldn''t help but struggle and fight. Now that Mackie was involved, Chloe couldn''t help but to struggle even harder.


    Maria knew that Chloe was in her hand, "I am very objective, Mrs. Gray. If you want to rify a few things to me, then this is the right time."


    ...


    "Who knows, I might be able to help you," Maria continued her persuasion. "After all, we never had any kind of problem before, right? I''m just doing my job."<sub> </sub>


    ....


    "Still, I refuse to go to Vincent''s office for a talk," Chloe stated firmly.


    "Fair, we can talk somewhere else. There is a coffee shop not far from the school, so if you don''t mind, we can talk there," Maria said.


    ...


    Chloe disliked being put in this kind of situation. She felt like Maria was deliberately making her upset until she agreed to have a talk.


    ''But we never had any kind of problem before. Mostly because she said she''s working professionally as a secretary, unlike Prisci and the other secretaries before her,'' Chloe pondered.


    ''But she often straight up ignored my fight with Vincent, even if it happened in front of her,'' Chloe started recalling many of the fights she had with Vincent at his office and remembered how Maria was nonchnt about literally everything, even when Vincent was fucking a woman in front of her.


    Chloe gave Maria a scrutinizing gaze for a while, ''Is she even trustworthy? Why did shee to Mackie''s school? Is it all just because she wants to meet me? I find that unbelievable....''


    Amidst her doubt, Maria provoked Chloe with her biggest weaknesses, "I can tell you a thing or two about Mr. Gray''s current condition after you left him."


    "I--" Chloe soon found herself to be tongue-tied. She wanted to say that she wasn''t interested to know about that asshole''s life after she left.


    But that would be a big lie.


    She wanted to know if her departure left a hole in his heart or if he was having fun with different women each day...


    "If you agree, please follow my car, Mrs. Gray. I''ll lead you to the coffee shop."


    "... Alright," Chloe nodded. "I''ll tail your car."


    "Good," Maria returned to her car and drove out of the school parking lot first.


    Chloe stared at Maria''s car for a while and then reversed the car before tailing her from behind.


    Chloe had a lot of doubts in her head, and she was afraid that Maria might be into something.


    ? "Maybe Vincent is the one behind this. Maybe he asked Maria to persuade me, and he''ll meet me in that coffee shop...." Chloe suspected.


    "Then, what should I do if I meet Vincent there?" Chloe wondered. She got nervous whenever the idea of meeting Vincent popped into her head.


    She kept telling herself not to be afraid and to stand on her feet while facing him.


    But, she couldn''t lie that she got nervous-- even scared to some extent. But she knew she would eventually meet him again once they settled their divorce in court.


    ''If I really meet him today, I want him to sign that divorce paper in front of me, so we can process it as soon as possible.''

 338 Chapter 338

    Maria drove into the coffee shop parking lot after a twenty-minute drive from the school gate.


    Chloe tailed and parked her car right beside the old hag. Unlike Maria, who exited her car without a second thought, Chloe''s eyes scanned the area from her windshield. She wanted to see if there was anything suspicious around the coffee shop, especially if there was someone else present around her.


    But there didn''t seem to be anything suspicious.


    It was a regr coffee shop, and no other car was parked. So, Chloe knew that she and Maria were the only customers this morning.


    "This ce is so¡­ quiet¡­." Chloe murmured. "Is it really okay for me toe in?"


    She was scared that something had been nned to trap her. After all, she knew how crazy Vincent could be.


    But she didn''t have time to rethink her decision, because Maria knocked on the window a few times until Chloe slid the window down.


    "Let''s go in, Mrs. Gray," Maria said.


    Chloe quickly nced at the coffee shop building and pointed at one table on the coffee shop''s patio, "I think we can have a coffee outside. The air is nice this morning."


    The old Maria went silent, but Chloe noticed a glint of hostility in her eyes as if she had prepared something had Chloe agreed to enter the coffee shop building.


    "Alright, Mrs. Gray, we will sit there and have a little chat."


    Maria walked first and sat at the table that Chloe pointed to. She crossed her arms and tapped the ground with her heels impatiently as she waited for Chloe to join in.


    She seemed to be more pissed off than before, which was a sign that Chloe had made the right decision not to enter the building.


    Chloe sat on the opposite chair, directly facing the old hag. She tried to act natural, but both of them knew that Chloe was on full guard in front of Maria.


    They stared at each other silently until the old hag got up and said, "We need to order something first, Mrs. Gray. Let me order the coffee for you. What do you want?"


    Chloe wanted to say she didn''t want a drink because who knew that Maria might''ve nned to spike her drink with something.


    But she had to y along, so she replied, "A hot americano. Please make it boiling hot, the air is a bit chilly today."


    "¡­ Understood, Mrs. Gray."


    Chloe sat alone, waiting for Maria to return with her coffee.


    Her eyes continuously observed her surroundings, afraid she might get caught from behind and kidnapped by Vincent and his cronies.


    She knew it was mostly her exaggerated imagination, but Vincent had done so much crazy stuff in the past that anything became possible in his hand at this point.


    But the more she observed, the more she realized that she was just being paranoid.


    Because she was still the only customer in this coffee shop, and there was no sign of anything suspicious around her.<sub> </sub>


    ''Am I just being too paranoid right now?'' Chloe pondered. ''My mind''s telling me that I shouldn''t be too paranoid of that old hag. But my instinct told me otherwise¡­.''


    Since her instinct told her meeting Maria was a big mistake, Chloe''s feet got antsy, and paranoia started eating her up. She wanted to get up and leave the fuck away, making sure to distance herself from that wretched old hag.


    But before she could leave, Maria opened the door with two sses of coffee in her hands.


    "Here''s your boiling hot coffee, Mrs. Gray," Maria said.


    Chloe stared at the hot coffee on the table. The fumes were visible with naked eyes, and the strong aroma of coffee wafted right under Chloe''s nose.


    Maria sat on her seat again. She sipped her coffee casually and said, "You should drink your coffee, Mrs. Gray."


    "No thanks, it''s still boiling hot. I''ll wait," Chloe refused with a perfect reason.


    Again, Maria''s expression tightened when Chloe refused. The old hag tried to make it as subtle as possible, but Chloe was in full guard right now, she observed Maria''s movement, and when she noticed the change of expression, she realized that her drink wasn''t just a regr coffee.


    ''Did she spike it with a drug? I don''t know what this old hag is nning. But I still have to be very careful,'' Chloe thought.


    After getting the coffee problem solved. Chloe got slightly more rxed and went straight to the point, "Now, can we start discussing Vincent''s nder towards me?"


    ¡­


    Maria nodded in response. She leaned forward and opened the conversation, "First, I''d like you to tell me why you ran away from home with your daughter. Mrs. Gray. What you''ve done is very rash and irrational, you know that?"


    "Rash and irrational? I think both of us know that Vincent is the most irrational man ever," Chloe replied coldly. Her heart was burning whenever she had to talk about Vincent.


    But she had to defend herself, especially when Vincent tried to nder her even though they both knew who the fuck was, a cheating bastard in their rtionship!


    "He constantly cheats, and he even slept with a random woman right in front of your eyes, Secretary Maria, and he did it even before Mackie was born!"


    ¡­


    Of course, Maria knew that Vincent Gray was a serial cheater.


    In fact, she knew well that Vincent would eventually cheat after he got married. It was in his blood.


    Mr. Vaughn Gray also cheated, and their pattern was very simr. They cheated early, and it became a bad habit that thete Vaughn Gray couldn''t stop.


    Thus, instead of fighting his urge, he embraced it and fucked all kinds of women in his life.


    But that wasn''t important in Maria''s eyes.


    All she wanted to do was persevere in thepany she had dedicated her life into for the past decades, so she had to do everything she could, including setting up a trap for this poor woman sitting in front of her.

 339 Chapter 339

    "Now, do you actually believe that man''s word, or is it just because you''re working with him, that''s why you''re taking his side?" Chloe asked suddenly.


    She got triggered when the old secretary called her rash and irrational. Now, she wanted to see if this old hag was at her side or at least neutral about this whole problem between her and Vincent.


    Or was she just one of Vincent''s mindless subordinates?


    Maria sighed, full of woe, acting as if she was fighting her inner demon, "I don''t know, Mrs. Gray. I want to believe you. But Mr. Gray constantly said that you''re the one who cheats on him."


    "And you believed him?!"


    "Why wouldn''t I? You''re the one who ran away, so it''s really easy for him to im that you''re the one running away with a man, leaving him because he doesn''t give you enough attention," Maria said.


    What she said was all lies, of course. Mr. Vincent Gray simply told her that he didn''t understand why Chloe left him because he was doing his job as a good husband by not marrying another woman or producing an illegitimate heir.


    Nothing more, nothing less.


    But she needed to lie to bait Chloe until she ran over her mouth.


    Chloe got even more triggered than before. She raised her voice without thinking twice, "I do not run away, I simply leave because I can''t endure the abuse anymore!"


    "Well, he said that you''re cheating on him¡­."


    "I didn''t! I never had any idea of cheating when I was with him!" Chloe insisted. She viewed marriage as a sacred plea and would never cheat just because Vincent cheated first.


    "Well, you always have the chance to cheat on him, Mrs. Gray. After all, my boss rarelyes home because he''s always so busy with work. You can find any man outside, and that''s exactly what you''re doing behind his back," Maria kept spouting lies that continued triggering Chloe to the point that she was about to turn the table upside down.


    "This is thest time I''m going to repeat myself, Secretary Maria, since you obviously side with him because he''s your boss. I never cheat on him, not even once I do have the idea about it. But even if I did, he has no right to call me out, because he fucked Prisci in our marital bed!"


    Chloe got up and stormed off the table, leaving Maria stunned by her sudden departure.


    "Where are you going, Mrs. Gray?" Maria asked as she tried to catch up to Chloe, who stomped her feet away from her.


    "I''m leaving. There is no use talking to you. I don''t want to waste my energy trying to convince one of Vincent''s cronies!" Chloe yelled. She fished the car key out of her bag and unlocked her car door.


    Chloe entered the car, and Maria yelled as she had difficulty catching up to the younger woman, "Mrs. Gray, don''t you want to know your husband''s condition after you left?!"


    Chloe was about to close the car door, but she stopped when Maria asked that question.


    ''Do I want to know about Vincent''s condition? I do, of course, I do¡­'' Chloe thought. ''But what''s the point? I know I''ll be disappointed. That asshole will never learn about regret¡­.''


    Thus, Chloe replied, "No need, I already know that he doesn''t change at all, even after I left. He can rot in hell with all of his whores for all I care!"


    SLAM!<sub> </sub>


    Chloe mmed the car door, and she quickly drove away from Maria.


    The old secretary''s chest was rising up and down. She was short of breath after trying to catch up.


    She stood in the parking lot, her eyes turned cold when Chloe''s car kept getting further and further.


    "I should''ve put a tracker in her car," Maria murmured. "But I think I don''t need to do that. I don''t want to overstep my boundaries and anger Vincent."


    The old Maria knew Vincent must''ve had the idea of tracking Chloe''s whereabouts.


    In fact, she knew well that Vincent could catch and drag Chloe back to the mansion in less than a day if he wanted to.


    ''But he prolong it so much, just because of that stupid man pride, thinking he could y with Chloe until that woman desperately returns to him,'' Maria thought.


    She fished the phone out of her pocket and turned off the voice recording.


    She returned to the patio and took a hidden camera between two potted nts.


    The hidden camera had been set by the coffee shop owner¡ª who happened to be one of Maria''s children before their meeting.


    Maria had nned everything and could do more had it not because of the limitation she put herself.


    "Of all things I could do, I could only record her face and voice, what a waste of chance," Maria said.


    She nced at the hot coffee left untouched on the table and scoffed, full of ridicule, "Turns out she''s not that dumb. She''s afraid that I might''ve put something in her drink. That''s why she ordered the boiling hot coffee so she could find a reason not to drink it."


    Maria had to give Chloe an apuse for being watchful, but she was still gullible enough to run over her mouth and give Maria the recording she needed.


    "Well, all I can do is to show these recordings to Mr. Gray, and see if he wants more of her. Maybe he will eventually stop ying around and catch that stupid bitch and throw her back to his mansion," Maria said.


    "And then, he can focus on work again¡­."


    Maria disliked the current situation in her office because Vincent continued ying with fire.


    He cut off Gregory Maxwell and said that it was because of the corruption case.


    But Maria knew her boss was just trying to cover the real fact:


    He cut off Gregory Maxwell because he wants to start an all-out hunt for Chloe.

 340 Chapter 340

    "He needs to stop ying around, or thepany will go downhill just because of one woman," Maria said. "I also have to watch over that little brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    Maria knew that Vincent loved his little brother so much he was even willing to lose some money just for Vernon''s small project.


    But Maria was an old yer and knew that Vernon wasn''t a simple man.


    In fact, she thought that guy was very ambitious and got the vibe of the young Mr. Vaughn Gray; Dangerous, ambitious, and reckless.


    Maria didn''t have anything against Vernon, "But I dedicated my work and my life to the Graypany. So I am obliged to help Vincent-- the real Master of Gray family, not a second son that''s unfavored by everyone."


    Maria was about to leave when the coffee shop door opened.


    Her son came out of the coffee shop and asked leisurely, "That woman is Mr. Gray''s wife, right, Mom?"


    "Yes, she is," Maria said. Despite Chloe running away and refusing to return, she was still Vincent''s legally wedded wife. "Why do you ask?"


    "I see..." Maria''s son, who was in his early thirties, smirked as he stared at the coffee on the table. "I was just a little curious. I saw her and was amazed by her beauty. She''s so thin but still has that sweet face."


    "Mom, I heard from the conversations between you two, that she is running away from Mr. Gray, right?" Maria''s son asked. "I wonder if she''s free to... you know~."


    "Don''t," Maria warned. "Mr. Gray might be a yboy outside. But he is extremely possessive of her. He will do anything to ruin your life. So better not y with fire."


    **


    "That is all for the meeting today, and I expect this project can be executed perfectly," Vernon said in front of the executives for the project between him and his Big brother.


    Everyone pped for him after he finished the meeting. They were amazed by Mr. Phoenix Gray''s charisma, careful preparation, and execution.


    He was able to develop a project from Mr. Vincent Gray without a w, even getting praise from him.


    Vincent had always been well known to be a perfectionist and ruthless, so for Vernon to get praise meant he was doing an amazing job.


    The executives left the meeting room until only Vernon, Diamond, and Vincent were inside.


    Vernon signaled Diamond to leave for the sake of her safety, thus leaving the two brothers.


    Vincent approached his little brother first and patted his shoulder, "You did great, Vernon. This project will be a big sess."


    The confident Vernon turned sheepish in front of his Big brother, "Thank you, Big bro. I just don''t want to disappoint you...."


    "Hahaha! What are you saying? You''re my pride!" Vincent proimed. He was truly proud of his little brother.


    Vernon grew up as a very charismatic and clever young man worthy of the Gray surname.


    "You''re just like me when I was young," Vincent said. "Keep working hard, and you''ll be on my level eventually."


    "Thank you, Big brother, but I dare not wish for too much. You''re much better than me...." Vernon continued acting reluctantly, and his meek attitude brought Vincent even more joy.


    "Well, that''s true, I am much better than you. But don''t worry about it. You have me-- your Big brother. I will always help you in case you need something,"<sub> </sub>


    They continued talking about the project when Vincent got a sudden call.


    Vincent checked the caller and frowned, "Secretary Maria? Is there something wrong in the office?"


    Vincent picked up the call in front of his little brother. He thought that Vernon was his little bro anyway, so there was no need to be careful with him.


    --


    "What is it?" Vincent asked straight to the point, feeling annoyed that his time got interrupted by this old hag.


    "Sir, I have something for you to see, it''s a voice and video recording," Maria said on the call.


    "A video recording? Of what?"


    "Of Mrs. Chloe Gray, Sir. I met her today," Maria added. "I have her recording in the office, you''re free to see it."


    "What?!" Vincent''s eyes widened. "What kind of recording? Where did you meet her? I never told you to meet her, you fucking old hag!"


    Vernon was surprised by his Big bro''s sudden hostility. He watched his Big bro''s expression intently, trying to make sense of the conversation on his phone.


    Too bad it wasn''t on loudspeaker, so he couldn''t eavesdrop.


    "I have my own reason, Sir. You''re free to check the recording first, then you might scold or even punish meter," Maria said calmly. Though she knew that Vincent wouldn''t do it.


    As much as they disliked each other, Maria was still Gray''spany''s mostpetent senior secretary. Vincent was stuck with her for a long time until he could find a recement that wasn''t only using her pussy to work under Vincent.


    "Didn''t I tell you not to meddle with my private matter? I have my fucking reason, you dying old witch!" Vincent continued yelling. But Maria was still nonchnt about it. It wasn''t the first time Mr. Gray was abusive to her and his staff anyway.


    "It has happened, Sir. I will be waiting in the office."


    "Grrh!"


    Beep.


    Vincent hung up the call. He clenched his phone as he tried to curb some of his anger.


    He hated it when someone meddled with his private business, especially when it involved Chloe.


    Chloe was his property. Nobody should be able to touch or even talk to her without his permission.


    Vernon was curious about what the call was all about since it instantly ruined the good mood that his Big brother had.


    Thus, he asked lightly, "What''s wrong, Big bro? You seem angry about something."


    Vincent darted his eyes at his little brother and replied, "My old secretary met with Chloe this morning. I don''t know what she did, but I will strangle the fuck out of her life if she dared to cross the line."

 341 Chapter 341

    Vernon''s heart jumped when his Big brother mentioned Chloe meeting that old secretary. He snapped without thinking and asked, "What did she do? Did she hurt Chloe?!"


    Vincent was taken aback by Vernon''s reaction. Seeing his meek little brother suddenly snap when Chloe''s name was mentioned was a little weird. He even raised his voice in front of Vincent, which he had never done before.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Vincent asked. "Why did you react as if your lover is the one that got hurt?"


    "Ah¡ª" Vernon quickly realized that he was out of control because he got worried about Chloe''s wellbeing. After all, who wouldn''t when your beloved was targeted by these bastards?


    "I''m sorry, Big bro. I was just worried about Big sis, after all, who knows what kind of reckless thing she would do if she met you?" Vernon tried to pivot his way out of Vincent''s suspicion.


    Vincent was still suspicious of Vernon''s reaction but decided to shrug it off because he had a more urgent thing to think about.


    "Well, Secretary Maria had a conversation with Chloe and took a recording of her. That old hag wants me to check on the recording she made," Vincent informed his Little bro.


    "I¡ªI see¡­." Vernon cleared his throat. He was so anxious right now. He wanted to check on Chloe to see if she was really alright. He also wanted to scold her for being so gullible.


    How could she allow herself to get trapped by that old woman?! What if she got kidnapped while Vernon was busy with work.


    Seriously, Chloe would definitely give him a heart attack one day!


    Vincent noticed anxiety in Vernon. Vernon wasn''t really good at hiding his emotion, and Vincent practically raised him¡ª with Chloe, of course.


    But he believed he was the one who raised Vernon the most, so he knew him well.


    "Why are you so anxious? Do you care that much about my wife?" Vincent asked. He had a meaningful smile darted towards Vernon, and Vernon couldn''t help but be even more cautious after some of his true feelings were exposed just now.


    "Of course, Big bro¡­ I care about Big sis Chloe too. After all, she is my¡­ my sister-inw¡­." Vernon said. He clenched his fist silently, as it was hard for Vernon to im that Chloe was his sister-inw.


    Obviously, he wanted more than that.


    "Don''t you care about her too? She''s your¡­ your¡­" Vernon swallowed his saliva hard. He really disliked this, but he had to y along if he wanted to take down his Big bro. "Your wife¡­"


    "Well, I do care for her," Vincent replied lightly. "But you don''t need to treat your woman like some kind of fragile ss statue. She can handle a punch or two."


    Vernon''s hawk-like gaze deepened. He quickly lowered his head as he didn''t want his Big brother to know that his eyes were filled with rage right now.


    He clenched his fist even tighter than before, to the point that his fist was getting white and trembling, trying to endure his rage.


    ''This scum, I thought I could trust Chloe in your hand, thinking that you will treasure her,'' Vernon thought. ''I left because I thought I''m not needed in her life because she has you. Oh, how wrong I was¡­.''


    Vincent sighed and patted his little bro''s shoulder again, "I want to spend more time with you, Vernon. But I have to see what kind of recording that old woman has."<sub> </sub>


    "I''ll see youter, and don''t worry about the project. You''ve done a great job, Vernon," Vincent said. He ruffled his dearest little brother''s head before leisurely walking away, leaving Vernon alone in the meeting room.


    Vernon red at Vincent''s back, cursing him in his heart, wanting to snap that bastard''s neck for hurting his beloved woman.


    But he had to be patient¡­


    ¡­


    Diamond was waiting outside. She felt anxious as she didn''t know what had happened inside the meeting room between her boss and Vincent Gray.


    She believed her boss could handle that bastard with a cool head, but she was afraid that Vernon wouldsh out whenever Vincent mentioned Chloe.


    Click.


    The door was opened from the inside, and Vincent left the meeting room with a thin smile.


    Diamond''s eyes met with his, and she took a step back spontaneously.


    Because she felt that she was staring right at the eye of a viper, a snake that could bite you if you identally tick him off.


    "Mr. Gray¡ª" Diamond bowed respectfully at Vincent, and Vincent stopped to stare at Diamond. He just realized how beautiful Diamond was.


    She was not as beautiful as Chloe in her prime, but she was still a condom-worthy woman for him.


    After all, he needed a new secretary after he kicked that stupid condom bitch Prisci.


    He wasn''t sure when he would use another condom-bitch, though. After all, his sex drive had been diminishing to almost nothing these days.


    ''But it would be better to have a spare tire when I need one, right?'' Vincent thought. ''Maybe when Chloe finally crawled back at me, I will regain most of my sex drive, and fucked Vernon''s secretary.''


    ''Hahah¡­ I guess it''s always nice to take something from my little brother. He needs a little discipline sometimes, to make sure he knows that his Big bro is still the best.''


    He pinched Diamond''s chin and lifted her chin a bit until they stared at each other again, "You''re my little brother''s secretary, right? Your name is Diamond, if I remember."


    Diamond felt her stomach turning inside out. But she had to keep her professionallism and replied reluctantly, "Y¡ªYes, Mr. Gray."


    "Hmm¡­ usually I don''t like ck women, but you''re quite beautiful," Vincentmented. "I know that Vernon must''ve paid you well to be his secretary. But if you''re interested in earning even more money with less work, you shoulde to my office. I have an open spot for you."

 342 Chapter 342

    "But if you''re interested in earning even more money with less work, you shoulde to my office. I have an open spot for you," Vincent offered.


    Diamond swallowed her saliva after she heard the offering from Vincent Gray. She felt nothing but disgust because she knew this man was a red g.


    ''I don''t understand how that bitch secretary Prisci looks so enamored in front of Vincent. You can see how much of a sex predator he is, even now,'' Diamond thought.


    She wanted to curse at this filthy pervert, but she also knew her positionpared to him,


    Thus she replied firmly but calmly, "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Gray, but I am bound by a contract with Mr. Phoenix Gray right now, and I have no intention of resigning."


    "Besides, you already have a secretary that follows you around, is she not enough?" Diamond asked.


    Vincent''s amorous smirk vanished instantly when Diamond mentioned Prisci.


    He didn''t like talking about it because he wanted to distance himself from a trashy condom bitch he kicked away.


    "I fired her, she''s just too loose and annoying for me," Vincent replied ruthlessly, much to Diamond''s shock.


    In her head, she thought that Vincent would at least keep that secretary because they seemed close, but it seemed that she underestimated the ruthlessness of this person.


    "So, what about my offer?" Vincent smirked again as he leaned forward towards Diamond. "Do you want to work under me?"


    Diamond instinctively avoided him by retreating her neck, ensuring at least enough safe distances between their faces.


    She wanted to kick this guy in the nut and step on those balls to ensure he wouldn''t do the same thing to other women.


    But then again, she knew the difference in power between them.


    Thus she nced at Vernon, who walked towards them and then replied, "Mr. Gray, I have to refuse because I am still bound by contract with Mr. Phoenix Gray. You have to ask for his permission first."


    "Oh? Hmm... You''re right," Vincent looked over his shoulder and saw her Big brother staring at him with his sharp hawk-like gaze. He seemed to be unhappy with what he was doing right now.


    Vincent''s smirk deepened when he saw the unhappiness that was rarely portrayed on Vernon''s face and asked, "Can I get your secretary, Little bro? I just fired my secretary because I was bored of her. Maybe a different taste will help."


    Vernon felt a burning rage in his heart. He checked on Diamond to see whether Diamond was happy with it. When he realized that Diamond was pleading for help, Vernon had to step up and protect her.


    Because Diamond was his friend, despite both of them not acknowledging it, he knew that Diamond was his true partner-in-crime.


    Thus he replied firmly;


    "I cannot give her, Big bro."


    "Why not? This secretary of yours doesn''t seem to mind my advance," Vincent imed.


    Diamond''s eyes widened when she heard, ''Bitch, you think I do not mind? Oh, I''m so close to kicking you in the nuts!''<sub> </sub>


    Vernon shook his head, "Diamond is an important secretary of mine. I cannot give her to you."


    "Even if that means you have to refuse your Big brother''s request?" Vincent asked. This time, the viper eyes stared at the hawk, ready to bite if Vernon dared to fight him.


    Vernon knew the risk, but there was no way he would let his Big bro hurt Diamond, "I can find another woman for you, but not her."


    Vincent was obviously angry that his Little bro dared to defy him. He was so used to seeing Vernon obedient, and when he fought back, Vincent wouldn''t lie that he felt an indescribable anger in his heart.


    He scoffed and released Diamond. He turned to face Vernon, who kept staring at him with hostility;


    "Don''t be so angry at me, Little bro. I was just asking. See? I released your secretary after you said no," Vincent said. The punchable smirk that made Vernon''s blood boil was still pasted on Vincent''s lips as if he saw everything like a game.


    "But you shouldn''t be that protective towards your belonging. Who knows I might want them in the future. What''d happen if I say that I want your girlfriend for a night? Would you punch your Big bro?"


    Vernon''s whole body trembled. He couldn''t control his facial expression at this point, and he tried to grip his thighs just to ensure he didn''t raise his fist and punch the shit out of his Big bro.


    Vincent was amused by Vernon''s reaction, and heughed heartily while pping Vernon''s shoulder, "Hahahaha! Rx, Little bro. I''m just messing around with you!"


    "I know that you seem to treasure your girlfriend so much, so I won''t do a thing," Vincent said. He turned around, ready to walk away, "Unless you give me permission, of course."


    Vincent walked away after he had sessfully tormented his little brother. He was quite in a good mood when he realized that Vernon must be so angry.


    ''Heheh, he''s so cute,'' Vincent thought. ''I was just messing around with him, and he got all triggered and angry. I guess he is still the same little Vernon who got angry when Chloe spent time with me.''


    Vincent remembered how possessive his Little bro was to Chloe. He would follow her everywhere when she came to the mansion and even insisted on guarding the door when Chloe went to the bathroom.


    ''Well, it was cute at first. But it became a nuisance as he grew to be a teenager,'' Vincent thought. ''Which is why I had to get rid of him when he was still a teenager.''


    **


    Vernon watched his despicable Big bro enter the elevator and throw thest smile at him before the elevator door closed.


    ...


    ...


    There was a choking silence in the area since only Diamond and Vernon were on this meeting floor right now.


    Diamond took a deep breath to calm herself and then checked at her boss, "Sir?"


    Vernon''s body was still trembling. The rage he felt hadn''t dissipated at all.


    He clenched his fist until it was white and then punched the door.

 343 Chapter 343

    He clenched his fist until it was white and punched the door until he left a big hole.


    BAM! CRACK!


    Diamond gasped out of shock, especially when her boss pulled his hand after making a big hole in the door.


    His hand was bruised red, and there was a trace of blood seeping out from the knuckles.


    He didn''t look to be in pain, though. Instead, he looked like someone who could eat you if you dared to get to his bad side.


    His face was red out of boiling rage, and he gnashed his teeth, trying to hold himself not to find his Big brother and ripping his face in half.


    "Diamond," Vernon called his secretary, and Diamond quickly stood straight and answered;


    "Yes, Sir."


    "How''s the progress with Gregory Maxwell since yesterday?"


    "I got a call this morning from his secretary, Sir. She said that Mr. Maxwell and all of his shareholders will have a meeting today, discussing the contract he signed," Diamond repeated the report she got.


    "Don''t forget to follow up with the result of the meeting, make sure to inform me this evening," Vernonmanded with his demanding tone.


    Diamond was a little surprised by his request, "I thought you said we should give him time to decide about this, Sir."


    "It doesn''t matter whether he will change his mind or not. He already signed a contract with us, he will not be able to escape his demise," Vernon said. "But I want you to keep track of the meeting result, so I can take proper measures."


    "Take proper measure?"


    "Yes," Vernon nodded, his hawk-like eyes staring at the elevator door without blinking. "I realized that I need to hasten a few things to protect the woman I love."


    "I will have to annex a few people from his business circles faster. The disparity between us is just too great," Vernon said. "I don''t like this feeling of inferiority between us."


    "Understood, Sir," Diamond replied.


    She realized that her boss was not ying around right now. He had never been this serious before, and she knew why.


    ''My homegurl has always been the reason for everything that Vernon did so far,'' Diamond thought. ''She has always been his light, and it''s too obvious sometimes.''


    ''What kind of sane man would date and have sex with dozens of women with the same features, and then cut them off only after a month at best? Chestnut hair, doe eyes, sweet face, and small figure. All of them have been nothing but recements for Chloe, and both of us know that.''


    "By the way, Diamond¡ª"


    "Yes, Sir?"


    "Call Chloe, and inform me about her condition," Vernon ordered.


    "Why don''t you do it yourself, Sir? I''m pretty sure she will also answer your call."


    "No, I can''t," Vernon refused. "You should be the one to call her, or else I might do something that terrified her."<sub> </sub>


    ¡­


    "What happened, Sir?" Diamond asked.


    She was outside the meeting room after the meeting ended, leaving the two brothers alone.


    So she assumed Vincent must''ve told Vernon something about Chloe.


    "She met with Vincent''s old secretary," Vernon replied. "And that old hag recorded the conversation. I don''t know what Maria and Chloe were talking about, and I don''t know if Chloe is safe right now."


    "I willsh out and yell at her if I call her now. I''m feeling too anxious, I might even lock her in my room at this point," Vernon said. "So call her, Diamond, and let me listen to the call."


    ...


    As ridiculous as it sounded, Diamond felt that kind of crazy action might be usible for her boss, knowing how much of a madman he was for Chloe.


    "Alright, Sir. I''ll call her once we''re in the car," Diamond said. She nced at the hole in the door, a product of Mr. Phoenix Gray''s anger, and then murmured, "I''ll also have to talk to the receptionist about this."


    **


    Chloe drove to the supermarket where she nned to grocery shop today since Vernon forbade her to shop in the usual Citare.


    She walked while pushing a shopping trolley. She was picking up a few items without checking the product or whether it had a discount, which she usually did regrly.


    She sighed deeply, feeling defeated, as she realized that meeting Maria was a big mistake.


    "I should''ve ignored herpletely," Chloe murmured. "Now I''m not sure how to feel, especially when that old hag mentioned Mackie''s rtionship with the Gray family¡­."


    ? Chloe wouldn''t mind if Vincent''s family saw her as a slut or whatever.


    After all, she had never profited off of the Gray family. She never tasted any kind of luxury under Vincent. All she got was non stop abuse from him.


    ''But should I alienate my daughter from her father''s side of the family? They hate me because of Vincent, especially Dorothea. But even that old witch still loves her granddaughter with all her heart¡­.''


    Chloe and Dorothea had never been on the same page, even before Chloe married Vincent.


    Dorothea often told others that Chloe was just a woman who leeched off her son because she found a golden ticket to a rich life. Chloe preferred to limit her interaction with her mother-inw because she knew they would never be on the same page.


    ''But she still loves Mackie so much, so I can''t really hate her¡­'' Chloe thought.


    She also couldn''t take her mind off the idea that Vincent had no regret about her departure. Maria might not mention it directly, but from how she spoke about Vincent, it was obvious that Vincent felt no regret about her leaving.


    She might say that she didn''t give a shit about Vincent anymore.


    But deep down, she knew that she wished Vincent would cry and beg for forgiveness.


    ''I don''t know if I will forgive him¡­.'' Chloe pondered as she felt heavy in her heart. ''I probably won''t give him a second chance. But I still want to see him cry with regret¡­.''

 344 Chapter 344

    ''If he shows regret and repent, I might allow him to see Mackie on the weekend after we get divorced. After all, I know that Mackie idolized her father so much¡­.''


    Chloe''s mind was full of thoughts of her ruined family.


    What should she do once the divorce has been finalized? Should shepletely alienate her daughter from her father and move states away from Vincent''s family?


    ''Ah, it''s soplicated¡­'' Chloe sighed, full of woe. She continued pondering but quickly snapped out of her daze when her phone buzzed in her pocket.


    She took her phone out and saw the caller''s id.


    ''Diamond.''


    "Diamond? Is there something wrong with Vernon today?" Chloe wondered.


    She picked up the call without much thought and greeted first;


    ¡ª


    "Morning, Diamond. What''s up?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a long silence from across the phone. Chloe waited for at least one minute of silence until she called her name, "Diamond? Are you there?"


    "Gurl¡­ where are you right now?" Diamond asked.


    "Uh¡­ I''m in the supermarket. I''m grocery shopping right now."


    "You sure? Are you going with someone there?"


    "Nope, just me alone," Chloe replied. "What''s wrong?"


    ¡­


    Diamond nced at the man sitting in the driver''s seat, clenching the steering wheel as he tried to hold himself. His bloodshot eyes were staring straight at the busy road, but his focus was more on the call since Diamond put it on loudspeaker mode.


    ''Oh god, please don''t say anything wrong, homegurl. I don''t want to die because this asshat can''t control his anger,'' Diamond secretly prayed in her heart as she continued questioning her best friend.


    "Did you¡­ happen to meet someone beforeing to the grocery store?" Diamond asked.


    ¡­


    Chloe paused for a moment. She wondered why Diamond suddenly asked something like that when Chloe hadn''t told anyone about her meeting with Maria today.


    ''Did my meeting with Maria get leaked somehow?''


    Realizing the suspicion, Diamond hurriedly added, "I was just asking, gurl. I don''t want you to get attacked by random people. Who knows, your ex-husband might be sending someone to attack you, right?"


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe breathed out relief. It seemed that Diamond didn''t know about her meeting with Maria and was just looking out for her.


    ''Geez, she''s such a worrywart,'' Chloe giggled a little as she found it heartwarming how much Diamond cared for her.


    Little did Chloe know, Vernon had already informed Diamond everything he knew about her meeting with Maria.<sub> </sub>


    "Well, I drove Mackie to school, and then went to get a coffee, and now I''m here, grocery shopping to stock the fridge," Chloe exined. She felt much better now that she was chatting with Diamond.


    "Oh, by the way, Diamond. I''m now in the dairy aisle, I remember that the fridge is empty of banana milk. Should I buy him a big carton instead?" Chloe asked while checking the rows of milk. "Hmm¡­ he often went homete at night and drank wine to rx. It''s alright, but sometimes he drinks with no limit and ends up passing out on the couch. But if I make him a banana smoothie, he''ll drink that instead."


    "I don''t want him to drink too much, since he''s so busy with work," Chloe murmured, not realizing that Vernon was listening to her the whole time. "Maybe if I stock the fridge with banana milk, he will stop drinking too much and opt for milk instead? Or maybe I should just make a banana smoothie every night? Geez, he''s so handful sometimes."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon listened the whole time, and his anger gradually dissipated.


    Chloe was nagging at him, but her words of concern were like a heavy rain washing away the forest fire.


    Gradually, Vernon''s expression eased up, and he leaned on the seat to rx.


    The edge of his lips perked a little and signaled Diamond to say YES to Chloe.


    Diamond saw the gradual change in her boss and felt somewhat creeped out by how amazing her homegirl was.


    Her boss was about to chew anyone in front of him. Even Diamond didn''t dare to breathe too loudly, afraid he''d get annoyed by her presence.


    But this madman looked so rxed¡ª even happy when Chloe nagged at him on the phone.


    "Y¡ªYes, gurl, you should buy him that. I think he''ll be happy with how considerate you are," Diamond said.


    "Considerate?" Chloe frowned. "I''m just doing my job as a maid. I need to take care of his health, and make sure he''s in top shape."


    "He told me that he will be the richest man on earth, so I guess the best thing I can do to support him is to keep him healthy¡­." Chloe said.


    ''Gurl, that''s what we call considerate!'' Diamond wanted to yell at Chloe and begged her to stop saying stuff like that. Because her scary boss looked even scarier now because he was grinning from ear to ear!


    "Hold on, Diamond, I have to ask a clerk if they have a low-sugar variant for this banana milk. I need to make sure Vernon doesn''t eat too much sugar. He has a sweet tooth," Chloe said while on the phone.


    Diamond nced at her boss again.


    Now her boss'' grin became so wide, even his teeth were showing. It looked so creepy to Diamond because her boss never showed that kind of smile in front of her.


    ''Oh god, I don''t want to see what kind of expression he will make next. I think I''m going to have a nightmare tonight.''


    Unable to maintain her calmness, Diamond said to her homegirl, "Gurl, I have to hang up now. I''m still on the road. Talk to you in the office at lunch, okay?"


    "Oh, so soon? I thought you could talk to me while I''m shopping," Chloe said. "Alright then, talk to youter."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vernon''s ear-to-ear grin vanished right after Diamond hung up the call, and he protested, "Why did you hang up the call? She said that she still wants to talk to you!"


    "Sir, all she did was just grocery shopping while nagging about you¡­ you can do thatter at your penthouse, right?"

 345 Chapter 345

    "Sir, all she did was just grocery shopping while nagging about you¡­ you can do thatter at your penthouse, right?"


    "But this is different!" Vernon protested. "She never talked so freely like that in front of me!"


    "Well that''s because you''re scaring her!" Diamond snapped back. But there was no hostility between them, and Diamond was much more rxed after the call.


    She had to admit that no woman could calm her boss like Chloe. She was like the gentle wind in drynd for Vernon, and Diamond was happy that Chloe existed in this life.


    ''Seriously, my office life would be hell without a homegirl.''


    Vernon was still annoyed at Diamond because she dared to hang up the call while he was enjoying the nagging from Chloe on the phone.


    It was so soothing that his rage and anxiety were temporarily dispelled.


    Diamond realized how much her boss liked Chloe''s nagging to the point of weird fascination, ''Is this a fetish thing?'' she wondered.


    "Sir, if you want Chloe to nag at you, you should make her feel safe in doing so," Diamond said. "I bet you kept yelling at her before, right?"


    ¡­


    "That was before," Vernon replied. "I didn''t do it anymore."


    "Yeah, but the impact is still there," Diamond retorted. "You have to make her feel safe."


    "And how could I do that? I didn''t yell at her anymore."


    "¡­ That''s for you to work on, Sir. I don''t have any obligation to give you a guide on how to be a decent human 101," Diamond shrugged.


    "Urgh, you''re not helping, Diamond."


    "It''s also not my obligation to help your love life."


    Vernon wanted to continue bickering with Diamond, but Diamond suddenly attacked him with a question, "Sir, what about her meeting with Maria. Do you want to confront her about it?"


    ¡­


    "I want to," Vernon replied. "I don''t think she will admit. But I have to confront her about it, because it''s about her safety. She has to know that she''s being targeted, and needs to be cautious with her surroundings."


    "I see, that''s great, Sir," Diamond nodded in full agreement. ''I think this will show homegirl that she is not alone. She has a man who loves her wholeheartedly, and also a best friend who wants to see her happy.''


    "Oh, Sir, I want to ask you something."


    "About what?"


    "About you passing out on the couch after being drunk," Diamond repeated the line from her homegirl. "Did you really do that? In front of Chloe?"


    "And what about it?" Vernon raised his brow. He was genuinely confused by her concern. "I see nothing wrong with it."


    "Ew, gross! Don''t act like a college chump, especially when you''re trying to wife a woman!"


    **


    It took Chloe at least two hours to finish grocery shopping. She had plenty of consideration, mostly on what to buy based on Vernon and Mackie''s diets.


    Both of them weren''t picky eaters, as long as Chloe was the one who cooked the food. But they obviously had favorites. Even Vernon had so many brands he disliked.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe returned to the apartment first, arranged the grocery into the fridge, and then started cooking lunch for Vernon.


    She finished at half past eleven, right before lunch, and then drove to Vernon''s office to deliver his lunch as always.


    It was quite exhausting, but she was happy with this. Because at least she could work on something and be in someone''s life, unlike when she was with Vincent.


    She could cook the tastiest food, and Vincent would throw it to her face or give it to the guard dogs.


    Ding!


    Chloe left the elevator and saw Diamond sitting at her secretary''s desk, typing a report in front of theputer.


    Diamond tilted her head to check on the guest, and her face brightened instantly when she saw Chloe.


    "Homegirlll!" Diamond hugged Chloe like they hadn''t met each other for a long time.


    "Gurl, are you alright? Did you get hurt somewhere?" Diamond asked.


    "Ah¡ªuhm, I''m fine. Please release me, Diamond. You''re hugging me too tight¡­."


    "Sorryyy," Diamond separated herself and observed Chloe from head to toe. She was actually relieved that Chloe seemed to be alright. As she was always worried about her homegirl after the ident with Chelsea.


    "Gurl, let''s talk about something I''ve been dying to know," Diamond said.


    "Dying to know?"


    "Yeah~," Diamond grinned mischievously. She wanted to know what happenedst night after Chloe and her boss left the bar.


    She refused to believe that her boss did nothing to her homegirlst night. He went as far as acting drunk and allowed Chloe to pull his ear like a dog.


    ''If he ain''t smashing'' her pussyst night, then I''ll call him an impotent dog!'' Diamond said in her heart.


    But before she could grab her homegirl''s hand to sit and chat, the CEO''s office door suddenly opened, and a man stuck his head out like an ostrich.


    Vernon cleared his throat to notify the two women of his presence, and once he got Chloe''s attention, he said, "Go prepare the lunch for me. I''m starving."


    "Mm, okay," Chloe nodded and excused herself to the kitchen.


    Diamond and Vernon red at each other like an enemy. Both knew the topic that Diamond wanted to discuss with Chloe.


    Unfortunately, Vernon refused to talk about it simply because he was embarrassed. Since he wasn''t able to smash her.


    He couldn''t even rub Chloe''s pussy lips with his cock, which was the bare minimum for him.


    "Not today, witch," Vernon said, much to Diamond''s annoyance.


    Vernon waited at the door until Chloe walked with a tray full of food.


    Vernon''s expression softened when he saw Chloe but said nothing as he simply allowed Chloe toe inside the office to serve the food for him.


    Vernon gave Diamond thest re before he went in and closed the door.


    Diamond could only stomp her feet as she¡ª once more, left unsatisfied without some spicy gossip from her homegirl.

 346 Chapter 346

    ? "Okay, all served, boss," Chloe smiled at Vernon after arranging the lunch for Vernon.


    Vernon sat in front of the table full of lunch and then looked up to stare at Chloe, "And where''s yours?"


    Chloe was already well prepared. She pointed at a te filled with the portion of her food.


    Vernon''s lips perked up as he was satisfied with the answer, and he patted the spot right beside him on the sofa, "Sit here with me, let''s have lunch first before we start."


    ''Before we start?'' Chloe wondered if there was another problem between them. She thought they made upst night. After all, Chloe didn''t want to see Vernon looking devastated just because he said the wrong thing.


    ''Though, I have to admit that there is a thorn in my heart because we simply swept the problem under the rug¡­'' Chloe thought.


    The argument between them happened yesterday when Vernon said something that Vincent usually said.


    -


    I know that all women are materialistic and only love their men because of their money.


    -


    It still offended her, and she was even more offended when Vernon didn''t seem to understand what he said wrong.


    ''But all is well now, right?'' Chloe thought. ''It''s better to just act like nothing happened yesterday. I don''t want to get hurt again because of Vernon''s words, and I certainly don''t want to stress Vernon out for something unnecessary¡­.''


    Thus, Chloe picked up her te and sat right on the sofa.


    But she was at the edge, as she found sitting beside Vernon while eating might ruin Vernon''s appetite.


    Vernon noticed the gap between them. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his hand around her waist.


    "Ah¡ª Vernon¡ª!?" Chloe was startled when Vernon suddenly pulled her closer. So close that their thighs were rubbing on each other.


    "Why do you need to distance yourself like that?" Vernon protested. "What''s wrong with sitting close to me?"


    Nothing wrong¡­" Chloe replied meekly. "It just feels¡­ a little embarrassing¡­"


    "Embarrassing?"


    "Mhm¡­" Chloe pointed at their thighs and said, "At least put some gap between our thighs¡­."


    "W¡ªWell, that''s because it''s already autumn. The wind is very chilly, so it''s better to share some warmth!" Vernon tried to justify his action, even though it came out as weird, Chloe.


    "We''re indoors, and you have a heater inside your room¡­." Chloemented.


    "J¡ªJust shut up and eat! Damn, why are you so nosy about small things?"


    "Um, okay¡­ but you need to let go of my waist first. You''ve been holding it for a while."


    Vernon grunted as he found that request to be against his will. But he reluctantly removed his hand from her waist and grabbed the te.


    He started eating his lunch and dared not look at Chloe.<sub> </sub>


    Chloe smiled as she watched Vernon eat a big portion of food without a problem. It gave her a feeling of satisfaction to see him eating, and it also gave her an appetite.


    Thus, she also started eating her lunch.


    At this moment, two people sat close on the sofa, eating their lunch in silence, and it was a moment that felt precious for Chloe.


    Because she had never had this kind of moment with Vincent. She always ate alone, and when she started suffering from stress and depression that led to an eating disorder, she began to eat in hiding.


    She''d eat in her bedroom or bathroom if Vincent was at home. Because every time she ate even a pinch of bread, Vincent would ridicule her by calling her a fat fuck that should starve so she''d lose weight.


    So she developed a fear of eating overtime¡­


    Chloe nced at Vernon, who was still busy with his te. He ate so fast that he choked midway.


    "Uk!''


    Chloe put her te on the table and poured a ss of water for him. She handed the water to Vernon so he could drink it.


    Chloe rubbed Vernon''s wide back and reminded him, "It''s not good to eat too fast. Try to eat slower, okay?"


    Vernon nodded absentmindedly. He nced at Chloe''s te on the table andmented, "You''re barely eating your lunch. Do you want me to feed you instead?"


    "N¡ªNo need," Chloe refused. She was still unable to ept the fact that Vernon continuously spoon fed her.


    No matter how often they did it, she simply couldn''t get used to it.


    "But promise me that you''ll eat everything on your te," Vernon pressed. "I will have to shove everything in your mouth if you don''t eat them."


    "Shove¡ª" Chloe had a fleeting, perverted thought, reminding herself of what happened with themst night.


    But she quickly warded off the thought and nodded, "I''ll eat everything, I promise."


    Thus, they finished their lunch until there were empty tes on the table.


    Vernon slumped on the sofa while drinking his banana milk from a straw. He was satisfied with today''s lunch because Chloe was here to eat with him.


    He realized his mood would always improve when Chloe was near him. Everything would be alright if he could see her with his own eyes.


    ''Maybe this is what Shailene said about dependency¡­'' Vernon thought while staring at Chloe, who was cleaning the te. ''I am dependent on her. I want her presence in my life, and if she''s away from me, I will feel like a lost kid¡­.''


    Vernon always imed that he hated to be called a kid, especially by Chloe.


    Because he was a grown-up now. He was a big man who could protect and provide the best for her.


    But he had to admit that he wanted to be treated as one when Chloe was around¡­


    ''Urgh, to hell with Shailene and all of her bullcrap. She''s trying to confuse me because she''s jealous,'' Vernon imed. ''So what if I''m dependent on her? So what if I am obsessed with her? There is no point of feeling guilty over the obvious things in my heart¡­.''


    Chloe finished cleaning the table and was about to leave with a stack of tes. But Vernon held her, "Stay for a moment, Chloe. I want to talk to you."

 347 Chapter 347

    "Stay for a moment, Chloe. I want to talk to you," Vernon said.


    ¡­


    Chloe felt that her feet became itchy and wanted to leave as soon as Vernon asked her to stay.


    She didn''t know what he wanted to talk about, but she didn''t want to listen.


    Because every time they talked, there would be an agreement that would end badly between them.


    ''Why can''t we just maintain our current status of acting like there''s nothing wrong, and pretend we''re in a good rtionship?'' Chloe said in her heart.


    She wanted to say it out loud, but knowing Vernon, he''d probably get offended at her for being weak hearted.


    She simply didn''t want another fight. She was too tired to fight with Vernon, especially when she had problems with Vincent.


    ¡­


    "Do we really need to?" Chloe asked, hoping she could avoid another conflict and get the rest she needed.


    "We do," Vernon nodded solemnly. He needed to address this with Chloe because this was about her safety.


    However, Vernon noticed the reluctance on Chloe''s face. She looked ufortable when he insisted on having a talk together.


    He was already annoyed by her reluctance. He was even angry that Chloe would give that kind of expression to him. It made him feel like he had been rejected, even though he did nothing wrong.


    But, he had to hold himself, notshing out at her, or he''d scare her again.


    "This is important, Chloe. Don''t avoid me," Vernon insisted. His voice was calm yet held so muchmand in it. Thus, Chloe had toply despite her reluctance.


    "Let me put this in the pantry first," Chloe said while ncing at the tray full of empty tes in her hand.


    "Okay."


    Chloe left the CEO''s office and breathed in relief. She walked past Diamond, who was busy working in front of theputer.


    After she put the empty tes in the kitchen sink, she returned to Vernon.


    She stood in front of the CEO''s office door, still trying to muster up some courage before she had to fight with Vernon again.


    ''This is torture¡­'' she thought. ''I don''t want to argue with him. I don''t want to get hurt¡­.''


    Diamond noticed her homegirl standing in front of the door with a wry look. Thus she turned her chair to face her and asked, "What''s wrong gurl?"


    "Ah¡ª Diamond, it''s¡­ nothing."


    "Ohe on, do we need to do this again?" Diamond rolled her eyes. "Just tell me what''s wrong, gurl. You know I''m always here to help you."


    After a moment of consideration, Chloe decided to open her mouth, "Um¡­ it''s about Vernon¡­."<sub> </sub>


    "And what did he do this time?" Diamond was ready to throw hands in case her boss hurt her best friend again. She didn''t know what that asshat''s problem was, but whenever he opened his mouth to talk with Chloe, he''d always say something wrong that would end up hurting her.


    "H¡ªHe didn''t do anything. But¡­ he said he wants to talk with me¡­." Chloe replied. She sighed, full of woe. "I''m afraid that we''ll fight again."


    "Oh, that¡ª" Diamond stopped right before she ran over her mouth. She was about to say that her boss wanted to talk about her meeting with Maria since it was an important topic that couldn''t just be brushed off like usual.


    But she knew that was her boss'' right to talk, so she had to keep it to herself.


    "Gurl¡ª Chloe, you don''t to be afraid," Diamond assured. "Just rx and listen to what Mr. Phoenix Gray say to you, it''s for your own safety."


    "For my own safety?" Chloe was surprised, and her mind instantly suspected that Diamond must''ve known something about her meeting with Maria.


    Because Chloe was nowhere near danger before she met with that old hag today.


    ''Did the meeting get leaked? Or maybe Maria herself informed Vincent and perhaps¡­ Vernon about our meeting.''


    Chloe became nervous instantly, ''Oh no, did I get discovered? I don''t want Vincent to know that I''ve been hiding under Vernon''s protection the whole time. If Vincent has discovered this, then Vernon might not be safe anymore. Vincent will definitely hunt him down.''


    Chloe was now gued with a different kind of fear. She wasn''t scared of fighting with Vernon anymore, but she was scared of Vernon''s safety.


    She didn''t mind if Vincent would beat the shit out of her for ''running away.'' After all, Chloe was used to it.


    But if she involved Vernon in this, to the point that Vernon might be in danger, she would rather give herself to Vincent.


    "T¡ªThank you, Diamond. I will keep that in mind," Chloe replied nervously.


    "Okay, goodluck, homegirl!" Diamond got up and opened the CEO''s office door for her.


    Chloe swallowed her saliva hard. She didn''t know what awaited her. She might have to leave right after this, but if that was for the safety of Vernon, then she didn''t mind.


    The only problem in her mind was Mackie.


    She didn''t know what to do if she ended up homeless with her daughter again.


    ''Let''s think about thatter, Chloe. You have to face Vernon first and address the problem.''


    Chloe walked in and saw Vernon still sitting in the same spot. He was still slumping on the sofa like a waste, which baffled her, ''How could Vernon act so unconcerned when his whole life is on the line? Doesn''t he realize that his Big brother will chew him up after this?''


    Vernon saw his beloved walk in, looking nervous as always. He quickly sat straight and pointed at the chair directly facing the sofa, so they could have a serious conversation about this.


    Chloe sat on the seat slowly and lowered her head as soon as Vernon stared straight at her.


    She was overtaken by guilt and wouldn''t be able to forgive herself if something happened to Vernon.


    Vernon''s brow creased as he noticed the nervousness, "I haven''t started talking and you''re already lowering your head. Am I really that scary to you?"

 348 Chapter 348

    "I haven''t started talking and you''re already lowering your head. Am I really that scary to you?" Vernon confronted. He had been dying to know about this too.


    He felt that Chloe was scared of him for no absolute reason. Sometimes, he wondered if she just hated his presence, thus why she didn''t even look at him.


    "No, I''m not scared of you...." Chloe replied. ''Well, I was scared of you initially. Because you keep screaming at me, I feel weak whenever I get screamed at. I''d tremble and fall on the floor, cowering because I don''t want to get hit....''


    ''But you''ve never hit me, even when I know that you''re very angry,'' Chloe said in her heart. She lifted her head slowly until she saw Vernon at the corner of her eyes, staring intently at her.


    ''And I realize I will not get hurt when I''m with you....''


    "Really? You''re not scared of me?" Vernon asked again. He was unsure if he had heard it right.


    Of course, he wanted to live in a fantasy if he could. He wanted to, in fact.


    A fantasy where he and Chloe lived as a beautiful couple, where nobody would be able to hurt them, and where he could bask over her smile like a sunflower basking in the sun.


    But they lived in a harsh reality, and he had to face the truth, even if it''d hurt him.


    "Just tell me if you''re scared of me, Chloe...." Vernon implored. "I''d rather see you scream at my face, telling me how much you''re scared and hate me simultaneously. I don''t want to keep arguing with you."


    Chloe shook her head fervently. She didn''t know how he could get the idea that Chloe hated him.


    ''How could I hate you? You saved me at my lowest!'' Chloe said in her heart. ''I could''ve died, or been forced to return to that bastard Vincent without you!''


    There were so many things that Chloe wanted to say, but she was tongue-tied.


    She simply didn''t know how to start.


    Vernon closed his eyes briefly, trying to fortify himself, "Chloe, be honest with me. We can''t do this forever."


    "I don''t want to add even more trauma to your heart," Vernon said bluntly. He had prepared himself before Chloe arrived and became fully ready after having a nice lunch with his beloved woman.


    He realized this wasn''t a game anymore. His Chloe''s safety was on


    "I know that you''ve been suffering from Vincent''s abuse. You might never want to say it, but I know," Vernon said. "I know that everything is his sin. So... I don''t want to hurt you."


    Vernon got up and stepped slowly toward Chloe.


    He kneeled right before her and gently wrapped his hand around hers.


    He put Chloe''s hand on his cheek and closed his eyes, "Tell me if you hate me, you can scream at me, and p me if you need to."


    "I never want to hurt you, but I am just a normal human. I might make a mistake, and I might offend you. So if I made you angry yesterday, just hit me as hard as you can. It''s better than making my heart bleed."


    ...


    ...


    ? While closing his eyes, Vernon was waiting for Chloe to p her. He was anticipating a hard p. After all, he made her cry many times without knowing what he did wrong...


    But after five minutes of waiting, he felt Chloe''s palm rub his cheek tenderly.<sub> </sub>


    He opened his eyes, wanting an exnation from her.


    But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw Chloe leaning towards his face and giving him a loving kiss on his forehead.


    Vernon was stunned. His brain was short-circuited as he never expected such a loving kiss initiated by Chloe. He held his breath for an instant as time suddenly froze at this very moment.


    He felt a gentle wave of heat flowing from the spot where Chloe kissed him down to every inch of his skin.


    He froze on the spot until Chloe finished her long kiss.


    Chloe leaned back and stared down at Vernon, who in return, stared up at her.


    "Why?" Vernon asked as it was the only question that popped into her mind. "Don''t you hate me? Don''t you feel disgusted?"


    That idea of Chloe hating and being disgusted with him had been engraved since that day when he heard how she called him a good-for-nothing bum, someone who wasn''t going to be as sessful as his Big brother.


    That moment became a nightmare that he couldn''t forget. Even now, he still expected Chloe to show a bit of disgust.


    But she was smiling at him, which was a peaceful smile. As if she never held any grudge or disgust toward him.


    "How could I hate you?" Chloe returned the question. "You''ve been nothing but a good boy when you were a kid, and you''ve grown up to be a good, sessful man now, you''re my pride and joy, Vernon."


    "You took me in when I was at my lowest. Give me a ce to stay and a job that I like...." Chloe said. "I cannot thank you enough."


    "I... I don''t understand how you could get the idea that I hate you, but...."


    "You are the only man who could make me feel safe and happy. I never feel so much joy when I''m with someone else-- well, except for Mackie, of course, hahaha...." Chloe tried to insert her daughter, just in case, it might be a little too awkward between them.


    Chloe''s words were like a big wave that washed and filled every empty hole in his heart.


    It was so overwhelming that Vernon''s body started shaking.


    His tears welled up, and he could cry anytime.


    "Oh no, why are you crying, Vernon?" Chloe gently wiped the tears at the edge of Vernon''s eyes. "You''re a big man, aren''t you?"


    Vernon didn''t care anymore. He released Chloe''s wrist and hugged her waist instead.


    He buried his face in Chloe''sp and started crying as if his life depended on her.


    "Chloe... my Chloe..."


    **


    Ps: Check thement section to see the newmissioned cover for this book <3


    **

 349 Chapter 349

    "Chloe¡­ my Chloe¡­" Vernon murmured. "I¡­ I don''t know how I am supposed to live without you. You''re my guiding light. Even through the darkest time, I only have you in my mind¡­."


    Chloe heard Vernon murmur about something. But he was muffled since he buried his face in herp and cried because she felt that her skirt became damp because of the tears.


    ''Wonder what he''s murmuring about,'' Chloe thought. But she shrugged it off and caressed Vernon''s head, "Big guy, why are you crying?"


    Vernon lifted his face and stared up at Chloe with tears and snot that made his usually handsome and intimidating man look like a lost child who had finally reunited with his guardian.


    "I''m¡ª"


    Snort!


    "¡ªnot crying!" Vernon defended himself while he kept trying to suck the snot back to his nostril. Chloe couldn''t help but giggle. She pulled a few sheets of tissues, wiped the tears, and then the snot.


    She smiled at Vernon, still staring at her so dependently, "Now, do you understand that I never have any hatred towards you? Never in my life do I ever think about hating you."


    ''But what I overheard is different¡­'' Vernon replied in his heart. He knew that the conversation between Chloe and histe father would forever be a thorn in his heart.


    Maybe he would confront Chloe about itter.


    But for now, he just wanted to feel the warmth of his beloved woman without any kind of argument or fight. After all, he deserved to be spoiled by Chloe after they went through so much, right?


    ''Let me enjoy this for a while. I know we have so many things to work on, but I don''t want to rush it and scare her in the end,'' Vernon thought. ''I will take my time to melt her heart until she can fully open up to me.''


    ''Ah, let me enjoy this for a while. This feels so nice¡­'' Chloe thought as she caressed Vernon''s head. ''To have someone who would look at you with so much tenderness. I wished Vincent would look at me like then when we were still together¡­.''


    Chloe quickly warded off the thought when Vincent''s face appeared in her mind again. She didn''t want to keep remembering that bastard.


    Vernon kept on kneeling and resting his head on her shoulder. Chloe nced at the clock on the wall and realized they had been in this position for at least thirty minutes.


    Thus, she warned him, "Vernon, are you satisfied? It''s already half an hour since you''re kneeling. Don''t you feel tired?"


    "No," Vernon replied curtly. He refused to move and wrapped his arm around her thin waist tighter than before. "Don''t wanna."


    "What do you mean you don''t wanna?"


    "Mm¡­ let me stay like this for a while. I like hugging you," Vernon said.


    Chloe sighed. She didn''t understand how this man could be so sticky. He was like a baby ko that hung on his dear life to her.


    "Well, Vernon, you called me because you want to talk about something, right?" Chloe opened the conversation first, or else they might get stuck in this position for hours.<sub> </sub>


    And it worked. Vernon paused for a while and reluctantly released his arm around Chloe''s waist.


    He was disgruntled and annoyed because he knew that Chloe had brought up the topic because she didn''t want him to hug her for too long.


    "Fine, let''s talk about it," Vernon said.


    He returned to the sofa to sit directly facing Chloe.


    He knew the severity and seriousness of the topic, so he had to resume his serious face despite his eyes kept looking at thep that he rested on just now. He imagined howfortable it''d be to just¡­ sleep there and forget about everything.


    Vernon joined his fingers together, staring straight at Chloe, and said, "Be honest with me, Chloe. You met someone today, right?"


    ¡­


    Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she had 100% expected Vernon to talk about it.


    ''I wonder how he knew about my meeting with Maria. Nevertheless, it has happened, and I can''t do anything about it other than admitting¡­'' Chloe thought. ''I also have to make sure he puts his own safety as priority.''


    "Yes, I did," Chloe replied. "I met with Maria, Vincent''s old secretary. I met with her in the coffee shop near Mackie''s school."


    ¡­


    "And how did you two set up a meeting together? Was it through text?" Vernon continued investigating. He wanted to know if Chloe was actively chatting with someone else outside, especially Vincent and his cronies.


    "She came up to me right after I sent Mackie to the school. She refused to move out of the driveway, and refused to leave until I''m willing to have a talk with her," Chloe replied.


    "And what is the reason why you agree to talk to her in a ce she set up?" Vernon asked. " You can always talk in the school''s parking lot, right? You must have a good reason for wanting to talk to her in that coffee shop, knowing how dangerous it is."


    "I¡ª" Chloe stopped when she realized the real reason might piss Vernon off. She also didn''t want to admit it to anyone because she found it shameful.


    ''I can''t say that I agreed to talk with Maria mainly because I want to know what happened to Vincent. It would make me look pathetic¡­.''


    Thus, Chloe tried to find another reason that was also logical and was also a legit reason.


    "Maria told me there is a rumor around the Gray family that I left because I want to run away with another man. Vincent spread misinformation about me, so I thought¡­ I have to straighten a few things before everyone in Vincent''s¡ª and YOUR family see me as a cheap slut."


    "I¡ªI see¡­." Vernon thought the reason was solid. Though, he also had a feeling that wasn''t enough for Maria to lure Chloe. So he suspected that Chloe wasn''t telling everything.


    ''Did she hide something from me? Or am I just overthinking?''

 350 Chapter 350

    ''Did she hide something from me? Or am I just overthinking?'' Vernon pondered for a second. ''Why would she hide something from me anyway? Was she in danger? Did Maria threaten her about something?''


    Suspicions were shing in Vernon''s mind. He knew that he was probably overthinking most of them. But he wouldn''t underestimate how cruel Vincent and his cronies could be.


    He also had to put consideration on Chloe. Although she seemed to have opened up to him, Vernon knew there wereyers of trust in Chloe.


    She might trust him at the surface level, but she still hid many things from him.


    Vernon''s chest felt heavy as he realized he had a long way to fully obtain the love and trust of his beloved woman.


    Not wanting to dwell on his sadness for too long, Vernon asked, "What did you talk about with that old hag?"


    "Uhm... nothing much..." Chloe replied. "I kept exining to her that Vincent was the one who cheated on me. But she still insisted that my exnation didn''t matter. Because in the end, people will believe Vincent more...."


    Chloe lowered her head pitifully. She knew that Vernon would eventually discover his Big bro''s sins from her, no matter how much she tried to cover up for that bastard.


    "I see..." Vernon''s breath heaved, and he crossed his arms. "Do you know that you''re being recorded the whole time?"


    "RECORDED?!" Chloe snapped in an instant. "D--Did that old hag recorded me the whole time?"


    "She did," Vernon confirmed. "Both audio and video recording. She has it all."


    Chloe gasped, and she covered her mouth out of shock. She never expected that old hag to scheme her like this.


    From Chloe''s reaction, Vernon assumed she was utterly oblivious to the extent of the old woman''s cunning nature.


    "Well, there is nothing we can do about that. But are you sure that you don''t talk about something serious with her?"


    "N--Not at all!" Chloe shook her head fervently. "We''re just talking about Vincent''s cheating, that''s all!"


    "Mhm, that''s relieving to hear," Vernon was worried about the recording. He was scared that Chloe might say something that could be used against her in case she went to court for her divorceter. "I''ve asked Diamond to get you a new car. You''ll be driving a new car starting tomorrow, so you won''t be recognized easily."


    "Ah-- New car?"


    "Yes, we don''t know what kind of problem will ariseter, so it''s best to take measures," Vernon said solemnly. Honestly, his heart was bleeding when he told these sentences to Chloe.


    Because it also proved his weakness and ipetency.


    He was still weakpared to his Big brother, and he knew that if Vincent realized the whole truth now, thepany he had built from the bottom would crumble instantly.


    And to top it all off, Vincent would definitely force Chloe to return to his side and get abused again, ''I won''t forgive myself if that really happens...''


    ''I have to work faster to snatch even more people from his side. So when the timees, it''ll be toote for Vincent to snatch Chloe back.''<sub> </sub>


    "We can move to my other apartment, or perhaps buy a new property, so you''d be safe from him," Vernon said. "But the problem is with Mackie. I''m not sure if we should send her to another school or go with homeschooling instead."


    "H--Hold on, Vernon--" Chloe stopped as she started getting overwhelmed by Vernon''s words. "I--I don''t understand...."


    "About what?"


    "About you um... wanting to buy me a new car, finding a new apartment, and about Mackie. Y--You know that you''re going to anger Vincent once he finds out about this, right?"


    "I know," Vernon said. "That''s why we''re taking measures for now."


    Chloe was stunned at how easily Vernon answered such a heavy question. Vernon''s current attitude gave off the idea that he knew well what he was going into.


    ''Does he intend to go against his Big brother?!''


    Chloe''s heart started beating rapidly as she found that idea to be extremely brave, yet stupid at the same time.


    "V--Vernon, you''re speaking crazy right now! You shouldn''t go against him! He will kill you!" Chloe warned. She started panicking as she realized that she might be the reason for Vernon''s downfall.


    ''OH MY GOD, what did I do?!'' Chloe med herself in her heart. ''I shouldn''t have met with Maria. Now Vernon''s life will be ruined because of me!''


    "I''m not speaking crazy," Vernon said solemnly. His eyes stared straight at Chloe, and there was no trace of fear in his eyes. He wanted her to know that he was not scared because he had nned everything since Chloe married Vincent.


    "I know that I am going against him if I want to protect you," Vernon confirmed Chloe''s fear, and her face paled instantly.


    Chloe felt weak as if her blood had been drained out of her body. She started sweating cold beads, and she couldn''t help but clench her skirt.


    She was swept away by fear in an instant. The fear heightened when she kept thinking about Vernon, who would lose everything simply because he was kind enough to help her at her lowest.


    Her sight started to get blurry as she could faint anytime right now. Vernon realized that Chloe''s response was unnatural.


    He knew that Chloe was traumatized by so many abuses she experienced, but this kind of reaction was too much.


    She couldn''t even stand the idea that someone would go against Vincent.


    Thus, Vernon got up and walked towards her. He kneeled again, just like before, and checked on Chloe by holding her hands.


    ''Her palms--'' Vernon was surprised at how much cold sweat she excreted in her palms. He looked up and saw Chloe''s disoriented expression, and her body trembled harder as time passed.


    Just from one look, Vernon knew that Chloe had a panic attack, and he didn''t know how to deal with this.


    "Chloe?" Vernon called her name, trying to snap her out, but it didn''t seem to work.

 351 Chapter 351

    "Chloe?" Vernon called her name, trying to snap her out, but it didn''t seem to work.


    Vernon saw that Chloe''s chest rose up and down, and her face reddened as time passed. He got even more worried and tried to shake her shoulders.


    "Chloe, Chloe! Get yourself together!"


    Chloe finally lifted her gaze a bit and stared at Vernon, who looked at her as if she was in danger.


    But Chloe knew Vernon was in grave danger when he said he would go against his Big brother.


    Chloe grasped Vernon''s arms desperately and begged, "Vernon, please don''t say that you''re going to challenge Vincent. You''re going to suffer! You will lose everything if you fight him!"


    Vernon was offended when his beloved woman said that. But he knew what she did right now was a response to trauma.


    She must have suffered a lot. Thus the idea of going against Vincent was something terrifying that shouldn''t have been said.


    ¡­


    Vernon said nothing, but he shook his head firmly, confirming that he would not change his mind about his decision to fight Vincent.


    "No¡­ how could this be¡­" Chloe lowered her head as her courage to stare at the young man in front of her vanished instantly. She felt so guilty because she would be the reason for his ruination.


    Chloe grasped Vernon''s arms tighter than before as she didn''t want to let go, "V¡ªVernon, please¡­ think about it¡­." Chloe said. Her voice was shaky, and her eyes also pooled with tears.


    Drip. Drip.


    Vernon looked down and saw the tears drop and make a wet mark on Chloe''s skirt. His breath stiffened, and he quickly grabbed Chloe''s chin, forcing her to look up.


    Chloe bit her lower lip, trying not to sob in front of Vernon. But her tears flowed freely as Vernon was looking at her with concern in his eyes.


    ''No, don''t look at me with worry. I should be the one worrying about you!''


    Meanwhile, Vernon''s heart hurt when he saw the tears. He knew that she didn''t want this to happen. She wanted Vernon to keep it lowkey and never go against his Big bro.


    ''But I have a woman to protect,'' Vernon firmly stated in his heart.


    He gently wiped the tears in Chloe''s eyes and said, "I will not back down. I might be doing it in secret right now, but there will be a time when I will face him toe-to-toe."


    "But you don''t need to worry, because I have been nning this for a long time, so I know what I''m doing," Vernon said.


    Chloe saw the steadfastness in his eyes. His expression showed no fear, and he seemed to understand the risk.


    And everything about that¡­ scared Chloe even more.


    The more she stared at Vernon, the more scared and guilty she felt.


    She finally released her hands around Vernon''s arms. She realized there was nothing she could do anyway because this man had been stubborn since he was a kid.


    Chloe got up from the chair and turned around. She suddenly walked to the door, and Vernon quickly followed.


    "Chloe, where are you going?" Vernon tried to grab Chloe''s hand, but she pulled her hand to dodge it.


    Thus, he took a long step and blocked the exit with his big body, "Where are you going? Answer me first," Vernon insisted.


    "I¡­ I''m going home¡­." Chloe replied weakly. "I feel tired¡­."


    "Tired?" Vernon frowned. He nced at the red room left to dust since Chloe, and he hadn''t used it for a while. "You can rest there if you want," he said while pointing at the wooden door.


    Chloe shook her head, "I need to be alone. I''ll sleep at home."


    "At OUR apartment, you mean, right?" Vernon continued inquiring. He feared Chloe might have a stupid idea because of the shock and pressure. "Promise me that you will return to our apartment and rest there."


    ¡­


    "I will, I promise¡­." Chloe nodded weakly. She didn''t know if she would break her promise once she left Vernon''s office, but it was a way to appease Vernon''s worry.


    Because she felt nothing but dread right now. Imagining what Vincent would do to his little brother made her stomach turn, she was genuinely scared, and all her trauma stacked up only made it even worse.


    Vernon kept staring at Chloe. He felt that Chloe would definitely do something stupid because of her trauma, so he offered, "Then why don''t we go home together and rest?"


    "Don''t. You still have things to do," Chloe refused. "Besides, I need to be alone for now. This is just¡­ too much for me¡­."


    "¡­ Fine, but I will make sure that you return home safely. I will tell Diamond to tail you from behind. Don''t worry about Mackie, I''ll pick her up."


    "No, that''s my¡­ responsibility¡­." Chloe refused. "Mackie is very sensitive if someone else picks her up. She''ll get scared."


    "Then I will video call you once I''m there, so convince her that it is safe," Vernon assured Chloe. He saw that Chloe desperately needed rest. It must be a total shock for her.


    ¡­


    "Okay, I trust you, Vernon¡­." Chloe said. "Now please move away. I will return home¡­."


    Vernon opened the door for her before moving to the side. Chloe gave him ast side- nce before she walked away from the office.


    She was greeted by Diamond, who was surprised by her haggard appearance.


    Diamond quickly red at her boss, demanding an exnation. But Vernon simply gave out an order, "Follow her car from behind, Diamond. Make sure she''s going to my apartment safely."


    "Wha¡ª" Diamond had many questions in her mind. But nobody would give her an answer.


    Chloe also ignored her. She picked up her bag and sauntered towards the elevator.


    Diamond clicked her tongue and grabbed her car key, "I want an exnation after this, Sir."


    Thus, Diamond followed Chloe to enter the elevator, leaving Vernon alone, staring at them before the elevator door closed.


    Vernon sighed, "It can''t be helped."

 352 Chapter 352

    "Gurl, can you tell me what''s wrong? What happened inside?" Diamond asked. "Did he hurt you again?"


    "No, he didn''t...." Chloe replied to ensure that Diamond didn''t get any wrong ideas.


    "Then why do you look so... disheartened?"


    ...


    "I don''t want to talk about it, Diamond. Not now..."


    Diamond sighed, full of worry, "Fine, but I will still follow you until you arrive in front of the penthouse door. It''s my duty."


    "Mm, thank you...."


    Again, Diamond was stumped when she realized she knew nothing about the problem.


    ''Damn it, what did he do to her? Why can''t they have at least one peaceful talk?'' Diamond cursed her boss in her heart. ''That asshat seriously needs to get his mouth stitched. I don''t understand how he could hurt my homegirl every single damn time?!''


    Chloe felt like she was floating. She drove the car in a daze and walked silently from the lobby to the penthouse. Diamond followed her until she stood right in front of the penthouse door.


    Chloe turned around and smiled in front of Diamond, "Thank you for taking me home, Diamond. You can return now."


    "Chloe-- are you sure you don''t want me to apany you for a little longer?" Diamond offered. "I''m... worried."


    "I need time alone. Don''t worry about me, I will be fine," Chloe said.


    She unlocked the penthouse door and entered the apartment, leaving Diamond alone, wondering what went wrong.


    **


    Chloe looked around the penthouse in a daze.


    Her heart felt heavy because she started to have sentimental feelings for this penthouse.


    After all, she felt much happier staying with her daughter and Vernon for the past six months or sopared to her life with Vincent for the past ten years.


    But all the good things woulde to an end eventually...


    Chloe went downstairs and then entered her bedroom.


    She locked herself inside andy on the bed. She stared at the ceiling with an empty gaze, and then tears dropped from the corner of her eye.


    "What have I done?" Chloe asked herself. "Why am I instigating the fights between Vincent and Vernon? I know that Vernon is just a reckless young man. He doesn''t know what he''s dealing with...."


    Honestly, Chloe cared too much about Vernon''s well-being. She felt obligated to support and protect him.


    So when Vernon dropped the bomb and said he would go against his Big brother, she was shaken.


    She was sending Vernon-- a boy she raised until he was a strong, handsome young man, to die in front of his Big brother!


    "Should I... return to Vincent?"


    That idea popped into Chloe''s mind as she was trying to find a way to save Vernon because there was no way she would let that young man die because of her fault.


    She imagined returning to Vincent after trying to hide for six months.


    She imagined what he would do when they were in the same house again.


    "Would he beat me to a pulp in the bathroom? Or p me in front of the maids?" Chloe murmured. "Or maybe he will force me to watch him fucking a few women, and then... forced me to have sex right after...."


    "Urp--!" Chloe got up and rushed to the bathroom. She vomited her lunch in the sink because the horrific imagery in her head was too much for her to handle.


    She was breathing heavily and then stared at herself in the mirror.


    She was getting healthier each day. She was still thin, but her cheek wasn''t as sunken as before.


    Herplexion was also better. She was pale as a ghost before. She looked unhealthy as if a gust would blow her away.


    But since she got happier and more rxed here, she started eating more than usual.


    "I will lose this again once I return to Vincent...." Chloemented as she touched her face. "I will be the same depressed woman on the verge of suicide once I return to Vincent. Is that even worth it?"


    Of course, Chloe knew the answer already. She never wanted to return to that malevolent bastard.


    She would rather jump to her death than be tortured by Vincent over and over until she couldn''t handle it anymore.


    "But what about Vernon?" Chloe asked herself. "What should I do when Vernon is cornered by his Big brother? Of course I can''t just leave him alone."


    Chloe was still trying to find an answer to her question. Because there was no way she would return to Vincent, not when she realized she could be so much happier when she was away from him.


    "No, I can''t be selfish. Vernon has a lot in his life," Chloe said. "He is still young, and he''s a sessful man despite his young age. He can be so much more in the future as long as Vincent doesn''t do anything to harm him."


    ...


    Chloe returned to her bed andy in silence. She picked up her phone and started scrolling through the old album that she had kept around.


    In it, she had plenty of cute Little Vernon pictures, mostly when she was just eight to ten.


    Chloe smiled as she continued scrolling, "Ah, he''s so cute when he was young. I still remember how he followed me like a duckling."


    Chloe stopped scrolling when she saw one picture.


    It was a picture of Vernon, who was celebrating Chloe''s birthday. Vernon was eight years old in the picture. He smiled ear-to-ear until his teeth showed, holding a birthday cake that he ''made'' with the cooks as a birthday present for his Big sis Chloe.


    Little Vernon wrote her name with cream on the cake, but he spelled it wrong.


    Instead of Chloe, he wrote it C L O E E.


    She remembered what he said back then;


    -


    "Happy Birthday, Big sis Chloe! Promise that you will be with me forever! I want to celebrate your birthday every year!"


    -


    Chloe had a helpless smile as she kept staring at the picture and put the phone on her bosom, "There is no way I''m going to let him hurt you..."

 353 Chapter 353

    "There is no way I''m going to let him hurt you..." Chloe murmured. "No matter how many times you im that you''re a big man who could face anything, I still see you as my cute Little Vernon, and it''s my obligation to protect you from harm."


    Chloe''s heart was bleeding as she realized she would give her freedom back to that bastard. She would probably die in less than a month after returning to Vincent.


    She sighed helplessly, "Maybe this is the only way for me to protect you, Vernon. Please don''t hate me for this, I just don''t want your life to get ruined."


    ¡­


    Chloe picked up her phone again. She scrolled through her contacts, trying to find Vincent''s phone number under the name ''Cheating Bastard.''


    Her thumb hovered around the green button area, still deciding whether she had to call him or not.


    Because if she called Vincent, her solitude with Vernon and Mackie would be ruined. She would probably never see the sun after returning to that dreaded mansion, knowing how crazy Vincent could be.


    Chloe''s hands trembled as the fear started taking over once more. But she shook her head immediately to wake herself up, "This is not the time to get scared, Chloe. You''re just a wasted woman in your mid-thirty. Nobody would worry about your disappearance," Chloe tried to put up some more courage in her before she called the man who''d been her executioner.


    She took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay, I''m ready."


    Chloe''s hand was about to press the call button, but she couldn''t because she got a call from Vernon.


    Thus, she identally pressed answer on Vernon''s call instead.


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe was surprised when the call was connected, and before she could hang up, Vernon suddenly asked;


    ¡ª


    "Did you arrive home safely, Chloe?"


    ¡­


    Chloe didn''t want to answer Vernon''s question because she feared her resolve would weaken.


    But Vernon kept on badgering her;


    "Chloe? Answer me now. Are you home? Is everything alright? You''re resting in your bedroom now, right?" Vernon grew increasingly anxious because Chloe didn''t answer him at all.


    But the phone was connected, so he knew that Chloe was listening.


    "Damn it! Stay right there, and don''t do anything stupid! I''ll be home soon!" Vernon grabbed his car key. He was going to return home and check on Chloe''s condition.


    But Chloe suddenly opened her mouth, "I''m alright, Vernon."


    Vernon halted his step and then asked, "Where are you right now?"


    "In my room¡­ I''m lying on the bed¡­." Chloe replied.


    Vernon couldn''t believe that, so he turned on the video call, "Answer the video call, Chloe. I want to make sure that you''re really on your bed right now."


    Chloe sighed, she had toply, or Vernon would definitely drive back to the penthouse to check on her, and she wanted to be alone for now.


    "I¡­ I don''t have the best appearance right now¡­." Chloe reasoned, hoping it''d stop Vernon. "I look haggard¡­."


    "Doesn''t matter! You''re always perfect in my eyes!" Vernon snapped as he got even more worried. He didn''t even care about what he said just now.


    "Now, show me your face so I will know whether you''re fine or not!" he demanded.


    Ba-dump.


    Chloe''s heart suddenly beat harder, like a drum she could hear. She knew that she shouldn''t wish for too much, but she had never been called a beauty by Vincent.


    So when someone called her a beauty, she was¡­ undeniably feeling a little shy, yet happy.


    She decided to open the video call, so Vernon could see her haggard appearance.


    The first thing she saw was half of Vernon''s face, peering at the camera as if he was looking through a crack. He looked like someone that would question your smallest movement simply out of suspicion.


    Chloe quickly covered half of her face with a nket as she was ashamed, but her red eyes told Vernon that Chloe must''ve been crying the whole time.


    "D¡ªDid I make you worry?" Chloe asked awkwardly because they kept staring at each other through the camera lens for at least five minutes straight.


    "You think?" Vernon returned the question. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Of course, I''m fucking worried! Do you know what kind of irrational fear is in my head right now?!"


    "S¡ªSorry¡­"


    Vernon''s chest was still heaving up and down, he was trying to calm down, but he couldn''t.


    "Are you sure that you don''t do anything stupid?" Vernon asked.


    "I¡ªI didn''t. I was just¡­ on my bed right now¡­." Chloe replied as she tried to cover the fact that she was about to call Vincent and gave herself in to save Vernon.


    "Well, that''s good," Vernon breathed in relief. "Don''t do anything stupid, and don''t worry about my statement before. I know that it''s risky, but I''m not an idiot."


    ''So confident¡­'' Chloe thought. She knew that Vernon was a confident young sunny boy since he was a kid. But she never expected him to be this confident when he would go against Vincent Gray.


    "I know how to take him down, and I''m in the process of it, Chloe," Vernon said. "So discard any stupid idea of yours and trust me."


    -


    Discard any stupid idea of yours, and trust me.


    -


    That word echoed in Chloe''s mind. His confidence emanated like a radiant sun shining through her dark path.


    Chloe bit her lower lip, which she covered with a nket. She was holding this kind of excitement in her heart, which she had never experienced.


    Somehow, she felt excited by Vernon''s statement that she simply wanted to discard all logic and say yes to him.


    And she did.


    "Um¡­" Chloe nodded weakly while staring at Vernon on his phone. "I won''t do anything stupid, I promise¡­."


    "Great!" Vernon waspletely assured now. "Go take a rest at home, you don''t need to cook, I''ll buy something for dinner."


    "And don''t worry about Mackie, just tell me the exact time, so I can go there and pick her up."

 354 Chapter 354

    "And don''t worry about Mackie, just tell me the exact time, so I can go there and pick her up," Vernon said.


    "Um... thank you, Vernon..."


    "Okay, take care, and wait for me and Mackie at home."


    Beep.


    When the call ended, Chloe''s phone screen returned to Vincent''s contact number. She was met with the choice to call Vincent again, and at this point, nobody would stop her.


    "I know that calling Vincent is the most logical, but...." Chloe closed the contact and put the phone on her bosom again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.


    Strangely, she didn''t feel an ounce of fear because of what Vernon had said before.


    -


    Discard any stupid idea of yours, and trust me.


    -


    "Ah, he''s so reckless," Chloemented. "But somehow, his recklessness makes me feel safe. So, maybe I will follow his way of recklessness for now. After all, I promised that I will always be there for him, through thick and thin."


    Chloe knew that she was making a stupid decision by siding with Vernon.


    ''But I want to be happy. I want to feel safe as well,'' Chloe said in her heart. ''I want to be with someone who can make me brave enough to stand on my own feet.''


    ''And I found that with Vernon....''


    **


    After Vernon hung up the call, he breathed relief and threw himself on the sofa. He was scared that Chloe might do something unthinkable, such as...


    "No, I don''t want to think about it," Vernon shook his head. "The imagery might be too much of a nightmare for me."


    Knock. Knock.


    Vernon was about to close his eyes when he heard knocking on the door. He knew who was knocking, so he simply said, "Come in!"


    Click.


    Diamond opened the door impatiently. She stood at the door, crossing her arms and tapping the floor with her heel.


    She red at her Boss, "I demand an exnation, Boss. What did you do to her?"


    Vernon knew that he had to eventually exin this, "I didn''t do anything. I told her that I know her meeting with Maria, and I naturally told her what I would do to protect her from Vincent."


    "She was horrified with the idea of me fighting against Vincent, and was too shocked to react properly, that''s why she looked so out of it."


    "But worry not, I''ve called her just now. I want to ensure that she didn''t do anything stupid at home," Vernon said. He gritted his teeth as he got annoyed at himself. "Diamond, is it wrong for me to tell her about it? I want her to know that I will protect her, even if that means I have to go against my Big brother."


    Diamond paused for a moment and then walked towards her Boss. She stood right in front of Vernon and replied, "I will reply not as your subordinate, Mr. Phoenix Gray, but as your friend."


    "You''re not wrong this time," Diamond said. "I understand that she will be shaken by your statement, but she has to know this. The sooner the better."


    "But Boss, you need to convince her even more after this. Tell her that everything would be alright, since you''re well prepared, right?"


    "Of course! I am well prepared!" Vernon yelled. "I am not afraid of him. I just... need more time. We''re moving faster than before because I''m worried about Chloe, but we still need time."


    "Yes, I know, Boss...." Diamond nodded. Though, she was actually impressed with her Boss. Despite saying he needed time, he had everything nned out and executed very well.


    ''Let''s just hope there will be no distraction, or any set back in the future. I want happiness for my best friend...'' Diamond thought.


    "Well, for now, you need to sell or destroy her current car and buy her a new one, I want a new one to be ready in three days of work at most," Vernonmanded. "I also want your report about Gregory Maxwell. What was the result of the internal meeting within hispany?"


    "Ah, the shareholders of Mr. Maxwell''spany rejoiced when they got the news from Mr. Maxwell. All of them agreed with the contract. Most of them have high hopes for you because you''re Vincent''s little brother."


    "So they thought I could be as good as him or mend the rtionship between Gregory Maxwell and my Big brother?" Vernon asked as he seemed to have a good grasp on this already.


    "Correct, Sir," Diamond confirmed.


    Vernon scoffed, "Heh, thinking about it already makes me disgusted. I don''t want to be the second Vincent. I don''t want to be a filthy abuser."


    "But it can''t be helped. People will still associate me with Vincent until I make a name for myself and overthrow him."


    Vernon nced at Diamond and gave her another order, "Keep Mr. Maxwell''s project in track, we''re going to focus on that once, since my small project with Vincent has just finished."


    "Understood, Sir. I shall put that in my memo," Diamond slightly bowed respectfully, but before she left, Vernon called her again.


    "Oh, one more, Diamond...."


    "Yes?"


    "Thank you... for helping me," Vernon said. He was ashamed to say it, but he thought Diamond deserved his gratitude.


    He wouldn''t be able to manage so many big projects without apetent secretary.


    Diamond smiled in response, "I did this for money, Sir. I also did this for my best friend, Chloe."


    "I know," Vernon nodded, then Diamond left him alone.


    He sat idle for a while, resting his mind as so many things happened in one day.


    To say that he was tired was an understatement. He was exhausted physically and mentally.


    ''Ah, I really can''t wait to go home and have dinner with Chloe and Mackie...'' Vernon thought. ''Oh right, I have to pick Mackie up.''


    Thus, Vernon texted Chloe about when he should pick Mackie up at her school, and he got a reply in less than a minute.

 355 Chapter 355

    -


    From: Chloe


    You can pick her up in an hour. Don''t forget to call me when you''re with her. Mackie rarely got picked up by someone else except when I was really sick.


    So, she might get scared or anxious when I''m not around.


    -


    Vernon replied with a simple ''yes'' and then turned off his phone. He was exhausted and decided to take a quick nap before picking Mackie up.


    **


    The bell just rang, and Mackie packed the books into her bag before she was ready to leave.


    "Mackenzie¡­"


    Mackie lifted her head when she heard someone call her. She saw Mr. Peterson¡ª her teacher for the autumn festival drama crouching beside her.


    "Yes, Mr. Peterson?" Mackie responded, staring at the teacher with her doe eyes.


    Mr. Peterson handed a paper to Mackenzie and said, "This is your parent attendance submission paper. Don''t forget to give it to your parents, and then submit it to me tomorrow, okay?"


    "Okay! I''ll give it to Mommy!" Mackenzie snatched the paper and nodded happily. It was a paper distributed for every event at school, so it wasn''t anything serious.


    But the teacher had another question, "Mackenzie, will your mothere this year?"


    "Un!" Mackie nodded. "Mommy wille, but Daddy won''t. He''s always busy!"


    "I¡ªI see¡­." Mr. Peterson''s expression was slightly stiff as if he had something in mind.


    "What''s wrong, Mr. Peterson?"


    "N¡ªNothing, you can go now."


    "Okay! See you tomorrow, Mr. Peterson!" Mackie quickly joined her friends in the main corridor as they left the main building.


    Mr. Peterson kept staring at her with pity and then turned around. He walked to the Principal''s office and stood in front of the old Mrs. Andrew.


    "So, how was it?" Mrs. Andrew asked. She had been waiting anxiously for the news.


    Mr. Peterson hesitated for a moment and nodded reluctantly, "Mackenzie said that her mother wille for the autumn festival."


    "Oh thank god," Mrs. Andrew wiped the cold sweat that drenched her forehead. "I don''t know what Mr. Gray will do to us if Mackenzie''s mother refuses toe."


    "Okay, Mr. Peterson, you can leave now. Thank you for your help," the old Principal said.


    Mr. Peterson''s heart tightened as he felt pity for Mackenzie and her mother. After all, he had heard a lot of rumors about them and how the other kids, Jada and Mia, were still trying to bully Mackenzie.


    The school tried to stop them, but somehow, they also got the order from the Principal-- who must''ve gotten the real order from Mr. Vincent Gray not to intercept with the bullying that Mackenzie experienced.


    Fortunately, Mackenzie herself was a feisty little girl, she fought all her bullies or anyone who dared to talk bad about her parents, so she became some sort of the popr little girl you didn''t want to mess around at school.


    But the rumor must''ve affected her nheless.


    "Mrs. Andrew, don''t you think we should stop this kind of involvement? We don''t really know the problem between her parents, but she shouldn''t be affected by this."


    "Oh, we''re not living in a fantasy world, Mr. Peterson," the old Principal replied. "I would help her if I could. But I want to maintain my position here, and I want this school to keep standing. Whom we''re fighting right now is the real owner of this school."


    "If Vincent Gray wants to demolish this private school, he could, and he would if we don''t follow his orders."


    "So, if you want to keep your job, just keep your mouth shut and give your care for the other students instead. Mackenzie is born with a gold spoon. She will be fine with all the money she will inherit in the future."


    The Principal''s words were like a knife that stabbed through his chest. He felt guilty for conspiring against a little girl.


    But he wanted to keep his job. He just wished that Mr. Vincent Gray wouldn''t do anything that''d hurt his own daughter.


    **


    Vernon was leaning on his car while staring at the school gate. He crossed his arms and ignored all the states of the moms around him.


    Every woman around Vernon''s vicinity stared at the handsome young man without blinking. They were all struck by his intimidating but somehow charming deep gaze.


    Some of them gossiped with the others, and some immediately recognized him as Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray since he was very popr on TV and the inte.


    But they never expected him to look 10x more handsome in real life. The camera did him no justice!


    Some of the moms were about to take a picture, but they would get a silent re from Vernon and immediately stop before taking any picture.


    They were too scared since most of their husbands were directly or indirectly affiliated with the Gray family. So contempt from Vincent Gray would end up costing their husband''s job orpany.


    ''What is he doing in here?''


    Vernon kept staring at the gate until Mackie came out of the main building.


    Mackie''s eyes looked left and right, trying to find her Mommy, but she couldn''t find her.


    ''Is shete today? But she''s rarelyte¡­.''


    She stood in front of the gate and kept looking around helplessly.


    Vernon''s brow twitched, ''Howe that little devil doesn''t see me? I''m literally the tallest here.''


    Vernon didn''t want to look so uncool by going to Mackie, but he didn''t want to call her and make too much ruckus.


    So he walked towards her and grabbed her small hand, "WAH!"


    Mackie panicked. She thought that she was getting kidnapped. But when she looked up, she got confused instead, "Uncle? Why are you here? Where''s Mommy?"


    "Your Mommy told me to pick you up," Vernon replied curtly. "Let''s go in."


    "Wait, Mommy always told me not to go with a random guy. It''s stranger danger! I will scream now!"


    "You¡ª seriously¡ª" Vernon panicked. He never had anypetence in handling a kid and had thin patience with Mackie.


    "Hehe, alright, alright! Mackie is just messing around with you, Uncle!" Mackenzie squabbled. "You did that to me everyday, hmph!"

 356 Chapter 356

    "Tch, this kid," Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. He didn''t want to squabble with a little girl in public, so he simply picked her up and carried her with one arm.


    "Whoa! Uncle is so tall! I feel like a giant!" Mackiemented. She was excited to be carried by his big bad Uncle because nobody had ever carried her so high above other people.


    The moms were still staring, but none of them found this strange. After all, Vernon was Vincent Gray''s little brother, and there was no news online about the separation between Vincent and his wife.


    They were just a little jealous since that little girl had been blessed since birth. Mackenzie had a handsome billionaire father who loved her so much and a handsome up-anding multi-million Uncle who also wanted to pamper her.


    ''What a blessed child...'' people thought collectively.


    Vernon went inside his car and put Mackie in the passenger seat. He bucked her up and said, "We''re going home."


    Mackie had no suspicion toward her Uncle. But she still asked, "Uncle, what happened to Mommy? Is she okay?"


    "Uh-huh, she''s alright," Vernon replied lightly as his car left the school gate and entered the road. "She''s just exhausted today. So she asked me to pick you up."


    "Did Mommy puke again?" Mackie asked innocently. "Usually, Mommy would puke almost every day. It looks so scary, Uncle. She would fall to the ground for a long time! But she always said that she is alright and healthy...."


    Vernon clenched the steering wheel. Whenever he was reminded of the abuse that Chloe experienced, his heart would tighten ufortably.


    In fact, he med himself for not being able to protect Chloe sooner.


    "Or maybe Mommy is blue-red again!"


    "Blue-red?" Vernon frowned. "What''s that?"


    "Um, it''s when Daddy ys with Mommy. Mommy woulde out with a blue and red face!"


    Vernon quickly caught what Mackie meant by blue-red. It was the bruise that Chloe experienced after being beaten by Vincent.


    It was a horrible thing, but somehow, Mackie didn''t seem to be bothered by it.


    "Do you think it''s alright for Mommy to y with your Daddy?" Vernon asked. He felt that Chloe tried to normalize the abuse she experienced to not stress Mackie out.


    But it made the little girl ignorant of the real problem in her family. Who knew what kind of problem woulde next because of this?"


    "Umm..." Mackie hummed for a while and replied, "I don''t like it! I don''t like when Mommy ys with Daddy!"


    "But Mommy always said that I shouldn''t be angry at Daddy, because Daddy doesn''t mean harm!"


    "Motherfu--" Vernon almost cursed out loud when he heard that. But he zipped his mouth instantly.


    He was so angry at his Big brother for being an abusive bastard. But he was also mad at Chloe for deluding her daughter into this mess.


    ''I don''t know if it''s her own decision, or it''s because Vincent threatened her, but this is not right,'' Vernon thought. He wanted to put some sense into Mackie''s brain that what his Daddy did waspletely wrong.


    But he still needed Chloe''s consent, ''After all, Mackie is her daughter. As much as I want to tell her something, I still have no right to do it unless Chloe is the one who did it.''


    ''But I have to pressure herter.''


    Thus, Vernon put a note in his mind to talk to Chloe about this problem.


    **


    Vernon continued to drive through the city until they were stopped by a traffic light.


    Mackie looked around, and her eyes were glimmering when she saw an ice cream parlor across the street. She pped her Uncle''s arm excitedly, "Uncle! Uncle!"


    "What?"


    "There! Let''s buy ice cream before going home!" Mackie said.


    "Huh? It''s not safe to buy an ice cream in a random shop. I can order you the one made by a professional."


    Mackie pouted upon hearing her Uncle''s response, "I want that one! Mommy and I usually ate ice cream in that ce, it''s good, I tell you!"


    ...


    Vernon felt Mackie would throw a tantrum if he didn''t buy her that ice cream.


    So he had toply and turned to the left after the traffic light turned green.


    He parked the car in front of the parlor. It seemed that they were the only customers there.


    "Uncle, give me money! I''ll buy it for you!"


    "You can do that?"


    "Of course!"


    ...


    "Don''t forget to say that you''re going to take it home. Your Mommy is waiting."


    "Okay!"


    Vernon gave Mackie two 100-dor-bill, and the little girl opened the car door.


    Vernon slid his window down, observing the little girl as she entered the ice cream parlor and ordered the ice cream.


    She seemed to be much more capable than Vernon gave her credit for.


    Honestly, he didn''t know much about Mackie because he was always busy at work. When they were home, they were always quarreling about the smallest thing.


    But with this, he could catch a glimpse of young Chloe in that little girl.


    Because the Chloe he knew was very independent. She was bright, active, and even chatty. Ever since he was a kid, he always saw his Big sis Chloe as a woman who could attract everyone to a party because of her beauty and bubbliness that was just so cute.


    "But it was all gone...." Vernon murmured. "I can''t believe that I missed such an obvious hint. Of course, that bubbly girl I grew up with is gone, she has been severely abused for years."


    Mackie waved her hand at the familiar woman who ran the ice cream parlor and then returned to Vernon''s car.


    She sat on the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt by herself. She put the ice cream box on herp and hummed happily.


    "Are we done?" Vernon asked. "Do you want to buy something else?"


    "Umm... oh yes!" Mackie nodded excitedly. "I want to buy Mommy a new bag!"

 357 Chapter 357

    "I want to buy Mommy a new bag!"


    "A new bag?"


    "Un! Mommy''s bag is ugly now! Let''s buy her a new bag, Uncle!" Mackie said excitedly.


    "Alright," Vernon agreed without hesitation. After all, he also wanted to buy Chloe something to make her happy. This would be the perfect opportunity, especially with Mackie, who might know more about her mother''s taste.


    Vernon drove through the city and stopped in front of Hermes'' giant outlet. He parked his car and said, "We''re here, let''s go and buy something for your Mommy."


    Mackie stared at the giant outlet with many blink-blink around, and she frowned dissatisfied, "Uncle, this is not Mommy''s favorite store!"


    "Huh? Your Mom have a favorite store?"


    "Un!"


    Vernon never knew that Chloe had a different taste. He thought she must be a regr for another fashion brand or maybe something quieter? After all, she didn''t seem to be the one who would show off her wealth.


    "Then tell me what''s her favorite shop, we can go there."


    "Umm¡­" Mackie tried to remember the name of the shops. Her Mommy often shopped in these two ces, so Mackie read the big sign a few times.


    "Co¡ªCostco, and umm¡­ ah! Target!" Mackie said excitedly. "Mommy usually buys her purse and everything there!"


    Vernon almost jumped out of shock when he heard that.


    "Your Mommy buys her stuff there?"


    "Yes!"


    ¡­


    Vernon remembered that Chloe never seemed to buy anything expensive, even with his credit card. She was only buying groceries and Mackie''s stuff with his CC.


    ''Of course she bought stuff in Costco or Target, she has this weird fixation of buying cheap stuff for herself. Was it something rted to Vincent again?'' Vernon pondered. ''Besides, how am I supposed to see that she''s wearing cheap stuff? She still looks beautiful, she looks like someone wearing quiet luxury goods!''


    "Uncle, let''s go!" Mackie urged.


    "Let''s not buy it today."


    "Huh, why not?"


    "I have something else for your Mommy," Vernon replied. "I will buy her something amazing, and it needs to be ordered first. So, don''t tell your Mommy about it, okay?"


    "Whoa! Uncle is so kind!" Mackie chirped happily. "Daddy never buy anything for Mommy, so Uncle will be the first!"


    ''There you go again, many cases of abuse spilled out of a little girl''s innocent mouth¡­.''


    Vernon knew he still had a long way to go to make Chloefortable with him, especially after realizing how much he had yelled at and scared her.


    "Let''s go home, Uncle! The ice cream will melt!"


    "Hm, let''s buy something for dinner first," Vernon said.


    "Mommy is not cooking?"


    "Your Mommy is tired, remember? It''s good to let her have a little rest."


    **


    Chloe was busy cleaning Vernon and Mackie''s bedrooms in thete afternoon. She knew that Vernon told her to just sleep, or at least any kind of rest.


    But she couldn''t stay still. It was just not her blood to stay in ce while the house was a mess.


    After she finished Mackie''s bedroom, she cleaned Vernon''s bed.


    She turned on the light, and the first thing she saw was many wet stains on the white bedsheet.


    Her cheeks reddened instantly because she knew who and what caused the stain.


    ''Maybe I shouldn''t use a white bedsheet for him, who knows what he will do next in this bed?'' Chloe thought.


    She took off the dirty bed sheet and reced it with a new one, which was ck this time.


    She threw the dirty bedsheet in theundry chute because Vernon had a cleaning staff for it.


    After cleaning Vernon''s room, she went out of the bedroom and bumped into Mackie and Vernon, who opened the main penthouse door.


    Mackie''s face brightened instantly. She shoved the ice cream box to her uncle and rushed to hug her Mommy.


    "MOMMY!"


    Chloe smiled and opened her arm. She hugged her daughter and asked, "Did you have a nice day at school, dear?"


    "Mhm! I''m getting better at being a big bad wolf!" Mackie replied. "Oh, Mommy, Mr. Peterson said that I need to give you this¡ª"


    Mackie rummaged inside her bag and handed the parent attendance form to her Mommy.


    Chloe obviously knew about it since it was a yearly activity, "Okay, Mommy will fill it out tonight, don''t forget to send it back to Mr. Peterson tomorrow, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    "Take a bath first, then we can have dinner," Chloe said. Mackie happily hopped to her bedroom downstairs, leaving Chloe and Vernon together in the penthouse living room.


    They stared at each other awkwardly and then tried to dodge each other''s gazes.


    Chloe was embarrassed because Vernon''s words kept echoing in her head, giving her the courage to be a little bit reckless and preventing her from giving up.


    If he hadn''t called her at that vital moment, she would be in Vincent''s mansion with Mackie right now.


    Meanwhile, Vernon was embarrassed because of many things, mainly because he cried until his snot flowed from his nostril like a stinky kid this afternoon.


    ''Damn, I was so uncool..'' Vernon thought.


    Chloe was the first to break the silence between them, "Um¡­ what''s in your hand, Vernon?"


    "Oh¡ª!" Vernon quickly raised the ice cream box in his left hand and a bag of food in his right. "This is the ice cream that Mackie wants, and the other one is our dinner. You didn''t cook anything today, right?"


    "Not yet¡­"


    "Well that''s good, you need a rest," Vernon said. "Just tell me if you''re too tired. I can cook, or I can always buy something from my favorite restaurant."


    Vernon walked to the living room and put the food on the dining table. He also shoved the ice cream box in the freezer."


    Chloe watched Vernon, who was busy setting up tes for the food on the dining table, and after he was done preparing dinner, he turned his head towards Chloe.


    He stared at Chloe in silence, but Chloe knew he was waiting to be praised for his work.


    Chloe smiled and walked towards Vernon. She patted his strong arm and said, "Thank you, big guy."

 358 Chapter 358

    Vincent returned after dusk since he still had plenty of meetings before returning to his office and then to his mansion.


    He had already told Maria to meet him in his home office because he was curious about the recording.


    ''Well, if it''s not worth my time, I might as well fire that old hag because she did something out of my instruction. A disobedient old mutt needs to get euthanized sooner orter.''


    Vincent did his usual routine by taking a warm bath after work, wearing pajamas, and then eating dinner before throwing the food to the maid''s or the cook''s face.


    Because none of them made a good dinner, no matter how many times Vincent beat them to do it better.


    "Damn, how many times do I have to tell all of you ipetent dogs to make something simr to my wife''s cooking? What''s so difficult?! Why can''t it taste the same?!" Vincent yelled after he threw all the tes on the floor.


    The maids and cooks could only lower their heads out of fear. This job was too stressful for anyone, but the pay was too good for them to leave.


    So they could only bear all the abuse while secretly hoping Mrs. Gray could return and protect them instead.


    After all, Mrs. Gray would usually stop Master Gray from hurting the staff and let him vent on her instead.


    ''Yeah, life was good when she was around,'' the staff thought in unison.


    After Vincent calmed down, he went to his home office and worked on a few documents until he heard a knock on the door.


    "Master, it''s Secretary Maria. She said she has a report for you," the maid outside said.


    "Let her in."


    The door was opened, and Secretary Maria came in with a stack of documents and an iPad.


    Maria walked with her chin up despite her age, arrogantly passing the young maid. She stood before her boss and put the document on the table.


    But that wasn''t the main reason for her arrival. She put the iPad right in front of Vincent. She said, "I have recorded my conversation with Mrs. Gray, both video and audio. You may check it first to see if it will have any use for you, Sir."


    Vincent raised his brow. He was quite interested in her bold statement, "You will not apologize for what you did, Secretary Maria? You''re acting without my order."


    "What I am doing is to incentivise you, Sir," Maria replied firmly. She didn''t have an ounce of fear in front of the obviously dangerous boss. "Maybe you will change on method of handling Mrs. Gray''s disappearance after watching the video."


    Vincent was not amused by how bold she replied to him. He never liked Secretary Maria because she acted as if they were equal, even if Vincent could ruin her life in a blink of an eye.


    But she was still an incrediblypetent secretary, and he was rational enough to know that he wouldn''t be able to handle the work without Secretary Maria''s help.


    "Fine, but if it''s not interesting, then I will punish you for this, you old hag."


    Vincent tapped the screen and yed the video.


    The video was recorded from an angle where he could fully see Chloe''s face. She was a lot healthier than thest time he saw her.


    Her cheek was skill sunken, but she wasn''t just flesh and bones these days.


    Maybe in a year, Chloe would return to her old self when she was a ravishing young beauty in her early 20s.


    A beauty that made everyone crazy for her, including Vincent.


    She looked at Maria with eyes full of suspicion, but Maria ignored it and started the conversation.


    Vincentpletely ignored Maria''s words as he deemed them unimportant, but he was shocked when Chloe opened her mouth.


    -


    "Rash and irrational? I think both of us know that Vincent is the most irrational man ever."


    -


    Vincent''s eyes widened.


    No, he wasn''t all that surprised that Chloe hated him. After all, he did, it would be too delusional of him not to recognize the hatred and fear in her eyes.


    But that didn''t really matter.


    He owned her, and that was all that mattered.


    What really surprised him was the way she reacted. The old Chloe under him wouldn''t dare raise her head or fight back. She could only cry and cower in fear, and it took Vincent many years to train Chloe until she became like that.


    But she became healthier in just a few months and dared to talk back. Her voice was cold and loud as if she feared nothing.


    The more he watched, the more he listened to how Chloe argued and retaliated.


    And it was...


    ''Goddamn arousing and infuriating at the same time,'' Vincent thought. He never realized he would be aroused when listening to Chloe, who retaliated.


    The spark that had been lost for the past eight years suddenly returned, and now he realized what had been lost.


    ''So that''s why I lost interest in her...'' Vincent thought. ''Because she doesn''t retaliate anymore....''


    Vincent also continued watching, and he got even more infuriated by Chloe.


    ''Damn, I can''t wait to silence her bold mouth. How dare she talk back like that? Did she think that she could fight me just because I let her free for a while?'' Vincent smirked maliciously. ''I can''t wait to see you retaliate as I make you beg for your life, Wife.''


    -


    "I never cheat on him, not even once I do have the idea about it. But even if I did, he has no right to call me out, because he fucked Prisci in our marital bed!"


    -


    Thatst sentence before Chloe grabbed her bag and left struck Vincent in his pride. He scoffed, full of ridicule, "And what''s wrong with that?"


    Vincent looked up and asked Secretary Maria, "Can you believe what she just said? I have no right to call her out because I fucked that condom bitch on our bed? HAHA! That''s funny!"


    SLAM!


    Vincent mmed the desk and roared;


    "I AM VINCENT GRAY, I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT!"

 359 Chapter 359

    "I AM VINCENT GRAY, I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT!"


    Vincent''s thundering roar reached the ear of the maid guarding outside of Vincent''s office. Her heart jumped, and her legs trembled instantly.


    She was d she wasn''t inside the office when her Master was roaring. But still, her heart was filled with fear as she imagined Master Vincent Gray''s malicious viper-like gaze. ''Oh my god, I don''t know what will happen to that old woman. She might die out of a heart attack!''


    She was afraid that the maids and security guards would have to carry out a dead old woman after this.


    However, she waspletely wrong about Maria. She was an olddy with a lot of experience with a megalomaniac like Vincent Gray.


    Thus, when Vincent roared in front of her face, she didn''t budge, and her cold heart was still beating regrly. She had expected everything out of his craziness.


    ''It''s all in their blood,'' Maria reminded herself.


    After all, she had worked with Vaughn Gray for more than two decades and knew him well, and this kind of thundering roar full of pride was a regr behavior for them.


    Besides, Vincent Gray was almost like histe father''s carbon copy, at least Vaughn''s version after he got married.


    Because for a reason unknown, young, unmarried Vaughn was very simr to Vernon, but the married one was like Vincent.


    ''Well, that doesn''t matter. That treacherous young man¡ª Vernon Phoenix Gray, will turn out to be just like his Big brother after he gets married to a woman.''


    Vincent red at her with his viper-like gaze, waiting for Secretary Maria''s response. She knew he was trying to intimidate her because he was now angry. So he simply wanted to find a random person he could abuse until he calmed down.


    That role was usually filled by Chloe for years, until she decided to run away like an idiot.


    But Maria wasn''t the prey that he could bite. She gazed back with steadfastness. She showed no fear because she knew how to handle the Gray.


    "Indeed, you can do whatever you want, Sir," Secretary Maria said calmly. "As you can see in that video, your wife dares to fight back, even raise her voice against me because she has been spoiled rotten by that bastard who made her a kept woman."


    "A woman like her needs to be taught, so she will know her ce. What you''re doing right now is very destructive, Sir," Maria continued adding fuel to the fire. Her main objective was to stimte her boss to at least do something.


    "What would happen if you took too long to catch her? She will fight back until she has no more respect for you. She will be too difficult to handle."


    Vincent listened to everything the old hag said, and the fire in his heart exploded instantly.


    He felt humiliated and angry to the point that he couldn''t even yell anymore.


    So he scoffed, full of irony instead.


    "Heh¡­ do you think I can''t handle a woman like her? She has been under my thumb for more then ten years¡ª"


    "¡ªAnd she bes unfettered after only six months outside," Secretary Maria interrupted.


    Vincent gritted his teeth. He mmed the table again and pointed his index at her face, "DON''T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATING ME! I WILL MAKE HER OBEY ME AGAIN AFTER SHE CRAWLS BACK!"


    ¡­


    Secretary Maria thought that she had done her best to stimte Vincent. Now he looked more like a crazed beast than a human.


    "Then, Sir, do you want me to do something to catch her as soon as possible? I can do it," Maria offered.


    Vincent calmed down after a while.


    Honestly, he wanted to catch her and force her to crawl on his feet, making her cry and beg for her life because she had been trying to run away from him.


    But since he found out that he got aroused seeing Chloe fight back, he had another idea in mind.


    "Not now, Secretary Maria," Vincent replied firmly. "I will let her roam free for now, I want her to be healthy and return to her younger days, when she was a morous beauty."


    "I want her to fight back," Vincent said, then a malicious smirk slowly appeared as he lowered his gaze to stare at Chloe''s beautiful face on the iPad screen. He used his index to touch her cheek as if touching the real person.


    There was a trace of insidiousness mixed with obsession in his eyes, "And I will have my fun, until she couldn''t handle it anymore and begged to be spared. It''s fun to make her cry."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Maria went silent as she was truly shocked by his answer.


    No, she wasn''t shocked when Vincent said all the horrible things he''d done to Chloe. After all, it was in his blood, and he had done it for the past ten years or so.


    But what surprised her was him telling her to wait. She thought her boss would tell her to find that bitch Chloe Gray and bring her to him as soon as possible.


    ''Did I not stimte him enough? I really thought we could just bring that spoiled woman back to his mansion and get this over with,'' Secretary Maria pondered.


    Vincent took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was overly stimted with anger, but that only gave him an even crazier idea of what he would do to Chloe once she returned.


    Vincent sat and leaned on his chair, "Send all of the video of her to my phone, then you can leave, Secretary Maria."


    The old secretary was still confused about his reaction, "Sir, are you sure you don''t want me to bring her back?"


    "No need. I want her to grow first," Vincent replied. "I want to pluck her when she blooms beautifully, and then crush her with my feet. Did I make it clear or you have to be told like a kindergarten student?"


    "¡­ Yes, Sir, I understand¡­"


    "Good, you can leave now."

 360 Chapter 360

    The old secretary nodded obediently. She grabbed her iPad from the desk and then pointed at the documents she had just bought, sitting at the edge of the desk.


    "Sir, those are the documents you want. The legal contract between you and your little brother," Maria returned to her regr professional secretary persona. "Sir, are you sure that you want to work more with him?"


    "Huh? Why not?" Vincent frowned. "He is my little brother, and you know how much I care for him. Besides, don''t you see how good he is at handling the project I gave him? He is a talented young man."


    ¡­


    ''I still think he is treacherous. He wants something more from the Gray family,'' Maria wanted to say that. But she knew that he''d only argue with her and even call her nosy for pestering about his rtionship with his little brother.


    So she would rather not waste her energy, ''I''ll keep an eye on that young man. I have to make sure thepany is safe.''


    "Then, I will leave now, Sir. Please excuse me," Maria bowed respectfully.


    "Mm, don''t forget to send me all the videos."


    "Certainly, Sir."


    Maria turned around and left Vincent''s office. She opened the door and saw the maid who was guarding the door look pale.


    ''Amateur,'' Maria scorned. She walked through the corridor with sure steps as if she hadn''t just heard Vincent roaring inside the office.


    ''It''s all part of the job,'' Maria told herself. ''I am a professional, so I dedicate everything for the sake of thepany.''


    Maria left Vincent''s mansion and drove her car through the city. Her mind was filled with worry and disappointment.


    "I don''t understand Vincent," Maria murmured while driving. "I thought I did a great job to stimte him. But why didn''t he want her now?"


    "Now thepany will suffer. Vincent is not doing as great of a job as he would usually do. He might not admit it, but his mind is constantly filled with that selfish bitch Chloe Gray.''


    Maria constantly worried about thepany''s performance. Vincent was an amazing CEO. He indeed deserved his position.


    But he was prone to messing up when his mind was in chaos. Maria learned this by watching Vaughn.


    Men from the Gray family had weird fetishes of their own. Vaughn Gray liked exhibitionism. It was his way to de-stress.


    But he only liked to do it in front of his kids. So his kids were forced to watch him have intercourse with his mistresses.


    Maria was surprised at first but soon grew detached from it.


    "I guess Vincent also inherited some of that habit."


    Vincent also liked to have sex with a new woman every week. But his fetish was to be watched by his wife. He said that Chloe was overreacting most of the time, crying hysterically until she fainted. He found it funny and somewhat cute.


    "Well, they''re weird, but it''s not my ce to judge," Maria said. "I just want thepany to perform well until I decide to resign. After all, I''ve dedicated my life to work there."


    For Maria, her work was her identity, and she took great pride in it.


    So she would do anything for thepany to perform well, including pushing a woman to suffer under her boss'' hand.


    She felt bad for Chloe, well, just a little.


    Maria knew Chloe was a free woman who could do anything, such as leaving Vincent. But Maria found her to be egoistic for not wanting to sacrifice herself for the greater good.


    "But she''s just one woman. What''s one woman''s worthpared to the wholepany?" Maria tried to justify her action. "She is the scapegoat, but she also helps the maids not to get yelled at by Vincent. She also helps him perform better in the office. She is helping everyone just by bing Vincent''s wife."


    "Now she wants to ditch everything and potentially ruin the wholepany that has been built for almost a century. She doesn''t care about the lives she would ruin because of Vincent''s poor performance at work."


    "If she''s really like the good-natured woman like what people said. She should''ve thought about other people''s wellbeing as well. What would happen if thepany went on a tough spot because of her, and thepany would be forced toy off thousands of employees?"


    "What would happen to their wellbeing? They also have families to take care of. What a selfish bitch."


    **


    Vincent finished reading the documents that Maria provided. It was mostly just the legal documents about his project with Vernon.


    But he also stumbled upon one document that the old hag might have intentionally put there as a warning.


    It was about Gregory Maxwell''spany.


    Ever since Vincent halved the supply in half, Gregory had been scrambling, desperately trying to cover up for the extreme losses because hispany would go bankrupt in a year or so if he couldn''t find another project to cover up the expenses.


    It was a strategy that Vincent used so Gregory Maxwell and the other millionaires he targeted would fight and use each other. They were convinced that one of them was hiding Vincent''s wife as a mistress.


    ''And that n is working too. A few of them are using each other and ruining their own business rtionships, because they are afraid that I might ruin their lives.''


    They also started calling Vincent, thinking they could save their asses by spilling thepany secret to him, so they would be spared by the ever-powerful Vincent Gray.


    And the one who reaped the most profit was obviously Vincent right now.


    But there was another man who unknowingly made a deal with Gregory Maxwell.


    It wasn''t a big problem for Vincent since Gregory Maxwell was only used as an example to scare the other millionaires around New York. So it didn''t matter if Gregory Maxwell had sessfully saved hispany.


    What concerned him wasn''t about that old man but this young man who dared to work with Mr. Maxwell.


    "What are you trying to do, Little bro?"

 361 Chapter 361

    "What are you trying to do, Little bro?" Vincent continued reading the document about the project between Gregory Maxwell and his little brother.


    It was supposed to be apany secret, but Gregory Maxwell''s shareholders were basically under Vincent''s thumb as well, so it wasn''t really difficult to extort some information from them.


    "So basically, my cute little brother wants to release a beverage product for some part of Europe, huh?" Vincent murmured. He had a thin smile and was undoubtedly proud of his little brother, who was actively trying to find a business that would work for him.


    "Hmm¡­ he''s working with Gregory Maxwell to supply the metal can material. Not bad. That old man might''ve been crooked, but I think I''ve straightened him a bit after I cut half of the supplying from him," Vincent murmured.


    "Vernon made the right decision to take that old man''s service. Usually I''d be very happy for my little bro, but this is different¡­."


    Vincent had yet told Vernon about his method of dealing with Gregory Maxwell and the reason behind it.


    He also hadn''t told that little boy about his n to intentionally create chaos within the business circle until they all became desperate to save themselves.


    "So what''s the reason you''re working with Gregory Maxwell right now? Surely you have a lot of options, right, little bro?" Vincent talked as if he was interrogating his little brother in front of him. "Do you want to cross your path against me, your own Big brother?"


    Vincent wasn''t an idiot not to know that sibling rivalry was bound to happen in any kind of household, so Vernon and him would eventually cross paths and fight for a big slice of cake called money.


    "I don''t really mind if he takes a part of my wealth. After all, we are brothers, we''re supposed to share things we have," Vincent murmured, his gaze cooled as he had malicious intent in his heart. "But I will never forgive those who betray me, even my own little brother."


    "I will punish him. I''ll desecrate all of thepanies that he built from the bottom until he begged to be forgiven," Vincent said coldly.


    Vincent tapped the desk with his finger, trying to decide whether he needed to take action against Vernon. He wanted to extort some information about what he was doing, "Vernon is the one who put Gregory Maxwell''s data in his report to me. Obviously, he wants me to weed that old man out first."


    "I thought he just wanted to help me find Chloe, but now¡­ I''m not sure."


    As Vincent''s suspicion grew bigger, his phone suddenly rang. He frowned, thinking it might be another call from that useless condom bitch, Prisci.


    He kicked her out of his mansion andpany, but she kept trying to call him through different numbers, talk about obsession.


    But it wasn''t Prisci. Much to his surprise, it was his Little brother, Vernon.


    Thus, Vincent quickly picked up the phone and waited until Vernon spoke;


    ¡ª


    "Uh, good evening, Big bro!" Vernon greeted him with his usual happy tone as if talking to Vincent was such a joyful asion.


    That positive energy from his little brother quickly washed Vincent''s suspicion away. He might be cold and cruel, but he saw Vernon as the only family he had raised since he was a kid.


    So he had a soft spot for Vernon.


    "Good evening, do you have something you want to talk about, Vernon?" Vincent asked directly, hinting to Vernon that he needed to rify this, or this would lead to a sibling war.


    "Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you about Gregory Maxwell," Vernon replied lightly. As if he wasn''t trying to hide anything. "I signed a contract with him."


    "What kind of contract?"


    "Hmm, you see, Big bro, I was trying to make a refreshing drink product, and it will be released around Europeter. The project is already ongoing, and I need a metal can material supplier for it."


    "Mr. Maxwell came to my office and offered to be the supplier. He even imed that he will handle the supply transport to Europe," Vernon said. "Big bro, it''s an amazing offer that I cannot pass, especially since he also offered me a low price for it."


    "I see¡­" Vincent''s lips perked up as he was listening to his Little bro. "And what''s the point of you reporting this to me?"


    "Uhh, obviously, because I was the one who put Gregory Maxwell inside the report I gave you before. I know I sound hypocritical, but I want to make sure that you don''t think I''m trying to betray you or something¡­."


    "HAHAHAH!" Vincentughed rambunctiously. "It''s okay, I know that old man''s capability as well. He has been working with the Gray family for years."


    "But you have to be careful. I cut the half of the supply from him because he tried to cut corners by giving me slightly worse material," Vincent informed. "Make sure to inspect the material he sent. If it''s a bad one, just tell me, I will deal with him."


    "Damn, I didn''t know that¡­." Vernon said cluelessly. "Should I stop the supply? But that''d be a breach of contract, and I''ll have to pay a lot of money forpensation¡­."


    "No need," Vincent replied. "He''s good enough. I just want to make sure you have a good supplier, so your product will be a big sess. If you need my help with anything, just call me, okay?"


    "Okay! Thank you Big bro!" Vernon replied with joy. "Phew, I thought I messed up. Big bro, you''re not mad about it, right?"


    "About what?"


    "About this Gregory Maxwell thing¡ª"


    "No, it''s fine," Vincent replied lightly. His heart was at ease after knowing his Little bro didn''t intend to betray him. "Just make sure to inform me if you''re working with people within my business circle. So there won''t be any misunderstanding."


    "Sure, thank you so much, Big bro! Oh, I still have work to do, talk to ya''ter!"


    "Mhm, bye."


    Beep.

 362 Chapter 362

    Beep.


    The call ended, and Vincent was in a good mood.


    Vernon took the initiative to call him to clear up the suspicion that might lead to a misunderstanding between them.


    "Well, it''s a good thing that I have a good and obedient Little bro, he really knows how to make me happy," Vincent thought. "Heheh, maybe I should give him a little helpter. It''s always nice to help him. It''s nice to have a family that won''t betray you."


    ¡­


    Vincent got up from the chair and left his office. Since he was in a good mood, he didn''t intend to yell at any maids he passed on his way to the master bedroom.


    He entered the master bedroom, where he and his wife¡ª Chloe Gray- were supposed to sleep together.


    Hey on the bed, watching the TV idly until he got an email on his phone.


    He checked it, and his lips perked up again.


    However, it wasn''t the same happy smile when he was talking with his Little bro.


    It was, in fact, a malicious smile filled with evil thoughts that stemmed from his superiorityplex over his wife.


    Vincent clicked on the video and then resumed watching the recording of Chloe arguing and raising her voice in front of that old hag.


    She looked fierce and tough. Though with her doe eyes, it didn''t seem too believable.


    But, of course, it was a nice change from the usual weak Chloe that he grew tired of.


    "It''d be nice if she started struggling and fighting back again. At least I got something to torment when I''m stressed. Who knows if she struggled hard enough, she might have the chance to get fucked by me again? Isn''t that what she want?"


    Vincent continued watching the video, and when the video stopped, he looked at the big framed wedding picture hanging above the TV.


    "Hmm¡­ I think if I let her for at least a year, she will return to her original morous beauty. It''ll be fun to tear her apart and ruin her life once more. It''s like a second chance for me."


    Vincent felt that his pajama pants were getting ufortable as he had gotten an erection down there.


    He wouldn''t lie that he got aroused thinking he would turn his wife from a morous beauty into a worthless woman who could only cower and beg for his generosity to continue living.


    He was also pleasantly surprised by the erection since his sex drive basically plummeted after a few months of Chloe''s departure.


    He hadn''t had sex with any woman for at least three months, and no woman was appealing enough to give him an erection.


    Vernon licked his lower lip while staring at Chloe in the wedding dress, "I will enjoy breaking you, Chloe Gray."


    **


    Beep.


    Vernon hung up the call between him and his Big brother¡ªVincent Gray. He leaned on the wall and inhaled deeply before exhaling his worry away with the cold wind.


    He gazed at New York city from the balcony of his penthouse, pondering on what he should do next to protect everything he had right now and the woman he loved.


    ''Good thing I call him as soon as possible,'' Vernon thought. ''Vincent might investigate all by himself about it if I forgot to report to him.''


    Vernon knew that he couldn''t hide anything against his Big brother, ''Especially with that old hag around. She is capable enough to trap Chloe, so she must''ve sniffed something suspicious about me.''


    Vernon realized that the stage had been set. He couldn''t y around right now.


    He needed to be serious to secretly chip away Vincent''s influence over his business circle and then let thepany that had been established decades ago crumble.


    But to do that, he needed to look as harmless as possible in front of his Big brother while still ying the mind game so Chloe wouldn''t get caught and forcefully taken back to Vincent''s mansion.


    ''I won''t let him hurt her again. I will protect her, even if it costs my entire fortune¡ª even my life,'' Vernon swore in his heart.


    He didn''t know much about the abuse she experienced¡ª though he wished that Chloe would open up to him more about it.


    But he knew that it was a series of traumatizing events piled over the years. Of course, it would be hard for her to talk about.


    ''But for now¡­'' Vernon knew that he could fool his Big bro, but for how long until he noticed that hispany was crumbling down?


    ''Honestly, I''m more worried about that old hag, Secretary Maria. She''s well versed in trickery, she''s far more dangerous than Vincent right now. I''m afraid she will take measures by her own hand and kidnap Chloe when she''s vulnerable.''


    ¡­


    ''Should I just¡­ send Chloe somewhere else?'' Vernon wondered. He could always send Chloe and Mackie to other states, maybe to somewhere less stressful for her, like Rhode Ind.


    "¡­ I can''t¡­" Vernon sighed. "I don''t know if I can keep my sanity in check when she''s not around."


    "All of these business wars, and also family drama stress me out so much, the only way I can feel at ease is when I look at her¡­."


    Vernon snorted as he found himself ridiculous. He remembered how he wanted to ruin her life because of what she said about him.


    He still wanted to confront Chloe about it, but maybeter when things weren''t soplicated.


    Vernon sighed for the second time. He fished a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and bit one in his mouth.


    He lit the end with a match. He smoked the cigarette and puffed the smoke into the cold wind.


    He didn''t like to smoke, but it was a way of de-stressing that he used if a problem was too heavy for him.


    He was smoking in silence, staring at New York City at night.


    Until he heard someone call his name, "Vernon?"

 363 Chapter 363

    "Vernon?"


    Vernon turned around when he heard that familiar voice.


    There, he saw Chloe opening the balcony ss door. Tucked in a loose sweater, she joined Vernon, who was smoking on the balcony.


    Vernon was a little dumbfounded because he thought Chloe went to bed right after dinner or had a mother-daughter talk with Mackie downstairs.


    But what made him even more dumbfounded was how she looked at him.


    Vernon saw no fear in her eyes. She looked at him as if he was a part of the family, something that he never expected toe from her.


    After all, he always expected Chloe to see him as an outsider, especially since she said he was just an inferior version of Vincent.


    Chloe''s eyes quickly darted at the cigarette in his mouth, "I didn''t know that you''re a smoker¡­."


    "Oh¡ªAh!" Vernon quickly pulled out the cigarette and put it off before throwing it off the balcony. He looked like a kid who felt guilty after getting caught red-handed for smoking.


    "I¡ªI didn''t do it often, I swear!" Vernon said. "Just when I was feeling too stressed with work¡­."


    Chloe sighed. She tucked her sweater because the cold wind wasn''t good for her frail body and drew near Vernon.


    Vernon instinctively took a step back until his hip hit the railing, and Chloe chuckled when she saw his nervousness, "Why are you so nervous? Is it because I caught you smoking?"


    "Ah¡ªw¡ªwell, yeah¡­." Vernon admitted that it was embarrassing for him. "You told me not to smoke when I was young¡­."


    "I will still tell you not to smoke right now, you know? It''s never good for your health."


    "I know¡­" Vernon lowered his head, ready to get scolded by Chloe. "Sorry¡­"


    Chloe sighed and lifted her hand. She gently ruffled Vernon''s hair and said, "Though I''m not happy that you smoke, it''s your right to do so. You''re an adult now."


    Vernon lifted his head slightly, staring at Chloe, who didn''t seem to be mad.


    Now he was the one who got a little annoyed instead. He''d be happy to get scolded for being bad.


    Or maybe he was just fucked up because getting scolded by Chloe was somewhat of an old feeling he wished to relive.


    "Y¡ªYou can scold me a little, you know¡­." Vernon murmured almost inaudibly, afraid that Chloe would find him weird.


    But Chloe heard it, and she frowned, "Well, rather than scolding you like a kid, I''d rather ask you not to smoke too much, okay? You might get addicted."


    "Un, okay¡­"


    Chloe smiled at Vernon and then turned around. She walked towards the railing and rested her arms on it.


    She gazed upon the view of New York City at night, just like what Vernon did, and said, "I''ve never felt this free in my life for the past ten years. I should''ve done this sooner."


    Vernon didn''t know what Chloe meant by that. But she seemed to be enjoying herself while gazing at the view.


    ? Thus, he was also gazing at his view¡ª Chloe''s side profile.


    Chloe was beautiful. Since Vernon was a kid, he had never seen someone as beautiful as her, and that opinion stood strong for him.


    Even now, he still saw Chloe as the most beautiful woman he had ever met.


    ''I don''t understand¡­'' Vernon kept thinking about how his Big bro hurt Chloe so much, to the point that she was nothing like her previous self.


    Vincent changed her so much, desecrating such a beautiful flower by stomping on her.


    ''What''s wrong with him? I''d forever be grateful if Chloe were my wife¡ª''


    Vernon shook his head as quickly as possible. He didn''t want to have that idea because he was also unsure of his own feelings.


    ''And it''s not the time to think about that¡­.''


    "Vernon¡­"


    "Y¡ªYes!" Vernon stood straight as he got nervous.


    Chloe smiled as she gave Vernon a side nce, "Thank you," She said.


    "Huh? For what?" Vernon frowned, unable toprehend what was in Chloe''s mind.


    "For everything," Chloe added. "You don''t know how much help you gave to me. When I was the most desperate, you took me and my daughter so we can have a ce to stay, and continue with our life, especially with Mackie''s study. I was so afraid that she couldn''t continue going to school because of Vincent''s craziness."


    ¡­


    Vernon didn''t want to admit that he had malicious intent when he took her in.


    He returned to New York for payback for the humiliation he experienced when Chloe basically called him an inferior version of Vincent.


    It might be a small thing for her. Still, for Vernon, it became such a thorn in his heart, making him unable to see himself as enough. He would constantly beat himself up for being too weak or stupid.


    ''You should''ve seen through me already, Chloe¡­'' Vernon said in his heart. ''I helped you because I want to hurt you. I want you to suffer humiliation, just like what you did to me. Because you''re basically selling your body for me.''


    Vernon thought that he could get satisfaction by ruining her life. But it seemed that Chloe never saw it that way.


    Because she had suffered a great deal with Vincent, ''She must have suffered abuse and humiliation so awful, that my kind of humiliation doesn''t even seem to affect her much.''


    But Vernon still thought himself guilty. He was, after all, a man with malicious intentions.


    ''So, why are you thanking me right now? Why can''t you see that I''m also a bad guy?''


    Vernon continued staring at Chloe''s side profile, and the more he stared at her, the faster his heartbeat got.


    ''Maybe you saw me through your rose-colored sses. That''s why you don''t see all of my mistakes for making things worse for your mental health¡­'' Vernon continued ming himself.


    ''So I promise to make up for it. I will be the man you can rely on, Chloe. Even if it will cost me everything.''

 364 Chapter 364

    So I promise to make up for it. I will be the man you can rely on, Chloe. Even if it will cost me everything,'' Vernon swore in his heart. ''As long as it doesn''t cost you, then I can do anything for you.''


    Meanwhile, Chloe had something else in mind. She knew Vernon was smoking because he was stressed about the whole ordeal with Vincent and thepany''s affair.


    Chloe also saw the amount of stress that Vincent had to handle, but he didn''t smoke.


    Instead, Vincent would beat and torment her until she cried, and then he would be satisfied. It was his way of de-stressing, and Chloe stupidly thought she could be the martyr. Her daughter would be safe and happy if she endured all the abuse.


    ''But I''m still a human in the end. I can''t endure too much pain. So I filed for divorce and ran away¡­.''


    Honestly, Chloe was still doubtful in her heart.


    The fear of Vincent''s wrath was deeply ingrained in her, making her subconsciously want to return to him, not because he loved that bastard.


    That love was gone because Vincent crushed her heart over the years until it couldn''t be pieced together anymore.


    But she wanted to return so Vincent could unleash his rage on her. Maybe that would also be the end of her.


    But at least Vincent wouldn''t unleash his rage on other innocent lives. Chloe certainly didn''t want her daughter or Vernon to get hurt because of her.


    ''But he made me want to be a little more reckless than usual. Instead of sacrificing myself, I want to¡­ struggle a little¡­.''


    "Vernon¡­ Do you still remember everything you said to me today?" Chloe suddenly asked, and Vernon nodded in response.


    He had a good memory, especially when it was about Chloe. He remembered vividly almost everything she told him when he was still young.


    "Well, you might not remember this, but you said something that makes me want to¡­ fight a little¡­." Chloe said. She had never felt this open to someone in her life because she liked to keep all her ideas and opinions inside her mind.


    But that was mostly because she was afraid of getting berated by Vincent.


    Now with Vernon, she was assured that he wouldn''t berate her, would he?


    "Did I?" Vernon was genuinely caught off guard by that. All he said to her today was something that he said to protect her from any harm.


    But he didn''t remember ever giving any kind of encouragement to her, ''Which I should. Why am I so slow? Ugh!''


    Chloe nodded lightly and parroted what Vernon said to her, word by word;


    "Discard any stupid idea of yours, and trust me."


    Vernon was stunned as Chloe parroted his words. Of course, he remembered when he said that.


    He said it when Chloe was at home, alone.


    He was afraid that Chloe would do something unthinkable. After all, she looked like someone who had just lost her soul and will to live.


    But he didn''t understand why that sentence became her source to retaliate.


    "Vernon, I¡ª I do have a stupid idea when I was alone in the house today," Chloe confessed. But she didn''t mention specifically what kind of stupid idea she had, as she was also ashamed of it.


    "But you called me at the right moment, I was ready to leave everything¡ª to leave you. I was still thinking about it until you said that sentence to me."


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you told me to discard my stupid idea and trust you, and so I did¡­." Chloe said. She turned and faced Vernon.


    Then she slowly drew near until there was only a small gap between their bodies. Chloe looked up as her height was only at his shoulder level.


    She gave Vernon a gentle smile, "So I will trust you¡ª a little. I don''t know what I can do, but I will support you in any way. This is not because of my job, but because I¡­ I want to have someone to lean on¡­."


    Chloe was a little embarrassed, but she gathered enough courage to request something, "C¡ªCan I¡­ um¡­ hug you? I don''t want to get weird, but¡ª WHA!"


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and her body stiffened instantly when Vernon suddenly embraced her and wrapped his arms tightly around her small body.


    "V¡ªVernon¡ª?"


    "Don''t ever dare to give in to your stupid idea. I will not let you," Vernon said. His voice was hoarse, as he was holding such heavy emotion in him right now.


    Vernon was triggered when Chloe said that she said that she was ready to leave everything, including him.


    In his mind, she must''ve been thinking about¡­


    Suicide.


    Vernon wrapped his arms around her tighter than before until Chloe felt a little stuffy.


    "Let me go, Vernon¡­." Chloe asked weakly.


    "I refuse," Vernon replied calmly, yet with so much burden in his voice. "You''re not allowed to leave me."


    ''You already left me once when I saw your wedding picture. I was devastated. I realized that I have lost you to my Big brother¡­.''


    ''I can''t imagine losing you again, especially not when you''re thinking about killing yourself.''


    ''If you did that, I will¡ª'' Vernon stopped himself before it was toote. He might be saying all of this in his mind right now. But he knew he would follow Chloe to the afterlife if she dared to do such a thing.


    Living without Chloe for the past ten years had been nothing but a nightmare to him. He couldn''t imagine living forever without her by his side.


    Chloe knew that she couldn''t break free from Vernon''s bear hug. She realized he seemed to be holding on to a heavy emotion in his heart.


    So, she reciprocated by hugging him.


    Since she wasn''t as big as him, her hands could only be wrapped halfway around his broad back.


    "I will not leave, Vernon," Chloe said. "Not when I promise myself to struggle a little against him."

 365 Chapter 365

    "I will not leave, Vernon," Chloe said. "Not when I promise myself to struggle a little against him."


    They hugged for a while, and none of them had any intention of letting go.


    For Vernon, he simply loved this feeling of burying Chloe in his chest. Maybe his intention was also tainted with a little obsession.


    An obsession that demanded him to keep Chloe by his side or even bury her body into him if that meant he wouldn''t lose her again.


    Meanwhile, Chloe had another idea in mind. She simply loved the hug because Vernon''s body temperature was naturally hot, so he was like a human heating pillow, veryfortable during this cold autumn.


    It took her at least twenty minutes until she felt too stuffy, "Umm... Vernon. It''s been a while, shouldn''t you... stop hugging me?"


    ...


    Vernon reluctantly released his bear hug as he had no other reason to hug her for too long.


    But they didn''t separate even after Vernon stopped hugging her. They stared into each other''s eyes. Chloe was a little nervous when those hawk-like eyes gazed at her deeply.


    While Vernon was already charmed when those cute doe eyes stared at him with such dependency.


    His eyes trailed down and stopped right on her lips. Chloe had thin lips that were a little dry because of the cold wind, which tempted him to make it wet, sharing a warm, passionate kiss.


    Vernon gulped as his intrusive thought told him to kiss her right now.


    ''I--I should be able to kiss her, right?'' Vernon asked himself. ''But why am I getting nervous? We kissed a few times, and I don''t see any problem with it.''


    Vernon kept telling himself there was nothing wrong with kissing her here.


    But he acted like a teenage kid who had just experienced his first love. He got so nervous even his palms started to get sweaty.


    Chloe didn''t realize that Vernon wanted to kiss her, so she patted his shoulder twice and said, "You shouldn''t stay here for too long, okay? It''s almost the end of autumn, you''re going to catch a cold."


    She turned around and returned inside the penthouse, leaving Vernon standing like an idiot on the balcony.


    He was dumbfounded as he realized he had lost his chance for a kiss.


    "Ah, you''re so fucking stupid, Vernon!" Vernon med himself for his loss. How could he-- a young, ruthless businessman who could always find an opportunity-- suddenly lose his cool and act like a nervous teenage boy?


    "Why are you nervous? Don''t you see that she is wide open? You can wrap your arm around her waist and kiss her! Argh, idiot!"


    Though Vernon continued beating himself, he actually knew the reason for his nervousness.


    Because when he kissed Chloe before, there was no love in it.


    It was nothing but a lust-ridden, domineering kiss. Even if there was a trace of love in him, it was mostly buried with an even stronger feeling of wanting to ruin her.


    But this time, it was different.


    "I... I can''t help to think whether she will like it or not. Whether she will reciprocate my kiss...." Vernon murmured. His face got redder as he got ashamed of his own actions. He acted like a boy who had just hit puberty yesterday.


    "Ugh, stop thinking about this cringy shit, Vernon. You''ll look uncool in front of her," Vernon scolded himself. "You should focus on protecting her first and finding a dietician to help her. There are lots to do, so you should put your feelings aside for now...."


    **


    Chloe woke up early in the morning.


    As usual, she prepared breakfast for Mackie and Vernon before waking them up and pulling them to sit at the dining table where she had prepared everything.


    Vernon and Mackie were still sleepy, but their eyes didn''t leave Chloe''s figure, who went back and forth preparing breakfast and juice for them.


    She was like warm sunshine on this cold morning, and Mackie was the first toment on it, "Mommy, you''re glowing today!"


    "Hm? Glowing?" Chloe was confused by her daughter. "What do you mean? Mommy hasn''t taken a bath, you know."


    "But you''re glowing like the sun!" Mackie realized that her Mommy wouldn''t believe her. Thus she was searching for support.


    She nced at the Big bad Uncle staring at her nonstop andmented, "Look at Uncle, Mommy! He keeps staring at you! He''s even drooling! Ew, Uncle is gross! You drool like a baby!"


    Vernon snapped out of his daze and quickly wiped the drool from the edge of his lips. He red at Mackie, but Mackie had no fear of him because the image of Uncle Vernon drooling was far more entertaining and funny, so it overrode any intimidation he made.


    Vernon could feel his face getting hotter, especially around his ears.


    "Uncle is so red! He is like a tomato head now!" Mackiemented. She was giggling mischievously, and that pissed Vernon so much.


    ''Damn this little devil! She seriously has no tact!''


    Chloe also smiled at how her daughter teased Vernon, but she knew that Vernon was as embarrassed as he could be, so it was better not to call him out for it, or else he might start yelling for no reason just to hide his shame.


    "Well, Mommy is glowing because of Uncle too, you know," Chloemented while giving Vernon a side nce. "You should thank him for it."


    "Wha, really?" Mackie never expected her Uncle to be helpful. In her mind, Uncle was always there to bully Mommy with a big police stick!


    "Thank you for helping my Mommy, Uncle!" Mackie said loud and clear. "Mommy has never looked this happy before. Please help her more so she will shine everyday!"


    "And don''t bully her again! I don''t want you to bully her with a police stick!" Mackie yelled.


    "Mine''s even bigger than a police stick-- ugh!" Vernon retorted instinctively. As a man, he got offended if his real size got shrunken down. But he suddenly got a silent warning re at Chloe, and he had to zip his mouth, much to his grievance.

 366 Chapter 366

    "Well, don''t listen to your Uncle, okay? Eat your breakfast now, Mackie," Chloe suggested, and her daughter nodded happily as she ate her breakfast.


    Chloe continued ring at Vernon. She said nothing but anyone could understand that Chloe was warning Vernon not to say something vulgar in front of her daughter.


    "Tch, fine," Vernon murmured in response. He dug his breakfast at first and stopped halfway when he realized that Chloe was still busy cleaning the kitchen while they were eating.


    "Why don''t you eat anything for breakfast?"


    "Ah? I did..." Chloe replied. "I ate bread and fruits before cooking breakfast. I got a bit too hungry so I ate first."


    "Really?" Vernon asked again. His eyes squinted, wanting to squeeze the truth from Chloe''s mouth, and she nodded weakly.


    "S--Sorry, I should''ve waited to eat with you two...." Chloe replied weakly. She was ashamed to eat before her family. But she was so hungry in the morning, so she had to eat something while the others were sleeping.


    Vernon and Mackie were dumbfounded by Chloe''s confession. They were looking at each other, seemingly having the same idea.


    "No need to say sorry, Mommy!" Mackie chirped happily. "Mommy should eat more and more!"


    "Yes, you shouldn''t wait until we have our scheduled time if you want to snack too," Vernon added. "If you want to eat something, just eat it. Both Mackie and I are happy to see you eating healthy snacks like fruits-- or you can always eat something like chips if you want. Nothing wrong with it."


    "T--Thank you... I sure don''t want to eat chips, though...." Chloe murmured. She was happy that Mackie and Vernon were very supportive of her eating outside the schedule.


    She couldn''t do that with Vincent.


    Instead, she went into hiding when she wanted to eat. She feared that Vincent would catch her red-handed for eating something and then ridicule her until she lost her appetite.


    Chloe put two sses of juice in front of Mackie and Vernon. Then she sat on the opposite side, watching them eating their breakfast with relish as if it was the most delicious food ever.


    After they were done, Chloe told Mackie to get ready for school. She said, "Don''t forget to give the parent''s attendance paper to Mr. Petersonter, Mackie."


    "Sure, Mommy!"


    Mackie hopped around as she went downstairs to prepare herself, leaving Vernon and Chloe alone.


    Vernon was still sitting at the dining table, resting his full stomach as he ate a lot for breakfast today. His gaze peered at Chloe before he asked, "What''s the parent''s attendance all about?"


    "Oh, it''s for Mackie''s school autumn festival. The event will be held in about two weeks, and the parents are invited. Mackie will be ying in a small drama, the three pigs. She will be the big bad wolf," Chloe exined. She giggled while staring at Vernon, "You should teach her how to act like one."


    "Huh? Act? I''m not an actor. I''m just working as CEO in the entertainment industry," Vernon responded seriously. "Do you need me to bring an acting teacher for her? I have plenty of acting teachers, or even big stars that could spare their time to teach Mackie."


    "Hihi, no need to do that. She''ll be the wolf, so you should be the perfect teacher for her," Chloe said. "After all, you''re her Big bad wolf Uncle, right?"


    Chloe winked at Vernon, and that caused the big guy''s brain to short-circuit for a moment before he snorted, "I don''t have time to teach a little kid!"


    Chloe found Vernon to be very endearing when he was ashamed like this. And she realized that she still had that habit of teasing Little Vernon when he was about eight to ten years old.


    "Don''t worry, Mackie is a natural," Chloe smiled. "She has joined many of these activities since she was a kid, so there was no stage fright in her."


    "Besides, as long as I''m there to watch her performance, she will be in full spirit and do her best."


    Vernon went silent instantly. He wondered how Chloe didn''t seem to be on guard, even though this was a potentially dangerous situation.


    "So, you''re going to attend that autumn festival?"


    "Of course!" Chloe nodded. "I have to. Mackie will be performing."


    ...


    "What about Vincent?" Vernon shot the question without a doubt. "Will hee as well?"


    "Oh, nope," Chloe replied lightly. "Vincent has never attended any kind of parents meeting."


    "But there is a chance that he wille," Vernon fretted. "It''s not safe for you toe, Chloe."


    Chloe-- who was in a happy mood before, suddenly lost all of her shine instantly.


    She smiled bitterly, trying to mask her worry. Of course, she knew she was vulnerable, especially after she triggered a chain of events with her conversation with Maria.


    "You don''t need to worry, Vernon. I will be careful," Chloe said, trying to patch the big hole with a bandage.


    But it wasn''t enough for Vernon.


    Of course, he was worried. He didn''t know what Vincent would do if they met!


    "You shouldn''te. Mackie too, she shouldn''te to that festival," Vernon strongly suggested. "We don''t know what Vincent will do."


    Chloe knew Vernon was just looking out for her, and she appreciated that.


    But...


    "I can''t do that, Vernon...." Chloe shook her head. "Mackie is very excited about this drama. I can''t be selfish and crush her happiness."


    ...


    "Then at least let me apany you," Vernon offered, discarding all his fear against his Big brother. He knew the chance of encountering his Big bro was very high, which would probably ruin everything he had nned for years.


    But if that meant he could protect Chloe...


    "You shouldn''t," Chloe refused again. "I know how dangerous Vincent can be. Don''t expose yourself because of this. You still have a long career to go."


    "But I can''t let him hurt you!" Vernon raised his voice as he started to get desperate. "Don''t you understand that you''re in danger?!"

 367 Chapter 367

    "Don''t you understand that you''re in danger?!" Vernon yelled. "What would you do if you met Vincent there?"


    "W¡ªWell, I believe he will nevere. Ever since Mackie started going to school, he never showed himself to any of the parents'' meetings¡­." Chloe tried to reason with Vernon.


    She felt no fear even though Vernon raised his voice because she knew he was just looking out for her.


    Both of them knew the risk of meeting Vincent. Vernon could still survive because he yed a mind game with his Big bro while slowly chipping Vincent''spany.


    But Chloe didn''t have the same privilege. She would definitely get tortured and killed if she met Vincent.


    "Vincent has no reason toe¡­." Chloe continued reasoning. "Don''t worry, Vernon. Everything will be alright¡­."


    Chloe drew near Vernon and gently patted his head, trying to calm him down.


    But Vernon looked up at Chloe, still with unwilling eyes. He caught her wrist and pulled her until she lost her bnce.


    "Ah!" Chloe slipped andnded her butt right on Vernon''sp.


    Vernon wrapped his arm around her waist, trapping Chloe to stay by his side, and said, "How could you say everything will be alright after what happened yesterday? You got tricked by that old hag, don''t you remember?"


    Honestly, Vernon hated to mention this mistake. Because he knew that Chloe must''ve regretted it a lot.


    But she didn''t seem to learn from that event and would repeat the same mistake again.


    So, even if it would hurt her pride, he still had to mention it.


    "I just¡­ don''t want you to get hurt, Chloe¡­." Vernon said truthfully. He lowered his head and buried his face in Chloe''s neck. He breathed heavily, gently tickling Chloe''s neck with his warm breath.


    "Ah¡ª Uhm¡­ about Maria, I know that I made a stupid mistake. So I will make sure to stay on guard," Chloe tried topensate. "I will text you if I meet anyone suspicious, would that make you feel more assured?"


    "No, that doesn''t make me feel assured at all," Vernon resisted. "How about sending Diamond to go with you to that autumn festival?"


    "Oh, that''s a bad idea though¡­." Chloe said. "Vincent knows about Diamond, right? He will question how Mr. Phoenix Gray''s secretary knows me¡­."


    "Then, at least let me send a bodyguard or some sort. He will protect you from harm during the autumn festival in Mackie''s school. Is that enough?"


    Chloe wondered why Vernon was so worried about her.


    She knew that she was in danger.


    There might be a day when Vincent had a bad day and wanted to torment and abuse Chloe to have fun. So he would deploy his people to start a manhunt on her.


    ''But by that time, there was nothing we could do. Vernon will never be able to protect me, and I would prefer him not to protect me¡­'' Chloe thought.


    She told Vernon that she wanted to struggle a bit against Vincent because she wanted to selfishly preserve this moment with her daughter and Vernon. Because she had never felt this peaceful in her life for the past ten years.


    But she knew that she would never harm Vernon in any way. So if the time came when Vincent would give her the ultimatum to give herself or let Vernon suffer, she wouldn''t hesitate to throw herself into Vincent''s malicious embrace once more.


    ''At least I''ve experienced a beautiful life with you, Vernon¡­'' Chloe smiled while gently patting the back of Vernon''s head. ''But I found it very endearing how much you tried to protect me. I know that you seem to be so dedicated to do that.''


    ''So I prefer to be a little selfish and indulge in this happiness for a moment¡­.''


    "I will ept a body guard from you, Vernon. But with one requisite," Chloe said. "That body guard shouldn''t enter the school. He can stay at the gate and inform me if there''s something wrong, especially if he sees Vincent. But I will never allow him to get close to Mackie."


    "Let my daughter experience a normal childhood, Vernon. She deserves to be free, just like a regr kid," Chloe said.


    ¡­


    ''Regr kid¡­'' Vernon felt that Chloe was a hypocrite.


    Chloe was tricking her daughter into believing that every abuse her mother experienced was normal in Mackie''s eyes.


    It was harmful because it reminded Vernon of himself.


    His Big brother often forced him to watch theirte father having sex with so many women. It was engraved deep in Vernon''s mind, making him very promiscuous growing up. He had a very low opinion of women.


    Because in his head, he saw many women willing to climb histe father''s bed like cheap whores, and certainly his Big brother and father''s words didn''t help either.


    -


    ''You see that, Vernon? Those are cheap women. All women are cheap, give them money and they will kiss your feet. So you better not let yourself to be influenced by a woman in your life,'' Vincent said to him while they were watching theirte father copting with three different women.


    -


    ''If it wasn''t for you¡ª Chloe, I would think that no woman is worth fighting for¡­'' Vernon said in his heart.


    He wanted to argue with Chloe about this. Because he didn''t want Mackie to grow up thinking abuse was right.


    It waspletely wrong, and she might end up tolerating abuse, just like what her mother experienced right now.


    But this wasn''t the right time, especially knowing this problem was directly tied to Chloe''s traumatic experience.


    There were also too many things jumbled in Vernon''s head. He had to sort them one by one.


    Such as this problem with the autumn festival.


    No matter how many times Chloe imed that Vincent would nevere, Vernon knew that his Big brother WOULDe.


    Chloe might not realize it, but Vernon knew how obsessed Vincent was with Chloe, even if it was in a cruel way.


    He had an informant who worked inside Vincent''s mansion, and she told Vernon how much of a terror Vincent had be after Chloe left.

 368 Chapter 368

    He became so erratic, physically and verbally abusing all the people who worked in the mansion. He seemed to be uncontroble when Chloe wasn''t around.


    At first, Vernon thought his Big bro saw Chloe as someone lower than him, and that opinion hadn''t changed. Vincent looked at Chloe as if she was some kind of subhuman species.


    ''Although, I think he saw women as subhuman in general....'' Vernon thought.


    But when he got the information that his Big bro demanded the cooks to prepare food that tasted exactly the same as what Chloe usually made, Vernon knew that his Big bro held Chloe in a special ce in his heart.


    Whether it was love or malicious obsession, Chloe was still someone he held close in his heart.


    And that was rare-- no, that was the first time Vincent did that.


    ''So there''s a high possibility of my Big broing to the school. Not to see his daughter''s drama in the autumn festival. I doubt he even cares for her daughter, honestly...'' Vernon pondered. Based on the information he got, never once did Vincent mention Mackie, in the mansion after their departure.


    He subconsciously mentioned Chloe a lot, but Mackie didn''t even seem to be in his head at all.


    ''And here Chloe is willing to put herself in danger if that means Mackie could have a normal childhood-- based on her definition of normal....''


    ...


    "Vernon? You hear me, right? You can deploy a bodyguard, but that bodyguard cannot enter the school. Because that bodyguard will be too eye-catching, and I don''t want Mackie to feel like she''s being singled out."


    ...


    Vernon was put in a difficult situation right now. He wanted to send at least ten bodyguards to circle around Chloe and Mackie if he could.


    In fact, if he could, he wanted to send himself to protect his treasure.


    But Chloe was just too stubborn when it came to Mackie. She refused to listen or toply with anything.


    ''After all, Mackie is Chloe''s reason toe to me when she was the most desperate,'' Vernon reminisced about how Chloe said that she would do anything as long as she could give Mackie a ce to stay.


    And she did... for her daughter.


    "Vernon?" Chloe called his name again, ensuring Vernon listened to her requisite.


    "Just promise me that you will be careful, and if you see Vincent somewhere, you need to hide, or at least call me," Vernon warned, ensuring to minimize any danger from her.


    "Okay, I know," Chloe smiled.


    Though she knew that she was lying right now.


    If she identally bumped into Vincent, she''d never call Vernon.


    Because she knew that Vernon would ditch all his logic ande to find her, ''You''re way too precious to be ruined by such a messy life I have, Vernon.''


    **


    Chloe, Mackie, and Vernon went down to the parking lot together. Their cars were parked side by side, but Chloe was shocked when she saw the Silver Bentley given to her... Suddenly disappear!


    Instead, it was reced by a brand new car, a matte ck Bentley,plete with the car seat still wrapped in stic.


    "What happened to my old car?" Chloe asked.


    Vernon clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Damn, I told those guys to strip the stic wrapping. What is this bullshit?" he murmured almost inaudibly since Chloe would scold him if he dared to curse in front of Mackie.


    Vernon opened the car door and grabbed the car key. He returned to Chloe and handed the car key to her, "This is your new car. It''s from the same brand, and should be simr to handle, just slightly different model and new color."


    "But... why?" Chloe asked as she was still unsure how to take this sudden change.


    "I just want to keep you safe," Vernon said.


    "But it''s too wasteful...."


    Vernon snorted as he got annoyed by thatment, "Do you think I care about money when your life''s on the line?"


    ...


    Chloe was still unsure. But she picked the car key from Vernon''s palm and spoke her gratitude in a gentle tone, "Thank you, Vernon...."


    Vernon had a little grin and leaned to whisper softly, "You''re wee. By the way, I also ept a quick BJ as a sign of thank you."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, and she lowered her head as if embarrassed. Vernon''s grin grew wider. He had no intention of forcing her, but it was fun to tease Chloe, especially when she acted like a shy rabbit.


    Meanwhile, Mackie was busy getting awed upon seeing her new car. She circled around the car and kept mumbling ''Woah!'' and ''Woooh!'' repeatedly.


    Then, she returned to her Mommy and reported, "Mommy, this new car is cooler! Let''s ride this now!"


    "Dear, that''s--"


    "See? Even Mackie loves the new car," Vernon chortled. "Just go and use it. I''ll ask the security guards to take off the stic wrapping for the seatter."


    "... Okay, um... once again, thank you, Vernon...." Chloe said. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Both Chloe and Vernon seemed to have the same thing in mind.


    They wanted to go for a kiss, like a pair of husband and wife who had been married for a while, giving kisses before they were busy with their work/activity.


    But they couldn''t do it because they were not husband and wife, and Chloe certainly didn''t want to cross that territory.


    ''My intimate rtionship with Vernon... is simply for work. I have sex with him because I''m working for him, it is within my contract... right?'' Chloe tried to convince herself, but she questioned herself in the end.


    No matter how hard she tried to hide it, she knew that her heart had been tainted by a thing called lo--


    "MOMMY, LET''S GO! I DON''T WANNA BE LATE!" Mackie started pulling her Mommy''s hand as she realized that Mommy and Uncle Vernon stared at each other for too long!


    "Oh-- Okay, let''s go dear," Chloe gave Vernon thest meaningful look before she went to the car and started the engine.


    Vernon stared at Chloe and Mackie, who sat inside the new car. He sighed, full of woe.


    ''Why can''t I be the one for you, Chloe Gray?''

 Chapter 369 369

    Chloe drove to Mackie''s school. She parked her new car in front of the school gate and said, "Dear, don''t forget to give the submission paper to Mr. Peterson, okay?"


    "Okay, Mommy!" Mackie nodded happily. She seemed to have something in mind, but it took her a while to ask, "Mommy, will Daddye to watch my drama? Daddy has never watched any of my drama, and he also never attended any parent meetings with you. My friends asked if I have no Daddy¡­."


    Chloe went silent for a while. She knew that Mackie would ask about this sooner orter.


    Mackie sometimes went on a tantrum whenever Vincent was missing during the parents'' meeting, and it''d take Chloe a long time to coax her until she felt at ease.


    Sometimes she had to call Vincent and beg him to coax Mackie because their daughter wouldn''t stop throwing tantrums until Vincent said something to calm her down.


    In exchange for that favor, Chloe had to undergo another verbal abuse since Vincent would often call her a useless mother because she couldn''t pacify their daughter.


    Chloe took a deep breath and exined slowly, "Dear, I don''t think your Daddy cane to the autumn festival."


    "Why not?" Mackie asked innocently. "Is he busy? Can you at least call him for me, Mommy? I want to talk to Daddy. I want to tell him that I will be ying as the Big Bad wolf."


    ¡­


    Chloe wanted to lie again.


    She wanted to keep lying to her daughter, telling Mackie that Daddy was busy or he had a problem he needed to take care of. So she would live in a clean world where nothing would harm her.


    A world where her Daddy was the best father, and there was nothing ever happening between her parents.


    But the more she lied, the more she felt heavy in her heart.


    Because no amount of white lies would be enough to hide the fact that Mackie''s father was a horrible man who had no ounce of love for his own daughter.


    "Mackie, I don''t think we can call Daddy¡­." Chloe said slowly, just to ensure she wouldn''t hurt Mackie.


    "Why not?" Mackie asked again. She didn''t have any suspicion about it because, in her mind, Daddy was simply busy.


    "Remember when I say that Daddy has a problem of his own?"


    "Um¡­ yes¡­" Mackie nodded weakly. "Is it a big problem? But Daddy is smart. What took him so long to be done with his problem?"


    ''Because it''s not about being smart, dear. It''s about having a heart. Your Daddy doesn''t have that¡­.'' Chloe said in her heart, unable to utter more words to her daughter.


    "I don''t know dear. I also don''t know why he can''t finish his problem soon," Chloe replied.


    "Mommy, if Daddy can''te, can you at least call Daddy again? Or maybe we can go to his office after school!"


    "W¡ªWe can''t, dear. Your Daddy won''t ept any guests¡­."


    "Because Daddy is busy?"


    "Yes..."


    "Oh¡­" Mackie was dispirited. Her usual cheerfulness disappeared instantly, and she lowered her head. "Okay then, please try calling him again, Mommy. I really want to talk to him¡­."


    "Dear¡ª" Chloe was tongue-tied after she realized that she had nothing to say to her daughter. The more she said something, the more she would hurt her daughter.


    So she simply went silent as her daughter opened the car door and entered the school gate. Chloe watched her daughter''s lonely back, and her heart was crushed every second she realized how much damage she had indirectly caused by keeping Mackie unaware of the real situation.


    "I just want you to have a normal childhood, dear¡­." Chloe murmured while watching Mackie. "I don''t have a father growing up. So I thought, you should have one, even if that man turns out to be a horrible person¡­."


    "I''m sorry¡­." Chloe lowered her head and leaned into the steering wheel.


    She knocked her forehead on the steering wheel several times to punish herself for this mistake.


    "I don''t know what to do. I can''t imagine the heartbreak that Mackie would feel if she knew the truth about her father¡­." Chloe murmured. "What should I do next? Should I just¡­ tell her?"


    Chloe''s heart was filled with dread as she imagined her daughter crying out of heartbreak when she realized that the image of a heroic father in her head was all false memory imnted by Chloe.


    She was the one who made fairy notes for Mackie. She also often bought toys based on what Mackie wanted and imed that her Daddy was the one who bought them for her.


    She was the only parental figure that filled Mackie''s life growing up.


    "I¡­ I can''t. I''m too weak," Chloe med herself. She knew she should''ve told Mackie about everything, maybe slowly, but she deserved to know about her father''s abuse.


    But Chloe was way too weak. She couldn''t endure the pain of watching her daughter cry.


    "Please wait for a while, Mackie. I¡­ I will tell you," Chloe said, her voice shaky as she knew this was bound to happen. "I will tell you once you''re old enough. You can me me after that. But I just can''t let your childhood get ruined because of him¡­."


    Chloe ended up staying in the parking lot for a while. She was still trying to recover from the guilt she was currently experiencing.


    She checked her phone again. She scrolled through contact and stopped at Vincent''s number.


    She wanted to call him right now. Not to return but to tell him how much Mackie missed him.


    She wanted Vincent to talk to his daughter at least. A simple hello would make Mackie''s day¡ª even her entire week.


    But¡­


    "I can''t¡­." Chloe decided to throw her phone back into her bag. "I don''t believe that Vincent will cooperate with me. I don''t know what he will say if he''s talking with Mackie."


    ¡­


    "So the only way is to keep lying, huh?"

 Chapter 370 370

    "So the only way is to keep lying, huh?" Chloe asked herself. She scoffed, full of self-ridicule. "Ah, what have you done, Chloe? Now I don''t know what to do in this situation...."


    **


    Ding!


    Vernon stepped out of the elevator once it reached the top floor. She was greeted by Diamond, standing near his office door with a set of documents in her hand.


    If the schedule was correct, the document in her hand should be about the development of his beverage product that would beunched in spring around Eastern Europe.


    Also, another document about one specific man...


    "Good morning, Sir," Diamond greeted as always, but her expression was solemn. She seemed to have something heavy in mind.


    "Let''s go in and discuss the report you have, Diamond," Vernon said. He opened the door and went in, followed by Diamond behind.


    He sat on his executive chair, leaned forwards, and rested his arm on the desk. He stared at Diamond, who stood across the desk with a solemn gaze;


    "Let''s start with the beverage product first," Vernon said. "What''s the update with Gregory Maxwell?"


    "Yes, Sir," Diamond put one document on the desk for her boss to read. "Mr. Gregory Maxwell sent us a report regarding the process of material shipping from the US to your factory in Europe. He said that he will be the one who handles the security and quality of the supply material. I''ve called the head of the Europe branch to make sure that the quality is on par with what you expected, Sir."


    ? "Good, I will be the one contacting the manager of the Europe branchter. I want to make sure that the old man sends a high quality material or I will make him regret it," Vernon said coldly. He checked the document about the shipping process for a moment before putting it down.


    Everything was ording to his n, but he shouldn''t lower his guard. He didn''t know what kind of crap his unpredictable Big brother and that old secretary would do in the future.


    But now, he was more interested in another document in Diamond''s hand.


    "That report is about Thomas Davis, right?" Vernon guessed.


    "Yes, Sir. This is about Thomas Davis. I''ve made a thorough investigation about him and his affair," Diamond put the document on the desk for her boss to read. While Vernon was checking the report, Diamond started exining;


    "Thomas ''Tommy'' Davis worked in various unstable jobs for a while until he married Chelsea Carlson-- Chloe''s Big sister," Diamond took a deep breath as she found the next information to be upsetting;


    "Then, he simply stopped working after knowing that Chelsea and her mother, Judith, got monthly allowance from Vincent Gray. They got roughly four to five thousand dors a month. Sometimes even more depends on how much they guilt-tripped Chloe into it."


    "After that, Thomas Davis simply refused to work. He would go out and spend his time with his new girlfriend. Sometimes if he puts in a bit of effort, he''d work odd jobs that''s not too tiring for him, and then hand half of the money he earned that day to his wife. It''s proof that he''s still a working man."


    "But really, the one who''s working the whole time is Chelsea Davis. She is working as a teacher in an elementary school. She''s the main breadwinner. Though with her small sry as a teacher, the only way for her to provide for four kids, a deadbeat husband, and an old mother with afortable life was to guilt trip Chloe into giving more."


    "But once Chloe left with her daughter, Vincent sort of punished Chloe''s family by halving the usual allowance to two thousands dors a month. This strained their rtionship with Chloe. Based on mytest information, even her mother-- Judith Carlson, ndered her daughter in front of her peers, calling her ungrateful for leaving such a rich man because she cheated. While she praised Vincent instead, calling him the most loyal and loving man she ever found in her life."


    Vernon clenched his fist silently. The more he listened, the more pissed off he got.


    Chloe never told him about her life with her family. She was also always bubbly and optimistic about life. Thus, Vernon always believed that Chloe had a good family growing up.


    But now, even her family turned against her because she couldn''t give them money.


    ''She has no one in this life except her daughter....''


    It was difficult for Vernon toprehend how Chloe could love her daughter so much, to the point of wanting to sacrifice dignity for Mackenzie.


    But that was because his mother never showed him any kind of motherly love, so Vernon just found Chloe''s sacrifice to be... appalling, especially when that daughter of hers was also the daughter of her abuser.


    ''Chloe... my Chloe...'' Vernon kept repeating Chloe''s name in his heart. He had to remind himself to stay calm, or else he would go to Chloe''s family''s house and p everyone-- even Chloe''s old mother, for failing her daughter.


    Diamond noticed the heavy air around her boss. She knew her boss was pissed off, and she hesitated to continue, "Sir, do you want to hear the rest of the report? We can always stop here if you don''t feel like it."


    "Continue, Diamond," Vernon ordered coldly. "I want to hear the rest."


    "Certainly, Sir."


    Diamond took another deep breath, about to drop the worst information he could get, the climax she had saved for a while.


    "Sir, about Thomas Davis. We found out that he has been grooming his current girlfriend."


    Vernon frowned. He hated that word ''grooming.'' Shailene used that word to twist his feelings, calling Chloe a groomer because Vernon fell in love with the woman who cared for him since he was a kid.


    "Do we have any valid proof about his grooming?"


    "We do, Sir. We actually interviewed the girlfriend. She''s surprisingly naive and easy to persuade," Diamond replied. "Thomas Davis groomed her since she was twelve years old."

 Chapter 371 371

    [Warning: upsetting topic.]


    "Thomas Davis groomed her since she was twelve years old."


    "TWELVE YEARS OLD?!" Vernon''s eyes widened out of shock. He reacted instantly because he didn''t expect things to be so bad.


    "And how old was he when he started grooming her?"


    "In his mid-thirty, Sir," Diamond replied, which became another shock for Vernon.


    "Does that mean--"


    "Yes, Thomas Davis has been grooming this youngdy for about seven years. He was already married to Chelsea Davis when he groomed his current girlfriend. The age gap between them is about twenty years old, the girl will be twenty in December, while Thomas Davis will be forty in February next year."


    "Holy shit..." Vernon couldn''t help but curse when he heard the report. He didn''t expect that seemingly unassuming guy he saw in a picture to be such a monster.


    "How did they meet?"


    "Online, Sir," Diamond replied. "The girlfriend was a child raised in a broken family. She has nobody that could make her feel safe, and Thomas Davis came to manipte her into giving herself."


    Diamond paused for a moment. To be honest, she was also upset by the news that she had to deliver.


    She knew there were many terrible people out there, such as Vincent Gray. She knew how much of a monster he was just by seeing how he ruined her best friend-- Chloe''s life.


    But Thomas Davis was probably just as bad, or even worse than Vincent. Because he targeted and manipted a vulnerable child who needed protection the most.


    Vernon noticed that Diamond''s breath was heaving. She must''ve been upset by this information as well.


    Thus he allowed her to calm herself for a moment before telling her to continue.


    "Sir, this bastard-- he robbed this girl''s virginity when she was fifteen. He was thirty-five at that time."


    ...


    Both Vernon and Diamond went silent after that revtion. The mood was low because they couldn''t help but get angry at this bastard, Thomas Davis.


    Vernon found it weird that he had this feeling in his heart. But he truly wanted to bring justice and crush this big stinky bug.


    At first, he just wanted to stir the pot, indirectly revealing to Chelsea that her husband was cheating. He would be satisfied as he saw Chelsea''s lifee crumbling down, just like how she ruined Chloe''s life by leeching on her for ten years straight and how she dared to make a scar on Chloe''s beautiful face.


    ''But this is a whole different matter,'' Vernon thought. ''I can''t let this monster run around freely. Not when I know he might target another young girl.''


    Vernon was thinking for a while before he decided, "Diamond, there is a change of n."


    "I''m all ears, Sir," Diamond replied solemnly. Though, she wouldn''t lie that she felt excited in her heart. She just couldn''t wait to crush this monster who dared to prey on a naive little girl.


    "At first, I thought I would just stir the pot to ruin Chelsea''s marriage life. But when I got this new information about Thomas Davis, I think I will ruin both of them-- in a different manner."


    Vernon went silent for a moment, tapping the desk with his fingers before he gave an order;


    "I will think of a way to throw this man to prison. Don''t worry, pedophiles got the worst treatment by everyone in the prison," Vernon said. "But for now, we should twist the way I can ruin their marriage."


    "Diamond, call my agent and prepare an attack against Chelsea Davis. Stalk her for a few days, and then attack her at night," Vernon said. "Don''t kill her, nor harm her in a terrible way. I don''t want Chloe to sympathize and try to reach out to her sister."


    "Then what kind of attack do you want us to do, Sir?" Diamond asked. She was actually expecting Mr. Phoenix Gray to hurt this woman badly. "Do you have a soft spot on her now, Sir?"


    ? "Soft spot? Pfft... HAHAHA!" Vernon''sugh filled the room. He keptughing until there was a drop of tear squeezed at the edge of his eye.


    Heughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke ever.


    Then theugh suddenly stopped. Vernon suddenly red at Diamond with his hawk gaze that made her gulp out of fear.


    "S--Sir?"


    "Don''t you ever dare asking that stupid question again," Vernon said coldly. "I have no sympathy for the woman who hurt my Chloe. That bitch deserves all the pain I will inflict on her after what she has done to Chloe for the past ten years."


    "She constantly guilt tripped Chloe and forced her to send even more money to them. Do you know what that means?"


    Diamond shook her head in response.


    "That means for each time Chloe begged Vincent to give her family more money, she would face so much abuse-- both physical and verbal abuse. She endured everything just so her family could have a better life."


    "But that ''family'' of hers took advantage and constantly guilted her," Vernon said. "They don''t have an ounce of sympathy or pity for Chloe, so I will have none of that for them as well."


    "Chloe is far too kind to punish her family, so I will be the one who punishes them instead."


    Diamond swallowed her saliva twice. She knew that her boss'' hatred wasn''t aimed at her. But she witnessed how all the hatred and viciousness emanated in his eyes.


    He was not ying this time. There was no mercy for Chloe''s family and the rest of the people who hurt her.


    Diamond had mixed feelings about this.


    She was happy that her boss loved her best friend so much that he would flip his world upside down for her.


    But at the same time...


    What if Chloe knew about everything?


    What would they do if Chloe found out about this? Surely she wouldn''t be happy with how vicious Vernon''s method was.


    She forgave people easily. It wouldn''t be surprising if Chloe forgave her family with a simple guilt trip.

 Chapter 372 372

    The possibility of Chloe discovering the truth scared Diamond more than anything else. She was a woman who seldom had fear of anything.


    But the idea that her best friend would despise her terrified her more than anything.


    ''I''ve never felt this attached to someone in my life. I''m scared that Chloe would find out about all of this. But at the same time, I have the same idea as Mr. Phoenix Gray,'' Diamond thought. ''I want to absolutely crush all the people who hurt Chloe. I don''t even feel pity at them, seeing how much Chloe suffered in her life.''


    Thus, Diamond took another deep breath. She had to be ready because this was the path she chose to protect her homegirl.


    "Then, what kind of execution do you want, Sir? Please specify so I can inform our agent," Diamond said, mentioning the man who worked secretly with her boss to do the dirty deed on a few asions.


    Vernon smirked maliciously, "Come closer, let me whisper it to you."


    Diamond followed his instruction, and Vernon whispered the n he had in mind.


    Diamond''s eyes widened for a second before she nodded, full of assurance, "I see that you prefer not to use brute force, Sir," shemented.


    "I don''t need to do brute force. They are all shitty people, I will let them destroy themselves from the inside."


    **


    Chelsea checked her watch as she put all her stuff into her bag. It was almost midnight, and she had just finished tutoring another student.


    She became a private tutor as a side job to make ends meet because there was no way she could provide a decent living for four children, a deadbeat husband, and an old mother solely with her sry as an elementary school teacher.


    This was the first time she had to do a side job to make ends meet. Things went awry after that stupid bitch Chloe left Vincent.


    Now Vincent was reluctant to send more money to her family because Chloe wasn''t by his side.


    He was ovee by grief, and he never visited her house anymore because he said there was too much memory of him with Chloe, which would only sadden him even more.


    "Ugh, that bitch has no pity," Chelsea cursed at her little sister again. It had be her habit to throw all the me on Chloe. "That ungrateful woman ruins everyone''s life. Does she not have an ounce of pity for her own family? Why did she run away anyway? Because Vincent was too busy with work?"


    Chelsea rolled her eyes annoyedly as she walked to the parking lot, "Ohe on. She''s so ungrateful. Of course Vincent is busy, he is a fucking billionaire. He needs to run his billion dor business! Now, all she did was just ruining everyone''s life except herself!"


    Actually, Chelsea tried to reach out to Chloe a few times. She wanted to sweet talk Chloe into visiting the house, and then she could lock her into a room.


    Then she would call Vincent to the house, so that bitch would have nowhere to go.


    Too bad Chloe refused to answer all of her calls or reply to her texts. She even refused to answer Judith-- their old mother''s call.


    So she was unable to trap that bitch and return things to normal.


    ''Well, I wish Vincent would move on... I don''t understand what he saw in her...'' Chelsea sighed, full of pity. She wanted things to return to normal, so she wouldn''t need to do a shitty side job just to make ends meet.


    But she couldn''t help but wish.


    She wished Vincent would move on from Chloe and find another woman... such as her.


    Chelsea felt hotter all around her body when she imagined a handsome, ultra-rich, loyal, and overall perfect man like Vincent fell in love with her.


    ''He will definitely shower me with love and money. I don''t understand why he doesn''t choose me? What am Ickingpared to Chloe? I''m much more beautiful, and definitely much more capable than that ungrateful whore.''


    ''I would be the happiest woman on earth if I married Vincent,'' Chelsea started smiling stupidly as she continued to imagine her wedding with Vincent. ''Would he buy me a yacht? Or maybe a private jet? He is so kind, he must''ve showered me with a lot of gifts too....''


    Chelsea was enjoying the dream she had... until the face of her stupid husband suddenly popped up in her head.


    Chelsea''s mood reached an all-time low when she remembered how her husband kept asking for money because he couldn''tnd a single job!


    "I''m so fucking close to divorce that good-for-nothing man, seriously!" Chelsea stomped her heels as she walked to her car.


    All her loudints and stomps were echoing in this dim basement parking lot. She happened to be the only one inside the parking lot, so it made her somewhat creeped out.


    Maybe it was her fear, but she felt someone was watching her from afar...


    She stopped for a second and then looked over her shoulder. She wanted to check if she was being followed.


    But there was no one...


    Unfortunately, the dim lighting in this parking lot obstructed her eyesight. Even with her sses, she still couldn''t see anyone around.


    She gulped nervously and decided to run to her car.


    Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!


    The sound of her heels echoed around the parking lot louder than before. Her breath started to get heavier as she used all her strength to reach her car.


    Luckily, her car was parked under a dimmp, so it wasn''t difficult to find.


    She fished the car key out of her bag in a hurry and identally dropped it right under her car.


    "Damn it!"


    Chelsea crouched and tried to reach for the car key.


    "Come on..."


    It took her a while to finally grab her car key. The moment she raised her head, she saw a shadow of a figure standing right behind her.

 Chapter 373 373

    [Warning: Violence.]


    The moment Chelsea raised her head, she saw a shadow of a figure standing right behind her.


    Chelsea turned around in an instant and saw a man fully covered from head to toe in ck, leaving only his scary eyes staring unblinkingly at her.


    That man was wearing gloves, holding a knife in his right hand, glinting dangerously under the dim light.


    "HELP--MMPPH!!" Chelsea wanted to scream out of instinct, hoping someone would hear her scream and help her.


    But the man in ck quickly wrapped his palm around her mouth and pressed tightly until Chelsea couldn''t move her jaw to bite or scream.


    SLAM!


    The attacker pushed Chelsea''s body until her back hit her car. She tried to struggle as much as possible, kicking and punching at random, but her attacker was too strong. This guy wasn''t budging, no matter how much she tried to kick and punch him until she lost her energy.


    She was left powerless as he leaned forward and clenched her jaw tighter than before.


    Chelsea''s eyes widened as she stared at her attacker''s eyes.


    There seemed to be no remorse in his eyes, making her wonder if this was an attack nned by someone who hated her or if it was a random attack because she happened to be a vulnerable woman in an empty parking lot.


    The attacker leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Your husband sends his regards."


    Chelsea''s eyes widened, and her breath stiffened as she tried to process what the attacker had just said.


    But she didn''t have time to ponder for long because the man suddenly ced the knife''s sharp edge right on her left cheek.


    Chelsea quickly realized what this man was about to do.


    "MMPH! MMPHH!!" Chelsea struggled desperately. She started tearing up because she didn''t want her beautiful face ruined.


    She wouldn''t have a chance with Vincent anymore if she became ugly!


    The attacker slowly pressed the knife until it drew blood from Chelsea''s cheek.


    Then, he made a deep cut from the edge of her lips until it reached her earlobe.


    Chelsea already fainted the moment the attacker finished the left cheek. The shock from physical and psychological pain was too much for her, especially after realizing that her face had been ruined.


    The man didn''t hesitate to carve Chelsea''s right cheek as well. After all, it was toplete the order from his boss.


    After the attacker carved both sides of her cheeks, he grabbed a bandage from his jacket and wrapped half of Chelsea''s lower face to ensure she didn''t die out of blood loss.


    The order from his boss was to create a deep scar that would be very difficult-- or even downright impossible to fix without intensive surgery, something that Chelsea definitely couldn''t afford.


    So it would leave her with a pair of ugly scars on her face.


    The attacker unlocked the car door and threw Chelsea inside her car.


    He quickly left the scene, and with that, the order from his boss-- Mr. Phoenix Gray, had beenpleted.


    **<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Vernon was sitting in the living room at night. He was waiting for the news from his agent because he told that guy to execute it right before midnight.


    His agent had been stalking Chelsea for three days after Vernon gave the order. Diamond sent much of the information to the agent before he carried out the order, giving him enough information to know where and when to strike.


    And tonight was the moment he was supposed to attack.


    Vernon tapped the carpet with his heel repeatedly. He was nervous, of course.


    He knew that his agent was a professional. There were many instances that he had to do an underhanded method or else he''d be harmed first in a cutthroat business circle, and his agent never disappointed him.


    But this was different. He wouldn''t be nervous if it was about him. He was mostly reckless when it came to his own well-being.


    But this problem involved Chloe, and he was ten times more cautious and nervous when Chloe was in the picture.


    He didn''t want Chloe to get hurt in any way, not after what she had experienced for the past ten years.


    Vernon kept checking his phone until the clock hit the 00.00 mark, then he suddenly got a call from his agent under a private number.


    Vernon answered the call and waited for the agent''s report;


    "Sir, the execution went well."


    "Did you make it just like what I ordered?" Vernon asked. He wanted to make sure that the agent didn''t identally kill Chelsea because all she wanted to do was to ruin her life, not end her.


    "Yes, Sir, carved two deep cuts on her cheeks. She will not be able to hide it unless she undergoes intensive stic surgery," the agent replied. "I bandaged her wound and stuffed her inside her car, to make sure that she would survive. All ording to your given order."


    "Including the words that you need to whisper to her?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    Vernon let out a relieved breath as if a big burden on his shoulder had been lifted.


    Chelsea was the first one on his list, and he didn''t need to do anything after this regarding Chloe''s family. Because that family would soon crumble on their own.


    Then, after it crumbled to the ground, he would deal with the bigger bastard, Thomas Davis.


    "Good, I will send the payment in cash as always."


    "Thank you, Sir. It''s always nice having a business with you."


    Beep.


    The call ended, and Vernon threw his phone to the table.


    He slumped on the sofa and rubbed his forehead for a while as he tried to let the stress out of his system.


    Nothing was more nerve-wracking than dealing with Chloe''s problem because he felt he was treading on thin ice.


    One simple misstep and his beautiful life with Chloe would be shattered.


    ''If only you''re as ruthless as I am, Chloe....''

 Chapter 374 374

    ''If only you''re as ruthless as I am, Chloe¡­'' Vernon thought. ''Things would be so much easier if you can be a bit more cruel against those who hurt you.''


    Vernon stared at the ceiling, and the face of the most beautiful woman on earth appeared in his imagination. His cold heart started to feel warm when the image of the woman smiled at her, ''But, I don''t think I will fall in love with you if you''re a cruel woman. The only reason why I have a proper childhood is because of you.''


    ''You''re the one who saved me from the abyss, but you''re also the one who plunged me back until it hurt me terribly¡­.''


    The smile on his lips dissipated. Whenever he recalled many happy memories with Chloe, his mind automatically recalled that one bad memory.


    It was just one bad memory, but it was strong enough to cloud over all the good that Chloe had done for him when he was growing up.


    "Why did you say that, Chloe? Am I that worthless to you until now, when I have everything to spoil you?" Vernon murmured.


    He knew that he always imed that women would flock to him once he was as rich as his Big brother, including Chloe.


    But deep down, he also felt sad and insecure because of it.


    He wanted Chloe to like him for being himself, not because he was filthy rich¡­


    Vernon felt another heartache that he couldn''t stop.


    Because the only way to stop it was to confront Chloe and ask about what she said about him back then.


    ''She will probably try to dodge it. She is timid, after all¡­.''


    Vernon murmured Chloe''s name a few times. It was his way of making himself feel better whenever he was experiencing heartache caused by a bad memory.


    Vernon kept on doing this for a while until he heard a soft voice calling his name from the kitchen.


    "Vernon?"


    Vernon opened his eyes and turned his neck towards the kitchen. He saw Chloe wearing her pajama and also a sweater. The pajama and sweater looked so loose on her thin body, giving an image of pitiful beauty that Vernon wanted to protect.


    Chloe walked towards Vernon and sat beside the big guy who slumped on the sofa, "What''s wrong? You look tired¡­."


    "It''s¡­ nothing," Vernon replied weakly. "I just had a business call." He said while pointing at the phone on the table with his chin.


    "Business call?" Chloe frowned. "At this hour? That''s not really¡­ um¡­ ethical¡­"


    "Hahah¡­" Vernon found it funny when Chloe was talking about ethical stuff.


    There was nothing ethical about him.


    Nothing was ethical when you had to fight Vincent Gray because to beat the devil, you had to be a devil yourself.


    "It was an important call. Don''t worry, I''ve got it all sorted out," Vernon replied. "Why are you still up sote though?"


    "I just finished checking Mackie''s homework."


    "Like a teacher?"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Mhm¡­" Chloe nodded. "I always check her homework to see if she made a mistake. If she did, I usually tell her how to solve the question correctly."


    Vernon felt warm in his heart. He remembered how Chloe often did the same thing when he was a child.


    He was naturally gifted since he was a kid, just like his Big bro.


    Some of the mistakes he made were because he didn''t pay attention or was simply toozy to study, so he wrote all the wrong answers and called it a day.


    But Chloe would teach him slowly how to solve the problem. Even though he already knew how to do it, he usually pretended not to know anything, so he could spend more time with Chloe.


    ''She is still a great mother. Even under a series of terrible abuse from Vincent, she still takes care of her daughter meticulously¡­.''


    ''How I wish I could spend more time with you for the past ten years, Chloe. I went through a lot, I feel like I could snap and go crazy at any moment.''


    "Um¡­" Chloe lowered her head, embarrassed as she noticed that Vernon was staring at her with such a hot gaze.


    It was a man''s gaze toward his beloved woman, and Chloe wasn''t used to it. She used to be looked down on, so she became shy when she was stared at as if she was a long-lost treasure.


    "U¡ªUm¡­ Vernon¡­"


    "Hm?"


    "Could you not stare at me like that?"


    "Like what?" Vernon raised his brow. He was just slumping on the sofa and gazing at beauty. He didn''t even do anything, and Chloe looked so embarrassed and her ears turned red.


    She even fidgeted ufortably, which Vernon found to be so cute.


    "Um¡­" Chloe found it hard to describe the kind of stare Vernon gave her. But it was definitely a loving stare that she wasn''t used to getting.


    "J¡ªJust turn around and stare at something else," Chloe said.


    "What if I refuse?" Vernon chuckled. He straightened his back and then leaned closer toward Chloe until their faces were only an inch apart.


    Vernon mischievously rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and said, "I can also do this if I want. Remember that taking care of my personal needs is also part of your job?"


    "A¡ªAnd staring at me so close is one of your personal needs?" Chloe asked. The more she talked with Vernon, the more she didn''t understand him.


    "Indeed, it is one of my personal needs," Vernon replied. "It makes me feel warm all around my body whenever you''re within my reach. The closer you get to me, the better it feels in my heart."


    He finally lowered his gaze, staring at Chloe''s boobs, which looked so juicy despite the owner''s thin body.


    He grabbed Chloe''s boobs and started fondling them gently.


    "Ah! V¡ªVernon?!" Chloe was startled by his vulgar touch. "W¡ªWhy do you need to do that too?"


    "Hm? Your tits are also one of my personal needs."

 Chapter 375 375

    [Warning: Explicit.]


    "Hm? Your tits are also one of my personal needs," Vernon replied with a devilish smirk pasted on his lips.


    Vernon gently pecked Chloe''s lips, something that he never did before. He would usually kiss her passionately until Chloe was drowned in his lust.


    Chloe had never been pecked lovingly nor kissed passionately by Vincent anyway. Hence, both experiences were very much new to Chloe.


    Vernon pecked her lips once more. He was holding himself not to grab the back of her head and pushing her head towards him.


    Deep down, he wanted to make a give her a deep kiss, exploring every inch of her lips and twining their tongues.


    He wanted to keep it slow, so he wouldn''t identally hurt or scare his beloved woman.


    Vernon continued staring at Chloe while his other hand caressed her inner thigh.


    "Ah! Uhh¡­ Uhm¡­ V¡ªVernon, that''s¡ª" Chloe stuttered before she bit her lower lip. Vernon''s hot palm was exploring her inner thigh, and his thumb naughtily fiddled with her pussy.


    She wore nothing but thin pajamas, so every touch from him gave her a strong stimtion.


    "What''s with your strong reaction? I didn''t do anything, I was just caressing your thigh," Vernon grinned mischievously. "I didn''t do anything vulgar, but why is your face red?"


    "Y¡ªYou¡ª!" Chloe was left speechless.


    How could Vernon lie straight through his teeth? He said he didn''t do anything, but his thumb was fiddling with her pussy!


    "S¡ªStop this, Vernon¡ª Ahhnn! " Chloe moaned spontaneously when Vernon suddenly yed with herbia.


    He dug into her pussy with his thumb and fiddled with her clit brazenly.


    "Ah¡ª Ahn! Uhmm¡­ aahh!" Chloe tried to hold off her moan to no avail. Vernon kept staring straight, observing all the changes on Chloe''s face.


    He observed how her ears got redder, and after ying with her clit, Chloe''s face turned tomato red.


    She closed her eyes repeatedly but couldn''t help but look down to see what Vernon was doing with her pussy.


    Whenever she closed her eyes, she would squeeze a bit of tear that would glisten her eyes, making her sweet doe eyes ten times more enchanting than usual.


    She would look down to check and then lift her head slightly to stare at Vernon with pleading eyes as if she wanted Vernon to do something more than this but was too embarrassed to say it.


    ''So cute¡­'' Vernon imed in his heart.


    He never thought observing Chloe while she was overwhelmed by lust was something he would do more.


    Vernon kept observing Chloe''s face absentmindedly. Thus he didn''t count how long he had been teasing Chloe''s pussy until she couldn''t help it anymore.


    "V¡ªVernon-- please stop, I''m going to¡­ uhnnn!" Chloe grasped at Vernon''s strong arm while her lower body trembled.


    Squirt! Squirt! Squirt! Squirt~!


    Chloe''s body jolted a few times. Her pussy juice spurted out like a faucet andpletely wetted her pajama pants. She hugged and rested her head on Vernon''s arm. She tried to dig her nail deep into his skin, trying to stop him from ying with her pussy because she had just squirted.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Vernon, please¡­ uhnnn!"


    Vernon finally stopped after realizing that he had yed for too long. He raised the hand wet by her pussy juice and started licking each of his fingers, from thumb to pinky.


    "Should''ve drunk it straight from your pussy like before," Vernon murmured before he checked on Chloe.


    Chloe closed her eyes while resting on his arm. She tried to breathe through her slightly opened mouth and was also drenched in sweat.


    ''Did I y too much?'' Vernon wondered.


    He was so focused on observing her expression that he forgot about his hand that continued to y with Chloe''s pussy, as if his hand had a mind of its own.


    Vernon pulled a few sheets of tissue from the table and wiped Chloe''s sweaty face. He allowed her to rest until she opened her eyes and separated herself from Vernon.


    She sat ashamedly. She felt ufortable as her pajama pants were damp because of her squirt.


    So she mped her thighs together to guard herself because she feared Vernon would y with her pussy nonstop like before.


    Vernon raised his brow as he watched Chloe''s behavior and asked, "What? Do you think I''d want more?"


    "Y¡ªYou dont?" Chloe threw the question back at him.


    "Well¡­."


    Of course he wanted it, but he didn''t want to exhaust her, especially with her fragile body.


    She was in the process of getting healthier, and Vernon had already told Diamond to start looking for a good dietician in New York to help Chloe recover faster.


    He knew there was something more important than just sex.


    Though, he wouldn''t lie¡­.


    Vernon nced down at his crotch for a split second. He was also only wearing a loose shirt and boxer briefs, making his thick cock so obvious.


    ''Would be nice if she could give me a quick blowjob to let off the steam a bit,'' Vernon thought. But he quickly warded off the idea as he didn''t want to force Chloe to do anything.


    Meanwhile, Chloe obviously noticed that Vernon''s cock was fully erect. He was trying to hide it by covering it with the small sofa pillow, but it was futile as it was way too big and too obvious to hide now.


    She didn''t understand why Vernon became so reluctant to touch her or ask her to do something of his bidding.


    Chloe could not and would not refuse if Vernon told her to suck his dick. It was part of her job and¡­


    ''I¡­ kinda want to do it¡­'' Chloe thought. Her cheeks reddened again, and she lowered her head shyly.


    "Y¡ªYou sure you don''t want more?" Chloe asked again. She fidgeted as she got embarrassed by her own question.


    Vernon took a deep breath and looked away, trying to distract himself as he didn''t want to force her to do anything. She just had too much trauma.


    "No, you can go to sleep now, Chloe," Vernon replied. "You should wear new pajamas too by the way."

 Chapter 376 376

    Chloe finally realized that Vernon truly didn''t want to do it. She was embarrassed because she was the one who had a dirty mind.


    She got up from the sofa and nodded, "Okay then¡­ um¡­ don''t forget to sleep soon. It''s already past midnight, it''s not good for your body to stay up all night."


    "Mm, don''t worry, good night, Chloe," Vernon said while turning his head away from Chloe.


    "Goodnight¡­"


    Chloe rushed to the kitchen and went downstairs. She went to her room and mmed the door as she tried to endure the embarrassment.


    She leaned on the door and covered her face with her hands.


    "Oh my god, Chloe, why are you acting like a whore?!" Chloe scolded herself as she realized she was so coquettish in front of Vernon.


    "You should''ve known your ce. He just wants to y with your body and that''s it. Why are you asking for more?" Chloe continued ming herself.


    But the more she med herself, the more she realized one thing¡­


    "I¡­ I actually want to have sex¡­."


    The realization hit her hard because she had never felt this for so long. Thest time she wanted to have sex was in high school when she did it for the first time with Vincent, her first love.


    She didn''t feel good when doing it with Vincent, but she was so in love with him when they were in high school.


    So she did it out of love.


    But after that, she had simply lost her eagerness to have sex. In fact, she never took the initiative to ask Vincent for it. So, whenever they had sex, it was simply because she had to heed his request, or she would get humiliated or even abused by him.


    But with Vernon, his touch and tease made her want to do more. She even dared to take the initiative!


    "Damn, what has gotten into you, Chloe? Why are you acting like this?" Chloe continued her round of self-me. "What if Vernon secretly despises you for being too aggressive? You''re the one who said that you did everything because of desperation."


    "Sure as hell this isn''t desperation, right? Ugh!"


    ¡­


    Chloe finally went to the bathroom after a while. She took off her pajamas and checked on the damp pants.


    "Ugh, I can''t believe I squirted so much. What''s wrong with my body?" Chloe wondered.


    But there was no answer to this. The only logical answer she coulde up with was that Vernon had a mysteriously powerful touch that could make her body react against her will.


    "Especially with how he yed with my¡­."


    Chloe shook her head and decided to take another warm bath to dispel the pervertedness of her head.


    **


    ¡­


    ¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Fuck¡­" Vernon cursed as he kept on tapping his feet on the carpet. Half an hour had passed since Chloe left him alone, and his erection was yet to go down.


    His cock was still furry and erect, and it started to get hurt as Vernon continued to ignore it.


    "No, I won''t fucking rub you. Why are you always so hard when she is around anyway?" Vernon scolded his erect cock and refused to go limp.


    "Ugh, this is because she looks so seductive¡­." Vernon grumbled. He didn''t know if Chloe was trying to seduce him, but it was damn effective nheless!


    The image of Chloe closing her thighs tightly, hiding the treasure that had been wet after being yed by Vernon, lowering her head while her face was reddish as if she had a fever, and then fidgeting ufortably while saying;


    -


    "Y¡ªYou sure you don''t want more?"


    -


    "The fuck you mean if I don''t want more? Of course I want much more, I want a blow job, tit job, hand job, and all other jobs, damn it!" Vernon yelled out of frustration.


    No matter how much he tried, he just couldn''t get that image out of his head, and now his cock wouldn''t rest until he did something to it.


    "Ugh, why do I have to suffer through this? Why did I y with her in the first ce? You''re fucking dumb, Vernon!" Vernon med himself for something he had started but couldn''t finish.


    Thus, out of frustration, he took off his brief, and his rock-hard cock sprung up like a menacing tower.


    He didn''t like to masturbate too much. It was torturous for someone who was used to having real sex with plenty of women before he reunited with his beloved woman.


    He didn''t me Chloe for it because he knew she was still trying to recover from the abuse she had experienced. Something like sex was better to be done when she was ready for it.


    Vernon stared at his rock-hard cock leaking precum from the tip, "Especially when she''s going to amodate this size. I don''t want to hurt her¡­."


    Vernon sighed and grabbed his dick with one hand. He stroked it up and down while resting his back on the sofa.


    "Ugh¡­ Chloe¡­" Vernon continued stroking his dick while he kissed his free hand, which he used to y with Chloe''s pussy lips and clit.


    "I should''ve drunk her pussy juice straight from the source, why am I wasting it all? What an idiot!"


    Vernon sucked his finger while his other hand was busy stroking his cock. The moment he sucked his finger, his mind instantly traveled back to when Chloe was being yed by him.


    Her peachy cheek gradually got redder as he fiddled with her clit.


    Her eyes glistened with tears, staring at him as if she was pleading with him to do something more to her body.


    The way she moaned sweetly was like music to his ears. Everything about her was so fascinating Vernon couldn''t evenprehend how much he wanted her now.


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    "Nghh¡­ Chloe¡­" Vernon''s cock started to leak precum from his horse''s eye as his fantasy got even naughtier.


    In his fantasy, Chloe was already stripping herself naked, allowing Vernon to do anything he wanted with her body.

 Chapter 377 377

    In his fantasy, Chloe was already stripping herself naked, allowing Vernon to do anything he wanted with her body.


    ''You should do more than just stare,'' Chloe in his imagination said. She walked closer to the young man, still jacking his hard dick, and whispered. ''Do more. I like when you take the initiative.''


    "Ugh! You better not regret thister! Fuck!"


    Shlick! Shlick! Shlick! Shlick!


    Vernon stroked his rock-hard dick faster than before. The precum leaking from the tip of his cock smeared around his shaft, making it easier for him to stroke faster and faster until beads of sweat appeared on his temples.


    "Urgh! Ah! Argh!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Vernon shot the thick white cum from his horse''s eye towards the ceiling. He lost count of how many times he shot because it had been a while since he released his cum.


    Usually, before he met Chloe, he would have sex with a woman at least twice a week, even during his busiest time. Because it was his way to de-stress.


    But after he was with Chloe, the way to de-stress for him was by eating her homemade cooking, and simply staring at her was enough to make him feel at ease.


    But the balls full of semen still needed a way to be released! Just because he found another way to de-stress didn''t mean he waspletely devoid of lust!


    "Should I stuff her with more food?" Vernon wondered. "She''s getting better now. She doesn''t look as thin as before, and her cheeks aren''t so sunken anymore."


    "But she still needs to put some weight around her body¡­."


    Vernon realized that he was being impatient because he wanted to have sex with Chloe. He couldn''t even fathom how he could get so hard whenever Chloe showed a bit of shyness around him, even if she didn''t mean to seduce him.


    "Well, that''s her fault for being too beautiful," Vernon tried to shift the me so he wouldn''t be called a pervert.


    "W¡ªWhat''s so wrong about wanting to have sex with the woman I love anyway? That''s natural! That''s what all men do!"


    Vernon knew he was arguing with nobody, but he was still trying to defend himself against this feeling of guilt and shame in his heart.


    "Let''s just focus on getting her better, so she will be healthy first, then the sex¡­ we can discuss thatter¡­."


    Vernon calmed down after he jacked off and ejacted. It was an amazing jack-off session, but what came next was something he absolutely despised.


    Vernon looked around andined, "Damn, why did I shoot so much?"


    Vernon pulled a few sheets of tissue and wiped his cum that sttered all around the sofa and the table. He also checked the carpet, just in case.


    After ensuring everything was clean, he wiped his sweaty forehead. He paused when he felt something other than sweat sticking to his forehead.


    He checked the back of his hand and cursed when he saw a stain of his thick cum, "SHIT! HOW DID IT LAND ON MY FACE?!"


    **


    Chelsea woke up a few hours after she fainted.


    Her gaze was blurry, and she had a painful headache. But not as painful as the stinging sensation on her cheeks.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Ugh¡­" She grimaced as the throbbing on her cheeks got even more painful as she gradually regained consciousness.


    She remembered what had just happened, the stalker, the attack, the knife, and how that knife pierced through her skin.


    She fainted soon after, unable to endure the psychological and physical shock.


    And when she woke up, she was already stuffed inside her car, with a bandage wrapping around half of her face.


    It took her a moment to realize that her face must''ve been ruined. But she didn''t dare to look at the car mirror because she would probably freak out and faint again.


    Thus, she called 911 and told them everything. The dispatcher sent an ambnce and a cop to check on her. She was taken to the hospital emergency room to be treated.


    Chelsea felt everything was surreal in her head. The nurses gasped when they saw the wound on her cheeks, and Chelsea cried silently.


    She was anesthetized, and as she was on a high dose of anesthesia, the nurses and doctor did their best to treat her horrible wound.


    "Doctor, this is¡­."


    "There is nothing we can do," the doctor said while trying to stitch the wound. It was too horrible to look at. Even a professional doctor like him couldn''t help but frown from time to time.


    "The wound was so wide, it''s impossible topletely stitch them close," the doctor added. "We just need to stop the bleeding."


    "But what about the scar?" the nurse asked. She couldn''t imagine how pitiful life would be for this woman. Her face was ruined, and unless she underwent intensive stic surgery, she wouldn''t be able to live normally.


    Because she would have permanently hideous scar on her cheeks.


    "That''s up to her, just hope that she''s a richdy, so she can get a surgeryter."


    **


    Chelsea woke up when she felt the sun from the window shone on her face. She frowned before opening her eyes slowly.


    It took a while until her eyesight cleared up, and the first thing she saw was¡­ hospital ceiling.


    She was obviously in a private hospital room right now. She looked to her right and left and found nobody around her.


    "Where are they?" Chelsea asked, referring to her family. "Why didn''t the cops contact my family?"


    She could understand if her children weren''t here because they still had to go to school. The cops might also try to hide the news because they didn''t want the kids to get hysterical.


    But¡­


    "Where are my mom and husband?" Chelsea asked.


    ¡­


    The nurse came with a food cart for Chelsea. She was quite surprised when she saw the patient had already woken up after a long, intensive surgery to stitch the deep wounds on her cheeks.

 Chapter 378 378

    "You should sleep a little more, Mrs. Carlson," the nurse said while she stopped the food cart near the bed. "Also, please don''t move too much, the bandage on your face might identally slip in your mouth, it''d be difficult for you to eat."


    She served the food on the table beside the bed and murmured, "You went through so muchst night. It must''ve been hard."


    "Nurse, where''s my family?" Chelsea asked.


    The nurse paused for a moment, and Chelsea could see a trace of pity in her eyes.


    "Did none of you inform them about the attack I gotst night?"


    "The cops already informed your husband, Ma''am," the young nurse replied. "But he didn''t pick up the phone."


    "How about my mother?"


    "Your mother picked up the phone and panicked when she heard the news. But she can''t leave the house because she said she was not feeling well, so she just told us to do whatever we can to save you¡­."


    The nurse''s heart was writhing in pain as she sympathized with this poor woman. She didn''t know what had happened to her, because she was still shocked when the cops found her.


    But the scar was so hideous and deliberate it must be some form of nned hate attack.


    "We called your mother and husband again. Your husband is still not picking up, but your mother said that she can''te because she''s tired."


    "Tired? That''s all?"


    "Yes, Ma''am," the nurse replied.


    ¡­


    Chelsea should''ve realized that her mother wouldn''t have any pity for her. She wasn''t the type of loving mother to her and Chloe.


    She took Chloe''s side more than hers because Chloe was dating Vincent back then, and she was even happier when they married, thinking she didn''t need to work anymore.


    So she did. She lived off with Vincent''s money and was very happy about it¡­ until Chloe left Vincent, of course.


    ''I should have expected as much¡­'' Chelsea thought. She had nobody to rely on other than herself. She had a deadbeat husband who did nothing but ask for more money and a heartless mother who didn''t care about her until the monthly payday.


    She still didn''t dare to check on her face because she knew she would probably leave heartbroken.


    There were many things weighing her mind and heart right now, but she still had something more important to take care of.


    "Nurse, about the payment¡­ how much do I need to pay after I get discharged?" Chelsea asked.


    She had no healthcare insurance because she had her house bill to pay. She thought she wouldn''t need to be hospitalized since she had never had any serious illness.


    But now she wanted to curse at herself for not having any insurance because this hospital bill would definitely ruin her financially.


    "Oh, you don''t need to worry about that, Mrs. Carlson," the nurse smiled. This time, she looked happy because at least this poor woman didn''t need to worry about the hospital bill. "Someone already took care of it."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Chelsea frowned, "Someone? Who?"


    "Mr. Vincent Gray!" the young nurse replied. Her face got brighter as she mentioned that dreamy man. "Ma''am, I didn''t know that you''re rted to Mr. Vincent Gray. Are you his rtive or some sort?"


    Chelsea''s eyes widened.


    Out of all people, Vincent Gray was the one who helped her when she was at her lowest.


    "D¡ªDid hee to check on me?" Chelsea asked nervously. She was both happy and scared at the same time. After all, her face was ruined, and she didn''t want Vincent to look at her hideous face.


    "Oh not yet, Ma''am. But he called the hospital in the morning. He asked us about your condition, and told us to give you the best treatment and also the best room we have so you will be considered as a VIP patient. He already paid everything upfront, you don''t need to worry about the bill."


    The nurse marveled about Vincent Gray. That billionaire was still the most popr in the country. Every woman wanted to marry him. Even though he already said plenty of times that he had a wife and a child, he never published them for privacy reasons.


    "You''re so lucky, Ma''am," the nurse said with a joyful smile. "He asked us about your room, and said that he wille in the afternoon."


    The nurse winked at Chelsea, still stunned by the information, and said, "Ma''am, I can''t pry about your personal life. But if you happen to be rted to Mr. Vincent Gray, could you get me an autograph or a picture? He''s just so kind, handsome, and ugh¡­ perfect!"


    The nurse was also quite relieved with this news. Since she thought that Chelsea and Vincent were rted somehow, it wouldn''t be hard for her to get stic surgery to fix her hideous scarter.


    The nurse arranged the food on a small table on the bed and propped Chelsea''s bed up until she could sit and have her lunch.


    "Do you need me to feed you, Ma''am?" the nurse offered.


    "I can do it myself," Chelsea replied.


    "Okay, please eat slowly so the bandage won''t get messy. You can press the green button if you need me for anything," the nurse pointed at the green button on the hospital bed before she left.


    Chelsea was left alone once more, but she didn''t feel sad this time.


    In fact, she felt so happy after getting the news that Vincent was the one who took care of her.


    "He paid my hospital bill upfront, gave me the best treatment here, and said that he will visit me¡­."


    Chelsea always thought that Vincent didn''t care about her. All in his mind was just Chloe. He helped her family because of Chloe.


    Chloe. Chloe, and Chloe.


    Everything he did was because he was in love with Chloe.


    But this time¡­


    "There''s no way he did this because of Chloe. She already left, Vincent doesn''t need to do so much for me, right?"

 Chapter 379 379

    "Unless¡­"


    Chelsea went silent for a while, but her cheeks gradually reddened until her whole face felt hot, and the wound that had just got stitched started itching.


    She didn''t want to hope for too much, but there was obviously no reason for Vincent to do so much for her when Chloe wasn''t around.


    "M¡ªMaybe he''s starting to move on from Chloe?" Chelsea guessed. "After all, a man wouldn''t be in love with one woman for his life, right? Especially a cheap bitch like Chloe. Maybe he is now searching for a woman that would mend his broken heart?"


    The more Chelsea imagined her life with Vincent, the happier she had as if all the pain she experienced right now had been washed away instantly.


    "Well, let''s see if he reallyes to check on me soon. Gosh, I can''t wait!"


    **


    Chelsea ate her lunch and then checked her phone to see if anyone had called her.


    However, just like what she expected, there was no text on her phone. Not from her mother and not from her deadbeat husband.


    As if she could just disappear and her family wouldn''t even care about her.


    "So much for a family, huh?" Chelsea chuckled mirthlessly. She found it funny that she had to work so hard to be the breadwinner for those two useless people, and they didn''t even give a shit about her.


    "Why do I need to get stuck in this horrible life while Chloe can have all the fun in the world? She doesn''t need to work, and she has such a perfect man in her life like Vincent."


    "Now she ran away from Vincent, but she must''ve been staying with another millionaire. How-fucking-lucky!"


    Chelsea already hated Chloe for marrying such a perfect man, unlike her, who married a useless bastard.


    But she got even angrier when she heard that Chloe had run away from Vincent for no reason!


    She asked Vincent before, asking if they had a fight or something¡­


    But with his grieving face, Vincent told her everything was fine.


    -


    "I think she left because I can''t give her enough time as my wife. I''m way too busy with work¡­." Vincent replied to the question. The perfect man looked fragile and pitiful in front of Chelsea and Judith. "I should''ve known that she wants more time alone. But there were just too many projects I can''t abandon¡­."


    -


    Thus, after getting that answer, Chelsea concluded that Chloe was simply an ungrateful bitch who didn''t know what a good man Vincent truly was.


    Chelsea spent her entire noon cursing at Chloe until dusk, when she heard a knock on the door, and the door was opened.


    She gasped when she saw the handsome figure of Vincent Gray standing at the door. He wore a tidy brown suit, and his hair wasbed nicely.


    He was dashing as always, but the tiredness on his face was too obvious. So Chelsea could tell that Vincent had just finished his day at work.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Vincent smiled at Chelsea, who was bandaged for half of her face. He walked in and stood right beside the bed. His eyes kept staring at Chelsea, who was trying her best to curb her excitement.


    "Good evening," Vincent greeted with his gentle voice. "Sorry it took me a while to visit. There are too many meetings today."


    "I¡ªIt''s okay," Chelsea changed her tone to sound sweeter. "I''m so happy that youe to visit."


    "Also, I heard from the nurse that you''re the one who paid for all of my hospital bills, so¡­ thank you¡­."


    "Oh, that''s fine, I got the call from your mother. She heard that you got attacked and was having surgery in the hospital. So she asked me to pay for you," Vincent said lightly.


    "Y¡ªYou don''t need to do that, you know. I have savings¡­." Chelsea replied.


    Though, it was a lie. Chelsea did have a small savings, but it wouldn''t be enough to cover the hospital bill.


    Heck, it might not even be enough to cover half of it.


    "I insist on paying for it for you," Vincent smiled and sighed. "Rather than talking about money, you should focus more on your health. I don''t know what happened to you, but you must''ve been traumatized."


    Chelsea nodded weakly, "I don''t know who attacked me either, but it must''ve been nned. Because he doesn''t do anything other than shing my cheeks¡­."


    "I see. Would you mind telling me more about the attack? I might be able to help," Vincent grabbed a chair and sat beside Chelsea''s bed. He observed Chelsea, waiting for her to continue with the story.


    He looked like a man who was genuinely concerned, and Chelsea felt that the pain she experienced might''ve been worth it at this point.


    "Well, I was attacked in the parking lot at midnight. I was all alone, and the light was dim around the area. I didn''t get to see the attacker''s face because he was fully covered from head to toe except the eyes."


    "He shed my cheeks with a knife, making a deep cut. I fainted at that point, and when I woke up, I was already stuffed inside my car, and half of my face was bandaged¡­." Chelsea pointed at her face. "Just like this one, but the bandage was very messy¡­."


    "Sounds like a nned attack indeed," Vincent nodded in agreement. He seemed to be in deep thought for a second and then asked again, "Are you sure that attacker said nothing? Maybe he said something that can give us a clue."


    ¡­


    Chelsea went silent for a moment. She started hesitating because the attacker whispered a name in her ears before she cut her cheek.


    -


    "Your husband sends his regards."


    -


    However, Chelsea was unsure if her husband would do something like this to her.


    No matter how bad their rtionships were, her husband depended on her regarding money. It would be illogical for him to attack her for no reason whatsoever.

 Chapter 380 380

    ''I don''t believe that Tommy would attack me. I know he''s a useless man, but why would he bite the hand that feeds him?''


    Chelsea guessed that someone else was targeting her and her family, and this person started by attacking her first.


    ''And that person is trying to create a rift between me and Tommy¡­'' Chelsea thought it was ironic. ''Seriously, they don''t need to create a fight between Tommy and I. We''re already fighting every single day.''


    "So?" Vincent broke the silence after waiting for Chelsea. He was getting impatient, but he still had to keep his gentle and amiable persona. "Did the attacker say something?"


    ¡­


    "Nothing," Chelsea lied. "He just attacked me and left¡­."


    "¡­ Alright then, that''s too bad," Vincent sighed. "I thought I could help you a bit, maybe I could catch that attacker and force him to confess."


    Chelsea was impressed by how domineering yet gentle Vincent sounded just now. He was like a dreamy man who would give her the world.


    The type of man who would treasure her without question, a man she had been waiting for her entire life.


    "Y¡ªYou don''t need to help me with that¡­." Chelsea said. Her voice got sweeter and sweeter each second, to the point that she sounded nothing like herself anymore.


    She was just too enamored with how the marvelous Vincent Gray, the man everyone wanted, said everything that would make her melt.


    "I''m already grateful that you''re here to visit me," Chelsea added. "If¡­ if you can visit me often, I''d be grateful."


    Vincent smiled but shook his head reluctantly, "I can''t do that. I have too much work to do. It''s also the reason why Chloe left me, remember?"


    "That bitch should be ashamed to leave you!" Chelsea instantly switched her mood when her little sister''s name was mentioned. "You don''t need to think about that bitch anymore, Vincent. I''m sure that she is getting fucked by random dirty old man. That''s her true worth!"


    Vincent''s face froze for a second. He silently clenched his fist under the hospital bed, ensuring Chelsea didn''t notice it.


    Vincent forced an awkward smile and replied, "I just hope she is all alright when she''s not with me. I don''t know what that bastard did to my wife¡­."


    Chelsea noticed the anger in Vincent''s eyes, even though he was trying to hide it.


    She thought he was angry at Chloe and the bastard who kept her as a mistress. So she added fuel to the fire, "Hmph! Even if that man did something horrible to Chloe, shouldn''t you be thankful for it? I can''t believe that you''re still thinking about her, Vincent. You deserve better than Chloe!"


    Vincent felt that his rage was at its peak. He was so close to raising his hand and pping this bitch for talking shit about his wife.


    But he had to hold himself because he believed that Chelsea would benefit him in the future.


    So he got up and turned around, "I don''t have much time to visit you, Chelsea. I hope you can recover soon."


    Chelsea saw that Vincent was about to walk away, and she desperately caught the hem of his suit, "V¡ªVincent, I dont have anyone by my side right now. My mom and husband refused toe and check on me. If you don''t mind¡­ could you stay here for a while?"


    ¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "I''m sorry, Chelsea. I really don''t have time."


    "Well, could you at leaste to visit me tomorrow?" Chelsea kept on insisting. She tightened her grab on his suit, crumpling the suit in the process.


    She thought Vincent was making a sad face and truly wanted to apany her, but could not because he had work.


    "I can''t, but I will visit you again once the bandage around your face has been taken off."


    Chelsea''s eyes widened, and her hand trembled as she realized that Vincent would eventually see the ugly scar on her face.


    He would be disgusted with her and would never visit her anymore.


    "P¡ªPlease don''te after I take the bandage off. It will look so ugly," Chelsea begged. "The scar is so hideous, you will be disgusted!"


    "I won''t," Vincent replied. "Chloe went through different stuff when she was still with me. She became so fat, and then so thin, and I still love her as my wife."


    "So don''t worry, even a hideous scar won''t affect your beauty," Vincent looked over his shoulder and tried his best to sound gentle, even though he couldn''t wait to strangle this bitch. "I''m not a judgemental person, beautiful heart is all I want."


    "I¡ª" Chelsea slowly released her grip on the back of Vincent''s suit. She was stunned by Vincent''s words.


    Who would''ve expected that such a perfect man actually existed? He was rich, handsome, attentive, royal, and would love you for the way you look. He was every woman''s dream bachelor!


    Chelsea was swept away by his charm. She blushed harder than before and lowered her head like a shy, meek woman, "Okay then, I will tell you once I''ve taken off my bandages. Pleasee and see meter, okay?"


    "Sure I will. Don''t worry, you''re beautiful no matter how you look, Chelsea."


    ? "Y¡ªYou''re too much, Vincent. You''re such a sweet talker¡­."


    "Hahah, I guess I am," Vincent chuckled. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I''ve sent you some money into your bank ount. You will be in financial trouble as you''re still recovering from this."


    Again, another pleasant surprise from Mr. Vincent Gray, Chelsea was speechless.


    This person was beyond perfect, a man that shouldn''t have been cheated on by her bitch sister!


    "Thank you so much, Vincent! I don''t know how I can pay you back!"


    "You don''t need to. It''s within my interest," Vincent finally walked away from her and left the hospital room.


    Chelsea was all alone again, but she wasn''t scared or sad.


    Because...


    "Who needs a useless husband and mother when I have a perfect man by my side?"

 Chapter 381 381

    "Who needs a useless husband and mother when I have a perfect man by my side?" that question was like a sermon in Chelsea''s heart, showering her with the new truth that would give her a better life.


    Chelsea quickly checked her bank ount on her phone. She wanted to see how much Vincent sent to her.


    The moment she checked her deposit, her eyes widened in an instant. Because she didn''t expect that huge number at all!


    "Holy crap! Thirty thousand dors!?" Chelsea had never seen so much money stay in her bank ount for a long time before.


    Usually, all the money she earned would go down the drain for all the bills she had to pay every month.


    But with a snap of a finger, Vincent suddenly gave her thirty thousand dors without thinking twice, it was like a dreame true!


    "Vincent must have had a soft spot for me. Why else would he pay for all of my hospital bills, send me money during this tough time, and visit me when none of my real family is here?"


    "He is also very attentive, asking about my wellbeing, and even volunteered to hunt down that attacker."


    Chelsea started deluding herself with the life of riches, where she could indulge in a lot of expensive things without needing to care about the price, and apanied by a perfect man who was loyal and would spoil her rotten.


    "Mhm, I deserve that. After all the backbreaking hard work I did for years, I deserve to have a man who would spoil me!" Chelsea imed.


    Her mind was on a cloud as she continued imagining Vincent until she remembered that Vincent was still in love with Chloe.


    He would probably move on, but it wasn''t guaranteed.


    "A loyal man like Vincent, he will be in love with that ungrateful bitch for a loooong time, ugh!" Chelsea realized that she had a love rival, and that would be her own sister.


    This wasn''t the first time she and Chloe had topete. Sibling rivalry was inevitable.


    But this was the first time for her topete against Chloe for a man because she never had the confidence to fight against her when it came to love interests.


    After all, she had always been told that Chloe was the ''prettier sister.''


    She was the girl that would always be the center of attention in any event. Chelsea hade along with that condition for a long time.


    She was jealous when Chloe got to marry the heir of the Gray family, the young and handsome Vincent Gray, but she couldn''t do anything because Vincent was so obviously in love with Chloe.


    "But not anymore¡­." Chelsea murmured. She grinned as she realized that she had a chance. "Chloe left a perfect man because she''s just ungrateful and spoiled. So Vincent must be heartbroken right now."


    "I will fix him, I can be the second and thest woman he ever loved in his life," Chelsea started nning all the things she could do to catch the attention of the billionaire.


    She thought she could obtain his love. After all, she was 100% better than Chloe.


    "Well, I''m an independent woman. I work, I take care of my kids, old mother, and that goddamn useless husband. I am a teacher, so I deserve to have a better partner in lifepared to Chloe who has always been spoiled since she was young!"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "As for Chloe? Well, now that she ran away for whatever reason. She can rot with that old man she is dating right now. Good luck being a woman, hihi~."


    Chelsea thought that she had everything Chloe didn''t have. She was a perfect candidate for Vincent to marry.


    "The only problem is my face¡­."


    Chelsea knew that she wasn''t as beautiful as Chloe. Even when Chloe was fat or thin, she was still a beauty that would catch people''s attention.


    Chelsea was average-looking at best, and now that she had a hideous scar on her face, there should be no man who wanted to be with her.


    However, she had a cheat code¡­


    "I could ask Vincent to pay for my stic surgery, right?" Chelsea asked herself. "He is so generous with his money. He will pay for my stic surgery, and while I''m there, I can ask a few things to be fixed, like my nose, and then fillers and botox in a few spots."


    "I will be beautiful, much more beautiful than Chloe would ever be!"


    Chelsea felt that all her burdens had been lifted. She didn''t even care about her scar right now.


    Because there was one man who would fix all her life problems.


    "Now all I need to do is to rest and let my future husband do the job. I bet he is very angry now, wanting to search for the attacker to punish him," Chelsea said. "Oh, what a gentleman!"


    **


    Vincent closed the door slowly to maintain hisst self-control against that stupid bitch.


    He clenched his fist as she rushed to the nearest bathroom. He quickly washed his hand in the sink before taking off his expensive suit.


    He was so angry at Chelsea that he couldn''t wait to snap her neck.


    "How dare that bitch talking shit about my wife?!" Vincent yelled while washing his hand twice. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, and he really couldn''t hide his face full of viciousness.


    "Does she not realize that she''s nothingpared to my wife? How dare she talk shit about her?!" Vincent raised his voice each time he remembered how that bitch dared to call Chloe a bitch over and over in front of him.


    His wife was his choice. He was the one who wed Chloe, so when someone talked shit about her, he would also be insulted.


    Because that meant he was making the wrong choice!


    "I¡ª Vincent Gray¡ª never make a wrong choice in my life. Chloe is indeed the perfect wife for me."

 Chapter 382 382

    "I-- Vincent Gray-- never make a wrong choice in my life. Chloe is indeed the perfect wife for me," Vincent imed with confidence. He always thought nobody was good enough to be his wife except Chloe; even now, he still retained that idea.


    Chloe was her perfect woman.


    She was beautiful, intelligent for a woman, and a good parent to Mackie. Though not as good as him, he was obviously better when teaching his descendant how to be a good Gray.


    "And the most important thing is... she can endure a lot of beating. She could endure it for ten years, and she can endure it for ten years in the future as well," Vincent said. "She was also very tolerant with all the women I slept with. I won''t be able to find a good wife as good as her."


    "She''s designed to be with me, that''s why I will take her back... after she''s healthy of course. It''d be fun to make her lose weight or gain weight uncontrobly."


    Vincent had calmed down a lot after he talked about Chloe. The image of Chloe whimpering and hugging her leg as she begged to be spared was like a drug that made Vincent feel both powerful and peaceful simultaneously.


    After that, he was able to control himself, resuming the usual calm and collected Mr. Vincent Gray, who was always clear-headed when facing any kind of problem.


    Simply because he had his wife in his mind.


    He left the bathroom while carrying the suit in his hand. He walked calmly, with the aura of a confident yet controlled man, unlike the one who cursed in the bathroom just now.


    He returned to his car and sat inside for a while, trying to rethink his next n.


    He got a call from Judith about Chelsea''s condition, and that old woman begged her to pay for her hospital fee because they had nothing left.


    And he did, only because he thought he could use Chloe''s family for his future n.


    "Hmm... I don''t think I can use her family to persuade her to return home," Vincent murmured. "I heard from Judith that Chloe rejected all of her calls before shepletely blocked all of them, making her uncontactable with her own family."


    "So I can''t use them as a persuasion tool. But I can always use them as a hostage."


    "Chelsea is so ugly now, I bet I can use her desperation for something of my benefit," Vincent thought. He had the idea of making her in love with him, so she would do whatever his bidding was, including hunting for Chloe.


    "It''s good to have a pawn that would do everything I ordered," Vincent said coldly. "Especially when she''s close to my wife."


    Vincent was curious about the attacker. Based on the wound inflicted, Vincent guessed this was a nned attack from someone who targeted her and her family.


    "But who would spend his time and money just to attack a family of useless beggars? They don''t have anything to offer."


    "Could it be... Chloe?" Vincent wondered. The only one that had direct contact with Chelsea was Chloe. He also knew that Chelsea and Judith had been talking down to her and always med her whenever she said she wasn''t happy living with Vincent.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    He was willing to send money to this family because they unintentionally bullied Chloe, so it was easier for Vincent to do his part without getting discovered by too many people.


    "Hm... I don''t think Chloe is vicious enough to do that. She is weak willed. She won''t even fight back after you hit her face," Vincent said lightly, warding off his suspicion.


    "Hmm, if not Chloe, then could it be that asshole? The man she''s with right now?" Vincent felt a small heartache when he realized that Chloe was with another man, but he quickly ignored it as he had something more important to think about.


    "It''s very possible that Chloe asked her new lover to send someone to attack Chelsea out of spite. Maybe she''s truly fed up and finally wants revenge?" Vincent smirked upon hearing his own theory.


    Because he would be the first to rejoice if Chloe had decided to be a bit more challenging.


    "I got bored with the meek woman she has be. If she turns out to be just like me, I''d be more than happy to break her."


    "Though, it''s just more believable if Chloe knows nothing about this, but that man did it without telling Chloe."


    Vincent tried to arrange his new n for now.


    First, he had to continue treating Chelsea right because she would be his pawnter. He wanted her to be so devoted that she would jump to a cliff without question for him.


    Second, he had to keep Chelsea''s ugly face no matter what. It would be her source of desperation and benefit him in the long run.


    Third, he wanted to see what this attacker would do next.


    He didn''t believe that the attacker would just stop after Chelsea. He must aim for Chelsea''s forgettable husband or even the old Judith.


    "Let''s see what you will do next. Hopefully it''ll be more entertaining than this," Vincent smirked from ear to ear. He chuckled, full of maliciousness. "If this attack is truly done by Chloe''s new man, then he is making a huge mistake."


    "Chloe is a person who values her family. So much so that she would do everything to keep her family intact, even if it will cost her own happiness."


    Vincent actually knew so much about Chloe, including the fact that Chloe was the one who desperately tried to cover up for him when it came to their daughter, Mackie.


    She would do many stupid shits, like lying to calm Mackie down or buying toys in his name, so Mackie would think that his Dad was the one who bought them.


    He knew everything. He simply didn''t care about trivial stuff, and it was fun to see Chloe''s desperation.


    "Well, this is getting very interesting. Let''s see what will happen next, my wife, Chloe Gray."

 Chapter 383 383

    "Well, this is getting very interesting. Let''s see what will happen next, my wife, Chloe Gray."


    Vincent had never experienced such fun times with Chloe before. All he did was abuse her, and her shine gradually disappeared over ten years.


    Now that he would fight against Chloe and her new trash man, things got ten times more interesting.


    "It''s okay. I''ll give them time to prepare," Vincent said. "Though, it doesn''t really matter. I will eventually crush them both and take my rightful wife back to the mansion, where she truly belongs."


    Vincent started the car engine and was about to leave the hospital when his phone rang. He checked the caller and raised his brow when he saw the name.


    Thus, he picked up the call;


    -


    "Hello?"


    "Ah¡ª Mr. Gray!"


    "Yes, what is it, Mrs. Andrew?" Vincent asked the old principal from Mackie''s school. She acted like an informant for Vincent, ensuring Mackie would stay in a hostile environment.


    So far, she had fired at least two teachers who tried to help Mackie against her bullying case, something that Vincent tried to maintain because it would shape Mackie''s personality so she would be bullied nonstop and stand up for herself, just like a real Gray. He also used this to pressure Chloe, knowing that Chloe would do anything for their daughter.


    It was two birds with one stone, and Vincent found it effective.


    "Mr. Gray, this is about the autumn festival in the school."


    "Oh yeah, what about it?"


    "You asked me if Mrs. Gray wille, right?" Mrs. Andrew checked the parent submission paper on her desk and nodded after assuring herself. "I got the submission paper. Mrs. Gray wille during the autumn festival."


    -


    **


    Chloe and Vernon''s rtionship became a little awkward after that night, a few days passed, and they were still unable tomunicate appropriately.


    Even now, in front of Mackie, who was eating her breakfast as usual. They were still trying to avoid each other''s eyes, and the usual fun breakfast time became so quiet, which made the little girl ufortable.


    Thus, Mackie breaks the silence first by addressing the elephant in the room, "Uncle! Mommy! You two look so nervous! What happened?"


    "Nothing, that''s just your imagination," Vernon said.


    "T¡ªThat''s true. There''s nothing wrong, dear¡­." Chloe added.


    "No-no! That''s lying!" Mackie confronted. "Uncle is eating so slowly, and Mommy is not eating at all! Usually Uncle would eat so fast, and when Mommy is not eating, Uncle will pester Mommy until she eats!"


    Both Chloe and Vernon went silent after that. They didn''t know how to lie when Mackie was so direct about it.


    She was only seven years old, but damn she was perceptive.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Vernon nced at Chloe first, and his heartbeat started elerating almost instantly. He lowered his head and ate his breakfast slowly again. It was his way of prolonging their time together.


    Because it had been a few days, and Chloe was still trying to avoid him for some reason.


    ''Did I do it too much on her that night? All I did was y with her pussy, it''s nice to y anyway,'' Vernon thought, as it was the only answer he could get in his head.


    He was also trying to hold himself because he kept getting a hard-on whenever he saw Chloe. Whether she was wearing her pajama or office attire, his cock instantly went up whenever he saw her.


    Meanwhile, Chloe was too embarrassed to face Vernon. She realized that she was sexually attracted to Vernon and couldn''t even deny it.


    Because whenever Vernon was around, she felt hot all over her body. She also had vivid memories whenever Vernon yed with her body.


    And she found it¡­ strange.


    She knew that they had no blood rtion at all. But she had been raising Vernon ever since he was eight years old. She always saw him as a big baby she had to take care of, and she did it willingly.


    ''Until I realized I might enjoy his touch a bit too much. I should''ve realized that we should keep it strictly work-rted¡­.''


    ''Now I don''t know what to feel about him. Being sexually attracted to the person I raised for about seven years¡­ am I considered a pedophile? A groomer? I don''t know¡­'' Chloe wondered herself.


    Still, no matter what, she believed that Vernon deserved someone better than her.


    Someone who would make him feel at ease.


    Someone who would make him truly lust for that woman, and that woman only.


    Someone who would be why he kept working every day because he wanted to give her a good life.


    ''I don''t know if he will ever find that woman if I keep staying here, disturbing his private life and making it hard for him to make a new rtionship¡­.''


    Mackie continued checking on the two awkward lovebirds and yelled again, "Uncle, go feed Mommy!"


    "What?!" Vernon raised his head immediately. He stared at his feisty niece, who could spout the boldest thing ever.


    "Mommy, go sit on Uncle''sp!" Mackie continued ordering like she was a little queen.


    "D¡ªDear, that''s¡­"


    "Do it, Mommy! I will be having rehearsal today with Mr. Peterson and my friends for the drama! I want to be in a good mood!"


    Under the little queen''s demand, Chloe had to do it because she didn''t want to ruin her daughter''s mood during this crucial time.


    So she got up from her chair and slowly walked toward Vernon, who dropped his spoon as soon as Chloe started walking toward him.


    He looked up when Chloe stood in front of him, and his jaw dropped out of shock. He simply couldn''t fathom how they obeyed a seven-year-old girl who ordered them around.


    "E¡ªExcuse me, Vernon¡­." Chloe''s cheeks reddened as she slowly sat sideways on Vernon''s strongp. She made sure to make a gap between her thighs and Vernon''s crotch, knowing how big it was and it would get even bigger once he got hard.

 Chapter 384 384

    "Good!" Mackie nodded, full of approval. She looked at her Big bad Uncle next and ordered, "Uncle, feed Mommy now!"


    "What the¡ª" Vernon tried to raise a protest against the little tyrant. "I''m not your servant! Stop ordering me around!"


    "But this is for Uncle and Mommy''s wellbeing! Do it!"


    ¡­


    Chloe didn''t want to hear an argument in the morning, especially when she knew that Mackie needed all the support she had for this performance.


    So she stared at Vernon with her sweet doe eyes and persuaded with her gentle yet unknowingly seductive voice, "Vernon, please¡­."


    ¡­


    Vernon was flustered when Chloe stared at him with pleading eyes and a sweet voice. She was like a goddess whonded on hisp, asking him to spoil her as she didn''t know what to do in this human world.


    And he knew damn well he''d do it!


    Vernon''s cock was fully hardened in less than a minute, which flustered him even more.


    He was only wearing thigh-length boxer briefs that wouldn''t be able to cover his erect cock. So he wrapped his hand around her waist and pushed her thigh closer towards his crotch area to cover his erect cock, afraid Mackie might notice it.


    "Ngh!?" Chloe gasped, and her body instantly jerked ufortably when she noticed the fully erect cock rubbing right under her inner thigh. She said nothing but stared at Vernon with eyes full of confusion and questions.


    Vernon also signaled by lowering his gaze for a second and then tilting his head a little towards Mackie, signaling Chloe to stay in position or else Mackie would notice his erection.


    Chloe''s body stiffened. She nced at Mackie, who squinted her eyes at them, ensuring that Uncle and Mommy were in the correct position.


    "Uncle, feed Mommy now! She needs to eat breakfast!"


    "Ugh, fine! Stop ordering me around, you little devil," Vernon hated to be ordered around. But he was actually happy to be doing this task.


    In fact, he wanted to do this every day, but Chloe hadn''t been that cooperative.


    She would eat before breakfast to avoid getting spoon fed by Vernon. Even if she ate with them during breakfast, she would eat her food normally, eliminating the need to be spoon fed by the big guy.


    ''I guess I should be happy about it, but ugh¡­ I missed feeding her like this¡­'' Vernon grabbed a spoonful of risotto that Chloe had made for breakfast and started feeding Chloe gently.


    Chloe ate everything under her daughter''s tight watch. She didn''t know which one to focus on more, the food that she was munching or the thick cock that was sneakily rubbing against her inner thigh.


    She red at Vernon for a second, questioning why his dick stayed hard for more than twenty minutes.


    Feeling helpless, Vernon refused to answer that because he was also trying hard to distract himself by thinking of work, but he just couldn''t.e


    Especially when this woman was right on hisp, what kind of man could resist her temptation?


    ''Good thing Mackie is here. If she''s not, I might as well push her on the table and start eating her out.''


    After Chloe finished breakfast, she looked at Mackie with a smile, "Okay, dear, Mommy finished eating breakfast, and you''re done with yours too, right?"


    "Un!" Mackie nodded happily. She was very satisfied after seeing her Big bad Uncle feeding Mommy. "Mommy and Uncle aren''t fighting, right?"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "N¡ªNo, we''re not," Chloe denied. She gave Vernon a side nce to see if he would say something. But he suddenly went silent and lowered his head as if he had done something shameful for an unknown reason.


    "Well, okay then! Please don''t fight! I''m happy when everyone is happy, and Mommy is smiling!" Mackie chirped joyfully.


    "T¡ªThat''s good, dear. Don''t worry, everyone is happy right now," Chloe said. "You should go to your room and prepare yourself before school."


    "You''re noting with me?"


    "Uh¡­ Mommy still has something to talk about with Uncle Vernon, you should go down first, and I''ll followter," Chloe said.


    Mackie nodded and went downstairs first.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was nothing but dead silence between them. They were so awkward with each other and got even more awkward because Vernon''s cock was still fully erect, even twitching at this point.


    The dick''s temperature was so hot Chloe wondered if it was Vernon''s thick meat de or a real hot iron ced under her thigh.


    "Vernon, you should release me first¡­." Chloe said while patting Vernon''s hand that wrapped her waist tight.


    Vernon refused to do it at first, but knowing he couldn''t hide his shame any longer, he slowly released her waist.


    Chloe got up from Vernon''sp and looked down to check on Vernon''s big dick out of curiosity.


    But that was a mistake¡­


    Chloe gasped when she saw that Vernon''s cock was still fully erect, and the boxer briefs around his crotch looked damp.


    "V¡ªVernon, did you¡ª"


    Vernon gritted his teeth and snapped, "IT''S PRECUM! OKAY, IT''S PRECUM!"


    "I wouldn''t cum that fast, damn it!" Vernon was too ashamed to face Chloe right now. But he had to defend himself! He wasn''t a man with premature ejaction!


    "This is because you keep pressing and rubbing it with your thigh, of course I will get reactions!"


    "Sshh!" Chloe covered Vernon''s mouth as she realized that Mackie might''ve heard them downstairs since Vernon''s voice was like thunder.


    Vernon stared at Chloe with unwilling eyes. He looked so wronged because he didn''t want his beloved woman to think that he didn''t have enough endurance tost long in bed.


    After Vernon calmed down, Chloe slowly released her hand covering his mouth and said weakly, "Y¡ªYou don''t need to overreact, you know? I was just¡­ a bit surprised¡­"


    Vernon didn''t care whether Chloe was just astonished or not. He still wouldn''t let this slide! Chloe had to know that he couldst longer in bed too!


    "I¡ªI usuallyst so long in bed¡­." Vernon still tried to defend himself, but his voice gradually shrunk until it was inaudible. "It''s just you who gives me too much stimtion¡­."

 Chapter 385 385

    "What did you say?" Chloe asked as she didn''t hear thest sentence clearly.


    "Nothing," Vernon tried to mask his embarrassment by looking away. He got up and distanced himself from Chloe, "I''m going to take a cold bath."


    "Cold bath? But it''s almost winter. You might catch a cold¡­."


    "T¡ªThat''s the only way so I can focus on working today! Just¡­ just go and take care of Mackie!" Vernon stomped his feet as he returned to his bedroom.


    Chloe wondered what had gotten into that big guy, "Is he that horny?" Chloe asked.


    She knew Vernon was a young man with a high sex drive. Based on what Diamond said before, he often had sex with his exes at least three times a day whenever his sex drive was at its peak.


    When he was so busy, he would have sex once or twice a week to de-stress.


    ''Hmm¡­ I still don''t understand why Diamond has to tell me that info, since I didn''t ask. But, I guess I understand why he is so pent up right now,'' Chloe thought.


    Chloe never stopped Vernon if he wanted to find another woman to have fun with outside. She was just a maid and still a maid. She worked her, and the only thing she wanted to make sure of was for Vernon to practice safe sex.


    That night when Chloe picked him up from that bar, she was suddenly confronted by a waitress named Cynthia, who told Chloe that Vernon was obviously in love with her.


    Because he kept calling her name even when drunk, other than that, Cynthia and Chloe had many simr features.


    So, it was evident that Cynthia was just a stand-in.


    Chloe shook her head, trying to ward off the thought.


    ''Whether he likes me or not, I am still way too old for him. He''s young. He''ll eventually move on,'' Chloe tried to convince herself that Vernon''s love was just a fleeting feeling that would disappear, though she knew that deep in her heart¡­ she wanted the opposite to happen.


    ''Okay, Chloe, stop thinking about that. Remember your priority, you have to get your money soon and get the fuck out of New York,'' Chloe reminded herself of her original n.


    When she got her sry from Vernon, she would pack up and leave with Mackie. At least by that time, Mackie should finish one semester before she could transfer somewhere else.


    **


    Chloe and Mackie went up after the little girl finished preparing for school. They saw Vernon fixing his tie before he grabbed his suitcase.


    "It''s still so early for you, Vernon," Chloe said while checking on the clock.


    "I have an early meeting," Vernon replied. His eyes were busy on his phone, texting Diamond to get ready.


    "Okay then, good luck for today, as always," Chloe held Mackie''s hand and walked first to the penthouse front door, "I''m going to drive Mackie to school."


    "Mm, be careful."


    Mackie kept staring at her Uncle, who was busy with his phone. It reminded her so much of her Daddy.


    Daddy was always busy with his phone and never had enough time to y with her.


    So she got curious to see if Uncle would act just like Daddy.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Uncle!" Mackie pulled her hand off her Mommy and rushed towards Vernon. She grabbed her Uncle''s hand and pulled it a few times to get his attention.


    "Uncle, Uncle!"


    "Hmm? What?" Vernon finally pocketed his phone and looked down at his feisty little niece. "What do you want?"


    "Uncle, I will be performing in the autumn festival as the Big bad wolf! Will youe and watch me y?" Mackie asked. It was the first time she looked up and showed her sweet doe eyes in front of Vernon, which Vernon was really weak against.


    Because it reminded him of Chloe''s eyes, and he found it hard to refuse.


    "I¡ªI''m not sure¡­." Vernon said. He looked at Chloe, asking for approval.


    If he had to be honest, he wanted toe and watch the y because Mackie seemed so excited about it. They could also go somewhere after the y to celebrate the sessful drama.


    But Chloe shook her head while staring at Vernon, forbidding him toe for safety reasons.


    Vernon took a deep breath and gently caressed Mackie''s head with his big hot palm, "I''m busy with work, so I can''t attend."


    "Aw¡­" Mackie''s grip on Vernon''s wrist weakened before she released it. She looked sad but didn''t throw a tantrum at all.


    "It can''t be helped, huh?" Mackie asked again.


    "¡­ I''m sorry."


    "No, it''s okay, Uncle," Mackie shook her head helplessly. "Daddy also said the same thing whenever I asked him to go somewhere. He is very busy with work, that''s why he rarely apanies me."


    Vernon darted his gaze at Chloe, asking for an exnation for Mackie''s reaction.


    Because he knew damn well this must have happened a lot between Vincent and his daughter.


    Chloe bit her lower lip. Unable to endure that questioning gaze, she shifted her gaze at Mackie and called her, "Mackie, you''ll bete. Let''s go now."


    "Un, okay!" Mackie looked up again and grinned. "See youter, Uncle!"


    Mackie rushed towards Chloe, and they walked out of the penthouse.


    Vernon stared at their backs, wondering if he could do something to make up for his absence.


    He grew up in a loveless family as well. His father was a perverted asshole who would have sex as his sons watched in the same room, while his mother would indulge herself with tons of expensive stuff to cover her emotional wound and also got herself passed out drunk every weekend.


    He was raised in a dysfunctional family and didn''t even know what would happen if Chloe wasn''t there to save his childhood.


    So he wanted to give Mackie a good childhood as well.


    Vernon clenched his fist, swallowing his pride, and rushed towards the pair of mother-daughter who were going to enter the elevator.


    "Wait, hold the door!"

 Chapter 386 386

    "Wait, hold the door!" Vernon yelled as he rushed to catch up with Chloe and Mackie, who were already standing in the elevator.


    Chloe held the door for Vernon, and Vernon dashed in to join them.


    The elevator door closed, and they went down together.


    Vernon looked at Mackie, who was holding Mommy''s hand. She smiled at him and asked, "Uncle, why are you in a hurry? Are you going to bete too?"


    ....


    Again, Vernon swallowed his pride. For the first time in his life, he wanted to give a little girl something that would make her happy.


    He clenched his fist and said, "I''m sorry I can''te to your y."


    Vernon nced at Chloe, who looked back at him helplessly.


    He knew that Chloe was reasonable this time. He couldn''te even if he wanted to because the risk of encountering Vincent was too big, and it would harm everyone since Vincent was very unpredictable.


    But he still wanted topensate.


    "It''s okay, Uncle. I''m used to it!" Mackie said happily, though Vernon knew the little girl was sad deep inside her heart.


    She kept her smile because she got used to being disappointed by her absent father, but Vernon refused to be absent in Chloe and Mackie''s life.


    "I may not be able toe and watch you. But I will ask your Mommy to stream it for me, so I can watch it while I''m at work," Vernon said.


    Mackie wasn''t allowed to fully browse the inte yet, so she didn''t know what her Uncle meant. She looked at her Mommy, asking for an exnation, and Chloe replied, "That means he can watch you, but through the phone."


    "Whoa! That''s cool!" Mackie cheered instantly. "Then, I will do my best, Uncle! You must cheer for me when I''m ying, okay?"


    "Yes, I will," Vernon nodded firmly. "Also, we will celebrate your sessful yter. A good performance deserves a good reward."


    "Whoa! Celebration! Will there be cakes? Lots of cakes?!"


    Just like Vernon, Mackie also had a sweet tooth. Her Mommy limited her sugar intake, but she would always crave it and would eat everything sweet that was given to her.


    "Oh, yes, we will eat lots of cakes!"


    "Wow! Uncle is the best!" Mackie opened her arm and hugged Uncle''s thighs. "I''ve never celebrated anything before! Uncle, please make it fun for Mackie, okay?"


    "S--Sure! Don''t worry. I will make sure everything is perfect for our small ferocious wolf!"


    "Yayyy!"


    Mackie''s infectious happy energy slowly seeped into Vernon''s skin, getting him excited as he saw how happy Mackie was.


    His heart was filled with warmth. He never realized that taking care of an annoying little kid could give him so much joy like this.


    Meanwhile, Chloe was watching in silence the whole time. She didn''t know what to say because she was also stunned by Vernon''s initiative.


    She didn''t know if it was a good idea. Because Mackie was used to having no celebration whatsoever in her life.


    Even on her birthday, all she did was blow out the candle and eat the birthday cake that Chloe had made from scratch.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Mackie usually got three gifts, one from Granny, one from Mommy, and one from Daddy.


    Though usually, Chloe was the one who bought Vincent''s gift since he was always busy fucking with whatever new woman he found.


    Other than that... Mackie never got any celebration in her life, not even when she aced in all sses or participated in an event held by the school.


    They didn''t even have a proper Christmas because she couldn''t buy a big Christmas tree for them, so she bought a small one and decorated it with a fewmps.


    She would celebrate it alone with Mackie because Vincent always went on a ski trip with his new bitches, having sex high up in the mountain.


    Chloe wanted to celebrate those, but Vincent strictly watched her spending. She couldn''t even go with Mackie to the nearest diner without being questioned or humiliatedter.


    Vincent''s reason would always be.


    -


    "She''s a girl, she doesn''t need all those celebrations, or else she would grow up spoiled," Vincent said. "Don''t you see my mother? That''s what happened when you spoiled a woman too much. But I guess you won''t understand, since you''re also a spoiled woman."


    -


    Chloe started panicking, afraid that Vernon''s celebration might go overboard and set up a new standard for Mackie.


    A standard that she would never be able to fulfill once she left with Mackie to another state and lived frugally there.


    ''I have to talk with him. I have to make sure that he will only do small celebrations, something that I can followter when we leave,'' Chloe thought.


    Chloe took a deep breath as she was about to ruin the joyous mood between Vernon and Mackie.


    "Vernon, we--"


    Ding!


    Chloe was interrupted when the elevator stopped in the parking lot. The door was opened, and Vernon gently separated himself from Mackie, "Go do your best, Mackie. I''ll go to work now, don''t worry about the celebration. I will make it great!"


    "Go do your best too, Uncle!" Mackie waved her small hands at Vernon, who rushed to his car.


    Chloe stared at Vernon and then at her daughter.


    She observed her expression and realized that Mackie was thrilled this time.


    Chloe had no idea when her daughter learned how to fake her expression, but she realized that Mackie would always keep up with her smile despite being disappointed with her Daddy numerous times.


    It pained Chloe to see that sadness in her daughter''s eyes, but she was just as hopeless when they lived with Vincent.


    But now...


    ''Should I stop Vernon from preparing a celebration for Mackie?'' Chloe fretted. ''I... I don''t want Mackie to have such high expectations for her future celebrations, especially since we will live frugally sooner orter. I would rather put that money towards her education.''


    ''But I am a mother. What mother doesn''t want her daughter to be happy?''

 Chapter 387 387

    ''But I''m still a mother. What Mother doesn''t want her daughter to be happy?'' Chloe continued watching her daughter, who stopped waving at Vernon when the big guy entered his car and drove off.


    Mackie kept staring at Vernon''s car with glimmering eyes, the same eyes she showed when she saw her Daddy driving a car, either leaving oring home.


    ''Oh my dear daughter¡­'' Chloe''s heart was pinched as she realized that Mackie might''ve started to bond with Vernon.


    She knew that it was inevitable. Vernon and Mackie had simr personalities. Mackie could even pass as Vernon''s daughter, and no one would question it.


    But that was a red g for Chloe, a sign that she shouldn''t let this happen for too long, or Mackie would be too attached to Vernon.


    ''What should I do? We''re not going to stay together with your Uncle forever¡­.''


    ''Should I tell Vernon not to celebrate at all? Or maybe not to be too familiar with Mackie?'' Chloe started to get overwhelmed with fear.


    She was always afraid of her daughter''s connection with new people.


    "Mommy¡­"


    Amidst her panic, Mackie suddenly called her Mother and snapped Chloe out of her daze, "Yes, dear?"


    Mackie continued staring straight at the parking lot. With a big smile, she said, "Don''t be scared, Mommy."


    "H¡ªHuh?"


    Mackie slowly looked up at her Mother. She might be very young, but she knew one thing or two about her Mommy.


    "Mommy, I know you''re scared," Mackie said.


    Chloe''s heartbeat skipped for a second. She almost jolted out of shock after hearing her daughter''s statement, "W¡ªWhat do you mean, Mommy is not scared, Dear."


    Mackie shook her head, "Mommy would usually bite your lower lip, and then stare emptily when you''re scared or worried."


    "Mommy would also sweat and look paler than usual!"


    ¡­


    Chloe quickly fixed her habit in front of Mackie so her fear wouldn''t get noticed, "W¡ªWell, Mommy is not scared anymore now. Let''s go to school. We''re going to bete."


    Chloe grabbed her daughter''s hand, wanting to pull her toward their car. But Mackie stayed still as if she still had plenty of things to be said.


    "Mommy, I''ve always wanted to have a big celebration. Where I can eat a big cake, and a lot of gifts. I also want someone to apany us when celebrating. Daddy''s never home, can Uncle rece him for a while?"


    ¡­


    "Uncle is not so bad, right?" Mackie asked. "Did he scare Mommy?"


    ¡­


    Chloe shook her head slowly. She was never scared of Vernon, even when they had plenty of fights at the start of their reunion.


    Vernon had a temper that he needed to fix. He was prone to anger and would explode from time to time.


    But everyone had their own issues, and Chloe knew that she was also at fault for not being able tomunicate properly.


    And she most of the time, she felt at ease with Vernon, unlike when she lived with Vincent. She felt like walking on a cracked eggshell. She would make a mistake that she didn''t even know, and Vincent would abuse or at least mock her.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Then, if Mommy is not scared of Uncle, can we stay with him for a while? I can wait until Daddy is feeling better, then we can return to him¡ª with Uncle too!"


    ¡­


    "Let''s talk about thister, okay, dear? You need to go to school first."


    "Mm, okay Mommy¡­."


    Mackie knew that her Mother was not open to another conversation after this. It happened a lot when they were living with Daddy.


    Mackie often asked many things out of curiosity, especially how Mommy always fainted or puked out of nowhere, especially when Daddy was around.


    But whenever she asked, her Mommy would say nothing was wrong and then continue to distract her by doing something else.


    Just like this.


    But Mackie didn''t want to ignore this forever.


    ''If Uncle is not bad, shouldn''t we stay with him until Daddy is feeling better?''


    Mackie wanted to continue asking that question to Mommy. But she knew Mommy wouldn''t give her a clear answer.


    ''Ummnn¡­ I will ask her againter!''


    *


    Chloe drove Mackie to her school and pinched her cheek gently, "Good luck for your rehearsal, dear. Remember what I told you before?"


    "Un! To be confident and brave! Don''t worry, Mommy, nothing will scare me!"


    Mackie jumped out of the open car and hopped around as she entered the school gate. She joined her new friends since she wasn''t a friend anymore with Jaden and Mia.


    She looked excited today because she would be rehearsing for her y. Vernon''s also contributed to her happiness.


    Chloe''s heart melted as she saw her daughter looking so joyful. She was like a little chick chirping around with her friends.


    ''If only Mackie can be this happy every day¡­.''


    It had been a while since she saw her daughter''s burden less smile. The true smile came from a pure little girl who was too happy to care about this world''s problems.


    But Mackie''s happiness brought both joy and sorrow to Chloe''s heart.


    She wanted to always make her daughter happy. But even that small thing was risky for her, because Mackie''s true happiness was to have a father figure in her life, and she couldn''t get that from her real father.


    Instead, she might get it from her Uncle, and that was also a bad idea, as Vincent would definitely kill Vernon if his position in Mackie''s heart was being reced.


    ''Vernon, how can it be so easy for you to make her happy? What if she sees you as a father figure, recing Vincent? What should I do if I have to leave you?''


    ''When the timees for you to truly rece Vincent in my daughter''s heart, should I stay with you for the sake of my daughter?''


    Chloe was unsure of everything. She was afraid that she would be trapped against her will again. She might also leave a scar in Mackie''s heart if she had to separate her from her new father figure.

 Chapter 388 388

    Chloe rested her forehead on the steering wheel, trying to find a good solution to thisplicated feeling.


    "Vernon, if I dare myself to forget all my fears and let you be Mackie''s father figure, would you be able to take all the risks?"


    "You know that Mackie and I have been doomed since the very beginning. We''re directly connected with Vincent, and everyone who goes against Vincent will have their life ruined."


    "Do you truly understand the danger you''re putting yourself into? Vincent has tortured me for ten years straight, he shed off all his mature and gentle persona right after we exchanged our vows, and by that time, it was toote for me to escape."


    Chloe wanted to say all that in front of Vernon. She did say that she wanted to struggle a little against Vincent, but it was still so scary for her.


    Just imagining Vincent looking at her like looking at a corpse already sent shivers down her spine.


    Since Chloe couldn''t find a way out, she decided to find someone she could talk to about this problem, a woman to whom she wasfortable enough to speak.


    ''And that would be my best friend, Diamond.''


    **


    Vernon entered his office after he finished a meeting with Gregory Maxwell again.


    All went ording to his expectation, and the can material sent by Mr. Maxwell to his Europe branch was proven to be of the highest quality.


    ''It''s obvious that he will send the highest quality. He must be scared of my Big brother''s name behind me, or maybe Big bro already threatened that old man?''


    ''Either way, it works in my favor, so I have nothing to worry about.''


    Vernon sat on his executive chair, intertwining his fingers and resting them on the desk before he asked his secretary, who stood right in front of him.


    "So, your report."


    "Sir, this is the report about material supplied by Mr. Maxwell''spany¡ª"


    "Skip that, I already know everything," Vernon interrupted. What he wanted was to hear the report about all the things regarding his beloved woman''s enemies.


    Chloe had so many enemies that were naturally hostile without reason, so he had to make sure everything was under control to take them down one by one.


    Diamond was also relieved that she didn''t need to report mundane stuff.


    What excited her was the report about Chelsea and the rest.


    "Starting from Thomas Davis, we have given him a ''proper job'' ording to your n, Sir," Diamond said. "He is hired in one of the smallpanies that you''ve invested a lot in. He''s working as a security guard, though he''s doing nothing most of the time, and is very sloppy."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Doesn''t matter, as long as you give him a huge sry to keep him around," Vernon said.


    "Yes, Sir. We gave him 40 dors per hour, so he earned a lot to basically do nothing."


    "Good, make him feel like he doesn''t need to contact Chelsea''s family ever again. If my prediction is correct, he will start moving in with his girlfriend in a new apartment by next month."


    Based on the data he collected, Vernon knew that Thomas Davis had no emotional connection with his family anymore. He was just sticking around because he couldn''t find a proper job, and he was just simplyzy.


    So once he got a stable job that would give him a lot, he would leave Chelsea as soon as possible since he already had a girlfriend.


    "Next, about Chelsea¡­" Diamond paused for a moment before she continued. "The bandage covering her face will be taken off today, she is allowed to leave, but she decided to stay until she''s fully healed."


    "There is nobody who apanies her, her husband is not even contactable, and her mother is busy in the home taking care of Chelsea''s four children."


    "Decided to stay?" Vernon''s brows frowned. "Does she have the money to pay for all of those medical bills?"


    "She doesn''t, Sir. But there is a generous man who paid for everything upfront."


    "And who would that be?"


    "¡­. Vincent Gray."


    "WHAT?!" Vernon was truly shocked by that information. He knew that Vincent was still in contact with Chloe''s family, even after she left. But to pay for expensive medical bills, there must be a reason for that.


    "Yes, Sir. Vincent Gray also visited her the day after the attack," Diamond continued her report. "He is the only one who visited her, and the nurses said that they seem to be in a good rtionship. Some even suspected that Chelsea is Vincent''s wife that he always tries to hide from the public''s eyes."


    "What is this¡­." Vernon was astonished by his Big brother''s move. He thought he had everything in his grasp, but Vincent always did something unpredictable that would usually force him to adjust his n or change itpletely.


    He knew how cunning his Big bro could be, so he had to be careful. He nced at Diamond, "Do you have any opinion about this? What''s the reason for him helping out Chelsea so much?"


    "I¡­ I''m not sure, Sir¡­." Diamond hesitated. She also had no clear idea because it was out of their prediction. With Vincent Gray joining the fray, they had to be extra careful.


    "But I believe that Vincent Gray is trying to get something from Chelsea, and I know it''s definitely something rted to Chloe."


    "But what could Chelsea offer? You told me before that Chloe hasn''t been in contact with her family for a while."


    "Indeed, Sir. Chloe said that she got hated so much by her family for leaving Vincent. She tried so many times to reconnect but her family simply didn''t want to hear any reasoning from her. So she cut the contact as she knew that she couldn''t do anything."


    "That''s good. She doesn''t need a toxic family," Vernon said. "But that only makes me even more confused. I can''t find any logical exnation to why my Big brother wants to help Chelsea."

 Chapter 389 389

    "What''s my Big brother''s true motive for helping Chelsea?"


    ¡­


    Neither Diamond nor Vernon couldn''t find any answer to that question, but Diamond had one thing she wanted to say;


    "Sir, whatever the reason is, you should be careful. We don''t know what Vincent Gray will do next."


    "You''re right, Diamond," Vernon hummed for a few seconds and said, "Continue observing Chelsea and see if my Big brother does something. Don''t get discovered by him. The price of getting discovered might be our lives," Vernon warned her, knowing the full extent of Vincent''s cruelty.


    "Understood, Sir."


    "That''s all for the report? How about the dietician I asked you about before?"


    "The dietician you want will be avable next week, Sir," Diamond replied. She put everything in her busy schedule to ensure they had everything sorted out.


    "Good," Vernon was satisfied with Diamond''s work as always. He knew he wouldn''t be able to manage without Diamond''s help, and he had increased her sry by roughly 50%.


    Though, he had guessed that wasn''t enough for Diamond anymore.


    Diamond had the money, but she didn''t look too happy.


    "Do you have any problems you want to talk about?" Vernon asked.


    "Pardon, Sir?"


    "You don''t seem to be happy when I tell you that I''ll increase your sry. Do you want a better reward for your hard work?"


    ¡­


    "I do, Sir," Diamond had been holding this topic for too long. "I''ve been thinking about this, and I''m unsure if you have the answer already. But¡­ Do you ever n to marry Chloe once everything has been sorted out?"


    Vernon was stunned by the question, his heartbeat started elerating, and he looked genuinely flustered, "W¡ªWhat is that question for?"


    "Sir¡­" Diamond sighed. Her old self wouldn''t dare to talk about this with her boss. But they had been getting closer in a more friendly manner after they had the same interest, which was to protect Chloe.


    "My brothers are very interested in Chloe, Sir," Diamond replied. "I have two brothers, a cop and awyer. Both are around our age, and both have been asking me about Chloe."


    "DID YOU SHOW HER PICTURE TO THEM?!" Vernon''s thundering roar echoed inside his office. Vernon stood up from his chair and red at Diamond with his hawk-like gaze.


    He gritted his teeth as he didn''t know that his loyal secretary could backstab him like this.


    "I SWEAR, DIAMOND JOHNSON. I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU IF YOU DARE TO DO SOMETHING TO MY WOMAN!"


    Diamond wasn''t budging even after her boss roared at her. She stood firm and replied sternly, "They saw my selfie with Chloe, Sir."


    Diamond fished her phone out of her pocket and showed the selfie she had taken with her best friend.


    Vernon saw the selfie and was also enamored by it.


    It was just a simple selfie with Diamond making pouty lips at Chloe as if she wanted to kiss her, and Chloe smiled meekly beside her. It was like a pair of girl best friends hanging out together.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    But what made the photo special was the reddish hue on Chloe''s cheeks. She looked so beautiful, yet so cute and shy. It evoked a man''s sense of protection, wanting to protect this woman from harm.


    And Vernon got the same feeling.


    "Sir, Chloe is a gorgeous woman. She might not wear anything expensive or morous right now, but even her face is beautiful enough to make her a top-ss model," Diamond imed. "And thises from an ex-model who worked with many fashion editorial magazines before I decided to quit and work as a secretary."


    "My brothers saw this selfie and they''re both interested in her, so¡­" Diamond pocketed her phone and said firmly in front of her boss. "Sir, if you don''t have any intention of being serious with Chloe, then I will introduce her to my brothers."


    "She deserves happiness, and I guarantee that she will be happy with one of my brothers."


    "Don''t," Vernon replied curtly. "There is no way I''m going to let someone else touch my woman. She is mine, and I¡­."


    Vernon gulped as he got nervous. Truthfully, he still had no idea whether he would take his rtionship with Chloe to the wedding altar.


    But not because he didn''t want to marry her. He was unsure if Chloe would ept another man as her husband, knowing how traumatized she was by her first marriage.


    ''But I have to im her first before someone else ims her,'' Vernon thought. Thus, he dered, "I will¡­ m¡ªmar¡ªry¡ª"


    Knock. Knock.


    Vernon and Diamond darted their eyes at the door instantly.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Um¡­ Vernon? Diamond? Are you there?" Chloe asked from outside. She had just arrived and remembered Vernon said he had a morning meeting.


    So she thought the office was empty.


    Diamond and Vernon gave each other a side nce, and Diamond stated in a low voice, "Sir, I am not going to introduce her to my brothers. But please be serious with her, okay? She deserves to be happy."


    Vernon thought that his loyalty was being questioned, which actually infuriated him.


    He clicked his tongue and retorted, "Mind your own business. This is about Chloe and I, so it''s up to us in the end."


    "It''s also up to me to introduce her to my brothers. Pretty sure she''d love to have a man without anger issues."


    "YOU DARE¡ª"


    "Yes, girl! We''re inside! You cane in!" Diamond quickly called her homegirl to shield herself from her boss'' rage. Chloe opened the door and was surprised by the stacks of documents on Vernon''s desk.


    "S¡ªSorry, did Ie at the wrong time?"


    "No, gurl, we''ve just finished the work report," Diamond smiled and nced at her boss, "Right, Boss?"


    "Uh¡­ huh, yeah," Vernon confirmed. He tried to smile and make it natural but couldn''t because he was still angry at Diamond, who dared to threaten him.


    "Okay, um¡­" Chloe nced at Vernon for a second before focusing all her attention on Diamond. "If you''re not busy, can I talk to you for a moment, Diamond?"

 Chapter 390 390

    "Oh, sure, gurl!" Diamond grabbed all the reports on Vernon''s desk and walked towards Chloe. "Let''s have a chat in the Starbucks downstairs."


    "W--Wait, why am I not included? What do you guys want to talk about?" Vernon didn''t want to get left out by Chloe.


    "It''s a woman''s business, Sir. Please excuse us," Diamond strutted towards Chloe, who stood at the door. She grabbed her best friend''s hand and dragged her out of Vernon''s office.


    Chloe quickly looked at Vernon before she closed the door behind her and left with Diamond.


    "Wait-- Ugh, damn it!" Vernon cursed in a low voice. "I want to spend some time with her too!"


    **


    "Diamond, are you sure you don''t have work to do? You should focus onpleting your work first...."


    "Oh, gurl, even a secretary like me needs a break sometimes," Diamond pulled Chloe to the elevator. They went in, and the elevator went down as they continued chatting.


    "But, what if Vernon gets mad at you for skipping work?"


    "Because I''m helping you? Oh, he will never dare to scold me when it''s all about you," Diamond giggled.


    Honestly, Diamond was happy that Vernon got mad at her for wanting to introduce Chloe to her brothers because it showed that he was taking her homegurl seriously.


    She knew that marriage was a huge step, but at least it was in his mind already.


    Besides, all she said about Chloe was true. Chloe truly made Diamond''s brothers go head over heels for her beauty. They didn''t even care if she was a divorced woman.


    Well, soon-to-be-divorced woman.


    Chloe and Diamond entered the Starbucks right outside of the office. They ordered something and sat before Diamond asked, "So, what do you want to talk about, Gurl? I know it must be urgent since you look so troubled."


    "Um..." Chloe wondered if it was okay to ask for Diamond''s opinion because she was afraid of oversharing.


    But Diamond was her only friend after ten years and Vernon''s reliable secretary.


    "So, it''s about Vernon...."


    "Oh? My boss?" Diamond raised her brows. "What''s wrong? Did he yell at you again?"


    "N--No, not at all," Chloe quickly denied to avoid unnecessary problems. "Um, do you know about my daughter''s y at the autumn festival?"


    "Oh yeah, Mr. Phoenix Gray already set up two bodyguards that will guard outside of the school. Don''t worry, they can blend well, and they are close confidants, everything should be safe."


    "Umm, thank you for helping too," Chloe smiled thinly. It took her a long argument with Vernon until he finally yielded so he didn''t just storm in and crash the autumn festival with his appearance.


    The argument of who would protect Chloe and Mackie deescted from Vernon himself that woulde, to hiring at least twenty bodyguards that would surround them during the whole performance, to five bodyguards, until thest agreement.


    There would be two bodyguards with less-built bodies. They would blend well with the crowd, acting like janitors or security guards.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Chloe wanted to maintain this false illusion of normal childhood for Mackie, so she didn''t need to feel like she was treated differently from her friends.


    "So, my daughter asked Vernon toe and watch her y, recing her Dad who will be absent, like always," Chloe exined. "But you know... he can''t do that. He will be too shy there, and Vincent might notice him through reports and stuff."


    "But Vernon wants to make up for his absence. He said that he will celebrate Mackie''s sessful y. He said there will be cakes, and a lot more surprises."


    "Diamond, I''m afraid Vernon might go overboard with the celebration...." Chloe finally let out her worry. "What if he set up a grand event for it? I don''t know if I can do the same for my daughter in the future."


    Diamond didn''t understand Chloe''s worry, "Why are you worried about that? Of course, my boss will celebrate all the events with Mackie and you. I don''t see anything wrong with it, gurl."


    "Besides, you don''t need to worry about grand celebrations. I think he is rich enough to keep throwing expensive parties for your daughter every month for the rest of your life."


    "Diamond, I--" Chloe paused for a moment. She realized that she had never told Diamond about her n to leave after saving enough money, probably during the spring of next year.


    ''But I have to tell her. She won''t know the real problem if I keep hiding it....''


    Thus, Chloe mustered her courage and asked, "Diamond, if I tell you about something, can you keep it only for us? Please never inform Vernon about this."


    "I promise, Chloe," Diamond sensed the seriousness of the topic, and her gaze deepened in an instant.


    "So, I--" Chloe gulped. "--I don''t n to stay with Vernon for long. I will leave next year, after I get my sry."


    ...


    ...


    Chloe closed her eyes, waiting for Diamond''s uproar. Diamond might feel betrayed because of her choice, but this was a choice she made after a long consideration.


    "Why?"


    Diamond''s reaction was out of Chloe''s expectations.


    She was calm and asked with a mesmerizing voice, "I don''t see any reason for you to leave, Chloe."


    ...


    "A few days ago, Vernon told me that he was very happy when you said you could stand up against Vincent and you would stick by him. Do you know what an encouragement that was for him?"


    "So, Chloe Carlson..." Diamond called her homegirl''s maiden name as she kept mentioning that she didn''t like the Gray surname anymore.


    Diamond looked pissed for some reason. She crossed her arms and gazed deeper at Chloe. She looked at Chloe as if she was lower than her.


    "Why did you change your mind?" Diamond asked. "Why did you give Vernon so much hope that it made him work ten times harder for you, only for you to ditch him so cruelly."


    "Is your heart made out of ice, Chloe?"

 Chapter 391 391

    "Is your heart made out of ice, Chloe?"


    The question stunned Chloe, who never expected Diamond to speak so harshly.


    Throughout all of Chloe''s problems, Diamond never argued with her, she was very supportive - too supportive, really, and she believed that Diamond would never disagree with her.


    With dazed eyes, Chloe stared back at Diamond. Her mouth gaped as she tried toprehend what had just happened.


    "D¡ªDiamond, you¡ª"


    "What? "Are you surprised that I would disagree with you?" Diamond challenged boldly. She leaned on the chair with her arms crossed on her chest. She was never like this in front of Chloe, and that honestly startled her.


    Then she crossed her legs and said, "Do you know why I have always supported you, Chloe?"


    ¡­


    "I willingly put myself through many stuff to support you because I have the greatest respect for you, as I am aware that you have gone through a great deal, Chloe," Diamond answered to the question that she was asking for, knowing that Chloe probably had no idea why she was always by her side.


    "You''re so brave toe to Vernon''s office. I know how much courage it took for you to drop all your pride and beg for a job. I know you did it out of desperation because you need to provide basic necessities for your daughter."


    "Then you told me your story, and how you left your ex-husband after ten years of abuse..." Diamond said, reminiscing about the moment she realized Chloe was a strong woman.


    "I admire your resolve to leave Vincent. It''s amazing that you''re able to break free from his shackles despite all the odds."


    For a split second, Diamond''s gaze softened. She had to admit that she still adored his homegirl.


    But she had to be firm now because Chloe was going to make a U-turn back at Vincent.


    "I¡ªI''m still keeping my resolution to leave him¡­." Chloe tried to defend herself, but when she faced the scornful gaze from Diamond, she got a little intimidated and lowered her head quickly.


    "Really? Keeping your resolution? Haha¡­ that''s funny, Chloe," Diamond replied, full of contempt. "Do you think by leaving Vernon after a year, you''d have a peaceful life with your daughter?"


    "Do you really think that Vincent won''t chase after you to another state? Be. Fucking. For. Real."


    "By leaving Vernon alone, all you did is just ruin his life. He will be heartbroken, and might not be able to recover anymore, and you will expose yourself and your daughter. You WILL return to Vincent''s mansion, either by force or based on your hopelessness."


    "I¡ª" Chloe was speechless right now, unable to find a way to counter Diamond, who kept on attacking her until she felt defeated.


    "Chloe Carlson, you''re just making a U-turn back to Vincent. You''re not a strong woman by being wishy-washy and insipid like this," Diamond said ruthlessly. She said things that she had never said to her homegirl before.


    She was ruthless, and she thought it was necessary.


    She got up from the chair and looked down at her best friend, who looked defeated.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Her heart was aching, but she had to p some sense in Chloe.


    Diamond was worried that Chloe would make a horrible decision sooner orter. So Diamond tried to do some prevention before her homegirl did something utterly stupid.


    "Look, if you want to give up and return to your abusive husband, then go for it. You should''ve done it sooner though, so you wouldn''t hurt a man who is so dedicated to save you," Diamond said coldly. "I''m not going to stop a spineless woman who will repeat her cycle of abuse."


    Diamond strutted past Chloe''s chair, but before she left, she halted and added, "Don''t worry about Mackie''s celebration. I will tell my boss not to do too much, just because I agree that she should save the big celebration for important events in her life."


    "And for you, Chloe¡­." Diamond paused for a second. She took a deep breath before continuing, "Go do whatever you want. I am not interested anymore."


    Chloe was visibly shaken upon hearing her best friend giving up on her. She quickly turned around. She wanted to reach Diamond, but she had already left.


    "Diamond¡­" Chloe murmured her best friend''s name. She slumped on the seat weakly. Everything was sudden, and she didn''t expect her best friend to turn on her.


    Chloe was hurt when Diamond called her wishy-washy and spineless. She was not trying to sound or act like a weak woman, butpletely breaking free from the trauma and fear that haunted you for ten years straight was really difficult.


    "Yeah, she''s right. I¡­ I might be a little spineless and wishy-washy. But there is a reason for it¡­." Chloe wanted to say all that right in front of Diamond''s face.


    However, Chloe had to admit that she would hurt Vernon when she left.


    She might also hurt Mackie by separating her from another father figure.


    She might even hurt herself because deep in her heart, she knew that Vincent would eventually catch and throw her back into thatvish cage, where she couldn''t even breathe without being humiliated.


    ¡­


    ''Does that mean I cause pain to everyone around me?'' Chloe asked herself. She always put herself in the shoes of a victim because she was indeed a victim.


    But Diamond''s words weren''t wrong either.


    Her decision to leave Vernon would be a U-turn and hurt everyone, including innocent outside parties like Vernon.


    "Then what should I do? Should I stay with Vernon forever?" Chloe asked herself as she felt stuck right now. "Of course I can''t stick by his side forever. He has his own life, and I don''t want to harm him even further."


    ¡­


    Chloe closed her eyes and murmured, "Do I even have an option? Whether I leave or not, Vincent will still hunt me down. I don''t know what he will do to me after he catches me, but I know it won''t be pretty."


    "Do I even have a chance to win against Vincent?"

 Chapter 392 392

    It took Chloe some time to recover strength and leave Starbucks.


    Chloe returned to the office building and went up the elevator. Diamond''s words upied her mind the entire time, keeping her quiet.


    She was a spineless, wishy-washy woman who would eventually return to her abuser, Diamond said.


    While it was still hurtful, Diamond might have a point. Because even now, she was still thinking about giving herself back to Vincent because she was afraid that he wouldsh out at Vernon, hurting and possibly ruining Vernon''s future just because he tried to shield her.


    She nned to leave because she thought that would redirect Vincent''s focus back to her, clearing Vernon of all suspicions, thus Vernon could continue his life as a sessful young man without an olddy like her pestering around.


    "But what''s the point of all this if there is no escape from Vincent? All I did was just ruin someone''s life¡­." Chloemented.


    Ding.


    The elevator door slid open as it reached the top floor. Chloe could see Diamond busy with her report on the secretary''s desk.


    She gave Chloe a quick look before returning to her work indifferently.


    Chloe lowered her head and silently passed Diamond to the pantry. Honestly, she didn''t want toe here because she felt she was unwee by Diamond.


    But it was still her job to prepare lunch for Vernon.


    Thus, she put everything in a tray and went to Vernon''s office.


    She knocked a few times before Vernon told her toe in.


    Vernon was sitting on the sofa, eagerly waiting for his lunch because he had been starving this whole time!


    "Damn, it smells good," Vernonmented as Chloe served the food in front of him. "Where''s your food?" he asked.


    "Ah, I already ate it with Diamond outside," Chloe replied with a lie. It was still in her lunch bag. She just didn''t feel like eating right now.


    "Are you sure?" Vernon squinted suspiciously. He still had to make sure that Chloe ate her food.


    "Mhm, just eat yours first, I''ll leave now," Chloe said.


    "Wait, sit here with me, I want to tell you something," Vernon ordered, forcing Chloe to stay.


    ¡­


    Chloe reluctantly sat beside Vernon and watched the young man eat the food she cooked with relish as if it was the best lunch he had ever had.


    ''Ah, it makes me feel good to see him eating so well¡­'' Chloe thought, trying to grasp any selffort.


    Vernon slumped on the sofa after having his lunch. He drank his banana juice while staring at Chloe beforementing, "What''s wrong?"


    "Huh?"


    "You look troubled, Chloe."


    "I¡ªI''m not," Chloe quickly fixed her face, ensuring she didn''t slip up in front of Vernon.


    ¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Just tell me, seriously," Vernon confronted. "Seeing you looking so troubled distresses me as well."


    ¡­


    "Chloe?"


    Of course, Chloe couldn''t say that she nned to leave Vernon after she got her first sry. But she had other things in mind she could talk to right now.


    "Vernon, about Mackie''s celebration, what do you want to do?"


    "Ah, I''m thinking about emptying a mall for a night, and allow Mackie to take anything she wants there. It''ll be good to spoil her a little, right?"


    Chloe''s body visibly stiffened when she heard how excessive that sounded.


    Vernon might have the money to spoil Mackie rotten, but Chloe wanted to teach Mackie the meaning of money and how she needed to be watchful of the money she spent.


    After all, her father would never buy her something super expensive¡­


    "I¡ªI know that you have the money, Vernon," Chloe said. "But I don''t think it''s wise to give something like that to Mackie."


    "Huh? Why not?" Vernon frowned. "I thought it''s already a small celebration, I don''t know what''s smaller than that."


    Besides, Mackie was a daughter of a billionaire. She should be getting her own private jet by the age of seven.


    In fact, Vernon got a sports car for a birthday present when he was seven, which he never used. First, he couldn''t drive at that age, and second, all he wanted was a goddamn skateboard!


    ''And Chloe was the one who bought me a skateboard,'' Vernon reminisced.


    "Um¡­ I want to teach Mackie some humility. Vincent has never given her anythingvish, so I don''t want to set up too many expectations on her¡­." Chloe said weakly.


    Vernon went quiet for a few seconds, "He never gave her somethingvish? Did he buy her some expensive toys at least?"


    "No¡­" Chloe said. "But please don''t buy her something that is too expensive. I want to teach her the meaning of earning and saving money!"


    "Ugh, fine," Vernon was about to say that he would buy her a vi as a gift at least. But Chloe''s pleading eyes made him weak, and he couldn''t help agreeing.


    Though he already had an idea of a gift, "I won''t buy hervish stuff. But I will still give her something as part of the celebration, alright?"


    "O¡ªOkay, thanks, Vernon¡­."


    "By the way, did Diamond tell you about the two bodyguards that will blend with the people during the autumn festival?" Vernon asked, and Chloe nodded in response.


    "Well, it will be one man and woman, so one can be guarding you outside, and one can follow you around, acting as one of the student''s guardians," Vernon informed. "Don''t worry, Chloe. I promise to keep you safe. I will never forgive myself if something happens to you."


    Vernon stared at her with a gaze full of earnestness. As if he bet his pride on this.


    He truly wanted to protect Chloe from all harm, even if it meant he had to waste his life.


    ''Vernon dedicates his life to protect me. He even went as far as scheming against his own Big brother¡­'' Chloe thought. ''And what did I give him? Why am I thinking about running away when Vernon doesn''t even hesitate to throw his life for me¡­.''

 Chapter 393 393

    ''Now I understand why Diamond was so offended when I said that I wanted to leave¡­'' Chloe pondered.


    She kept silent while staring at Vernon, who looked at her back with a deep, yet meaningful gaze.


    ''Oh, my sweet Little Vernon, how much you''ve grown since thest time I took care of you¡­.'' Chloe had so much pride for him.


    She and Vernon might not be rted, but she was still the nanny who cared for little Vernon.


    She cooked for him, tutored him with stuff that he refused to learn from his teachers, listened to his worries since he grew up in a dysfunctional family, and watched him grow up from a little boy to a young teenager.


    Now, looking at the handsome and robust man in front of her, Chloe felt a sense of pride.


    ''And look how much of a brave man you''ve be when you get older,'' Chloe praised in her heart. ''And your bravery¡­ gives me courage as well, Vernon.''


    "Vernon, can I ask you something?"


    "Uh-huh, what?"


    "Do you not feel fear?" Chloe asked bluntly, which caught Vernon off guard.


    He didn''t expect that question toe from Chloe, whom he knew to be very meek.


    Vernon wondered if he should just lie.


    Of course, he felt fear. He was a human.


    But he was also a man, and what man didn''t want to show how cool and powerful he was? He wanted to be the strongest man for Chloe, so she could rely on him.


    But again, under her gentle eyes, Vernon felt weak and exposed. He was like a kid caught red-handed for doing bad things and had to be honest no matter what.


    "I¡­ I feel fear, sometimes¡­." Vernon replied weakly, not wanting to be too loud to show his weakness.


    "And what kind of fear do you have?" Chloe wanted to pry further because, based on what she had observed living with Vernon for more than six months, she concluded this man was a real daredevil who didn''t give a shit about anything.


    ''The fear of losing you for the second time,'' Vernon replied in his heart spontaneously. ''It far outweighs my fear of anything in this world, Chloe.''


    Too bad he couldn''t say that, as he didn''t want to make Chloe ufortable.


    "I¡ªuh¡­ I feared¡­"


    "Hm?"


    ¡­


    ''Oh shit, I just realized that I feared nothing but losing Chloe,'' Vernon started panicking. He was so engrossed with his fear of losing his woman the entire time that he forgot other fears he had.


    ''Should I just say that I''m scared of bugs? Huh, but that''s way too cliche and uncool!''


    Chloe sensed that Vernon was nervous for an unknown reason, so she tried to make it easier for him to answer by going straight to the point.


    "Vernon, have you ever feared someone in your life?" Chloe asked. "Like¡­ your Big brother."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Ah¡ª" Vernon was not surprised by Chloe''s question. In fact, he was more surprised that Chloe hadn''t asked him about this ever since he revealed that he was scheming against his own Big brother.


    The same Big brother who could twist thew ording to his needs.


    "Don''t worry about that," Vernon replied lightly, giving the illusion that Vernon feared nothing. "I''m not scared of him. Not at all."


    "Y¡ªYou''re not? H¡ªHow?" Chloe stammered, thinking that Vernon must be out of his mind for being so damn reckless like this!


    But Vernon shrugged without worry, "I never see myself as less than my Big brother. He might be so powerful right now, but that doesn''t mean that I can''t topple him."


    "I just need a good n and careful strategy before I can turn the table between us," Vernon confidently sat straight and slightly puffed out his chest, like a man demanding praise from his woman.


    He nced at Chloe and smiled, "What? Are you still scared of him?"


    ¡­


    Chloe thought Vernon would say that he feared his Big brother, so he had to y it safe because he feared the vicious rage that Vincent would rain down upon both of them.


    "I don''t understand¡­."


    "About what?"


    "About everything you said just now, Vernon," Chloe confronted the young man. "You said that you''re not afraid of him, but you''re now ying safe against him, right?"


    "That''s because I''m in a disadvantageous position right now. I can''t challenge him when we''re not in an equal ground, that is suicide," Vernon rebutted. "And if you think that is not-noble or whatsoever, then let me remind you something, Chloe¡ª"


    Vernon leaned forward and closed the gap between them. He wrapped his hand around Chloe''s waist to stop her from escaping and then rested his chin on her shoulder before whispering;


    "¡ªto fight against a monster, you have to be a monster. Vincent is a monster who will do anything to maintain the image of a man. And I am an infamous monster in the biz world who will do anything to show that I''m just a man¡­.''


    ''In front of the woman I love,'' Vernon added in his heart.


    He didn''t care about what people said about him out there. All he cared about was what Chloe was thinking about him.


    "So, if I may beg, please don''t think of me as a coward. I''m doing whatever I can, I will show you how much of a noble man I am once I''ve beaten Vincent, okay?"


    ¡­


    Vernon''s answerpletely took her off guard. She didn''t even notice that he had been sticking aggressively so close by her side right now.


    "Chloe, do you still doubt me?" Vernon asked.


    He knew it was hard to convince Chloe about his strength because he was still trying to build his own empire.


    But wouldn''t it be nice to have the woman you loved support you during your endeavor?


    "Vernon, I¡ª I still don''t understand¡­." Chloe repeated. "You said that you''re no less than him, and¡­ and you imed that you can topple him. I¡ªI thought this whole time you are¡ª"


    "¡ªfeeling inadequate against my Big brother?"

 Chapter 394 394

    "¡ªfeeling inadequate against my Big brother?" Vernonpleted her sentence, and Chloe nodded weakly.


    ¡­


    "Well, I was¡ª" Vernon replied to the question truthfully. He didn''t want to hide too much, knowing that Chloe still had doubts about them and how they could defeat Vincent.


    He knew it was natural for her to have that doubt. The trace of ten years of abuse wouldn''t be erased so quickly.


    All the pain, fear, and messed-up ideas that stemmed from ten years of abuse weren''t like a sand castle that could be washed away anytime. It was more like a stone tower at this point, standing tall, waiting for someone to take it down and crash it into rubble.


    And Vernon would do anything to wreck that tower.


    ''If your doubt is a mere sandcastle, then I will be a gentle wave that will wash you ashore slowly,'' Vernon said in his heart. ''But if your doubt is like a stone tower, then I will be a wrecking ball that will clear up all your doubts in one sweep.''


    ''All you need to do is to trust me, Chloe''


    "¡ªI was feeling inadequate towards him for a long time," Vernon replied. "But no more, not when I have my support system."


    "Support system?" Chloe wondered what kind of support system Vernon needed until he could erase his feeling of inadequacy. "Must be something great. Was it money?"


    "Money?"


    "Mhm, now that you''re continuing rising and would eventually reach that billionaire status, does that make you feel confident against your Big bro now?" Chloe asked.


    "Ahahaha! Okay, that''s a bit funny," Vernon felt like his heart was turning into a soft, mushy, sweet cake. He didn''t expect Chloe to not realize that SHE was the support system Vernon needed the whole time.


    She had always been the woman that caused everything for Vernon, both good and bad.


    "Money is a way to make your lifefortable. But materialistic things never bother me. My support system is someone¡ª a woman who makes me feel at ease. She gives me a ce I can rest, just like how I rest my chin on her shoulder," Vernon teased. "Do you know who she is?"


    "W¡ªWho?"


    Oh, Chloe knew well who that woman was. She was unsure if it was right for her to im the title because she was just an old woman who was not supposed to be the ce for Vernon to rest.


    Vernon let out a smallugh and whispered gently, "That is you, Chloe. You''re the support system that gives me confidence to fight against my Big brother."


    Honestly, Vernon had more continuation of his line. He wanted to say that having Chloe by his side meant he was already winning against his Big Brother.


    Because he knew that deep down, both brothers wanted to have Chloe by their sides. Both shared the same taste, but none wanted to share.


    Vernon''s words made her feel hot all over. She wasn''t surprised by his im that she was his support system.


    Vernon might never say he was in love, but his gestures, sweet words, and the fact that he would do anything to protect her¡­


    All his actions screamed ''love,'' even though he never said it.


    But Chloe was still unsure. Her mind told her to never reciprocate this young man''s love for her because she was just a middle-aged soon-to-be-divorced woman with many issues.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    She might as well never fall in love for the second time for the rest of her life.


    But she was still a woman, and what woman wouldn''t feel something when she was treated so gently¡­


    "How can you get the strength to fight Vincent because of me, when I''m still scared to even face him, Vernon?" Chloe asked.


    "Because I know your worth," Vernon replied lightly but with certainty. "You may not, but I do, and I''m pretty sure even your daughter and Diamond know your worth."


    ¡­


    Chloe had nothing to ask anymore. Vernon kept answering all of them with confidence and bravery that she didn''t have.


    As bad as it sounded, Chloe expected Vernon to at least have some of her poor quality crawl under the table or cower at the corner of the room, desperately trying to defend herself with her bare hands when Vincent hit her.


    Vernon was indeed a young man brimming with confidence and bravery. He didn''t care what was in front of him and would do anything he wanted as long as it suited his interest.


    He was wild, and she was timid.


    ''I think I have enough,'' Chloe said to herself, knowing well that she wouldn''t be able to match Vernon''s energy.


    She gently pushed Vernon, and the young man realized that Chloe would push him away and hide within her deeply depressing thoughts.


    So, before she left, he whispered onest thing, "It may be hard for you to obtain the courage you need. But know that I will never leave you alone, and if I may beg¡ª"


    "Please never leave me alone, Chloe."


    ¡­


    Chloe''s heart was pinched from the inside. She didn''t know whether it was intentional, but Vernon''s plea was shot directly through her conscience.


    Or maybe Diamond already told him about Chloe''s n to leave next year?


    Either way, it was so effective for Chloe that she was left speechless.


    Vernon slowly lifted his chin from her shoulder and sat straight in front of Chloe, "Okay, do you have something else to talk about?"


    "¡­ Nothing," Chloe replied. "I¡ªI have to leave. I¡­ uh¡­ I have to clean the house or something¡­."


    Vernon smiled upon listening to her cute reason, "Alright, I won''t keep you here for too long anyway, I have a meeting I have to do soon. Don''t worry about the celebration for Mackie, I''ll make it as humble as I could be."


    "Mhm, thank you, Vernon¡­."


    Vernon watched the back of his beloved woman, and he murmured, "Truly, I don''t understand how you can not see all the good things you bring in my life."

 Chapter 395 395

    Chloe got up and left Vernon''s office. She walked slowly and stopped when she saw Diamond drinking a cup of coffee while reading something on her iPad.


    Their eyes met, and Chloe tried to smile a little to ease the tension between them.


    But Diamond quickly looked away, making Chloe''s heart drop instantly, "I''ve packed your lunch bag in the pantry. You can just grab it and leave.


    ¡­


    "Don''t talk to me. I have things to do," Diamond cut out any possible interaction with her best friend.


    Chloe murmured ''thank you as she passed Diamond to the pantry. She grabbed the lunch bag and halted her step right across from Diamond.


    "Um¡­ Diamond, I don''t know if you''ll like it, but¡­." Chloe picked something from the lunch bag and put it on the table. "This is a cup of pumpkin pudding I made this morning. I made extra so you can enjoy it."


    "Hm, whatever."


    Chloe lowered her head and finally went down the elevator.


    Diamond continued focusing on her iPad, even though the screen was just a random document she clicked. She was trying to distract herself by not looking at her homegirl''s face because she might break her character and hug Chloe.


    She wanted to teach Chloe that she had to stand her ground, or else nobody would be able to help her.


    But still¡­


    The moment Chloe entered the elevator and went down, Diamond dropped her iPad and darted her eyes at a cup of pumpkin pudding made by Chloe.


    She picked it up and dug into it without hesitation. She took a spoonful and closed her eyes as she found out that Chloe''s pumpkin pudding was amazing!


    "Ah, you''re still thinking about me even after our fight. How am I supposed to maintain my animosity, homegirl¡­." Diamond murmured.


    She was already on the verge of dropping the whole ''fight'' thing with Chloe when her best friend smiled meekly at her. But she still had to continue doing this until Chloe realized her mindset was wrong.


    "Ah, I think I''m going to cry," Diamond sobbed while eating the pumpkin pudding. "Come on, Gurl, get your ass up and stand on your ground. I can''t do this for too long!"


    "Ugh, I bet Mr. Pheonix Gray must''ve been distressed. Bet they''re fighting again inside the office¡­."


    Diamond always hated when Vernon and Chloe fought, mostly because she didn''t know which side to take.


    Most of the time, she would take Chloe''s side.


    But there were a few cases where it was definitely her homegirl''s fault.


    Vernon opened the door as he wanted to tell Diamond to start contacting the mall manager.


    And the first thing he saw was Diamond eating a pudding while sobbing, something that he never saw before.


    "Uhhh¡­" Vernon felt awkward, especially when their eyes identally met.


    "Uhh¡­ why are you crying?" Vernon asked.


    **


    Chloe entered the penthouse and immediately started cleaning everything around her. It was just a way to distract herself, as her mind was still preupied with Diamond''s words.


    It was so rude and offensive.


    Yet it held truth in it;<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Spineless, wishy-washy woman who will return to her abuser¡­." Chloe repeated the line once more. She tried to brush it off, but the more she tried to distract herself, the more she realized that the word ''spineless'' urately described what she was doing.


    Avoiding confrontation, trying to distract herself to forget the real problem, and acting as if everything was alright, just to endure and keep all the abuse that Vincent did to her.


    She was spineless. There was no doubt about it.


    Chloe continued her usual activity of picking up Mackie from her school. She listened to her daughter chirping happily as she was ready for tomorrow''s event.


    Chloe replied with a smile or a small hum because her mind was still stuck in that coffee shop where she fought with Diamond.


    She returned home and started cooking dinner for the three of them.


    Mackie continued chirping but soon realized that her Mommy wasn''t listening. Usually, Mommy would cook while humming a song and chatting with Mackie.


    But Mommy was very quiet right now, all she did was chop vegetables in silence, and her eyes were empty.


    "Mommy, are you listening?" Mackie called her Mommy, and Chloe was unresponsive, busy with her own world.


    Thus, Mackie jumped from the chair and went towards Chloe. She pulled the hem of her shirt and raised her voice, "MOMMY!"


    "AH!" Chloe snapped out of her daze and looked down. "What''s wrong, Dear?"


    "Mommy, you''re not listening to me!" Mackie pouted. "Are you alright?"


    "Ahaha, Mommy is alright. I was just tired¡­."


    "Tired? Un¡­ Mommy doesn''t need to cook then, I don''t need to eat dinner!"


    Chloe smiled and patted her daughter''s head, "It''s okay. I will rest after making dinner. Can you help me put small tes and bowls on the table?"


    "Sure can, Mommy!"


    The energetic little girl prepared the small tes and sses on the dining table. When she heard the penthouse door being opened from outside, she dashed to greet her Uncle.


    "Uncle!" Mackie hugged her tall Uncle''s thigh.


    Vernon smiled thin and ruffled Mackie''s head, "How''s your rehearsal?"


    "Everything is ready, Uncle! I will be performing tomorrow, in the autumn festival!"


    "That''s good. Sorry I can''t be there, but I will make up for it with a celebration, okay?"


    "Yay! Celebration! Cakes!"


    Chloe peeked from the kitchen and said, "You two, go sit at the dining table. Dinner is ready."


    "Okay!" Mackie and Vernon replied at the same time. They sat at the dining table and waited for Chloe to put the food on it.


    Chloe carefully put a pot of hot chicken soup with vegetables on the table and sat facing Vernon and Mackie, who started pouring the soup into their bowl.


    She waited for them to take their portion and then took hers, as she didn''t feel like eating much.


    She ate in silence as she watched her family eating her food with relish.

 Chapter 396 396

    ''Spineless...'' that word popped into her mind again. ''If I stop being spineless and stand my ground, would I be able to protect my family?''


    ''Even in front of that monster-- Vincent. If I fight back, will I be able to change something?''


    Chloe never thought of fighting back against her abuser. She could only gain enough courage when she realized that her marriage was unsalvageable.


    After ten years of enduring, she was fed up. She filed for divorce and left with Mackie, waiting for Vincent to sign the paper so they could process it in court.


    Who would''ve expected Vincent to refuse to sign? Instead, he rained terror upon terror on Chloe, weakening her resolution and making her anxious.


    ''I thought I didn''t need to fight. For the past ten years, Vincent has dictated my life, and I''m not allowed to fight back....''


    ''Besides, how am I supposed to fight against Vincent? He can do anything he wants without repercussions. He is above thew!'' Chloe knew well how much of a monster Vincent could be.


    He was a billionaire who was well-loved by people. He had done many charity events and had a PR team controlling the media.


    She had nowhere to go. She was hopeless...


    Or so she thought...


    Chloe kept staring at Vernon and Mackie until they realized Chloe was eating slowly.


    "Do you need me to feed you again?" Vernon asked.


    "Ah--" Chloe was startled and shook her head. "No need, I can do it myself...."


    Chloe started eating her soup faster than before. She nced at the pair of Uncle-Niece in front of her and realized they were still staring at her nonstop.


    She got embarrassed when they kept staring and ate her dinner faster, much to Vernon and Mackie''s relief.


    **


    It was past ten, and Vernon was still busy in his home office, dealing with documents on hisptop.


    So Chloe served him herbal tea before she went to Mackie''s bedroom to tuck her daughter to bed.


    "You need to go to sleep, dear," Chloe said as she saw Mackie was still trying to practice in front of the mirror. "You have a big day tomorrow morning."


    "I know, Mommy. I''m just soooo excited!" Mackie said, still with her eyes on the mirror.


    Chloe smiled and walked behind Mackie. She gently patted her daughter''s shoulder and asked, "You''re not nervous at all?"


    "Nope!"


    "That''s good. You don''t need to be afraid of anything," Chloe tried to encourage her daughter. She wanted Mackie to be a confident and strong woman, unlike her...


    "Un, Mommy too, okay?" Mackie ced her palm on top of her mother''s hand on her shoulder. "Don''t be nervous, Mommy. No matter what happened, Mackie will always be there to protect you, Uncle said that too, right?"


    ...


    "Mommy will do the same for you, dear," Chloe said. She bent her back and kissed the top of Mackie''s head. "Mommy is nervous and scared, but I will do anything to protect you."


    "Yes, Mommy! We''re protecting each other!"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Chloe admitted she was a spineless, timid woman who wouldn''t dare stand up for herself.


    But she was still a mother who would do anything to protect her daughter, ''Even if that means I have to fight against my worst nightmare....''


    **


    Chloe woke up very early the next morning. She checked the clock and nodded, "Alright, still four in the morning, I have to make sure that everything is perfect for Mackie."


    Chloe was told that Mackie should be in school by seven in the morning because she had to fit into the costume and do a quick rehearsal before the autumn festival event started at 10.


    Chloe went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She cooked a light meal for Mackie because she would be jumping around today.


    However, she made plenty for Vernon because he said he had plenty of meetings today.


    She was like a busy housewife with a husband and daughter, ensuring her family was at its peak condition as she tried to support them.


    ...


    "Mommy, can we go now?" Mackie asked, as she had already had her early breakfast and was well prepared.


    "Yes, we have to be there at seven," Chloe said. She texted Vernon about his breakfast and today''s suit as he was still asleep.


    ...


    Chloe drove her car at a steady speed. She kept checking her watch, making sure that they weren''tte.


    "Phew, we''re here," Chloe finally let out a relieved breath when she arrived at Mackie''s school. She parked her car at the utmost corner of the parking lot before entering the school gate with Mackie.


    She walked into the main building and met with Mr. Peterson and the old Principal-- Mrs. Andrew.


    "Morning, Mr. Peterson, Mrs. Andrew!" Mackie greeted cheerfully. "I''m here with Mommy!"


    Mrs. Andrew and Mr. Peterson gave each other a quick nce and then gave their sweetest smile at the mother and daughter pair.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Gray, morning Mackenzie," Mrs. Andrew said. "You''re the first toe, why don''t you two go with Mr. Peterson to the backstage? I''m pretty sure Mackenzie wants to practice more, right?"


    "Un! I want to!" Mackie said.


    Chloe was a bit suspicious of Mrs. Andrew. This old woman was Vincent''sp dog, so Chloe never trusted her.


    But there was no harm in her words, and Chloe indeed had to go backstage to assist her daughter.


    "Thank you, Mrs. Andrew," Chloe said. "We will go now, if you excuse us."


    Chloe shifted her gaze at Mr. Peterson, waiting for him to lead the way, and Mr. Peterson faked a smile as well, "This way please."


    Mrs. Andrew watched as Chloe and her daughter followed the drama teacher backstage.


    She was relieved that Mrs. Gray was here. She didn''t know how to face Mr. Vincent Gray''s rage if Chloe suddenly refused toe here.


    "Now, I have to inform him," Mrs. Andrew paused for a moment as she stared at Chloe and Mackenzie''s back. She felt a little pity before shrugged lightly. "Oh well, a little sacrifice is fine for the school."

 Chapter 397 397

    Mrs. Andrew went to the Principal''s office and used the office''s phone to call Mr. Vincent Gray.


    After a few beeps, the line was connected, and she took a deep breath to prepare herself for this powerful man.


    The old Principal couldn''t shrug off the nervousness lingering in her heart no matter how often she faced Vincent Gray. Every time she had to face or talk with Vincent, she thought that Vincent would ruin her life with just a snap of his fingers.


    -


    "G¡ªGood morning, Mr. Gray," Mrs. Andrew greeted first.


    "Hm, you better give me good news for calling me so early," Vincent saidzily, but that simple threat was enough to send a shiver down the old woman''s spine.


    The fear was too much for her that she didn''t even care if she had to push Mrs. Gray and her daughter to the cliff as long as she could save herself.


    "I¡ªI have good news, Mr. Gray," Mrs. Andrew hurriedly said. "Your wife and daughter are here."


    "Oh, they do?" Vincent responded positively. "Where are they now?"


    "backstage. Your daughter will be ying as the Big bad wolf in the ''Three little pigs'' y. Do you want to watch her?" Mrs. Andrew offered, thinking that watching her daughter''s drama would bring joy to Vincent.


    "Hah, I don''t care about some stupid child drama."


    "But¡­ this is your daughter ying as the main character, Sir¡­."


    "And?" Vincent''s mocking tone shocked Mrs. Andrew as well. She knew that he was unfeeling, but she didn''t expect him to not even care about her daughter''s y.


    "I don''t care if my daughter is ying some stupid drama. It''s one of those useless activities that my wife usually encouraged Mackie to do," Vincent jeered continuously. "She should be learning how to be a good heir by following my footsteps by now, or at least study really hard. I want her to be at the top of her ss every semester."


    ¡­


    ''I should''ve known that a cold man like him wouldn''t give a damn about his daughter¡­.'' Mrs. Andrew thought.


    "I want to know about my wife," Vincent shot straight to the point. "She''s inside the school building, right?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Good, keep her busy, make sure she won''t be able to leave the school building," Vincent gave an absolute order that nobody couldn''t object to. "I happen to miss my wife."


    **


    Zzz¡­


    Vernon was sleeping soundly, snoring like he had nothing to worry about.


    That was until he got nonstop calls that disturbed his sleep. He frowned and groaned out of pain. He was pulling an all-nighter because there were plenty of documents he needed to check, so he could finally close his eyes at five in the morning.


    "Urgh, this is bullshit," Vernon groaned while enduring a headache. He grabbed his phone and squinted to check the caller.


    "Uh¡­ Diamond?" Vernon pressed the green button, and the call was connected.


    -


    "What?" he asked.


    "Sir, do you know what time it is?"


    "Uh¡­ I don''t know, seven?"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "It''s nine past twenty! Chloe called me just now, asking if you''re already in the office because Mackie will start her y in ten minutes!"


    "¡­ OH SHIT!"


    Vernon''s eyes were wide open when he realized he had overslept. He got up from the bed and rushed to the bedroom to wash his face before returning to his phone, "Diamond, send the bodyguards now! Make sure they''re patrolling around the school!"


    "Understood, Sir."


    Beep.


    -


    Vernon panicked, afraid that it might be toote for him to send the bodyguards.


    He could always send the bodyguards to stay around the school area starting from midnight. But Chloe protested, saying that she wanted everything to be as natural as possible, so he nned to send the bodyguard right when Chloe and Mackie entered the school ground.


    "Am I toote? No, right?" Vernon mused. "Damn, I should''ve told Chloe to wake me up in the morning."


    Vernon quickly called Chloe, which was connected without a problem, much to his relief.


    -


    "Chloe, where are you right now? Are you hurt? Did something happen while I was asleep?" Vernon overwhelmed Chloe by asking so many questions out of the blue.


    "R¡ªRx, Vernon. I''m waiting for Mackie''s y to start, which should be in five minutes," Chloe murmured her reply as she was surrounded by other parents. "Wait, let me open the video call."


    Chloe clicked the video button, and the face of Vernon with messy hair, red eyes, and dark eyebags appeared on the screen.


    "Ah, Vernon, you should rest more. You look¡­ very tired."


    "No, I promise Mackie that I will be watching her y," Vernon insisted. "It''s fine, just aim the camera to the stage, so I can watch as well."


    "Um, okay¡­" Chloe flipped the camera so Vernon could watch Mackie''s y.


    He watched how the kids who yed three pigs appeared and built their houses, and then came the star of the show, Mackie, with a wolf costume that covered her with fur from her neck down to her feet and a wolf headpiece squeezing Mackie''s cheeks.


    "I will eat you! Awoooo!" Mackie howled like a real wolf, and Vernon couldn''t help but smile.


    He watched how the little girl ran around the stage, trying to catch the three little pigs before they entered their respective houses.


    "Awoooo!" Mackie howled again, and she invited the awe from the other parents.


    Because instead of looking scary and intimidating, Mackie looked so cute in her wolf costume. Her chubby cheeks were sticking out like two white buns waiting to be pinched, and Vernon was holding himself, not to squeal the rest of the parents who watched the drama.


    ''So cute.''


    ''But she''s so energetic, that kid is good.''


    ''What a cute girl.''


    ''She seems so excited ying the Big bad wolf, maybe her parents taught her how to act.''


    Vernon heard the murmurs from the parents sitting near Chloe, and he couldn''t help to feel proud, like a father who watched his daughter doing well in school.


    ''Hah, of course! They don''t know that she is my daughter, a CEO of a showbizpany!''

 Chapter 398 398

    ''Hah, of course! They don''t know that she is my daughter, a CEO of a showbizpany!'' Vernon said in his heart, not realizing that he imed Mackie as his daughter, not niece.


    He kept his eyes on Mackie on the screen, not wanting to miss a second of his (supposedly) daughter''s performance.


    The performance took thirty minutes to finish. Once it was done, everyone apuded the performance and most praised Mackie for ying her role nicely.


    ''So cute! She is so good!''


    ''That little wolf makes the show ten times more entertaining.''


    ''Who''s the name of that little wolf?''


    ''The howl is so cute, I bet her parents are proud of her.''


    Chloe smiled when she listened to the other parents praising Mackie for a good performance. She was also proud of Mackie because there was no nervousness in her. She yed her role well, even howling a few times to make it more believable, even though Mr. Peterson didn''t give her any instruction for that.


    ''Ah, Vernon will be happy once the school uploaded the video on youtube,'' Chloe thought. ''We can watch it in the living room too.''


    Chloe was so engrossed with the show that she forgot that Vernon was also watching with a video call.


    She checked her phone screen and was surprised when she saw the supposedly cold, intimidating CEO look so excited.


    He didn''t even remember that he was still half naked, only wearing a short boxer, and he jumped on the bed many times until it started creaking. As if he was in a euphoric state where he was ten times more excited than the rest of the audience here.


    He pped the hardest and yelled, "THAT''S MY GIRL, MY DAUGHTER! SHE''S SO GOOD! GODDAMN, I LOVE HER SO MUCH!"


    Chloe gasped when she heard his loud yelling on the phone. Because Vernon imed Mackie as his ''daughter'' instead of ''niece.''


    Although, he didn''t seem to realize it as he was still celebrating. But it still came as a shock for Chloe when Vernon imed Mackie as his daughter.


    ? ''How could he easily say that he is Mackie''s father? While her own father is...'' Chloe remembered when Mackie was born, he looked dissatisfied when he got the news that he had a daughter, not a son.


    He didn''t even want to carry his daughter until baby Mackie showed signs of intelligence because she learned how to read and count so quickly when she was a toddler.


    Chloe''s body trembled, and she quickly wiped the tears that suddenly zed in her eyes.


    After hearing Vernon''s im, she didn''t know what to say or think.


    But one thing was for sure, she was... happy when Vernon imed Mackie as his daughter.


    ''Even though it''s just a moment of euphoria. I''m still happy that someone can love Mackie more than her biological father....''


    It took Vernon a while until his euphoria diminished. He returned to the phone and stared at Chloe, "Damn, Mackie is so good! I really can''t wait to celebrate with herter!"


    Vernon had a wide, proud smile pasted on his mouth, like a father who was proud of his daughter.


    But then, he realized that Chloe''s eyes were zed with tears and he got concerned instantly, "What''s wrong? Why are you crying? Did something happen?"


    "Ah, it''s fine, I--" Chloe wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and smiled back at Vernon. "I''m just happy that Mackie could have fun on the stage."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Oh! Hahah! I know, right?" Vernon said. "If she wants to be an actress, I could always orbit her. But I won''t rmend her to be a child actress, it''ll be too tiring and might even traumatize her."


    "Ahaha... It''s fine. She said that she wants to be a policewoman," Chloe chuckled in response. She stared at Vernon at the screen with a soft gaze, "Thank you, Vernon."


    "W--What? What for?" Vernon asked.


    When Chloe stared at him with her gentle gaze. It would make him feel hot and nervous, which was not good for his heart.


    "For watching Mackie''s performance and cheering on her, and also for preparing for the celebration," Chloe replied.


    It might be a bare minimum for the regr family to have the father watching his daughter''s performance and cheering.


    But Mackie didn''t have a normal family, and Vernon was not her real father.


    So it was still amendable act.


    "Uh... uhm, it''s fine. I did it because I promised her," Vernon said. "A--Anyway, how''s the area around you? All clear?"


    "What do you mean with all clear?" Chloe asked back.


    "I mean, do you find anything weird while you''re there?" Vernon inquired seriously this time, wanting to ensure Chloe and Mackie were safe.


    "Um, yeah, we were so busy backstage before I joined the other parents to watch the performance. I don''t see anything wrong so far," Chloe reported.


    "That''s good," Vernon nodded with certainty. He was relieved that it wasn''t toote for him to guard them. "I''ve dispatched two bodyguards. They will be patrolling around the school to ensure there was no trace of my Big brother around."


    "But when there is, you need to leave with Mackie as soon as possible, understand?" Vernon warned.


    "Yes, I understand, Vernon," Chloe smiled helplessly. Vernon was nervous about this, even though she was convinced that Vincent wouldn''te.


    First, she didn''t inform Vincent about the school''s autumn festival.


    Second, Vincent was always busy with either work or women.


    Third, he never attended parent gatherings in the school, let alone watched his daughter y.


    So there was nothing to worry about.


    Besides, there hadn''t been any movement from Vincent after her meeting with that old secretary, Maria.


    So Chloe thought that Vincent was just too busy fucking a new secretary to care about his soon-to-be ex-wife and daughter.


    ''But I understand his concerns. He''s just trying to keep us safe, and I... I have to appreciate him for that.''


    "Don''t worry, I''ll call you once I spot something off," Chloe said. "Also, shouldn''t you be in the office today? Diamond told me before that you have a meeting in... an hour."

 Chapter 399 399

    "Ugh, can I skip that?" Vernon groaned out of pain. He really didn''t want to go to work right now.


    He''d rather watch Mackie''s performance. Even if the show was over, he still wanted to congratte his niece for doing a great job.


    He also wanted to watch over Chloe and Mackie, ensuring they were safe, even if he could only do it on the phone.


    She chuckled and shook her head, "No, you can''t. Work is work," Chloe insisted.


    Vernon snorted annoyedly, "Fine, I''ll take a bath. But you must answer my callter. I''ll call you when I''m in my car."


    Chloe smiled thin. She couldn''t help thinking that Vernon''s stickiness was so cute.


    It reminded her so much of Little Vernon, who would stick by her side no matter what.


    "Okay, just take a bath and prepare yourself to work first. Your suit is on the sofa," Chloe mentioned, and she hung up the call soon after.


    She stared at the empty stage for a while.


    Since Mackie''s stage y was the first, the next y would be in fifteen minutes.


    ''Mackie must be celebrating with her friends right now. I shouldn''t disturb her,'' Chloe thought.


    She waited for the next ten minutes before she realized that she had to go to the bathroom.


    So she got up and left the auditorium. She walked through the corridor to the bathroom and realized she was being followed by someone.


    She nced at the one following her by her side and saw a female janitor walking to the bathroom just like her.


    The female janitor closed their gaps and said in a low- almost inaudible voice, "We''re watching you."


    Ba-dump!


    Chloe''s heartbeat skipped for a second, and she got nervous instantly.


    She knew this woman must be the bodyguard Vernon sent to watch over her. But it still gave her the creeps to be watched like this.


    After all, Vincent never sent any kind of bodyguard for her or her daughter, despite being Vincent''s wife for the past ten years.


    Which ended with Mackie getting kidnapped once by her rtive.


    And Vincent''s solution was... to hide Mackie and Chloe from the public''s eyes, limiting their movements and ensuring that they were under his surveince all the time.


    Chloe couldn''t even go to a different grocery store without being questioned or hit-- if she dared to argue.


    Chloe entered the female bathroom and looked over her shoulder to check on the janitor.


    The female janitor was staring at her but stopped at the intersection between the female and male bathrooms.


    ''Ugh, so creepy...'' Chloe thought.


    She entered one stall and did her stuff before washing her hand in the sink.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    She checked in the mirror and realized that the female janitor was nowhere to be seen, much to her surprise.


    ''Where''s she?'' Chloe wondered. ''If she''s supposed to be guarding Mackie and I, shouldn''t she be staying near me? Does she watch over me from another location?''


    Chloe got even more nervous than before, but she could do nothing other than act like nothing was wrong and left the bathroom.


    She walked to the corridor as she wanted to return to the school auditorium, but when she passed the principal''s office, she saw the old principal standing in front of the door, seemingly waiting for someone.


    Chloe tried to walk past her, but the moment that old woman spotted her, she quickly grabbed Chloe''s shoulder and tightened her grip, making sure that Chloe halted her step.


    ''Oh, crap, what''s now?'' Chloe cursed in her heart. But she looked over her shoulder and asked, "Is there something wrong, Mrs. Andrew?"


    "Mrs. Gray, I have something to tell you," Mrs. Andrew said. Her voice was hoarse as if she was just as nervous as Chloe.


    "About what?"


    "Let''s... talk about it inside my office, okay?" Mrs. Andrew initiated, and Chloe''s suspicion was on the roof.


    From her pale face to her nervous gait, it was obvious that Mrs. Andrew was hiding something.


    So Chloe stood her ground, "We can talk here, Mrs. Andrew, I don''t mind at all." Chloe looked around and added, "There''s nobody but us here, so you don''t need to worry if someone overheard us."


    Mrs. Andrew got even more nervous after realizing that Mrs. Gray wasn''t as meek and obedient as usual. Her palms started sweating cold, "Mrs. Gray, this is about Mackenzie. It''s very important. Let''s go in and talk."


    "We can talk here," Chloe insisted. "I''m her mother, I don''t mind if someone else hears about this."


    Mrs. Andrew was speechless by Chloe''s stubbornness. She was apletely different person right now.


    She was used to just lowering her head and saying okay to everything. Usually, she would keep her mouth shut and let other people trample over her.


    But this time, she looked confident, which scared the old principal so much.


    "M--Mrs. Gray, please, just cooperate with me and we can have a chat inside. Why are you being so difficult?"


    "I''m not being difficult, you are," Chloe retorted. Truthfully, she was also nervous right now.


    She wasn''t used to arguing with someone like this. But she really had a bad hunch over this old woman. So she had to defend herself even if that also made her ufortable.


    "If you have something to talk about, we can talk here, or we can even go to my car if you really need that privacy."


    "This is taking too long. We have works to do in the office," Mrs. Andrew and Chloe darted their eyes simultaneously when they heard another old woman''s voice.


    Chloe was astonished when she saw that old wretched Secretary Maria walking towards them. Her eyes showed signs of impatience, as if she wanted all of this to end soon.


    "Let''s get this over with, Mrs. Gray," Maria said. She stood right beside Chloe and grabbed her arm so tight that Chloe winced in pain when Secretary Maria''s sharp nails dug into her skin.


    "Someone wants to see you," Maria nced at Mrs. Andrew and instructed, "Grab her other arm."

 Chapter 400 400

    [Warning: heavy content.]


    "Wait¡ªAH!" Chloe groaned when Mrs. Andrew did the same with her other arm.


    Chloe tried to struggle as she realized that she was definitely fucked. She red at these two old bitches to intimidate them, though it didn''t seem to work.


    "What''s this? Let me go now or I will scream!" Chloe threatened.


    "Please cooperate, Mrs. Gray. I''m here to do my job, and you should do yours as well," Maria scoffed sarcastically. "You''re the main cause of the profit loss in thepany. Stop being selfish and do your job as his wife."


    The word ''his wife'' triggered Chloe instantly. She started struggling harder when she realized a certain disgusting man must be inside the Principal''s office.


    "Let me go! I said let me go!" Chloe tried to pull herself out of these two old women''s grip, but she was just a thin woman without much physical power.


    Maria red at Mrs. Andrew and ordered, "Open the door!"


    "Y¡ªYes!"


    Mrs. Andrew opened the door as wide as possible, and Maria whispered, "Do your job, Mrs. Gray. Aren''t you supposed to be his good wife?"


    "NO¡ª NO, WAIT!"


    Maria and Mrs. Andrew pushed Chloe as hard as they could until Chloe staggered and fell to the ground.


    Mrs. Andrew mmed the door shut and locked it from outside, making sure that she couldn''t escape.


    Mrs. Andrew pocketed her key and followed the old secretary to sit on the bench in front of the Principal''s office.


    Unlike Maria, who was calm and collected, Mrs. Andrew looked anxious, "Is it really okay?"


    "Hm?"


    Mrs. Andrew looked at the old secretary and asked, "Is it really okay to leave Mrs. Gray alone in there?"


    Maria shrugged without care, "They''re husband and wife. It''s her duty to make her husband happy, so let them be. Don''t worry about it."


    **


    "Ugh¡­" Chloe grimaced in pain. Those two wretched old hags pushed her too hard until she fell face-first on the floor.


    While recovering, she heard a footstep walking towards her and saw an expensive brown shoe that shone at the tip.


    Her body tensed immediately. She got so scared that she forgot to breathe for a few seconds.


    She stayed on the spot, not daring to look up because she didn''t dare to face her nightmare.


    "It''s been a while, wife," a man''s mature yet gentle voice called her lovingly. But she knew this man never had an ounce of love for her. "Look up. I want to see your face."


    ¡­<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Chloe dared not to look up. She was so terrified that she felt her entire body was stiff.


    "So shy to your own husband?" the man teased. He slid his shoes closer toward Chloe and lifted her chin by using the tip of his shoes.


    Chloe was forced to look up but closed her eyes quickly, much to the man''s annoyance.


    "Open your eyes or I will smash your face with my shoes," the man said slowly, but the threat was so effective that Chloe opened her eyes immediately.


    The first thing she saw was the eyes of a viper looking down at her. He smirked from ear to ear as he took great pleasure from this.


    He really looked like a viper that was ready to bite her anytime he wanted, and this poisonous man was none other than her own husband;


    Vincent Gray.


    "Good. You should be obedient if you don''t want to get hurt," Vincent said. He looked much more rxed than Chloe expected, but that was never a good sign.


    Usually, Vincent would yell and throw many curses when he was annoyed. But when he was pissed off, he would do stuff like this.


    Treating her gently, speaking softly and calmly, only to abuse herter.


    "Now get up, I want to have a little chat with you."


    ¡­


    Chloe was unresponsive. Her mind was flooded with all the memories she had started to forget after staying away from Vincent for the past six months.


    From all the intimidation that made her scared to fight back to the humiliation that made her unable to eat,pleted with the abuse that traumatized her so much, she couldn''t even think about running away¡­ until six months ago when she filed for divorce.


    Vincent saw the fear in her eyes, which gave him great satisfaction, ''She still has her fear of me. That means she still respects me as her husband,'' he thought.


    Truthfully, he was already thinking about many things he could do so Chloe would know her ce, fear and respect him, and be an obedient wife, just like she used to do before she left.


    ''I expected her to struggle a bit more though. I''ve nned many things to break her,'' Vincent thought. He was a little disappointed, but he would still take his time ying with his wife.


    "Get up," he gave an order again, but Chloe was still unresponsive. Her face was pale, and her lips started trembling out of fear. She was ovee by fear, making her unable to react.


    "I said get up, you dumb bitch!" Vincent grabbed Chloe''s shirt and pulled her up with one hand.


    Chloe was wearing high heels, making it hard for her to recover, and her knees were too weak to stand.


    Vincent had a paper-thin patience. Seeing that his wife wasn''t going to stand up on her own, he clicked his tongue annoyedly and pushed her to the wall until her back hit the wall quite hard.


    "AH!" Chloe grimaced in pain. It wasn''t the first time that Vincent had done this to her, but every time he did this, she could only cry or cower like a terrified rabbit.


    Vincent wrapped one hand around her waist to prop her up while his other hand wrapped around her neck, pressing her against the wall, making it hard for Chloe to breathe.


    "Listen to me, you whore. I''ve been trying my best to be gentle to you. So you should follow my order or I won''t hesitate to strangle you to death."

 Chapter 401 401

    Chloe gritted her teeth and tried to struggle again, but the more she struggled, the harder Vincent pressed his hand on her throat, effectively strangling her until she could barely breathe.


    "Urk¡ª Uhk¡ª!" Chloe''s face started getting paler than before. She was trying hard to catch some air to no avail. "C¡ªCan''t¡ª b-breathe¡ª!"


    "Will you stop struggling if I let you breathe?" Vincent asked, and Chloe nodded slowly in response.


    The venomous man smirked from ear to ear as he was satisfied with her obedience and loosened his grip around her neck to let her breathe, "See? I''m not so cruel, aren''t I? I''ll let you off as long as you obey me."


    "In fact, I should be the one getting apliment for being nice to my wife who has been running away for a while, offering her pussy to another man like a whore that she is, don''t you think so?" Vincent asked with a malicious grin on his face. "Technically, I am allowed to beat you since you cheated, but I''m not that cruel."


    Vincent''s voice was gentle yet held a lot of grudge in it. He was like a monster repressing his urge not to crush this petite woman at his mercy just because he wanted to y with her more.


    ? Nevertheless, Vincent''s threat was proven effective, and Chloe quickly stopped her vain struggle as she was too scared that Vincent would strangle her to death.


    Vincent released his hand wrapping around Chloe''s neck and trailed his finger on her cheek. Chloe''s body stiffened, but she couldn''t do anything other than let this monster caress her cheeks.


    He raised his brow full of interest, "It seems that you''ve gotten a bit fatter than before, hm?"


    ¡­


    "Tell me, does it make you happy that you can run away from me?" Vincent asked, but it felt more like a test for Chloe because no matter what answer she gave, he would twist it to make Chloe the wrong one.


    She should just close her mouth and ept the beating, but¡­


    Something in her wanted to taunt him. She wanted him to know that she was happy living with another man because Vincent would never give her the simple and peaceful life she wanted!


    He treated her like she was some kind of game, a pet he could toy with when he was bored and toss or hit when he got mad at something else.


    Chloe clenched her fist between her thighs and suddenly opened her mouth;


    "I am happy."


    Vincent''s eyes widened when Chloe answered his question, "What did you say?" he asked again, making sure that Chloe knew what she was doing right now.


    "I said, I. Am. Happy!" Chloe repeated while raising her voice. She dared to stare straight at Vincent boldly while making the statement. "I''m d that I ran away from you, and I will do it again if I have the chance!"


    "You¡ª!" Vincent raised his hand and clenched his fist, ready to punch this woman who dared to disobey her own husband.


    But he stopped midway and sighed as he loosened his fist, much to Chloe''s shock.


    ''Why didn''t he hit me? What''s wrong?'' Chloe asked herself. She was certain that Vincent would punch her, just like he did a few times when she dared to fight back.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But he didn''t. Instead, he took another deep breath before saying weakly, "That makes me sad, Chloe. It seems I am the only one suffering because of our separation."


    Vincent leaned his head on Chloe''s shoulder and rested his chin as he murmured, "My life changed after you leave, I can''t sleep well, nor can I eat well because nobody cooks better than you."


    "I stopped seeing Prisci too, I lost interest in her almost instantly when you finally left me," Vincent said.


    His voice was soft and full of vulnerability, which Vincent never showed before.


    "Thepany''s profit has also stagnated because apparently, I''m not doing a good enough job to maintain my focus on my important projects," Vincent started telling many things that he had never told Chloe.


    "My emotion starts to deteriorate as well. I keep getting angry at the smallest thing," Vincent said. He gulped as he got nervous about his next sentence. "I¡­ I know it''s wrong for me to say it now. I should''ve said this earlier, but I¡­ I miss you, Chloe, and I miss our daughter too."


    "I want you and Mackie to return home, so we can rebuild our rtionship," Vincent asked softly. "How about we end this crazy escapade of yours and set everything straight? We can be a good family, don''t you say that you want to have a normal family the most?"


    Vincent slowly separated himself from Chloe. He wrapped his hand around her waist tighter and stared into Chloe''s eyes.


    "I know that you want me to be present in Mackie''s life. I will do it, if that''s what it takes for you to return. Does that sound fair to you?"


    ¡­


    Chloe went silent for a long time as they kept staring at each other. Her soon-to-be ex-husband''s eyes showed vulnerability, a trait he never showed.


    And she wouldn''t lie that his vulnerable gaze shook her heart.


    She started trembling as she could not understand this strong emotion inside her heart.


    But there was one thing that was clear to her, and that was heartache.


    It was so painful that she felt her heart might explode anytime soon.


    Chloe''s eyes started pooling with tears, and she had nothing to wish for other than wanting the heartache to stop. She never wanted the luxury that Vincent offered, the expensive mansion he had, or the elite connection he got.


    She just wanted to live a normal life with her husband and daughter.


    "Chloe? Are you alright?" Vincent asked attentively. He used his thumb to wipe the tears that dropped from the corner of her eyes.


    She mustered her courage to speak despite her trembling voice, "Do you mean it?"

 Chapter 402 402

    "Do you mean it?"


    "Do I¡­ mean it?" Vincent blinked a few times as he tried to process the question. "Are you doubting me?"


    Chloe''s lips thinned as she was holding the pain in her heart, "Just tell me, do you really mean what you said? About wanting to live together and mend everything that you did wrong?"


    ¡­


    "I mean it, Chloe," Vincent replied to assure Chloe. "I mean everything I said. I realized that I can''t live without you. I feel empty when you''re not by my side."


    ¡­


    ''Looking at him like this makes me think that all the pain I''ve experienced for the past ten years is all an illusion in my head,'' Chloe thought. ''That all of my hardships get invalidated just because he said some sweet words¡­.''


    Chloe''s heart was crushed because she realized she couldn''t feel a thing anymore. Even after all the sweet words, he said, her heart was cold and dead for him.


    No matter how many times he begged, she would always be haunted by all the beating and humiliation she had to endure for the past ten years, and nothing could erase that.


    So she collected her courage once more to reply;


    "It''s toote, Vincent," Chloe replied. "Y¡ªYou¡­ you can''t just say sorry after ten years of abuse you did for me. You won''t be able to mend a deep wound you''ve inflicted for ten years straight, and never will."


    "Is that a no?" Vincent asked. There was a trace of sadness in his eyes as if he truly wanted Chloe to say yes and he could fix everything.


    "Can you pity me a bit, Chloe? If I beg, would you consider returning home with Mackie?"


    Chloe''s heart wavered. Her lips almost blurted out a ''yes'' for his plea. But she could not and would not return. Even if Vincent changed to be a better man, there was too much pain that she had no desire to be with Vincent anymore.


    "I¡ªI can''t, Vincent¡­." Chloe replied. "There is no way for us to be together anymore. I''ve fallen out of love, and I¡ª"


    Chloe stopped as she almost blurted that she had a new man in her mind. But then realized that she also had no right over that guy.


    That guy was young and should find someone young, or at least a woman without too much physical and mental damage like her.


    "J¡ªJust¡­ sign the paper, Vincent¡­" Chloe said. "I want the divorce to be processed, and we can part ways. I¡­ I want to start a new life without you..."


    "I see," Vincent lowered his head and went silent for a long time, but his hand around Chloe''s waist was shaking for an unknown reason.


    Chloe got worried, as it was her nature to do so, "V¡ªVincent, I''m sorry, but I¡­ I can''t do this anymore. Please just let me go¡­."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Pffth-" Vincent scoffed before he smirked from ear to ear again. He lifted his head and stared at Chloe with apletely different gaze and facial expression. "Did I fool you?"


    Chloe''s heart dropped when she saw all the sadness and pity that Vincent had shown before suddenly disappearing. Now he had returned to be the same man who abused her for ten years straight.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ruthless, arrogant, and aplete sociopath.


    "You¡ª D¡ªDid you¡ª" Chloe stammered as she tried to make a sentence to question what he had done before.


    "What?" Vincent perked his left brow and the corner of his lips simultaneously, "Do you think I will beg for your forgiveness? Do you really think I have be a different person just because of you?"


    "Chloe Gray, you''re a woman, a species that won''t fool me, nor change me," Vincent said ruthlessly. "Stop ttering yourself. You''re just one of those women I fucked¡ª well, you''re the lucky one, I guess. Since you have the privilege of bearing my child."


    Chloe was speechless. She was truly feeling heartache when she rejected Vincent''s apology. She thought she was making a big step by rejecting him despite all his sweet words.


    Turned out it was all fake.


    ''Ah, what am I thinking anyway? There is no way a bastard like Vincent would change because of me. I''m just one of the random women he fucked¡­.''


    Chloe was unresponsive as she kept staring at Vincent with a sad gaze, and her tears flowed without reason.


    "Anyway, I didn''t expect you to be quite smart not to fall into that kind of honeypot trick, hahah," Vincent ridiculed. "It seems that you''ve gotten a wee bit smarter after leaving me. This is bad, Chloe Gray, I don''t want my woman to be smart. You should just serve me like usual, that''s your use as a woman."


    "Oh, by the way," Vincent released his hand that wrapped her waist and grabbed her arm instead. He suddenly flung Chloe until she fell on the floor face first.


    "AH!" Chloe groaned in pain, but she recovered fast as she didn''t know what Vincent would do next.


    She turned around and tried to grab the Principal''s desk, using it as support to get back up.


    Her legs trembled from all the pain she had experienced, but the fear was far bigger than just physical pain.


    Chloe''s chest rose up and down, trying to gasp as much air as possible as she stared at Vincent, who stood about three feet away from her.


    Vincent pped his hand with a grin, "Congrattions for not falling to a stupid trick. But don''t get carried away, Chloe. You''re still too stupid to face me."


    "Do you think I don''t know that you''re sad? You''re crying like a little bitch while rejecting me," Vincent''s smile suddenly disappeared, reced with a sharp gaze darting at Chloe with t lips. "You look disgusting. Stop crying like a doormat, you weak bitch."


    He was right. She was weak.


    Chloe realized that she was vulnerable and weak. She didn''t even know that Vincent was fooling her because, judging from Vincent''s eyes, he looked genuinely sad and in so much pain.


    But even if he was genuine¡­


    "Whether you fool me or not, my answer will not change, Vincent," Chloe stated firmly. "There will be no second chance for you¡ª for us as a family. We''re done."


    "Can you repeat that again?" Vincent taunted.


    Chloe took a deep breath and shouted, "WE ARE DONE, VINCENT GRAY!"

 Chapter 403 403

    "WE ARE DONE, VINCENT GRAY!" Chloe shouted right at Vincent''s face. The high ceiling of the Principal''s office made it easy for her voice to echo around the room, and that lingered in Vincent''s head.


    It was like an insult for Vincent, knowing that a woman dared to yell at him, and this woman was supposed to be his wife, the best piece of a good woman that would always obey him.


    "Is that so?" Vincent replied lightly, but his jaw tightened, and a vein appeared on his temple when he heard that loud statement. His breath started to get heavy as he tried to hold his anger.


    He knew it was weird for him to get angry when Chloe rejected him. After all, in his dictionary, there was no such thing as rejection.


    Chloe''s rtionship with him was solely built because Chloe needed him as a man.


    She was a weak, stupid woman, born from a poor family that could be bought with money.


    Vincent bought Chloe''s family with money, and even if he couldn''t buy Chloe with money just because she was a bit too idealistic with what she viewed as a good family, he could just lock her up and bully her a bit until she gave up and became his obedient wife again.


    "Do you understand that you''re going to anger me now, Chloe Gray?" Vincent asked. "Just like what I said before, I have a paper thin patience for a stupid woman who said stupid shit."


    Chloe observed Vincent from head to toe, and she knew that Vincent wasn''t ying around, and the next thing that would happen was predictable for Chloe.


    He would beat her up until she cried on the ground, trying to shield herself by curling her body like a ball.


    She knew the risk and should''ve stopped here and apologized.


    Yet¡­


    She didn''t want to do it.


    She didn''t want to beg for forgiveness anymore because no matter how many times Chloe would beg and kiss his feet, he would never change.


    Thus, Chloe gritted her teeth as she tried to fight the fear creeping up from her feet.


    Her knees were trembling, so she leaned at the desk for support. She gripped each side of the desk until her nails shallowly dug into the wooden desk.


    "I will not change my mind, Vincent!" Chloe shouted boldly. "I said that we are done! So stop bothering me and sign the divorce paper already!"


    Vincent''s gaze got deeper and filled with maliciousness after he heard her answer. He scoffed at masking his terrible wrath, "You''re truly an idiot, Chloe. Ten years with me, and you still failed to understand my preference."


    "I want an obedient woman, how many times do I have to repeat that?"


    "And I will never be an obedient woman for you, Vincent. Not when you don''t appreciate me for the past ten years," Chloe retorted.


    The more Chloe argued, the angrier he got.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He was at his limit, so he cracked his knuckles and murmured, "Well, there is nothing I can do then. I need to discipline my wife by beating her a few times. We did this a lot before, you can handle it."


    Vincent took one step forward, and Chloe quickly threatened, "Don''t you dare toe closer!"


    "Why not?"


    "B¡ªBecause I have bodyguards in the school! I can always shout as loud as I can, and they wille to save me!"


    Chloe thought Vincent would be deterred after knowing she had a bodyguard, but he looked at her with a thin smile and tilted his head, "You mean the two bodyguards your new man sent to protect you? The man is acting as a security guard, and the woman is acting as a janitor, correct?"


    "H¡ªHow could you¡ª"


    "I subdue them," Vincent replied curtly. "They''re good, but not good enough when they have to fight five burly men at once, no?"


    Vincent brazenly advanced two long steps toward Chloe until the tip of their shoes touched.


    He leaned closer and faced the terrified Chloe with a vicious smile, "Do you think you can fight me with something like that? You should tell your new man not to take me lightly, or I will crush him once I know his identity."


    Chloe gasped when she realized that Vincent could always obtain Vernon''s identity by torturing those two bodyguards. Vincent seemed to catch on to the idea.


    "I can always use those two bodyguards to tell me who is your new man, but that wouldn''t be so fun, right? I''d love to know his identity through your mouth instead."


    "I have thousands of methods to break your tiny escapade, Chloe. Do you think me¡ª Vincent Gray, has no capacity to find a random man who dared to covet my wife?"


    Vincent leaned even closer and ced his hands on top of Chloe''s hand on the desk. He drew his face closer to Chloe''s until the tip of their noses touched.


    "You''re so naive if you think you can fight back. Do you think this is some kind of wish-fulfilling story for a stupid woman like you?"


    Vincent''s viper-like gaze was so threatening when they were this close. Her whole body felt weak, and she started to feel lightheaded as fear took control.


    ''This is it. This is my end¡­'' Chloe thought. ''I tried to fight back, but Vincent is just too much¡­.''


    She thought things couldn''t get worse until her phone ringtone suddenly rang.


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and Vincent instantly noticed her fear upon hearing the ringtone.


    He smirked evilly and asked, "Oh? It''s so rare for you to get a call from someone. You don''t have a friend after we got married, and you know that your family hates you, right?"


    "With all that checked out, that only leaves one person to call you right now," Vincent said. He saw the terror in Chloe''s eyes. She must''ve been terrified as the secret man''s identity would be revealed soon.

 Chapter 404 404

    [Song Rmendation: Adele - Set Fire to the Rain.]


    Vincent separated himself from Chloe to give her a little space, but still close enough that he could always subdue her stupid struggle if he needed to.


    He lifted his hands and ordered, "Go on, pick up the call."


    Chloe swallowed her saliva hard. She was being stared at by Vincent right now, and she knew that Vincent just wanted to taunt her before he crushed her.


    There was nothing she could do to hide Vernon''s identity. Vincent would find out about his identity as her benefactor as soon as she picked up the call.


    The phone continued to ring nonstop. Vernon must be panicking, or at least anxious because both bodyguards had been subdued and uncontactable. He was probably on his way to the school just to check.


    ''I hope he''s too busy at work though. I really don''t want him to get discovered...'' Chloe fretted in her heart. ''I really hope he stops caring for me at this moment, so he can save himself....''


    "Pick it up, Chloe. I can''t wait to hear the voice of that bastard who dared to fuck my wife."


    Chloe was on the verge of giving up.


    She knew she would probably get beaten badly if she refused to pick up the call.


    But if she picked it up, Vernon''s identity would be revealed, and his life would be ruined because there was no way Vincent would let him off.


    In front of her nightmare, Chloe''s mind shed with all the happy memories he had with Little Vernon, watching him grow up from a bratty kid to an even brattier teenager.


    Then he suddenly disappeared for ten years before he returned as a changed man. He looked intimidating and cold, but after Chloe had lived with him for the past six months, she discovered he was still the same Vernon she knew.


    Bratty, picky, too confident, and spoiled.


    But he was very dedicated to what he was doing and was a talented man.


    ''He is also a gentleman to Mackie and I. He might look rough outside, but never once does he ever hurt us....'' Chloe''s heart was warm as she kept thinking about Vernon and Mackie. ''Instead, he promised to celebrate Mackie''s sessful stage y. I don''t know if I can attend it though, it will be a waste, unfortunately....''


    Chloe stared at her nightmare for a long time and imagined all the cruel things Vincent could do to Vernon.


    She might get it hard because she would be humiliated and abused. But Vernon might get killed at the hand of his own Big brother.


    Thinking about all the kindness that Vernon did to her and all the help he gave to make her get better, Chloe thought it would be selfish for her to cower in fear.


    ''I--I''d rather see myself getting hurt, than seeing Vincent ruining the life of a good man.''


    Thus, Chloe took a deep breath to muster her courage and tried to reason as long as she could protect Vernon, "Y--You can beat me now."


    "Hm?" Vincent raised his brow. He crossed his arms as he got confused by Chloe''s statement, "You want to be beaten? Did I hear that right?"


    "Yes," Chloe nodded. "Beat me. You can hit me in the face or shove me to the ground. Y--You can-- do anything...."


    Chloe''s words astonished Vincent, which was rare because he thought he knew her in and out. Chloe was a pretty predictable woman, after all.


    But this time, even Vincent was shocked by her.


    "You... want to be beaten? You know how bad it could be, right?"


    "I know," Chloe nodded with certainty. "I won''t pick up the call, you can beat me instead."


    Vincent saw the courage in Chloe''s eyes, and he clenched his fist so hard that his whole body trembled out of rage.


    "You''re going to sacrifice yourself for this bastard?" Vincent asked. His expression got slightly twisted, "Heheh that makes me want to chop him to pieces now. Maybe cut off his dick and give it to you, I bet I canugh at your misery."


    He thought that would be enough to deter Chloe. He had never killed anyone before, but this might happen if she continued to fight back.


    "He is not a bastard," Chloe rified. She knew there was no turning back, so she freely said something that had been bugging her mind for a while.


    "He is a much better man than you could ever be, Vincent."


    "GRH! FUCK!"


    Chloe jolted when Vincent suddenly kicked the chair at his left until it flipped. His chest rose up and down as he red at Chloe.


    He had lost his cool, and he wasn''t proud of it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But Chloe taunted him enough. He was truly at his limit now!


    "You fucking dare to say that your bastard man is better than me? ME?! NOW YOU''VE DONE IT, CHLOE GRAY!"


    Vincent raised his fist and aimed at Chloe''s face. He didn''t like to hit her face now because that should be for dessertter.


    But this bitch needed to know her ce! Vincent had to punish her, even if he had to ruin his n!


    Chloe closed her eyes, ready to ept the hit.


    Right before the punchnded on her face, the phone suddenly rang again, and Vincent stopped.


    His eyes darted at Chloe''s chest, where she pocketed her phone, "PICK UP THE CALL!"


    ...


    "PICK UP THE CALL OR I WILL KILL YOU!"


    Vincent''s threat was so effective that Chloe''s heart was shaken. She instinctively fished the phone out of her pocket and checked the caller.


    Vernon.


    "It''s him, right?" Vincent asked impatiently.


    Chloe nced up to check at Vincent and thought it was a bad idea.


    Because she had never seen Vincent this angry in her life.


    "LET ME HEAR HIS VOICE!"


    ...


    "BITCH, I TOLD YOU TO PICK IT UP! DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DIE!?"


    Chloe''s trembling thumb hovered on the green button. She could just pick up the call and reveal Vernon''s voice. It would save her from demise, at least.


    But she wasn''t a selfish woman who would allow Vincent to hurt Vernon-- the only man who had been good to her.


    Chloe closed her eyes, and the first thing on her mind was Vernon, who smiled at her.


    She also remembered one sentence that gave her courage.


    -


    Discard any stupid idea of yours, and trust me.


    -


    Chloe bit her lower lip, trying to stand her ground in front of Vincent, ''I trust you, Vernon. Even if it hurts me, I still want to trust your words.''


    ''And I will never let him hurt you, no matter what. Let Big sis Chloe protect you.''


    Chloe opened her eyes slowly, staring at Vincent with different eyes than before.


    Her eyes were filled with courage, and her heart was filled with determination to protect Vernon.


    "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO ANSWER THE CALL? STUPID BITCH, YOU''RE SERIOUSLY PISSING ME OFF!"


    Chloe quickly rejected the call and red back at Vincent. For the first time in her life, she hurled an insult back at the enraged Vincent;


    "I''M NOT YOUR BITCH, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!"


    Chloe collected all her strength into her hand and smashed her phone to the floor as hard as possible.


    Crack!

 Chapter 405 405

    Crack!


    Chloe and Vincent simultaneously looked down to check on the phone, and both were surprised that the screen cracked so badly that there was no way to tell what was on the screen anymore.


    The phone rang again, but since the screen was cracked beyond repair, Vincent couldn''t read the caller''s name nor press anything on the phone.


    And he was pissed.


    No, pissed was an understatement.


    Vincent red at Chloe as if she was just dead meat in front of him, "YOU WILL REGRET THIS, CHLOE GRAY," he shouted and then gnashed his teeth.


    He clenched his fist again and punched her face without mercy.


    "AH!" Chloe tried to shield her face with her hands but still screamed out of pain because that only sponged the damage a bit, at least not enough to break her nose.


    Though, her palm was really red and shaking right now.


    Vincent saw how red Chloe''s palm got after trying to shield her face, and he scoffed, "See what you got when you''re trying to disobey? Your palm is so red, you probably got a broken knuckle or two."


    Vincent clenched his fist again, "The second one will break your nose. Your new man will be grossed out to see you with a crooked nose, you ugly bitch!"


    Vincent was ready to punch again, and Chloe looked around the desk behind her to see if she could utilize something.


    She spotted a small flower vase made out of ceramic on the table. She then nced back at Vincent before gritting her teeth. Enduring the pain in her shaking palms, she grabbed the ceramic vase behind her.


    Vincent was too focused on Chloe''s face that he didn''t know Chloe was armed with something. He raised his fist, ready to punch Chloe again, when Chloe suddenly swung the hand hidden behind her back and smashed the ceramic vase at Vincent''s temple until the hard ceramic vase shattered.


    "UGH!" Vincent groaned when a sharp pain suddenly attacked his head. He started losing his footing because he got a terrible headache and ringing in his ear.


    As he looked down, he saw the debris of a shattered ceramic vase and blood dropping to the floor.


    It took a while for Vincent to recover from the concussion. He was still standing on his feet because the blood angered him even more.


    He looked up and saw Chloe had taken the chance while he was dizzy to dash towards the window, trying to open the window but could not.


    Vincent chuckled mirthlessly as he saw his wife struggle to escape, like a terrified rabbit about to get eaten soon, "The windows are bolted. That old Principal did it for me out of respect and obedience, maybe she is too scared that I will demolish this private school since thend it sits on is fully owned by the Gray family."


    Chloe gasped when she realized there was no escape anymore. She spun to watch over Vincent, who stood menacingly near the principal desk.


    He still stood strong despite blood dripping from his left temple. The impact from the ceramic vase should be enough to knock a regr man out.


    But Vincent was probably too much in rage to get knocked out now. Instead, it only fueled his rage even more, giving him some more motivation to hurt his whore wife really badly.


    "Do you want to y cat and mouse in this Principal''s office? Sure, I don''t mind at all," Vincent smirked from ear to ear. His face was red out of anger, and he hissed through his teeth as he endured the headache.


    "You are so dead, Chloe."<novelnext></novelnext>


    **


    Mackie was in the backstage, taking off her costume and washing the paint on her face before she returned to Mr. Peterson, who was busy assigning the students for the next stage y.


    "Mr. Peterson, have you seen my Mommy?" Mackie asked.


    "Huh? Uh¡­" Mr. Peterson looked around and shook his head. "I don''t see her anywhere, maybe she is still with other parents, watching the stage y?"


    "Really? But Mommy said that she wille to me after I''m done!" Mackie said.


    "Well, maybe she forgot about it?"


    "No, she''s not! Mommy never forgets about me!" Mackie insisted.


    ¡­


    Of course, Mr. Peterson knew why Mrs. Gray hadn''te to find Mackie here.


    He was also in cahoots with the old Principal to lure Mrs. Gray into the Principal''s office, where she would spend time with her husband, Vincent Gray.


    Mr. Peterson refused to do it at first, but that old Principal forced him to do it, or he would lose his job teaching here.


    A job was hard toe by, especially for a drama teacher like him, so he¡­ had toply.


    But looking at Mackenzie, who looked lost while searching for her mother, knocked his conscience.


    He didn''t know what was happening in this family and how Vincent Gray could do something as heartless as letting the bullying of her daughter run rampant in the school.


    Many times, Mr. Peterson saw how Mackie was fighting against a few kids. They couldn''t do a thing because the Principal didn''t allow the teachers to step in and stop the bullying.


    ''I know for sure that Vincent Gray is not a good man. He is far from what is portrayed in the media,'' Mr. Peterson thought.


    "Should I go find Mommy?" Mackie wondered as she looked around backstage in worry.


    She wasn''t scared to be left alone. After all, she was still in school and it was pretty safe!


    But she was scared that something might''ve happened to her poor Mommy.


    After all, Mackie often saw her Mommy returning with bruises when Mackie wasn''t around.


    Mommy said it didn''t hurt, but Mackie had been bruised a few times when she fell or fought against her bullies.


    She knew that getting bruises hurt, so Mackie didn''t believe her Mommy.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Peterson, I will go and find Mommy in the audience hall!" Mackie said.

 Chapter 406 406

    Mr. Peterson watched as the little girl turned around and was about to leave. His heart was itching to tell the truth because the little girl deserved to know where her mother was now.


    He clenched his fist as he was in a dilemma.


    Should he hide the fact that Mackenzie''s mother must be suffering in the Principal''s office right now¡­


    Or should he tell her the location, with the risk of losing his job¡­


    He wasn''t a good man per se, but he did have a conscience for a little kid. Seeing how confused and worried Mackenzie looked as she searched for her mother, he couldn''t hold it anymore.


    So he opened his mouth, "Mackenzie¡­."


    "Ah, yes, Mr. Peterson?" Mackie stopped on her track and spun back towards her drama teacher.


    "I think I saw your Mommy going to the Principal''s office, you should check there first," he said.


    "Oh! Okay! Thank you, Mr. Peterson!" Mackie smiled wide. She looked so innocent, and that hurt his heart even more.


    He watched as the little girl dashed out the backstage. He sighed pitifully. He knew he should''ve pitied Mackenzie and her mother, but he would lose his job soon, so he pitied himself first.


    "At least I did the right thing¡­."


    ¡­


    Mackenzie rushed to the Principal''s office, afraid her Mommy would get hurt randomly.


    But she stopped when she saw Mrs. Andrew¡ª the Principal and another old woman with whom she was quite familiar.


    Mackie approached the two olddies and greeted them, "Good morning, Old Aunty Maria!"


    Maria and Mrs. Andrew were surprised when they saw Mackenzie suddenly popping out of nowhere. Mrs. Andrew was the one who panicked because Mackie''s parents were still inside, and they must have been fighting.


    Though, hearing all the raging screams from Mr. Vincent Gray, it was obvious that he was beating the crap out of his wife.


    But now they had a new problem.


    Mrs. Andrew was the first to speak, "M¡ªMackenzie, why are you here?"


    "Um, Mommy is inside, right? Is she with Daddy? I heard Daddy screaming from afar!" Mackie innocently said the most disturbing thing as if it was fairlymon in her household.


    "T¡ªThat''s not true. You should return to your friend," Mrs. Andrew said, but Mackie didn''t buy it.


    She shifted her attention to Old Aunty Maria and asked, "Daddy is inside, right?"


    ¡­


    Maria crossed her arms on her chest but kept her mouth shut. She was not allowed to touch this little girl because her boss still valued her as his sessor, despite being a girl.


    Mackenzie narrowed her eyes as she realized something wasn''t right. She nced at the two old women simultaneously and puffed her chest as she ordered like a Young Lady from a rich family, "Open the door for Mackie. I want to see Mommy and Daddy!"


    ¡­


    Mrs. Andrew and Old Aunty Maria said nothing, trying to ignore her existence as they knew they couldn''t touch her.


    Mackie started to get annoyed. Obviously, Mommy and Daddy were inside, but why wasn''t she allowed to join? It had been a while since she saw Daddy!


    Mackie saw the key dangling in Mrs. Andrew''s chest pocket. So she suddenly jumped and snatched the key from Mrs. Andrew.


    "AH! No, the key!" Mrs. Andrew panicked and tried to grab Mackie, who dodged the old Principal''s hand.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Mackie stuck her tongue out to mock Mrs. Andrew and went to the door to unlock it.


    Mrs. Andrew nced at Maria, asking for help. But Maria kept her mouth shut and crossed her arms, indicating that she would not do anything to Mackenzie.


    If she was just a random girl, Maria would subdue her and throw her out of the window. But this was Vincent Gray''s daughter, Mackenzie Rose Gray.


    She didn''t dare to hurt her as it would ignite the wrath of her boss.


    Knowing she wouldn''t get any help, Mrs. Andrew got up and grabbed Mackie''s hand before she unlocked the door.


    "No! Mackenzie, get back to Mr. Peterson!" Mrs. Andrew yelled.


    Mackie turned her head towards Mrs. Andrew and red at her. Despite being a girl, she still inherited one trait that the Gray family has: intimidation.


    "Hii-!" Mrs. Andrew subconsciously jolted out of fear when facing the little girl. Her hand loosened, and Mackie took the chance to bite her wrist until Mrs. Andrew screamed out of pain.


    She fell on her back after Mackenzie pushed her and unlocked the door.


    Click.


    Mackie mmed the door open, and she saw her Daddy pulling her Mommy''s cor until her feet didn''t touch the ground.


    His fist was raised up, ready to punch her.


    Mackie saw her Mommy''s hands were really red and bruised. Her face was also bruised in a few spots and leaked blood.


    But her Daddy wasn''t good either. His face also had a few bruises with blood dripping from his temple, which looked scary.


    The Principal''s office was a mess. Everything around the room was flipped or shattered. Even the big desk was turned upside down.


    Mackie was stunned, and so did Chloe and Vincent.


    They turned their heads at the door simultaneously and stopped what they were doing when they saw their daughter.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Mommy? Daddy?" Mackie murmured her parents'' name, and the first thing that came to her mind was¡­


    "Why are you fighting again?"


    ¡­


    Mackie turned her attention toward her Daddy first. She truly missed her Daddy. It had been at least half a year since thest time she saw him, and she had a lot to tell.


    But her Daddy looked unwell and downright terrifying right now. She was holding her tears because she never saw her Daddy looking so scary.


    Then, she turned her attention at Mommy and saw her choking;


    "Daddy, let go of Mommy! She is choking!" Mackenzie yelled, and Vincent quickly released his hand off of Chloe''s cor.


    "Urk! Ugh!" Chloe fell to the ground. She coughed a few times as she tried to grasp for air.


    "Mommy!" Mackenzie rushed towards her Mommy and tried to lift her up, but her Mommy was too heavy, and Chloe was too battered to get up quickly.


    "Look up, Mackenzie¡­"

 Chapter 407 407

    "Look up, Mackenzie¡­"


    Mackie looked up when her Daddy called her, and what she saw was her Daddy''s dark eyes, full of repressed rage.


    He was like a monster ready to swallow her whole.


    "What did you see now, Princess?" Vincent asked. He tried to smile but realized that his smile might''ve terrified his daughter.


    That, and he didn''t have the urge to smile because he was still pissed off that he had lost his chance to finally punch Chloe in the face.


    "Daddy looks so scary¡­."


    "That''s because Daddy had a little argument with Mommy," Vincent replied. But Mackenzie didn''t buy it.


    She had been fighting against bullies for a while now and knew that her Mommy and Daddy weren''t just ''having an argument.''


    "Daddy¡­" Mackie murmured. "Why are you beating Mommy again? She is hurt¡­."


    "Ahaha, I''m not beating her without a reason. Your Mommy did a really bad thing by not being obedient to me, that''s why I have to punish her a bit," Vincent said. He nced down at Chloe, "Besides, your Mommy said it''s fine, right, Chloe?"


    "Really?" Mackenzie shifted her gaze at Mommy, who was still trying to recover. "Mommy, are you really alright?"


    ¡­


    Vincent clenched his fist silently as Chloe didn''t even want toply and tried to nod, at least, so Mackenzie would still see him in a good light.


    He was already angry at Chloe for daring to fight back, and now she also refused to y pretend? Vincent was seriously thinking about beating her in front of her daughter just to make an example.


    But he didn''t and tried to exin to her daughter more;


    "Your Mommy is not feeling well too, just like Daddy. This is why you shouldn''t try to argue with Daddy, it will do you no good," Vincent said.


    "Really? But Mommy and Uncle fight often, and Uncle never hurt Mommy!" Mackenzie retorted, innocently spilling that Mommy lived with an ''Uncle.''


    Vincent smirked maliciously as he realized he could just get the information about this man from his daughter.


    ''It seems Chloe is trying to rece my spot by telling Mackenzie to call that bastard as Uncle. It won''t be long until she called her Daddy, huh?'' Vincent thought.


    Chloe might refuse to say it because she tried to stupidly protect this man''s identity.


    But Mackenzie was too young to understand a secret.


    It might hurt his pride, but getting her daughter spilling the secret wasn''t as bad as desperately torturing the bodyguards.


    He would just count it as her daughter taking his side¡ª the Gray side. The side she should be staying on right now because she would be his sessor in the future.


    "Ohh, so you live with an Uncle now?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes! Uncle is so kind¡ª well, he is very mean sometimes, but he is very kind to Mommy!"


    "Mind telling Daddy who is this Uncle''s name?"


    "Un! His name is Uncle¡ªUrp!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe gathered her strength as her adrenaline kicked in. She lifted her hand and grasped her daughter''s mouth, covering it with her palm and stopping her from spilling Vernon''s name because if she did, everything Chloe had done so far would be in vain.


    She kicked her heels out to free her movement and got up. She quickly grabbed her daughter.


    She gave Vincent a quick look before dashing out of the Principal''s office, taking the chance as she realized that Vincent was stunned by her sudden strength.


    Chloe rushed past the wretched Mrs. Andrew and Secretary Maria and ran through the corridor with Mackie in her arm.


    Luckily, the corridor was mostly empty because everyone gathered in the auditorium to watch the kids'' stage y, so nobody would see her like this.


    She rushed to her car and took out the key from her jeans pocket. She shoved her daughter into the car first before she drove the car out of the parking lot, not caring about anything as her survival instinct kicked in.


    And the only thing she wanted to do right now got the hell away from the school.


    "Mommy¡­" Mackie stared at her pitiful Mommy. She saw Mommy''s whole body shaking, and her hand looked red and swollen.


    Her Mommy didn''t respond. She kept her silence while driving through the road. So Mackie kept her silence as well.


    She looked down and fiddled with her fingers, wondering what had just happened.


    It wasn''t the first time she saw her Mommy and Daddy fight. But this was definitely the first time she saw that kind of mess, and how her Daddy looked so vicious he didn''t even smile at Mackie.


    "Where are we going, Mommy?" Mackie asked after a while.


    Chloe bit her lower lip. She was thinking about going back to the apartment. But at the same time, she worried that Vernon might try to search for her right now.


    Since her phone waspletely broken after she smashed it and then used it twice as a projectile to stop Vincent in his track, Chloe now had no way to call Vernon.


    So she had to go to Vernon''s office, "We''re going to Uncle Vernon''s office."


    "Um¡­ okay¡­" Mackenzie nodded. She noticed her Mommy''s voice was coarse, like sandpaper, as if she had screamed a lot. It "Mommy, why did Daddy beat you? Why was he so angry at you?"


    ¡­


    "We can talk about thister, okay? Mommy¡­" Chloe was still shaken by her fight with Vincent. Had it not for her daughter, who suddenly interrupted, she might have died. "We need to go somewhere safe first."


    "Okay¡­" Mackie looked out the window as she was trying not to pry even further. She was curious and also anxious about her Mommy''s well-being.


    She gained a new perspective after living with Uncle Vernon for a while, and that was¡­


    Not every argument between adults ended with the man beating the woman.


    Every time there was an argument between Mommy and Daddy, Mommy would be locked up in the room with Daddy and returned with so many bruises.


    But when Mommy argued with Uncle, Uncle never hit her, not even once.


    He locked Mommy inside his room a few times and bullied her with a big police stick though, but Mommy always came out with blush and looked really shy, instead of tears and sorrow in her eyes when she was with Daddy.


    So that sparked a question in her innocent mind.


    ''I wonder if Mommy was truly happy living with Daddy before¡­.''

 Chapter 408 408

    Vincent stood still in silence, staring at the wide open door before his eyes scanned around the Principal''s office.


    "Hm, more mess than usual," Vincent muttered. He had to admit that he had forgotten to control himself and chased Chloe around the office like a madman.


    But that was because Chloe refused to obey.


    Things wouldn''t have gone this bad if she could just... give up her useless struggle and lower her head meekly like the obedient wife she should be.


    Vincent was much calmer now after they were confronted by Mackie, who suddenly mmed the door open. It was a surprise indeed, and not a good one.


    He wanted to maintain a good persona in front of his daughter until Mackenzie was old enough to understand the value of a Gray family member.


    "Well, it doesn''t really matter. Chloe has helped me tremendously by being the stand-in when I''m not around Mackie. So my daughter still has her innocent view on me."


    "I guess I should give Chloe an appreciation for covering up for me many times," Vincent murmured. He contradicted himself as he found it ridiculous. "Hah, probably not, it''s her job as a mother to maintain a good family image."


    He darted his cold eyes at the door and saw that wretched old Secretary standing at the doorway.


    "My apology, Sir. I failed to stop the Little Lady from interrupting your good time with Mrs. Gray," Secretary Maria said.


    "It''s fine," Vincent shrugged. "It''d be worse if you dare tond your hand on my daughter."


    Secretary Maria observed the damage around the Principal''s office before she spotted the destroyed phone on the floor, "Is that Mrs. Gray''s phone?"


    "Yeah, she smashed it to the ground once, and threw it twice at me before I smashed it in half," Vincent looked down at Chloe''s destroyed phone that was beyond recognition and muttered, "It''s unfortunate. I thought I could use it as a way to ckmail her more. It''d be fun."


    "Now-" Vincent nced at every corner of the Principal''s office and asked, "Did you tape the whole thing?"


    "Yes, Sir," Maria nodded solemnly. "Every corner of this office has been embedded with a hidden camera, so we got everything on tape," Maria thought that her boss would finally take things to court, "Will you use some edited evidence in the court, Sir?"


    "No, I just need it to relieve myself every night. Looking at her fighting back gives me a new kind of itch."


    **


    Chloe parked her car in front of Vernon''s office building. She entered the lobby with her face still bruised badly, her hands shaking, and swollen blue. She endured all the pain and grabbed Mackie''s hand.


    She could hear the gasp from the receptionist and a few staff around. But none dared to speak because it wasn''t their right to say anything.


    All they knew was the identity of this woman;


    Mr. Phoenix Gray''s second secretary and also his new secret girlfriend.


    Chloe used the VIP elevator to go straight to the top floor. Mackie looked around in awe because it was her first time ever entering Uncle Vernon''s office.


    She wanted toment on many things but decided to stay silent because her mother still endured so much pain.


    Ding!


    As the elevator door slid open, Chloe saw a glimpse of Diamond standing anxiously in front of the elevator.


    But that anxiety turned into total shock when Diamond saw the appearance of her best friend.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She gasped and hurriedly pulled Chloe and Mackie out of the elevator, "Oh my god! Chloe, what happened?! Who did this?!"


    Diamond''s heart hurt when she started checking Chloe''s body and realized that every time her eyes swept to a different spot in Chloe''s body, she would always find a new injury.


    She hurriedly lowered her head and checked on Mackenzie. She was relieved because Mackie didn''t seem to be hurting anywhere.


    However, while she was checking on Mackie, Diamond spotted Chloe''s hands that were swollen blue.


    It was still trembling and must be in so much pain she didn''t even want to imagine what caused that injury in her whole hands.


    "Chloe, tell me what happened!" Diamond yelled as she couldn''t hide her anxiety.


    Chloe shook her head, "It''s a long story. Where is Vernon now? Is he inside?"


    "He-" Diamond nced at the CEO''s office door and chewed her lower lip. "He sted his phone trying to call the bodyguards. But they''re suddenly uncontactable, and then he tries to call you. The call went through, but you didn''t pick it up."


    "I told him to wait, but he''s getting too anxious. So he grabbed his car key and said he''lle to check on you in the school."


    Chloe''s eyes widened instantly. She shook her head vehemently and panicked, "Y--You need to call him now! Vi--" Chloe halted her speech when she realized that Mackie was with her, so she crouched before pointing at the sofa, "Dear, can you sit there for a moment? Mommy and Diamond have something important to talk about."


    "Will Mommy be alright?" Mackie asked. She nced up at Diamond, afraid that Mommy would get hurt again. Mommy was already in a very bad condition right now.


    "Yes, Mommy will be alright with Diamond," Chloe said. "Sit there, it won''t be long.."


    "Okay..."


    After ensuring that Mackie was on the sofa, Chloe dragged Diamond inside Vincent''s office. She quickly summarized her fight with Vincent before telling Diamond to call Vernon because her phone was busted.


    "Vincent is still in school, and if they meet... then everything will be in vain...." Chloe muttered with her coarse-as-sandpaper voice.


    "Understood," Diamond fished her phone out and called her boss.


    The phone beeped twice before Vernon picked up the call;


    -


    "DON''T CALL ME NOW, DAMN IT! I''M DRIVING TO FIND HER!" Vernon''s voice sted through the speaker. The phone wasn''t even on loudspeaker, but it was still loud enough to make both women wince.


    "Sir, Chloe-"


    "I KNOW! SHE IS UNCONTACTABLE! STOP BUGGING ME, YOU FUCKING BIT-- UGH!" Vernon stopped right before he cursed his own secretary.


    Chloe snatched the phone from Diamond''s hand, knowing that Vernon would not stop panicking until he heard her voice.


    "Vernon, it''s me, Chloe...."


    Chloe heard the car tire screeching in the phone the moment Vernon heard her voice.

 Chapter 409 409

    The moment Vernon heard the voice of his beloved woman, he pressed the brake so fast that he sure would cause an ident if he didn''t drive in an empty gatedmunity right now.


    He stopped right across the school''s parking lot and parked his car to the side while on a call with Chloe.


    -


    "C¡ªChloe, you¡ª"


    "I¡­" Chloe wanted to say that she was fine. But that was an obvious lie. Thus she tried to think of another method to calm the young man down.


    Chloe was scared that Vernon might already be in Mackie''s school right, and she did not want the Gray brothers to encounter each other.


    So she muttered, "I''m in your office with Diamond and Mackie, can you return now?"


    Vernon was about to say yes when he suddenly saw a figure of a man walking out of the school gate to the parking lot. The man was mid-thirty and covered with bruises and dried blood on his temple.


    He didn''t look like he was in pain, though¡ª In fact, he had a thin smirk pasted on his lips.


    Vernon didn''t know what had happened to his Big brother, but he instantly linked him with whatever had happened with Chloe just now.


    He clenched his steering wheel and muttered with repressive rage, "That bastard¡­."


    Chloe instantly panicked. She knew that Vernon must''ve seen Vincent and triggered his wrath instantly. She had to stop them from meeting now, or everything would be over.


    "V¡ªVernon,e back to the office now!" Chloe raised her voice desperately.


    "I will, just a moment-"


    "NO! I need you now!" Chloe insisted. Vernon started noticing her coarse voice once she raised her voice, which gave him a shiver of fear.


    "Chloe, your voice-"


    As she realized that Vernon must''ve been stunned by her coarse voice, she tried to utilize it, "I¡­ I''m in bad shape. I really need you here. Please, Vernon," Chloe said weakly. "I''m begging."


    ¡­


    Vernon took a deep breath. He was contemting whether he should open the door and reach his Big brother to give him a punch or two¡­ three¡­ or four.


    But hearing Chloe''s coarse and trembling voice begging him toe and find her because she needed him¡­ Vernon thought it wasn''t fair for him.


    Because there was no way, he could say no to Chloe''s plea.


    So he curbed his wrath on his Big brother and made a U-turn. He was still on the call with Chloe as he drove through the city back to his office, "Stay in my office. I''ll be there shortly."


    "Y¡ªYes, be careful on the road, I''m not going anywhere," Chloe said before she hung up the call.


    Vernon held his breath when Chloe said herst sentence.


    -


    I''m not going anywhere.


    -<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yeah, for sure I''m not letting you anywhere after this," Vernon muttered.


    The thought of Chloe missing from his life was already a nightmare on its own.


    He was also in a nightmare for ten years straight without her, and he certainly did not want to repeat that.


    **


    Chloe gave the phone back to Diamond and muttered a thank you.


    She was about to return to Mackie outside when Diamond grabbed her wrist.


    Chloe winced in pain but tried to hide it by biting her lower lip until it bled a little.


    "Chloe, your hand¡­." Diamond looked worriedly. She gently held Chloe''s bruised-swollen blue hand andmented, "This is not just some fall damage, isn''t it? What causes this?"


    ¡­


    "Him?"


    ¡­


    Chloe nodded reluctantly. She wanted to hide it because she thought it wasn''t something someone else needed to know.


    But it was way too obvious to hide, and Chloe med Vincent for punching her hard.


    "Vincent wanted to punch my face, and I tried to dampen the damage by using my hands to block it¡­." Chloe lowered her head ashamedly but was more ashamed when she could clearly see the difference between Diamond''s hand and hers.


    Hers was swollen so bad she couldn''t see the line of her finger bones anymore. It was a miracle that she could still grab Mackie and drive here.


    Diamond sucked a lot of air to calm herself down. She tried to stay calm because she knew her best friend needed her care, not her scream.


    "Let me grab a first aid kit. Maybe we can do something about it-"


    "No," Chloe quickly refused. "I think¡­ I broke a few joints the first time Vincent punched my hand¡­" she confessed because she felt numb in a few spots and extreme pain in the other area around her hands.


    Chloe lifted her head and stared at Diamond. She tried to force a smile and said, "Thank you for your concern, Diamond. But can we just act like nothing happens first in front of my daughter? I don''t want her to worry."


    Diamond''s eyes started zing with tears as she stared at Chloe. She was in so much pain just seeing her best friend hurt like this.


    "W¡ªWhy are you crying, Diamond?" Chloe asked worriedly. She tried to wipe her best friend''s tears but realized that her hands were swollen and ugly, and she had touched a lot of stuff before, so Diamond might not want her hand around her beautiful face.


    "I wonder too, Chloe," Diamond sobbed. "Why am I crying? You should be the one who cried. You''re in so much pain right now."


    "You can cry, you can scream even, I don''t even mind if you beg for me to go to the hospital. You should do that in the first ce."


    Honestly, Diamond wanted to scream and shake Chloe''s arms, telling her to start acting like a normal human who experienced pain.


    But Chloe looked so calm. It just made her feel so out of ce.


    "W¡ªWell, I got used to this," Chloe replied, telling all the truth she had been hiding for so long. "Vincent beat me horrendously over the past ten years. But I usually fixed it myself because Vincent didn''t allow me to go to the hospital. He said it''s too expensive for me¡­."

 Chapter 410 410

    "He also said he didn''t beat me too hard, so I should stop overreacting¡­."


    Diamond covered her mouth as she tried not to gasp too much. She had been wondering why Chloe hid so much of the abuse she had experienced.


    Every time Diamond asked, Chloe often just zed at the fact that her ex-husband just beat her as if it was nothing serious.


    This wasn''t ''just beat her.'' This was real torture!


    Vincent Gray tortured her!


    It was so fucked up when she realized that Chloe was so used to the abuse she didn''t even try to cry anymore.


    Diamond gently supported Chloe''s hand on top of hers, so Diamond could check them without hurting Chloe.


    She shook her head out of disbelief, "Chloe, let''s go to the hospital. You can''t fix this alone, you need to go to the ER!"


    Chloe pulled her hand and tried to hide it behind her back, "It''s nothing much. I think I just need to dip it in a bowl of ice for a while and it''ll return to normal."


    "He crushed your joints! You won''t return normal because of fucking ICE!" Diamond grew frustrated with Chloe''s reluctance, so she grabbed Chloe''s wrist again to lift her hands up, showing Chloe how bad her hands were.


    But before she could say a thing, the door was suddenly mmed open.


    Vernon stood right at the doorway, his eyes darted and focused on Chloe. He could see all the bruises around her body in just a second.


    Her face had plenty of bruises, but her hands were swollen so bad it didn''t look slender anymore.


    His rage shot up the next second, and he turned around, ready to find his Big brother.


    "I WILL KILL THAT FUCKER!"


    Chloe and Diamond panicked. They rushed towards Vernon. Diamond quickly blocked Vernon at the entrance while Chloe hugged him from behind.


    "OUT OF MY WAY!" Vernon shoved Diamond to the side, but he couldn''t walk as Chloe was still hugging him from behind, and he for sure didn''t want to hurt her even more.


    Diamond quickly recovered and stood in front of her boss again. She flinched when Vernon red at her, but she stood still as she knew that Chloe was also trying her best to hold Vernon.


    Vernon grew frustrated by this. His rage was uncontroble, and he knew what he could do to appease his fury.


    And that was to beat the shit out of his Big brother.


    "Vernon, don''t!" Chloe yelled, trying to stop him as well. She wrapped her hands around his stomach, trying to pull him back into the office.


    "WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING HIM? DON''T YOU SEE HOW BAD YOU LOOK?!" Vernon''s voice continued thundering around the office that it was practically impossible for anyone not to hear his voice.


    "I''m protecting you!" Chloe yelled. "I don''t want you to get hurt, please stop!"


    "I WILL JUST KILL HIM, THEN EVERYTHING WILL BE OVER!"


    "NO!" Chloe grew increasingly desperate. She tried to reason with Vernon, but it didn''t seem to work. "I don''t want you to go to jail!"


    "I DON''T FUCKING CARE ABOUT JAIL!"


    Amidst the chaos, a little girl sitting on the sofa was stunned when she saw her raging Uncle. He had never been this angry before. Even when he fought with Mommy, he never roared like this.


    So that scared her so much she started calling his name, "U¡ªUncle¡­."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Everyone''s attention quickly shifted to the little girl trembling and getting pale out of fear.


    They went silent instantly, including Vernon, who was screaming like a madman before.


    Mackie gulped as her Uncle''s scary eyes red at her. She saw how bad Daddy beat Mommy in the mansion before.


    He would be screaming at her, but he was never as scary as angry Uncle right now.


    So she thought¡­ Uncle would beat Mommy too¡­


    Mackie gathered her courage and jumped from the sofa. Her little feet trembled, but she walked towards her Uncle, who red silently at her, waiting for what this little girl was about to do next.


    Mackie raised her small hands and tried to hit her Uncle''s strong thigh, "U¡ªUncle, don''t get angry! You''re scaring Mommy!"


    ¡­


    "Uncle, stop being angry! Mommy will cry again! Daddy already beat Mommy today!"


    ¡­


    The situation was tense, and Chloe quickly released her arm around Vernon and covered for her daughter instead. She hugged Mackie and looked over her shoulder, looking up at Vernon, who red at the mother-daughter pair.


    She was bruised, beaten, and obviously in so much pain. But she still decided to shield Mackie, afraid that Vernon might do something.


    She believed that Vernon wouldn''t hurt Mackie, but he was in so much blind rage she was afraid that he might lose control over himself.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vernon clenched his fist. He was repressing so much anger that his veins popped around his neck.


    But he turned around and tried to speak in a calmer voice at Mackie, "I won''t beat your Mommy. But I need to talk to her. Come in, Chloe."


    Vernon walked into his office and stood solemnly near the sofa. He said nothing, but his eyes looked straight, not wanting to look at Chloe.


    Chloe slowly released her daughter and said, "You should stay here with Diamond, okay? Mommy will talk to Uncle first."


    After witnessing what happened today, Mackie was afraid Uncle would do the same as Daddy did.


    Mommy kept saying that getting beaten by Daddy was okay, but she would never believe it anymore.


    Because she was also beaten by her bullies, which hurt so bad, she fought back until the bullies were afraid of her.


    But Mommy never fought back, so Daddy never stopped.


    "Mommy, will you be alright?" Mackie asked worriedly. "Mommy, it must hurt. Mackie got beaten once, and it hurts. I don''t want you to get beaten by Uncle too¡­."


    Chloe usually forced a smile when Mackie asked that question before. Because all she could do when she had to face Vincent was to force a smile and lie to her daughter that everything was okay.


    But with Vernon, she was sincere with her assuring words, "Mommy will be alright if it''s with Uncle."

 Chapter 411 411

    "Mommy will be alright if it''s with Uncle," Chloe assured her daughter. She got up without waiting for Mackie''s reaction because she had to face Vernon.


    But she asked Diamond, "Please take care of her for a while. I''m going to talk with him."


    "Okay," Diamond held Mackie''s hand while Chloe turned around and closed the door behind her.


    Mackie was still stunned by her Mommy''s words. Mommy always said she was alright, but she never said she was alright WITH Daddy.


    ''With¡­ Uncle?'' she pondered. ''So she''s not alright with Daddy?''


    **


    Chloe took a deep breath before she approached Vernon. She hid her hands behind her back and walked slowly until she stood two feet away from him.


    "V¡ªVernon¡­"


    "Sit down," Vernon said, nodding his head on the sofa.


    Chloe followed his order as she didn''t want to argue with him, especially knowing he was trying so hard to curb his anger.


    Vernon took a few steps until he stood tall in front of Chloe, who sat on the sofa.


    Then he suddenly dropped to his knees and put his palms on Chloe''sp before opening them, "Your hands."


    ¡­


    "Your palms, Chloe."


    Chloe sighed. There was no fighting back against Vernon this time. It was toote for her to hide her wounds since Vernon already saw it when he mmed that door open.


    Thus, Chloe slowly raised her hands behind her back and put them on top of Vernon''s palms on herp.


    Vernon sucked a deep breath and tried to stay calm. But Chloe could clearly see Vernon''s whole body was trembling out of rage, and his palms were shaking so badly that he was definitely fighting his urge to find Vincent.


    "I''m alright-"


    "Shut up, Chloe. Don''t you dare to fucking lie to me right now," Vernon said as he cut her short.


    He gently pressed Chloe''s swollen hand with his thumb and looked up to check Chloe''s reaction.


    Then he realized that Chloe wasn''t responsive- as if she was numb when he pressed on one finger joint but also showed extreme pain when he pressed on the next joint.


    "He crushed your palms," Vernon said. He spoke calmly, but his tightened jaw, popped veins around his neck, and vicious re said otherwise.


    "I''ll tell Diamond to bring you to the hospital, you will not move until you''re treated," Vernon said.


    "And what about you? What will you do next?" Chloe asked as she quickly caught on to Vernon''s intention.


    ¡­


    Vernon went silent for a while and replied, "I''ll find him."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Don''t."


    "Why not? Are you scared that I can''t fight him?! Oh for fuck sake, Chloe, I can crush his head in one try if I want!"


    "I know you can¡­." Chloe muttered. She lowered her head and tried cing her thumb on Vernon''s. She gently caressed Vernon''s thumb while talking. "But you''ll get in jail for that, and I don''t want to lose you."


    "Vernon¡­" Chloe called his name gently. "Do you know why Vincent got so angry at me?"


    Chloe raised her head and stared at Vernon again, and she saw him nodding, "Because he''s a piece of shit that I need to kill."


    Chloe couldn''t help but smile over his reply, "Well¡­ that''s not wrong- until the killing part, at least. But the reason why he got so angry at me was because I refused to tell him your identity."


    "You called me and he knew it must be the man who took me in. He intimidated me and threatened to give your identity, but I refused and smashed my phone to the floor until the screen shattered beyond saving."


    Vernon''s anger dissipated for a split second but returned with another feeling mixed in it.


    He felt guilty when he realized that he was the reason why Chloe got beaten so badly by his Big brother.


    Chloe saw the trace of guilt in Vernon''s eyes and quickly exined, "It''s not your fault, Vernon. He will still pry about the information nheless."


    "You could''ve just told him about me¡­." Vernon muttered. "I will fight back¡­."


    "No, you can''t- at least not right now," Chloe retorted. "We both know that Vincent still has the upper hand. He is above thew."


    ¡­


    Vernon lowered his head ashamedly. He was trying his best to speed up the process. He had a meeting this morning with another businessman that had worked directly with Vincent over the years. It went well as he slowly took over many important circles around Vincent. Apparently, Mr. Gray had be a bit unstable with work and made plenty of rookie mistakes when they were working on a few projects these days.


    But even when he tried to speed things up, Chloe was still getting beaten. She got hurt because she wanted to protect him.


    And Vernon absolutely hated this feeling of uselessness. It gave him a shback of what Chloe said back then and how he was a useless, good-for-nothing kid.


    He tried hard not to be useless, at least for the woman he loved.


    Chloe could read Vernon like an open book as she also noticed the sadness. He must''ve been devastated after knowing that he indirectly caused her to get hurt.


    So she raised her trembling hands and gently cupped Vernon''s cheeks. She raised Vernon''s head until they stared at each other and smiled reassuringly, "Vernon, do you know why I don''t want to tell him about your identity?"


    Vernon shook his head slowly.


    "Because I trust you."


    "Trust me?"


    "Mhm, I trust that you will eventually take him down. I refused to give in so I can give you more time to prepare to fight against him in business."


    "I trust your ability, you are much better than him. You can grow your own business without the help of anyone, and for me, it''s already proof that you''re better than him."


    "So, if you want to retaliate, do it with what you can do best- make him realize that you can topple him in the corporate race," Chloe said. She took another deep breath and muttered, "I believe in you, Vernon."

 Chapter 412 412

    "I believe in you, Vernon," Chloe''s voice was gentle like a feather tickling Vernon''s heart. After realizing that Vernon started to loosen up, she added, "I know you''re angry, but you need to understand that I don''t want to lose you."


    Vernon was stunned the moment Chloe said that sentence. He closed his eyes, trying to hide the pain in his eyes. But Chloe read him like an open book, so he thought there was no hiding it.


    "It''s not fair," Vernon muttered, his voice was a little dry, and he was holding his tears. "Why are you saying that when I''m about to kill someone."


    "Now I can''t get angry anymore. I don''t want to lose you either...."


    Chloe chuckled. Despite the pain she was enduring right now, her heart felt no fear.


    Even after facing the monstrous man who abused her for ten years straight, her heart was filled with courage and warmth. This was the first time she fought against her nightmare, and it felt damn good.


    Well, damn risky too, but nothing beat that feeling of relief when you realized that you weren''t as hopeless as you thought.


    Vernon gently covered Chloe''s hand with his and pressed it deeper on his cheeks to feel the warmth.


    But then he saw Chloe wince for a split second, trying to hide her pain.


    His gaze darkened when he remembered how bad the bruise on Chloe''s hands was, so he quickly released her hands and said, "You''re going to the hospital now."


    ...


    "Chloe, seriously-"


    "I know," Chloe sighed. "But you muste with me. I don''t want you to find Vincent when I''m not around."


    Vernon sighed defeatedly. Chloe truly read him like an open book.


    "Fine, but you must follow all the medical procedures. I won''t let you get hurt much more than this," Vernon turned around and crouched with his strong back facing Chloe. He opened his palms on his back, ready for a piggyback. "Let''s go."


    ...


    Chloe was bewildered by Vernon''s action, "Why are you-"


    "I''m going to carry you to the car, let''s go," Vernon said.


    "I can walk on my own. My feet are alright...."


    "No chance, just hop on my back and let''s go, we can''t wait much longer for your wounds," Vernon insisted.


    Chloe hesitated for a second, but seeing how stubborn Vernon was, she decided to give in and climbed Vernon''s back. She circled her arm around his neck, and Vernon supported her by propping her inner thighs.


    Her boobs pressed on Vernon''s strong back, and Chloe tried to push herself a bit to make it less awkward.


    "No-no, keep your head close to my shoulder, you might fall," Vernon said, though his voice trembled a little.


    Because both of them knew that Vernon just wanted that feeling of having Chloe''s boobs pressed against his back.


    "Um... excuse me then..."


    "Hup!" Vernon stood straight and walked to the door. Hemented, "You should eat more. You''re so thin, I could barely feel you back there."


    "I--I''m trying...." Chloe mumbled shyly.


    Vernon opened the door and saw Mackie with Diamond sitting on the sofa.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Mackie sprung up from the sofa and rushed towards Uncle, who carried Mommy, "Mommy! Are you okay up there?"


    "Y--Yes, I''m okay...." Chloe was embarrassed to be discovered by her daughter in this position, but Vernon didn''t seem to mind, and even Mackie and Diamond didn''t have a big reaction.


    As if looking at her being carried by Vernon was a natural thing.


    "Diamond, we will use your car to go to the hospital," Vernon ordered since Diamond''s car was the only one with four seats.


    "Sure, Boss," Diamond grabbed her car key and went to the elevator to open It.


    Vernon looked down at his niece. He was apologetic for showing such a scary re at Mackie, "Sorry for showing you the scary me. Don''t worry, your Mommy calmed me down."


    "Um! It''s okay, Uncle!" Mackie said. "Mommy said that she is alright with you, that means you won''t beat her, right?"


    "Never, I will never hurt her," Vernon said, it was more like a promise to Mackie, and the little girl was assured.


    "Okay then!"


    "The elevator, Sir," Diamond said.


    Thus, four of them went down to the basement with Diamond as the driver, went to the hospital, and went straight to the ER.


    Vernon made a scene by demanding the Doctor immediately. He also made a ruckus by insisting on staying with Chloe while she was being examined.


    The Doctor gave Chloe''s hands a quick nce and shook his head, "We need to run x-ray scan. It''s obviously much more than just a swollen hand."


    He also noticed bruises here and there and silently nced at Chloe and Vernon simultaneously.


    "It''s not him," Chloe said.


    The Doctor released a relieved breath, "At least it''s not a domestic abuse case."


    "It is," Vernon corrected. "But not by me. I''m here for her."


    The Doctor felt there was much more story than meets the eye, but he didn''t have the right to question that. He just brought Chloe to a special room for an x-ray scan, and after a moment, he returned with the result.


    "This is bad," Doctor said. "Miss-"


    "Carlson, Mrs. Carlson," Chloe said, not wanting to use the Gray surname anymore, at least not from that bastard.


    "Okay, Mrs. Carlson, from the scan, your left hand is somewhat alright. It''s badly swollen, but there is no dislocation or fracture in your finger bones."


    "But your right hand; three of your finger joints are dislocated, and there are a few fractures in the bone," The Doctor exined. "Your left hand can be dipped in ice water and I''ll also give you a few medicines for that. But your right hand needs to be put in a cast, should be for about three to six weeks."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, "T--Three to six weeks? Can it heal faster, Doctor?"


    "With this kind of damage, three weeks to heal is already a miracle."


    "But... I have work to do...." Chloe imagined all the house chores, cooking,undry, and Mackie. She couldn''t leave all that alone for three weeks.


    "No you don''t," Vernon suddenly interrupted. "Just put the cast, Doctor. I''ll be the one taking care of her while she heals."

 Chapter 413 413

    Chloe darted her eyes towards Vernon instantly and shook her head.


    She found it unnecessary for a busy man like Vernon to take care of an unassuming woman by doing the chores and stuff, but Vernon didn''t allow her to speak any of her rejection. Instead, he discussed with the Doctor about what to do to make her hands heal faster.


    Thus, Chloe could only lower her head as she felt guilty for making Vernon take care of her.


    **


    It took almost half a day until Chloe came out of the ER with her right hand covered in a cast. Vernon asked her if she wanted to be carried again, but she vehemently refused. She was already embarrassed when everyone was looking at her being carried like a baby.


    Mackie jumped from the chair and approached her Mommy. She looked so worried when she saw her Mommy''s right hand, "Mommy, does it hurt so much?"


    Chloe smiled at Mackie, "A little, but Mommy is alright now."


    Vernon scoffed. He wanted to refute that. The Doctor said that Chloe must have extreme pain tolerance because her swelling should''ve been so painful.


    Mackie should''ve realized how much her mother endured the pain after her father beat the shit out of her.


    But before he could say a thing, Chloe quickly elbowed his hip, giving him a sharp nce to make sure that Vernon didn''t say anything to Mackie.


    So he zipped his mouth, he sighed and grumpily walked faster towards Diamond''s car.


    "Go drive them home, Diamond," Vernon ordered. "I''ll take an Uber to the office." He shifted his gaze at Chloe and added, "Don''t worry about yours and Mackie''s stuff. I''ll bring them home in the evening. Your car will stay in the office since you won''t need it for a while."


    "But Mackie-"


    "Me or Diamond will be the one driving her to school," Vernon said decisively, giving no space for Chloe to deny his ns.


    Chloe sighed and muttered thank you before she entered Diamond''s car with Mackie and closed the door.


    Vernon gave Diamond a stern look as she passed him, "Diamond-"


    "Yes, Boss?"


    "Keep them safe until I finish today''s work. You don''t need to apany me for the rest of the day."


    "Sure thing, Boss," Diamond smiled. "So anxious and for what? Don''t worry, I''ll keep your future wife safe."


    "You¡ª!"


    Diamond ignored her boss and went inside her car. She drove off, letting Vernon eat dust while cursing at her.


    **


    Chloe and Mackie sat in the backseat while Diamond drove in the front. The situation was a little awkward for Chloe, especially since her daughter kept asking dangerous questions.


    "Mommy, did Daddy hit you that hard?"


    "Mommy, why are you not crying? It looks so painful¡­."


    "Mommy, why did you say that getting hit by Daddy is not painful back then? I got hurt by my bullies before I fought them back, but still, getting bruises is painful!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe chewed her lower lip, ignoring her daughter''s difficult questions. She looked straight, and her eyes connected with Diamond via the rearview mirror.


    Diamond sighed when she saw how Chloe''s eyes were pleading for help.


    She thought that Chloe would finally tell her daughter all the abuse she experienced under Vincent''s oppression, but it seemed it''d need a while.


    ''Well, baby step at a time,'' Diamond thought. ''To retaliate against Vincent took a lot of courage, and I heard most abuse victims would return to their abusers in the end, so fighting back is already a miracle in itself.''


    "Mackie, how about we grab an ice cream before we go home?" Diamond offered, shifting the little girl''s attention from her Mommy''s cast.


    Mackie looked up, waiting for her mother''s approval.


    Chloe smiled at her and nodded, "You can have three scoops today, if you want."


    "Whoo! Let''s go for ice cream! I want four scoops!"


    **


    Vernon returned to his office with Uber.


    He sat on his executive chair in silence, staring emptily, and took a deep breath, letting everything sink in.


    He could still vividly remember all the visible bruises on Chloe''s body and how her hands were swollen so bad¡ª it had now be a new nightmare for him.


    Because it was proof that he failed as a man.


    He failed to protect his beloved woman from her abuser.


    No matter how many times he mmed the table, kicked the chair, or punched the wall to channel his rage, he still couldn''t shake off this excruciating hot pain in his heart.


    When he saw Chloe''s injuries, his mind snapped, and all the careful ns he had prepared to take down his Big brother vanished instantly.


    All he wanted to do was just find Vincent Gray and crush his head to avenge what he did to Chloe.


    Vernon had no regard for his own well-being when it came to his beloved. He lived and grew up to be a normal human after experience such a horrible childhood because Chloe came into his life and became his guardian.


    So he wanted to do the same and became her guardian as well. He didn''t care if he''d be a fugitive or be in jail. As long as he could get the revenge he wanted.


    "But I can''t¡­." Vernon muttered. "Chloe said she doesn''t want to lose me¡­."


    Vernon''s eyes quickly pooled with tears. He wiped the tears at the edge of his eyes, ming Chloe for softening his heart, "Now, I have to continue with my original n. If only she would be a bit more ruthless and ask me to kill Vincent, I would do it in a heartbeat."


    "But then again, I don''t think I''d ever fall in love with a ruthless woman¡­."


    Vernon sighed. He tried to keep himself busy by contacting his bodyguards. The ones who got subdued by Vincent''s.


    He went to the basement after finishing some of the reports he had to check to carry out his next n to usurp Vincent''s business circle.


    He sat in his car for a while until two people- a man and a woman- knocked on the window. He gave them a quick nce and rolled the windows down.

 Chapter 414 414

    "Took you two long enough to show up," Vernon said coldly. "Thought you''d chicken out after you failed to protect her."


    The two bodyguards winced, they had plenty of physical wounds after getting beaten by Vincent Gray''s people, but the shame of failing to carry out their boss'' task affected them much more than just a few bruises.


    "We''re sorry, Sir. It seemed that Vincent Gray''s people quickly identified us when we''re patrolling around. They came in earlier than us, so we can''t identify them first," the male bodyguard reported.


    "Yes, Sir. We also got caught off guard since he brought at least ten people with him. We stood no chance as two," the female bodyguard added.


    Vernon wanted to scold them more but knew it was partly his fault for not predicting Vincent''s presence. He''d be a hypocrite if he put all the me on these two people.


    "What did he do to you? Did he inquire about my identity?"


    "They did for a moment, Sir," the bodyguards replied. "They beat us, trying to get your identity. But somehow, Vincent Gray suddenly let us leave, and said that torturing us to get your information will hurt his pride."


    Vernon frowned, "He said that?"


    "Yes, Sir. He said that while his face was bruised and bloodied. He looked... off..." the bodyguard reported. "He has this expression of bliss, as if he has just experienced something exhrating."


    Vernon clenched the steering wheel. He knew exactly what caused his Big brother to have that blissful expression because theirte father also made the same face often and had the same preference.


    When he was about seven, his Big brother often brought him to see what theirte father was doing to de-stress, which would always include many women.


    He would fuck those women in various positions, and one of the most extreme was BDSM.


    He would whip them, hit them in various spots, and sometimes spank them until they cried. Some women were crying and begging, but theirte father always told them it was a natural reaction from a woman.


    Thus, both Vernon and Vincent developed the same fetish for a bit of rough love.


    However, Vernon would only do it during sex, and it was if the woman he had sex with consented. Knowing Chloe''s long-time abuse, he would never y nor ask Chloe to y with him like that, not when he knew it would trigger her trauma anytime.


    But Vincent...


    ''So fucked up,'' Vernon thought. ''He used Chloe like a ragdoll for his twisted fetish.''


    "You sure he doesn''t know a thing about me?" Vernon inquired, and both bodyguards replied with a sure ''NO.''


    "Fine, I will pardon you two. I''ve sent some money to treat your wounds. But this will be thest time you two fail my task."


    "Yes, Sir, thank you."


    "Hm, I''ll leave now."


    Vernon started his car and left his office. He was driving through the busy street, his eyes staring straight, focusing on the road.


    But his mind was upied with Vincent''s twisted fetish.


    The more Vernon recognized the fetish his Big brother''s developed, the more he realized that he was an idiot.


    "What was I thinking back then? Why did I leave Chloe when I know Vincent will be like my dad? Everything about him-- including his sexual preference, are all inherited by dad!"


    Vernon gritted his teeth, and the guilt in his heart started eating him from the inside.


    He continuously med himself for leaving Chloe alone with Vincent for ten years.


    "I should''ve returned sooner-- No, I shouldn''t leave in the first ce," Vernon tried to remember any logic behind his departure, but he couldn''t find any.


    Because what caused him to leave was a broken heart.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He was already insecure about himself after that incident of Chloe saying he was a good-for-nothing kid and inferior to Vincent.


    But what took the cake was how easy it was for Chloe to ept his Big brother''s wedding proposal, giving him no chance to grow andpete since he was only fifteen.


    Chloe had also grown increasingly busy, spending more time with Vincent and preparing for the wedding. Vernon felt like Chloe shoved him to the side, letting him watch how the love of his life married his own Big brother.


    So he left with his heart shattered in pieces, vowing revenge against that pair of lovebirds because they became the sole existence of Vernon''s misery.


    "Idiot..." Vernon cursed at himself as he drove faster through New York City. "I could''ve protected her. I could''ve been there to fight back. At least, I could have-"


    There were so many ''could have'' scenarios in Vernon''s head. But there was nothing he could do because it was all toote, Vincent abused her for ten years, and she had nowhere to go. She also had no support system, knowing how shitty her family was.


    Vernon drove faster as he wanted to check on Chloe.


    He knew Chloe was in his penthouse, probably watching TV with Mackie. But he just couldn''t wait to check on her, to see if she was well cared for. The urge got stronger when he parked his car in the apartment basement.


    He practically ran to the elevator and smashed that button to go up.


    "Come on!" Vernon tapped his shoes impatiently until he heard a ding, and the elevator door opened.


    He dashed to the penthouse door and unlocked it with his fingerprint.


    He mmed the door open, and his eyes frantically looked all around the foyer to find Chloe, but when he couldn''t find her, he got even more frantic.


    He threw his briefcase into a random spot and called her name, "Chloe? Chloe, where are you?!"


    ...


    No answer.


    Vernon was about to get crazy, and his mind entertained the idea that Vincent might''ve discovered his identity and kidnapped Chloe while he was still working.


    "FUCK!" Vernon clenched his fists. "CHLOE!"


    "Yes!" Chloe rushed out of theundry room. She ran towards Vernon, who shot a hungry gaze at her.


    Chloe halted and subconsciously took a step back. Her face paled instantly.


    "S--Sorry, I-- I didn''t hear you--" Chloe stammered, afraid that Vernon was angry at him for no reason. "I--I was busy folding your suit. I didn''t hear you. Sorry...."


    Chloe started to fear Vernon a little since he red at her as if she had done something wrong. She took another step back.


    She believed that Vernon wouldn''t hit her as Vincent did to her. But the remnants of the abuse were engraved deep inside her heart, making her do subconscious stuff just to protect herself from getting hurt.


    Vernon said nothing but took big steps toward Chloe and opened his arms.


    Chloe shrieked and closed her eyes, thinking Vernon would hit her, but her worry turned out to be untrue.


    Vernon hugged her tight, so tight that she could feel the warmth from his body engulfing her thin body.


    "Chloe..." Vernon muttered her name, and his voice carried a lot of pain. He was like a thirsty man who had just found an oasis. He hugged her as if they hadn''t meet for so long.


    Chloe sensed something was wrong and asked, "Vernon, is everything alright?"

 Chapter 415 415

    "Vernon, is everything alright?"


    ¡­


    "Vernon?"


    "No, everything is not alright," Vernon replied. He knew he should''ve said that everything was okay and under control.


    But he couldn''t hide his vulnerability in front of Chloe. He wanted her to know how worried he was and how regretful he felt after realizing the true extent of Chloe''s suffering under Vincent''s hand for the past ten years.


    Chloe had no idea what was in Vernon''s mind, but she tried tofort him even though she was blind about the problem. It was the least she could do, after all.


    "You can tell me if you feel troubled over something¡­." Chloe muttered. "I don''t know what''s the problem, though? Is it about work?"


    "No, it''s not about work¡ª I wish it was¡­." Vernon replied, his throat parched as he was holding his sobs.


    However, no matter how hard he tried to hide his sadness, he simply couldn''t gloss over his devastation. His body trembled as he hugged his beloved tighter until Chloe felt stuffy buried inside Vernon''s hot body.


    "Really? It''s not about work?" Chloe wanted to hug him back, but her hands were both injured, so she could only carefully circle her arms around his waist. "What is it about, Vernon?"


    ¡­


    Vernon wondered why Chloe always tried to hide the abuse she experienced.


    Was it because she didn''t want anyone to know?


    Or was it because Vincent terrified her so much that she stopped seeking help?


    Either way, Vernon didn''t want Chloe to hide anymore. He wanted to encourage her to talk to him about all the abuse she suffered, so he could know everything in full detail.


    He wanted to know everything as it would be a reminder for the rest of his life to protect the woman he loved.


    But he couldn''t force her to tell everything. It could probably trigger her trauma. So he whispered, "Tell me when you''re ready."


    Chloe''s body stiffened instantly, "A¡ªAbout what?"


    "About all the things you experienced with Vincent."


    "Ah¡­ um¡­ I don''t think you need to know," Chloe said. "It''s not¡­ pretty to hear."


    "I know. That''s why I want to know," Vernon slowly pushed Chloe to his arm''s length. He looked down at Chloe, checking all the bruises and small cuts on her face.


    It hurt him knowing he could''ve prevented all the bruises and cuts if he could be more protective.


    "I''m sorry that I failed to protect you. I should''ve been there with you instead of just sending two bodyguards."


    "Uhm¡­ it''s fine, Vernon," Chloe tried to pacify the big guy. "You know that it''s also partly my fault, right? I''m the one that keeps asking you to stop sending so many bodyguards, then they get overwhelmed against Vincent''s people."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe still tried to put up a sweet smile even though she was hurting. Vernon didn''t know whether he should be happy that Chloe was so strong after experiencing terrible abuse or be sad for the same reason.


    "Besides, I will have to eventually confront Vincent. He refused to sign that divorce paper, and has been terrorizing me for so long," Chloe looked down to stare at her cast. "This cast may look painful, but it''s proof that I¡ª Chloe Carlson, has finally stood on my ground for the first time, and fought against that monster. It''s a battle scar, I guess."


    "You''re not allowed to have more battle scars after this," Vernon fretted. "This will be thest, understand?"


    Chloe giggled when she saw the concern in his eyes. He looked like a parental figure trying to tell his child.


    "You know, seeing you like this reminds me of when you were a kid. Do you remember how often I scold you for doing dangerous stunts around your mansion?"


    "Wha¡ª"Vernon was flustered because Chloe turned a serious moment into a lighthearted one. "W¡ªWell, I do remember one thing or two¡­."


    "Are you sure only a thing or two? I remember that I had to scold you almost everyday back then."


    "That''s a thing in the past, I''m not an insecure brat with an anger issue anymore," Vernon tried to defend himself.


    Chloe giggled again, "Sure, Big boy."


    "I¡ªI''m serious!"


    "Mhm, I know," Chloe nodded. "Don''t worry about my wound. It will heal, eventually."


    Vernon sighed as he pitied the condition between them. He just couldn''t stop worrying for Chloe, while Chloe didn''t even seem to worry much about her wounds.


    Vernon might not realize it, but Chloe had been watching the change in his expression, and her smile grew wider as she realized that Vernon genuinely cared for her.


    "You don''t need to worry too much about me, Vernon," Chloe said. She took one step forward until there was no gap between her and Vernon. She tiptoed and kissed Vernon''s chin, right under his lip. "I fight back because I want to protect what''s important for me, just like what you do right now."


    Vernon felt the heat from the spot where Chloe had kissed him. The heat spread around his face, making him redder than before. He¡ª once again, blushed like a teenage boy who had just earned his first kiss.


    It was so rare for Chloe to initiate a kiss, but when she did, it would create thousands of explosions in Vernon''s head, making his entire brain suddenly short-circuit out of happiness. He just stood there- stiff like a tree stump, staring at his beloved with bewildered eyes.


    All this happiness was like a push for him to confess. He knew that he should''ve been wiser and waited until the problem between Chloe and Vincent was solved before they could move on.


    But his heart continued giving him a push to just confess.


    "Chloe¡­"


    "Hm?


    The word ''love'' was already in his throat, ready to be let out in one breath. He suddenly got nervous like a middle school boy trying to confess, so he clenched his fist and took a deep breath to prepare himself.


    ''It''s now or never, at least I want her to know my true feelings.''

 Chapter 416 416

    "Chloe, I¡­ I have been in lo¡ª" the word love was so hard to get out of his throat. He swallowed his saliva that had suddenly thickened and repeated, "I have been in lo¡ª"


    "MOMMY, I''M DONE WITH BATH!"


    Chloe''s attention was instantly diverted towards the kitchen, where she saw her daughter appear with slightly wet hair after a bath and a bunch of colorful markers in her hand.


    She waved the markers excitedly, "Mommy! Let me draw on your cast!"


    Chloe giggled and quickly ignored Vernon, who stood like stone. He clenched his fist, not that he was angry at Mackie for ruining the moment, but he was disappointed and frustrated at himself for being too nervous.


    He could be flirting with countless women before he reunited with Chloe because he felt nothing for them. They were all flings, past loves to fill his boredom and destress while venturing into this harsh world.


    But he couldn''t flirt like he used to in front of Chloe. He was bound to feel nervous when facing the only woman who had upied his heart for over a decade.


    ''Should''ve said it sooner before Mackiees,'' Vernon thought.


    But he quickly loosened his fist and joined Chloe and Mackie, who chatted in the kitchen. Chloe crouched in front of her daughter and lifted the cast covering her right arm, "What do you want to draw on Mommy''s cast?"


    "Uhhh¡­ I haven''t thought about it yet," Mackie said innocently. "But I want to write my name, and then draw many things!"


    Chloe chuckled and sat on the floor. She offered her cast for Mackie to draw, "Go on, you can draw whatever on the cast."


    Vernon watched how his niece seemed to think so hard about what to write and draw. His heart was itching to draw something, too, maybe it was part of his childhood that wanted to have fun, or he just wanted to be involved in this small family time.


    But he eventually joined and sat right beside Chloe. He opened his palm and asked, "Give me the ck marker."


    "Um? What for, Uncle?"


    "I want to write something on her cast too," Vernon replied. However, Mackie didn''t give in easily. She clenched the ck marker and took a step back.


    "Uncle, promise me that you will write something nice! I don''t want my Mommy''s cast to have bad words!"


    "Tch, I''m not going to write bad words. Just give me the ck marker."


    Mackie finally handed the ck marker to her Uncle.


    Vernon pulled the marker tip and quickly nced at Chloe, asking for her consent.


    Chloe smiled and nodded, "Go write anything you want."


    Vernon nodded and then started writing something on the white cast.


    Mackie kept a strict watch on what her Uncle was writing because she remembered how her Uncle kept cursing and shouting in his office. It gave her a bit of a shock.


    Vernon paused for a moment before writing his name on the cast and nced at Mackie, who red at him. He grinned and wrote something else instead of his name.


    He gave Mackie a second nce, and his grin grew into a mischievous smirk.


    After he was done, he gave the ck marker back to Mackie.


    "What did you write, Uncle?" Mackie asked as she tried to read her Uncle''s writing.<novelnext></novelnext>


    -


    Under the Protection of


    Big bad Wolf Uncle


    And


    Little Wolf Mackie.


    -


    Mackie was pleasantly surprised with the writing. Because with Uncle''s and her name on the cast, nobody would dare to hurt Mommy again!


    Though she disliked the fact that Uncle named her little wolf.


    She pouted and protested, "Uncle, why am I a little devil? I am a Big bad wolf too!"


    Vernonughed heartily and bickered with his niece, "Hah! You have to grow up first. You''re so tiny right now, I could flick your head, and you will fall!"


    "Ugh!" Mackie wanted to protest. But then realized that she was indeed pretty smallpared to Uncle. "Hmph! Wait until I grow up, I will be taller and bigger than you, Uncle!"


    "Sure, sure, you have to work out and eat a lot if you want to grow as big as me," Vernon teased.


    Chloe giggled as she watched how these two bickered.


    Mackie and Vernon turned their heads at the same time and asked, "What''s so funny?"


    "Nothing," Chloe smiled. "I just found the two of you to be so adorable."


    "Adorable?" Vernon frowned. "Me?"


    "Mhm."


    "Hmph, nonsense," Vernon slowly released Chloe''s cast and got up. "You two, go sit at the dining table. What do you want for dinner, by the way?"


    "Ah, I forgot to cook dinner¡­." Chloe muttered. She was so busy in theundry room, trying to fold Vernon''s clothes with one hand. It took so much time and wasn''t practical, "L¡ªLet me cook something."


    "You? Cook something with that hand?" Vernon pointed at Chloe''s cast. "You can''t even chop vegetables with those. Just sit with Mackie at the dining table and let me cook. Tell me if you two have anything you want to make. I''ll look up the recipe on Google or Youtube."


    "Okay, Uncle!" Mackie quickly interrupted. She grabbed Mommy''s left wrist and pulled her to the dining table. She didn''t allow her Mommy to continue arguing with her Uncle because she knew Mommy shouldn''t tire herself. "Mommy, let''s sit there! I still want to draw! I want to draw a mama wolf and her baby. I also want to draw a sword, shield, lightning, cloud, or bird!"


    "B¡ªBut¡ª" Chloe was overwhelmed by Mackie, who continued pulling her to the dining table.


    Thus, in the end, she could only follow her daughter and sat anxiously. At the same time, her cast was put on the table for Mackie to doodle on. Her eyes were set on watching over Vernon, who was trying to wear her apron that covered nothing since his body was too big.


    "Ugh, what is this tiny apron?" heined.


    He sensed Chloe, who was staring at him worriedly. He grinned and imed with confidence, "Don''t worry, Chloe. I''m a good cook."

 Chapter 417 417

    ? "Don''t worry, Chloe. I''m a good cook," Vernon imed confidently, and Chloe couldn''t hide her frown as she did not believe that at all.


    "Um¡­ are you sure? Should we just order something with Ubereats?" Chloe offered.


    Honestly, she didn''t like buying food from outside because she liked trying out making many new dishes. She even had a few cookbooks and googled a lot of recipes. But since she couldn''t use her right hand, they had no other choice.


    Vernon was slightly offended by her doubt, "Just sit there and let me cook something."


    "But-"


    "Just trust me, Chloe. Sit there and enjoy your time with Mackie."


    "¡­ Okay then."


    Chloe shifted her gaze back at her daughter, who was busy drawing a big mama wolf and her small cub. She kept ncing at Vernon, who had his sleeve rolled and was busy checking the ingredients in the fridge.


    She thought Vernon would break something or burn the food, at least. But she was out for a surprise because Vernon was skillful in preparing all the ingredients, chopping veggies, boiling rice, and then pan-fried a few chickens before he poured it all into a wok.


    The sound of the spat hitting the wok echoed in the kitchen, and the delicious aroma filled the air. Even Mackie got distracted by it.


    In the end, he brought a big te full of what looked like fried rice, but the aroma was so vorful that Mackie and Chloe got hungry instantly.


    Vernon put the big te on the dining table and announced, "This is Spanish Pae. I like it better with seafood, but we don''t have any seafood in the fridge, so I used chicken instead."


    He returned to the kitchen and brought three stacks of the regr te, distributing them for his small family before, and then returned with three sses of water.


    Chloe looked at the delicious Spanish Pae in front of her and then looked back at Vernon, demanding an exnation on how he could cook a difficult dish.


    Vernon put a big spoon of Pae on Chloe''s te, "Just try it first and see if you like it."


    Chloe carefully used her left hand to scoop the food and slowly munched on the food.


    Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Vernon, grinning proudly, "Good?"


    Chloe swallowed the food and nodded, "It''s amazing. I cooked Pae a few times, but this is much better than mine."


    Vernon took pride in his cooking. He might not be a chef, even if he could if he studied culinary seriously. Getting Chloe''s approval was the thing he wanted the most for his cooking skill.


    "Mm, it''s good, but Mommy is still better!" Mackie suddenly chirped, and Chloe panicked when her daughter said that. Mackie shrugged, "What? Mommy''s Pae is the best! Uncle, yours is good, but you should learn more from Mommy!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe looked back at Vernon and muttered sorry, "She doesn''t know what she''s saying. Don''t take it at heart, Vernon."


    "Hm? Why not? I know that you''re a great cook," Vernon smiled. He sat right beside Chloe and took a spoonful into his mouth. "Hm, you''re right, Mackie. Mine is slightly less vorful than what she made, so I should probably ask her recipe instead."


    "See, Mommy? Even Uncle admits it!"


    Chloe didn''t want Vernon to feel unappreciated for cooking dinner. He must''ve been tired from work and all the events that happened today, but he still took his time to cook for the family.


    "It''s still great," Chloe insisted. "Anyway, when did you learn how to cook?"


    "Hm¡­. Probably a few months after I left to Europe," Vernon said, though he didn''t specify which part of Europe he stayed. "I realized that I just can''t pte many of the takeouts, since I grew up eating your homemade dishes."


    "So I started learning how to cook by myself. I also traveled around Europe whenever I had free time and learned many dishes from my travels. That''s why I can cook well."


    Vernon raised his brow as he stared back at Chloe, "I should me you for making me unable to eat takeouts. My picky pte can''t handle them."


    Chloe remembered how much of a picky eater Vernon was when he was a kid. He disliked most things. Sometimes he could like one food and suddenly dislike the same food the next day.


    It was so frustrating for the cooks until Chloe took over Gray mansion''s kitchen and started cooking whenever she visited, so Vernon could eat a lot without giving the cooks a headache.


    ''Now he''s a grown man. A rich, young CEO who happens to be Handsome, with a great body, and also a great cook,'' Chloe kept on showering Vernon with praises in her heart. She was too embarrassed to say it, but she was proud of him.


    ''Ah, I hope he can find a good woman to marry soon. So he doesn''t need to think about me too much.''


    Chloe knew that Vernon was in love with her. She would be a dense idiot if she didn''t realize that.


    All the things he did and the dedication he had just to protect her screamed the word ''love.''


    But at the same time, she still couldn''t stomach it.


    She raised Vernon for at least eight years, and if he was in love with her, it was probably just a remnant of a childhood crush he''d get over eventually.


    Besides, she didn''t think she was worthy of dating- let alone marrying a man like Vernon. He was obviously a dream man for many young women out there.


    But she didn''t want to ruin the good atmosphere between them, so she swallowed all her concerns and ate with her family.


    Maybe it was the concern that gued her mind, or her exhaustion after a harsh day, or the food was just too damn good. She actually ate a full te of Pae at an average pace. She even went for a second te, much to Mackie and Vernon''s relief.

 Chapter 418 418

    Chloe sat beside Mackie on the little girl''s bed at night. Mackie was lying on her bed with her nket tucked up to her chest.


    She stared at the ceiling and then at Mommy, who carefully patted her head after dinner. She was happy that her stage y was a sess. Even Mr. Peterson said that she was the one who yed the best as the Big bad wolf.


    She was also happy to see her Daddy, though not for long¡­


    Her little brain was still trying to process what happened between Mommy and Daddy back in the Principal''s office.


    She saw how her Daddy handled her Mommy roughly, lifting her up until her feet hovered above the ground, choking her.


    When she lived with Mommy and Daddy in the mansion, she often witnessed her Daddy hit Mommy. Though he''d always stop when Mackie saw.


    She saw her Mommy was often hurt with many blue or purplish marks, but always told Mackie that it was alright or Daddy didn''t mean to hurt Mommy.


    Her Mommy often told her not to get angry at Daddy because Mommy was at fault for angering Daddy.


    She was too small to understand what was happening then and truly thought it was normal to get bruises.


    But when she got bullied by Jaden, Mia, and a few other kids in the school. She realized that getting bruises and cuts hurt so much.


    Getting shoved to the ground hurt, and so did getting her hair pulled.


    So she fought back until none of her bullies dared to attack her anymore because Mackie was truly like a little wolf, not sparing anyone who dared to hurt her.


    "You should close your eyes, Dear," Chloe muttered softly while caressing Mackie''s long hair. "You must be tired from your stage y."


    "I''m not sleepy, Mommy."


    "Really? Why so?"


    "Because I keep thinking about you¡­." Mackie said. She put her hand on her Mommy''s cast and caressed it gently. "Why don''t you cry, Mommy? I got hurt by my bullies, and I cried in the bathroom a few times before I could fight them back. It hurts so much when they shove me to the ground or pull my hair."


    "Daddy did the same to you, but why aren''t you crying?" Mackie asked with her innocent eyes staring at Chloe.


    ¡­


    Chloe stopped caressing Mackie''s hair for a moment. Her heart was bleeding, knowing that Mackie had to know about her father''s abusive behavior, no matter how hard Chloe tried to hide it.


    She was trying to portray a good family for her daughter, thinking it would help her grow normal, unlike Chloe, who never had a father figure.


    But today''s eventful encounter between all three of them- Chloe, Mackie, and Vincent, must have put doubts in Mackie''s heart.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''I thought I could hide this until Mackie is at least old enough to understand¡­.''


    Chloe sighed, "Getting hit by your Daddy does hurt me, dear¡­."


    "Really? Then why have I never seen you crying after getting hurt?"


    "¡­ Because I don''t want to make you sad," Chloe replied. "I''m sorry for not telling you that bruises are painful. I just don''t want you to be sad about me."


    "Mommy¡­" Mackie noticed the sad expression that Mommy made, even though the light around the room was dim. Mackie lifted her hand to touch her Mommy''s cheek. "You can cry now, Mommy. Mackie is a big girl now. Now I know that getting bruises is painful after I get bullied. So you don''t need to hide it when you get hurt."


    Mackie''s words effectively stabbed Chloe in the heart. She wanted to preserve Mackie''s innocence as much as she could, but she got bullied in the school instead, and Chloe couldn''t do a thing to prevent it.


    Chloe tried to hold her tears, but a tear dropped from the corner of her eyes andnded on her daughter''s cheek.


    "I''m sorry, dear," Chloe muttered while sobbing. "I can''t protect you from the bullies in school¡­."


    "Mmm, it''s not your fault, Mommy," Mackie replied. "Jaden and Mia are just bullies. They just don''t want to y with me anymore, and I don''t mind, because I have other friends as well."


    ''My dear girl, if only you knew that your father is the one who set up those kids to bully you¡­.'' Chloe could only say that in her heart.


    While Mackie already had a faint understanding of what happened around her now. Chloe didn''t want to shove a bitter pill of truth into her mouth.


    Mackie already learned too much from what they encountered today. If she had to know about the truth sooner than Chloe expected, then at least it needed to be gradual. She didn''t want topletely shatter a little girl''s heart in just a day.


    "Mommy, promise me that you will not hide from me when you cry or get hurt," Mackie demanded. "Mommy also needs to stop puking! You need to keep the food inside your stomach!"


    Chloe chuckled. He wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and nodded, "From now on, I promise I will not hide it from you if I get hurt. I also promise that I will not puke after eating anymore. Is that enough?"


    "Mm!" Mackie nodded happily. She was satisfied with Mommy''s promise, though she still had a few things bugging her mind.


    "Well, go to sleep now, Mommy will talk to Uncle about something," Chloe said. She kissed her daughter''s head before getting up and leaving the room.


    Chloe closed the door and let out a deep, relieved breath. While she was nervous and sad that she had to tell Mackie about her bruises, at least Mackie still hadn''t asked her about her Daddy.


    Or maybe not yet. Chloe believed that the question about Vincent was already lingering in Mackie''s mind, and the little girl would eventually ask why her Daddy had hit Mommy so many times in the past.


    But as long as Mackie hadn''t brought up the question, Chloe had no obligation to answer.


    ''I hope the question won''t pop up anytime soon. I want her to grow up first before learning about the painful truth¡­.''

 Chapter 419 419

    After making sure that her daughter was asleep, Chloe went up to the penthouse, where she saw Vernon sitting with aptop on hisp.


    He seemed to be working on documents again, and Chloe walked to him with a hot herbal tea in her left arm. She brewed it downstairs because she knew Vernon would not let her do anything because of her injury.


    She put the herbal tea on the table and sat beside him on the sofa. He stopped his work, closed hisptop and tossed it to the smaller seat.


    He nced at the herbal tea and then at Chloe. He frowned disapprovingly, "Why did you make that? I don''t ask for it."


    "Well, you''re going to stay up all night, so I thought you''d need some energy boost¡­." Chloe replied. She wasn''t scared of Vernon''s disapproval because she knew that Vernon was just looking out for her.


    "You''re hurt, Chloe. You shouldn''t be doing anything right now."


    "My left hand is still functional," Chloe raised her left hand, which was proven to be a wrong move.


    Because Vernon suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, "V¡ªVernon¡ª What are you¡ª"


    Vernon gave Chloe no time to protest. He grabbed Chloe''s hips and lifted her up easily, allowing her to straddle hisp.


    Now they were facing each other with Vernon gently tracing his hand around her hips and thighs, "I know you''re a hard worker, Chloe. I also know you used to work in Vincent''s mansion even after he hurt you."


    "But I will not allow you to do anything while you''re hurt," Vernon insisted. He looked up at Chloe, who sat on hisp. His expression showed a hint of pain despite him trying to hide it. "Why can''t you listen to me?"


    Chloe was stunned by Vernon''sst sentence. She didn''t realized how much her condition upset Vernon. But she was used to working on house chores in Vincent''s mansion even after Vincent beat her up or fainted due to hunger.


    She was afraid that Vincent would try to nitpick and yell at her for being a zy-good-for-nothing-wife.''


    That fear of being yelled at already seeped deep inside her mind, making her subconsciously try to find something to do even when she was in so much pain.


    Chloe looked down and observed Vernon''s handsome face. Under the dim light, she could see the trace of exhaustion on him, making him age five years older in just a few days.


    "Vernon, you need rest," Chloe muttered while tracing her fingers around the corner of his eyes down to his cheek.


    She rubbed Vernon''s cheek with her left thumb and added, "Your eye bags are so dark, are you suffering from insomnia?"


    Vernon bit his lower lip, getting infuriated by Chloe''sment, "See? This is what I don''t like about you, Chloe."


    "Eh? D¡ªDid I do something wrong?"


    "Yes, you did," Vernon replied. "You keep worrying about someone else. You worried about me, Mackie, heck¡ª you''re even worried about Diamond! Yet, you have no worry about your own health!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon''s eyes were filled with intense emotion that Chloe could identify easily, but she tried to ignore it because she didn''t want her heart to catch feelings.


    "I¡­ I just want to keep my family healthy¡­ and happy," Chloe muttered. "It''s my duty as a¡ª" Chloe quickly zipped her mouth. She almost said that it was her duty as a housewife. But she and Vernon weren''t bound by marriage or any kind of intimate rtionship. So she stopped and went silent.


    "You¡ª Don''t you understand that your health is also my concern?!" Vernon started to grow frustrated. "Why can''t you think about yourself for a second, be fucking selfish, seriously!"


    "I¡ªI can''t be selfish¡­."


    "Yeah, and that cost you this!" Vernon grabbed Chloe''s cast and lifted it. "You said that Vincent tried to inquire about my identity from you. He intimidated and abused you for not telling him about my identity, right?"


    ¡­


    "See? If you can be a bit selfish and tell him about me, it would save yourself from getting hurt," Vernon said ruthlessly. "Stop trying to be a martyr, I don''t need your protection, I can fight him!"


    His words were harsh, startling her and making her whole body stiff for a few seconds.


    Vernon noticed her shock and sighed before burying his face in Chloe''s chest. His voice muffled as he confessed, "I''m sorry, Chloe. I got upset whenever I saw your injuries. I keep ming myself and can''t help but start making scenarios in my head."


    "Scenarios?"


    Vernon lifted his face to stare at his beloved''s concerned eyes, "I keep making scenarios of what I should''ve done in the past to prevent your abuse. I know there''s nothing I could do to change the past, but I¡ª I just can''t help it."


    "I shouldn''t have left you alone for ten years. I shouldn''t try to hurt you when youe to me, begging for help. I shouldn''t be a damn-fucking-idiot who can''t even protect you from Vincent today."


    "Vernon," Chloe called his name to interrupt Vernon from all of his negative thoughts. "Don''t me yourself. It''s never your fault in the first ce."


    "I am the one who''s willing to marry Vincent. I didn''t know how twisted he is until I married him, and that me should be on me," Chloe stated boldly. "I was careless, blinded by love, and that''s what got me roped into his twisted game."


    Vernon opened his mouth, wanting to refute that argument. But realized that what Chloe said was right.


    As much as he wanted to me himself for everything, he had to admit that nobody knew how twisted Vincent was until recent years when he morphed into just like their father, Vaughn Gray.


    "I know you must be working hard these days, having so many sleepless nights to find resources to fight him, right?" Chloe asked, and Vernon nodded in response.


    He was working tirelessly to find a way to fight against his Big brother and slowly chipping away at all the foundation that the Gray family had made for the past decades.

 Chapter 420 420

    "And why did you do that? Obviously, you don''t need to fight him, he loves you so much, Vernon."


    "Because I want to free you from him," Vernon replied without thinking twice. "I don''t want you to get hurt anymore, and the only way for that to happen... is to topple him from his throne."


    Vernon decided not to say his original motive. Initially, he returned to New York andunched his slow revenge because he hated both Chloe and Vincent for making him live in a nightmare.


    But his motive changed after he got closer to Chloe, and he soon realized that he truly could not help himself from falling in love once again. Now, he fell in love so hard that he became distressed by the smallest pain that Chloe experienced.


    He had nothing else in his mind other than protecting Chloe from that monster, even if it would cost his fortune or life.


    "See? You are fighting against him to protect me. So what''s so wrong if I did the same for you? I fight back because I want to protect you," Chloe said. She lowered her head and kissed Vernon''s forehead gently. "Mr. Phoenix Gray, I think YOU need to stop trying to be a martyr instead. What''s with you trying to sacrifice yourself for me? Do you think I''m willing to be the damsel in distress?"


    "You are my damsel nheless," Vernon imed.


    "But I''m not a virgin anymore, damsel is for an unmarried maiden, right?"


    "Doesn''t matter, you''re still my damsel," Vernon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer until their bodies rubbed on one another. "You''re forever my damsel until I marry you."


    "Ah-"


    "Ah-"


    Both Chloe and Vernon widened their eyes at the same time. Thefortable atmosphere became awkward instantly because Vernon identally slipped his tongue and muttered one of the forbidden words between them.


    Love and Marriage.


    They both knew that love was in the air. Their eyes spoke with passion, and all their intimate moments weren''t just because of a ''familial bond.''


    That was bullshit that Chloe used to justify all of their actions.


    But in the end, Vernon slipped his tongue and made everything too awkward for them to continue.


    ...


    They got silenced in an instant, not knowing what to do next.


    But one thing is for sure, they couldn''t continue their intimate moments because it was too awkward.


    "I-- um... I better go back to my room," Chloe muttered. She pushed herself away from Vernon and got up from Vernon''sp.


    Vernon did nothing to stop her, as he was ashamed of himself.


    Chloe stood in front of Vernon and nced at his bulge, ''I guess he slipped because he got horny,'' she thought.


    "You should drink that herbal tea while it''s hot, Vernon. It''s good for your health," Chloe suggested. "And um... try to sleep early if you can, it''s really not good for your health."


    Vernon replied with a soft hum. He turned his head to the ss door leading to the balcony, afraid that Chloe might notice his tomato-red face.


    "P--Please excuse me then."


    Vernon heard Chloe''s small steps as she walked to the kitchen and went downstairs.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon kept staring at the ss door until he was assured that Chloe wasn''t around. He cursed himself in his heart for being a total idiot that ruined the night.


    He took a sip of Chloe''s herbal tea and walked out to the balcony. He closed the ss door behind him before taking long steps to the balcony guardrail.


    The air was so cold, but for some reason, his whole body-- especially his face, was so hot.


    He took a deep breath and shouted into the open air, "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY VERNON? FOREVER YOUR DAMSEL? THAT WAS SO FUCKING CRINGE!"


    Vernon knew that they weren''t ready for that talk. He made it obvious that he was in love with Chloe, and Chloe''s positive changes showed that she wasfortable with him in many ways.


    But they were still on a rocky path. Talking about love and marriage would distract them.


    Besides, Vernon promised to start taking the rtionship seriously after he toppled his Big brother.


    "Well, this awkwardness will stay for a while, ugh...." Vernon groaned.


    Chloe would usually try to avoid him for some time whenever they had a fight or simply had an awkward moment like this, and it was like torment for Vernon.


    Because he liked to see the bubblier and happier version of Chloe, free from her constant anxiety stemming from the abuse.


    "I have to remind myself not to slip again," Vernon said as he put a mental note. "I need to focus. FOCUS! There are lots to do. Things like love can wait until I can kick that bastard out of Chloe''s life, and Chloe''s physical and mental health improves until she''s ready to open her heart once more."


    **


    Chloe returned to her room, closed the door carefully, and threw herself onto her bed.


    She was like a teenage girl that had just gotten a confession from a boy she had a crush on.


    She buried her face in her pillow and muffled her scream.


    Chloe rolled on her bed, trying to contain her excitement, and the sharp pain from her hand stopped her from getting too excited.


    Shey t on her bed, staring at the ceiling.


    Her mind kept on reying Vernon''s sentence over and over, like a broken cassette.


    -


    "You''re forever my damsel until I marry you."


    -


    She felt there was a pang in her heart. She put her left palm on her chest, feeling the elerated heartbeat.


    "Ah, why am I getting so excited just because he said some cheesy words? You''re thirty-five, Chloe. Get a grip!" Chloe scolded herself.


    But she couldn''t lie that Vernon''s sentence was so out of the blue, it took her like a storm, and now she couldn''t get it off her head.


    "This is bad, I''m so love-deprived that a frivolous sentence can make me feel like a high school girl again."

 Chapter 421 421

    Chloe med Vernon for being so frivolous, teasing and flirting with her as if she was a free woman he could marry tomorrow.


    But at the same time, she also had herself to me because instead of refusing his advance, she also started ying with fire. She enjoyed his touch, his care, and how he looked at her.


    Maybe because she was so love-deprived, she truly enjoyed everything she did with Vernon. Even the smallest thing, such as spending time together, was so enjoyable she couldn''t help but crave more.


    "And the half-sex too," Chloe added. "We haven''t done full blown sex yet. But all those make-out sessions were so fun. I can''t believe I''m not even guarded anymore. He could''ve asked me to have sex, and I would say¡­."


    Chloe bit her lower lip, not wanting to continue because the answer was so obvious.


    She would say yes.


    She dreaded all the time she was forced to have sex with Vincent. She was scared and felt unworthy.


    But when she was with Vernon, all her pain and worry slowly disappeared, leaving nothing but the sweet feeling of bliss and the craving of wanting to be touched more.


    Chloe gasped as she had just realized something, "Oh no, not only has he made me feel like a teen girl in love, he also makes me feel like a whore wanting more."


    Chloe panicked as she always believed herself to be a modest woman who wouldn''t crave something depraved like sex. She also thought that sex was something done by teenagers, young adults, and newly married couples.


    Who would''ve thought that a thirty-something woman like her also had a craving for sex when she wasfortable with a man? Toofortable, perhaps.


    Nevertheless, all these feelings were new to her. It overwhelmed her to the point that her face got very hot.


    She quickly pulled another pillow and covered her face with it. She muffled her excited scream to calm down.


    After she calmed down a bit, she turned to the left, where she kept repeating Vernon''s words in her head, and one word that stuck with her the most was¡­


    Marry.


    Both Chloe and Vernon knew that their bodies spoke with love, but it was taboo for them to spout out that word and all things rted to it.


    She enjoyed Vernon''spany and wished they could stay like this forever. But, of course, things couldn''t stay ambiguous forever.


    Many wanted to tie the knot, make the rtionship official, and im ownership of each other. It seemed Vernon was that kind of man, much to her surprise.


    "I really thought he''s the kind of man who doesn''t want to be tied in a rtionship," Chloe thought. "Now he''s the one bringing up marriage. This feels¡­ weird."


    Regarding marriage, Chloe had two emotions mixed in her mind: nervousness and fear.


    There was also a trace of anticipation in her heart.


    She was actually excited about the notion of marrying someone else other than Vincent. Her marriage with Vincent was painful for the past ten years, and she wished to get out of it and find someone else.


    But she was also nervous and scared for the same reason.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Her marriage with Vincent caused her suffering. What would happen if she had a second marriage and ended the same?


    Chloe believed that Vernon was not like his Big brother. He was different¡­ but there was always that small doubt in her heart. Because blood was thicker than water, Vernon must''ve inherited some of the Gray men''s traits, including the bad ones.


    ¡­


    "Alright, time to drop this for now. Let''s just focus on supporting Vernon in his endeavor first," Chloe told herself.


    Thus, amidst theplicated feeling in her heart, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    **


    Vincent sat in his bed and took a deep breath after going through such an exciting day full of surprises.


    He stared at the TV, yed a random show, and then touched the wound on his temple that had been treated in the hospital before he went home.


    He chuckled as he found his wound to be minusculepared to the release he had today.


    "I''ve never seen her that furious, trying her best to defend herself and the identity of her new man," Vincentmented. "I''m so angry at what she did, but at the same time¡­."


    Vincent lowered his gaze and stopped on his crotch, where he noticed the bulge. He licked his lower lip and muttered, "It''s so exciting. It''s so fun to see her being so willful."


    "I shouldn''t have bullied her too much once she returned home. I will make sure she still has a bit of hope of fighting back, so she can at least struggle a bit."


    Vincent took out his phone and opened the new file that had been transferred. It was the recording of his fight with Chloe.


    He could pick many angles, and he chose to use the one that showed Chloe''s face the most.


    She looked desperate and scared, with her face getting paler than usual. Her lips trembled, but she stood her ground as she faced the terrifying Vincent.


    Her face had been bruised left and right, and her hands were swollen as she tried to shield another punch from him.


    Vincent grinned as he reached inside his pants. He started beating his meat as he watched the video of their fights.


    "This shit''s much more fun than just seeing her fainting over and over, that got old real fast. I wouldn''t find other women outside if she did this from the very start, she should''ve known that a man needs excitement in his life!" Vincentmented. "Never knew that my wife could put up a fight. That''s new."


    While Vincent was enjoying himself, his phone suddenly rang, and his mood was instantly ruined when he saw the caller''s id.


    He clicked his tongue and picked it up;


    -


    "Damn you, Old hag! What are you doing calling mete at night?!"

 Chapter 422 422

    -


    "Damn you, Old hag! What are you doing calling mete at night?!" Vincent cursed as he had to answer Secretary Maria''s call while he was enjoying himself watching Chloe. "This better be an important stuff or I''m not going to be kind tomorrow."


    Secretary Maria wasn''t surprised by Mr. Gray''s threats and curses. She was used to it since the day she worked with Vaughn Gray. In fact, she felt that Vincent was basically a toned-down version of histe father because he took too much time caring about this one useless bitch called Chloe.


    "I''m going to inform you about Chelsea Carlson''s condition, Sir. You said that you want me to keep watching over that woman and her condition," Secretary Maria replied.


    "Oh¡ª Yeah, tell me then," Vincent toned down his anger after knowing it was about Chelsea.


    Secretary Maria felt something wasn''t right but decided to inform her boss before stating her concern.


    "The doctor said that they will take off Chelsea''s bandage around her face tomorrow. So if you want to visit¡ª for whatever reason, pleasee in the morning."


    "I see," Vincent hummed for a moment. "Push my morning meeting to the afternoon, I will visit that woman tomorrow morning."


    ¡­


    "Sir, may I know why you care so much for this woman?" Secretary Maria asked. "Although it pains me to say this, she''s not even as pretty as your current wife. She''s obviously a downgrade, is this a new fetish you developed by going for Chloe''s sister too, Sir?"


    "What the¡ª?! That''s fucking gross!" Vincent protested. "What gives you that idea?"


    "Because you keep paying close attention to her, and even went as far as paying for her medical bill and sending money to her bank ount as well," Secretary Maria said. "You''re doing more than what her husband does to her, so it is safe for me to assume that you have an interest in her, Sir."


    "Oh, that I do¡ª I do have an interest in her, but not in a romantic way, that''s disgusting," Vincent said. "I want to use her as bait so I can see Chloe again. I know she must be hiding somewhere right now, and her family is a good bait."


    Secretary Maria let out a relieved sigh. She thought her boss had gone insane and gone for the worse sister.


    Chelsea was not as beautiful as Chloe and seemed to be a trashy woman who would ruin the Gray family''s reputation once she married Vincent.


    Fortunately, Vincent just wanted to use her as bait.


    "Understood, Sir. I will push your morning schedule, good night."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vincent tossed his phone on the bed after the call ended. He had lost his mood to jack off tonight because he remembered about Chelsea.


    His dick wentid instantly when he imagined that scar added to her ugly face. It made him wonder if he could pretend like he cared tomorrow morning.


    "Well, she is my ticket to find Chloe again. I bet she is not going to show up anytime soon, not even with Mackie."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of course, Vincent could always use the crude method to find Chloe again, but it was all part of the game because his pride didn''t allow him to do that.


    "I have plenty of ways to make her return anyway. ying her like this sure spices up our married life."


    **


    Chelsea sat on the hospital bed, surrounded by her family¡ª except her husband, who was nowhere to be found.


    He was uncontactable a few days before Chelsea got attacked. But he was definitely alive because Judith said that Tommy hade to the house three days ago, taken the money from Chelsea''s safe, and then left without saying a word.


    Chelsea should be devastated, knowing that her husband didn''t give a shit about her and was probably going to abandon her soon.


    But she wasn''t all that sad because there was another man who was a hundred times better than Tommy could ever be.


    This man was so perfect. Chelsea believed he came to her aspensation for all the suffering she experienced in life and all the good deeds she had done by taking care of her children.


    ''I will still report Tommy to Vincent if he askster, though,'' Chelsea thought. At first, she didn''t believe it when her attacker said that Tommy sent his regards, painting that bastard as the one attacking her.


    But now that he was absent and refused to evene and visit his hospitalized wife, Chelsea''s suspicion started to grow.


    ''What if he attacked me because he already has another woman outside?'' Chelsea guessed. It didn''t make sense to ruin her face instead of killing her with the attack. ''Besides, I won''t get anything if we get divorced. His bank ount is literally in minus!''


    Amidst her thoughts, the door was opened, and a tall man stood at the door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.


    "Good morning, I hope I''m notte," he said.


    He smiled warmly as he entered the hospital room, and Chelsea''s kids looked up to the handsome man in his mid-thirty, "Why are you here, Uncle Vincent?"


    Vincent gave the flower to Judith, who was surprised by her son-inw''s sudden arrival, and then looked down, "I''m here to check on your Mom."


    "Really? I thought Uncle would only visit when Aunt Chloe is around," Aaron¡ª the oldest of Chelsea''s sons, muttered.


    Vincent''s expression stiffened for a moment, and Chelsea noticed it.


    "AARON! SHUT UP!" Chelsea shouted at her first son until all her kids jolted out of right. They looked at their mother simultaneously and got terrified because Chelsea looked so angry at them for no reason.


    Chelsea''s gaze softened towards Vincent, and she said, "Don''t mind them. They''re just kids, Vincent. And thank you for visiting, and the flowers too, they''re so pretty."


    "Haha, yeah¡­" Vincent smiled back at Chelsea. "Pretty flowers for a prettydy. I''d give you flowers everyday if you want."

 Chapter 423 423

    "Aww, you''re so sweet, thank you so much, Vincent," Chelsea opened her arms, waiting for Vincent to hug her in front of her children and mother.


    It would be better if he would kiss her right here, right now, so she could show off that she was the better sister in front of her mother.


    Vincent''s expression stiffened again, and there was a trace of anger on his face in a split second before returning to normal. Vincent smiled and hugged Chelsea. He patted her back and whispered, "You''re such a demanding woman. You really know your worth, huh?"


    Chelsea giggled when Vincent whispered, and she whispered back, now with a coquettish tone, "Of course, I know my worth, Mr. Gray. Or else, how could I not see that you want me so bad?"


    Vincent clenched his fist behind Chelsea''s back. His face got reddish as he was holding back so much. He was trying hard not to snap this bitch''s head just to stop her from spewing bullshit.


    "We''ll see about that," he said sarcastically, though he doubted this dense bitch could read his intention.


    Vincent grabbed Chelsea''s shoulder and pushed himself from her because this woman was trying to hug him for as long as she could, much to his disgust.


    Chelsea saw Vincent''s reddish face after they hugged, and her heart was now covered with roses.


    ''Oh, he''s such a sweetheart. He must be embarrassed to kiss me in front of everyone. Look at him, blushing just after hugging me!''


    Chelsea couldn''t hide her giddiness. She was like a high school girl getting a visit from her boyfriend.


    Vincent tried to dodge her hot gaze by shifting his attention to his mother-inw.


    "Morning, Judith. Sorry I have been so busy these days, I can''t really visit your house anymore, besides¡­ you know¡­"


    "Oh, it''s fine, Vincent," Judith said. "I know that memory of Chloe must''ve hurt you so much. I tried to call her many times so she would stop being an idiot and return to you, but she had already blocked my number¡­."


    ''Blocked? Huh, that''s new,'' Vincent was amused. ''Did that bastard influence her? Maybe he did, because the old Chloe would never dare to do something like that.''


    Vincent was saddened and shook his head, "It''s fine. I believe she will return to me if she wants. I''m also trying to move on. It''s hard to live while thinking about her 24/7."


    "Oh, please, don''t think about her, Vincent. I''m here for you," Chelsea interrupted. Her hand slowly crawled until she could hold Vincent''s hand.


    Vincent yanked his hand immediately, ring at Chelsea and shocking everyone in the room.


    Then he quickly fixed his expression and sighed, "Sorry, I was just¡­ thinking about her. Give me a moment outside."


    Vincent walked out of the room with his eyes downcast. He closed the door carefully, leaving Chelsea, who was about to explode out of joy.


    Chelsea darted her eyes at her mother, "Don''t you see that, Mom? He''s moving on from that bitch Chloe to me! He finally realizes that I''m so much better than Chloe would ever be."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Are you sure?" Judith asked. She was concerned. "Vincent has been so in love with Chloe for more than ten years. I don''t think he can move on in just seven months."


    Chelsea''s happy mood turned sour instantly, and she red at her mother, "Why are you doubting me? Do you think I''m not good enough for him?"


    "No, that''s not what I mean," Judith denied, but her voice gradually lowered as she got scared by her daughter''s terrifying re. "I just think it won''t be that easy for you to steal his heart."


    Chelsea snorted, "Hmph, I''ll prove to you that I can make him fall in love with me. You''re just blind because you keep thinking about that bitch Chloe."


    "And all of you¡ª" Chelsea darted her eyes at her four sons, huddled together as they were terrified by their mother''s eyes. "Don''t you dare to say anything in front of Uncle Vincent, especially you, Aaron-" she mentioned her oldest son. "If you dare to talk shit in front of him again, I''ll beat the shit out of you."


    Aaron- who was only six years old, got terrified by his mother''s threat. He got pale and started crying on the spot.


    Not that Chelsea cared so much. They were all boys. They could take a beating or two.


    The most important right now was to focus on Vincent. She didn''t want anything obstructing her from crawling inside his heart.


    **


    The Doctor came about fifteen minutester with a nurse who pushed a tray. He drew near Chelsea''s bed and asked, "Ready to open your bandage, Mrs. Davis?"


    Chelsea was annoyed that she was still identified as ''Chelsea Davis,'' taking her husband''s surname. She was itching to tell them she was now ''Chelsea Gray.''


    But she decided to keep her silence and nodded.


    The Doctor took a metal scissor and started by cutting the strings of bandages until enough for him to twirl the bandage around her head. Chelsea closed her eyes until the Doctor said, "Okay, it''s done, Mrs. Davis."


    Chelsea heard gasps from all of her family members. She clenched her fist as she knew the scar must be nasty for them to react that way.


    ''It''s fine, it''s fine Chelsea. It doesn''t matter if everyone finds you gross. Vincent would still love you. He can love that ugly bitch for ten years, and he will definitely love you forever.''


    Once Chelsea opened her eyes, all she saw were the terrified expressions that her mother and children had made.


    "This might look¡­ bad, Mrs. Davis. But luckily. It''s just a scar that doesn''t affect your ability to chew food. I can rmend a cosmetic reconstructive surgeon that can restore at least 80% of your original appearance."


    "You''re free to leave the hospital after this, Mrs. Davis. Please excuse us."


    As the doctor left, Chelsea''s eyes scanned through the expression of each of her family members, then she asked, "Is it that bad?"

 Chapter 424 424

    "Is it that bad?"


    "It''s-- not good," Judith wanted to lie and say it was not bad. She wanted to say that Chelsea still looked beautiful.


    But that would be the biggest lie she ever spouted.


    Because Chelsea looked horrendous. The scar stretched from ear to ear. It was so gory that she looked more like a monster from a horror movie.


    She could not continue teaching in elementary school with that kind of face. It''d only terrify her students!


    The children started crying when they saw their Mommy''s new appearance. Her mouth looked so scary, added with her eyes that always red at them. They were now living with a nightmarish creature.


    Chelsea wasn''t all that affected by their reactions. She didn''t care as long as Vincent wasn''t the one who was disgusted by her.


    Besides, she could always ask Vincent to pay for her stic surgery, so she could get this fixed and maybe enhance some of her features while she was at it.


    "Sorry I''mte, I need some time-" Vincent stood at the doorway. He was stupefied when he saw a monster with an ugly scar on her cheeks staring at him with a pair of sweet eyes. "Chelsea?"


    "Vincent, this is what happened to me. Do I look ugly?" Chelsea asked. Her eyes were pleading, but it only added to the horror Vincent witnessed.


    Vincent wanted to say that Chelsea looked so horrendous. He didn''t even want to look at her for more than five seconds.


    Heck, even five seconds were already generous enough for him.


    But he still had to put an act, so he clenched his fist and walked towards Chelsea.


    He tried to fake a smile but couldn''t. The more he stared at this ugly bitch, the more grossed out he became.


    "Chelsea..." Vincent called her name gently. "You... you''re still beautiful."


    "Really?!" Chelsea became hopeful. She quickly snatched Vincent''s arm and buried her face in his arm.


    Vincent shivered from head to toe when Chelsea''s scar rubbed against his skin. It was so gross that he thought he could vomit right now.


    "Y--Yes, you''re still beautiful. You don''t need to change a thing and I... will still send flowers to you," Vincent said.


    Chelsea looked up and smiled at Vincent with her creepy ear-to-ear scar, "Pretty flowers for a prettydy?"


    ...


    Vincent''s eyes started zing with tears. He bit his lower lip and forcefully separated Chelsea''s arms from him.


    "Vincent?" Chelsea frowned when she saw tears welling in his eyes. "What''s wrong?"


    Vincent covered his mouth, "I''m sorry, I''m just--"


    Vincent suddenly turned around and ran out of the room. Chelsea stared at the doorway for a while, waiting for her prince charming to return, but he didn''t.


    "What''s wrong with him? Did I say something wrong?" Chelsea asked her mother.


    "He-- he is probably shocked by your new appearance," Judith replied. It was obvious that Vincent was disgusted by Chelsea''s scar.


    "Huh, I guess so," Chelsea sighed. "I saw tears in his eyes. He must''ve been shocked and saddened seeing me like this. I bet he is trying to hold his anger towards the one who attacked me."


    Judith was surprised by her daughter''s delusion. How could she not see that Vincent was disgusted?


    "Chelsea, maybe he is not--"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What?" Chelsea interrupted, staring intently at her mother. She looked like a monster who would pounce at Judith for speaking the truth.


    "No, nevermind."


    "Good, I just don''t want any of you to speak shit about me and Vincent. Just keep your mouth shut and see me marry him sooner orter."


    **


    Vincent rushed to the bathroom and vomited in the sink. He couldn''t hold his disgust no matter how much he tried.


    He was a lover of beauty. He loved how Chloe could be fat, thin, or suffer many of his beatings yet still look beautiful. It was fun to see a beauty enduring so much pain.


    But Chelsea wasn''t beautiful at all. She was average at best during her prime. Now that she got that hideous scar, it was difficult for him to act like everything was fine.


    He rinsed his mouth a few times and rolled off his sleeve to wash his arm.


    "Fuck, I should''ve wear a jacket or a suit at least. Feeling her scar rubbing on my skin is so gross!"


    Vincent was contemting whether he would give Chelsea the money to do some stic surgery because there was no way he could be around her and act all nice to her with that kind of scar.


    "Ugh, she better be worth it in the end. I''ve invested a lot of time and money for her. She better give me a good show," Vincent muttered. He washed his hand a few more times with soap before leaving the bathroom.


    He couldn''t return to Chelsea''s hospital room. He was just too grossed out.


    So he texted her instead;


    -


    Vincent: I have a meeting soon. Sorry, I can''t apany you any longer. Don''t worry about the hospital bill. I got it all covered. I also sent you some more money in your ount. Get well soon, Chelsea.


    -


    Ding.


    Chelsea read the text from her prince charming, and she squealed so hard it surprised Judith.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing," Chelsea replied while her fingers were typing an answer for Vincent''s text.


    -


    Chelsea: A, it''s alright. I know that you must be too shocked to see my condition. It''s okay, and don''t be too upset because of this, alright? You still need to work in your office.


    Chelsea: Thank you for the money. I know that you won''t leave me at my lowest. Hope you can visit me more often at my house, okay? Love you :kiss:


    Chelsea: Wait, is that too fast? Hihi, sorry, I just got a little too excited here.


    -


    Chelsea giggled as she sent all her texts. She imagined Vincent blushing when reading her texts, "Ah, my perfect reward."


    Meanwhile, Vincent read all her texts and rushed to the bathroom to puke his guts out for the second time.

 Chapter 425 425

    Chloe sighed as she sat on the couch, watching random TV shows she had never watched before.


    Honestly, she wasn''t all that interested, mostly because she wasn''t used to just sitting idly and doing nothing.


    She was used to being busy with house chores, so busy that she had no time to rx. She would find something to do if all of her tasks were done.


    Vernon wouldn''t even allow her to cook because she needed rest.


    Vernon made breakfast for them and even prepared his own suit. He told Chloe to just sit and watch TV or random youtube videos while he was away.


    Chloe could only nod and hum as she saw left to go to work.


    She knew that Vernon was a grown adult man who could take care of himself. But Vernon grew up with a gold spoon. He was so spoiled and pampered that he would always depend on Chloe for small things in life.


    ''Now look at him. He''s now a powerful man, smart and handsome too. He can even care for his small family while I can''t do anything¡­.''


    Chloe always saw Vernon as a baby and continued to see him because she practically raised him. And seeing him being so independent without needing her help depressed her a little.


    The only thing he didn''t do to rece her today was drive Mackie to her school, though it was because Mackie had a week break after the autumn festival in her school.


    It was a relief for Chloe because Chloe would not allow Mackie to go to school, at least not now when she couldn''t trust Mackie alone inside a school controlled by Vincent''s people.


    ''I don''t know if Vincent would do something crazy like kidnapping my daughter. He has the capability to do so if he wants,'' Chloe thought.


    She checked at Mackie, sitting on the carpet in front of the TV. She was ying with her barbie doll, the one that Vincent bought the moment after she filed for divorce.


    She had been thinking about recing that Barbie doll with the same doll but with what she bought with her own money. It might not matter much for Mackie, but for Chloe, it could be proof that she didn''t need that man in her life anymore.


    ''January is near, I will get my sry soon and I''ll buy her one¡­ or two¡­ or three. I want to spoil her a bit¡­'' Chloe thought.


    The day passed without much going on. Chloe just sat or slept and then constantly checked on Mackie all day long. Though, it looked more like Mackie was the one who watched over her.


    Because whenever she was about to do theundry or cook something, Mackie would stop her and drag her back to the couch to sit idly. She was like a pesky security guard, seriously.


    They waited until dusk when Vernon opened the penthouse''s main door and saw Chloe and Mackie sitting on a couch in the foyer.


    His face brightened instantly, and he asked, "Who''s ready for dinner?"


    Mackie darted her eyes at the door and sprung up excitedly. She rushed towards her Uncle and hugged his wrist, "Me! Me! Uncle, I''m so hungry, please cook something!" Mackie demanded. She nced at Mommy and reported, "Uncle, I''ve stopped Mommy from cooking three times, doingundry two times, cleaning the fridge four times, and cleaning your bed five times!"


    "That much?" Vernon raised his brow, surprised by how many times Chloe forced herself to do something. He shifted his gaze at Chloe, who looked away ashamedly as if she were a kid caught stealing candy.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''m just bored with nothing to do," Chloe replied.


    Vernon sighed, "The doctor said that you shouldn''t use your hand too often while it''s recovering. Why''s that so hard to follow?"


    "I''m just not used being useless..." Chloe muttered.


    "What do you mean being useless? Just because you''re wounded and can''t do chores for a few weeks, now you''re suddenly useless?" Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. "Stop being so self-defeating, Chloe."


    Vernon picked Mackie up and carried the little girl with one arm. He walked towards Chloe and sat beside her on the couch.


    Mackie jumped off and her buttnded on the spot between her mother and Uncle. She looked at Mommy, who was still looking away, then at Uncle, who scratched the back of his head.


    The atmosphere was awkward, and Mackie didn''t like that.


    ''Maybe because I''m here with them?'' Mackie wondered.


    She could hear Uncle and Mommy talking and giggling harmoniously whenever she wasn''t around. Sometimes Mommy would make weird noises that the little girl couldn''tprehend when Uncle bullied Mommy with a big police stick.


    She was curious, but no matter how often she asked what they were doing inside Uncle''s room, Mommy would always blush and refuse to answer.


    Though her curiosity hadn''t been satiated, she didn''t question further¡ª at least for now. As long as Mommy was happy, then Mackie would be happy too!


    Thus, she jumped off the sofa and said, "Uncle, I''ll go to my room! I want to read a book!" Mackie found her random alibi and left Uncle and Mommy alone.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The atmosphere got even more awkward than before. Both remembered their conversationst night and how their sweet moments were cut short because Vernon identally said the forbidden word.


    "I¡­ uh¡­ I''m sorry forst night. I was caught up in the mood. So let''s just forget it, okay?"


    Chloe turned her head and frowned while staring at Vernon. Her mouth was zipped, but Chloe''s eyes spoke everything in her mind, ''How could I forget something like that?!''


    Chloe was actually offended. She always saw love and marriage as sacred things that shouldn''t be put as a joke or something said because he was ''caught up in the moment.''


    But she had no way to say that she wanted Vernon to either be serious when talking about it or never talk about it at all.

 Chapter 426 426

    "It''s fine...." Chloe replied. "But it''s better if we don''t talk about it, Vernon. I don''t want to make it awkward."


    Vernon''s heartbeat skipped for a second. He almost couldn''t hide his shock and sadness in response to Chloe''s reply. But he tried to toughen himself up and nodded, "Yeah, it''s better for us not to talk about it."


    Now it was Chloe whose heartbeat skipped, and she quickly looked away as she didn''t want Vernon to see a trace of sadness in her eyes, "Yeah, you''re right...."


    Vernon sped his knees for a moment before he got up, "You should get properly dressed. We''re going out to eat in a restaurant today."


    Chloe turned her head slowly and asked, "Eating outside? With you? And Mackie?" she paused for a moment, waiting for Vernon to refute her, just in case she misheard his statement. But he didn''t, he really meant it, and he had nned it since this morning with the help of Diamond.


    "Vernon, that''s- dangerous. What if one of Vincent''s people saw us together. They will discover your identity!" Chloe voiced her vehement disagreement. She only had one priority in life right now, and that was to protect Vernon and Mackie. "Is it because you''re too tired to cook dinner? I''m fine with takeouts or Ubereats, really. I can also cook light dinner if you want, though it might take a while," Chloe looked at her right hand depressedly.


    "No, I''ve nned everything with Diamond today. The restaurant owner is my close friend that can be trusted, and he is willing to empty his restaurant for the whole night only for the three of us."


    Chloe wasn''t surprised that Vernon could book an entire restaurant all for themselves and had many close confidants around him. But she was surprised that he''d do so much just for them to be eating out together.


    It would be rude for her to reject his effort, so she slowly nodded, "But I don''t think I look good in dress and um... this-" Chloe raised her cast covered with Mackie''s colorful doodles.


    "Hahah! Why''d you need to wear a dress? It''s just going out to eat, remember?" Vernon said. "Besides, it''s cold outside. I don''t want you to catch a cold just because you want to look sexy."


    "I--I''m not trying to look sexy!" Chloe''s cheeks reddened as if she had just told a lie. She got up and rushed downstairs.


    "Don''t forget to tell Mackie!" Vernon yelled, making sure that everyone was ready in about an hour.


    He couldn''t help but smile when he imagined Chloe wearing variations of sexy low-cut dresses.


    ck dress? Oh, she''d be stunning.


    Red dress? He''d love to run his finger on the red straps.


    White dress? That would give him the wildest imagination! The white dress reminded him of a wedding--


    Vernon shook his head. He quickly dispelled the idea, or else he might get caught in the moment again and say things he shouldn''t-- not until he kicked that bastard Vincent out of Chloe''s life, at least.


    **


    Chloe told Mackie to change her pajama with jeans and a jacket because they were eating at a restaurant.


    Chloe could hear her daughter''s excited squeal as she rummaged through her wardrobe to find good clothes. She wanted to use some party dresses she owned, but Chloe reminded her there was no party.


    So Mackie grabbed what her mother told her, though she demanded to use the purple sweater Granny bought her.


    Chloe was also a little conflicted about what to wear.<novelnext></novelnext>


    There was a red dress she had wanted to wear for a long time, though she never had the chance because Vincent never took her to a fancy party before.


    ''I don''t think I look good wearing that too...'' Chloe thought.


    Thus, she grabbed something simr to her daughter''s; Jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a padded jacket.


    She couldn''t wear any makeup with one hand, so she only applied concealer under her eyes to cover some of her blemishes before brushing her long wavy hair.


    After she was done, she grabbed Mackie''s hand and went upstairs.


    "Ready?" Vernon asked. He stood near the kitchen. He was wearing jeans and the same tucked shirt and trousers he used for work today but reced the suit with a ck bomber jacket because it was cold and windy outside.


    Chloe couldn''t help but feel a little envious of Vernon. She kept on worrying that she''d look ugly in any clothes, while Vernon could wear a random bomber jacket, and now he looked even more handsome and dashing, even if his hair was a little messy.


    ''Oh to be so good looking,'' Chloemented in her heart.


    "Ready!" Mackie chirped. She released her mother''s hand and rushed towards her Uncle, "Let''s go, Uncle, I''m sooo hungry!"


    Vernon smiled at Mackie, "I''ll allow you to eat two desserts tonight."


    **


    Chloe walked behind Vernon, holding Mackie''s hand while they walked from the parking lot to the restaurant door.


    As Vernon said, they were the only guests tonight, and to keep it secret, most of the lights outside were turned off, and there was no valet.


    Not that it mattered for Chloe, but she was already so grateful for Vernon to be invited with her daughter.


    Vernon chose the fancy restaurant that Chloe often passed on her way to the grocery store but never visited because it needed a reservation. Chloe would never be able to afford it under Vincent''s watch anyway.


    Mackie kept telling random stories that a seven-year-old kid liked to tell, from her school, friends, toys, and random imagination.


    Vincent never liked hearing Mackie''s childish stories. Sometimes he even told her to keep quiet if she didn''t have anything important to say.


    But Vernon listened to all of her stories, even responding by answering her questions or asking a question in return to get Mackie''s childish answers.


    He chuckled and couldn''t help but pat Mackie''s head a few times, finding her too cute to handle.


    Those two seemed inside their small bubble, harmoniously walking together like a father-daughter duo.

 Chapter 427 427

    Chloe never took a picture of Vincent and Mackie together because he always refused for some reason. So this was a chance for Chloe to secretly immortalize the moment of Mackie spending a fun time with a father figure, even if Vernon wasn''t her biological father.


    She fished her phone out of her bag. She halted her step, standing still as she aimed the camera at them, waiting for the right moment when they smiled together.


    And¡­


    Blitz! Snap!


    "Oh damn¡ª" Chloe panicked. She forgot to turn off the auto sh. Now it wasn''t a secret picture anymore.


    "Huh?"


    "Wah?!"


    Vernon and Mackie looked over their shoulders at the same time. The sh from Chloe''s camera caught them off guard;


    "What did you do, Chloe?" Vernon asked.


    "Um, Mommy, that surprises me so much!"


    "Ah, I¡ª" Chloe sighed defeatedly. She really wanted to treasure this moment for herself. So she''d always be reminded that Mackie had a moment of happiness with a father figure. "I took a pic of you two," she admitted.


    "Really? May I see?" Vernon turned around and opened his palm, waiting for Chloe to hand her phone.


    Chloe put her phone on her chest, scared that Vernon might delete the precious picture she treasured.


    But Vernon smiled at her and muttered, "Don''t worry."


    Chloe hesitated for a few more seconds before she handed the phone. Vernon checked the picture, and in that picture, he saw Mackie and him looking at each other with wide smiles.


    ''We really do look like a father and daughter,'' Vernon thought. ''Would be nice if I could be her actual father.''


    Vernon nced down at Mackie, who asked, "Uncle! Uncle, let me see!"


    ''Well, I guess if we did get married in the end, I wouldn''t mind being her father. I''d be happy in fact,'' Vernon thought. ''I''ve always wanted to have a daughter as my firstborn.''


    He never thought that he''d think of himself as a family man. In fact, he had never thought about marriage before.


    Because all he wanted to do was to ruin Vincent and Chloe''s life, and after that, he''d just sleep from one woman to another to numb his pain for the rest of his life.


    Now that he was living with Chloe and Mackie, he started to grow that feeling of wanting to settle down.


    To have a family of himself because he never had one all his life.


    The Gray family was not his family. They were merely the people who birthed him, but he never felt any kind of bond with them.


    The only person he had a connection with was Chloe, and that also shattered when Chloe talked shit about him in front of histe father.


    ''I''d love to have a family of my own, with Chloe, Mackie, and our next childrenter¡­.''


    Vernon started fantasizing for a moment, imagining the ideal life of a man with his family. He would be called Daddy or Papa, and Chloe would call him Husband or Honey.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Shit, that felt so fucking good in his head.


    "Uncle, Uncle!"


    "Huh?" Vernon snapped out of his daze when Mackie kept on calling him. "What?"


    "Let me see, I want to see if I''m smiling or not in the photo!" Mackie demanded.


    Vernon grinned and shook his head, "Can''t do, this picture is only viewable by your Mommy and I."


    "Whaaa, that''s unfair!" Mackie pouted. "I also want to see my picture."


    "Your picture?" Vernon fished his phone out of his pocket and took a quick snap of Mackie pouting while looking up at him. He chuckled and showed the picture to Mackie, "There''s your picture. Happy now?"


    "Whaa! No! Mackie wants to smile in every picture! Like¡­ cheeze smileee!" Mackie demonstrated by smiling as wide as she could, showing her rows of white teeth with one baby tooth missing at the corner. "Delete that one, Uncle. Take another photo of me!"


    "Fine, say cheese!"


    "Cheezeeee!"


    Snap!


    Vernon showed the new picture he had taken, and Mackie cheered quickly, "I love that one, Uncle! I''m smiling wide there!"


    "Heheh, I''ll keep both anyway."


    "Nooo!"


    Chloe stood silently as she watched the two bickerings. Her heart was filled with warmth that she might actually cry right now.


    After he finished bickering with Mackie, Vernon looked back at Chloe and smiled, "It''s a good pic, you should send it to meter."


    "I¡ªI will!" Chloe took her phone back and wiped the corner of her eyes so she wouldn''t cry at this. She knew it was so small and unimportant for many to have a man bickering freely with their child.


    But Chloe was the only one who raised and cared for Mackie, and she couldn''t even bicker with her because she felt awkward.


    She was hiding a lot of things from her daughter. Whenever her daughter asked this and that about her father, Chloe could only stay silent or try to make up a quick lie that didn''t really make sense if one thought about it for a second.


    "Well, let''s go inside. You two must be hungry," Vernon said. He carefully grabbed Chloe''s left wrist and grabbed Mackie''s wrist with his other hand. He led them both inside the restaurant.


    The restaurant owner and a few waiters were already waiting inside, they opened the door for them, and the owner greeted them, "Good evening, Mr. Phoenix Gray and-" the owner scanned Chloe and Mackie and almost couldn''t hold his smile. "-Two gorgeousdies. I''ve been expecting you. Please follow me to your seat."


    Vernon peered suspiciously at Carlos, the owner of the restaurant. They were friends in university and stayed in contact even after Carlos moved first to New York before Vernon followed a yearter.


    Vernon always used this restaurant whenever he dated a new woman, and that meant he visited this ce a lot. Carlos basically knew his dating history at this point.


    And he definitely didn''t want Carlos to bring that up in front of Chloe and Mackie. He wanted to put up a good image in front of them.

 Chapter 428 428

    Carlos led them to a seat in the middle of the restaurant. It was supposed to be only for two, but since there was a little girl here, he told the waiter to put another seat and padded it with an extra pillow as extra padding, so Mackie could eatfortably.


    They sat on their respective seats and waited for the appetizer toe. Vernon gave Carlos a side nce full of threat, and thetter sighed.


    He pped his hand once, calling the violinist so he could y a song for them.


    But Vernon stopped the violinist and said, "Just y from the background, we want to have a family time together."


    "Yes, Sir," the violinist returned to his original spot before he got called and started ying gentle music to fill the air.


    Carlos was a little surprised when Vernon mentioned ''family.''


    There was no way in hell Vernon suddenly married someone, judging from his history as a yer.


    And it was even more unbelievable that he would take an older woman with a little girl.


    But he couldn''t ask Vernon those questions right now, so he excused himself before his curiosity bit him, "Please excuse me, I''ll be busy in the kitchen for a moment."


    Carlos paused for a moment before he shifted all his attention to the beautiful but somewhat fraildy, "Please let me know if you need anything, Mdy. I''d love to give you aplimentary snack if you don''t mind. It''s a treat from me for a beautifuldy."


    "Ah, I--I''m fine, thank you...." Chloe lowered her head. She was a little embarrassed to be called a beautifuldy. She just thought it was too frivolous.


    "Carlos," Vernon got more hostile with each second Carlos stared at his woman. "Leave now."


    "Alright, alright, no need to be so hostile. It''s not like she''ll be thest."


    "Carlos!"


    Carlos shrugged it off and walked away, leaving Vernon, who got irritated at his friend. He didn''t know that Chloe wasn''t just a date he would ditch in a week at best.


    She was the woman he had wanted all his life!


    Vernon was about to get up and punch that bastard for ruining his night with Chloe and Mackie, but Chloe chuckled as a response instead, "Rx, Vernon, it''s fine."


    "But-"


    "I know that you must''ve set up many dates here, right?" Chloe teased.


    Vernon was embarrassed and also ashamed of himself. He should''ve set up the date elsewhere, but he couldn''t trust anyone but Carlos because Chloe and Mackie''s safety was always a priority.


    "It was in the past, don''t think too much about it," Vernon said, trying to defend himself.


    He expected Chloe to get a little jealous of his colorful dating life before reuniting with her, but Chloe didn''t seem to be burdened. She just smiled and teased, "I know they''re the past, but we don''t know who will be in the future, hm?"


    "That''d be--" Vernon zipped his mouth instantly. He almost blurted out ''you'' as an answer. He felt genuinely ufortable talking about his dating life with Chloe.


    He was the worst kind of yer. He dated a woman, fucked them, and ditched them in a week or so.


    There was never any emotional connection because he was just trying to fulfill his carnal pleasure to numb the constant pain and torment in his head.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even if Chloe didn''t seem to mind, he just wanted to move on from the topic.


    While watching Uncle and Mommy''s banter, Mackie got a few questions added inside her mind, but the most obvious one was...


    "Mommy, what''s a date?"


    "Ah-" Chloe forgot that Mackie was around and shouldn''t talk about something like that. She was flustered and tried to cover up, "A date is uh... spending time with the people you like."


    "Oh! If I like spending time with Mommy, does that mean I''m having a date with Mommy?"


    "Y--Yeah, that''s right," Chloe confirmed.


    "Hmm..." Mackie pondered for a while and asked innocently, "Does that mean Uncle and Mommy always have a date inside Uncle''s room?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She hurriedly covered Mackie''s mouth and shook her head, "Don''t ask that here, okay?"


    Mackie tilted her head, not knowing it was a sensitive topic, but she nodded so Mommy would stop covering her mouth.


    Meanwhile, Vernon said nothing but had a smug expression while looking at Mackie.


    ''Huh? Why did Uncle and Mommy have a different reaction?'' She continued wondering.


    Luckily, the awkward situation was dispelled once the appetizer was served. They were busy with their food, especially Chloe, who ate slowly since she could only use one hand.


    ? "Do you want me to spoon feed you?" Vernon offered, but Chloe refused instantly;


    "Don''t, it''s in the public. It''s too embarrassing."


    "There are only the three of us here anyway, what''s there to be ashamed about?"


    Chloe rolled her eyes and nudged her head at the waiters lining near the kitchen, pointing out that they weren''t truly alone.


    Vernon didn''t see that as a problem. After all, they were paid to do their job and shut up. But in the end, he stopped trying and let Chloe eat peacefully.


    He intentionally slowed down munching and chewing and took a smaller portion in each bite. He didn''t want Chloe to feel awkward eating alone when he and Mackie finished theirs. He didn''t care if it''d take them an hour to eat one dish as long as Chloe finished her te.


    **


    It took them a while until they finished the courses. They rested for a while and then got up after about half an hour, "Let''s go. We still have somewhere else to visit," Vernon said.


    "We do?" Mackie asked. "Do we get ice cream?"


    "Mackie, you had a cake and ice cream cake as dessert. You don''t need another ice cream," Chloe reprimanded her daughter. "You''ll get sick if you eat too much."


    Mackie pouted as she got a little upset, but Mommy was right. She often sneaked to the fridge and ate cookies and ice cream in the middle of the night, only to get a stomachache in the morning.


    "Hahah! No, we won''t get another ice cream. But I have a gift for you, Mackie."

 Chapter 429 429

    "A gift?!" Mackie''s eyes glimmered with both hope and excitement. She never had a gift prepared for her before.


    Of course, she always got an asional gift from Mommy and sometimes, Daddy. However, Daddy never put it as a surprise.


    Daddy would usually bring her to a toy store and then allow her to pick one thing before they returned home. That only happened a handful of times in Mackie''s seven years of age.


    Daddy was always busy, and Mommy always told her not to disturb Daddy because he was working.


    "What gift, Uncle? Tell me!" Mackie demanded.


    "That won''t be a surprise if I tell you now," Vernon smiled. He got from the chair and helped Chloe to get up before looking at Mackie, "Let''s go, we''re going to get your gift."


    "Yayy!"


    Mackie jumped from the chair and followed Uncle and Mommy to leave the restaurant. They were stopped by Carlos on their way out, and Carlos bowed his head respectfully at Chloe, "Enjoying your meal, Miss?"


    "Ah¡ª Uhm¡­ yes, they are all tasty¡­" Chloe replied bashfully. She wasn''t used to being flirted with by a man like this, especially when that man was obviously younger than her.


    Vernon got territorial in an instant. He stood right between Carlos and Chloe, then looked down at his friend, who was bowing respectfully at his woman.


    Vernon crossed his arms, "This is thest warning, Carlos," his voice was magnanimous but contained a threat in it, "I will not honor our friendship if you dare to covet my woman once more."


    ''His woman?'' Carlos and Chloe had the same question popped into their minds. Carlos never saw his friend be this territorial over a woman. They shared plenty of women when they were in Uni, and Vernon usually didn''t mind if Carlos flirted with his date.


    After all, he would only date that woman for one week at most, then Carlos could have her next.


    But this one was different, Vernon was serious with his threat, and he was serious about breaking their friendship over this woman.


    ''If he is serious about a woman, that means this woman is¡­'' Carlos remembered when they were drinking back in Uni. Vernon muttered a name of a woman over and over, and they had a conversation before;


    -


    ''I can only love one woman in my life, and she is my sister-inw. She even had a daughter thest time I heard about her,'' Vernon said. His face was red, and he huped a few times, yet still chugging the alcohol like there was no tomorrow.


    ''Well, you should forget about her, Man. She''s taken, ain''t no way you can stoop that low, right?'' Carlos responded. He didn''t drink as much as Vernon, so he could still recall their conversation in detail.


    Vernon shook his head, ''And yet, I still love her, Carlos.''


    ''¡­ You''re so fucked up, man.''


    ''I know, I''m so fucked¡­'' Vernon threw his bottle on the carpet and started his drunken wail. ''Chloe, why can''t you give me a chance? Why can''t you wait?!''


    -


    Carlos thought it was just Vernon''s drunken ramble. But seeing him bringing an olderdy with a daughter and how protective he was with them¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Did he¡ª goddamn, what a bastard,'' Carlos thought. He gripped Vernon''s shoulder and leaned until he could whisper in Vernon''s ear, "Is she¡­ that woman?"


    Vernon replied with a nod.


    "Goddamn, you son of a bitch," Carlos muttered. "Fine, I''ll support you nheless. But don''te at me if you''re screwed."


    "Don''t worry, I will never allow myself to screw up," Vernon assured Carlos.


    "Goodluck, buddy," Carlos patted Vernon''s shoulder and gave them a way to leave his restaurant.


    Carlos and Chloe''s gazes met for thest time, and Carlos bowed respectfully.


    They returned to the car, and Chloe couldn''t help but get curious about the conversation between Carlos and Vernon on their way out.


    Those men whispered to each other, as if they were protecting a secret, so she asked, "What did you guys talk about?"


    "Huh?"


    "You know, when you and Carlos whispered about something just now¡­."


    "Oh," Vernon shrugged it off, thinking it was no big deal. "I told him not to try to do something stupid, like trying to flirt with you, or I will make him pay."


    ¡­


    Chloe was surprised at how Vernon could say that so lightly. It also reminded her how easily Vernon could im her as ''his woman.''


    Chloe had never been imed by a man before, and she thought it was just nonsensical sweet words told by two teenagers in love to profess their love.


    It was just a word that usually came straight out of a dime novel to give you the thrill of love.


    Now that she was being imed by Vernon, she realized that even nonsensical sweet words could feel impactful when professed by the right person at the right time.


    Chloe lowered her head, trying to hide her reddish cheeks. Her heartbeat elerated, but she tried to maintain her cool, acting as if Vernon''s words didn''t impact her as much. She didn''t want Vernon to know how easy it was to make her happy.


    Just a few sweet words and she felt she could explode with joy right now.


    Vernon didn''t seem to notice anything wrong because he was busy driving and entertaining Mackie, who was chirping happily in the back seat, continuously asking her Uncle where they would go and what kind of gift she would receive.


    She was just too excited, and her excitement was contagious.


    "Uncle, do you have cake for me to eat? You said you will give me cake after I y after Big bad wolf! Uncle, my drama teacher said that I''m the best wolf they ever have!"


    "Hahah, yeah, I watched it from your Mom''s phone. You are pretty awesome on the stage," Vernon praised. "I see that you terrify the three pigs, I bet you can make them cry if you howl even harder!"

 Chapter 430 430

    "Yes, I can eat them too if I want!" Mackie imed, then she started howling like a wolf in the car. It was chaotic, but they had fun bickering.


    Chloe was the only one who got quiet, much to Vernon''s worry, "Chloe, are you alright?"


    "Ah-- I--I''m alright," Chloe lowered her head even deeper, afraid that Vernon would discover how red her face was. Luckily, the street light wasn''t enough to expose her.


    Vernon got a little worried but ignored it until they arrived at the destination.


    **


    Vernon parked his car in front of a cinema. The cinema was closed, but just like in the restaurant, a few staff were waiting at the door expecting their arrival.


    They identified Mr. Phoenix Gray and immediately opened the door for him. Mackie held her Mommy''s hand because she was scared of how dark the ce was.


    The staff led them to one studio, and the moment they entered, the cinema lights were turned on. Chloe gasped when she saw a giant cinema screen and rows offortable beds that had reced the usual cinema seats.


    "This way, Sir," the staff led them to the middle bed. Vernon told Chloe and Mackie to lie on the bed before he joined in. Now the three of them were squeezed into that big bed facing the cinema screen.


    "You may take your own Popcorn and Soda from that ce," the staff pointed at the corner, where a fully refilled popcorn and soda machine was ced. "Just tell us if you want to watch any movie, Sir. But the first movie we will y is what you requested."


    The staff left them alone, and Vernon poked at Mackie''s cheek with his finger, "Go take a bucket of popcorn for us before we watch the movie."


    "Okay!" Mackie jumped from the bed and ran happily towards the popcorn machine. She was so excited when the popcorn filled her bucket. She intentionally filled it until it overflowed before returning with a bucket of caramel popcorn.


    She put the popcorn bucket on Uncle''sp and said, "Wait, I will bring the soda too!"


    Chloe and Vernon watched the energetic little girl going back and forth, bringing a stic ss full of soda for each of them. They chuckled at Mackie''s cuteness and looked at each other simultaneously.


    Chloe''s breath stiffened when Vernon caught her stealing nces at him. She tried to dodge his eyes, but Vernon continued staring at her shamelessly, not even allowing her to escape the corner of his eyes.


    "Is this simple enough for you?" Vernon asked. "You told me that I shouldn''t give her an extravagant celebration. I was thinking about emptying a mall the night before. But you said that''s not a good way to teach her."


    "But I don''t want to just buy her a toy and call it a day. She deserves much more. Chloe, you have a jewel in your hand, you need to treasure her."


    "So I decided to just empty a restaurant and a local cinema for one night. This is the VIP cinema studio, that''s why the seats are reced with beds," Vernon exined.


    He was waiting for Chloe''s response. If he could, he wanted to go with his original n to empty a mall for Mackie.


    But he didn''t want to upset Chloe, so he had to take the middle ground.


    "Well... I think it''s still too much for her," Chloe answered honestly. "But that''s maybe because Vincent never celebrates anything with Mackie. He''s always busy with-- you know. He even forgot many of her birthdays, so I had to remind him over and over."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Usually he''d just buy Mackie a toy and call it a day," Chloe said. "Maybe my standard is just too low, Vernon. I''m sorry for that."


    Chloe looked around the big VIP cinema studio and muttered, "But I think Mackie deserves this, more than this if I have the money to spoil her."


    Vernon didn''t take his eyes off her as Chloe kept muttering everything about her experience with Vincent and Mackie.


    He was d Chloe started to open up more about Mackie and herself. But he was also sad when he learned what Chloe had suffered for the past ten years.


    His hand crawled on the bed and slowly held Chloe''s left hand. He caressed Chloe''s hand with his thumb and muttered, "Then let''s spoil her together. I''d love to celebrate her eighth birthday with something more spectacr."


    Chloe got stiff instantly. She felt how gently Vernon held her wounded hand. The warmth from his thumb spread all around her body. Even a simple thing like holding hands felt so special for Chloe when she did it with the right person.


    ''Crap, I know I''m way too easy,'' Chloe cursed herself for catching up feeling way too early.


    But she was so deprived of love that when a good man crawled his way into her heart, she would melt like an ice cream in a hot summer.


    Vernon might not be the ''good man'' that she expected, but he was damn good at acting like the one she wanted.


    "Mommy! Uncle! I brought your soda!" Mackie''s loud voice broke the romantic atmosphere between them. They separated their hands quickly and smiled at Mackie at the same time.


    Mackie put the two cups of soda on the table next to the bed and jumped to sit right between Mommy and Uncle.


    "What are we watching, Uncle?"


    "Hehe, I have a special movie for you," Vernon pped his hand as a signal to start the requested movie.


    The light went off one by one until the whole studio was dark except for the giant screen in front of them.


    The screen went nk for a few seconds, and the video recording was yed.


    Mackie''s eyes glimmered when she realized what was on the giant screen.


    It was her-- in the wolf costume!


    "Uncle, that''s me! Mommy, that''s me!" Mackie looked at her Uncle and then at Mommy, and they both giggled at her reaction.


    "I don''t want to watch your performance from a small screen like a phone. Let''s rewatch your stage y on the big screen, shall we?"

 Chapter 431 431

    "Whaaa! Uncle is the best!" Mackie opened her short arms and hugged Vernon''s neck. "Thank you, Uncle!"


    Vernon ced his palm on Mackie''s back and patted her a few times, "You''re wee. Now go and focus watching your y. You''ll see how good you''re ying as the Big Bad wolf."


    Thus, Mackie released her arms around her Uncle''s neck. She sat on the bed with a big bucket of popcorn on herp and started watching while eating the caramel popcorn.


    Chloe looked at Vernon and whispered so she wouldn''t disturb her daughter, "How did you get the recording?" Chloe asked. "This is the official recording from the school, right? I don''t think that the Old Principal will give you a pass¡­."


    Honestly, Vernon got the recording with Diamond''s help. They just found out that one of Diamond''s university friends was working in the school as an admin.


    She gave Diamond a copy of the recording since she thought there was no harm.


    "I have my ways, worry not, I did not rouse any suspicion," Vernon pacified Chloe, who got anxious. "Just watch and enjoy the movie.


    Chloe still had plenty of questions, but Mackie suddenly pulled the hem of Chloe''s shirt and pointed at the screen with her other hand, "Mommy! Look! I''m blowing the straw house made by the first piggie!"


    Chloe shifted her attention quickly to her daughter and stopped asking Vernon immediately. Vernon watched how the two mother-daughter duosplemented each other. It was very refreshing to see them.


    Because Vernon never gets that from his mother.


    His mother was always busy drinking her pain away and spending money unnecessarily to get revenge on his father.


    ''She''s a good mother,'' Vernonmented in his heart. ''Not that I ever doubt her, Chloe took care of me much better than my real mother.''


    Sometimes, Vernon wondered if Shailene''s words were true. That he was in love with Chloe because she was the one who took care of him when he was young.


    Chloe could be reced by any woman, and nothing would change. Vernon would still fall in love with that random woman, just like how he fell in love with Chloe.


    Maybe it was true¡­ maybe it was just a load of bullcraping from Shailene''s vengeful mouth¡­


    But one thing was for sure, Vernon couldn''t imagine the adult him without Chloe''s care because there was no way he could survive that nightmarish household without turning insane.


    Besides, Gray Mansion was filled with beautiful young maids in their early 20s, and Vernon never liked any of them.


    None of those beautiful maids understood Vernon more than Chloe. She knew how to make him open up, pacify him when he was distressed by his parent''s fight, and discipline him when he made a mess. She also knew all the simple things that could make his day.


    ''True, she is gorgeous, I don''t think anyone other than my Big bro will ever deny that,'' Vernon thought. He leaned and stared at Chloe and Mackie from behind. ''But I crave for her presence more than I crave for her beauty. As long as she''s by my side, I think I can fight anything.''


    The edge of Vernon''s lips perked up. He didn''t realize that he had been staring at Chloe and Mackie for thirty minutes until the cinema screen went dark, and the movie ended.


    The lights turned on, and Vernon snapped out of his daze when he heard Mackie''s loud cheer and ps as she was so proud of her achievement.


    "Mommy, I did great!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes, you did great, dear!"


    Mackie twisted her back and looked at Uncle, waiting for his validation.


    Vernon smiled and nodded, "You did great. I watched everything."


    "Yayyy!"


    "Well, do you want to watch other movies?" Vernon offered. "You can ask any movie that you want and they will y it."


    "Oh! Uncle, I want to watch Home Alone!"


    "Home Alone?" Vernon frowned. "That''s an old movie, when did you watch it?"


    "I watched it once a few days ago, I like it so much! Mommy said that this is your favorite movie when you''re my age!" Mackie imed.


    Vernon nced at Chloe, and thetter shrugged, "It''s true, though. Your Uncle loved watching that movie when he was your age. He watched it at least once a month!"


    "Well, that''s not wrong¡­." Vernon actually watched the first Home Alone at least once a week. He loved the movie, but the fact that Home Alone CD was the first gift Chloe ever gave to him set it apart from anything.


    It was his first Christmas gift from Chloe, and the little him had never gotten a gift like a CD. He always got a real sports car, a helicopter, or some ultra-expensive toys that he''d destroy in less than a week if he was in the mood.


    He even remembered how embarrassed Big sis Chloe was when she handed her gift to Vernon after knowing what kind of gifts he got.


    -


    ''I will buy you something better next year, okay? Big sis needs to save up first,'' Chloe promised.


    -


    Then, Big sis Chloe bought her a skateboard as a Christmas present the next year. She was still embarrassed because Vernon was still getting all thosevish gifts while she could only buy him a skateboard.


    But Vernon was so excited about that skateboard he immediately forgot about all that expensive stuff and treasured that skateboard instead. Because that was all he wanted when he was eight years old.


    He wanted to skateboard, but none of his family members listened to him, thinking it was stupid and humiliating for them to give the son of a Billionaire something so trivial as a Skateboard for Christmas or a Birthday present.


    Now, the Home Alone CD and the skateboard were still in his possession. He stored them in his vi in Bologna, Italy.


    Vernon remembered his childhood fondly, and it was also the only coping mechanism for him not to be a terrible person.


    Big sis Chloe taught him to be good, so he had to be good.

 Chapter 432 432

    Thus, they spent almost two hours watching Home Alone again. Mackie was happy that she could watch Home Alone on the big screen with Mommy, while Vernon was happy that he could watch over Chloe and Mackie for two hours straight.


    When the film ended, Vernon was about to offer if she wanted to watch another movie, but Chloe quickly signaled him by tapping her wrist, telling him not to offer another movie or else they''d stay in this cinema for the whole night.


    Vernon chuckled. He patted Mackie''s hair and said, "Happy with your reward?"


    "Um! Thank you so much, Uncle!" Mackie hugged her Uncle''s neck again, but she hugged him for a long time.


    "Mackie, let go of Uncle, we need to go home," Chloe said.


    Mackie shook her head and buried her face in her Uncle''s chest, "I want to be carried by Uncle."


    Chloe gave Vernon a sorry look, and Vernonughed in response, "Sure, why not?"


    Vernon carried Mackie in his arms without trouble, and they left the cinema. It was almost midnight when they entered the car, and Mackie yawned from time to time in Vernon''s arms.


    Vernon carefully put Mackie in the backseat, allowing the little girl to rest before he started the engine.


    He nced at Chloe, "I think this is the first time you ever drive with me, right?"


    "Yeah, this is the first time...."


    "Do you want to go somewhere else?" Vernon offered. "We''ve been spending our night celebrating for Mackie, I think we can go somewhere you want before we return home to spoil ourselves a little."


    Chloe went silent for a while. She looked over her shoulder and checked Mackie, who had fallen asleep in the backseat.


    She knew she should just call this a day and return to the apartment, so Mackie could sleep well.


    But the mood was perfect, and it was unfortunate to end the night so early.


    She wanted to spend more time with Vernon, even if they had no clear direction for the night.


    "Why don''t we just drive around?" Chloe requested.


    ? "Drive around? You sure you don''t want to buy anything?"


    "Nope, I''m content with what I have right now," Chloe stared straight at the road and muttered, "Well, maybe a snack. I''d love to eat taco while exploring New York."


    Vernon smiled wide when Chloe requested a snack. The more she asked for food, the happier he got. Because that meant Chloe started to take the initiative to eat, she didn''t need to be forced anymore.


    Thus, Vernon drove through the city and stopped at the nearby taco restaurant and ordered a few boxes of tacos in different fillings.


    He returned to the car and gave it to Chloe.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I only need one taco," Chloe muttered while checking the stic bag.


    "You forgot to tell me what filling you want, so I just have them make one for each filling," Vernon said, though it was just his trick so Chloe would eat a lot.


    Chloe picked a random taco and started snacking while Vernon drove through the busy street of New York. Even at midnight, the street was still quite bustling.


    The fluorescent lights from the rows of tall buildings on each side of the road truly gave the image of a city that never sleeps.


    Vernon drove without direction. He just wanted to extend his time with Chloe even if she hadn''t said a thing for an hour.


    She was just staring straight, sometimes ncing at the window to check a shop sign or the ads on the billboard.


    Even though she grew up in New York City, she acted like a tourist.


    "You know, this is the first time I experienced a night in New York..." Chloe mumbled while munching her taco.


    "Really? But you grew up here. Don''t you ever sneak out with... that guy when you were young?"


    Chloe chuckled when Vernon called his Big brother ''that guy.''


    Thus, she also referred to Vincent as ''that guy.''


    "Well, I dated that guy when I was in high school, and it was an elite one. I need to study hard to keep my schrship. That guy never asked me on a night date or whatsoever, because he was busy getting tutored."


    "When I was in university, I took a part time job. I have to juggle my life between part time and university. I never asked that guy''s money because I was in love with him, not his money," Chloe had a bitter smile as she kept telling the story. "I should''ve known the red g when he insisted on paying my student debt, even though I said I can just get a job like normal people."


    "He insisted on me to marry him as soon as possible, and also told me to never find a job. He also told me to cut off all of my old friends since he said I didn''t need any of them."


    "He''s a controlling man, and I was so blindly in love. So I said yes to his proposal, ditched all of my friends, and stopped finding a job because I thought I''d be a housewife anyway. But it was all just a ploy to make a prisoner in his new mansion."


    Vernon listened to Chloe''s story attentively. He had rage steadily growing in his heart, wanting tosh out as he realized how depressing it was for Chloe to live as a prisoner, abused until she lost all her bright personality, all that just to fulfill his Big brother''s sick fetish.


    Vernon knew he needed no more reason to hate his Big brother. He had enough hatred that he already wanted to end that bastard''s life.


    But every time Chloe spilled Vincent''s sin bit by bit, his rage and hatred grew until he wanted a fate worse than death for that bastard.


    Vernon clenched the steering wheel until his fingers were white but soon took a deep breath to rx, ''Calm down, Vernon. The mood is really good right now, don''t ruin it just because you can''t control your anger.''


    Vernon tried to calm his raging heart so he wouldn''t scare Chloe, but there was a question that continuously bugged his mind, and he couldn''t rest until he got an answer.


    "Do you still love him?"

 Chapter 433 433

    "Do you still love him?" Vernon blurted out the question that had been staying in his mind.


    Chloe stopped munching her tacos and swallowed them hardly. She went silent for a while and then turned her head at the window, staring at the fluorescent lights in a daze.


    The perfect atmosphere was shattered instantly, and Vernon continuously cursed himself for being so stupid by asking a stupid question.


    ''Fucking idiot! Why are you asking that?'' Vernon med himself. ''Are you even ready for the answer? What if she says that she''s still in love with Vincent? You''ll only hurt yourself, dumbass!''


    Vernon always wondered what''d he do if Chloe was still in love with that bastard. He might say it was alright, and Chloe would eventually move on from him.


    But deep down, he knew he''d be hurt.


    Because by confirming that Chloe was still in love with Vincent, Vernon had be the second choice, and no man wanted to be the second choice for the woman he loved.


    He wanted to be the one and only, and he''d even take drastic measures to ensure he had nopetition.


    ''Even if that means I have to cut his head¡­.''


    Dark thoughts started swirling in his head as his insecurity grew worse. He had fantasized about ruining his Big brother''s life for a long time.


    He just didn''t have the exact motivation at first.


    But now, with the love of his life on the line, he would hesitate no more.


    Vernon continued driving through the city aimlessly. He was still waiting for Chloe to open her mouth since she seemed engrossed with the question.


    As if she was also conflicted about the answer she''d give, and that only gave Vernon even more anxiety.


    "Chloe," Vernon called her name to check if she was still with him.


    "Mmm¡­" Chloe responded, signaling Vernon that she was still thinking about it. "I don''t know, Vernon¡­."


    Vernon''s heart dropped when he heard that. He clenched the steering wheel, trying so hard not to give in to his anger, or they might crash this car somewhere.


    He took a silent deep breath and asked, "And why so? I thought after experiencing all the abuse from him the answer would be very clear."


    "Do you still want to stay with him? Even after all he did to you?" Vernon got agitated with the scenario ying in his head. He imagined Chloe returning to Vincent after all this, leaving Vernon alone and stranded in this world.


    Vernon thought he could live his life without the woman he loved. After all, he became a sessful young CEO when Chloe was absent from his life.


    But now that he had tasted the sweetness, he refused to let it go, even if it''d hurt him.


    "Let me tell you, Chloe. You will not live a happy life with him! He will not change for you, he''s just using you to fulfill his fetish! Do you really want to get back to him?" Vernon started raising his voice while Chloe went silent the whole time.


    Vernon tranted Chloe''s silence as an affirmation that she still wanted to return to Vincent.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon clenched his jaw so hard that the veins around his neck started popping, "You''re unbelievable. Why would you return to that bastard?! Do youck something with me? Just tell me, I will give it to you!"


    "Vernon¡ª" Chloe gently ced her palm on top of Vernon''s hand on the gear stick. "Lower your voice, Mackie is sleeping in the backseat."


    Vernon''s chest heaved up and down, and Chloe''s hand was cold¡ª a stark contradiction from his always hot hand.


    Her voice was also gentle, like a soft feather tickling his heart.


    Usually, Vernon would soften when Chloe acted so gently toward him.


    But not now.


    He was so worried that Chloe would eventually leave him. His mind was chaotic, and so did his heart.


    "I just don''t understand," Vernon said. His voice was hoarse and trembling as if the big guy would cry anytime soon. "Why would you leave me for him? Did I hurt you somehow? Just tell me what I did wrong, and we can work it together¡­."


    Chloe sighed and patted Vernon''s head gently before lifting her butt a little. She gave Vernon''s jaw a quick kiss, so quick that Vernon was left stunned.


    "Why¡ª"


    "You''re such a worrywart," Chloemented. She smiled at Vernon and continued caressing his hand with hers. "I never said that I want to get back together with him. That will never happen."


    Vernon gradually cooled down after Chloe confirmed that, at least, she would never return to Vincent.


    Though it still left him confused, "Then what''s with the silence? Just say that you don''t love him anymore, isn''t that easy?"


    "It''s not easy," she stopped caressing Vernon''s hand and looked away toward the window for the second time.


    She leaned deeper in her seat and let out another sigh, "I never said I want to return, nor do I want to give him a second chance. He already got countless ''second chances'' for the past ten years," Chloe said. "I was just unsure of my own feelings."


    "Unsure?"


    "Mhm, you see¡­ I''ve been with him for the past ten years. I really thought I could endure all of his horrible treatment as long as I can raise my daughter."


    "But the more I tolerate him, the more he starts testing boundaries," Chloe recalled the first time Vincent cheated on her. It wasn''t when she was pregnant, actually. It was during their honeymoon in Greece.


    They were newlyweds, and they were supposed to be in love.


    "I caught him kissing one of the resort staff during our honeymoon. He kissed her in our hotel room, and I was shocked when I saw that."


    "The staff left immediately, while Vincent simply scratched his head and apologized half-heartedly," Chloe said. "I was heartbroken, we were newlyweds and not even two months of our wedding vows, he was already kissing another woman."

 Chapter 434 434

    "Why didn''t you ask for a divorce back then?" Vernon asked. He recalled two months after Chloe and Vincent''s wedding.


    Vernon had already left for Europe at that time. But he kept checking his phone, hoping that Big sis Chloe would try to contact him with another number even after he blocked her.


    He knew he was childish for blocking her number, but he wanted an effort. He wanted Chloe to just do something to find him and ask him to return to New York.


    If Chloe asked him to return at that time, he''d return despite all his heartbreak, just to meet with Big sis Chloe again.


    But there was no phone call.


    Not even a text.


    Or even an email.


    He checked all of them every day just to make sure he didn''t miss a thing.


    But there was no effort as if Big sis Chloe simply discarded him because she was too happy to care for the inferior version of his Big brother.


    After all, just like what she said back then with histe father; Vernon was a dimwit, an inferior version of his Big brother. Why''d she cared about Vernon when she was married to Vincent?


    Chloe scoffed as she ridiculed herself, "You know what I did after witnessing him kissing another woman? I forgive him."


    "I thought it''s just Vincent trying to be a bit adventurous. I thought it''s just a simple mistake that will never happen anymore. There is nothing to worry, and that Vincent will always love me. I believe all that, trying to y down the cheating."


    "But it''s not a simple mistake, because Vincent kept doing it over and over. He kept pushing the boundaries, wanting to see how much I would tolerate," Chloe lowered her head, a bitter smile pasted on her lips. "And I stupidly tolerate him. I keep expanding my boundaries, giving him even more chances to cheat."


    "After he''s done sleeping with countless women, he starts beating me in the meantime, maybe it''s just his way to test how much I would endure his torment, and I stupidly endured it for the past ten years."


    Chloe''s chest started feeling heavy as she recalled all the batshit insane things Vincent did.


    "Sometimes I wonder if Vincent has always been crazy, or am I the one who turned him into the monster that he is," Chloe muttered. "If only I reprimanded him when we were just married, maybe things would be different."


    "It''s never your fault," Vernon replied after listening. "He''s always batshit insane. He inherited his perversion and abusive nature from ourte father. What they did are almost the same. Both are just bastards."


    Chloe didn''t know whether she should be relieved that Vernon confirmed Vincent''s nature or she should be sad about it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She was relieved that she wasn''t the main cause of Vincent''s unhinged behavior.


    But she was sad because it proved she had simply married the wrong man. She was no different from her mother, who married a bastard that left them in shambles when Chelsea and Chloe were still babies.


    Vernon kept his eyes on the road while ncing at Chloe repeatedly to check on her.


    He felt guilty for pressuring Chloe to recall the bad memories. He was so agitated with the idea of Chloe leaving him that he forgot this must be heavy for Chloe too.


    Because he basically forced her to rip open her wound once more, just for Vernon to see whether her wound was real or not.


    Thus, Vernon parked his car at the side of the road and apologized, "I didn''t mean to make you remember sad things. I was just scared that you¡­." Vernon stopped briefly, wondering if it was proper for him to say this. But when Chloe lifted her head and stared at him with teary eyes, his guilt started eating him from inside. "¡­you will leave me. I''m sorry."


    "Don''t cry, Chloe. You hurt me when you cry," Vernon wiped Chloe''s tears, wetting her cheek with his thumb. He continued caressing Chloe''s cheek with the same thumb before adding, "I won''t ask about this again, I promise."


    Chloe was quite surprised at how fast Vernon changed his mood because she cried a little. She wasn''t crying because she was intimidated. She was just a little sad whenever she remembered Vincent and their love life.


    Chloe wiped the tears that welled at the corner of her eyes again and replied, "I''m not crying because of you. I was just sad whenever I remember about my failed marriage life with Vincent."


    "I keep thinking of a way to salvage our marriage for the past ten years, thinking he would eventually stop hurting me, but it''s just wishful thinking in the end¡­."


    "That''s why I can''t give you a concrete answer whether I still love him or not," Chloe said. "I''ve wasted my ten years with him. I changed for him, and I try to make him happy in any way possible to the point that I don''t even know about myself anymore."


    "I changed so much, losing my innocence and joy just for him. I sacrificed everything just to be with him. It''s so difficult for me to detach my life from him. It''s tooplicated, you don''t know the feeling, Vernon."


    Vernon went stiff instantly. He sighed and pulled his hand from Chloe''s cheek.


    He stared straight at the street and replied, "I know the feeling, Chloe. To change yourself, losing your innocence and joy, sacrificing everything just to be with one person important in your life. I understand that."


    Vernon wondered if Chloe hadn''t realized that SHE was the one who made him change. She was the reason he sacrificed so much by returning here and fighting against his Big brother, even though he could just live an empty life full of mor by kissing up to his Big brother.


    ''But it''ll be an empty life in the end. I don''t want to stuff the void in my heart with alcohol and sex. Not when I have you by my side.''

 Chapter 435 435

    Chloe thought Vernon was just trying to sympathize, even if he couldn''t understand her struggle, which she appreciated greatly. Nobody ever sympathized with her since she was the wife of a billionaire, so her life would always be great by default.


    ''It''s nice that he''s trying to sympathize, but this is supposed to be a good time for us,'' Chloe thought. So she smiled and said, "Sorry that I can''t give you a clear answer to your question. But rest assured, I will never return to him, and I won''t give him a second chance."


    "Whether I will fall in love with anyone after him¡ª" Chloe paused for a moment, letting the fact that Vernon might be the next man she''d fall in love with if this rtionship between them continued to develop. It was quite weird, yet fascinating at the same time. Because she didn''t expect herself to think about falling in love again, and now here she was, opening her heart to her ex-husband''s little brother. "¡ªYou will be the first one to know."


    Vernon saw that as an opening for him. She might''ve been too traumatized to fall in love again. But Vernon would not give up, not when he was so sure about her, "Sounds like I have work to do," Vernon grinned. "Not that Iin, I don''t mind chasing you for the rest of my life."


    Chloe gasped. They had been hinting at each other for so long, but never once did they make it obvious that something more than a ''familial bond'' was growing between them.


    "Vernon, you¡ª"


    Chu.


    Vernon didn''t give her a chance to speak. He gave her lips a little peck and left her stunned as he shifted the gear and drove through the city again.


    Vernon had a permanent grin on his lips. He was satisfied with the result of the night.


    True, they had an argument, and Vernon panicked when he imagined Chloe would leave him stranded.


    ''But at least I get to say what I''ve been trying to say this whole time¡ª'' Vernon nced at Chloe, who was still staring at him with gaping mouth and wide eyes, still trying to process what just happened. ''¡ªThat I will do everything to make her fall in love again, and she will love none other than me.''


    Vernon decided to return home after a long trip with Chloe around New York. It was already past midnight once they arrived at the penthouse door.


    Vernon was carrying Mackie on his back while unlocking the door with his fingerprint. He tried not to make too much noise or movement because Mackie woke up briefly when Vernon lifted her up.


    Chloe was a little guilty because she couldn''t carry Mackie due to her injuries, "Vernon, you can just put Mackie on the sofa. I will sleep there with her, then u should probably take a warm bath and go to sleep."


    "No, she needs to sleep in her bed," Vernon insisted. He walked downstairs to the kitchen, with Chloe following from behind.


    "Where''s her room?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe pointed at one door and led them to the little girl''s room. The room was dark, so they had to tiptoe to ensure they didn''t identally step on one of Mackie''s toys scattered on the floor.


    Vernon gently put Mackie on the bed.


    "Good night, little wolf," Vernon murmured before tucking her into the warm nket.


    He was about to leave with Chloe when they heard Mackie''s grumbling before waking up.


    "Mmm¡­" Mackie rubbed her eyes a few times. She was half asleep. The food she ate tonight really made her sluggish. She didn''t know where she was, but it seemed to be her bed, and two people were staring at her. Her instinct helped her recognize her Mommy instantly, but she couldn''t recognize the man beside her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So she just mumbled¡­


    "Mm¡­ night, Mommy¡­ Daddy¡­" Mackie closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Chloe and Vernon stared at Mackie for a good minute before they looked at each other. It was dark, but Chloe noticed that Vernon was still holding his tears.


    Vernon was feeling all sorts of emotions right now, mostly the feeling of warmth inside his heart.


    He never wanted to be a father. He was afraid he''d turn just like histe father, who was a total asshole.


    But his heart quivered when Mackie called him Daddy, whether she meant it or not. It was a wonderful feeling that he never knew existed deep inside him.


    ''Shit, I might actually cry,'' Vernon quickly turned away before Chloe noticed his tears, "You should go to sleep too, Chloe. You must''ve been tired."


    Vernon left Chloe and returned upstairs. He didn''t let Chloe say a thing, nor brush the topic about what he said back in the car.


    Chloe stared at the door where Vernon exited just now, then at her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully.


    She shook her head, unable to understand her feelings, "He is too good. I''m afraid I might fall in love way too soon, and it won''t be love. It''s just desperation to satiate my craving for love."


    Vernon closed his bedroom door and went to the bathroom for a quick warm shower. He closed his eyes as he let the water stream from the top of his head, trickling down to around his muscr body before going down to the drain.


    He recalled all the good things that happened today, from taking Chloe and Mackie to a restaurant and then taking them to watch a movie.


    He told Chloe it was just him trying to celebrate Mackie''s sessful y¡ª which wasn''t wrong. He was pleased about Mackie''s achievement.


    But it wasn''t the only reason why he took them out.


    He knew that Chloe would refuse if he wanted to take her on a date like a normal soon-to-be couple, whether a restaurant or a movie date.


    So Mackie''s celebration was a perfect reason for him to take Chloe on a ''date.''

 Chapter 436 436

    He thought that as long as Mackie was happy with the celebration, he had nothing to worry about, and he could go on with his date with Chloe.


    After all, he mostly saw Mackie as ''Chloe''s daughter'' or ''his niece'' rather than a special little girl with a special ce in his heart.


    But after she called her Daddy¡ª whether intentionally or not¡ª it still put an enormous guilt in him. He felt guilty of thinking that Mackie was not as important as Chloe.


    Now that his heart had melted by the little girl, he started thinking whether he should take this father-daughter rtionship with Mackie more seriously.


    "Damn, never know that my heart will tremble because of a little girl. Is this a sign that I will be a good father when I marry Chloeter?" Vernon wondered. He knew that marriage was still far from happening, but he was already thinking about it.


    Marrying his beloved woman was like the ultimate reward he would collect once all this mind game with his Big brother was over.


    "Now, not only will I marry my beloved woman. I will also get a daughter as my first child," Vernon grinned as he found his ultimate reward so satisfying. "Now I have two reasons not to fail when dealing with my Big brother."


    **


    Vernon was well rested for the whole night until morning came. He cooked breakfast for his small family.


    Mackie still had a whole week off school after the autumn festival and was happy to apany her injured mother.


    Chloe was still trying to prepare Vernon''s suit despite being told not to. Maybe it was already in her bond to do something even when she was sick.


    "This is the least I could do," Chloe insisted while going back and forth from theundry room to Vernon''s bedroom, giving him his apparel one by one.


    "Are you going to have a meeting today?" Chloe asked just to open a small talk while she handed the tie.


    "Mhm, I''m going to meet my Big brother," Vernon said nonchntly.


    Chloe''s body stiffened in an instant. A trace of dread leaked from her expression despite trying her best not to show her fear.


    "W¡ªWhat''s that for? Did you¡­ um¡­ m¡ªmake an obvious mistake?" Chloe stuttered as she continued asking. She was trying not to be nervous, but it wasn''t effective at all.


    She was still scared of him, afraid that Vincent might do something to harm her or her new family, but Vernon was rxed as if meeting a monster like Vincent was just a menial job for him, so Chloe had to try to match up with his energy.


    She had to act tough despite the fear in her heart.


    Vernon nced at Chloe and smiled thin, "Don''t be too nervous. I know what I''m doing."


    "S¡ªSorry, is it too obvious?"


    "Yeah, your reaction is too obvious. But it''s fine, I know that you''re still trying to fight off the fear," Vernon grabbed his car key and gave Chloe a quick peck on the cheek. "I''m off to work now. Just tell Diamond if you need anything, and use Ubereats if you want to eat anything."


    Chloe felt a little bashful after the small peck. "Mm, thank you, and¡­ g¡ªgood luck, Vernon¡­." Chloe said.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon left with a smile and went down to the basement. His smile disappeared the moment he entered his car.


    He sat in his car for a while, trying to brace himself as he was about to meet with his Big brother, who might have sniffed his attempt to overthrow him.


    He looked sox in front of Chloe because he didn''t want her to be nervous, but truthfully, he was probably more nervous than she was right now.


    "You can''t fuck this up, Vernon. Remember, you have two girls you have to protect," Vernon used that as a chant so he wouldn''t appear nervous in front of his Big brother. Vincent was intelligent and perceptive, so Vernon needed to be perfect with his pretense. He could pick up some of Vernon''s nervousness and use him of something.


    Vernon took a deep breath before he started the engine and left his apartment.


    **


    "This way, Sir."


    Vernon was escorted by the lobby receptionist to Vincent''s office. He put his hand inside his suit, silently wiping the sweat on his palms to appear less nervous. He followed the receptionist to the elevator and stopped at the top floor.


    That wretched old secretary was standing near the elevator as she had expected his arrival.


    "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Secretary Maria bowed respectfully. "Mr. Vincent Gray has been waiting inside."


    "Is he alone?" Vernon asked. He didn''t want to see his Big brother fucking another woman. He''d always imagine that bastard forcing Chloe to watch him fornicating with another woman, which might trigger him to beat the shit out of Vincent.


    Secretary Maria paused briefly, "Please follow me, Sir."


    Vernon frowned when Secretary Maria refused to answer his question. He was already in full guard, thinking this might be a trap.


    His eyes nced at each corner of the area, checking whether there might be a camera. But everything was normal, so he wondered why this old hag refused to answer such a basic question.


    Secretary Maria stopped in front of the door and knock three times, "Sir, Mr. Phoenix Gray is here."


    "Oh, let him in!" Vincent replied from inside.


    Secretary Maria opened the door for him, and once the door was wide open, Vernon saw his Big brother sitting on the sofa, drinking a cup of coffee while talking to someone sitting across from him.


    It was an old woman in herte 50s. She wore a long-sleeved beige knit dress, showing her slim figure despite her senior age.


    Vernon''s heart skipped for a second when his eyes met with that woman who stared at him with a deep yet somewhat hostile gaze.


    "Come in, Little bro, it''s been a while since we have a little family reunion."

 Chapter 437 437

    "Come in, Vernon. It''s been a while since we had a little family reunion," Vincent said. He pointed at the seat next to him with his head, telling his little brother to sit beside him while they faced the woman who gave birth to them, Dorothea Gray.


    Vernon was a little surprised by how well he looked. From what Chloe told him, she struggled so hard that she smashed a vase on his temple.


    Other than the small patch on his left temple, he didn''t seem seriously injured, unlike Chloe, whose hands were useless for a month or so.


    "Vernon? What''s with your silence? Come in," Vincent repeated.


    Vernon got stiff in an instant, unsure if this was a trap set by his Big bro or just a coincidence.


    Nevertheless, he had no way to retreat as he didn''t want to rouse any suspicion. He walked in and sat right beside his brother on the sofa.


    "Hold on, let me finish reading these first."


    Vincent was busy reading some of the documents on the table, letting his mother and little brother converse while he was working.


    Vernon and Dorothea stared at each other for a long time, but no word came out of their mouths. Dorothea obviously gave him a condescending gaze, while Vernon responded by giving that old woman a contemptuous look.


    Obviously, both were hostile to each other for a reason only known to them.


    "Alright, I''m done with the document," Vincent smiled meaningfully. He gave his Little bro a side nce and added, "This document is about you, Little bro."


    Vernon acted surprised, though he already knew what was in the document, "About me? What did I do wrong?"


    "Well, not exactly wrong," Vernon leaned on the sofa. He crossed his arms while his eyes still focused on the document on the table. "I got a report from that old secretary. It seems you made a deal with one of my business partners who works in distribution."


    "Oh, yeah, I made the deal a few days ago. But I was too busy with work, so I forgot to inform you. It was just for distributing my beverage product to the US next year, around July," Vernon informed everything as if he was the most honest man on earth. "Did I offend you Big bro?"


    "Not exactly," Vincent shrugged. It wasn''t hard for him to dig through Vernon''spany secret; he had made it clear from the first time the brothers came in contact.


    He didn''t really care because he believed Vernon would never try to scheme against him. He was just the same cute Little bro trying to imitate his ever-powerful Big brother.


    "I don''t really care if you use my business partners. It''s just that old hag¡ª Secretary Maria, who insists that I look at this and then question your action," Vincent said. He gave his Mother a quick look and added, "Also our Mom, she also insisted on me reading about this."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon already had an intense dislike for his mother. Now that she was actively trying to push him down to the hell hole, he did not need to act courteously toward her.


    "Do we really need her here, Big bro?" Vernon asked sarcastically while looking at Dorothea.


    "I should be the one who says that," Dorothea finally opened her mouth. She crossed her leg and scoffed, "Why are you here? Why don''t you just stay in London?"


    "Because I want to expand my business," Vernon replied without trying to hide anything. "What''s wrong with that? I thought the Gray family valued money so much. Why are you trying to reprimand me for doing what our family does best?"


    "Because I know it''s not just about expansion. I know you''re coveting your Big brother''s power, that''s why you''re trying to snatch his business partners, right?"


    Dorothea''s usation was actually correct. Vernon was trying to overthrow his Big brother''s powerful position in almost all parts of the core business in the US. He had his hands on food and beverage, transportation, furniture, and even groceries.


    The only thing he wasn''t interested in was the entertainment industry. Thus, by establishing his own advertising firm and branching out to entertainment, Vernon got a solid foothold to survive in New York.


    But now he wanted more.


    He didn''t want to just sit there under the mercy of his Big brother. Vernon wanted to steal everything from him, including Vincent''s wife and daughter.


    But of course, he had to pretend that Dorothea''s usation was simply a baseless nder.


    Vernon chuckled mirthlessly, "You''re just being stupidly paranoid. So you mean that I''m not allowed to return to my city? I was born and grew up here," Vernon raised one brow as he taunted his mother, "Come on, Mrs. Dorothea Gray. I know that you''re an old widow with mental issues, but can''t you even trust your own son? Maybe you should get a better psychiatrist."


    Vincentughed when he heard Vernon taunting their mother. He didn''t really care about his pesky, obviously-mentally-ill mother. He didn''t toss her to the trash can because Dorothea was a socialite. Despite her age, she was well-known in many elite circles, which meant Vincent had to keep her around to maintain his reputation.


    Dorothea got triggered whenever someone talked about her mental illness. She was diagnosed with severe depression ever since she was in her 20s.


    Herte husband¡ª Vaughn Gray, created a huge crater in her heart, making her numb and depressed with all of his cheating and abuse. No matter what crazy expensive things she bought, she still couldn''t fill that crater in her heart, and Vaughn left her so devastated with the love she didn''t even want to trust men anymore.


    Even now, she actively sought therapy with Shailene because she was still hurting eleven years after Vaughn''s death.


    "Say all you want, you treacherous bastard. I know that you''re trying to topple your own family. I can sense it," Dorothea said. "You can''t fool me."

 Chapter 438 438

    "You can''t fool me."


    Despite all his confident smile and uncaring attitude toward his mother, Vernon was actually deeply hurt by Dorothea''s usation.


    He knew that he wasn''t a good man, nor was he a good son. But Vincent was even worse than him, and Dorothea seemed to care for Vincent despite all the horrible stuff he did.


    ''Favoritism does exist,'' Vernon thought. ''This old bitch never even cared for me when I was young. She was too busy drinking and crying like a madwoman.''


    ''Well, she was barely functioning by herself. She should be grateful that Chloe took care of me when I was young.''


    He was also curious about Dorothea''s rtionship with Chloe.


    From what he remembered, Dorothea absolutely despised Chloe because she didn''te from a good family, but Vincent insisted on marrying her, and she had gotten approval from Vaughn before his death, so nothing was stopping Vincent from marrying Chloe.


    ''Huh, I remembered that myte father never liked Chloe as well. I wonder how she could get his approval. Did Chloe do something to satisfy that perverted bastard?'' Vernon''s gaze darkened for a split second. He started suspecting that Vaughn Gray might''ve done something to Chloe when she was young.


    But he should save this question forter. He needed to keep his professionalism here and acted like a careless, ignorant son.


    "I''m not even trying to fool you," Vernon shrugged. "Though, even if I want to get half of my inheritance, and also the connection from the Gray family, I should be able to do that, right, Big bro?"


    "Yeah, it''s your right to have half of the inheritance," Vincent said. "I don''t even know why our parents wrote you off. You''re my only sibling, and nothing can change that."


    "Vincent!"


    Vincent shifted his attention to Dorothea and gave her a malicious gaze, the edge of his lips curling up, "What? Didn''t I tell you that I won''t stop him if he wants to im his inheritance? Though Vernon is not a greedy bastard like you im him to be. So he has never asked for his share. He built his own business without the family''s help."


    Dorothea gnashed her teeth as she stared at her sons who joined forces against her. She knew she wasn''t a good mother to Vernon and didn''t care about him. Surviving Vaughn''s crazy habit wasn''t easy, and she only had enough energy to pour his motherly love into one son. Naturally, she took Vincent. He was far brighter and much more capable than Vernon.


    Too bad, even this one son dared to mock her like this.


    Vernon nced at his Big brother, who seemed to be pretty genuine about the whole brotherly connection between them, which was ironic since Vernon had nothing of it.


    He didn''t see Vincent as a good older brother because Vincent was only gentle to him if he was obedient or ''lesser'' than him.


    Back when they were young, Vincent would show his anger or annoyance, sometimes even yelling at Vernon when Vernon showed a bit of his brilliance in school. He picked that up very quickly, so he stopped trying to be as good as his Big bro academically.


    In fact, as long as he acted dumb or careless, Vincent would be pleased and wouldn''t see him as a rival.


    He was a megalomaniac since he was a kid, probably also picking that up from theirte father.


    "Anyway, why is she here, Big bro?" Vernon asked, pointing at Dorothea. "I thought you asked me toe this morning because you want to discuss something important. I don''t think she has any importance here."


    Vincent chuckled again. He was pleased with Vernon''s attitude, "Our mother is worried about my performance in thepany since I became a little sluggish after Chloe left¡ª that''s what they said."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Oh yeah? I thought you''re doing good as always, Big bro."


    "I am, she''s just being paranoid. I think we need to give her a ride to the nearest mental hospital," Vincent joked.


    Dorothea was trying to fight off the ufortableness in her heart, "I''m serious, Vincent. I got the report from Maria that you got sluggish and slow with work. I''m just looking out for you, since I don''t want you to fall."


    "I''m not gonna fall, you''re exaggerating," Vincent replied lightly. "But if you''re that paranoid, then let me tell you something¡ª"


    Vincent took his phone out and searched for something in his gallery. Once he got the right video, he yed it and showed the screen to his mother.


    Vernon couldn''t see what was ying because the screen was facing Dorothea, but when he heard Chloe''s voice shouting at Vincent, his heart dropped instantly.


    ¡ª


    ''I''M NOT YOUR BITCH, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!''


    The video was followed by the voice of something cracking, followed by Vincent''s thundering voice shouting back at her;


    "YOU WILL REGRET THIS, CHLOE GRAY!"


    ¡ª


    Vernon couldn''t bear to hear the rest of the video because it was sickening just listening to it. He was clenching his fist so hard that he believed both Dorothea and Vincent would notice his rage had they checked on him.


    "I''m going to the bathroom," Vernon said. He quickly got up and left Vincent''s office.


    He saw Secretary Maria standing not far from the door. He was trying to control his expression so Secretary Maria would overlook his boiling rage, but he was so angry that he doubted he could hide it from this old hag.


    "Where is the toilet?" Vernon asked.


    ¡­


    Secretary Maria stayed silent. Her eyes studied every inch of Vernon''s face to read his mood. He waited thirty seconds before Maria opened her mouth, "Just turn left. It''s at the corner near the pantry."


    Vernon took a long step and rushed to the bathroom to calm himself. Secretary Maria watched his back.


    Her cold, piercing gaze silently studied everything about Vernon. Naturally, she knew what was happening inside. Vincent must''ve been ying that video of him hitting Chloe. He just didn''t shut up, marveling at how he regained his vigor after watching it repeatedly.


    She didn''t find that surprising, but Vernon''s reaction was not within her expectation, "Did he get mad watching the video of Vincent beating Chloe? Why?"

 Chapter 439 439

    Maria knew that it would be quite disturbing for most people to see a man having a weird fetish by beating and suppressing his wife.


    But Vernon wasn''t part of that ''most people.'' He was also part of the Gray family. He had the same blood as Vaughn Gray and his predecessors running in him, so he must''ve developed the same fetish as his father and Big brother.


    "If he doesn''t like what Vincent is doing, he shouldn''t have that kind of reaction," Maria assumed. "He should be indifferent at least."


    Maria had a few assumptions in her head. One of them was;


    "Judging from his reaction, I think it''s safe to assume that Vernon has something with Chloe, maybe a childhood crush? I remember him as a little kid being so sticky with Chloe at many parties hosted by the Gray family," Maria guessed. "Is it only a childhood crush, though? I feel like there''s something more¡­."


    Maria was already on full guard against Vernon. She had the gut feeling that Vernon wanted to attack his Big brother instead of worshiping or working together with him.


    She didn''t really care about these two brothers'' rtionship, but if it would threaten the stability of thepany she devoted her life to, then she must do something.


    "Let''s just wait and see¡­."


    **


    Vincent proudly showed all the videos of him beating Chloe inside the Principal''s office. He closed his eyes, engrossing himself in listening to Chloe''s voice who tried to fight him back despite her hopelessness.


    Her struggle was a big turn-on for him, so he had to cross his legs because he didn''t want his mother to notice he got a boner.


    Though, he didn''t need to worry about that because Dorothea was too shocked to even blink her eyes, let alone check on him. She watched until she got to the part where Vincent strangled Chloe and pulled her up until her feet hovered above the ground. Then Mackie suddenly came in and tried to save her Mommy.


    She gasped when she saw Mackie, who tried to rush in and save her Mommy, not knowing how dangerous it was to approach Vincent when he was in a crazed state.


    She wanted to yell at Mackie to stop or hug her so she shouldn''t be in danger. After all, Dorothea had always loved her granddaughter and missed Mackie a lot after Chloe brought her away.


    Vincent opened his eyes when he heard the gasping from his mother. He saw Dorothea with a pale face and trembling lips. Her eyes were red as if she had just watched a horror movie.


    "Mom? What''s wrong? Why did you make that kind of face?" Vincent asked. "Aren''t you used to this stuff? I remember Dad beating you a few times before."


    Dorothea quickly tried to fix her expression and looked away. She swallowed her saliva as she tried to maintain herposure.


    "Did you do this often with your wife?"


    "Beating her? Well, yeah," Vincent admitted without shame. "It''s the usual thing in the Gray family. You told me when I was a kid that it''s just a thing Dad did to de-stress, and you don''t mind it since it''s normal for a woman to obey her husband."


    Dorothea''s heart sank when she got the answer from Vincent.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She remembered that period when Vaughn started beating her even for the slightest mistake. She was too scared to fight back and too in love to leave him.


    Besides, divorce was a huge shame back then.


    So she endured, and when five-year-old Vincent asked her what Dad was doing, she answered that it was all okay, and Vincent shouldn''t question his Dad''s activity even further.


    And who would''ve expected that small thing she said back then would hugely impacted Vincent''s development, creating another cycle of abuse that the next woman had to suffer?


    "Did you enjoy doing this?" Dorothea asked. Her voice was already shaking.


    "Beating or cheating? Either way, I did both to de-stress," Vincent replied. "I didn''t expect the method that my Dad did back then actually worked. I be less stressed and more efficient with my job. I should''ve done this way sooner."


    ¡­


    Dorothea was unsure of what to feel right now.


    She was heartbroken to know that her son was no different than histe father. They were both serial cheaters and abusers.


    When Chloe reported Vincent''s cheating to her, she already felt the pain in her heart, but she tried to ignore it as she thought it was just a one-time¡ª or two-time thing that Vincent did, so Chloe had to tolerate it since Chloe was a low-value woman.


    And about the abuse¡­ Chloe never reported Vincent''s abuse, so Dorothea thought Vincent was too good to stay with a useless leech-like Chloe.


    Dorothea also thought that Chloe wasn''t really the ideal wife of a Billionaire. She didn''t have the ss, nor was she born into an influential family. So she contributed nothing other than giving birth to Mackenzie.


    When Vincent and Chloe were just married, Dorothea tried to open her heart to her new daughter-inw by inviting her to many socialite parties.


    But Chloe always refused without specifying the reason. Thus, Dorothea despised her daughter-inw even more, thinking that Chloe didn''t respect her as a mother-inw.


    ''Can I still me Chloe now?'' Dorothea pondered in her heart. ''We''re suffering the same fate¡­.''


    ''But even if I sympathize, what should I do to help her or my granddaughter? I barely have any contact with her. I don''t even think I have her contact in my phone anymore¡­.''


    Dorothea slowly turned her head to check on her son.


    Vincent was smirking as he watched the video on his phone. His eyes were filled with lust and cruelty, and Dorothea couldn''t bear to see them.


    Because she saw the face of Vaughn Gray when he was hurting her, and she still couldn''t handle the fear that always crept up whenever she saw those eyes.

 Chapter 440 440

    Dorothea suddenly stood up and grabbed her bag, "I''m leaving, I have other things to do."


    "Huh¡­ okay," Vincent replied without care. But he had a slight suspicion, "Mom, you don''t feel bad about Chloe, right? You''re the one who taught me about this, so you shouldn''t feel bad. Chloe is just like you to some extent¡­."


    Vincent smirked and gave his mother a mocking gaze, "You two can take many beatings from their husbands and tolerate cheating. Perfect obedient women for men like Dad and I."


    ¡­


    "Sure thing, Son," Dorothea opened the door and walked away. She wore shades to hide the tears welling in her eyes as she opened the door.


    She saw the old Secretary Maria who stood near the door, probably eavesdropping. Dorothea knew that Maria was a professional, she didn''t even fall into Vaughn''s seduction when she was young, but she was so cold, like a robot, sometimes Dorothea felt ufortable talking with her.


    "I''m leaving first," Dorothea said.


    "Yes, Madam, I will call your chauffeur to get ready."


    Secretary Maria returned to her desk, and Dorothea walked to the elevator.


    She identally ran into Vernon, who came out of the bathroom.


    Vernon raised one brow and asked, "Leaving so soon? I thought you''re going to pester us even more."


    ¡­


    Dorothea stayed silent. She was in no mood to argue with her second son after knowing that she had identally raised her first son as a monster.


    Vernon scoffed when he got no answer from Dorothea, "What am I doing anyway? Talking to a useless mother like you."


    Vernon walked back to Vincent''s office while Dorothea stood still, waiting for the elevator door to open.


    Ding!


    Dorothea quickly entered the elevator and went down. The moment the elevator door closed, her trembling legs gave up, and she leaned at the corner of the elevator, trying topose herself after she learned about Vincent.


    "What have I done?" she murmured, full of grief. "I''ve identally turned Vincent into a monster."


    Dorothea always thought that Vincent was a perfect son for her. He was smart, dependable, and better at managing and expanding businesses than Vaughn.


    But this twisted side of him changed Dorothea''s view of him, and now she realized that she was all alone.


    She entered the backseat of her car and told the chauffeur to just drive back to the mansion. She was done with today and probably for the rest of the week.


    ''Should I schedule another therapy session with Shailene? She might give me good advice on what to do to fix Vincent,'' Dorothea wondered. ''Though, I already know most of her answers will revolve around Vernon. She always insisted on me taking Vernon''s side for whatever reason.''


    Dorothea started recalling her rtionship with Vernon.


    By the time Vincent was ten years old, Dorothea, who had endured most beating, eventually grew numb, and Vaughn got bored with her silence.


    So he started cheating with various women instead. By the time Dorothea discovered she was pregnant with the second child, she was already in deep depression. She tried to cover up her pain by excessive drinking, thinking it would kill the new baby in her belly.


    She refused to bear another child from that bastard. It disgusted her so much just imagining it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Unfortunately, Vernon was a strong baby. He survived childbirth despite all her excessive drinking, and she was stuck on raising her bastard husband''s new son.


    Dorothea sighed, ''That''s impossible. I haven''t given a shit about Vernon ever since he was born, I don''t think there''s a way for us to mend our rtionship,'' she thought. ''I will tell Shailene about it, and see if she can give me a new perspective on how to fix Vincent, rather than dealing with Vernon.''


    ''And about Chloe¡­''


    Dorothea felt uneasy. She never thought that Chloe had it hard in life. She was living her best life because Vincent was supposed to be the perfect son and obviously would be the perfect husband, so Dorothea thought Chloe was just a spoiled, opportunistic low-ss girl who happened to be very pretty.


    Now that she has learned the truth¡­


    ''Naturally, I prefer to just ignore this whole thing. Act like I''ve never learned about her suffering, so I don''t need to worry about her,'' Dorothea thought. ''But she has Mackie in her hands right now, what if she made the same mistake, and my granddaughter will turn out just like her father?''


    ¡­


    Dorothea clicked her tongue and checked her phone to see if she had Chloe''s contact.


    Just as she expected, she didn''t have Chloe''s contact here. Either she just deleted it or never bothered to save it.


    Either way, she wanted to call her estranged daughter-inw to check whether she was taking care of Mackenzie seriously.


    Because if Chloe made the same mistake as she did, she might as well hand Mackenzie to her so she could take care of her granddaughter.


    "Obviously, I can''t ask for Chloe''s contact from Vincent. He would question me¡­." Dorothea bit her lower lip.


    Well, she knew one woman who could give her Chloe''s contact.


    But she felt it would be very degrading to ask her because Dorothea always saw this woman as a lower-ss woman who sucked on Vincent''s money.


    Unable to curb her worry, Dorothea was forced to abandon her pride and found a contact started with ''J.''


    "Damn, this is so embarrassing," Dorotheained. She pressed call, and the phone was instantly connected.


    -


    "G¡ªGood morning, Madam Gray, can I help you with something?" the woman on the phone greeted humbly.


    Dorothea rolled her eyes, sure this woman was humbled only because her daughter was married to Vincent.


    "Judith, do you have Chloe''s phone number? I need it."


    "Ah¡­ I do, Madam. But what is this for?"


    "I just need to talk to her."


    There was a long silence before Judith answered;


    "Madam Gray, I''m so sorry for my daughter''s doing. I know she''s a whore, but please don''t punish us, we''re trying our best to bring her back, but she blocked our numbers!"

 Chapter 441 441

    Dorothea was shocked when she heard Judith plead like her life depended on it. She disliked this woman for leeching off her son, but she never hate Judith. She simply ignored her existence.


    "I¡­ I will not punish you or whatever," Dorothea said. "But you got to give me Chloe''s phone number, I need to talk to her. You have her number, right?"


    "W¡ªWell, I do. Though, I don''t know if she still uses this number though, since she''s uncontactable," Judith said carefully. She rarely had any conversation with Madam Gray. Dorothea usually ignored her because she wasn''t part of her elite socialite group, and Judith knew her ce naturally.


    "It''s fine, just give it to me," Dorothea insisted. "I have an important thing to ask of her."


    Judith went silent for a moment and muttered, "Madam, may I know if I will get any reward for giving you her number?"


    Dorothea frowned, "A reward? What do you mean?"


    "I mean, since I will give you my daughter''s number, I''m actually giving you a private information. Shouldn''t I get a reward for taking the risk?" Judith muttered, and her voice got even lower as she specified what she truly wanted, "Such as¡­ money."


    Dorothea rolled her eyes almost instantly. Of course, this woman wanted money from her. Vincent told her that Chloe''s family was a leech who kept begging for money, so he had to give them because Chloe also begged.


    ''I guess this part is true¡­'' Dorothea thought. "Fine, just send me the number first, and I''ll send you some money."


    "I''d prefer if you gave me the money first, Madam Gray¡­." Judith insisted, then texted Dorothea, "I''ve sent my bank ount number. I have Paypal and Venmo, too, if you want other methods."


    Dorothea was speechless by this woman''s shamelessness. They were about the same age, and Dorothea didn''t even have Venmo.


    "Wow, makes me surprised on how much you value money, do you put the same value to your daughter as well?" Dorothea asked sarcastically.


    But Judith didn''t care.


    She was in a pinch right now.


    Chelsea resigned from her teaching job because she was convinced that Vincent would wed her. Thus, Chelsea didn''t give Judith enough money. She said she''d use this money to get work done on her face.


    Judith asked for more for herself and her grandsons, but Chelsea refused unless Vincent sent her money, and she was convinced he would send more money since she imed that Vincent was in love with her.


    Judith might have some fantasy, but she wasn''t as deluded as that.


    She needed money to survive¡­ and buy a few fancy things she liked.


    "Did you send the money yet, Madam Gray?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You''re unbelievable," Dorothea mocked while she sent five grand into Judith''s bank ount. "There, I sent it. Give me her number now."


    "Alright, I got the money. Thank you so much, Madame Gray," Judith said politely. "Let me send you her contact information."


    "Oh no need to be polite, not after you extort my money," Dorothea scoffed. She hung up and waited for Judith to send Chloe''s number.


    ¡ª


    Judith texted Chloe''s number after a moment. Dorothea was about to call Chloe immediately.


    But her thumb stopped when she was about to press call.


    "Wait¡ª" Dorothea paused. She wondered if calling her out of the blue was the correct thing to do.


    After all, Chloe always showed that bashful nature whenever confronted by someone, which Dorothea thought was just an act because she wanted to please Vincent with her timidity.


    ''Maybe she''s truly timid¡­'' Dorothea pondered. She considered this for a while and tossed her phone into her bag. ''I''ll just call her tonight. Hopefully, she''ll be well rested and ready for a small talk with me.''


    **


    Vernon was enduring the rage building inside his heart. His expression was so sour, yet Vincent didn''t seem to notice it because he was busy watching the video of his fight with Chloe while rubbing his bulge like a depraved asshole.


    "Big bro, if you have nothing to talk about, then please excuse me," Vernon said. "I see that you want to beat your meat while watching that video."


    "Hahahah! Okay, okay, I''m sorry," Vincent tossed his phone to the sofa and got up. "I just found it really fun to see her struggling and trying to fight back despite knowing the result, it''s a big turn on. You can call this a fetish¡ª but this is the fetish that ourte Dad had," Vincent smiled at Vernon and added, "Who would''ve expected that I would also inherit his fetish? You might find it weird for now, but you''ll understand meter, Vernon. You''ll also develop the same fetish that I have."


    "Never," Vernon denied without thinking twice. He already felt so sick thinking about it. "I don''t have that kind of fetish, Big bro."


    Vincent smiled and shrugged, "Really? I heard from one of your exes that you like ying some BDSM before sex. You like to see them in pain, don''t you?"


    Vernon''s body stiffened. He felt like choking on air because Vincent outed him like this.


    Vincent''s smile grew wider as he found the rumor true, "Well, it''s nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe you just like it when they beg, or when they''re in pain, but wanting more. Or maybe you just like the feeling of power over your woman. You''re just like me, Vernon Phoenix Gray, no need to be ashamed of it."


    Vincent finally noticed Vernon''s sour face, but he didn''t mind it. He just assumed that maybe his fetish disturbed Vernon a little. It wasn''t surprising if someone was surprised¡ª or even disliked Vincent''s preference, but this was Vernon¡ª his own Little bro who disapproved of his preference, so he had to set something straight first, "You''re too obvious with your dislike, Vernon, I know you don''t like my preference. You shouldn''t be a hypocrite, because we both know you also have the same taste as I do."

 Chapter 442 442

    "I''m not¡ª"


    "It''s fine if you want to deny, Little bro," Vincent refused to listen to Vernon''s useless denial. Vernon would eventually embrace it just like him anyway. "Maybe you feel embarrassed by it, but it''s fine. You''ll get used to it and embrace it in the end."


    ¡­


    Knowing there was no use in them going in a circle about this, Vernon decided to just shut his mouth and ignored his Big bro''s insistence.


    Vincent was satisfied with Vernon, who knew when to shut up. He walked around his desk and returned to his executive chair. He looked at Vernon, who was still sitting on the sofa. Vincent pointed at the chair across his desk, "Sit there, Vernon. We''re going to have a business talk."


    Vernon got up and walked towards the chair that his Big bro pointed to. They were sitting facing each other now.


    "Well, despite Secretary Maria and our useless mother who keeps telling me that you''re bad news, I see that you''re developing your businesses really well in many sectors," Vincent said. "I see that you want to branch out from showbiz, even though I know that you could be super rich by focusing on that, and I won''t even bother you since I have no interest in that industry."


    "However, now that you''re starting to branch out and cross my territory, that means we have to do something about this."


    "Are you going to repress me?" Vernon asked, as he had no intention of kissing up this time. He was too pissed at his Big bro, who went too far with his fetish to hurt Chloe.


    "Repress you? Why?" Vincent chuckled as he found that usation funny. "Vernon, in this world, I only see you as my family. Ourte father never took care of us, and our mother was too drunk and depressed. Naturally, I want to share the world with my only family."


    Vincent took a document from the drawer and put it on the desk. He slid it towards Vernon for him to read, "I know that you''re expanding rapidly in many sectors. I''m not blind, Vernon, and I know you''re using my people to work with. It makes me wonder if you have any ulterior motive for doing that."


    "They''re just easier to work with," Vernon replied nonchntly. "They have utmost respect for the Gray family, and for you. Thus, when they know that I am your Little brother, they also have the same respect and willingness to work with me. I find it easier to just use the existing connection that we have in the family."


    While studying Vincent''s expression, Vernon kept talking, "I thought you wanted me to be close to the family, Big bro."


    "That is true, I want you to be closer to the family¡ª to be more precise, to work closer with me as your Big brother," Vincent admitted. "Read that document, and you will know what I''m talking about."


    Vernon had suspicions, a lot of them, actually.


    After all, Vincent never shied away from ying dirty if he needed to. It ran within the family.


    So he still had to be very careful with his approach to overthrowing Vincent.


    Vernon opened the file and read the document.


    His expression changed from suspicion to shock and then to confusion.


    He put the paper down and looked at Vincent, "Big bro, this is¡ª"


    "Yeah, I have invested a lot in this new make-uppany, and we''re going tounch the newest set. Since you''re well-versed in the entertainment industry and advertisement, I want you to make an ad for this, make sure it is distributed to every beauty guru out there, and I also want the brand ambassador to be an uing young actress, I think this task will be easy for you."<novelnext></novelnext>


    That was true.


    This task was a piece of cake for Vernon. It wasn''t hard for him to contact one of his rising actresses to do this ad.


    Besides, he also got the connection if Vincent wanted to expand this to Europe.


    It was all easy, and that made him even more suspicious.


    "This is not hard for me, Big bro, but¡­." Vernon leaned forward, staring deep at his Big brother, wanting to find his intention. "What will I get from this? You know I don''t need to do this for money. I have my ongoing projects already."


    Vincent smiled. "I have guessed that you''re not the one who will settle for less, so¡­."


    Vincent took out another document from the drawer and handed it to Vernon.


    Vernon opened the file again; this time, he couldn''t hide his shock.


    "Big bro, you¡­. You''re going to share the cosmeticpany with me?" Vernon asked. "You know this will cut your profit by half, right?"


    "I don''t see anything wrong with it," Vincent shrugged. "It''s a newpany that I developed, and I have roughly 70% of the share. So I''m basically the owner, you will get 35%, so you will share thepany with me."


    "But¡­"


    Vincent was quite happy with Vernon''s dumbfounded expression. "What''s wrong with you? Don''t you remember how many things I bought for you when you were a child?"


    "I know that. I just¡ª" Vernon shook his head in disbelief. "Big bro, you''re giving me your newpany for free."


    "Well, this is my answer to our friction," Vincent replied. "Rather than trying topete, why don''t we just share the newpany? And I''m not giving this for free, I want you to make the new product explode in the beauty market so we will get profit from it."


    There were a lot of scenarios going on inside Vernon''s head. He wanted to take the offer because it could be a catalyst for him to hasten the process of toppling Vincent.


    But he felt that Vincent was hiding something.


    "So, how about it? Do you agree to work with me?"


    "¡­ Alright then, I will make this new product a thing," Vernon stood up from the chair, "Don''t forget to send that document to my email so I can process it, and you can trust me to make this viral."


    "Sure, I always have trust in you, Vernon. You won''t disappoint," Vincent said. "You may leave now if you wish."

 Chapter 443 443

    Vernon turned around and walked away.


    Vincent''s eyes kept staring at his Little brother''s broad back until Vernon opened the door and left his office.


    A smirk grew on Vincent''s face, realizing that it wasn''t difficult for him to control Vernon.


    With his hand on the armrest, Vincent leaned on his chair, tapping one finger as he thought about what to do next.


    "Well, of course I did this not to hurt him," Vincent muttered. "I just don''t like how he keeps growing like he''s going to overtake me sooner orter.m I need a way to continuously put him under my pressure, so he will know who''s the boss, and won''t get any funny ideas."


    Vincent truly loved his Little brother. In his eyes, Vernon was the only sibling and family member he had, so he treasured him a lot.


    But he never liked when Vernon tried to one-up him in anything.


    "I want him to keep looking up to me, I am his dependable Big brother after all, but my cute Little brother has changed now," Vincent sighed as he couldn''t hide his dislike towards Vernon''s new devil-may-care attitude. "It''d be better if he just begged me to share the wealth of the Gray family. I can give him 50% of everything the Gray family has¡ª everything that I currently have."


    "But he refused to beg for my help. Instead, he went as far as developing a new product," Vincent recalled how Secretary Maria reported all of her findings about Vernon''spany activity. He thought it was great that his Little brother was now a grown-up who could do his own stuff.


    But at the same time, there was a growing insecurity in his heart.


    He was used to being the one worshiped by Vernon, and he refused to be beaten by his Little brother in any way possible, "Even with women," Vincent added. "I will not let him marry whoever his current girlfriend is, not until Chloe returns to me willingly. It''d be embarrassing to attend Vernon''s wedding without my wife by my side."


    "Now, speaking of my wife¡­." Vincent got up and returned to the sofa. He grabbed his phone and opened the gallery again. He wanted to watch Chloe getting cornered with fright from another angle. It was so entertaining.


    **


    Vernon left Vincent''s office feeling conflicted. He had epted the offer simply because it was an opportunity presented in front of him.


    But he felt there was something off.


    It was all good, all perfect on the outside.


    But there was nothing free in this world, and he was convinced that his Big bro must''ve nned something.


    ''Did he already sniffed about Chloe and I?'' Vernon wondered as he drove to his office.


    Honestly, he wasn''t scared if his Big bro found out about his rtionship with Chloe. He could just return to Europe. His businesses were already very solid in London and Madrid.


    But Chloe was still in the process of divorce, and he wanted to suppress Vincent first, forcing him to go through the divorce process ording to thew.


    So he could bring Chloe and Mackie to other countries, and they could actually start a family there.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So he had to y the long game¡­


    Vernon went to his office and met with Diamond, who was sipping coffee while ying on her phone.


    Diamond gave her boss a quick look before returning to her phone.


    Vernon''s lips twitched. Ever since Chloe became the third party in this office, Diamond has been so casual these days. She often ignored him when Vernon didn''t call and told her to do something. In the past, she would be busy trying to meet all of his demands. It was a stressful professional rtionship between them.


    Now they were more like friends because of Chloe''s presence.


    ''Well, as long as she''s still doing her job perfectly and efficiently as always,'' Vernon thought. ''She''s basically Chloe''s only friend for now, and I can ask her opinion about many things.''


    "Diamond, make me a coffee ande to my office, I have something important to talk about with you."


    "Sure thing, Boss."


    Diamond put a cup of coffee on the table. She took a few steps back, waiting for her boss, who sat on the sofa, to speak.


    "Here, let me show you something," Vernon grabbed hisptop from the table and opened his email. He put theptop beside the coffee and turned it so Diamond could see the screen.


    Diamond leaned in and started reading the document. She frowned for a moment, "I see nothing wrong with it. It''s a cosmeticpany wanting to make an ad to go viral. It''s hard to break into the cosmetic market without going viral first, Sir."


    "I know that, and once we canplete this project, I will get 35% of thepany share as well," Vernon added.


    "What?! 35%?! Sir¡ª that''s some kind of crazy offer! It''s too good to be true!"


    "Yeah, this is my Big brother''s newpany. He wants me to make an effective ad for the product," Vernon said. "He''s willing to give me 35% of the share in that newpany as long as I do good."


    "Did you take it then?"


    "I did, simply because I don''t want him to think that I have suspicions," Vernon said. "Besides, Vincent seems serious about giving me that 35%."


    "So, what do you think, Diamond? Should I take this?" Vernon asked. "If I took this and the product went viral, I''d get a lot of footing and connection within his circle. It would hasten the process for me to snatch all of his people. But at the same time, this is also a risky move I''d have to take."


    Diamond hummed for a while. She wanted to say no. He shouldn''t take it because it sounded too shady, especiallying from Vincent Gray.


    But her boss was right, if he got a 35% share of Vincent''s newpany, his credibility would skyrocket, and it''d be easy to shake things up within Vincent''s business circle if needed.

 Chapter 444 444

    "Sir, I''m not sure if I''m the right person to answer this kind of question," Diamond admitted.


    "Why not? You''re my secretary, and you''ve always been doing perfectly with all the tasks I gave you. You also gave many good opinions."


    "I know, but this is the matter of knowing one person. We don''t know Vincent''s true intention because we don''t exactly know what kind of person he is," Diamond was thinking of a name while she talked about this. "Why don''t you ask someone who knows him really well, such as Chloe, of course."


    ¡­


    Vernon paused for a long time before asking, "You want me to ask Chloe''s opinion about this? Are you serious?"


    "More than serious, Sir. Chloe knows about Vincent way more than we do. Even if she''s not a career woman, I believe she can give you a much better opinion than I will ever do."


    "But that means I have to be honest with her," Vernon said. He started fiddling with his fingers, indicating he got a little nervous. "I told her I was in the process of overthrowing my Big brother, and it''d take a while. But I never told her the method nor told her the difficulties."


    "And why won''t you? I thought you wanted her to trust you," Diamond asked.


    "I just don''t want her to be anxious. She''s always anxious whenever we talk about Vincent. She developed a trauma after ten years of abuse, so I always assure her that everything is ording to my n."


    "I see¡­" Diamond sat casually on the sofa in front of Vernon as if they were good friends who''d talk about many things during lunch break. "Well, I certainly don''t want my homegirl to get scared. But I still think that you need to tell Chloe about this."


    "You see, Chloe feels safe with you and she must''ve been so appreciative about it," Diamond said. She leaned on the sofa and crossed her legs, "So I think she''ll be even happier¡ª and willing to help you if you can open up to her."


    "It''s easier said than done, Diamond," Vernon sighed. "I don''t want her to be eaten by fear, and decided to do something stupid like returning to that bastard."


    "She won''t. I know she won''t, " Diamond confidently imed. "I asked her many times whether she still has feelings for Vincent, and she said no. She''s done with him."


    "Well, that''s what she said to me too."


    "Then what are you waiting for? She will be pleased if you open up to her!"


    ¡­


    Vernon wasn''t expecting Diamond to lead him back to Chloe. He had been thinking about asking Chloe''s opinion the moment he left Vincent''s office.


    But he kept pushing that idea back in his head as he tried not to show weakness in front of the woman he loved.


    He wanted to be the dependable man for Chloe to lean on, a tough fortress that would make Chloe feel safe forever.


    ''Will she change her opinion about me if I open up about my worries?'' Vernon wondered.


    He kept wondering about the same thing as he drove back to his apartment in the evening.


    It might be easy for a woman like Diamond to say he should open up. But for most men, being vulnerable was something they hated, especially in front of the woman they loved. It didn''t help that Vernon barely had any emotional maturity after ten years of being a mess.


    Vernon unlocked the door with his fingerprint and was greeted by Mackie, who rushed towards him.


    "Wee home, Uncle!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon smiled and patted Mackie''s head, "Thank you, Mackie. Have you eaten anything for dinner? Did your Mommy order something for dinner?"


    "Um! Mommy ordered something from the restaurant!" Mackie reported.


    "I see. Well, guess I don''t need to cook then," Vernon said. He tossed his briefcase to the sofa while he loosened his tie.


    He went to the kitchen to check and saw Chloe trying hard to grab a te and put it on the table despite her injury.


    "Mommy!" Mackie rushed to snatch the te from Chloe''s hand. "Don''t do anything, you need to rest! Let me do it!"


    "Thank you, dear, but Mommy is alright."


    "No, you''re not!" Mackie looked at Vernon, ready to report Mommy''s naughtiness today. "Uncle, Mommy is still trying to clean your room, do the dishes, and even cook! But worry not, I have stopped her every time!"


    "Chloe," Vernon frowned as he stared at Chloe displeasingly. "Why do you keep doing that? Didn''t I tell you that you cannot do anything other than resting?"


    Chloe gave Vernon a helpless look, "I just can''t sit there and watch while Mackie tried to do everything on her own. She even tried to bathe me like I''m a baby."


    "But I''m doing this for Mommy!" Mackie insisted.


    "We want you to heal as soon as possible. So just stop this and rest, okay?" Vernon was careful at talking with Chloe about this. Despite his annoyance, Chloe''s insistence to do something must''ve stemmed from the trauma, so he had to be gentle.


    Under the watchful eyes of her family, Chloe couldn''t say a thing and nodded reluctantly, "I will try not to do anything¡­."


    "Good," Vernon patted Chloe''s head gently and then darted his eyes at the dining table. There were a few foods that she had ordered, and it was appetizing¡­ kinda.


    "D¡ªDon''t worry, Vernon. I made sure that it was good. Mackie and I often ate in this restaurant before," Chloe said. She felt guilty that she couldn''t cook and guiltier when she was forced to see Vernon cooking.


    He must''ve been busy with his job, so the least she could do was prepare dinner... Even though it was only a takeout.


    Vernon was already doubtful. The food looked appetizing, and Chloe picked the stuff he liked.


    But he was a picky eater. He''d usually throw it all up unless it was cooked by Chloe or based on Vernon''s preference.


    But he had to appreciate Chloe''s effort to prepare food despite being injured.


    He sat at the dining chair and took a bite of the braisedmb shanks.


    He expected the food to be at least edible, but the taste of themb was so weird that he almost puked.


    "How is it? Good?" Chloe asked anxiously.


    Vernon swallowed themb hard and forced a smile, "It''s good."

 Chapter 445 445

    "Oh, thank god," Chloe let out a relieved sigh. "I was so worried that you won''t like it. Since Diamond said that you''re a picky eater."


    ''Diamond''s right. This is fucking disgusting,'' Vernon wanted to curse at whoever cooked themb shanks because it felt like he was chewing a rubber dipped in soy sauce.


    ''How could an amazing cook like Chloe have a terrible taste at picking restaurants?!'' Vernon wondered. ''Surely, she knows what tastes good and what not, right?''


    "This is the restaurant Mackie and I often visited because it''s directly beside the usual grocery store I go to," Chloe said. "I thought if I should order it somewhere else, but you know¡ª" Chloe lowered her head and whispered in Vernon''s ear so Mackie wouldn''t hear what she was about to say next, ''Vincent had always tracked my spending. It took me a while until he allowed me to eat in a restaurant with my daughter. So I can''t find you another restaurant because I''ve never ventured somewhere else. I know that you don''t like it, don''t force yourself, Vernon. I''ll try to cook something.''


    Vernon listened to Chloe''s story, and his hand that clenched the fork trembled out of anger until he identally bent the fork in half.


    He took a deep breath and then picked another fork, and nodded. He ate themb shanks despite the food being so gross in Vernon''s mouth.


    "V¡ªVernon?"


    "This is tasty," Vernon insisted as he kept chewing. "Anything thates from you is tasty. So you don''t need to beat yourself over this."


    Chloe was speechless by Vernon''s dedication. She was just telling the truth. She could read Vernon''s expression easily and knew that Vernon must''ve disliked this food a lot, so she tried to make it less awkward by whispering instead.


    Who would''ve expected that Vernon would eat themb shanks even faster?


    Vernon had to admit that the taste didn''t get any better, but he didn''t want to make Chloe feel bad, so he finished and burped a little after dinner.


    "It''s good," Vernon smiled. "But I''d prefer to be the one who cooks dinner while you''re still recovering, got it?"


    "G¡ªGot it¡­." Chloe nodded. Her cheeks reddened, feeling ashamed to see Vernon had to eat something he disliked.


    Vernon got up and whispered in Chloe''s ear, ''I have something important to talk about with you. Meet me after nine, alright? Make sure that Mackie is already asleep before you meet me.''


    Chloe''s reddish cheek turned even redder after listening to Vernon''s invitation. She didn''t know what kind of ''conversation'' they would be having. Nevertheless, she wouldn''t lie that she felt excitement in her heart.


    "O¡ªOkay¡­" Chloe mumbled and nodded bashfully.


    Mackie watched her Mommy and Uncle whispering at each other, and Mommy''s face getting redder each time.


    Thus she pointed, "Uncle, you make my Mommy''s face so red! You''re bad!"


    Vernonughed as he swaggered out of the kitchen and went inside his bedroom.


    Mackie continued pestering as she got worried, "Mommy, are you alright? Are you going to explode? Your face is soooo red now, like a tomato!"


    "N¡ªNo, Mommy won''t explode," Chloe cleared. ''I''d probably explode tonight though, depending on what he''d do next¡­.''<novelnext></novelnext>


    **


    Chloe continued staying by her daughter''s side to make her sleep faster. And after she made sure that Mackie was asleep, she tiptoed and walked out of the bedroom.


    Chloe let out a relieved breath. She didn''t know why she acted like a teenage girl about to sneak out of the house to find her boyfriend. But she felt extra sneaky today.


    She often beat herself, saying that it was inappropriate for an olddy like her to think of something sexual to a much younger man.


    But she couldn''t help it.


    Ever since Vernon touched her body a few times, she realized that she shouldn''t be feeling gross when being touched.


    That sex should be a feeling of being wanted, not an obligation she had to do, or else she''d get beaten or insulted for being a useless wife.


    So she had been secretly wishing for Vernon to do more¡­ though she didn''t dare to say it out loud, it was too embarrassing.


    Chloe passed the mirror as she walked through the corridor. She halted and took a step back to check on herself in the mirror.


    Like a girl about to meet her handsome boyfriend, shebed her long-wavy chestnut hair with her fingers and tried to make a few expressions to loosen herself.


    Her heart was beating so fast right now. She was afraid she''d look too awkward in front of Vernon.


    "Cute."


    Chloe turned her head right when she heard a man''s voice near the staircases. She saw Vernon standing in his night robe, watching her amusedly. He leaned on the wall and crossed his arms, "Go on, I''d love to see you making another cute face. It''s entertaining."


    Chloe gasped and quickly lowered her head, "W¡ªWhy are you here?!"


    "Uh, because this is my apartment?" Vernon shrugged. He swaggered towards Chloe and stood beside her. He wrapped his hand around her waist. "I got a little tired waiting, so I came to pick you up instead. Is that wrong?"


    "N¡ªNot wrong at all, but¡­ it''s embarrassing¡­."


    "Why? Because I saw you making funny faces?" Vernon chuckled and lowered his head to kiss Chloe''s cheek. "You''re cute, and I like that you are starting to loosen up around me."


    "Now let''s go up, I have something important to talk about with you."


    Chloe nodded shyly. She had a lot of expectations tonight, but truthfully, spending time with Vernon was something she hade to like. It was honestly pleasing when they were just sitting in the living room, staring at each other or watching random TV shows.


    ''Strange. I''ve never experienced this kind of craving in my life,'' Chloe pondered. ''His absence makes me anxious, and each time we meet and spend time, I only crave for more, even though we live together.''

 Chapter 446 446

    Vernon led her to go up to his penthouse.


    Chloe walked past the kitchen, and her eyes darted to the minibar at the corner of the foyer.


    She saw an opened bottle and a half-filled ss of wine, "You''re drinking tonight?" she asked curiously. It had been a while since Vernon drank alcohol.


    She still remembered how much of a drunkard Vernon when she first came to live in this apartment. She often picked up empty bottles of wine, beer, bourbon, gin, and even vodka scattered around Vernon''s bedroom every morning. So she knew that Vernon was a raging alcoholic.


    If she had to be honest, she didn''t really like that lifestyle because Vincent often med alcohol for some of his beatings back when he started physically abusing Chloe, saying that he didn''t mean it and it was because he got intoxicated.


    But as she continued tolerating and enduring, Vincent didn''t need to find alcohol as a reason to beat. If he was in the mood to hit Chloe, then he''d do it without hesitation.


    Despite her disapproval, she couldn''t openly voice her protest because alcohol might be the way for Vernon to de-stress after a long day at work.


    "Just a little," Vernon admitted. "I''m just feeling stressed today."


    Vernon felt guilty when he got caught drinking. He had been sober for a while because he drank to numb his pain.


    Now that he had Chloe by his side, he didn''t feel like he needed to drink excessively¡ª well, maybe one bottle every two or three days in case he felt like he needed one, but no more than that.


    Today was indeed a special asion. Naturally, Vernon wouldn''t drink when he wanted to touch Chloe. Who the hell would get drunk when you have the most beautiful woman naked on your bed? Oh, Vernon would stay 101% sober every night for that!


    But today was special¡­ because he had to brace himself. He''d tell Chloe about his worries and ask her opinion about his problem. It might not be much for many, but for a man like Vernon, opening up to his woman was a huge step he needed to take.


    Meanwhile, Chloe worried with Vernon, "If you have to drink to de-stress, that means something difficult is going on. You should tell me!"


    "Haha, it''s nothing much," Vernon said as he tried to downy the problem. He sat Chloe on the sofa and went to the kitchen to drink a ss of water to mask the smell of alcohol in his mouth.


    Chloe''s head followed Vernon''s movement and replied, "I know it must be difficult, Vernon. You often drink when you''re too stressed!" Chloe bit her lower lip, trying to curb her worry a little. But she had grown attached to Vernon and always wanted the best for him, "Please tell me what''s wrong, maybe you can feel at ease after talking with me."


    ¡­


    Vernon walked back to the living room but stopped before reaching the sofa where Chloe was sitting.


    He leaned on the wall about five feet away from her.


    Vernon stared back at Chloe, who was staring at him intensely, demanding him to tell his worries.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He sighed as he tried to curb his eagerness to tell his worry to Chloe. If he could, he''d love to throw himself at his woman and bury his face in Chloe''s boobs orp, then tell her all his worries.


    She didn''t even need to do anything. Just caressing his hair while gently whispering that everything would be alright was enough to satisfy him.


    But he was feeling some sort of crisis right now. This feeling of vulnerability was something too foreign for a man like him. He preferred if Chloe would just see him as a tough man that feared and worried about nothing.


    ''Haha, that''s kinda funny. I want her to see me as a man who feared or worried about nothing. But she could easily tell when I''m stressed¡­'' Vernon had a thin smile as he nodded, "Well, couldn''t be helped, I guess."


    Vernon walked towards Chloe and stood in front of her.


    He dropped on his knees before resting his head on Chloe''sp. He wrapped his hands around Chloe''s waist and waited for Chloe to put her hand on top of his head before he could say a thing.


    Chloe paused for a while, trying to process what was happening right now, "Vernon?" she called.


    Vernon looked up at Chloe and stared for a while with puppy eyes, waiting eagerly to be petted.


    Chloe frowned for a moment until she understood what he wanted.


    Thus, Chloe slowly patted and caressed Vernon''s hair with her fingers before asking, "You can tell me if something is burdening you. I may not be able to help much, but you''ll usually feel better after letting it out, right?"


    Vernon nodded. He returned to bury his head on Chloe''sp before muttering, "It''s about Vincent."


    Chloe''s whole body jolted for a split second before she tried to calm down. She knew Vernon''s big problems must''ve revolved around Vincent and his antiques.


    "Y¡ªYou can tell me," Chloe said despite her nervousness. "You can tell me everything, Vernon. I''m not scared of him."


    ''Lie,'' Vernon said in his heart. ''Obviously you''re scared of him. Your fingers caressed me no more when I mentioned his name, and your soft thighs twitched and tensed right after.''


    ''But you still try to act calm just to make sure that I didn''t panic, so I have to appreciate your effort and I will do the same, Chloe,'' Vernon added.


    "You know¡ª he invited me to his office today, and he mentioned about my activities that have been crossing his territory in business," Vernon said. "I thought he''ll try to repress me, since I know that he''s an egomaniac bastard."


    "But that''s not the case. Instead of repressing me, he told me to make an ad for his new cosmetic line-up, and offered to give me 35% shares for that new cosmeticpany," Vernon lifted his head and looked up at Chloe again. There was a trace of vulnerability in his eyes, like a confused boy trying to find an answer, "It''s a tempting offer that will speed up the process, but I feel like Vincent is using this as a trap, and I don''t know what kind of trap he set. He''s unpredictable."


    "Chloe, I don''t know if I should ept his offer or not. What should I do?"

 Chapter 447 447

    "Chloe, what should I do?" Vernon asked. His voice was soft, like a kid wanting guidance from his mother, he looked so vulnerable right now, and Chloe knew it was difficult for a man like him to open up.


    She saw how some men from the Gray family were raised; all of them were basically traditional men with traditional values. Something like showing vulnerability to a woman was not appropriate and should be shamed.


    ''Yet, he opens up to me, relies on me and my answer, so¡­ instead of being weak and timid, I have to be a dependable person for him. I need to give him strength just how he gives me one when I feel like I have no ce on earth...'' Chloe thought.


    Honestly, she wished Vincent could open up to her more when they were still together.


    Vincent would always say nothing was wrong whenever he was stressed out. When he started cheating and beating, he''d say that Chloe was just a woman who knew nothing about his struggle as a man and never cared for him.


    Chloe took a deep breath and nodded, "Well, I''m not the best at businesses and stuff, but I know Vincent far more than other people in this world. I''ve experienced everything with Vincent, from his love, short-term devotion, mania, mood swing, and adultery¡­."


    Chloe sighed as she continued caressing Vernon''s hair, "He is a terrible man, Vernon. A man who is craving for ultimate dominance. He hates when I fight back, or even when Mackie tries to ask him too many questions that he couldn''t answer."


    "Naturally, I should tell you not to take the offer because it might be a trap. But his treatment of you is different, Vernon¡­."


    "Different?"


    "Mhm, he may see us¡ª his own family and even his mother as a bug that he can squish anytime he wants. But he truly sees you as his Little brother," Chloe said. "Just¡­ in a twisted way."


    ¡­


    Vernon said nothing. He waited for Chloe to continue, though he already knew where this conversation would go.


    "You see, he sees you as his Little brother in an inferior way. I still remember how he''d say that you must''ve cheated on your test whenever you get a high score," Chloe tried to recall her conversation with Little Vernon. "You also told me once that you don''t want to get a high score because you''re afraid your Big bro will get angry."


    "Didn''t expect you to remember that," Vernon admitted.


    "Hihi, of course, I remember. I remember everything about you growing up," Chloe said with eyes full of warmth. "Well, I believe Vincent genuinely sees you as his Little brother that is lesser than him. He''s probably giving you a genuine offer for this. But I''m not sure about the 35% share¡­."


    "But it''s good if I take it, right? It''ll help me quickly gain many connections around him, snatching his people left and right as he grows unstable."


    "Yeah, that''s right, but you should be careful," Chloe warned. "Vincent must''ve noticed your growth as a businessman, and feel threatened that you''ll try to challenge his absolute dominance in many markets. I think this 35% share will backfire at you in some way. He''s trying to use this as a way to control you."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "My advice is¡­ take the offer from him. I''m sure he''ll not hurt you for that. He''ll only hurt you once he starts noticing how you keep outperforming him in business," Chloe suggested. "About the 35% share, I think it''s better if you take it, but with your own precaution. Maybe see if it''ll put you in a disadvantage."


    "One thing for sure, Vernon Phoenix Gray. Do not look ambitious in front of him. He hates when someone beneath him is trying to achieve greatness. He will try his best to repress them and put them in ce¡ª which is under his feet."


    Vernon stayed silent as he listened to Chloe telling him all the things he needed, "I see¡­" he muttered while staring at Chloe.


    ¡­


    Chloe looked serious with her words for a moment before her cheeks reddened, and she avoided Vernon''s gaze, "W¡ªWell, that''s just my take. I¡ªI am just a housewife, I don''t have anypetence in business, so I might be wrong."


    "No, you''re not wrong at all," Vernon encouraged. "I got the best insight from you, Chloe."


    "R¡ªReally?"


    "Mm," Vernon nodded. "I''m d that Diamond suggested that I talk to you. She said you know the best about him."


    "Haha, that''s because I experienced living with Vincent for ten years, so I know many things about him," Chloe said.


    "I will not let you experience that anymore. Ten years is enough¡ª it''s too much actually¡­." Vernon said. He smiled and lifted his shoulder. He gave a light kiss on Chloe''s lips before adding, "Thank you for helping me, Chloe, my woman. I promise I will beat him."


    Chloe almost exploded out of joy right now. She had never been imed by a man before, which was a new feeling of being wanted that she liked so much.


    "W¡ªWell, I''m d to be helping," Chloe muttered bashfully. She never expected herself to be helpful. She thought taking care of Vernon''s health and the house was all she could do to support him. "Um¡­ do tell me whenever you have any problem that stresses you out. Just like I said, I might not be able to help you, but listening and giving advice is what I can do. If you want to listen to my advice, of course¡­."


    ''I wonder if I should be proud by giving him advice like this. I feel like I''m doing a bare minimum while he''s doing all he can do to free me from Vincent¡­'' Chloe wondered.


    She was still doubtful that she was actually helping right now. She felt Vernon didn''t need her help since he was apetent man of his own ord.


    But it''d be nice if she could do more to help him in his struggle to fight Vincent.

 Chapter 448 448

    "If¡­ if you''re willing to listen to some of my work rants, then I''ll be happy to tell you, Chloe," Vernon said. He had a bit of doubt in his heart, though, and he wanted to ask that right now. "But I wonder, is it okay for me to open up to you? Will you¡­ change your opinion on me?"


    "Why would I change my opinion on you?"


    "I don''t know¡­ maybe you''ll see me as a weak man," Vernon admitted. "Tell me, Chloe, if looking at my vulnerability will only make you feel weak, then I''d rather never show my weakness no more. I don''t want to make you feel like I''m not the right man to lean on."


    Vernon felt that he had stripped himself of his man pride. He was a simple man who was weak in front of his beloved woman. This was the true self that he always tried to hide behind his imposing figure and intimidating presence.


    "Do you think it''s a turn-off if you see my weak side?" Vernon asked. Though he already expected that Chloe would lie and say that it was okay for a man to show weakness, even though deep down, she would judge him for being weak.


    But getting a white lie from Chloe didn''t sound too bad for Vernon.


    Chloe went silent for a moment. She took the question seriously because Vernon must''ve expected a serious answer.


    "Well, honestly, I do want a strong man I can lean on¡­." Chloe muttered with the truth.


    Vernon''s heart dropped. He knew it was a mistake to open up. He''d rather bottle it inside his heart for the rest of his life if this damaged his rtionship with Chloe.


    Thus, Vernon took swift action to end the conversation, "Alright then, sorry for asking you about that stuff before. Worry not, Chloe. I have my decision ready, I was just having a moment of weakness," Vernon said. He got up and was about to turn around when Chloe tried her best to hold Vernon''s hand with her weak grip.


    "I¡ªI''m not done talking¡­." Chloe said.


    Vernon paused for a moment and looked down at Chloe. He had his usual seriousness alongside his intimidating gaze that would make people tremble in fear.


    But Chloe wasn''t scared at all. She had known that Vernon was just trying to put on a facade to make him look bigger and stronger.


    "Sit down, Vernon, I''m not done talking."


    ¡­


    Rather than returning to kneel in front of Chloe, Vernon decided to just sit on the sofa right next to her.


    His expression was sour, and he couldn''t hide it. He was pissed that Chloe didn''t even bother to lie just to make him happy.


    Instead, she pped him with the cold truth. Making him feel embarrassed for showing his vulnerability to the woman he loved.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Now he regretted everything, hoping he''d just turn back time about an hour ago and just have sex with her to fill their ''love'' and help him de-stress in the most primal way possible.


    Chloe sighed as she saw Vernon in a bad mood. Obviously, he was angry at her for not faking her answer, but she wanted to be truthful because she thought it was what Vernon needed.


    The true version of her, the version that she wanted him to know.


    "Vernon, I¡­ I can''t lie that I want a strong man to lean on. I have nothing but myself to rely on since I was young, and Vincent has been a huge disappointment, so I just can''t help it¡­." Chloe said. "But, opening up about your worry doesn''t make you weak. It''s normal for a human to be anxious about something, you know¡­."


    Vernon''s expression softened, but he still said nothing and decided to ignore Chloe altogether.


    Chloe smiled thinly and gently lowered her head until she rested on Vernon''s chest.


    She could smell his manly scent, which intoxicated her a little, "Actually, I''m delighted that you''re willing to open up about your problem to me rather than trying to bottle it up."


    "Vernon, I''ve seen your effort. How you tried your best to fight Vincent, and I know you''re doing it for me and my daughter''s sake," Chloe said. "I know it must''ve been stressful, and I thought I''ve been really useless because I can''t do much to help you."


    "That''s why I''m happy you''re showing your vulnerable side. That means I know that you''re still a human, and you trust me enough¡­."


    "You''re not useless," Vernon finally couldn''t help but speak up. "Your presence is enough to make me happy. You''re already helping by being near me."


    "Well, I can say the same to you, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Chloe''s eyes went down to check on her white cast doodled by Mackie before. "Your presence fills me with courage. That''s why I fought back against him. So we are even."


    "I want to be a tough woman for myself, Mackie, and for you too. I may be weak, but that doesn''t mean I will stay weak forever," Chloe slowly slipped her hand around his neck and hooked Vernon''s neck with her arm. She forced him to lower his shoulder until their faces were so close to one another.


    Vernon was startled but did nothing as he was afraid any physical reaction from him might identally hurt Chloe''s recovering wound.


    They could feel each other''s breaths. Chloe smiled and gave Vernon a light peck at the tip of his nose, "You''ve been a strong man for me. It''s time for you to rest a bit and let me be the strong woman that you can rely on. It''s supposed to be a two way road, Vernon. We''re supposed to give and take. I''m not going to be the only one who takes everything from you."


    ¡­


    Chloe finished her sentence with another light kiss, but she pecked the edge of his lips this time, "It''s fine to be vulnerable in front of me. You''re still the big boy, the tough man, the imprable fortress. Nothing will change that."

 Chapter 449 449

    [Explicit.]


    Vernon kept staring at Chloe. His heart was already softened into a puddle of mush. He knew he couldn''t be mad at Chloe for long, but he didn''t expect himself to melt in less than five minutes.


    Seeing his lips twitching as he tried to hold his smile, Chloe giggled lightly, "Hihi, it''s fine if you want to smile orugh, Vernon. Do you want me to encourage you to do that as well?"


    "You¡ª seriously..." Vernon sighed helplessly and went to give her a light kiss.


    It was a peck at first, but Vernon wasn''t satisfied. So he went for the second and third peck until he wrapped his hand around Chloe''s back and went for a deep kiss.


    "Mmh¡­" Chloe''s muffled moan filled their ears as both closed their eyes, enjoying the taste of each other''s lips until Chloe started to get out of breath.


    "Vernon¡ª mmh¡­ t¡ªtoo much¡­ mmfh!" Chloe struggled a little to show that she needed to take a breath. Vernon stopped kissing and separated their lips. He watched how Chloe''s plump tits rose up and down as she tried to catch a breath.


    He chuckled while licking his lips and gently pushed Chloe to lie on the sofa to rest her back on the small cushion at the end of the long sofa.


    He went down to kiss her neck and cleavage instead. Chloe bit her lower lip as she tried to muffle her moan even more, especially when Vernon''s left hand slipped inside her pants, rubbing around her waist and thighs while his right hand was busy unbuttoning her pajama.


    Vernon finished unbuttoning and separated her pajamas. He clicked his tongue as he admired the beautiful view of the pair of plump pillows, "What a view."


    Under the dim light, Vernon could clearly trace Chloe''s body. He put his hands around her waist and traced his hands around to feel her, making Chloe''s body tremble out of excitement¡ª and mostly because it was ticklish.


    "You''ve put on some weight too," hemented, admiring his beloved woman''s beauty and her body that started to put on weight nicely.


    "S¡ªSorry¡­" Chloe muttered. She still felt fearful whenever she was putting on some weight because she was afraid that Vernon might ridicule her, calling her a fat bitch or whale until she cried out of shame.


    "Why apologize?" Vernon asked. He lowered his head and whispered near her ear, "I like it when you''re plump and healthy, makes me want to eat you more."


    Vernon''s words vibrated across her body, making her tremble out of anticipation. She almost moaned because of that, which she tried to muffle as she felt it was embarrassing to moan simply because Vernon whispered in her ear.


    Vernon put Chloe''s hands up and left them dangling at the end of the sofa so he didn''t need to worry about identally hurting her. He dipped his head into Chloe''s fat tits and buried his face in between.


    He took a deep sniff while his hands were pressing Chloe''s boobs together to squish his head between the soft pillows.


    "V¡ªVernon, what are you doing?" Chloe asked as she was confused by Vernon''s activity. It didn''t hurt her. It was ticklish, actually, since he kept kissing her cleavage while his breath ran alongside the ridge of her meaty mountain.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon ignored her for a moment and made another squish before he stopped and lifted his head. He grinned devilishly at Chloe, "I don''t know. I just like burying my face between your boobs¡ª" Vernon''s hand went down and started caressing Chloe''s inner thigh, which made her moan out of reflex. "¡ªJust like how I love to bury my face between your thighs, eating your pussy."


    "H¡ªHow could you say that so lightly?" Chloe''s face was so red out of shame. She mped her thighs tighter, stopping Vernon, who was about to y with her pussy.


    "Why not? We''ve done this a few times before," Vernon shrugged. "I should be the one asking why you are still shy after doing this with me a few times."


    "W¡ªWell, I¡ªI just think it''s shameful¡­." Chloe muttered.


    Vernon smirked and leaned down to kiss her nipple before giving it a quick suck, making Chloe jolt in response, and her mped thighs trembled in session.


    "Ah¡ª Ahnn!" she moaned sweetly at first and then moaned again when Vernon''s rough fingers slid between her pussy lips and her body willingly surrendered to the pleasure, spreading her thighs open for him.


    Vernon stopped sucking and nibbling on Chloe''s nipple. His hand pulled Chloe''s loose pants and took them off, so he could get a clear view of the fleshy, pulsating wet pussy.


    "Tsk, how nice," hemented.


    Chloe couldn''t handle her embarrassment and closed her eyes. But it only heightened the sensation when Vernon''s finger traced around herbia and the slit.


    "Uhmm¡­ ah!" Chloe''s legs trembled when Vernon fiddled with her clitoris between his fingers, ying with it carelessly as if they had been doing this many times in the past.


    As if Vernon was supposed to be her soulmate from the very start.


    With one hand on her clit, he used his other hand to take off his briefs and he started jacking off.


    As he beat his meat, he realized that Chloe''s pussy started to get deliciously wet.


    His adam''s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He got so thirsty suddenly, so he lowered his head, buried his face between Chloe''s thigh, and used his nose to fiddle with her clit while he opened his mouth to lick her slit.


    "Ah¡ª Ahhnn!" Chloe closed her thighs again out of reflex, locking Vernon''s neck, forcing him to go deeper and use his tongue to continue licking around herbia.


    "Ah¡ª V¡ªVernon, it''s ticklish¡ª ah!" Chloe was torn between pleasure and shame. She tried to open her thighs, but whenever Vernon used his tongue to start prying inside her slit, she couldn''t help to mp her thighs even tighter, so Vernon couldn''t escape her.

 Chapter 450 450

    Vernon''s saliva was mixed with the juice that kept leaking out of Chloe''s pussy. Creating a taste that he liked so much, he slurped it a few times.


    Slurp. Slurp. Sluurpp.


    "Ah¡ª Ahh¡­ ahnnn!"


    For every slurp Vernon made, Chloe felt her soul would leave her body through her pussy. It was a feeling of bliss that she wanted to have every day, every night, with this man.


    Chloe wondered how Vernon could do something that was supposed to be gross¡ª sucking her pussy¡ª and make it look like he enjoyed it so much.


    She opened her eyes slowly and saw Vernon''s head buried between her thighs. His hands held her thighs to better control them as Chloe''s legs kept trembling, closing, and spreading.


    Vernon''s mouth started making thrusting motions around Chloe''s slit, making sure that his tongue swept inside her vagina and sucked the fresh juice right from the source.


    Chloe felt this mind-numbing pleasure brought her to heaven, but the way he kept teasing her with his tongue¡ª especially with his tongue cleaning her pussy out made her feel like she was in a neverending torment in hell of pleasure.


    "Ahh! Ahnnn! Ummhhh!"


    Slurp! Slurrp!


    No matter how many times Chloe tried to muffle her voice, the ultimate bliss brought by Vernon''s tongue was just too much, forcing her to moan as loud as possible, filling every corner of the foyer with her sweet moans.


    Until she felt a strange sensation swirling inside her pussy, "Auhnn! AUHHHH! AHHH!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Chloe screamed, and her body jolted when she reached climax. She released her pussy juices right into Vernon''s mouth. Vernon didn''t want any of them to go to waste, so he kept sucking andpping her up until Chloe stopped convulsing.


    He lifted his head and proudly licked the juice around his lips before he checked on Chloe.


    Chloe''s body was rosy-red right now, with her tits rising up and down, trying to catch a breath after experiencing a climax.


    Her eyes were zed with tears, half closed, before she closed them altogether. She was exhausted, still unable to get used to the pleasure.


    It was too much, and drained her in an instant.


    Vernon looked down to check on her wet pussy and then at his cock that had already leaked precum simply because he enjoyed slurping Chloe''s pussy juice so much.


    It had been a while since he fucked a pussy, and this would be the best time for him to do it.


    He wanted to, in fact.


    He wanted to rub her pussy with his cock before making that one strong thrust, burying his thick cock inside her wet pussy.


    ''She''s gotten fatter too. So she shouldn''t be as frail as before,'' Vernon swallowed his saliva as he was trying to rationalize what he was about to do. ''Should I do it? Should I grab a condom and just fuck her right here, right now?''<novelnext></novelnext>


    Truth be told, he wasn''t a patient man, to begin with. He could''ve just fucked her and ignored all his worries about her body.


    But¡­


    ''No, she''s not healthy enough,'' Vernon reminded himself. ''She might be putting on some weight, but she''s still ssified as underweight right now. She has also experienced a traumatic event with my Big brother at the school¡­.''


    Vernon was putting all the reasons for him NOT to fuck her right now. He just couldn''t bear to hurt the woman he loved, even if she might not refuse his advances if he wanted to right now.


    "Chloe?" Vernon called her name, but Chloe didn''t respond. He waved his hand in front of her closed eyelids. He realized that Chloe had fallen asleep, probably too exhausted after climaxing.


    "Well, there you have it, my reason not to fuck her right now," Vernon whispered. He had a helpless chuckle before pulling his briefs up.


    He buttoned Chloe''s pajamas and pulled her loose pants up. He got up and carefully slipped his hands under Chloe''s body to pick her up and carried her like his bride¡ª well, he wished he could carry her as his real bride as soon as possible.


    Vernon walked from the foyer to the kitchen and went downstairs. He walked into Chloe''s room and gently put her on the bed.


    He tucked her with the warm nket and sat at the edge of the bed, admiring the beauty of his beloved woman.


    Vernon used his finger to trace Chloe''s face; her eyes were shut, and Vernon imagined the beautiful, sweet doe eyes that would look at him like he was the most dependable man on earth. Her cheeks were rosy and happened to be always rosy whenever they were together. Her lips were slightly parted, and he used his finger to trace around her lips.


    His adam''s apple bobbed again, and he lowered his head to nt a small kiss on her lips.


    No matter how often he kissed her lips, he just couldn''t get enough. He was already holding back a lot of times, as her health had the highest priority, much more than his pleasure.


    "Well, I can wait, for now. I''ll reap what I sow when she''s perfectly healthy and ready to give herself to me," Vernon muttered.


    He wiped the sweat around her forehead before getting up, ready to leave the room.


    But he stopped on his track when he heard a ringtone. He darted his eyes at the drawer near the bed and saw Chloe''s phone vibrating, she was getting a call.


    Vernon frowned. He wondered who''d call Chloete at night.


    ''Is it Vincent? But why?'' Vernon wondered.


    He stood in silence for a while, not wanting to check on her phone because he wanted to respect her privacy.


    The call stopped for a few seconds, and the second call came in. Whoever this person was, they must be desperate to call Chloe.


    Vernon clicked his tongue and walked to the drawer. He checked Chloe''s phone and read the caller''s ID.


    Dorothea Gray.

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    Dorothea Gray.


    Vernon''s brows creased even more. He didn''t know what the useless mother of his wanted to do by calling Chloe, but he knew that wasn''t a good sign.


    He ignored it for a while until the call ended and then unlocked the phone.


    He was surprised that Chloe didn''t put in any password, so he didn''t need to guess her password.


    ''Could it be that Vincent also forbade Chloe to put on a password? So he can always check her phone if he wants to? Damn, what a control freak.''


    Vernon decided to check on the call logs to see who called Chloe, and he saw at least ten missed calls from Dorothea tonight.


    He shook his head out of disbelief, "This old hag must''ve nned to insult Chloe, probably going to intimidate her for whatever reason. She has all the time for the past ten years to protect Chloe from Vincent''s abuse, but she never do it."


    "She just kept blindly supporting Vincent just because he''s the better version of me," Vernon murmured. He had a lot of resentment toward his mother, so he didn''t have a single good expectation when he saw her caller id.


    Chloe''s phone rang again from Dorothea''s call, and he decided to turn the phone off before putting it back in the drawer.


    Vernon''s eyes darkened as he imagined all the horrible things that Dorothea would say to Chloe. He shifted his gaze at Chloe and muttered, "I''ll tell her to block Dorothea''s number tomorrow, and probably Vincent''s number too. We also have to find a way to get Mackie out of her current school. Need to save her before things get really bad."


    Vernon turned around and left. He had decided to ept the offer from Vincent, just like Chloe advised.


    That, and he had consider it for a while, and realized it''d be stupid for him to pass the chance. But he also had to take precautions for the 35% shares, though he still had no idea what to do with that one.


    **


    Chloe woke up in the morning feeling refreshed after a long rest. She opened her eyes slowly and stared at the ceiling of her bedroom.


    She was trying to process what just happenedst night and how she was in her room though she believed she must''ve fallen asleep after she climaxed.


    ''Wait, does that mean¡­ I fell asleep when he was not even done yet? I didn''t even give him a return service after what he did for me,'' Chloe looked around again, and the realization hit her like a brick. ''Ah, he must''ve carried me into my room¡­.''


    ''Ugh, I feel so selfish!''


    Chloe covered her face with the pillow. The sense of guilt and shame were mixed into one, and she felt it was a missed chance.


    ''The mood was good, what if he actually wants to do more? I''ve missed my chance!''


    Again, Chloe felt so dirty for thinking like that, but she just couldn''t help to get excited whenever she had the idea of Vernon doing something ''more'' to her body.


    It took her a while to recover. She grabbed her phone to check the time, but it was turned off.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Did I turn it offst night? Or did it run out of battery?'' She wondered. She turned the phone on and checked the time and battery. ''Friday, six-thirty. Still 60%.''


    Chloe didn''t find anything wrong with her phone, so she got confused because she rarely turned her phone off.


    She decided to just ignore it and got up from the bed. She stretched her body before leaving the room.


    She checked Mackie''s room and saw her daughter was still asleep, much to her relief. She went up to check on Vernon and realized that Vernon''s bedroom was already open.


    "Vernon?" she called as she entered the bedroom, but the room was empty, so she guessed he was probably going to the gym downstairs.


    Chloe felt her left hand recovering faster, it didn''t swell anymore, and there was no pain when she tried to use it to grab things.


    So she decided to do the most basic things; making banana-apple juices for Mackie and Vernon.


    Chloe still retained her skill despite only using one hand. She prepared two sses of banana-apple juice and put them in the fridge before she went to Vernon''s bed to pick up the scatteredundry on the floor.


    She was so busy cleaning that she didn''t know someone just came in and stood behind her. Vernon wrapped his hands around Chloe''s waist and pulled her into his embrace.


    "Ah¡ª!" Chloe was surprised when the back of her head was suddenly buried between two strong pecs, filled with musky, manly smell and sweat. She looked up and saw Vernon smiling at her.


    "Good morning," he said. "I thought it''d take you a while to wake up, especially after what we didst night."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, and she shook her head, "S¡ªSorry forst night. I shouldn''t have fallen asleep¡­."


    "And what''d you do if you didn''t fall asleepst night? Hm?" Vernon teased.


    "I¡ªI¡ªUm¡­ doing my duty¡­." Chloe lowered her voice until it became almost inaudible. Unfortunately, Vernon caught it and smirked in response.


    "Then, will you do it now? I''m pretty sure you''d make my day by ''doing your job,'' hahah!"


    "O¡ªOkay¡­" Chloe nodded shyly. She was about to push herself out of his embrace and kneel before him to do her job, but Vernon stopped him.


    "Not now, I just spent two hours at the gym, I stink," Vernon refused, but he was pleased with Chloe''s willingness. So he released Chloe from his stinky embrace and allowed her to turn around and see his current self.


    Vernon was wearing a wet white tee and jogger pants. His hair was damp, and his chest heaved after a long exercise.


    Vernon teased her even more, "Now, do you still want to suck my dick? Pretty sure it''ll be salty, hahaha!"

 Chapter 452 452

    [Explicit.]


    Chloe swallowed her saliva. She braced herself as she was about to do something crazy, "W--Well, this is my first time ever doing it with a man after a workout session, b--but it''s my duty. I--I will do my job!"


    Chloe stuttered as she felt ashamed that she used ''duty'' and ''job'' as her reason. While in truth, she just wanted to taste a cock after a workout.


    She acknowledged her promiscuity but couldn''t care less. She started loosening up her restraint after knowing Vernon better. And she realized she could experience all the fun things she missed when she was with her ex-husband, Vincent.


    Vernon went silent, but his eyes stared deep at Chloe''s eyes, trying to pry on her intention.


    He didn''t want to make her feel forced, nor make her feel reluctant to do it. He wanted their intimate time to be based on consent... and love.


    After finding the assurance and willingness in Chloe''s eyes, Vernon had a little grin, "Go sit on the bed," he ordered.


    Chloe followed his order and sat at the edge of the bed. Vernon went to close the door and locked it before returning to Chloe.


    He checked Chloe''s hands and asked, "Can you use your left hand?"


    Chloe raised her left hand and clenched it without a problem, "My left hand has recovered."


    "Good."


    Vernon pulled on his jogger pants, and his warm, fully erect cock popped and bounced in front of Chloe''s face.


    Chloe''s eyes followed the bouncing cock and focused on the bulbous tip. She swallowed her saliva, trying not to look too eager in front of Vernon.


    Vernon stepped forward until his cock was right in front of her mouth. He reached Chloe''s chin and lifted her head, "Just take it slow, okay? I don''t want you to get hurt."


    "Mm..." Chloe nodded.


    Thus, Vernon released her chin and allowed Chloe to service his hard cock.


    Vernon''s cock was like a stone pir. It was big and hard, like a rock. So she didn''t need to prop it with her hand. Instead, she used her left hand to start tracing around his shaft before she started rubbing his balls.


    Chloe saw the throbbing bulbous tip in front of her mouth. She looked up, staring at Vernon with her doe eyes before giving a tip a soft kiss.


    "Urgh," Vernon grunted when he saw her eyes. Her doe eyes were so sweet, yet alluring at the same time, it was a major turn-on for him, and his throbbing cock got even harder in an instant.


    Chloe had a little prideful grin when she saw Vernon''s reaction, both from his face and cock. She opened her mouth lightly and kissed the tip before putting half of his tip into her mouth.


    Vernon took a deep breath and let out a low ''fuck'' when his cock entered Chloe''s warm and soft mouth.


    Chloe seemed to have gotten used to Vernon''s size in her mouth so that she didn''t struggle to slowly suck the bulbous tip and lick it like a lollipop.


    "So, how does it taste?" Vernon asked. He was curious because he didn''t think Chloe would put his sweaty dick into her mouth.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe looked up and replied with a thick cock still inside her mouth, "Shal--thy."


    Vernon grinned and inserted his fingers inside Chloe''s chestnut hair, slowlybing her hair as she serviced him, "Thought so, but you don''t seem to be grossed out with it."


    "Tas--thy..." Chloe added.


    Whether true or not, it was enough to send shivers around his body. Vernon felt like every kiss, lick, and suck Chloe made was powerful enough to make him cum quicker than he expected.


    "Umm... ah... ahmp--" Chloe closed her eyes as she enjoyed her salty lollipop. Her left hand started stroking Vernon''s cock while she tried to go deeper to suck the shaft.


    "Urgh, fuck!" Vernon cursed as he tried to hold off his ejaction. Chloe was just way too effective on him. Whatever she did was seductive, and whatever she did brought the best in him.


    Chloe loved the tip so much that she kept using her tongue to wrap around the bulbous tip until she felt the cock getting bigger and started twitching.


    She realized that Vernon was about to cum. She looked up while she kept sucking, waiting for Vernon''s instruction.


    Vernon grinned at her, his chest heaved as he held it, "Let go, love. I don''t want you to drink it, it might be too salty for you, heheh."


    Chloe nodded and opened her mouth, releasing the hot and salty cock out of her mouth. Vernon grabbed his dick and started jacking it off.


    At first, he thought about cumming on her face, but he looked down and realized he had another spot he hadn''t tainted.


    Vernon used his other hand to unbutton the first two buttons on Chloe''s pajama, exposing her tits.


    "Chest up, love," Vernon ordered.


    Chloe instantly understood what Vernon wanted. So she puffed her bosom and her tits jiggled.


    She used her left hand to prop her tits up, waiting for Vernon to reach his climax.


    "Hrgh... fuck! I''m cumming-- Cumming!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Vernon aimed at Chloe''s chest and shot all his semen onto her tits. It had been a while since thest time Vernon jacked off, so he had a lot stored inside his balls.


    "Ah-- mmfh!" Chloe closed her lips when some of his cum shot inside her mouth instead.


    Vernon was catching his breath after shooting his cum on Chloe''s tits. He observed his art, the rosy bosom of his beloved woman, smeared with sticky white paint.


    Some of his cum flowed down into her cleavage. It was such an erotic scene that it made him feel like he could go for the second round.


    His cock twitched again and got hard in an instant, so he rushed to the bathroom to take a bath, or he might go for a second and then a third, and there would be no turning back.

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    Chloe got up and pulled a few sheets of tissue to wipe the cum on her lips and chest. Her eyes followed Vernon, who rushed to the bathroom, probably taking a shower and preparing himself for the day.


    Chloe walked towards the bathroom door and knocked twice;


    "Um¡­ Vernon, I''ve prepared banana-apple juice for you. I''ve also ordered a takeout. You don''t need to cook anything,"


    ''Ah, crap,'' Vernon cursed inaudibly as he heard Chloe at the door. He wanted to say that he''d rather cook by himself than eat trash food, but he didn''t want to hurt Chloe''s feelings.


    So he politely rejected, "I''ll just drink the banana-apple juice you made!" Vernon said. "I''m not too hungry!"


    "Okay¡­" Chloe was a bit stumped, but she already knew that Vernon was a picky eater, and no matter what food she ordered, he''d probably hate all of it except for the one she cooked. "I''ll leave now!" Chloe shouted as she heard the shower was turned on inside the bathroom.


    "Wait, Chloe!" Vernon''s voice stopped her.


    "Yes?"


    "Did you have Vincent and Dorothea blocked?" he asked.


    "Ah¡ª uhm¡­ I blocked Vincent a few months ago. I don''t know about Dorothea¡­." Chloe said. She tried to remember whether she had blocked Dorothea or not. But found out that Dorothea had just slipped out of her mind.


    She always thought that Dorothea didn''t give a shit about her, so they ignored each other and continued with their own lives.


    She wondered why Vernon mentioned this now. He never seemed to be bothered whether she had them blocked or not.


    So what changed him?


    "Block her too," Vernon said decisively while taking a shower.


    "Um, okay¡­" Chloe obeyed though she found it unnecessary since Dorothea and she didn''t have any conversation after Dorothea''s birthday party in the Gray mansion.


    "I''m serious, Chloe. Check your call logs. She had been terrorizing your phone the entire night," Vernon informed. His tone sounded serious¡ª too serious, in fact.


    Chloe almost gasped when she realized that Vernon must''ve checked her phone, which wasn''t locked by any password.


    Vincent always used her of cheating for the smallest reason, including putting a password in her phone. It went as far as scolding her if she dared to lock her room or bathroom.


    So she forgot to put a password because it had be a habit to keep everything exposed in front of Vincent, or he''d go nuts.


    "¡­ Sorry, I checked. She just kept sting your phonest night. So I turned your phone off," Vernon admitted.


    "Ah¡ª I¡ªit''s okay¡­."


    Honestly, Chloe didn''t mind at all. She had nothing to hide from Vernon¡ª as long as Vernon didn''t check the gallery, of course, because Chloe saved the pictures of Vernon when he was little.


    It was just a memory of the sweet past, but it''d still be embarrassing if he knew that Chloe kept his pictures.


    "Um¡­ I will leave now, Vernon," Chloe said.


    She quickly left Vernon''s bedroom. She went down and entered her bedroom to check her phone, and there she saw another missed call from Dorothea Gray.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was weird because she believed she had no real feud against Dorothea.


    That old woman was busy being a socialite, joining or throwing one fancy party after another. She always looked down on Chloe for being too ordinary.


    Chloe wanted to join one or two of her parties, but Vincent always told her no and ridiculed her for buying a cheap dress, let alone an expensive one.


    So she had no choice but to refuse all of Dorothea''s invitations¡­


    Chloe checked the logs and was shocked by how many times Dorothea tried to call her.


    In total, Dorothea sted her phone with twenty-one missed calls.


    "What does she want?" Chloe wondered. Since there was no feud between them, Chloe believed that Dorothea wanted something from her. "Did Vincent finally tell her to start terrorizing me too? But I thought she said that my married life with Vincent is not her problem¡­."


    Chloe remembered how often sheined that Vincent was ''cold'' or ''unfeeling'' towards Dorothea, and she got a cold shoulder.


    The straw that broke the camel''s back was when Chloe braced herself and told Dorothea about Vernon''s affair, and she remembered Dorothea''s response vividly;


    -


    "The only thing you have of worth is between your thighs."


    -


    Thus, Chloe simply removed Dorothea from her mind and focused on escaping Vincent''s grasp in her own way.


    "Is this Vincent''s doing, or Dorothea wants something else?" Chloe suspected. Her eyes darted to the door facing hers, where Mackie was still sleeping. "Does she want Mackie?"


    Mackie was Dorothea''s most beloved grandchild. There were many children around Mackie''s age within the branch family of the Gray family, but none enjoyed the privilege that Mackie experienced.


    But that didn''t matter because no way in hell would Chloe allow Mackie to meet with Dorothea.


    Her phone ringtone broke the silence as she was still thinking about Dorothea''s intention. She checked the caller ID, and it was Dorothea again.


    "What''s with her persistence? What''s happening with her?" Chloe bit her lower lip. She grew increasingly nervous as she wondered what to do.


    Naturally, she should''ve obeyed Vernon''s words to ignore the call and block Dorothea''s number, just like what she did to Vincent''s and her entire family''s phone numbers because all of them were just toxic.


    But she had this sense of crisis. Her gut feeling told her that she''d miss something important if she cut Dorothea out of her life.


    Chloe stared at the phone and waited until the call ended. She took a deep breath and promised in her mind;


    ''If she calls me again, I will pick it up this time, and only for one time,'' Chloe told herself. ''I want to know what''s on her mind, or maybe she''s just trying to pressure me to return to Vincent, just like the rest of my family do.''


    Chloe waited for another five minutes, and when she got the 22nd call from Dorothea, she decided to pick up the call.

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    -


    "Oh, thank god, you finally answered my call!"


    Chloe heard Dorothea''s voice on the phone, and her body tensed immediately. She knew she had no entanglement nor sin against Dorothea, but whenever she remembered that menacing old woman, she couldn''t help but get nervous.


    "Chloe? Are you there?" Dorothea asked.


    Chloe gulped as she tried to swallow her nervousness. She sat at the corner of the bed, putting the phone near her ear, and answered, "H¡ªHello."


    Dorothea had a huge sense of relief after the burden in her heart had been lifted a bit. She really thought that Chloe blocked her, just like how she blocked her family and husband.


    ''Could it be that she still sees me as a redeemable mother-inw, or does she just forget about mepletely?'' Dorothea wondered in her mind. Though, the answer was actually quite obvious.


    They weren''tpatible as a family and tried to ignore each other, so it wouldn''t be surprising if Chloe simply forgot to block her.


    Nevertheless, it was Dorothea''s chance to connect with her estranged daughter-inw.


    "Chloe, before you''re thinking about hanging up, I want to have a small talk with you," Dorothea said, putting the warning upfront because she didn''t want her conversation with Chloe to get cut.


    Chloe stared at her opened door, ensuring Mackie was still sleeping.


    Mackie spent much time with her Granny, so the old woman''s voice was recognizable.


    She feared Mackie might get too excited hearing her Granny''s vote and identally spill Vernon''s identity.


    After making sure there was no sign of Mackie waking up, she answered, "Okay¡­."


    Dorothea took a deep breath. She had A LOT of questions, especially since she thought Chloe was just an ignorant, arrogant, ungrateful low-value woman who was lucky to marry her son.


    But Vincent''s unhinged attitude yesterday caused Dorothea to have nightmares when she closed her eyes. Because Vincent reminded her so much of Vaughn. Vincent was almost like a carbon copy of his father, from his malicious smirk, arrogance, and perversion whenever they saw a woman getting hurt.


    It was bizarre, and Dorothea felt immense guilt because she had indirectly caused Vincent to spiral into his current self.


    "Chloe, be honest with me, what caused you to divorce Vincent?" Dorothea asked without beating around the bush. After all, this was the most important question.


    Chloe''s breath stilled for a second. She wondered if she had to lie again.


    But she was out of Vincent''s mansion already. There was no need for her to hide anything¡­


    "There are many, many reasons for me to leave him, Dorothea," Chloe replied. Her voice was shaky and hoarse. So she sounded like a woman trying not to cry. "For the past ten years, I''ve experienced many unpleasant things with him. But what makes me decide to leave him that day¡­ was him sleeping with his secretary during Mackenzie''s birthday."


    "He missed his daughter''s birthday just because he wanted to spend a night fucking his secretary," Chloe answered without hiding a thing.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Many things made Chloe want to leave Vincent for a long time. But she always stayed for her daughter. As long as Mackie had a perfect family consisting of a father and mother, she could bear anything Vincent threw at her.


    But she decided to leave when she realized that Vincent would rather fuck that whore than spend a night celebrating his daughter''s birthday. Because their daughter was out of Vincent''s equation, Chloe had no reason to stay.


    Previously, Dorothea would m Chloe for being ungrateful for leaving Vincent just because Vincent missed Mackie''s birthday.


    But this was a different case.


    If Vincent missed Mackie''s birthday because of work, Dorothea would scold Chloe.


    But he missed his daughter''s birthday because of another woman¡­ and it was way too rtable to Dorothea.


    She lost count of how many times Vaughn missed Vincent''s¡ª and all of Vernon''s birthday. He was always busy fucking random chicks or just going on a golf trip with his colleagues, getting drunk, and smashing a few more chicks during the activity.


    She first confronted Vaughn, demanding an exnation for missing out on his son''s birthdays. But he always scoffed it out and said it wasn''t important, so he didn''t need to attend.


    Dorothea was miserable, especially when Vincent always asked where his father had gone.


    "I¡ªI see¡­." Dorothea''s voice started shaking as the terrible memories of her life with Vaughn shed in her mind. "Did he cheat a lot?"


    "Yes, every single day, usually with his secretary, or with a random woman, or even with the mansion''s female workers," Chloe confirmed the harsh truth. "Most of the time, he did it on our marital bed."


    Dorothea gulped when Chloe confirmed her fear; Vincent was a serial cheater with no regard for his wife''s heart.


    "You told me about his cheating. I thought it was you overreacting at that time, so I didn''t take it seriously," Dorothea said. "I also have a simr experience. So, I try to ignore any kind of cheating because I don''t want to be reminded of my terrible past with Vaughn. I am so sorry, Chloe."


    Dorothea had never been this truthful in front of anyone except Shailene.


    But when she put herself in Chloe''s shoes, she realized they must have experienced almost the same thing living with the Gray family. Hence, she sympathized much easier with Chloe now.


    Meanwhile, Chloe was too shocked when she heard the word sorrying out of Dorothea''s mouth.


    It was so shocking that she thought she was dreaming right now.


    Chloe checked the caller ID again just to make sure that she was on a call with the same Dorothea Gray, who always referred to her as an ungrateful woman without ever listening to her side of the story.


    ''What happened? What changed her like this? Is this some kind of trap?'' Chloe had tons of suspicions in her head. So she stayed guarded when Dorothea asked another question;


    "You never told me about this one before, but¡­ I know that you''ve been abused by him badly. What exactly did he do to your body, Chloe?"

 Chapter 455 455

    ''That question...''


    She wished Dorothea could be a bit less biased against her back then, so she could see Chloe suffering for so long.


    If she had a little bit of pity on her, she''d notice that Chloe went from having the perfect ideal body to suddenly going overweight and then going severely malnourished until she could barely stand on her feet.


    ''If only she''s a bit more sympathetic to my situation back then. Or at least caring enough to ask if there was something wrong with Vincent and our marriage, things could''ve been so different....''


    There were a lot of ''if only'' in Chloe''s head. She felt that question was what she needed when she was still married to Vincent. Back then, she had a bit of hope that Dorothea could see Vincent''s craziness because she believed that Dorothea was not a bad person.


    She was just... busy with her messy life.


    She kept waiting and waiting, trying to give her hints until she lost hope. So, she decided to stop hoping for anyone to save her from Vincent''s abuse because nobody would help her, not her family or mother-inw.


    "Chloe?" Dorothea called her name because Chloe was unresponsive on the phone. "Are you there?"


    "Ah-- sorry, I was just... thinking about the past...." Chloe muttered. "I''ve always wanted you to know how badly he abused me. How he ruined me physically and mentally, and made my life a living hell for the past ten years...."


    Dorothea inhaled deeply as she noticed that Chloe''s voice contained hopelessness. As if she had given up all hope of being rescued.


    "I am so sorry, Chloe. I-- I know sorry is not enough," Dorothea said. "That''s why I want to--"


    Beep.


    Dorothea was still talking when the call was suddenly disconnected, "--help you...." Dorothea finished her sentence alone. She checked her phone and tried to call Chloe again, but it quickly got rejected.


    She frowned, "What''s wrong? Why did she reject my call?" Dorothea tried calling for the third time, but the call didn''t go through. It seemed that Chloe had turned her phone off.


    Dorothea got worried that something terrible had happened to Chloe.


    Vincent told her that Chloe was now staying with a new man, probably an old millionaire in New York, and tried her best to avoid Vincent.


    Dorothea asked him to just drag Chloe back to the mansion, but Vincent said he was ying a long game and wanted Chloe to return with her own initiative, even out of desperation.


    "She doesn''t sound like she''s in pain just now, so it''s safe to assume that she''s being treated well by her new man, right?" Dorothea theorized. "Then what about the sudden cut? What''s wrong with her?"


    Since Dorothea couldn''t do anything right now, she just wished Chloe would call her back. She wanted to have more heart-to-heart conversations with her daughter-inw, and hopefully, Chloe could trust her enough so they could meet.


    "Let''s just hope she''s doing alright. I already feel guilty for ignoring her for the past ten years, I''d feel even more guilty if I can''t even save her now."


    **


    Meanwhile, Chloe-- who was listening to Dorothea-- gasped and quickly turned her phone off when Vernon walked in and stood at the door, staring at her with deep eyes full of annoyance.


    He tried to tone down his annoyance, but it always came off as strong because he overheard Chloe''s conversation with Dorothea.


    "V--Vernon, w--what are you doing here?" Chloe tried to act natural, but her nervousness was so obvious that it only annoyed Vernon even more.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon opened his mouth, but before he could speak, there was another call from Dorothea.


    Chloe quickly rejected it and turned her phone off.


    She tossed her phone to the bed behind her back and focused all her attention on Vernon, "Do you need something? I--I can try to cook if you want."


    "Drop with the pretense, Chloe. You''re not fooling anyone," Vernon said coldly.


    Chloe''s heart dropped when she heard Vernon''s cold, unfeeling voice directed toward her.


    Their rtionship had been developing so well that Chloe forgot how cold he was towards her initially.


    Nowadays, Vernon always talked to her gently, and his voice always had that longing and loving sensation that could make her blush simply because it made her feel wanted.


    But now, all of that sweetness seemed to have vanished instantly.


    Vernon put his hand on his waist. He sighed and lowered his head as he didn''t want to scare Chloe.


    But he was annoyed, disappointed, and worried right now.


    "Did you not realize who was on the phone with you just now?"


    "I--I know...." Chloe replied meekly. "It''s Dorothea..."


    "Yeah, my bitch mother," Vernon said curtly. He was always pissed off whenever the topic was Dorothea.


    He just had no good memory of that useless mother of his. From the day he was born up until now, he never had any sweet moment that he could treasure.


    She was always drunk, crying,ughing, or all of them simultaneously. She was a crazy bitch, and Vernon was d that Chloe came into his life, or else he''d be a mess just like his Big brother.


    So he was disappointed that Chloe started talking to Dorothea, especially when they were talking about Vincent''s abuse.


    Obviously, Dorothea didn''t give a damn about Chloe.


    She had all the chances to help her, and she didn''t. She was just an ignorant woman on the edge of killing herself, not that Vernon cared anyway.


    That bitch could rot in hell for all he cared. It''d make his job easier as well.


    "Just block her, Chloe. She has ill intentions, you don''t want to fall into her maniption," Vernon said. "I don''t want you to do something stupid because of her."


    "I--I will do itter...." Chloe replied though it was obvious that she wouldn''t block Dorothea''s number.


    "Tsk," Vernon stretched his arm and opened his palm, "Give me your phone. I will block her myself."

 Chapter 456 456

    "Give me your phone. I will block her myself."


    Vernon''s voice was demanding, full of impatience. He was so pissed off, and Chloe understood what caused that.


    She knew Vernon had a lot of resentment and anger toward his mother. Chloe witnessed how Dorothea never actually gave shit about Vernon growing up and how she always busied herself getting drunk and screaming like a madwoman to everyone in the Gray family mansion.


    Dorothea and Vaughn fought a lot, and Chloe had to hug Vernon tightly whenever he cried. Despite his arrogant young master persona, Little Vernon was still a vulnerable boy who got upset whenever he saw his parents yell at each other.


    Chloe also remembered the first day she entered the Gray family mansion. Vernon was running around the corridor, knocking on expensive vases as he tried to get Dorothea''s attention. But Dorothea''s reaction was too much. She started cursing him like cursing an adult, calling him a bastard and little shit, and even told him to go die because nobody wanted him.


    Vernon stood still, he didn''t cry, but he stared at his mother with hatred.


    When Chloe witnessed that hatred in Vernon''s eyes, she realized that Vernon must''ve been deprived of love since he was raised in such a hostile environment.


    Chloe thought that Dorothea''s harsh words back then were just because she was under the influence. But Chloe never saw her without a bottle of booze in her left hand. She even caught her taking heroin from time to time.


    Dorothea was a mess, so Chloe gave up trying to connect the daughter and son and decided to raise Vernon by herself.


    Chloe''s memory shed at that moment when then-seven-year-old Vernon told her something shocking;


    -


    "Big sis Chloe, I wish my Mom and Dad would die," Vernon said innocently.


    Chloe paused for a moment, but she didn''t freak out because she had experienced babysitting many toddlers around her neighborhood as a part-timer in middle school.


    Toddlers and kids around Vernon''s age often said unexpected things without realizing it.


    So she calmly asked, "Why do you think like that? What''s wrong?"


    "Um... because they keep telling me to die, so I want them to die too," Vernon replied, still with innocence.


    ...


    Chloe took another deep breath. She was still trying to stay calm.


    "Vernon, do you know what death means?" she asked, and Vernon replied by shaking his head.


    "Well, to die means that your Mom and Dad will not be there with you anymore. They will leave somewhere far away and will nevere back. Do you want that to happen?"


    Vernon''s eyes brightened when he heard that exnation, "Then I want Mom and Dad to die! I really want them to die!" Vernon chirped happily. "Big sis, can I stay with you if Mom and Dad die? I want to stay with you forever!"


    ...


    --


    Chloe stared at Vernon, who was trying to intimidate her. She was scared, of course. But she felt that blocking Dorothea would solve nothing, especially when Chloe believed that Dorothea was genuinely trying to make peace with Chloe... and with herself.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "She is not as bad as you think she is," Chloe muttered.


    Vernon scoffed. He really had no mood to argue with Chloe right now, especially when it was obvious that he was in the right.


    Chloe was always stirred by her emotion, so it was easy to fool her, especially with a maniptive bitch like Dorothea.


    "And why do you think so? What makes her good?" Vernon raised his chin and crossed his arms in front of his chest. It was obvious that nothing could change his mind right now.


    But Chloe still wanted to say something for Vernon to think.


    "Vernon, your mother is also a victim of severe abuse by your father. She''s no different than me," Chloe said.


    Vernon was triggered the moment Chloe said that. He grabbed Chloe''s arms and squeezed them until she winced in pain.


    "V--Vernon, let go...."


    "Listen to me, Chloe," Vernon''s voice was a bit coarse because he was holding off his rage. His hawk eyes red at Chloe as if he was about to do something very unpleasant soon.


    "Don''t you ever dare topare yourself with Dorothea," he said. "So what if she got abused back then? She still unleashed all of that abuse at me as a revenge just because I was just a defenseless kid."


    "Did you ever scream at Mackie-- telling her to die and rot in hell? Did you ever shove or hit your daughter with a beer bottle just because Vincent did the same to you?! DID YOU?!" Vernon''s emotions started getting out of control when he remembered all the abuses he had experienced at the hands of Dorothea.


    Chloe''s face paled instantly. She wasn''t in the Gray mansion 24/7, so she didn''t know the true extent of abuse Little Vernon experienced.


    She just thought that-- at least, at the bare minimum-- Dorothea never physically abused Vernon.


    And she was wrong, it seemed.


    "She hit me a lot of times, Chloe, especially when I was only five to six years old. You never know and I never tell because I just don''t want you to know," Vernon added. "So don''t you fucking dare topare yourself to that drunkard. It disgusts me. Do you understand?"


    ...


    "I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Vernon raised his voice, and Chloe nodded slowly.


    Her eyes were already zed with tears, and she was shaking, "I--I understand, sorry...." Chloe mumbled. She lowered her head, too scared to face Vernon right now.


    His face... looked like he could be the second Vincent soon, and it terrified her so much.


    Vernon realized what he had done.


    He quickly released his hands from Chloe''s arms. He took a few steps back to give Chloe room to breathe.


    "Sorry, I-- I got too angry...." Vernon admitted. He tried to lower his voice so he didn''t sound intimidating. Thest thing he wanted to see was Chloe''s tears. "I didn''t mean to scare or hurt you, It''s just... whenever we talk about my mother, I can''t help to get angry."

 Chapter 457 457

    ...


    "Chloe?" Vernon called her name, but there was no answer from Chloe. Instead, he saw herp was already wet with a few drops of tearsing from the edge of her eyes.


    Vernon went stiff in an instant. He was about to drop to his knees and begged Chloe not to cry. It was almost like muscle memory for him to do anything so he wouldn''t see her tears.


    But this time, it was different.


    As much as he wanted to coax Chloe, what she did was stupid. She always used her heart and put aside her logic, so it was easy for her to fall into a small trap like this.


    ''I have to be firm. I cannot be swayed by Chloe''s tears, not when I''m defending the right thing,'' Vernon told himself. ''She needs to know who''s her friend or foe.''


    Vernon clenched his fists and turned around decisively. He couldn''t bear to speak when he saw Chloe looking so vulnerable like this, "I''m not trying to scare you, but you must think logically. What''s the chance that a neglectful bitch like my mother will suddenly change and try to help you? Of course she''s being controlled by Vincent to do his bidding."


    "Don''t be an idiot, Chloe," Vernon said. He looked over his shoulder and saw Chloe was still crying. He muttered a low ''fuck'' before leaving the room. He couldn''t bear to see Chloe crying for too long, or he might lose it and start begging her to stop crying.


    ''No, I am in the right one here. Chloe is being an idiot who can''t use her logic. I can''t let her fall into a stupid trap just because her heart is too soft,'' Vernon convinced himself as he grabbed his briefcase upstairs.


    He made long strides through the foyer heading to the front door. He held the door handle, but his heart was aching right now. He was still fighting not to rush back downstairs to coax Chloe and watch over her, just in case she might actually call Dorothea again.


    ''No, I can''t be too weak. Not right now, Vernon. This is for the best of her, the best of us,'' Vernon convinced himself again. ''I need to make my point.''


    Vernon took a deep breath and finally left the apartment. He tried to keep himself busy by thinking about his work today since he had a lot to do.


    But he kept feeling guilty as he imagined how Chloe would cry because of him, and it ate him up inside.


    **


    Chloe tried to wipe her tears that couldn''t stop. She was sad, but not for herself.


    She was sad when she saw Vernon''s eyes full of anger, disappointment, and sadness.


    He was hurting so much because Chloe decided to give Dorothea a chance.


    She had a lot of things going on in her mind right now, mostly about the whole situation between her, Dorothea, and Vernon.


    She knew she was illogical, and Vernon was the right one here. Dorothea had done absolutely nothing for the past ten years to help her.


    In fact, rather than trying to understand Chloe''s situation, she just tried to ridicule her, making it as if Chloe''s problem wasn''t as bad as hers and she was just being a spoiled little bitch.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dorothea had treated Vernon terribly too. She was verbally abusive, but this was the first time Chloe heard that Vernon was also getting physically abused by her.


    So she understood Vernon''s situation really well and would do anything to support him.


    But her heart...


    She had this gut feeling that something just flipped the switch in Dorothea. As if something just changed her overnight, Dorothea was now genuinely trying to make things better for all of them, especially for herself, as she was trying to have peace of mind.


    ''But, should I trust my gut feeling?'' Chloe asked herself.


    There had been an instance where her feelings got the best of her, and she married the wrong man. She ignored all the red gs and married Vincent, and now she suffered the aftermath.


    ''And what if Dorothea tries to reach me because Vincent told her to do so? What guarantees that she''s on my side when there is basically nothing gooding from our inws rtionship?''


    Chloe was conflicted, shey on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and the only thing she could think of was Vernon.


    How could she not think that her action would affect Vernon badly, and how she made him sad because she didn''t heed his words? It was a logical one as well, just to keep her safe.


    Then, a question popped into her mind.


    ''Do I ever think about Vernon as a person?'' Chloe asked herself. ''I always think of myself and Mackie, and I took all of his kindness for granted. Do I ever do something to help him other than doing my job as a maid here?''


    Now, Chloe believed that Vernon didn''t mind her not doing anything, as staying hiding was the best thing she could do right now as he was doing his job.


    But it made Chloe feel so... useless.


    It made her feel like she was nothing but a dead weight.


    She could stay as a dead weight for the rest of her life, and Vernon wouldn''tin.


    But she wanted to do something to help him, especially after seeing how hurt Vernon was.


    "He resents Dorothea much more than he resents Vincent, and that will haunt him for the rest of his life...." Chloe muttered.


    Now, if her gut feeling was right, she might be able to do something between Vernon and Dorothea to give them peace of mind, so they wouldn''t at least resent each other for the rest of their lives.


    "I might not be able to give him mary support-- not that he needs it anyway. But I... I can give him emotional support. I want him to be happy, just like how I want Mackie to be happy."

 Chapter 458 458

    "And by connecting this estranged pair of daughter and son might be able to make him happy, or at least realized that he''s well-loved...."


    After making her decision, Chloe grabbed her phone and turned it on. She had at least four more missed calls before Dorothea gave up. Though Chloe believed that her mother-inw would call her again, there were so many things they had to discuss.


    "But I have to be careful. I can''t let my emotions control me," Chloe reminded herself. She was already stupid enough to marry Vincent, to let her family trample her all over, and to fall into Maria and Vincent''s traps twice-- first in the coffee shop, second in the Principal''s office.


    She couldn''t mess this up, especially when this involved Vernon.


    Thus, instead of calling Dorothea, she had to take more... careful approach because listening to Dorothea''s voice kept apologizing to her made Chloe feel vulnerable and made her feel like she could trust Dorothea with her life.


    Which was too naive.


    So she texted her instead;


    -


    Chloe:


    Sorry that I ended the call, Dorothea. I had to do something for a while.


    Please don''t call me. Just text me instead.


    -


    It took Dorothea only five minutes to reply to her text, which meant that she had been waiting on her phone the entire time.


    -


    Dorothea:


    Oh, thank god, I really thought something happened just now.


    Were you okay? Did this new man of yours also abuse you just like he did?


    Be honest with me, Chloe.


    -


    Chloe was stunned by her answer. The fact that she didn''t refer to Vincent as ''my son'' meant that there must be something wrong between Vincent and Dorothea.


    That, and...


    The fact that she asked if she was okay. It gave off the feeling that Dorothea actually cared for her well-being.


    ''Crap, this only confuses me even more....'' Chloe was like a thirsty woman stuck in a desert, and Dorothea''s attention was like an oasis she had been searching for.


    But she was unsure if it was a real oasis or just a Fata Morgana because she was so damn thirsty.


    Chloe took a deep breath and tried to keep herself in check before she texted back;


    -


    Chloe:


    I''m alright. I just had somethinge up when we were on a call before.


    My new man is not abusive to me at all. He''s been nothing but very loving to me.


    Dorothea, why did you call me so suddenly? You''ve never seemed interested in my life before, and I don''t think I can fully trust you yet, Dorothea.<novelnext></novelnext>


    -


    Chloe knew that her question was straight to the point. But she had no capability of ying a mind game with Dorothea. She wasn''t an expert maniptor like Vincent or Vernon, so she''d rather ask the question and guess whether it was a truth or a lie using her gut instinct.


    Dorothea didn''t give Chloe a quick answer. Chloe waited more than ten minutes without responding, and she couldn''t help but frown.


    ''What took her so long to answer?'' she wondered.


    Unfortunately, her focus quickly shifted when she heard a little girl''s voiceing into her room, "Mommy... um... morning...." Mackie greeted while rubbing her eyes.


    She yawned a few times before walking towards Chloe and sleeping again on Chloe''s bed.


    Chloe quickly turned her phone off. She didn''t want Mackie to see anything rted to Dorothea, or she might throw a tantrum so she could meet with her Granny.


    "Wake up, dear. It''s almost eight already," Chloe said gently.


    "Umm... I want to sleep more, Mommy. Let me sleep... zzz..." Chloe giggled and gave Mackie a light kiss before getting up.


    "Well, Mommy already made you a banana-apple juice for breakfast. If you''re still sleeping, I guess I will drink it myself."


    Mackie''s eyes widened in an instant. It had been a while since thest time she had a banana-apple juice that her mother made, and she was craving it.


    Mackie jumped out of bed and chirped while tailing Chloe, "I want my banana-apple juice! Mommy can only drink half of it!"


    Thus, Chloe and Mackie left the bedroom and went upstairs for breakfast.


    Chloe intentionally left her phone in the bedroom because she didn''t want to keep checking on it as she waited for Dorothea''s answer.


    **


    Meanwhile, Dorothea had been staring at Chloe''sst text for at least thirty minutes, trying to find a good answer to this question.


    She wanted to sound genuine because she really was being genuine right now.


    But Dorothea understood that it wasn''t easy for Chloe to open up, especially after all the horrible treatment she had done to her daughter-inw back then. She deserved to be punished for her ignorance, but she felt that giving birth and turning Vincent-- her favorite son-- into a monster who ruined everyone''s life, including his own.


    "Should I just tell her about everything? That Vincent showed the abuse that he did towards Chloe in the Principal''s office?" Dorothea wondered. "Does that sound genuine enough?"


    There were a lot of doubts in Dorothea''s heart, and she decided to send something else instead of addressing Chloe''s question:


    -


    Dorothea:


    I don''t feelfortable just texting. Do you have time to meet? I want to meet you somewhere, and we can talk about this. I will answer everything that you want to know. You can judge whether I''m being genuine or not.


    -


    Dorothea thought that Chloe would reply to her soon. But she kept waiting and waiting until there was a phone call.


    Dorothea grabbed her phone and checked the caller, and her anticipation faded.


    Because it turned out to be Shailene, her psychiatrist. She must''ve called to remind Dorothea about their next meeting this evening.


    Dorothea had nned the meeting for a long time. She felt that she wasn''t getting better each day, and the memory of Vaughn always overwrite all the peace she had in mind.


    ''Should I just cancel the meeting, or... should I talk to Shailene about this?''

 Chapter 459 459

    ''Should I just cancel the meeting, or... should I talk to Shailene about this?'' Dorothea pondered.


    She thought she could get much-needed advice from Shailene, especially about her changing views. She knew it was abrupt, but Vincent''s action shook her to the core, making her feel so much worse, and the guilt was eating her from the inside.


    ''Though, so far, Shailene always told me to try to reconnect with Vernon. I don''t think anything good woulde if I try to reconnect with him¡­.''


    Dorothea was unsure about that piece of advice from Shailene. She was a good listener, but her advice was consistently ineffective, mainly because Dorothea refused to talk with Vernon.


    She was too prideful and embarrassed, thinking of her past sins. It was much easier to keep up with the animosity between her and Vernon rather than trying to be nice to each other.


    Dorothea sighed, "Oh well, I still want to talk about Chloe with Shailene," she murmured as she texted Shailene back, telling her that she woulde to her office in the evening.


    With that being said, Dorothea decided to just wait for Chloe to text her back, hopefully giving her a location they could meet in private. However, she doubted it''d be that easy.


    "God, please make this easier," Dorothea pleaded. "I''ve been eaten by my guilt ever since Vaughn''s death. I don''t know if I could spend the rest of my life feeling like this¡­."


    **


    Vernon was busy reading documents and calling a few people in the office. The mood around the office was a lot more tense than usual, and that affected Diamond, who thought she didn''t need to put up a serious act around Vernon all the time anymore.


    It was tiring working with a boss that was always on edge. One mistake, and he would yell at every single soul in the office.


    Diamond knocked on the door before entering Vernon''s office. She put another document for Vernon to read and asked, "Sir, what do you want for lunch?"


    Vernon picked up the document and started reading. With his eyes on the file, he answered, "I''m not hungry. You can return to your desk."


    ¡­


    "Sir, Chloe called me just now, she was telling me to buy you lunch. Just tell me if there''s something wrong between you two, it tires me out that I have to get caught between the rift," Diamond said.


    Vernon subtly flinched when Diamond mentioned Chloe. He was trying to keep himself busy because he felt guilty for what he had said to her in the morning.


    So he ignored Chloe''s texts, especially her telling him to get food for lunch and short breaks in case he got too tired.


    Those small things made him feel at home with the right woman.


    And he didn''t want to feel that, at least not now. He was still trying to make a point.


    "It''s none of your business, Diamond," Vernon said. "Just do your job and stay on your line."


    "Oh, I''d love to do that, Sir. But the atmosphere here is choking me, I couldn''t concentrate at all!" Diamondined. "Let''s just get this over with, shall we?"


    Vernon went silent for a moment and slowly put the document on the desk. He looked at Diamond and said, "Chloe is calling Dorothea, my useless piece of shit mother."


    The information was too abrupt for Diamond to process. She nked out for a moment, "Huh?"


    "Yeah, I caught her red-handed calling Dorothea, and they had some serious, heartfelt discussion," Vernon''s heart ached whenever he remembered Chloe calling his useless mother. He felt betrayed because he always believed that Chloe would always be by his side at this point.


    Turned out he was wrong. She could turn around anytime she wanted simply because of foolishness.


    "Why''d she do that?" Diamond asked. "That''s so not her."


    "That is very much her," Vernon replied curtly. "Chloe is driven by her emotion. Dorothea must''ve softened Chloe''s heart to make her vulnerable and willing to talk. It won''t be long before she leaked out our rtionship before I could even manage to defeat my Big brother."


    "I can''t make a mess, Diamond. So does she, she cannot make a mess as well, it''s a teamwork if we want to defeat Vincent," Vernon said.


    "That is true, Sir," Diamond nodded in full agreement. Sometimes she forgot how emotional her homegirl could be. Diamond remembered how Chloe said she wanted to run away because she didn''t want to hurt Vernon and was convinced by it.


    As if that was the smartest idea ever.


    But Chloe wasn''t someone who wouldn''t listen unless¡­


    "Sir, you''ve been so tense and in a terrible mood today. Let me guess, the discussion between you two about Dorothea was NOT going well, was it?"


    "It went terrible," Vernon sighed. "I was so angry and betrayed that I came off too strong when I told her to block that badly aging bitch''s number."


    "She tried to argue with me, but all I heard was weakness and vulnerability. Chloe was being foolish, and I got so angry that I¡­ terrified her¡­."


    "You did not hit her, right?"


    "No, oh fuck no! I''d rather kill myself than do that," Vernon denied vehemently. Just the thought of hurting Chloe was enough to make his stomach drop.


    Diamond sighed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Sir, sometimes, I feel like you don''t know how intimidating you can be. Don''t you remember how you made the whole room full of orphan kids cry when we visited an orphanage? That''s how scary you are."


    "Now, imagine if you''re in Chloe''s position, you''ve been abused by Vincent for ten years, and now she had to argue with you," Diamond shrugged at her boss. "Sir, you''re like¡ª the scarier and bigger version of Vincent. You don''t even need to raise your voice to scare other people, let alone the woman who had been abused by your Big brother."

 Chapter 460 460

    "Now, imagine if you''re in Chloe''s position, and you see someone who has scarier face than your abuser standing in front of you, yelling at you with his thundering voice?" Diamond tried to make Vernon realize her point about why Chloe was scared shitless of him.


    Vernon clicked his tongue as he didn''t find her judgment helpful, " Do you think I''m an idiot or what? Of course, I know that! Stop judging me for something I can''t help, Diamond. If you don''t want to give me good advice, just get the hell out!"


    Diamond wasn''t scared at all, though his thundering voice put psychological pressure on her, "Do you not see what I meant? You''re yelling at me with your thundering voice, even if you don''t really mean to scare me, but I still naturally got scared," Diamond said. "This is what Chloe experienced, but much worse."


    Diamond wobbled and grabbed the edge of the sofa so she wouldn''t fall. Vernon''s voice was so powerful and scary simultaneously. It was the perfect intimidation tool for anyone who dared to argue with him.


    Vernon watched how Chloe tried hard to stand up. He frowned, "You''re overexaggerating, my voice might be loud, but it''s not enough to make people fall to their knees."


    Diamond almost scoffed out loud in response. But she held it and stayed professional, "That is what you think, Sir. I am literally the secretary who has been working with you for almost two years. Trust me, you are THAT scary."


    ...


    Vernon went silent, waiting for Diamond to finish whatever point she wanted to make.


    "Don''t get me wrong, Sir. As much as I love my best friend, she is still the one in the wrong here," Diamond made her point to ensure that Vernon understood they were at the same time. "She should not have contacted Dorothea, no matter the situation. I also believed that nothing goodes from Dorothea-- else, she would''ve helped Chloe way before."


    Vernon nodded. He was relieved that Diamond could see his point. He really thought that she''d take Chloe''s illogical side just because they were best friends, "Yes, I just don''t want her to make any stupid decision just because she got fooled by Dorothea. So I told her to block that old bitch''s number."


    "But you got too emotional and scared her, right?"


    ...


    Vernon nodded again. This time, his gaze lowered as he felt a big shame weighing his shoulder.


    Diamond sighed, "Sir, I am on your side, but the way you try to solve this is not right. You see-- Chloe is like a very timid turtle, you don''t even need to touch her and she''ll retreat back into her shell. Now, what you did is not only touching her, but you''re shaking her shell until she got too scared."


    "Tch, I know I did wrong, but I can''t control my emotion when the topic is about Dorothea!" Vernon tried to defend himself. "Why don''t you just tell her about this and tell her to stop being an idiot, or else she might get hurt again, and I--" Vernon paused. He clenched his fist as his heart started aching when he remembered how Chloe was beaten to a pulp by Vincent. "--I don''t know if I can hold myself for the second time...."


    Diamond saw the grief on his face. He must''ve remembered that moment when Chloe returned to the office with swollen hands after she tried to defend herself against Vincent.


    She smashed the new phone that had been given by Vernon a few months prior, the one that had the automatic setting to block non-registered numbers.


    ''She should''ve smashed her old phone as well. She might make another contact with toxic people like Dorothea or her family,'' Diamond thought. Though she couldn''t tell Chloe what to do, despite her meek exterior, she was very stubborn.


    Chloe often said she would do something obediently but never did it because it didn''t align with what she thought. So it was difficult to work with Chloe unless you were on the same page.


    "Sir, I cannot say anything to her about this. This is about you, your family, and her. You should try to make her open up," Diamond said. "While I still don''t think any reason is good enough to let Chloemunicate with Dorothea, it will help you to understand her personality better."


    "Once you return home and meet her, ask Chloe about her reason why she talked with Dorothea on the phone, and do it calmly," Diamond advised. "I don''t care if your heart feels like a storm about to flip the whole apartment around, you HAVE to be patient, or else this will go on forever, and she might actually do something stupid while you''re not by her side."


    "Ugh, why do I have to do the job? It''s her fault! Why can''t she understand that I''m going to be mad whenever we talk about Dorothea!" Vernonined. "What she did actually hurts me, Diamond. I feel fucking betrayed!"


    Diamond sighed. Of course, she pitied her boss and understood his position really well. But she also believed that Chloe never tried to harm Vernon. If she wanted to harm Vernon, she could just give up and tell Vincent everything. Vernon''s office would be destroyed in a matter of months.


    ''It makes me wonder what the hell was she thinking? Why would she allow herself to be manipted? I know Chloe is a very emotional person, but I don''t think she''s a total idiot,'' Diamond wondered as she was also trying to find an answer.


    "Sir, remember that I am on your side for this, so you don''t have to feel alone," Diamond assured. "But I want the best for you two, so...."


    ...


    "Thanks, Diamond."


    "Anytime, Sir. You two went through a lot, so I believe you guys can talk this out," Diamond said. "I won''t let the bridesmaid dress I bought a month ago go to waste," Diamond rolled her eyes. "Ugh, can you believe that I have to spend three grand for that? Well, it''s he cute, but it''s still expensive!"

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    "A bridesmaid dress? For whose wedding?" Vernon asked.


    Diamond rolled her eyes, "Ohe on, Sir. I know that you and I have the same idea. Of course I''m just well prepared for you two''s wedding," she said. Diamond put one hand on her waist and raised one brow teasingly, "Well, if you have no n to marry her, then I''ll introduce her to my brothers, awyer and a cop, pretty sure they''d be happy to marry Chloe."


    Vernon''s eyes widened, "Don''t you dare, Diamond!"


    "Then you shouldn''t let something like this ruin your rtionship with her. Make sure that you treasure her well, or else I''ll ask my brothers to treasure her instead," Diamond spun and left without looking back, acting as if she didn''t see her boss ring at her.


    "You¡ª I''m not done talking to you!" Vernon raised his voice. He was both frustrated and embarrassed at the same time. Because he actually felt threatened deep inside his heart, scared that Chloe would move on with another man if he didn''t get his shit together.


    "Ugh," Vernon slumped back to his chair as Diamond closed the door. He had to admit that he got insecure whenever Diamond brought up his brothers.


    Naturally, Vernon knew Diamond''s brothers because he had to inquire about everything about her before hiring her as his secretary.


    Diamond''s brothers were regr men. They were handsome ck dudes, one with the rough build of a cop and the slightly more refined build of awyer.


    "Of course, I''m much better than them. I''m rich, much more handsome, have more sex experience and¡­" Vernon paused and gulped. Other than superficial traits, Diamond''s brothers were miles better than him.


    They were normal people with normal jobs and normal childhood,plete with a normal family.


    They were all the normalcy that Chloe craved the most, as she didn''t seem interested in the exorbitant wealth he offered. So Vernon always felt threatened whenever hepared himself to those men.


    "Well, I can''t give her theplete normalcy that she wants. But I will give her everything else that she wants," Vernon sighed. "If only Chloe is a bit morevish, or craves something more superficial like owning a private jet, things would''ve been so much easier for me topletely own her heart."


    Vernon felt much more rxed after bickering with Diamond. He wouldn''t lie that Diamond was the friend he needed and would p him with reality to bnce out his chaotic mind.


    Vernon tapped the armrest with his fingers, trying to find a way to address his worry and convince Chloe not to do anything stupid without scaring her.


    "Well first, I got topose myself," Vernon muttered. "Or else I''ll keep getting angry whenever Chloe tries to defend that old bitch, for whatever reason."


    Vernon was curious about what his useless mother said to Chloe that wouldpletely convince her like that.


    Was she trying to guilt trip Chloe from ruining the Gray family? Or guilt-tripping her about Mackie?


    While Vernon was still thinking about a way to coax Chloe, the door was suddenly mmed open, and Diamond stared at him with horror in her eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Jesus, Diamond, you fucking scared me!" Vernon cursed spontaneously.


    "Sir, Jesus and fuck shouldn''t be put in the same sentence," shemented. "But I have bad news, Sir."


    "What is it?"


    "Vincent Gray and Secretary Maria, they are here," Diamond reported. "I got the call from the receptionist, Vincent demanded to go to the top floor and meet you."


    Vernon straightened his back immediately. His expression became stern, and he put his hands on the desk, "Let them in. I think he wants to know my answer to the offer."


    "Yes, Sir."


    **


    Vincent and Secretary Maria went up with the VIP elevator straight to the top floor. He leaned on the wall and nced at the old hag carrying his briefcase.


    "Did you bring all the necessary documents for him to sign?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes, Sir, I have everything prepared," Maria confirmed. She gave her a side nce and asked, "You seem to be very confident that he will sign it, Sir. I don''t think Vernon is an idiot, far from it."


    "I know he''s not an idiot," Vincent replied with confidence, as always. He had zero worries in his eyes regarding his Little bro. "But that doesn''t mean I cannot pressure him to sign. Even if he refused to sign his share for the new makeuppany, as long as he took the job to promote our new makeup brand, his fate is sealed in my hand."


    Secretary Maria went silent. She was quite surprised when her boss told her what he could do to trap Vernon. It was quite smart, too, very ''Vaughn-like'' if she may say.


    "Do you hate him, Sir?" Secretary Maria asked. She wished Vincent would say yes, and he couldn''t wait to destroy that young man. She saw Vernon as a looming threat that might be a big danger to thepany, so they had to take him out before he ruined thepany to which Maria dedicated her life.


    "Hate? Why?" Vincent scoffed. "No matter how many times you try to convince me to hate my Little bro, I will never hate him, Maria. He is the only family that I have. I just want him to have what I have, so we can be even together as brothers¡ª with me slightly overpowering him in any aspect in life. It''s just how it should be."


    "By trapping him?" Maria sneered.


    Vincent grinned mysteriously, "Although I trust him a hundred percent, I still have to make sure that he won''t cross his line. He needs to be lesser than me, so I can feel at ease."


    ''His ego is unbelievable,'' Maria thought. ''But I guess that''s the main trait of Gray''s family. I''m still d that Vincent is not a weak man who''d fall on his knees for a woman. It would be better if he could just be pests like Vernon and Chloe, so he''ll be an efficient CEO."

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    Ding!


    The elevator stopped at the top floor. Vincent and Maria stepped out of the elevator. They were greeted by Diamond, who bowed slightly, "Good morning, Mr. Gray. Mr. Phoenix Gray has been expecting you."


    "Good," Vincent gave Diamond a light smile. "Have you been expecting me as well? You know my offer still stands. I can pay you twice the amount that Vernon paid if you want to be my secretary."


    Diamond felt a shiver down her spine when Vincent flirted with her again. She was so disgusted by the idea of getting fucked by this man that she wanted to p him right here, right now, for being a fucking perverted asshole.


    But she had to stay professional and replied, "My apologies, Sir. But I have been working here for a while, and working with Mr. Phoenix Gray suits me the most."


    "I see, I guess you want to get fucked by a manchild, huh?" Vincent joked. He had a littleugh, "It''s fine. Though, once you get bored getting fucked by my Little bro, you can find me, I will make you my private secretary."


    "I would rather stay with Mr. Phoenix Gray, Sir," Diamond insisted. Her heart was burning in rage as she felt really humiliated right now.


    This asshole really thought that she was just a whore! Diamond took pride in her job here. She was a hepetent secretary, unlike Vincent''s bitch secretary, Prisci.


    Vincentughed again, "Alright, alright," he ced his hand on Diamond''s butt cheek and gave it a light squeeze. Diamond gasped and retreated in an instant, which made Vincent delighted by her reaction. "Oh well, I guess it can''t be helped. Lead me to Vernon now."


    ...


    Diamond bit her lower lip to calm herself down before she returned to her professional mode. She led Vincent and Maria towards Vernon''s office and opened the door for them, "Pleasee in, Sir. Mr. Phoenix Gray is waiting."


    Vincent and Maria entered the office.


    Vernon was sitting on his desk with his hand cupped on the table. He smiled at Vincent, "Good morning, Big bro. Your arrival is sudden. I would prefer you to tell me beforehand."


    Vincent smiled at his Little brother and sat on the sofa. He put his shoes on the table and stretched his arms, acting as if this ce was his, "Why would I need to tell you? We''re brothers, we''re supposed to share. You''re free toe to my office anytime you want as well," Vincent said. He raised one brow and teased, "Did I scare you somehow? Did you hide your girlfriend here? I bet she must''ve visited you often, when will you introduce her to me?"


    "Haha... I''d just wait until the right time," Vernon replied. "She''s still not ready to face the family."


    "I see," Vincent nodded in understanding. "Just make sure that she''s a good woman, unlike Chloe, that bitch has no gratefulness."


    Vernon took a deep breath. He almost got triggered by Vincent''s careless words.


    "Anyway, what do you want, Big bro? I bet you''re not just here to hang out, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hahah, of course I can''t hang out. I have a lot of work to do," Vincent said. "Naturally, I have an important matter to discuss with you."


    "And what is it about?"


    "It''s about the offer I gave you yesterday, Vernon," Vincent said. He nced at Maria, and Secretary Maria walked towards Vernon''s desk. She opened the briefcase and put a file on the desk. "I have all the documents prepared, one contract for our work regarding the advertisement of the newest makeup product. And another contract is about your willingness to take half of my share in the new cosmeticpany."


    Vernon was in full guard, but he acted like he never suspected his Big bro. He picked up the file and checked the documents inside.


    Vincent was telling the truth. The documents in his hand consisted of two contracts, one for the advertisement contract and one for the share.


    Vernon gave it a quick read because he didn''t want to be seen hesitating. Hesitation in front of Vincent was always fatal, so Vernon had to take decisive action despite the short time.


    "Hmm, I see...." Vernon put the file on the desk and nodded, "I gave it a quick read. I''ll sign the advertisement contract, but I don''t think I will sign the half-share contract, not yet, at least."


    Vernon''s decision surprised Vincent. He thought Vernon would agree and sign it without hesitation or suspicion.


    He always saw Vernon as an ambitious kid who sometimes had to be put in his cage, but he was still very cute, and Vincent surely adored his Little brother.


    "Why not? Is there anything wrong with the contract?"


    "Nothing wrong, but I''m not sure if I will be able to handle a 35% share of that newpany, you know I have lots of things to do everyday, Big bro."


    "Ah-- You don''t need to worry about that," Vincent said. "You just need to put your name in thepany. I''ll still be the one who makes some of the big decisions, of course you''re allowed to join any meeting if you want."


    The more Vincent tried to make it easy for him, the more suspicious he got. Vernon wasn''t an idiot. He knew how calctive and maniptive his Big bro could be, so he must''ve had a trapid out somewhere.


    Vernon sighed, "I know you''re making it easy for me, Big bro. But I still feel guilty."


    "Guilty?"


    "Yeah, I got used to working my ass off in every business that I have. I feel guilty and useless if I just let you do everything on your own," Vernon said. Of course, it was just an alibi so Vincent wouldn''t be suspicious. Vernon tapped the desk with his fingers a few times and hummed before he suggested, "How about I just sign the contract for advertising your product, but I will keep the other contract about the share. I need some time to think about it, Big bro."

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    Vernon''s suggestion caught Vincent off guard. He didn''t expect his Little brother to be able to make a suggestion that helped him escape his clutch without letting go of the advertisement job.


    By taking his time reading the document, Vernon might start having doubts about whether being the shareholder of that cosmetic brand was the right choice, especially with how he was so dedicated to his job.


    Unfortunately, Vincent had no way to say no to Vernon''s suggestion. Because it was logical and very professional, something that he had to apud his Little bro for.


    Vincent scoffed, "Alright then, you can sign the advertisement contract and keep the shareholder one for yourself. But I expect you to sign it as soon as the advertisement is running in public, I still need to introduce you to those people working in thepany, you''re going to be a big shareholder for them as well."


    Vincent might not be able to say no, but he still had his way of pressuring Vernon, "Remember, Vernon, I don''t like how my goodwill is being questioned. I agreed with you because you''re my Little brother."


    "It is exactly because you''re my Big brother, that''s why I have to rethink about this!" Vernon insisted. "I don''t want to lookzy in front of you, Big bro! If you will give me this much share, then I will also give my all!"


    "Haha! Alright, alright, you got me there," Vincent got up from the sofa and walked towards Vernon. He stood in front of Vernon and stretched his arm.


    Vernon frowned for a split second, ready to punch this bastard in the face if he dared to attack him first. But what Vincent did was far more shocking than straight-up punching Vernon.


    He put his palm on Vernon''s head and patted it a few times, like patting a little kid''s head, "You''re a good boy. I know you want to look cool in front of your Big bro, but I don''t mind taking care of you. After all, I''ve always been the one who took care of you when you were a kid, right?"


    Vernon was stunned. He looked up at Vincent and started wondering what was in this bastard''s mind. Of course, it wasn''t him.


    Vincent bought him gifts often, but he rarely yed with Vernon because he was always busy with school.


    At some point, Vernon started to resent his Big bro because Vincent didn''t seem to be bothered when Dorothea hit him.


    That, and¡­


    ''The one who has been taking care of me is Chloe, you insufferable bastard,'' Vernon replied in his heart.


    But he had to keep his farce and nodded obediently, "Thank you, Big bro. I will try my best as always."


    Vincent was pleased with Vernon''s obedience and seriousness. He was using this project to make sure that Vernon could be controlled, but seeing how obedient and serious he was at his job, Vincent couldn''t help to think that his Little brother was very adorable.


    It was adorable, like a kid holding a toy sword, swinging it randomly, and imagining himself as a big knight that could y a dragon. Vincent wanted to make Vernon stay adorable, a non-threatening boy at his mercy.


    Vincent returned to the sofa in a better mood, "Anyway, how''s your girlfriend? How long have you been with her, and when will you two get married?"


    ¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Why did you ask, Big bro?"


    Vincent shrugged, "I''m just curious, and I want to make sure that I will have Chloe by my side by the time you get married. It''d be embarrassing if I don''t have my wife when I attend your wedding."


    ? "No need to worry, Big bro. I have no n to marry her anytime soon, she''s still busy with her problem, for now," Vernon said.


    "Oh? You also have a problematic woman?" Vincent sighed. "Don''t get yourself a pain in the ass, Vernon. A woman needs to be a support system for her husband. You need to find an obedient woman who won''t ask questions or dare to fight back."


    "Don''t be like me, married to a woman who isn''t grateful for what I provide for her," Vincent said. "If you decide to break up with this girlfriend of yours, let me know, I''ll also punish her for being an ungrateful bitch."


    "I have no intention of breaking up with this woman," Vernon said. He had no hesitation, as he imed. "And she''s not problematic. It''s the people in her past that makes thingsplicated."


    Vincent raised his brow, "You seem to be so in love with her, huh? Makes me so curious about her identity. Too bad we cannot share her, huh?"


    Vernon was trying so hard not to explode right here, right now. He kept imagining Chloe''s injuries, all her wounds, tears, and traumas. If he blew it away right now and punched his Big brother, then all his hard work would be for nothing, and he couldn''t keep Chloe by his side.


    Meanwhile, Secretary Maria kept observing Vernon''s expression as Vincent kept talking about fucking Vernon''s girlfriend, and her suspicion grew bigger.


    Thus, she opened her mouth and said;


    "I don''t think Mr. Phoenix Gray wants to share the woman with you, Sir. After all, his girlfriend must''ve been Chloe Gray herself, correct?"


    Vernon and Vincent darted their eyes simultaneously at Secretary Maria, but their expression differed.


    Vincent had a look of confusion, and Vernon had a look of terror.


    "I know you''re a dying hag, Secretary Maria, but you shouldn''t be throwing nonsensical usations at my Little brother. Didn''t I tell you many times that he is my only family?"


    "Just look at his expression, Sir," Maria pointed. "He is shocked, surely that means something more than just a nonsensical usation."


    Vincent frowned. He turned his head towards Vernon instead and saw the look of terror.


    "Huh," Vincent furrowed his brow. "Never expected you to make that kind of expression, Vernon. Care to exin?"

 Chapter 464 464

    "Care to exin?" Vincent said. His tone was light, as if this whole thing was just a passing topic he couldn''t be careless about.


    But Vincent was unique in that way. He always seemed to be aloof and gentle. Even though he was actually the worst monster in the room.


    Vincent darted his smile towards Vernon, but his smile didn''t reach his eyes. His eyes were dark. They bore malicious intentions, ready to kill Vernon in a split second if the usation was true.


    Honestly, Vernon could definitely crush his Big bro in a real fistfight. In fact, he was one hundred percent sure that he could stomp him quickly.


    But he was ying a long game here and wouldn''t allow his ns to get ruined.


    Thus, he masked his shocked expression with a quick answer, "I just-- I don''t know what this old hag is doing, using me of something so unspeakable. I think this dying bitch is trying to make us fight, Big bro."


    Vincent was entertained by Vernon''s alibi, and it made sense too. Of course, everyone would be shocked when they got used of hiding Mrs. Gray.


    So, Vincent gave Secretary Maria-- who looked calm andposed-- a side eye and asked, "Do you n to make us fight, Maria?"


    "Not quite, Sir," Secretary Maria replied without much emotion. "I just think that your little brother is the most probable suspect to hide Chloe."


    "And why so?" Vincent inquired further.


    "Yesterday, Vernon suddenly left your office after you showed the video of you beating Chloe. He asked me where the bathroom was, and his face was red with fury as if he wanted to kill you for showing the video. If he''s a true Gray man, shouldn''t he also like the same thing as you do, Sir?" Maria questioned. She kept staring at Vernon with her cold eyes, reading every inch of his expression to catch him off guard. "And if I remember correctly, Vernon was so close with Chloe when he was young, right? Chloe was his world, and it''s obvious that he''d want her to be his world once more."


    ''Fuck, that dying bitch is so dangerous!'' Vernon cursed in his head. He didn''t expect her to pick up so easily. Her words were the truth, and he was surely fucked if she could convince Vincent.


    "Hmm, makes sense," Vincent said. He started to get interested in the theory. He was convinced that his Little bro wouldn''t backstab him like that. They were family, and no family would hurt each other.


    But it was entertaining to see how Vernon would handle this. He wanted to see how his usually-brash little brother handled this in a controlled way.


    "What do you think, Vernon?" Vincent asked.


    Vernon took a deep breath to calm himself down and shrugged, "I think that''s just a load of bullshit."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon leaned on his chair and tried to make it as casual as possible, "I mean, it''s true that Chloe was my world when I was small, because she was the one who took care of me."


    "But I''ve been out of New York for ten years straight, and returned because I want to strengthen my business here. Why would Iplicate myself by taking Big sis Chloe in? It''s not logical, Big bro. Why would I put myself in such terrible danger against you?"


    "It''s possible that you still love her," Maria used. Her cold eyes wavered a bit as she was surprised at how calm Vernon could be against such a heavy usation. "Surely you will do anything for your loved one."


    "And surely you''re an idiot," Vernon retorted. "I''ve been with so many women in the past, do you think Chloe stands out against the rest of the women I''ve dated?" Vernon turned his head towards his Big brother and asked, "Do you think Chloe is the most beautiful woman on earth, Big bro?"


    Vincent smiled, "Surely not. I let her stay with me because I pity her. She''s an ugly freak who''s lucky enough to bear my daughter, of course I have to treat her with a little dignity at least."


    Vernon clenched his fists under the desk. His patience was thin, but he persevered for Chloe and Mackie''s sake.


    "See? Even my Big bro admitted that she''s not even beautiful. I''ve dated actresses, supermodels, even a princess from a small country. Do you think I will settle for someone like her?"


    Vernon''s words were casual yet very clear. He made it clear that he was a man of high taste, and Chloe was far from that.


    Vincent nodded approvingly, "Yeah, you''re right, Vernon. I know that you won''t make my mistake by marrying a lowly woman like Chloe. I know you can settle with so much more."


    "And for you, Maria--" Vincent said, his voice carrying annoyance. "--You don''t know a thing about him, so stop trying to act like you can read people''s mind. He''s my family, and I know him much better than anyone else."


    Secretary Maria bit her lower lip and lowered her head respectfully, "Please forgive me for speaking my mind, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I''m just trying to help my boss to find his wife."


    Vernon waved his hand carelessly, "Yeah-yeah, just make sure you won''t try to use me again in the future, or I might ask my Big brother to fire you. Surely he''ll listen to me more than a random old woman, right, Big bro?"


    "Certainly," Vincent nodded. He was pleased with the way Vernon handled a baseless usation. It showed that he had the quality of Gray men, a strong mental fortitude and unwavering belief that they were in the right.


    ''He''s so much like me, no matter how many times I say it, I can''t help to get fascinated,'' Vincent thought. He held Vincent dear in his hand, thinking he could treat his Little bro as an obedient pet as long as he kept him in check. ''Surely he doesn''t mind if I beat Chloe to pulp. I bet he will do the same to his wife in the future.''

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    After the tension died down, Vernon signed the contract to advertise Vincent''s new makeup product. He needed to make it go viral, so he''d have to hire many beauty gurus on Youtube for the first step.


    Vernon called Diamond and told her to make copies of the new contract. Diamond bowed respectfully before leaving the CEO''s office. She felt ufortable because she knew that she was being stared at by Vincent.


    "Your secretary is very beautiful for a ck woman. Are you sure you don''t want to sell her to me?" Vincent asked.


    Vernon''s lips twitched out of annoyance. No matter how many times he talked with his Big bro, he could never fathom how much of a racist asshole he was.


    Was it because his Big brother never stayed far from the Gray family?


    It made him want to lecture his Big bro a bit.


    "Diamond was a highly paid model before she worked with me, and she is beautiful no matter her race. You don''t get to be ugly or beautiful just because you''re of a certain race, Big bro," Vernon lectured. "And no, she is not for sale or anything. She is a free woman of her own, and she has decided to work with me as my secretary, you don''t get to buy people, this is not 1800s."


    Vincent scoffed, "Fine, I guess living in Europe for ten years changed you. Now you think like those woke people on the inte. You can buy people, Vernon. Don''t you see how ourte father bought all those women and fucked the virgins out of them?"


    ¡­


    Vernon decided to give up and allowed his Big bro to think whatever. It wasn''t his problem that he had that kind of idea. In fact, he might slip off and say something incredibly racist in public as a part of his downfall, though Vernon doubted it, knowing how great his PR team was.


    Diamond returned with copies of the newly-signed contract. Diamond put the original document inside the file and handed it to Maria.


    "Alright¡ª" Vincent got up and nced at Maria. "We will leave now, make sure to sign the other contract. I expect good work from you, Little bro."


    "Sure, I will, don''t worry," Vernon nodded. Though he hated his Big brother, he still had to stay professional at work. Vincent gave him work to do, and he had to do it well.


    He also had to build trust between them. He wanted Vincent to keep his guard off, allowing Vernon to keep building his empire without interruption.


    ''The only problem is that dying witch,'' Vernon''s eyes followed Secretary Maria''s back as she followed Vincent out of Vernon''s office. ''She''s far more dangerous than my Big bro right now.''


    Right after Vincent and Maria left the CEO''s office, Diamond let out a relieved sigh, "That racist asshole is something else, seriously," Diamondmented. "I want to rip his mouth for speaking like he''s in the 1800s."


    "We will have to wait for that," Vernon muttered. He intertwined his fingers and rubbed his thumbs together. "That old bitch Maria, she is far more dangerous than my Big brother right now. She has no personal connection with me, unlike Vincent, so she can see stuff through a neutral lens."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Who is she, really?" Diamond asked. "I don''t understand why she''s so fiercely loyal to Vincent."


    "She''s not fiercely loyal to Vincent, she''s loyal to the Gray family¡ª mostly to myte father, Vaughn."


    "Was she a mistress or something?"


    "No, based on some rumors that I got back then, My father and Maria are professional partners. But what made Maria be so loyal to him and to the Gray family was her family," Vernon replied. He tried to recall some of the rumors. "Well, I don''t really have full information about her past, since to most people, Maria is just a normal secretary. She''s not even beautiful. But myte father once said that Maria is loyal to him because he helped her to get a proper life. He was her benefactor."


    "You can say that Maria is married to her job, she even got a divorce back then because she and her husband barely spend any time together."


    "I see¡­" Diamond could rte a bit with Maria because she also held her job in high regard as the secretary here. But she couldn''t fathom how blind Maria was to her loyalty. Maria obviously couldn''t differentiate what was right or wrong because if Vernon had the same mindset as Vincent, Diamond might as well get the fuck out¡ª after kidnapping Chloe to go with her, of course.


    "Should we take care of her, Sir?" Diamond asked. "I mean, if she''s a huge obstacle for your n, it''s fair to subdue her. She''s an old woman as well, it won''t be hard."


    "I can''t. I bet Vincent and Maria knew that they have many enemies, so they must''ve put on some preemptive measure somehow," Vernon said. "Unfortunately, we¡ª the Gray family, have this kind of fear that someone out there will get us. I have that feeling, and I bet my Big bro have that too despite his careless and aloof persona."


    "He may be able to rece a woman like Prisci, because in the end, Prisci and the other secretaries before her were just a condom he fucked daily."


    "But someone like Maria is invaluable. She''s so good at doing her job and has been working with our family for decades, she knows many secrets, and can easily take over and operate the wholepany if she wants to. Vincent knows this, so he will do something to keep her safe."


    "Even if he keeps threatening to fire her, both Vincent and Maria know that they are tied to each other to keep the whole Gray business running."


    Diamond sighed after listening to Vernon''s long exnation. The more she heard it, the more she found the situation difficult.


    So, in the end, they had to focus on another thing first.


    Diamond pointed at the document on the table, "So, what will you do with that one, Sir?"


    Vernon gave his secretary a quick look, and a simple grin perked up, "I have an idea."

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    "I have an idea."


    "And what''d it be?"


    Vernon slid the document towards Diamond and said, "This is the contract for the 35% share that he promised. If I sign this, I basically co-own thatpany with him."


    I know that he must''ve set up a trap with me. I don''t know what kind, but I don''t want him to get control over me or use this as an opportunity to make me obey him. After all, he''s a power-tripping asshole," he added.


    "So, what do you want to do, Sir? Do you want to just refuse to sign this and ask for a regr payment for your job instead?" Diamond asked. "Though, it''d be a waste if you just want money as your payment, you should ask for something more."


    "I will not pass this up, but I n to save my ass and also... teach him a lesson," Vernon grinned. He got the idea when his Big bro kept being a racist ass and saw Diamond as a piece of meat he could buy with money. "But this will involve you, Diamond. I need your help in this."


    "Me?!" Diamond''s eyes widened. She quickly shook her head and took a step back. "Ain''t no way-- nah, no, Sir. I''d rather not deal with him and his creepy ass! Eww!"


    "Really? Don''t you want to teach him a bit of humility too? I actually want you to take part, and you will get A LOT of money, probably more than your time working with me for at least two years," Vernon tried to convince her.


    "Money is NOT the problem, Sir," Diamond retorted. "I''d rather earn money from my sry here rather than killing myself against him."


    Vernon understood Diamond''s reluctance and fear, though nobody wanted to deal with Vincent, especially knowing he could mess anyone''s life up at any point just because he felt like it.


    But he really needed her contribution here, "I will guarantee-- with my name-- that you will be safe in this. I just need your name and we can proceed."


    Diamond saw the seriousness in her boss'' eyes. He seemed to be sure he could protect Diamond, even though Diamond was convinced that Vincent would fuck her up, literally and figuratively speaking.


    She chewed her lower lip and brought her hands to her chest. She sped her elbows with her hands before nodding, "Fine, I will take your promise, Sir. I will do whatever you want me to, but remember, I am not kind. If you dare to put me into some crazy shit, I will rope you in and fuck your life too. Deal?"


    "Deal."


    Vernon agreed without much question. Though both of them knew that Diamond was just saying an empty threat, he should acknowledge her nervousness and had to try her best to keep her safe.


    "So, what''s the n all about," Diamond returned to the topic. She wouldn''t lie that she was also curious about what her boss would do next.


    Vernon smiled thinly and pointed at a spot beside his chair, signaling Diamond toe near him.


    Diamond walked around the desk and stood beside her boss. She leaned as she was ready to listen to the whisper.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon smirked and whispered his n to her ears.


    Diamond''s expression changed from curiosity to shock and then assurance. After Vernon whispered his n, Diamond had no fear in her anymore, "That is a great n, Sir. You should''ve just told me sooner. You scared the shit out of me."


    "Heh, I was just testing whether you have faith in me or not."


    "Well, I might be loyal to you for now. But aint no way I''m jumping to a wolf den without a n," Diamond rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I''ll go and make another contract between us, with that new one, I will be able to get connected with this deal."


    "Mhm, with this, you and I will benefit, Diamond. Don''t worry, you can take all the profits for yourself. I just want to put my name there symbolically," Vernon said. He grabbed the shareholder contract and signed it without much thought before handing it to Diamond.


    "Understood, Sir," Diamond epted the file and left the office.


    Now Vernon was alone. He felt more rxed as the biggest obstacle in his mind had been lifted, thanks to Chloe.


    ''If I hadn''t asked her yesterday, I''d simply say no to the offer, and Vincent would not be pleased,'' Vernon thought. ''She is right. He might not want to ruin my life, but he wants to pressure me to be his pet. He just wants control over everything, especially people that are close to him. So I have to y ording to his rules.''


    Vernon had to admit that he underestimated Chloe a lot. He always thought that Chloe was just a housewife, so she was better left doing housewife duty and didn''t need to know about thepany''s affair.


    But she was intelligent and neutral in her opinion. Despite her fear and hatred against Vincent, she gave him the correct information that Vincent saw him as his treasured Little bro.


    "Well, now I miss her," Vernon said out loud. He picked up his phone from his pocket and checked the contact. He already changed Chloe''s name from Chloe Gray to;


    Chloe Phoenix Gray.


    He knew it''d take a while to realize his dream, but a little wishful thinking wouldn''t hurt, right?


    "Should I call her?" Vernon asked himself. His thumb hovered above the call button, ready to call her and surely-- listening to her voice would cleanse all the bad energy that seeped in when he talked with Vincent, especially when he had to pretend that he didn''t see Chloe as the most beautiful woman he ever met.


    That was a lie, she was indeed the most beautiful, and his opinion never changed even after ten years.


    "I know that I have to be more strict, especially after our fight this morning, but... ugh, fuck it! I''ll just say it quick and hang up immediately."


    Thus, Vernon took decisive action and pressed the green call button.

 Chapter 467 467

    Chloe was sitting in a daze as she watched random news. Mackie yed with her doll house on the carpet, periodically checking on Chloe in case her Mommy was naughty again. Just an hour ago, she tried to cook and clean Big Bad Uncle''s room.


    Meanwhile, Chloe''s mind flew off somewhere after she read the text from Dorothea this morning.


    -


    Dorothea:


    I don''t feelfortable just texting, but I have changed because I realized that I''ve been so cruel to a woman who went through the same as me, especially at the hands of my own son¡­


    Do you have time to meet? I want to meet you somewhere, and we can talk about this. I will answer everything that you want to know. You can be the judge whether I lied or not.


    -


    Chloe was unsure what to do in this situation. Her gut feeling told her that Dorothea experienced an earth-shattering change after realizing that her son was a horrible man who deserved to go to jail for all the shit he had done.


    But her gut feeling was often wrong. What if this was just a trap set by Dorothea and Vincent? What if Vincent caught her and chained her back into the mansion? He''d force her to y house with him again and probably break her until she told him the identity of her benefactor.


    Chloe didn''t want to put Mackie and Vernon in danger just because of her idiocy.


    As she was fighting with her own demon, Dorothea texted her again;


    -


    Dorothea:


    Chloe? Are you alright?


    If you''re not ready to meet me, can you at least reply to my text? I''m unsure what to do when you''re not answering me.


    -


    Chloe stared at the text for a while. Her hands typed a few texts that she deleted right after.


    She wasn''t sure if opening up to Dorothea would lead to disaster, especially since she knew Vernon must''ve been very upset and would stay upset as long as Chloe kept on her contact with Dorothea.


    When she was typing another text, her phone suddenly rang, and she saw Vernon''s caller ID.


    Dread filled her face in an instant. She darted her eyes at the front door of the penthouse, scared that Vernon might suddenly pop out like he did when she was on the call with Dorothea.


    After making sure that she was safe, Chloe picked up the call and muttered;


    ¡ª


    "H¡ªHello?"


    ¡­


    There was no answer from the other side. But Chloe could hear Vernon''s heavy breathing.


    She got a little worried and asked, "Vernon, are you alright?"


    Vernon''s heart was tickled when Chloe asked about his well-being. Her voice was soft and sweet, like a feather that tickled his heart.


    But the more his heart got tickled with such a soft feather, the guiltier he felt.


    Because he had to say that Chloe wasn''t the most beautiful woman in his eyes, just to save his ass from Vincent''s suspicion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    And now he wanted to assure Chloe that his opinion never changed.


    "Chloe¡­" Vernon called her with his deep yet hoarse voice.


    Chloe went stiff instantly. She thought she had made another mistake and was ready to get yelled at.


    "I¡­" Vernon paused for a moment before he mustered his courage. "I just want to say that you''re the most beautiful woman on earth ever since the first time I met you. And that opinion never and will never change."


    "Wha¡ª" Chloe was stunned by the sudden confession. It came out of nowhere, and he sounded so soft, so gentle, unlike the man who was trying to reprimand her for talking to Dorothea this morning.


    Of course, she didn''t believe that. Though it felt nice to hear, that was just bullshit, no matter how often Vernon said it to her.


    Because Vernon had met and dated many rising actresses and supermodels.


    But she couldn''t help wondering¡­


    "What''s wrong, Vernon? Weren''t you¡­ angry at me this morning?" Chloe asked.


    "I still am," Vernon replied, but his gentle tone said otherwise. "I just want to tell you that, because I''m not sure if I can say it while we''re still fighting."


    "Also, please take my anger seriously, Chloe. I am angry at you for harming yourself, and you trying to open up to Dorothea is not something that I will ever approve. But I just can''t help but adore you. I hope I can see your beautiful, non-crying face this evening."


    "Wait¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Chloe was jaw dropped at the sudden call and how he sounded genuine. She didn''t know how to process Vernon''s mood change.


    But she was d that Vernon wasn''t angry at her for a long time. She was too used to living a normal life nowadays. Thus, she couldn''t imagine if she had to return to live under fear and pressure like how she lived with Vincent and early days living with Vernon.


    "Mommy, was that Uncle?" Mackie asked.


    "Ah¡ª yes, it''s your Uncle."


    "Mmm¡­ Mommy, does Uncle make you happy?"


    "Eh? Why do you ask that?" Chloe was flustered by the question. Mackie was in her development stage and started to question everything around her. She also started to sense her surroundings, so it was difficult for Chloe to lie.


    Though, she didn''t want to lie anymore. She just hadn''t told Mackie the whole truth.


    But if Mackie asked her whether her Daddy was an abusive ass, Chloe might say yes at this point.


    "Mm, because Mommy looks so happy when calling Uncle just now," Mackie pointed out. "Your cheeks are red, Mommy!"


    "R¡ªReally?" Chloe checked her face with the front camera and confirmed Mackie''s statement.


    She was so red that she could put a little stalk on top of her head and call herself the cherry woman.


    Mackie abandoned her toys and jumped onto the sofa beside her Mommy.


    Mackie stretched her hand to touch Chloe''s cheek and said, "Whenever Mackie is happy, my cheeks will turn red! Really red! But I''ve never seen Mommy with red cheeks when with Daddy, unlike when you''re with Uncle!"

 Chapter 468 468

    "Mommy, you''re always red whenever Uncle is around. Does that mean you''re not happy with Daddy, but very happy with Uncle?"


    ...


    Mackie''s question was very simple, yet gave Chloe no space to lie or maneuver and gave an ambiguous answer. It was a simple yes or no question.


    ...


    Mackie sensed the hesitation in Mommy''s heart.


    She might not be able to discern fully what happened around her family. But she caught up to the change in her Mommy very quickly.


    Usually, her Mommy wouldn''t even think twice before saying that Daddy had no fault and was always the best, even though Mackie always noticed the emptiness in her Mommy''s eyes.


    But now that Mommy''s eyes were filled with joy, Mackie soon realized that Mommy never talked good about Daddy anymore, nor did she talk bad about him.


    Daddy was simply out of their lives for now.


    "Mommy, if you''re happy with Uncle, then let''s stay with Uncle for a while," Mackie said out of the blue. "I''m sure Daddy won''t mind."


    Chloe''s breath shortened, and she tensed immediately. She couldn''t believe what she had just heard from her daughter.


    She still vividly remembered how Mackie kept asking to meet her Daddy a few months ago and despairing at how much she missed her Daddy.


    Now she decided that they should stay with Uncle a bit longer.


    Chloe was speechless and even more speechless as Mackie continued speaking.


    "I want to meet Daddy, but if Daddy hurts Mommy like before, I prefer not to meet him now...." Mackie said. "Let''s wait until Daddy feels better and stay with Uncle, okay, Mommy?"


    "Oh, dear..." Chloe''s voice wavered as she embraced her daughter in a tight hug. "I''m so sorry, Mackie. I don''t know how to tell this to you," she muttered.


    "Mm, I don''t want Mommy to get hurt. If staying far away from Daddy will make you feel better, then let''s stay away from him. I hope Daddy will say sorry to youter, Mommy...."


    ''He will never apologize, dear. But your image of a father figure was crushed already when you saw him choking me up. I don''t want you to hate your fatherpletely...'' Chloe thought, recalling when Mackie interrupted her fight with Vincent in the Principal''s office. It must''ve caused a great shock to her daughter.


    "What do you think, Mommy? Can we stay with Uncle?"


    "Mhm, I think we can stay for a while," Chloe replied. "I''m sure Uncle would be happy with us staying."


    **


    Vernon finished his work quitete in the evening, he arrived at his penthouse around eight, and the foyer was already dark when he opened the penthouse door.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon''s eyes darted to the sofa where Chloe usually fell asleep, waiting for him to return home.


    Unfortunately, the sofa was empty, and there didn''t seem to be any trace of someone around his penthouse the whole day.


    Vernon let out a lowugh, ridiculing himself as he actually expected Chloe to wait for him as usual, even though they had been fighting this morning.


    "I guess that call at noon didn''t change a thing. She''s probably still too scared to face me right now."


    Vernon threw his briefcase to the sofa and pulled his tie to loosen it up.


    He went to the kitchen and was disappointed when he didn''t see Chloe there.


    He remembered that sometimes Chloe would fall asleep at the dining chair, waiting for him as he returned homete at night.


    He was so used to seeing that sight of Chloe waiting for him that he felt at a loss when Chloe wasn''t around.


    "All this just because we had one fight this morning," Vernon muttered while he opened a beer bottle. He took a big gulp before sitting on the sofa, staring straight into the dark, empty foyer.


    He didn''t even feel like turning any light because this was his life whenever Chloe wasn''t around.


    And he was used to this.


    He kept drinking the beer while mumbling, "I should''ve been softer to her-- no, I should never stop her from doing anything. I don''t care what will happen next. I don''t give a crap if I have to blow up my cover in front of Vincent, as long as Chloe won''t get mad at me, let alone shedding her tears."


    He knew that he might''ve been way too soft for Chloe because what Chloe did by contacting Dorothea was wrong and dangerous.


    But to be separated from her, even for one night, felt so excruciating. He''d rather do everything she said as long as she was happy.


    Vernon burped after he drank the whole bottle of beer. He wasn''t drunk at all. It was just a bottle, after all. But he did feel a bit rxed and didn''t like it.


    Vernon didn''t like the fact that he had to drink alcohol to make himself feel better, it was an old habit he had developed before he reunited with Chloe, and he certainly didn''t want that habit to return.


    Vernon took off his suit and threw it on the sofa. He unbuttoned his shirt as he pushed his bedroom door open. He turned on the dim light around his room and noticed a figure of a beautiful woman sleeping on his bed.


    The woman was beautiful. She was thin but not too thin like she used to be. Her long and wavy chestnut hair was spread on the pillow like a sleeping beauty, and she seemed to be at peace in her sleep.


    "Chloe?" Vernon couldn''t help calling her name as he was confused about what was happening. He thought Chloe refused to find him because she was scared after their fight.


    "Umh... what took you so long...." Chloe mumbled in her sleep before recognizing the voice of the man who had called her name just now. She opened her eyes, sat on the bed, and yawned casually before staring at Vernon with her sleepy eyes. "Um, wee home, Vernon...."

 Chapter 469 469

    "I was waiting for you but identally fell asleep. Sorry," Chloe muttered. She got up from the bed and strode leisurely towards Vernon. Vernon stood still as Chloe walked right behind him and helped take off his shirt that had been unbuttoned, putting it on theundry bin at the edge of the room and returning with a new set of pajamas.


    "You should take a warm bath if you''re too exhausted, it will make you feel better," Chloe advised. "I will be waiting outside."


    Vernon was unresponsive and didn''t take the pajama from Chloe''s hand. Instead, he kept staring at her with his brows creased. He wondered if he actually got drunk from just a bottle of beer and started hallucinating.


    Realizing that Vernon wouldn''t take the pajama, Chloe put it at the edge of the bed. She walked past Vernon, heading towards the door before Vernon grabbed her waist and stopped her from leaving.


    "Vernon¡ªAh!" Chloe was startled when Vernon suddenly pulled her from behind and buried her in his embrace. He locked his arms around her waist, ensuring Chloe couldn''t escape him.


    They stood in this position for a while until Chloe started getting ufortable with the heat emanating from Vernon''s body. She started wiggling her body around, trying to break free to no avail.


    "L¡ªLet go, you''re sweating¡­." Chloeined. But Vernon didn''t care because he had a big question flying around his head.


    "Why are you here, Chloe?" Vernon asked.


    "Am I not allowed to be here?"


    "That''s not what I meant," Vernon quickly rearranged his words. "I thought you were still too scared to face me right now. I don''t think we will have a normal talk for days after we had a fight this morning." Vernon tightened his embrace subconsciously, unwilling to be separated from the light of his life. "I thought I''d be deprived of you for a while."


    Chloe sighed. She said nothing but rested her head on his strong chest. If she had to be honest, she would always be scared of Vernon whenever he red or yelled at her. That fear might be innate because Vernon was physically very simr to Vincent, just bigger, stronger, and scarier.


    But that fear neversted long because no matter how angry Vernon was, he would never hurt her, and she knew how tender his heart was.


    But she knew how prideful Vernon could be. His heart might be tender, but he would still act tough in front of her despite his heartache. Chloe thought she should take the bold initiative, or their meaningless fight would never be resolved.


    She believed that as long as she treated him sweetly, Vernon would eventually melt.


    And she was right. Vernon was melting right now.


    "How am I supposed to be scared of you when you embrace me so lovingly?" Chloe teased. "Besides, I know that you never meant to hurt me."


    Vernon felt there was an arrow that shot his conscience. He wanted to admit that he had a lot of grudges and wanted to hurt Chloe as bad as he could just so she could feel his pain.


    But he abandoned that idea once he realized Chloe was hurting. Both of them were hurting, and both of them felt sce when they were together.


    They were meant to be together since the first time theyid their eyes upon each other.


    "I''m sorry," Vernon muttered.


    "For?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Everything," his voice started shaking. "I''m sorry for hurting you. I''m sorry for thinking that you don''t want me. I''m sorry for yelling and scaring you. I''m sorry for everything."


    "Why do you think that I don''t want you?" Chloe asked. "Vernon, you''re always the dearest in my heart."


    "But not romantically, right?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe''s body stiffened, "W¡ªWell, of course, I saw you as my dearest little brother back then. You were just a little boy, so I treated you as such."


    "I''m a big man now. Can you see me as a potential spouse?" Vernon asked again. He wrapped his arms around her waist tighter than before, ignoring the obvious difort from Chloe because he was sweaty.


    He closed his eyes as he waited for Chloe''s answer. Though, he already knew what her answer would be.


    She''d probably say that she wasn''t ready.


    That she was still too busy thinking about her problem right now, and Vernon had to ept that answer despite his heartache.


    Ultimately, he was just a second choice, a spare tire, because Chloe''s love life with Vincent wasn''t working as intended.


    Chloe paused before answering, "Vernon, you told me this morning that I need to be logical and not act like an idiot. Well, my logic told me that I should never give you a chance."


    "That I should leave after I''m done divorcing Vincent, because no matter how much you hate your family, the blood of Gray family still runs in your vein, and Vincent put a deep scar in me, that I just despise all the Gray men equally."


    Vernon felt his heart shattering inside. Though it wasn''t his ideal dream, he''d still be happy if Chloe treated him as a spare tire because her love life with Vincent wasn''t working.


    But Chloe actually had the idea of leaving himpletely. No matter what he did to make her stay, she would still leave him because he was from the Gray family.


    ''That''s not fair¡­'' Vernon despaired. ''That''s not fair at all.''


    Vernon''s logic started sinking as his despair started eating him up from inside, ''I don''t want this. I refuse this to happen. Not when I already have her by my side right now.''


    He started having malicious thoughts. His mind unknowingly started creating various ns on how to trap Chloe.


    Even if he had to lock her up forever, probably chain her so she wouldn''t be able to escape. He even thought of running away with her, abandoning all his ns and staying hidden in any part of Europe as long as they could be together.


    ''Not fair. This is not fair.''


    ''I will never let her leave me¡­.''

 Chapter 470 470

    Chloe was unaware of the dark thoughts swirling inside Vernon''s head. Because she still felt his warmth, the arms around her waist started getting too tight, making her wince a bit.


    But she truly believed that Vernon would never hurt her.


    So she rxed and gently put her hand on Vernon''s big veiny hands wrapped around her waist. She snuggled and rested her head on his chest.


    She slightly tilted her head to look up and stared at Vernon''s strong jawline.


    Even from this angle, Vernon still looked magnificently handsome.


    "Well, that''s what my logic told me, Vernon," Chloe said. "But I''m a woman, and a woman also uses her heart more than a man does."


    "And what does your heart tell you to do?" Vernon asked. His tone was cold and somewhat carried heavy possessiveness that came out of nowhere in Chloe''s mind.


    Chloe smiled. She lifted her left hand and pinched Vernon''s chin, forcing him to look down until their eyes met.


    Chloe nestledfortably in his chest. She looked rxed, unlike Vernon, whose eyes were deep and full of unknown thoughts.


    "My heart told me to give you a chance," Chloe replied. She said it lightly as if she was already certain of her answer. "Despite your problems, your blood rtion with the Gray family, and all the difficult situations surrounding us as individuals, and us as together."


    "My heart told me that you''re a good guy who can give me happiness, so¡­" Chloe released Vernon''s chin, and her hand wrapped around his neck instead. She pushed his neck down, so Vernon naturally leaned toward his beloved and¡­


    Chloe closed her eyes. She took the initiative to kiss Vernon on the lips. It wasn''t even a peck.


    It was a deep kiss thatsted a long time. Chloe was bold enough to open her mouth and took the lead to nibble Vernon''s lower lip a little before she finished the kiss and opened her eyes.


    "So¡­ should I follow my brain or my heart for this one, what do you think, Mr. Phoenix Gray?" Chloe teased.


    "Stop thinking and follow your heart instead," Vernon replied quickly. "I will not allow you to think about it. Just use your heart."


    "Even if it''s dangerous?"


    "Doesn''t matter if it''s dangerous or not," Vernon started getting desperate. He wanted Chloe to be by his side no matter what. "Even if we have to fight the whole world, I will never let you leave me, Chloe."


    Chloe''s smile bloomed beautifully. She stared at Vernon with eyes zed with tears, "Alright, Mr. Phoenix Gray, I shall follow my heart and give you a chance."


    "As you should."


    Vernon took the initiative to kiss her now. Unlike the usual kiss full of passion and lust, this one felt so gentle. Yet, it gave Chloe even more satisfaction than usual.


    She felt loved, and Vernon was even happier to give her more than a kiss.


    Even though everything about their rtionship was dangerous, Vernon wouldn''t mind jumping into the warzone if he could steal one kiss from his woman.<novelnext></novelnext>


    **


    They spent the night embracing each other, sharing warmth by making out. They didn''t have sex, though Vernon was willing. He felt that sex might make him go wild and rough. He just wanted to spend the night embracing his woman.


    Thus, he fell asleep spooning Chloe from behind.


    Vernon suffered from insomnia before, and he couldn''t sleep unless he used sleeping pills, booze, or mind-numbing sex.


    But because Chloe was by his side tonight, his mind was rxed, and his anxiety was suppressed. He fell asleep quickly, leaving Chloe, who was trying hard to reach the AC remote in the drawer.


    Because it was stuffy!


    Vernon was like a big teddy bear with an automatic heating system turned on to the max. His body was naturally hot, so she needed that air con.


    "Ugh¡ª just¡­ a little more¡­" Chloe stretched her hand until she reached the AC remote. "Got it!"


    After she caught it, she turned on the Aircon and was relieved.


    She nestled back deep inside Vernon''s embracefortably and gently caressed Vernon''s strong arm.


    "It went well, thank god," Chloe murmured. She got the text from Dorothea this evening, about an hour before Vernon returned home.


    Dorothea said she would continue texting Chloe until Chloe answered her text, even with a simple yes or no.


    Dorothea said that she was worried for her and Mackie''s safety. She was afraid that Chloe would make another wrong choice by staying with another wrong man after her son.


    ''Well, I''m staying with her other son. But I don''t think Dorothea will admit Vernon as her son,'' Chloe thought. ''The animosity between them is just¡­ too thick.''


    ''But the more I try to ignore Dorothea, the more I can feel her desperation¡­'' Chloe sighed. ''Vernon told me to use my head, and if I only used my head, I''d leave him soon after I got my sry. I will never give him a chance.''


    ''So I have to use my heart for him, and I should give the same chance for Dorothea as well. If my heart can make the right choice by staying with Vernon, I''m sure that my heart can also make the right choice by forgiving Dorothea and giving her a chance.''


    Thus, Chloe nned to text Dorothea tomorrow morning. Hopefully, they could start opening up and maybe set up a meeting somewhere once Chloe had trusted Dorothea enough.


    Chloe looked over her shoulder and saw Vernon sleeping peacefully while spooning her from behind.


    Chloe mumbled, "You might not appreciate what I''m doing right now, Vernon. But I''m doing this for you as well. I believe that you deserve a closure with your real mother, maybe there will be that day when you can make peace with Dorothea."


    "But for now, I have to hide this from you. I''m sorry, big boy, you have to be kept in the dark for a while. Please don''t me me, I''m just following what my heart tells me to do."

 Chapter 471 471

    Dorothea pressed the bell in front of Shailene''s apartment. She always came here whenever she needed someone to talk to. After all, nobody in this world would listen to an old woman rambling about her trauma other than a psychiatrist who had been paid handsomely.


    To be honest, she didn''t like to rely on Shailene. But Dorothea kept returning to her because she felt like her depression and trauma were getting worse each day. She felt that she was floating in this world, unsure of what to do other than mindlessly spending herte husband''s money because that was the only thing she believed she had an advantage over herte husband.


    To extravagantly spend his money was an act of revenge for her because she couldn''t get any satisfaction even after his death.


    She wished Vincent would be a bit more caring towards his aging mother. She wanted her son to treat her more gently.


    But all that hope vanished once she realized that Vincent was just as bad as Vaughn. He was a monster who abused his own wife just for fun.


    She didn''t know where or when it went wrong, but she was sure she was all alone now.


    Nobody would be sad if she died, and she didn''t want that to happen.


    ''I would be happy even if there is only one person who cares for me, just one person is enough,'' Dorothea thought.


    Shailene opened the door soon after Dorothea pressed the bell for the third time. Shailene smiled at Dorothea and greeted her, "Good evening, Mrs. Gray, pleasee in."


    Dorothea walked into the familiar apartment she had visited twice a week since a year ago. She wasn''t proud of it, but Shailene''s office felt like a safe space for her right now.


    Dorothea followed Shailene into her home office.


    Shailene patted the chaise lounge, signaling her client to lie there as she picked up her note on the table.


    Dorothea sat without any question. It had be more like a routine for her toy on the same chaise lounge twice or more every week, staring at the same ceiling. Sometimes she''d look to her left to stare at the aquarium behind Shailene''s seat or to her right to stare at the scenery of New York from that wide ss pane.


    However, no matter how beautiful her surroundings were, Dorothea kept wondering if her nightmare would ever end.


    Shailene sat on the seat next to Dorothea with a notepad and a pen in her hand. She gave her main client the sweetest smile and asked, "Mrs. Gray, this visit is not within your usual schedule. Did something happen these days? You should talk to me, so I can help you."


    Dorothea nced at Shailene and sighed. She felt that Shailene didn''t really help her. All she did was listen to Dorothea''s trauma talking.


    But maybe that was a band-aid that she needed¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    "It''s about my son¡­ and daughter-inw," Dorothea said straight to the point, which surprised Shailene.


    "You mean, Vincent and Chloe?" Shailene asked to make it clear.


    "Yes, them," Dorothea nodded. "I''ve witnessed a video of my son abusing my daughter-inw. He beat her to pulp, choked her, even mmed her to the floor like she''s just a rag doll."


    Dorothea closed her eyes, biting her lower lip as she tried to endure the difort in her heart.


    "My son¡ª my beloved son turns out to be no different than his father," Dorothea mumbled. Her voice started shaking, and she grabbed the hem of her shirt. "He enjoys videotaping the moment where he abused his wife and stored it in his phone. He watched all of those horrible videos with relish, as if what he did is the most enjoyable thing he has done for so long."


    "I don''t know what went wrong. I always thought that I raised him well. I give him the best school, best tutor, best maid, best in everything. I give him all he wants, and I always praise him for all the achievements in his life."


    "I thought he''d grow up to be a perfect man who would make me proud and happy. But he''s just like his father. He''s a horrible, abusive, perverted bastard who enjoys looking down and hurting women!" Dorothea''s emotions started getting out of control. This felt like a neverending nightmare she had to live through for the rest of her life.


    Tears started streaming down from the corner of her eyes. She still closed her eyes, unwilling to face the truth that she wasn''t dreaming.


    "I don''t want to live in this nightmare. I don''t know if there is still a way to make it right for Vincent," Dorothea murmured. "But judging from myte husband, I think there is no turning back for him anymore. He has developed all the fetish that Vaughn has. It will only get worse from now on."


    ¡­


    "And how about your daughter-inw, Chloe?" Shailene brushed the topic as that was the thing she had more interest in. "Where is she right now?"


    "I don''t know," Dorothea replied. "She ran away with my granddaughter. Before I knew about Vincent abusing her, I thought Chloe was just an ungrateful woman who cannot tolerate Vincent getting too busy with work and cheated once or twice."


    "I thought that Chloe is just way too spoiled," Dorothea said. "So I ignored all of herints towards Vincent back then. Because in my mind, Vincent is my son that will never do anything wrong."


    "I never expected him to devolve into such degeneracy. What have I done wrong?" Dorothea looked at Shailene. "Can you tell me, Shailene? What have I done wrong to turn my son into such a monster?"


    Shailene was annoyed that Dorothea kept on talking about Vincent. There was no helping in that bastard because it''s probably gic at this point.


    But she had to keep her professionalism and help her client, "It''s not your fault, Dorothea. It''s probably thebination of a stressful job and annoying wife that makes him that way."

 Chapter 472 472

    "It''s not your fault, Dorothea. It''s probably thebination of a stressful job and annoying wife that makes him that way."


    "Not my fault?" Dorothea frowned. She thought that statement from Shailene was very strange. "So it''s Chloe''s fault instead?"


    "Perhaps," Shailene nodded as she tried to convince Dorothea. Although Shailene was still holding this secret as a weapon against Vernonter, she knew where Chloe was hiding right now.


    She was with Vernon, trying to manipte the love of her heart because Chloe was a horrible groomer. She was a pedophile who preyed on the vulnerable mind of young Vernon and made him her ve.


    Though it wasn''t her responsibility to wake Vernon up. She still wanted to wake him up and also wake Dorothea up.


    They needed to know that Chloe was the monster all along.


    "We don''t know what''s on her mind and what was happening inside the married life between your son and daughter-inw, right?" Shailene said. "It could be that Chloe was the one who drove your son insane. She seems to be that kind of woman who looks sweet from the outside, but vicious on the inside."


    "You''ve never even seen her, why would you say that?" Dorothea asked.


    "Just a gut feeling," Shailene said.


    It was true that she hadn''t seen Chloe''s face yet. But judging how she could marry the Big brother while also seducing the Little brother, she concluded that Chloe was a sweet-looking woman with a vicious heart.


    "You don''t need to me yourself over your son''s behavior, Dorothea," Shailene said. "It''s probably Chloe''s fault, and the only thing you can do right now is trying to separate your son from her. Women who have been beaten by their husbands might have taunted their men until they lost control and resort to physical violence, it is not umon and quite deserving to some extent. I believe your son-- Vincent will return to normal after he has forgotten about Chloepletely."


    ...


    ...


    Dorothea paused for a long time but kept staring at Shailene until thetter got a little ufortable.


    "Mind sharing what you think right now, Dorothea?" Shailene asked as she tried to fill up the ufortable silence.


    "What the fuck did you just say, Shailene?" Dorothea said. Her voice was sharp, unlike her usual whiny voice of an old woman.


    Shailene''s body stiffened instantly. She gave Dorothea a side nce to check what she said wrong and almost jumped in fright when she saw Dorothea ring at her as if she had done a terrible offense.


    Shailene mustered her courage and tried to be professional. She acted as if she wrote something in her note and then asked, "I see that you have a strong reaction to my statement. Did I say something that offends you?"


    "Offend? You make this whole thing pointless!" Dorothea yelled. All the vulnerability she showed just now suddenly disappeared, leaving a trace of hostility that confused Shailene. "You stated that women who got beaten by their husbands might''ve taunted their men and deserved the treatment they got."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Do you even understand your own job? I paid you so much because you''re supposed to heal me from my trauma, because I have been abused, cheated, and traumatized by myte husband!" Dorothea''s yell started getting louder as she got angry. "Now you want to tell me that I deserve to get beaten by myte husband?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"


    Shailene was astonished by this old woman''s sudden rampage. She was so ingrained with the topic of Chloe-- that maniptive bitch-- that she had forgotten she wasn''t talking with a friend.


    She was talking to her most important client, the main reason why she still had bits of connection with Vernon despite their bad breakup back then.


    Dorothea saw how stunned Shailene was. She didn''t even try to exin herself, confirming that all the usations were right.


    Shailene was indeed shocked by the sudden outburst. But she was more shocked at how simr Dorothea was to her second son, Vernon when they were angry.


    The way they cursed, yelled and red, they were truly a mother-son pair.


    Dorothea clicked her tongue. She grabbed her bag and got up from the chaise lounge.


    She wore her heels and walked towards the door.


    "W--Where are you going, Mrs. Gray? The therapy session is not over yet!" Shailene finally reacted when she saw Dorothea had already grabbed the door handle.


    Dorothea stopped and looked over her shoulder, "Therapy session? You just told me that I deserved to be beaten by myte husband. Do you think I will continue therapy with an unprofessional and useless psychologist like you? Oh, fuck no!"


    SLAM!


    Dorothea mmed the door as she exited the home office.


    Shailene panicked. She didn''tck money, but Shailene was her only way to connect with Vernon, and once Shailene was gone, she would have no more reason to stay in New York.


    Shailene believed that everything would eventually work out in her favor, especially knowing how much of a maniptive, problematic woman Chloe was.


    ''No, I can''t lose her! She''s my only chance!'' Shailene got up and rushed to catch up to Dorothea. She opened the door in a hurry and saw Dorothe was already walking towards the direction of the front door.


    "Dorothea, wait!" Shailene ran towards the olddy once she realized that Dorothea had intentionally ignored her. So Shailene rushed towards her and caught Dorothea''s wrist. "Dorothea! I''m sorry for what I said just now. I didn''t mean it! I was just not thinking straight right now!" Shailene tried to exin desperately.


    But the more desperate she was, the angrier Dorothea got. Because all her desperation just showed that all that she said was the truthing from her heart.


    Dorothea thought she had finally found a friend in Shailene who would listen to her worry, but it seemed that she had been secretlyughed at by her own ''friend'' the whole time because she was also an abuse victim.

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    Dorothea tried to pull her hand, but the more she pulled, the tighter Shailene gripped her wrist. It was such a desperate move that Dorothea started wondering why she wasted so much time trying to console Shailene.


    Clearly, this woman was not a professional. She never gave Dorothea any closure of what to do to make her heart feel at ease.


    "Let go, Shailene!" Dorothea snapped.


    Shailene shook her head vehemently, "You need to listen to me first! Chloe is a maniptive woman! She might look sweet or timid, but she''s actually the most vicious woman you''ll ever encounter in your life!"


    Dorothea stopped struggling when Shailene said that. She couldn''t believe the audacity of this unprofessional bitch, judging an abused woman even though she had never met Chloe in her life.


    Although Dorothea wasn''t close to Chloe¡ª not yet, at least. But after realizing what Chloe had suffered, Dorothea could instantly rte to her, and her gut feeling told her that Chloe was not maniptive.


    The worst assumption that Dorothea had for Chloe was ungratefulness and being spoiled.


    But never maniptive or vicious.


    "You''re unbelievable," Dorothea said. "Though I''m not close to Chloe, she is FAR from vicious! She''s also an abuse survivor just like me! With that kind of mindset you have, do you judge us as two ungrateful, spoiled whores?!"


    Shailene''s tongue was tied. She couldn''t believe she had no more chance to keep Dorothea by her side. She wanted to know more about Vernon''s family, so she could use it to show Vernon that she was far more amodating and understanding than Chloe.


    Shailene had to admit that the love she buried deep inside her heart bloomed once more. She was finally reunited with Vernon and refused to back down without a fight!


    "Let me go, Shailene!" Dorothea snapped.


    Shailene gulped and finally let out her trump card, "No, you and Chloe are different. You both might be abuse victims. But you''re not as vile as her, because you don''t go for your brother-inw after your marriage failed."


    ¡­


    Dorothea paused for a while, trying to process what Shailene had just said. She thought this was another bullshit that she spouted just to keep Dorothea here.


    But when Dorothea noticed the seriousness in her eyes, she started hesitating and stopped struggling.


    "What do you mean?" Dorothea asked.


    Shailene was relieved that Dorothea finally started listening to her, though with the cost of Shailene''s trump card, which was unfortunate.


    But after weighing the cost and benefit, Shailene thought it was worth revealing Chloe''s crime early as long as Dorothea was by her side again.


    It''d be very beneficial once Vernon realized that Shailene was the one who wanted to make things right between him and his family.


    ? "L¡ªLet''s sit first and let me tell you what I know about Chloe. Mind you, I''ve been keeping this secret because I don''t know if you can take it. But I have a good intention, I want you to realize that you shouldn''t sympathize or try to rte yourself with Chloe."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "She is bad news, Dorothea," Shailene stated.


    Dorothea started hesitating.


    She wanted to deny everything that Shailene was about to say, but the belief in her eyes convinced Dorothea to at least listen to what Shailene was about to say before deciding whether she would believe her or not.


    Thus, Shailene sessfully convinced Dorothea to sit on the sofa. Dorothea crossed her legs, silently staring at Shailene, waiting for her to speak.


    Shailene took a deep breath before she opened her mouth;


    "The truth is, I know Chloe way more than what you told me," Shailene imed. "I know that she ran away from home with her daughter, and I know the man who took her in."


    "Who is he?" Dorothea interrupted. She was both curious and anxious about the identity of this man. Since Chloe ran away in an attempt to escape Vincent''s clutch, Dorothea doubted that Chloe had found the right man when she was desperate.


    She knew that desperate women often made the wrong choice. After all, Dorothea was the prime example of a woman who made many wrong choices.


    Shailene paused for a moment. She had a moment of hesitation, wondering if telling Dorothea about it would benefit Shailene or not.


    "Shailene?"


    ''Ugh, I really don''t like to be in this position,'' Shaileneined in her heart. "The man who takes her in right now is someone you know very well."


    "A man I know?" Dorothea murmured. She tried to remember all the men she knew and came up with a few suspects. Vincent told her once that Chloe must''ve been hiding under an old millionaire''s wing, probably as a pet.


    After all, Chloe wasn''t the young, ravishing beauty she once was, and she had a child too, so that man must''ve made her a mistress in exchange for protection and a ce to hide.


    "Is it someone from my family?" Dorothea asked. "I know some crooked old men," she added.


    Shailene shook her head, "This man is not old. In fact, he is younger than you¡­ or Vincent¡­ or even Chloe herself. This man is in his mid twenties."


    "Mid twenties?!" Dorothea''s eyes almost popped out of their socket. She just couldn''t believe what she had heard just now. "I don''t believe you," Dorothea said. "I can''t believe that you made up a stupid lie like that, Shailene. You''re already unprofessional in my eyes, now you just made your image worse by lying to me."


    Dorothea got up and grabbed her bag. She had depleted all of her patience for Shailene.


    "I''m not lying!" Shailene eximed as she tried to stop Dorothea.


    Dorothea shot a disgusted look at Shailene and yelled, "Who the fuck would believe that a man in his mid twenties would take Chloe! Unless he''s a reckless idiot who wants to get his life ruined! Your lie doesn''t even make sense!"


    "He''s not an idiot, but he has been manipted!" Shailene stated. "Why? Because your sweet daughter-inw, Chloe Gray, groomed him since he was seven years old!"

 Chapter 474 474

    Shailene knew there was no turning back anymore. The cat was out of the bag this time. "Chloe is a pedophile!"


    "W--What?!" Dorothea was too shocked to react. That usation was so out of the blue that she couldn''t even process what Shailene had just said.


    "Y--You heard it right!" Shailene''s voice started wavering, hesitating and scared that she might have made the worst mistake in her life. But she had to be convincing or else she''d lose her golden ticket to obtain Vernon back to her life.


    "Do you know the young man''s identity that Chloe has groomed ever since he was seven years old? I''m pretty sure you clearly know who that man is."


    Dorothea still couldn''t believe Shailene''s words. But she still tried to find the identity of a man ten years younger than Chloe and who had been close to her ever since she was young.


    But Dorothea couldn''t find any, because as much as she knew, Chloe was only close to her son, Vincent, because they had dated since high school and Chloe visited the Gray mansion a lot, either checking on Vincent, cooking for him, and taking care of Little Ver--


    !!!


    Dorothea gasped. Her eyes were unfocused as she felt lightheaded instantly.


    She lost her footing and quickly grabbed the edge of the sofa so she wouldn''t fall and faint.


    "That can''t be--" Dorothea muttered. She shook her head repeatedly, and each time her head moved, she continued denying it as if it was the worst news she had ever heard. "No way."


    Dorothea looked at Shailene, who was just as agitated as she was, but probably for a different reason.


    "How did you know this?" she asked impatiently. "I swear to god if you lied, Shailene. I will hunt you to hell and back!"


    "You can trust me in this one," Shailene imed. "Because the man that had been groomed by Chloe came to me twice. He asked about rtionship advice between him and Chloe, because apparently Chloe has a lot of trauma-- or at least so he imed. Who knows it might be just Chloe trying to influence his poor mind?"


    "But-- but how could he go against his own Big brother?!" Dorothea yelled out of desperation and confusion. This came as such a shock to her that her brain short-circuited. "Our rtionship has been damaged beyond fixing, but he seems kind and loyal to Vincent. How could he--"


    "Isn''t it obvious? Because Chloe influenced his mind! It''s so easy for her to do that because his mind has been ruined by Chloe since he was a kid. Who knows what kind of perverted thing Chloe did to him when he was just a child? She''s fucking pedophile!" Shailene imed. "She must''ve used her charm to manipte that poor man until he goes insane and n to betray his own Big brother. That''s why I told you that she''s the most vicious woman you will ever find in your life!"


    Dorothea shook her head again. She took a step back as she tried to deny the harsh truth, "I don''t believe you, Shailene. I won''t believe you!"


    Shailene thought this was the right chance to make everything finally work in her favor, "You don''t believe me? Then let me show you something!" Shailene fished her phone from her pocket and scrolled through her gallery. After finding the needed proof, she flipped the phone so Dorothea could see the photo on the screen.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dorothea gasped again because this was the damning evidence she clearly didn''t want to see.


    It was her second son, sleeping on the same chaise lounge where Dorothea oftenid twice weekly.


    Now, this felt like a nightmare that she couldn''t live through. Her first son turned out to be an abusive, perverted monster who was no different than histe father.


    And now her estranged second son, whose rtionship with her was beyond repair, tried to fight his own Big brother for the sake of Chloe. Either he was a total idiot or a reckless bastard who didn''t know that his struggle would only lead to the destruction of the Gray family.


    At this point, her family could not be saved anymore. Everyone and everything was already fucked up, and everything would eventually crumble.


    She had nowhere to go, not even to Chloe.


    She tried not to frame Chloe for being a groomer or a pedophile, but the way Shailene framed her effectively made it impossible for Dorothea not to suspect Chloe.


    "You see it now, right?" Shailene muttered. "Chloe is the reason why your family is in ruin. That''s why I said that Chloe must be the one triggering and manipting Vincent in some way, so he reached the boiling point and finally started abusing her."


    "But--" Dorothea tried to deny that, but her tongue was tied. Even she was unsure whether Chloe was innocent or not.


    "See? You can''t even deny it anymore," Shailene said. "If she''s vicious enough to groom a seven-year-old child and manipte him into adulthood, do you think she can''t do the same to her own husband?"


    "No, I--"


    "Dorothea, I''m just trying to help you and your family. I care about you, you''re more than just a client to me. You''re my friend!" Shailene continued pressing her without giving Dorothea a time to think.


    Dorothea finally shot another re at Shailene but said nothing.


    "I--I need to gather my thoughts," Dorothea said. She turned and walked towards the main door. She wobbled on her way out but tried to lean on the wall as she kept walking and opened the door.


    This time, Shailene didn''t try to stop her anymore. She had revealed her trump card and believed there was no way for Dorothea to deny this fact.


    "Dorothea, I know that you need time. But you should know your friend and foe. I am your friend, your only friend in fact," Shailene imed confidently. "I''m not a maniptive bitch like Chloe. I''m not going to use your depression and sadness to make you stand by my side. I''m doing this solely because I want you to get better!"

 Chapter 475 475

    "I know that you''re a vulnerable old woman who made many wrong choices in your life, but please¡­ don''t make the wrong choice for this one!" Shailene started imploring, but she believed that her n worked because Dorothea didn''t try to argue with her anymore.


    Instead, Dorothea kept silent. Her hand was still holding the door handle, and her shoulder drooped. She looked like a vulnerable old woman in herte 50s, something that she tried hard to never show.


    Shailene couldn''t see the old woman''s face right now, but she believed that Dorothea must''ve been shaken to the core.


    "Dorothea, being sad is alright. But you cannot let your sadness influence your decision. Chloe¡ª that maniptive bitch will try to guilt trip you, and you should not give in!"


    "Enough, Shailene!" Dorothea yelled. "I heard you enough. You don''t need to keep trying."


    "T¡ªThen, what''s your decision? You shouldn''t try to connect or rte to Chloe. She is not the same as you. You''re so much better than her," Shailene said. "Believe me, Dorothea. My heart aches for you. Instead of connecting with Chloe, you should keep talking to me instead. You don''t even need to pay, I just want to help you."


    "It''s not about money," Dorothea said. "If I can use money to pay for my happiness, I''d give all the money I have." Dorothea looked over her shoulder to check on Shailene before nodding, "Thank you for your help. I hope I made the right decision this time. Good night."


    Dorothea finally walked out of Shailene''s apartment.


    Shailene stared at the door for a while until she took a deep breath. She went to the kitchen to drink a ss of water to calm herself down and wiped the sweat on her forehead.


    "Damn, that was intense," she murmured. "I didn''t expect to be put in such a tough situation.


    Shailene started reflecting on everything she had said to Dorothea, including revealing the big secret she had been holding the whole time.


    And she thought¡­


    It was all justified and correct.


    "I want her to know that we''re on the same team," Shailene murmured. "We can work together, so she can make things right for her family, especially Vernon. She needs to know that Vincent is unsalvageable, but she can connect to Vernon instead."


    "He could be an ass sometimes, but he still had that kindness in him," Shailene said. "And after all this has been resolved, I hope Dorothea can see that Vernon and I are meant to be together. At least they should know that I''m fighting for what''s right and what''s the best for all of us."


    "Unlike Chloe, that woman¡­." Shailene shook her head. "What a vicious bitch, ruining two brothers at the same time, even went as far as manipting an old, vulnerable woman like Dorothea."


    "I have to save Vernon from her clutch."


    **


    Dorothea walked slowly through the corridor. Her steps faltered many times, and she had to lean on the wall to keep moving forward.


    Her shoulder drooped, unlike the usual Dorothea, who had her chest puffed out in pride. Now she really looked like her age.<novelnext></novelnext>


    A woman in herte 50s was depressed, lonely, and feeling that the world was unfair to her.


    Dorothea entered the elevator and stood still until her tears broke like a dam, streaming down her cheeks and falling to the floor.


    Her body trembled as she still couldn''t believe the cold hard truth.


    That her family was ruined, and there was no way to fix it.


    Vaughn and Vincent were the same monsters. They were the worst kind of man that always gued Dorothea''s mind. They always came into her dreams and turned any kind of dream she had into a nightmare.


    Vernon¡ª she was way too estranged from her second son, and she knew that it was her fault.


    She abused him as a child because she wasn''t as obedient and good as his Big brother. She didn''t know if it was the effect of heroin and alcohol, she took it back then, or maybe she was just a horrible human in the first ce.


    But all the abuse she did to Vernon made her feel way too guilty. She didn''t even try to smile at Vernon since she knew that Vernon despised her.


    So she masked her sadness and guilt by despising him back.


    She was depressed, and nothing could heal her broken heart. No matter how much money she had from her bastard''ste husband, she still couldn''t be happy.


    "I thought I could finally find someone I can connect with¡­." Dorothea murmured. "But Chloe, why? Why did you find Vernon? Was it really just a coincidence, or you''ve been targeting him the whole time so you can ruin his life and Vincent''s too?"


    "Is this your way to avenge all your grudges on me? Is this the punishment that I deserved?" Dorothea continued running with her own conclusion. "I know I''m a terrible person. But I''m trying to get better, so please, don''t hurt me like this. I might die¡­."


    Dorothea walked out of the apartment and entered her car. The driver said nothing as he noticed Madam Gray was crying.


    The driver often witnessed Madam Dorothea Gray crying or staring emptily at the rows of New York high rise buildings. She said nothing, but she had a deep sadness in her.


    Unfortunately, as much as he wanted tofort the olddy, he felt it wasn''t his ce to do that.


    The driver waited until Madam Gray stopped crying and asked carefully, "Where do you want to go, Madam?"


    Dorothea wiped the tears that kept falling and muttered with a hoarse voice, "To Phoenix Tower, get me a room if there is an empty apartment for rent. If there''s no apartment for rent, go to any hotel near that building."


    The driver paused for a moment, "To Mr. Phoenix Gray''s tower, Madam?" he asked, just in case he misheard it. As much as he remembered, Madam Gray never liked her second son, so to rent an apartment owned by him felt strange for the driver.

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    "Yes," Dorothea confirmed. "Get me a room there. I want to meet my second son."


    ...


    The driver didn''t know what just happened and what would happen soon inside that Phoenix Tower, but he was here to work and would do his job without question.


    "Understood, Madam."


    The car drove through the night until they reached the Phoenix Tower, famously owned by the handsome, young CEO-- Vernon Phoenix Gray, who went viral for his dashingly handsome appearance and how young he was considering all of his sess.


    The car was parked in the basement, and the driver said, "We''re here, Madam."


    "Go up and rent the room for me," Dorothea said. "Put it under your name and never say that I am the one who''s renting. I''m afraid that my son already puts restrictions on me. I know he will, considering how paranoid he can be."


    ...


    "Understood, Madam."


    The driver went up to rent an apartment room for Dorothea. She stared emptily at the dim light of the basement parking. She wasn''t thinking straight right now, so all she did was use her heart to guide her.


    As much as she wanted to start using Chloe of being the bitch that Shailene imed she was, Dorothea still wanted to meet her.


    Dorothea wanted to see if Chloe was truly the maniptive whore, or if it was all just in her head and Shailene''s mouth.


    She also wanted to know about Chloe''s rtionship with her second son, Vernon.


    She knew she had no right to intervene in Vernon''s rtionship. After all, she hadn''t done her duty as a mother since she gave birth to him.


    But she wanted to know his true intention of returning to New York. Was it just for business or to destroy the Gray family?


    To destroy her...


    The driver returned to the car with a card key in his hand. He entered the car and twisted his body to face Madam Gray sitting at the back, "Madam, this is the card key. I have rented an apartment for a week under my name. But the room quality might not meet your standard, Madam. The best they have is the two-bedrooms with balcony, penthouse is not avable. I''m sorry, Madam."


    Dorothea smiled at her driver and epted the card key, "You''ve done a great job, thank you, Jonathan."


    The driver''s eyes widened instantly, "M--Madam, you know my name?!"


    "But of course," Dorothea said. "I was the mistress of the house before I hired someone else to manage the people inside the Gray mansion for me. Naturally, I know people around me. I know that you just had your first baby. Heard that from the rumors around the Gray mansion. Congrattions."


    The driver went silent but nodded to confirm, "Yes, Madam. Thank you so much. It''s been a pleasure working with you for the past five years."


    "And you will continue working with me," Dorothea said. "Jonathan, I want you to take a break-- at least for a month, don''t worry, it will be paid leave. I will tell the head butler that I''ll be busy having a trip to Greece, but you should not tell anyone about my presence here, understand?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    ...


    Jonathan knew that it wasn''t his ce to ask this. He kept reminding himself that he was just a driver.


    But he couldn''t help but get a little worried, "Madam... are you alright? Do you need me to bring a maid with you?"


    "No, and also no," Dorothea replied firmly to make herself sound strong, but her bitter smile said otherwise. "I am not alright. But I can manage myself. You don''t need to worry about me."


    "Oh-- and, you should spend more time with your wife and newborn baby. I bet she will appreciate it so much," Dorothea advised.


    "I will, Madam. They''re always in my mind," Jonathan, the driver, answered firmly. "Thank you, Madam. You''re so kind."


    "Haha, I''m not kind," Dorothea said. She opened the door and gave Jonathan thest look before smiling again. "But I''m trying not to be a terrible person."


    The door was shut, and Dorothea went to the elevator to go up to her floor.


    She entered the room, putting her bag on the sofa before she sat next to it.


    Her eyes wandered around the room, and Jonathan was right. This was just a regr two bedroom apartment with a balcony, though the balcony view was surely beautiful.


    But that wasn''t her main focus.


    She was more focused on the fact that Vernon could buy an entire apartment building in the middle of New York with his own money.


    Dorothea was actually terrified when she learned about this fact. Vernon said it loud and proud in front of her when she summoned him into her room during her birthday half a year ago.


    He said he had already bought an apartment building a year before moving to New York. He already had everything set for him and was already working on branching out in many sectors to gain a footing in the US market.


    Dorothea told him not to try fighting against Vincent in the market because he was the Gray family''s true heir, but Vernon told her that he didn''t care.


    He told Dorothea that his Big brother could beat him in any business if he was better than him.


    -


    ''And Vincent will not believe what I said to you just now, you dying hag,'' Vernon said ruthlessly back then. He scoffed full of ridicule at Dorothea and added, ''You will see some shit about to happen with your family. Just wait and see.''


    -


    "I guess it doese true in such a short time. I feel like this is the end of my family. The end of me," Dorothea murmured. "But even if everything falls apart, I still want to know if Chloe has been doing this to ruin my life like what Shailene said, or if she''s just stuck in a bad ce and has no way to escape, like what happened when I married Vaughn back then."


    Thus, Dorothea texted Chloe thest text before she closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly.

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    Chloe woke up earlier than Vernon the next morning. She was sweating all over, even under the aircon, because Vernon kept on spooning her subconsciously while he was sleeping, not giving her a chance for Chloe to separate herself from him.


    Chloe struggled a little, trying to break free since she had to check on Mackie and get going by making banana juices for them as well.


    "Vernon, let go¡­." Chloe said while she was struggling.


    "Hrhm¡­" Vernon snorted before snoring like an idiot again. He was like a big gori you couldn''t break free of unless it was by his own will.


    Knowing she might spend the whole morning stuck in this, she decided to use her mighty skill instead.


    Chloe stopped struggling and leaned deeper inside Vernon''s embrace, making the man veryfortable. She used her butt to start rubbing on Vernon''s morning wood until his half-erect cock got fully erect in seconds.


    Vernon had a thin smile as he also started grinding his dick against Chloe''s soft butt. Thinking that Chloe wanted to do it, he opened his eyes, and his hand reached for her boobs from behind, "So eager in the morning, hm?"


    Chloe smiled and looked over her shoulder. She saw from the corner of her eyes that the big guy was grinning perversely.


    Which was unfortunate because she wasn''t in the mood right now.


    "Let me off, Vernon. I need to check on Mackie, and also make smoothie or juice for you two."


    The perverted grin disappeared instantly. Vernon snorted annoyedly and released his embrace. He murmured ''Blue Balling'' a few times before closing his eyes again.


    Chloe thought it was cute, so she giggled as she left the bedroom.


    She went down to check on Mackie and was relieved that Mackie was in a deep sleep, probably because she kept snacking cookies in the evening.


    Chloe went to her room to check her phone. She expected Dorothea to st her phone like before.


    To her surprise, there was no phone call but a text from Dorothea.


    "Just one?" Chloe wondered. "Did she finally give up? How about all her worries for me and Mackie? Was it all just a farce to trap me so I will meet her?"


    Chloe couldn''t help but get a little suspicious of the sudden change. She opened the text, and her heart skipped for a second.


    She kept reading the short text over and over. She blinked a few times, trying to see if her eyes were tricking her.


    But that short text was clear as day.


    -


    Dorothea:


    I know everything, Chloe. Call me once you read this text.


    I want to talk to you, even for thest time.


    Please.


    -


    It was a short text, but Chloe felt the urgency in it. It didn''t feel like a threat but more like a plea.


    Dorothea was pleading with her, even if it was for thest time. She even used the word ''please,'' something that Dorothea had never said before to her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe gulped. She tried to keep things logical, like what Vernon kept trying to remind her.


    But right now, she felt the urgency of Dorothea''s text meant that she was at her wit''s end. She was exhausted from all things right now.


    Chloe sat on the bed, staring at the text for a long time before she gripped her phone to make one decisive action, "Please don''t hurt me, Dorothea. I don''t think I can trust anyone outside of Vernon and Mackie if you turn out to be as evil as Vincent. I can''t manage another betrayal¡­."


    Thus, Chloe pressed Dorothea''s contact and gave her a call.


    Dorothea was sleeping on the sofa when she heard her phone ring on the table in front of her. She opened her eyes slowly. It wasn''t difficult to wake up, though, since she had a long nightmare through the night.


    She rubbed her eyes and checked on the caller, thinking it was just the head butler in the Gray mansion.


    But her eyes widened when she saw the caller''s ID. Her drowsiness disappeared instantly, and she immediately picked up the call.


    -


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "H¡ªHello?" Chloe opened the conversation first after the long silence. "Dorothea, are you there?"


    Dorothea took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. Chloe''s voice was gentle, just like what she expected.


    In fact, Dorothea never saw her getting angry at anything, even at Mackie, who often threw tantrums when she was a kid. She was very patient, ''Unlike me, who beat my own son for being a child¡­'' she thought as the self-me continued in her mind.


    "Dorothea?"


    "I''m here," Dorothea said. "T¡ªThank you for calling me. I thought¡­ we will never talk again."


    "¡­ What happened, Dorothea?" Chloe asked.


    ''Oh, a lot happened, dear. So many crazy things are happening in my life right now and I think I''m so close to just ending it all,'' Dorothea said in her heart. Though she didn''t want toe off as trauma-dumping or trying to hook her sympathy on the phone.


    Dorothea still didn''t know if Chloe was genuinely a good woman or if she was a maniptive bitch like what Shailene said.


    Her instinct told her that Chloe was the former one, as she had never experienced getting harmed by Chloe in any way.


    But she still didn''t want to sound desperate until they met, at least.


    Thus, Dorothea cut straight to the point;


    "Chloe, I¡ª I know everything already," she said.


    "What do you mean?" Chloe went on full guard once they returned to the topic. As much as Chloe remembered, only her new small family and Diamond knew about the identity of Vernon as her benefactor.


    Was there a mole the whole time?


    "I know the identity of the man who has been hiding you and my granddaughter the whole time," Dorothea said. She wondered if this would be the right time to say it, but she had no chance to back down, knowing that Chloe might never call her again after this.


    "I''m staying in his apartment right now."

 Chapter 478 478

    "I''m staying in his apartment right now."


    That word came like a tidal wave that hit Chloe right in her core. The hand holding the phone started to tremble, and Chloe''s face got paler as she had already assumed the worst might have happened.


    Dorothea already knew the identity of Vernon as her benefactor, and there was definitely a mole around her.


    But Chloe still tried to y it off, hoping that Dorothea was just bluffing to catch her off guard and identally spilled Vernon''s identity by herself.


    "W--What do you mean by apartment, D--Dorothea?" Chloe acted calmly, but she kept stuttering out of nervousness. "He-- um... I don''t think he... has an apartment...."


    "You''re not really good at lying, Chloe," Dorothea said bluntly, and Chloe muttered ''sorry'' out of reflex.


    Chloe gasped when she realized what she had just said. It was inevitable for her to mutter that word because she was so used to apologizing for everything and taking the me. It became a muscle memory for her.


    Dorothea had a smile as she heard Chloe''s reaction. She was d that Chloe didn''t seem to fake her reaction. Thus, at least Dorothea could assume that Chloe wasn''t as maniptive as Shailene said.


    Still, her nervousness didn''t answer anything regarding her involvement with Vincent and Vernon.


    "I don''t want to beat around the bush, Chloe," Dorothea said. Her voice sounded very exhausted as if she was already devoid of her will to live. "I''m staying on floor 11, room 1112. I will be waiting for you. This might be thest time I meet you, Chloe. So please,e here and talk to me."


    "Wait, Dorothea--"


    Beep


    --


    Chloe''s mouth gaped open as she had to swallow lots of her words back into her throat. She tried to give another call to Dorothea, but she stopped answering any of Chloe''s calls.


    All she did was send a text.


    --


    Dorothea:


    1112, the door will be unlocked, and you cane in.


    If you trust me as much as I want to trust you, pleasee and meet me. I need to talk to you.


    Don''t tell him that I''m here. I''m afraid he''ll kick me out as soon as he knows...


    --


    "Oh, this is-- no way--" Chloe felt her legs getting weaker, and she dropped herself onto her bed. She tried to take many deep breaths as she felt herself suffocating out of fear.


    "Is she really here? In the Phoenix Tower? On the eleventh floor?!"


    "No, h--how could she know about this? What will happen to Vernon?!" Chloe''s mind was gued by fear right now. She was so scared that Dorothea might''ve told Vincent about this already, and Vernon would be done for.


    "I--I can''t let that happen, no," Chloe shook her head vehemently. Vernon''s safety was her priority, and she would do everything to keep him safe.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Even if that meant she had to die under Vincent''s hand.


    Chloe gulped. She read the text again and finally made her decision.


    It was a swift decision that wasn''t very wise or smart, but she knew she had to do it.


    She had to meet Dorothea and face her alone.


    Chloe tried to muster the courage, "You should act normal, Chloe. Vernon will be getting ready for work soon, so you have to act normal."


    Chloe knew that she could always hide under Vernon''s arm. If she told him right now about Dorothea, he''d definitely kick her out.


    But that was what scared Chloe the most.


    What if Dorothea got so angry and vengeful after getting kicked and humiliated by her second son that she decided to tell Vincent everything, including Vernon''s identity.


    "Soi have to be careful. This is for his own wellbeing."


    **


    Chloe tried to act normal while watching Vernon and Mackie eating a simple pancake breakfast that Vernon had cooked just now. They were eating in silence, but Vernon checked on Mackie and Chloe a few times by ncing at them, ensuring that everything was alright and his food was good.


    It was always a relief for him whenever he saw Chloe and Mackie smile because it showed harmony in their new small family. That was the blessing he had always wanted his whole life.


    A happy family.


    However, he started noticing something was off because Chloe seemed to gradually get more nervous each time Vernon nced at her.


    As if she had done something terrible and tried not to get discovered.


    Vernon doubted that she was cheating on him. That''d be thest thing on his mind. But he wondered if Chloe continued contacting Dorothea after their fight yesterday.


    His rage started building again. As always, Dorothea was like a thorn in his heart. As long as Dorothea was still around Chloe''s life, he would never feel truly safe.


    ''That bitch needs to die, seriously,'' Vernon thought. ''She must''ve influenced Chloe''s weak mind again.''


    Vernon was about to open his mouth and start interrogating- probably with some shouting along the way as well, but then he realized that Mackie was right by his side. So he had to hold it until he finished his work in the office.


    "I''ll have a few important meetings today, so I''ll be homete," Vernon said as he put on his socks with Chloe standing by his side with his briefcase. "You''re still recovering, don''t go out for now, and don''t do anything unnecessary, okay?"


    "O--Okay," Chloe nodded obediently. "I--I will sit still and watch TV all day, is that good enough?"


    "I''m serious, Chloe," Vernon sighed. "I''m doing this for you, for us. Please don''t do anything stupid or risky. I don''t want to lose you."


    Vernon got up and grabbed the briefcase from Chloe''s hand, "Bear with me for a while, Chloe. I might get a little overbearing for now, but you know why I did this," he said while ncing at Chloe''s right hand that was wrapped in a cast. "I don''t want you to get hurt."


    "I know, "I promise not to do anything to hurt you, to hurt us, Vernon..." Chloe nodded, then lowered her head out of shame.

 Chapter 479 479

    She was feeling guilty that she had to trick Vernon again.


    Vernon had been nothing but good for her, and it was true. He was being so protective because Chloe had just got beaten to hell and back by Vincent.


    But Dorothea''s case was special, and Chloe had to meet or at leaste to room 1112 to check if she was actually in Phoenix Tower. It''d be great if she was lying, trying to scare or threaten Chloe.


    But if Dorothea''s threat was true, that Dorothea already knew about Vernon''s identity, then she might have to do the most extreme, whatever that was¡ª as long as Vernon''s identity would be safe.


    "Good, I''m going to work now. See youter¡ª" Vernon paused for a moment. His mouth was slightly open as there was a word he wanted to say but couldn''t because the timing wasn''t right.


    And that word was ''Honey.''


    Vernon exhaled helplessly and patted Chloe''s head gently before he entered the elevator and left.


    Chloe watched him until the elevator door waspletely shut. She let out a relieved breath.


    Chloe couldn''t keep calm and continued lying through her teeth when Vernon was around. Because she kept remembering how hurt Vernon was when he found out that Chloe was talking to Dorothea on the phone yesterday.


    "Well, maybe I''m going to hurt him even more for now. But I will do anything to prevent your downfall, Vernon," Chloe murmured. She was determined to face Dorothea, even if she already had a guess that Dorothea might ckmail her soon or the worst¡ª Vincent was already here, hiding in Dorothea''s room, ready to catch Chloe off guard and drag her back into that cage.


    But that was just her paranoia talking.


    Dorothea might be ignorant and arrogant back then, but she never tried to fiddle with Vincent''s married life.


    Which could be a positive or negative trait depending on the situation.


    Of course, no woman wanted to have a nagging mother-inw.


    But no woman would ever wish to get beaten by her husband and ignored by her mother-inw, even after all the reports she made about Vincent''s crazy behavior.


    Chloe returned to the penthouse and saw Mackie reading a storybook. She seemed so engrossed with the book that she didn''t notice her Mommy walk past her, grab her ess key, and sneak right out of the penthouse.


    Chloe went down to the eleventh floor and walked to room 1112.


    The door was slightly ajar as if the person inside this room had been expecting Chloe''s arrival.


    Chloe peeked from the gap and saw Dorothea''s back as the old woman sat on a chair facing the open balcony.


    Chloe''s body tensed immediately. She covered her mouth so she wouldn''t gasp out of reflex. She stepped back and leaned on the wall to prop herself because her legs felt weak.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''She''s here. She knows about Vernon and me!'' Chloe was screaming internally. She panicked, and the fear that Dorothea would use this information to ruin Vernon''s life made her palpitate.


    Her instinct told her to flee because that was all she could do most of the time: cower or flee so she wouldn''t get hurt.


    But when she checked Dorothea again. She sensed something that Dorothea never showed before, and that was¡­ vulnerability.


    Chloe could only see her back, but that was all she needed to realize that Dorothea looked weak.


    Her shoulder drooped like the old woman that she should be. She ced her hands on the armrests, and Chloe noticed how her fingers were shaking from time to time as if she had been enduring extreme pain that she couldn''t bear.


    This wasn''t the usually proud and condescending Dorothea. She looked like a regr old woman with so much mental exhaustion.


    ¡­


    Chloe''s fear slowly dissipated as she kept staring at Dorothea''s back, and at some point, the fear had been reced with pity.


    She knew it was crazy for her to pity Dorothea just because she looked weak. After all, when Chloe was at her lowest, Dorothea never gave her an ounce of pity.


    No matter how many times Chloe told Dorothea that Vincent was hurting her, Dorothea would turn blind eyes and then ignore Chloe''spletely, saying that it wasn''t her concern Chloe couldn''t be a good wife to Vincent or that Chloe was simply overreacting.


    Chloe felt that she should be vengeful to that old woman. She shouldugh at Dorothea for looking so weak and vulnerable and also taunt her in the process so Dorothea will understand how much pain Chloe felt when living with Vincent for the past ten years. After all, karma is a bitch, right?


    But Chloe was never a vengeful person. She never wanted to hurt others, a trait she sometimes despised because it made her weak and stupid, just like how Vincent described her.


    Chloe was still thinking about whether she should just barge in and talk with Dorothea or leave, but before she finished thinking, her legs had already moved on their own when she heard a sob from Dorothea.


    Chloe opened the door and closed it behind her. She walked in carefully and stood behind Dorothea.


    From this angle, Chloe could see how frail Dorothea looked. She could see Dorothea''s side profile and noticed the exhaustion on her face.


    She had lost the morous beauty she had spent so much money on. Dorothea looked like she had been aging a lot faster since thest time Chloe saw her, and her eye was slightly droopy, watching the bustling morning of New York city from the balcony.


    "I''m d you came, Chloe," Dorothea said without looking at her daughter-inw. She smiled thin as she continued, "I thought you''d chicken out as usual. Won''t me you if you do so, though."


    Dorothea''s snark was actually on point. Chloe was about to chicken out. But two reasons made her stay and confront Dorothea instead of running away.


    First, she felt that Dorothea''s vulnerability was very odd, and it concerned her to see the usually condescending woman be so weak.

 Chapter 480 480

    And second;


    "Because you know about Vernon as my benefactor," Chloe uttered her reasoning. "I will do anything to prevent you from ruining his life," she added without fear.


    It was also her main reason toe here and meet Dorothea anyway, so she would prefer to make things clear to lessen the burden on her shoulder.


    Dorothea finally looked at Chloe from the corner of her eyes, and her lips trembled when she saw the cast covering Chloe''s right hand.


    Obviously, Dorothea knew that Chloe was in so much pain. Her bones might''ve cracked, dislocated, crushed, or all the above after getting beaten by Vincent.


    ''Yet, Vincent treats her wounds like it''s some kind of trophy. As if beating his wife is some kind of prideful thing,'' Dorothea despaired. ''Just like Vaughn.''


    Although Dorothea sympathized greatly with Chloe''s suffering, she tried hard not to jump at Chloe and hugged her daughter-inw.


    She had a lot on her mind, but the most important thing to do was to apologize.


    She should apologize for being so condescending to Chloe, for ignoring her plea while she got abused by Vincent, and overall for being a terrible mother-inw to Chloe.


    Oh, one more thing, she wanted to apologize on behalf of Vincent because she felt it was her fault that he grew up to be a monster.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t show her concern or sympathy, at least not until she made sure that Chloe wasn''t the maniptive bitch like what Shailene said.


    "Even if you''ll put yourself in danger?" she asked.


    "Yes," Chloe stated without hesitation.


    If there was one thing in this world that she would bet her life on, that would be protecting her family. She did her best to protect Mackie from Vincent and all the disgusting shit happening in the Gray family.


    She also tried her best (though not the wisest) to protect Mackie''s innocence until she was old enough to understand.


    Now she also saw Vernon as part of her family, which meant she would do anything to protect that big guy.


    Dorothea continued observing Chloe from head to toe, trying to see if Chloe was just trying to fool her.


    Shailene''s words stuck around in her mind longer than she wanted. Shailene nted a seed of doubt in Dorothea''s heart, making her unsure if Chloe was actually a good woman or a vile one that wanted to ruin her second son.


    "You know that I can always tell Vincent about this information, right? He will ruin Vernon''s life in an instant," Dorothea continued talking while her eyes studied every change Chloe made.


    Chloe couldn''t hide the horror in her eyes. Her chest started palpitating as she panicked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But she realized that panicking wouldn''t save Vernon''s ass right now. She had to stay strong in front of Dorothea to show that she wasn''t scared by her threats.


    "Then I will give myself to Vincent," Chloe said determinedly despite the fear in her heart. "I will trade my life. He can do anything to me as long as he lets Vernon off."


    "Even if that means he will beat the crap out of you? You know that Vincent is--" Dorothea paused for a moment. She swallowed her saliva as she was about to destroy all the stupid pride she had for her first son from now on. "--is a terrible man."


    "I know he is a terrible man. I experienced getting abused by him for the past ten years," Chloe replied. The memories of Vincent''s abuse shed in her mind like a film reel, yet, she clenched her fist and continued talking, "But I''m not scared to face Vincent. That monster can take my life as long as he will let Vernon off. After all, my life is not as important as his."


    Dorothea was taken aback by Chloe''s answer, "Your life is not as important as his?"


    "Yes. Vernon is a bright young man. He is very sessful for his age, and he is a kind man-- just with an intimidating appearance. He has helped me way more than he needs to, and he deserves to have a happy life after--" Chloe hesitated to continue, but she felt that Dorothea must''ve known this fact already, even if she buried it deep in her heart. "--After he experienced a terrible childhood."


    Dorothea went silent for a moment before giving the nod, basically confirming that she was one of the main reasons which caused Vernon to have a terrible childhood.


    Chloe was assured. She didn''t know what changed Dorothea, but her admittance of being a terrible mother gave Chloe more confidence to speak out.


    "He is a talented man who deserves the world, while I''m just a... good-for-nothing woman. I''m not young anymore, and frankly... I don''t have that much will to live anyway, haha...." Chloe added an awkwardugh at the end because she thought it sounded too depressing for someone else to hear, though it was the truth in her heart.


    She was very happy to live with Vernon and Mackie. All moments with them were the happiest moments Chloe ever had.


    But at the same time, she felt that Vernon and Mackie could still push through and forget her in the future if she disappeared because of Vincent''s doing.


    Just like this moment.


    If Dorothea had already told Vincent about her rtionship with Vernon, she wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice her own life.


    Dorothea pursed her lips. She continued staring at Chloe''s determined face until she released an exasperated breath, "Forget it. I know that you''re not evil, Chloe. If you were, you would knock me out from behind and kill me the moment you saw me."


    Dorothea slowly got up from her chair as she also felt weak.


    She stood in front of Chloe, bewildered by her action, and then opened her arms before circling them around Chloe''s shoulder.


    Dorothea hugged her daughter-inw, who turned stiff. This was the first time Dorothea hugged her daughter-inw, and she realized one thing.


    ''Chloe feels very... safe,'' Dorothea thought. ''She feels like home.''

 Chapter 481 481

    ''She feels like home,'' that thought shed in Dorothea''s mind as she continued hugging Chloe.


    It was difficult to exin, but Dorothea could sense the warmthing from deep inside Chloe''s heart that seeped into Dorothea''s, giving her thefort that she never knew she needed.


    Chloe felt stiff and awkward because this was the first time Dorothea ever showed affection to her. It felt strange, but she didn''t hate it.


    Because she could also feel that Dorothea had no malicious intent toward her.


    Thus, Chloe opened her left arm and hugged her back.


    Chloe gently rubbed Dorothea''s back with one hand, and Dorothea''s eyes were zing with tears right now.


    That simple rub on her back assured Dorothea that everything would be alright. Even after all the shit happening in her life, that back rub gave her the illusion that there was still hope for her.


    ''Now I understand why Vernon will do anything to keep this woman by his side. Because I also want to do the same. I want to have someone so warm by my side when I cry my heart out,'' Dorothea thought. "Thank you," she murmured as she squeezed their hugs.


    "For what?"


    "For hugging me back," Dorothea replied. "It means a lot to me."


    "Um¡­ I don''t know if that helps," Chloe said. "I feel like I did nothing."


    ''I see. So Chloe doesn''t know how much of an impact she had on Vernon and me. She doesn''t know that her existence is enough to make him happy,'' Dorothea concluded. But she decided not to say it in front of Chloe because she thought it was quite endearing how innocent and clueless Chloe could be despite her age.


    Dorothea wondered if Chloe was naturally naive or if living with Vincent for the past ten years had stunted her emotional growth as an adult woman.


    Nevertheless, her innocence cleared Chloe of all the usations made by Shailenest night, which relieved Dorothea so much.


    Truthfully, she wanted to connect with Chloe because they were two women surviving the same fate under simr men. She wanted to have a friend.


    Of course, she was surrounded by so many ''friends'' right now, mostly those who always attended all her parties and gatherings.


    But that wasn''t thepanionship that she wanted.


    She wanted a friend who could make her feel like a human, not a rich witch with a lot of money.


    ''I hope she will ept me,'' Dorothea wished. ''I don''t know if she will ever forgive me for all of my ignorance and insults. But I will try, that''s all I can do right now. Trying and hoping that she will ept me, and I¡­ I can finally have a friend, the first one in my life¡­.''


    Dorothea finally released her hug. She grabbed Chloe''s shoulder and pushed her to her arm''s length, so Dorothea could see her daughter-inw''s face.


    Chloe seemed to have gained weight. Her cheeks were fuller, and herplexion was the rudder. Though she was still thin, it was a huge improvement since thest time Dorothea saw Chloe. She also seemed healthy and happy, proving that she had a far better life with Vernon than with Vincent.


    Of course, Dorothea realized all the changes in Chloe''s body back then. She had an hourss body when she married Vincent, then suddenly became fatter once she gave birth to Mackie.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It took her so many years to lose weight, but she lost too much that she became nothing but skin and bone.


    Deep down, Dorothea knew that Chloe must''ve been under tremendous pressure because she was also forced by Vaughn to stay in shape, or he''d usually beat her for being too ugly.


    Deep down, Dorothea already knew that Chloe must''ve suffered the same fate as her.


    She was just trying to turn blind and deaf because she didn''t want to reply to all the bad memories with Vaughn.


    And she also thought that it was all justified because Vincent was her beloved son, and convinced herself that her son was better than Vaughn.


    ''Turns out the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree¡­'' Dorothea thought.


    Dorothea gave her most sincere smile. She didn''t care if Chloe noticed all her wrinkles. She didn''t feel like maintaining any image because everything had crumbled when Vincent showed his true nature.


    "You seem healthier now," Dorothea praised. "Fuller, rudder, and happier."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened when Dorothea praised her. She was not used to being praised in the first ce, but getting apliment from her usually condescending mother-inw really flustered her.


    "T¡ªThank you¡­." Chloe murmured. She wanted to return thepliment by saying that Dorothea had gotten more beautiful or that she looked happier. But that would beplete bullshit.


    Because Dorothea was a mess right now. Her hair was let loose, and strains of whites were showing everywhere. She had crow''s feet and wrinkles every time she smiled or spoke. Her eyes were also puffy. It seemed that she had cried more than she should have.


    Dorothea noticed Chloe open her mouth before quickly closing it again. She looked reluctant and guilty, and Dorothea chuckled, "I know that you''re trying hard to give me apliment, right? No need to give me one, Chloe. I know that I''m a total mess right now."


    "¡­ Sorry¡­" Chloe murmured.


    "No need to say sorry for something you don''t do wrong," Dorothea sighed. "I think it''s about time for reality to m me to the ground anyway. I''ve sinned too much, and this is my retribution."


    "Now I realize that I''m at the mercy of my sons, and none of them wants me," Dorothea said. She scoffed, mocking her own fate. "Not that I expect them to be. I''ve been a horrible mother to them."


    ¡­


    Again, Chloe said nothing because she couldn''t lie.


    Dorothea was indeed a terrible mother to both Vincent and Vernon.


    She never reprimanded Vincent and spoiled him rotten.


    While she always reprimanded and abused Vernon since he was a kid, giving him no chance to feel a mother''s love since he was so young.

 Chapter 482 482

    Dorothea admitted that getting no answer from Chloe stung her in her conscience. Because her silence was an agreement that Dorothea was a terrible mother to her sons and an awful mother-inw to her.


    But she realized that Chloe''s indirectness was something she actually needed.


    Cold hard truth might be easy to say but very hard to swallow.


    But Chloe''s silent agreement gave time and space for Dorothea to think by herself and swallow the bitter pill.


    "It''s fine, Chloe. I understand I''m not a good mother for Vernon," Dorothea finally admitted. She finally released her hand on Chloe''s arm and returned to her seat. She stared straight at the view of New York City and murmured, "In the end, it''s all my fault because I brought him to this world."


    Chloe felt something was off with that sentence as if Dorothea was still trying to hide something. Normally, Chloe wasn''t a fussy person, but this involved Vernon, and she wanted to know every detail about him just to ensure that she didn''t identally hurt that big guy''s heart.


    Chloe grabbed a wooden seat and sat right next to Dorothea.


    She knew she couldn''t ask directly, so she muttered, "Your hatred for him is not natural, Dorothea. Vernon told me that you beat him with a beer bottle when he was five to six years old."


    ...


    "Is that true?" Chloe demanded an answer.


    "Yes, it''s true," Dorothea nodded. Her heart was crushed because she had to admit her past sins. "I beat him with a beer bottle, sometimes shoved him to the wall or the ground when he was around that age too. It is my fault, and I will not try to defend myself."


    Chloe''s mind instantly returned to that moment when Little Vernon stared at her with a glimmer in his eyes as if she was some kind of angel that had been sent for him.


    She thought Vernon was just a lonely boy because his family ignored him. But it seemed to be a lot more nefarious than what she saw on the surface.


    "I don''t understand, Dorothea," Chloe said. "Why would you hurt him that badly? Vernon wasn''t even that naughty when he was a kid...."


    ? Dorothea nced at Chloe.


    She was d that she and Chloe could instantly connect and talk like two old friends, but she was also a little sad because Chloe became bolder and asked questions because it involved Vernon, not because of her.


    ''Well, at least that means she cares a lot about Vernon, unlike me, who has failed him,'' Dorothea pondered whether she should tell Chloe about this big secret early in their newly formed bond. But Chloe''s seriousness convinced Dorothea to go all out and tell everything, or else Dorothea would never get Chloe''s trust.


    "Because Vernon was an unwanted kid," Dorothea confessed. She took a deep breath as she was about to drop the big bomb. "He is a product of rape."


    Chloe gasped when she heard that sentence. Chloe quickly understood what Dorothea meant because she had also experienced the same.


    Vincent tried to rape her many times after she gave birth to Mackie. Saying that Chloe should be grateful that Vincent was willing to fuck an ugly walrus.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But Chloe always resisted crazily whenever Vincent tried to put it in. Usually, Vincent would go soft after she struggled so much.


    Thus, he beat her horribly instead as a punishment for her unwillingness.


    Dorothea sensed that Chloe must''ve experienced the same, but the result differed.


    "Vaughn also tried to rape me a few times in the past. Though I''ve always tried to ward him off because he has been cheating with too many women, it makes me feel so gross to be touched by him," Dorothea confessed. The tears that welled in her eyes started streaming down her cheek because she had to open such a painful wound of the past.


    "But he took advantage of me when I was drunk. He tied and raped me. I... I can only cry that night, wondering if I should bite my own tongue to kill myself right in that moment," Dorothea said. "But I didn''t, and he impregnated me that night."


    "I got pregnant soon after, and Vaughn used all means necessary to keep me pregnant. He said that having two children would be fun, and I had to fulfill my duty," Dorothea inhaled deeply. "He said that I''m a woman, and it''s my job to get pregnant. He said that the only thing I have of worth is between my thighs."


    Chloe remembered that moment when Dorothea said the same thing to her back when she decided to leave Vincent;


    -


    "The only thing you have of worth is between your thighs."


    -


    "For each second I had Vernon inside my belly, I felt nothing but hatred and disgust. I hoped I could abort him back then, and it grossed me out that I got pregnant because I got raped by my bastard husband," Dorothea said without a filter.


    "After I gave birth to Vernon, I couldn''t even look at him. I felt like I''d go crazy if I have to breastfeed him. So they had to find a wet nurse for him."


    Dorothea lowered her head, feeling both shame and guilt.


    "I know it''s not his fault that he was born in this world. But I was basically a waste who could barely keep myself sane by excessive drinking and snorting heroin. I beat him out of spite to Vaughn even though Vernon was just an innocent kid back then."


    Dorothea felt the guilt crushing her heart right now. Her tears couldn''t stop falling as she couldn''t handle the sadness that hit her whenever she remembered her past mistakes.


    Chloe lowered her head, just like Dorothea, as she listened to her story. She felt anger, disappointment, and grief as she wanted tofort Vernon.


    He was right.


    Dorothea was a terrible mother. He had all the right to be angry and hate her forever.


    Because Dorothea was the monster in Vernon''s mind. Just like how Vincent was the monster in Chloe''s mind.

 Chapter 483 483

    "What do you think, Chloe? Do you think I''m entirely at fault?" Dorothea asked. "Is there still a chance of forgiveness from Vernon to me?"


    ¡­


    Chloe went silent for a while. She would usually tell a white lie instead of being straightforward because she didn''t want to hurt someone''s heart.


    But what Dorothea did was way out of her tolerance, and she understood that Vernon would hate Dorothea forever. In fact, he was justified to do so.


    Unfortunately for Dorothea, Chloe was way firmer and more certain regarding Mackie and Vernon.


    "I don''t think you''re entirely at fault, Dorothea," Chloe said truthfully. She lowered her head as she was about to confess a sin in her heart. "When I was at my lowest, I couldn''t help but have that seed of hate inside my heart for my daughter. Amidst my darkest time, I had that idea that I didn''t want to take care of baby Mackie because she''s the daughter of a monster."


    "There are many times where I can''t help but to look away or hide inside a bathroom just to control myself not to show any contempt to my daughter," Chloe said. "But as she grew up and showed more and more of her personality, I realized that she''s different from her father, and vowed to never despise her despite her connection with Vincent."


    "I think that''s where you make a mistake, Dorothea," Chloe said. "You see Vernon as the smaller version of Vaughn and instantly hate him without clear reason. No child should bear the sin of their parents."


    Dorothea nodded in agreement. Though she didn''t like to admit it, she knew that Chloe was 100% correct in this.


    She could''ve been better by notshing out at an innocent little boy. She was an abuse victim, but at the same time, she was also the abuser.


    "I understand your situation and wish that Vernon would be able to forgive you, but¡­." Chloe nced at Dorothea''s wrinkly hand. She decided to hold Dorothea''s hand because she doubted Dorothea would be able to ept what she was about to say.


    Chloe lifted her head and stared at Dorothea, who had been doing so for a while, and then opened her mouth;


    "If Vernon decides that he will never forgive you, then it is justified for him to do so. I will still support his decision despite my sympathy for you," Chloe stated firmly. She felt Dorothea''s hand start shaking as her eyes also widened. "I''m sorry, Dorothea."


    Dorothea''s tears couldn''t stop. She knew that was the truth, but it was hard for her to swallow it.


    Knowing how horrible she treated him, she knew that forgiveness from her second son was almost impossible to obtain.


    "But I still want to apologize to him¡­." Dorothea''s voice started shaking. "I don''t need him to do something for me or act nice to me. I just want to apologize and hope for the best. I want to have peace in my heart, Chloe¡­."


    Chloe couldn''t help but sympathize as well. She was also a mother, just like Dorothea. She was also an abuse survivor. They had the same fate under men from the same family.


    ? She started shedding tears just like Dorothea, "Oh, Dorothea¡­" she murmured. "I don''t know if Vernon will ever forgive you. But I know that you really want to connect with him¡­."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe gently rubbed Dorothea''s wrinkly hand with her thumb tofort her, "I will try to find a way, maybe start by telling him about your past with yourte husband. Maybe telling him that things weren''t all ck and white."


    "But I cannot guarantee that he will forgive you. The chance is pretty slim, sadly," Chloe said. "But I''m doing this because I don''t want you to be tortured forever by your guilt."


    Dorothea was stunned by Chloe''s willingness. She didn''t even ask for Chloe''s help because she was afraid that Chloe would refuse to help her.


    But Chloe understood her pain and was willing to help because they could connect with each other quickly.


    ''So much time wasted neglecting you. I should''ve treasured you from the moment you entered my family,'' Dorothea said in her heart. She regretted every choice regarding Chloe and wished she could turn back time to make things right between them.


    "I''m sorry, Chloe, and thank you for helping me¡­." Dorothea said weakly. "I don''t know how to repay you¡­."


    "You can repay me by not spilling about Vernon and I to Vincent," Chloe said quickly, not wanting to miss the chance to negotiate.


    Dorothea chuckled, "I never n to tell him as well. I''ve decided to separate myself from Vincent. He is still my son, but he reminds me so much of Vaughn and all of his craziness, I can''t look at Vincent without getting reminded of my trauma."


    "W¡ªWhat changes your opinion about him, Dorothea?" Chloe asked. She was happy that her mother-inw could finally see the fault in her supposedly perfect first son.


    But at the same time, she felt that Dorothea''s change was sudden, so Chloe couldn''t help but get a little suspicious.


    Dorothea''s smile faltered in an instant. She looked into Chloe''s eyes and replied, "Your video."


    "My¡­ video?"


    "Yes, he recorded beating you in the Principal''s office in so many angles with wall-mounted cameras. He likes watching each of them because he likes seeing you writhing in pain, but still struggling to fight back."


    Chloe shuddered upon learning about Vincent''s crazy behavior again. It wasn''t surprising for Chloe because Vincent often recorded her getting beaten or crying while continuously tormenting her. Sometimes, Vernon threatened to send the video of her naked and full of bruises to her family¡ª Judith and Chelsea.


    Sometimes, he also threatened to show those videos to Mackie instead. All of those threats were very effective in making Chloe cower out of fear.


    ''I guess he never changes¡­'' Chloe thought. ''Even after I left with Mackie, he still has his degeneracy and perverseness. He is a lost cause¡­.''

 Chapter 484 484

    "After realizing that Vincent has started to fall into degeneracy like histe father, I know that I have to cut contact with him or else I''ll gopletely insane," Dorothea said. "I''m sorry for taking too long to realize it."


    "No, it''s fine," Chloe shook her head. She also tried to shake off the fear in her eyes because she didn''t want to show that vulnerability except in front of Vernon. "I know he is great at pretending and manipting. He can fool many people, including you, and I don''t me you for that."


    Dorothea sighed, "You''re too kind, Chloe. You can yell at me, or at least curse at me for ignoring your plea for ten years."


    "W¡ªWell, it''s in the past and I''m trying to move on from him," Chloe admitted. "I want to divorce him, but he refused to sign the divorce paper..."


    "That''s very typical of them¡ª I mean Vaughn and Vincent," Dorotheamented. "I also served Vaughn a divorce paper so many times in the past. But he always refused to sign that paper and proceeded to threaten and beat me each time I asked for separation."


    "So you''re stuck with him until he passes away?"


    "Yes," Dorothea sighed. "Even after his death, I still can''t find peace. I still find myself getting haunted by all the abuses he inflicted on me, and I continue to despise my life and everything around me every single day¡­."


    Dorothea wrapped her hands around Chloe''s hand and said, "That''s why, Chloe. You should NOT be like me. I apud you for being brave enough to leave Vincent. I know it takes great courage for you to do so, and I''m happy that you''re doing well after leaving him."


    "Well, can''t say that I''m doing well when all I do is just work as a maid in Vernon''s penthouse," Chloe said meekly. "But he provides Mackie and I with a ce to stay and hide, and also allows Mackie to continue going to school while all I have to do is to be his maid, cook, clean, and a few more things. So this is really the best I can get."


    Dorothea grinned, "What is this ''few more things'' you''re talking about? Does it involve something sexy?"


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened instantly. She shook her head fervently, "I¡ªIt''s nothing. I¡ª we¡ª Um¡­ it''s uh¡­ nothing, I swear!" She tried to deny it, but her stuttering and nervousness revealed way more than she wanted.


    Dorothea giggled, "No need to hide it. We''re both adults and we know what men want in exchange for favors."


    Chloe''s cheeks turned even redder, but she dared not to respond because she was so bad at lying.


    "Well, I think it''s alright," Dorothea finally released Chloe''s hand and rxed by leaning on the chair. "Vernon is an adult, and he''s free to choose whoever he wants to fuck, date, or marry."


    "Y¡ªYou''re not going to ask why he took me in and did all of that stuff?"


    Dorothea smiled, "I don''t need to. I already know all of his reasons to do so, and I think¡­ he makes the right choice. You''re a perfect fit for him."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''m not trying to covet him¡­." Chloe tried to deny it out of shame. "I¡ªI know that I''m old, and um¡­ he''s still very young and sessful. He can get a much better woman than me."


    "I don''t think so," Dorothea interrupted. "You''re tailored to match with his personality. Nobody can handle Vernon like you do."


    Dorothea remembered how Vernon was like a very obedient puppy in front of Chloe. At first, she didn''t pay too much attention to Chloe because she thought Vincent was just in that dating phase, so it was natural for him to get infatuated with beauty.


    But once she realized that her second son also got infatuated with Chloe, she started wondering if she should take Chloe as a threat or a blessing.


    Because Chloe could tame Vernon easily and made the usually unbearable child to be so obedient and good.


    ''I should take her as a blessing, I guess,'' Dorothea thought. ''I don''t think Vernon will grow up normal under my care. He will be just as fucked up as Vincent, or even worse¡­.''


    "I think you should know one fact, Chloe¡­." Dorothea lifted her hand and gently touched Chloe''s fuller cheek with her wrinkly hand. "¡­ You''re beautiful. I don''t think you realize how beautiful you''re. Even after all the things that happened to you, your beauty stays ravishing. I understand why both of my sons can get infatuated with you."


    "Though, I think their infatuations are not only about your outer beauty. At least for Vernon, I know that you can turn into a worm and he''ll still love you," Dorotheaughed at her own small joke. "Well, I''m pretty sure that Vernon has been taking care of you well, since you''ve gained weight slowly."


    Chloe nodded. Of course, she had to admit that Vernon had been taking care of her very well for the past seven months. She was physically and mentally healthier when she lived with Vernon.


    Chloe and Dorothea got morefortable with each other as time passed. They started talking about many things that had been left unsaid between them in the past, mostly about their experiences with the abuses and the process of Chloe running from Vincent and somehow finding herself inside Vernon''s penthouse.


    ? After listening to Chloe''s story, Dorothea asked, "So, you''re nning to divorce Vincent forcefully after Vernon can topple the Gray family businesses?"


    "Y¡ªYeah¡­" Chloe was unsure if it was proper for her to talk about this to Dorothea. After all, Dorothea often unted her wealth in front of Chloe to show that the Gray family was rich and powerful.


    However, Dorothea''s next answer surprised her;


    "Hm, I think that''s a good idea. My first son will never yield unless you kick him off his high horse. Let''s see what we can do to help Vernon."

 Chapter 485 485

    "Hm, I think that''s good. Vincent will never yield unless you kick him off his high horse. Let''s see what we can do to help Vernon."


    Chloe''s jaw dropped just as Dorothea dropped the bomb. She said it so lightly, as if it was a topic worth discussing over an evening coffee break.


    Dorothea was amused watching Chloe''s change of expression. She looked like she had just seen a ghost or heard a ghost talking to her ear.


    "Was it that surprising?" Dorothea asked.


    "Of course!" Chloe snapped. "I can''t believe that you''re thinking about helping us ruin Vincent''s life."


    "And why''s that surprising?" Dorothea continued asking. "I thought I told you already that I want to separate myself from Vincent or else I''ll go insane."


    "Yeah, but this is just¡ª" Chloe shook her head out of disbelief. "¡ªI don''t know if I should trust you or not, Dorothea. I still remember how you always saw Vincent as a perfect man who can do no wrong."


    Dorothea''s smile faltered, and she sighed, "I think, deep down, I already know that he is not the perfect son I always wanted him to be. But I turned a blind eye to all of his obvious red gs. Because¡­ you know¡­ I''m just a mother with high hopes for my first son."


    "And to me, Vincent is my future. I want him to be great and perfect, so I can have something I can be proud of despite all the failures in my life¡­." Dorothea started to drown in self-pity. "My marriage life is a total failure, and I thought if I can pour all of my love to Vincent, he will grow up different from his father, and I can at least rest my heart on my son and give myself peace of mind."


    "And now that he turns out to be Vaughn 2.0¡­." Chloe murmured.


    "Yes, he is just as terrible as histe father, and I¡ª I will not let a monster like him run hurt an innocent woman like you," Dorothea said. "I love him still, but I want him to know that he is not invincible."


    The more Chloe heard about Dorothea''s story and point of view, the more she realized they were very much alike.


    Chloe also had the same idea in her mind.


    She wanted to protect Mackie, teach her to be a smart and sensible child, and always stay humble despite her origin.


    She knew that her marriage with Vincent was a failure anyway. She wanted to raise Mackie right so she wouldn''t be Vincent 2.0.


    Chloe wished that Mackie would be a perfect woman when she reached adulthood.


    Chloe imagined if one day she found out that Mackie grew up to be a monster just like her father, she might as well jump to her death because she hadpletely failed everything and everyone in her life.


    So she understood the unhealthy connection between Dorothea and Vincent.


    "Well then, now that I''ve decided to help you and Vernon, I think I already know the first step I can take," Dorothea stated confidently.


    "Huh? You do? But I haven''t told you anything about Vernon''s ns."


    "I don''t need his n," Dorothea said. "I know that all of his ns involve something to do with his businesses, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe nodded.


    "Well, Maria already sniffed some of his movements. But she can''t do a thing without Vincent''s approval, or else she''d be heavily reprimanded, even worse¡ª fired."


    Chloe took a deep breath as she started to get nervous. Vernon had already told her a few times that his Big bro was suspicious, but everything was handled well so far, so Chloe had nothing to worry about.


    But still, Chloe felt that Vernon was walking on a thin rope connecting between two giant chasms, one misstep, and he was done for.


    "Thanks to Vincent''s affection for his little brother, he hasn''t suspected a thing," Dorothea said, which calmed Chloe''s heart a little. "Unfortunately, I can''t do anything to help Vernon on a business scale, because Vincent has stripped me of my rights in any of the Gray family businesses."


    "I don''t have any shares within thepany anymore. But I get my money from Gray family properties," Dorothea said.


    "Then, um¡­ what can you do to help him?"


    "Publication."


    "Huh?"


    "I''m actually the one handling all the charity works for the Gray family under his name," Dorothea said. "I manage all of them, and always make sure that Vincent will get a favorable impression in the public''s eyes."


    "I don''t know if this will help Vernon in the long run, but I can create some ripple within his charity works, maybe I can cut educational funding for a few months and surely, the parents of the students will startining on the inte."


    "It will at least put some stress on him and Maria, because publication is very important for him. He''s obsessed with maintaining his image, just like Vaughn."


    Dorothea''s idea was actually brilliant. Chloe could already imagine people''s fuss when they realized the Gray family had pulled funding and schrships from them.


    But that would also put huge stress on those innocent students¡­


    Dorothea already sensed the concern that Chloe had, so she answered before Chloe spoke her worry;


    ? "Don''t worry about the students. I will send their money cumtively. I can probably hold their money for at most three months at most before sending them all at once. In those three months, I will see if I can also stir up something in the media. Though don''t expect too much from my involvement in the media, because Vincent''s PR team is one of the best¡ª if not the best PR team in the world."


    Chloe nodded.


    She understood that it was difficult¡ª perhaps even impossible to ruin Vincent''s public persona. He slept with so many women. Some were even high-profile celebrities who could ruin his image in public with just one tweet.


    But none of them dared to speak up. Even if rumors were circting around, Vincent''s PR team could always make something up to shift people''s attention.

 Chapter 486 486

    Dorothea''s n was ingenious. It might not create a big controversy in public. But it was enough to make at least a few days trending, or maybe a whole week, and that would be hell for Vincent''s PR team to handle because people must''ve thought the ever-so-charitable Mr. Vincent Gray had be stingy.


    Or maybe there was a problem within hispany, so he couldn''t pay those schrships on time. All those rumors were beneficial for Vernon!


    Vincent would definitely get busied by this problem. He would be sloppy handling other businesses, making it easy for Vernon to infiltrate Vincent''spany and start doing his stuff.


    Though, there was one more concern lingering in Chloe''s mind;


    "What is it now, Chloe?" Dorothea asked. "Your face said that you''re still worried about something. You shouldn''t worry, I control most of Vincent''s charitable works."


    "Well, I''m worried about you," Chloe sighed. "You proposed this kind of amazing idea. But it will harm you. With your current position, wouldn''t Vincent find out about your doing very quickly? I don''t think we can do this if it''ll harm you, Dorothea."


    Dorothea had a mysterious smile as she listened to Chloe''s worry. It was adorable. Chloe could''ve just said yes and never mentioned Dorothea''s well-being.


    After all, this n was proposed by Dorothea herself, so she would take the full risk and responsibility had she got discovered by Vincent, and she would never tell him about Chloe.


    But her concern only showed that Chloe was selfless, a trait that was not present in any of the Gray family and everyone around Dorothea.


    "Don''t worry about that," Dorothea said lightly. "I already have a n to ''mess'' with the bureau. It will disrupt the money flow, and I can use my depression and old age as an act so I cannot act swiftly. It is a low risk job for me."


    Chloe was stunned by Dorothea''s shrewd n. Despite her old age, she retained her cunning nature and sharp wits.


    ''I wonder if Vernon inherited most of his nature from Dorothea,'' Chloe wondered.


    Honestly, she was still unsure if this n wouldn''t backfire. She was always worried that everything around her would go wrong, and she was scared that something bad might happen to Dorothea.


    But at the same time, she believed that she needed to push herself out of that box of fear and worry, or else she would never be able to help Vernon with his dangerous mission.


    Thus, Chloe wrapped Dorothea''s hand with her left hand and squeezed it tightly, "Dorothea, thank you for helping me and Vernon. I can''t tell him about this yet, but I will try my best to make him understand. That''s the best I can do."


    "Haha, you don''t really need to do anything for me," Dorothea said. "I''m doing this to help myself. I want to make things right."


    "I know, but... I feel so guilty if I don''t do anything to repay you...."


    "Well..." Dorothea paused for a moment. She took a few quick nces around the room and nodded, "You can always visit me here, I''d love to havepany."


    "W--Well, I can start doing that once Mackie returns to school after her full week break...." Chloe said. "But I usually have nothing to do since my right hand is basically useless for at least two months toe...."


    "Great, I''ll stay here for about two months before I have to return to the Gray mansion for a week. Then I can stay for another month or two here."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Won''t it be suspicious for those in the Gray mansion?" Chloe asked out of concern.


    "Oh, worry not, I can always say that I''m going on a long trip around the world to heal. Knowing my mental health, they''ll probably think that I''m going to kill myself in one of those countries I visited," Dorothea replied.


    "I won''t let you do that!" Chloe said seriously. She squeezed Dorothea''s hand tighter. "I know you can go through this. I will keep asking you everyday, making sure that you won''t have too many bad thoughts!"


    Dorothea smiled. She also reciprocated Chloe''s gesture by squeezing Chloe''s hand as well.


    They were like two withering trees, with their twigs chopped, their trunks scarred, and slowly getting uprooted.


    But they found the strength to stand together by entangling themselves, as they were experiencing the same thing.


    "I suppose I can find my peace from now on," Dorothea said. "Now, I have one thing to ask, Chloe."


    "Yes?"


    "Mackie," Dorothea mentioned her beloved granddaughter''s name. "How''s she doing? Is she doing well?"


    "Ah, she''s doing great," Chloe had a proud grin as she talked about Mackie. "She''s doing well in her study, and she''s happier now since she has a father figure she can talk to every morning and evening."


    A smile full of relief bloomed on Dorothea''s face. She was so relieved that her beloved granddaughter was alright.


    "I really want to meet her," Dorothea sighed. "But I can''t, and probably for a long time. Mackie is a chatterbox. She''s loud and proud. If you bring her here, she will spill it to Vernon, right?"


    "Right..." Chloe thought the situation was unfortunate. Though her rtionship with Dorothea was terrible back then, she still wouldn''t deny that Dorothea loved Mackie so much. She was always sober and well-dressed whenever Mackie was around, giving the impression of a fancy grandma.


    She also taught Mackie many table manners since she was so young and also a few proper etiquette that only the old money knew how to do, something that Chloe couldn''t teach Mackie.


    She was a good grandma to Mackie, which was quite ironic since she was such a terrible mother to her sons.


    "It''s fine," Dorothea smiled. "I miss Mackie, but I don''t want to ruin a good situation between you and Vernon."


    "Sorry..." Chloe apologized for being unhelpful. She was about to shift the topic so the mood wouldn''t be so somber.


    That was until she remembered one thing.


    Her eyes widened, and she quickly took her phone out of her pocket and opened the phone gallery, finding one particr video, "Dorothea, I want to show you something."

 Chapter 487 487

    "Dorothea, I want to show you something," Chloe said.


    "Hm?"


    Chloe put her phone on Dorothea''sp and yed the video.


    Dorothea raised one brow, thinking that Chloe wanted to show evidence that might help take down Vincent.


    But the moment the video yed, Dorothea got the surprise she never knew she wanted.


    She saw her sweet granddaughter, Mackie, wearing a wolf costume. She howled and ran with four legs around the stage before howling again in front of the audience.


    She was very confident, which made her performance amazing for a child stage y. Dorothea''s lips perked up as she kept watching without blinking. She didn''t want to miss even one second of the performance of her beloved granddaughter.


    Then, a tear suddenly dropped on the screen.


    "Huh?" Dorothea frowned. She put her finger under her eyes to check and realized she was actually crying. "Why am I crying?" she asked as she tried to wipe the tears with her sleeve.


    "It''s okay, Dorothea," Chloe assured and rubbed the old woman''s hand. "You can cry if you want to."


    "I''m not sad, Chloe."


    "And you don''t need to be sad to cry. Sometimes, even a sweet feeling can make you cry," Chloe said.


    ...


    Honestly, watching Mackie through the screen was a bittersweet sensation for Dorothea. She was happy that she could finally see her granddaughter and was relieved that Mackie was doing great despite all the tension in her family.


    But it was also sad because Dorothea wished she could attend the stage y to watch Mackie. It was also unfortunate that she wouldn''t be able to see Mackie for a while, probably forever, if Vernon decided to never forgive her.


    Once the video ended, Dorothea quickly handed the phone back to Chloe, "I''m done with the video, thank you for showing me," Dorothea smiled. "She seems to be doing even better after leaving Vincent. She doesn''t look shy anymore."


    "Yes, she has be very confident and outspoken these days. Thanks to Vernon''s influence. Are you sure you don''t want to see more? I have a few more videos of Mackie for you,"


    "No need. The more I see Mackie in a video or photo, the more I crave to meet her," Dorothea sighed. "Well, at least I know that she''s doing well, that''s the most important thing. Did she ever ask about me? Did she miss me?"


    Chloe nodded, not nning to cover up anything.


    "She has been asking about you a lot. She missesing to the Gray mansion, eating cookies that you made, and spending time with PuffPuff," Chloe also mentioned Dorothea''s pet, a strong male Doberman that actually showed more affection to Mackie rather than Dorothea.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Dorothea chuckled, "I''ll try to send PuffPuff to herter. That doberman doesn''t seem to like me. He''s obviously only loyal to Mackie. He acts like a guard dog to her."


    Dorothea and Chloeughed together as they talked about Mackie. The atmosphere between them was really good until Dorothea brushed over the topic of Mackie''s school.


    "Be honest to me, Chloe. Did Vincent beat you when you tried to attend Mackie''s stage y?"


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe gulped. She already guessed where this conversation would lead. "Y¡ªYeah, it was the autumn festival in Mackie''s school. I attended because Mackie needed moral support. She has been through a lot."


    "I thought it''d be safe because Vincent never showed up in any kind of teacher-parents meeting, let alone any event. I also feel assured because Vernon said he had dispatched two bodyguards in disguise to protect me."


    Dorothea snorted, "Two? That''s bullshit. Vincent has a lot of bodyguards, his connection runs deep. What was he thinking?"


    "D¡ªDon''t me Vernon. It''s me who asked him not to send too many bodyguards because it''ll attract attention, and I want Mackie to live like a normal girl," Chloe said. "Well, I should''ve followed his advice to bring at least ten bodyguards, because Vincent''s bodyguards subdued them."


    "That old Principal and Maria worked together to drag me into the Principal''s office, and you know the rest¡ª" Chloe lifted her right hand a little, showing the result of Vincent''s abuse.


    Dorothea felt her chest tightening whenever she saw the cast wrapped around Chloe''s right hand. The video of abuse that Vincent showed her yed again in her head, and it was like a nightmare she didn''t want to remember.


    Because Vaughn did the same to her.


    "T¡ªThen, you should start nning for Mackie''s transfer," Dorothea suggested. "She needs to be transferred to another school or else Vincent will always have an upper hand against you. If it''s possible, you should transfer her tomorrow."


    "I¡ªI don''t know, Dorothea. I''ve been thinking about that too, but I''m afraid that transferring Mackie to another school will ignite Vincent''s anger, and he will try to find me," Chloe said. "After all, it won''t be hard for him to search my whereabouts if he actually tries, I''m still in New York after all. But he likes ying cat and mouse game, waiting for me to be desperate enough to return to him."


    Chloe expected Dorothea to understand her situation and agreed with her decision to let Mackie stay in that school.


    But Dorothea gripped her arms and squeezed them tight until Chloe winced, "D¡ªDorothea?"


    "Are you insane?!" Dorothea yelled. Her eyes were wide open. She looked like she was about to p Chloe in the face.


    The change shocked Chloe so much, "W¡ªWhat''s wrong? D¡ªDid I say something wrong?"


    "Of¡ªfucking¡ªcourse!" Dorothea yelled. "Why are you worried about that when your daughter is in big danger?! Vincent can always kidnap her from her school. The Principal colludes with him too, who knows what will happen to Mackie in the near future? Mackie ispletely at his mercy!"


    "B¡ªBut Vincent hasn''t done anything to Mackie yet¡­." Chloe said. Though she lied a little because she knew from Mackie herself that some kids had been bullying her because Vincent slept with their mothers. Though, it had been solved because Mackie could fight against her bullies until none of them dared to taunt her anymore.

 Chapter 488 488

    "YET¡ª that''s your answer," Dorothea rolled her eyes. She found Chloe''s timidness to be adorable, but it could also be unbearable sometimes. "Just because Vincent hasn''t done anything to her daughter, doesn''t mean he won''t. He is like Vaughn and they are both unpredictable."


    "Who knows there will be a time when Vincent realizes that he cannot force you to return to him, so he starts doing the unimaginable. Maybe kidnapping Mackie and using her as a hostage and forcing you to return home? You two haven''t been divorced yet, so Vincent has the right to keep his daughter as well!"


    "Chloe, I know you feared Vincent so much. But please, don''t do stupid shit like what I did!" Dorothea''s voice started rising as she got angrier. "I prioritized my hatred against Vaughn, so I treated Vernon horribly to vent. You''re doing the same, you allowed Mackie to be in a position of danger just because you prioritize your fear of Vincent!"


    "God, I really want to p you right now," Dorothea said. "You told me that Mackie''s safety and happiness are your priority, yet you do stupid stuff like this, don''t be a hypocrite!"


    Dorothea''s scolding felt like a real p for Chloe.


    She was right.


    She could''ve transferred Mackie to another school after Vernon took her in.


    But she was living under fear, and she feared that Vincent would ''punish'' her for transferring Mackie to another school because Vincent would definitely lose control over Mackie. He was a megalomaniac who thrived when he was in control of everything.


    "B¡ªBut, what should I do if Vincent gets angry? I don''t want to¡ª to see his rage¡­." Chloe''s body was shaking out of subconscious fear of Vincent''s rage.


    Dorothea''s grip on Chloe''s arms loosened when she saw the fear on Chloe''s face. She couldn''t help but sympathize with this poor woman while also getting angry at her son for being a total piece of shit.


    "I''m sorry forshing out at you," Dorothea finally softened. "I just don''t want you to make the same mistake as I did, Chloe. But I won''t change my mind. I want you to transfer Mackie to another school before things get really bad."


    "I know, and I understand your fear to Vincent. But you have to fight it, Chloe. This is not only about you. This problem involves your daughter, and just like what you told me before, you will do anything for Mackie''s safety and happiness."


    ¡­


    Chloe''s eyes zed with tears as she stared at Dorothea, who stared back at her. She had tried her best not to show vulnerability to anyone except Vernon, especially when her fear was about Vincent.


    "I¡ªI''m not that weak," Chloe said in her shaky voice, trying not to sob. "I fought back when he beat me up a week ago¡­."


    Dorothea knew that Chloe was just trying to act tough to hide her fear. Though, it wasn''t convincing enough to fool Dorothea.


    But Dorothea decided to y along with Chloe''s tough act to appreciate her effort, "Then you need to show me that you''re not scared of him. I don''t know what Vincent will do once he finds out about this. But you need to take decisive action for your daughter''s safety, understand?"


    Chloe nodded.


    Dorothea was right.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She had to take decisive action, or it might be toote to save her daughter.


    "I will talk to Vernon to help me find a new school that will benefit Mackie. If it''s impossible to transfer her, she will have to be homeschooled until my divorce is finalized," Chloe said.


    She still had a worry about Mackie''s reaction to getting transferred. But Chloe had to put that aside because Mackie''s safety was of the utmost importance.


    Chloe checked the clock on the wall and gasped, "We have been talking for the past four hours?!"


    Dorothea looked up to check the time and had the same gasp, "I think you need to return. Mackie is still in the apartment, right? Alone?"


    "Yeah, she''s alone. She''s used to it when I have to grocery shop without her. But I can''t use that alibi since I can''t drive right now," Chloe stood up. "I''ll have to return now, but I''ll visit again tomorrow morning after Vernon leaves for work. Thank you for¡­ for being a better person, Dorothea."


    Dorothea smiled, "I should be the one who thank you. Thank you for being the bigger person. I don''t think I''ve ever met someone with a bigger heart than yours."


    Chloe gave herst goodbye before she ran to the elevator and went up. She was worried about Mackie.


    She wasn''t worried about Mackie crying because she couldn''t find her Mommy. Mackie was old enough to be alone in the house and wouldn''t do stupid stuff.


    But Chloe was worried that Mackie would start questioning her absence and then report it to Vernon. She didn''t want Vernon to have any kind of suspicion. At least not now, when she was still trying to find a way to fix the estranged mother-son bond between Dorothea and Vernon. To do that, she had to keep Vernon in a good mood and did a lot of smooth talks to appease him until he was open for that talk.


    Chloe unlocked the penthouse door with a password and opened it.


    Click.


    "MOMMY!"


    Mackie''s loud yell echoed around the foyer as the little girl rushed to the main door. She grabbed her Mommy''s left wrist and pulled her inside the penthouse.


    "Where have you been, Mommy?" Mackie asked. She sat her Mommy on the sofa and stood in front of her with her small hands crossed in front of her chest, waiting for an answer.


    "Ah¡ª I uhm¡­ I got bored, so I went out to look around the apartment building. It''s nothing much, dear¡­."


    Mackie squinted, "Mommy, Uncle told me not to let you out! Mommy is still hurting, what if you fall and rolled to the street and then get run over by a truck!"

 Chapter 489 489

    "Hahaha! That won''t happen, dear," Chloe smiled and patted Mackie''s head. Her worry was quite endearing, though very illogical. Vernon said a simr thing when he was young.


    -


    ''Big sis cannot go anywhere! What if you run outside and a car suddenly hits you, and you fly and die! Big sis absolutely cannot go anywhere!''


    -


    ''I don''t think Vernon ever tells Mackie about his story growing up, but how does Mackie imitate many of Vernon''s behavior when he was young? Is it simply because they''re very simr in nature?'' Chloe pondered. ''They''re a better father-daughter pair than Vincent could ever be.''


    "I was just looking around. No need to worry," Chloe replied.


    Mackie continued squinting, full of suspicion, but she huffed in the end and jumped on the sofa. She checked her Mommy''s right hand to see if the cast was still wrapped neatly. After confirming that Chloe was alright, Mackie finally let go of her worries.


    Chloe raised her brow. She was quite surprised by the attentiveness of her seven-year-old daughter, "Why are you checking me like that? I''m alright, you know."


    Mackie shook her head, "Uncle said that Mommy needs to be protected. He said that Mommy is his treasure, and Mackie''s treasure too! So we''re guarding our treasure together!"


    Chloe chuckled. Vernon might have started pushing his idea into Mackie''s mind. She had never had this kind of idea before.


    Nevertheless, Chloe found it very interesting and endearing, so she didn''t mind Vernon''s influence on her daughter.


    "It gets boring when you can''t do anything at the house," Chloe reasoned, and Mackie epted the alibi easily. "Um, Mommy must be bored. I also get bored because I''ll have to wait two more days before going to school."


    Chloe''s smile faltered as she was reminded that she had to start mentioning the topic of transferring to Mackie.


    Of course, she didn''t want to upset her daughter, but it was now or never. If she kept being too wishy-washy, Mackie might be in danger sooner orter.


    "Dear, how''s school?" Chloe asked.


    "Mm? Um¡­ it''s okay," Mackie replied without much care. "Jaden and Mia still hate me so much, but I don''t care! I have other friends too!"


    "I see¡­" Chloe took a deep breath and patted Mackie''s head, "Do you like your current school?"


    "Mm¡­ not really," Mackie replied. "I don''t like Mrs. Andrew. Don''t like the math teacher, and also the new homeroom teacher who reced Mrs. Allison!"


    "Mrs. Allison got reced?" Chloe asked. She hadn''t received the news yet. Usually, when there was a homeroom teacher recement, the school would notify all the parents.


    The homeroom teacher was an integral part of the ss. So a sudden change might upset the kids, and it was also the parents'' job to calm them down.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Mackie''s school was the most elite private elementary school, they''re all professionals, so it was quite baffling for Chloe that they forgot to inform her.


    ''Did they forget to inform me, or did they simply singled me out because of Vincent?'' Chloe wondered. ''I feel like this thing must''ve been Vincent''s doing. I''m sure of it. Mrs Allison isn''t under his control, so he reced her.''


    Mrs. Allison was a good homeroom teacher who protected Mackie by giving extra homework for those who bullied or fought in her ss, deterring all the kids from doing ''bad things'' or else they had to finish a lot of homework.


    Now that Mrs. Allison was gone, Chloe doubted the new homeroom teacher would be as kind.


    "Did your new homeroom teacher give extra homework to Jaden and Mia?"


    "Nope!" Mackie pouted to vent her frustration. "He doesn''t do anything! Even when Jaden and Mia yell at me, he will not listen! Mommy, I don''t want that homeroom teacher. Can you ask Mrs. Andrew to change my ss?" she asked.


    ¡­


    "How about changing your school instead?" Chloe said lightly. She thought it was the best way to make it sound so normal, not something that would change Mackie''s childhood.


    "Changing school?" Mackie tilted her head. She was still trying to register what her Mommy was saying. "Mommy, I just want to change ss," she said, thinking that her Mommy simply didn''t understand her request.


    "But if you just move to another ss, Jaden and Mia can still find and make trouble for you during recess, right?" Chloe tried to persuade her with a logical exnation. "And you might find someone else like Jaden or Mia in your new ss, right?"


    "Um¡­ that''s right¡­" Mackie nodded. "If I move to another school, will the bullying stop? I can fight, Mommy. But I don''t like to fight," Mackie looked down and cupped her hands together. "I just want to y with my friends, eat snacks, and study in school, Mommy. I don''t want to fight."


    "Oh dear¡­" Chloe hugged her daughter and gently caressed her hair, "Nobody will bully you if you transfer to another school. I promise."


    "Un¡­"


    "Then, are you willing to be transferred?" Chloe asked again, just to make sure. Mackie often said many ridiculous things simply because she was too young to understand her own words.


    So Mackie had to make up her mind that she would leave everything in her old school and start anew.


    "Um, I don''t mind, Mommy. I don''t have many friends in school, and the teachers don''t like me, especially the Principal, Mrs. Andrew. She doesn''t like me at all," Mackie said. "But I have one question, Mommy¡­."


    "And what is it, dear?" Chloe guessed that Mackie wanted to buy a new bag, toy, or anything. It was her habit whenever she started a new semester. So she expected the same since Mackie would move to another school soon.


    "Mommy, if I move to a new school. Will Daddy finally stop beating you?" Mackie looked up and stared at Chloe with her sweet doe eyes. There was a hint of concern in the little girl''s eyes. "I will change school as long as Daddy stops hurting you, Mommy¡­."

 Chapter 490 490

    "I will change school as long as Daddy stops hurting you, Mommy¡­." Mackie said. "Daddy is a bad man."


    "Your Daddy has problems of his own, he''s not a bad man," Chloe corrected. It was another lie, and she knew that Vernon wouldn''t like hearing this.


    But Chloe wanted Mackie to slowly learn about her father''s craziness, so she could gradually ept that her father wasn''t perfect, and their lives weren''t perfect either. She still had to prepare Mackie''s mental fortitude before she realized the full truth of Vincent''s cruelty.


    "Really?" Mackie lowered her head again. "But Uncle also has problems, and he never hurt Mommy. If Daddy is not a bad man, why can''t he be like Uncle?"


    Chloe''s body stiffened, and she stopped caressing Mackie''s hair as she felt guilty for lying to her daughter too many times. Mackie seemed to have grown resistant to her lies, and now Chloe was unsure what to say next to fool her daughter.


    "W¡ªWell, people are different, dear. Your Uncle and Daddy are different," Chloe said.


    "Mm, I hope that Daddy can be like Uncle. So we can return to him¡­." Mackie sighed.


    ¡­


    "I promise that Daddy will not beat me as long as you want to change school," Chloe said, shifting back to the main topic. "Daddy will not be able to find us for a while, so you and I will be safe from bullying."


    "Really?"


    "Yup."


    "Okay then!" Mackie nodded joyfully. "I want to change school, Mommy! I don''t want to hit or get hit. I want to have many friends! I want to eat snacks, and study too!" Mackie then hugged her Mommy tightly. "And I want Mommy to be happy and healthy!"


    Chloe gasped when she got hugged by Mackie. But in the end, she smiled and hugged her back in a warm embrace, "I promise none of us will ever get hurt, dear."


    ''You''re my daughter, the most important person to me,'' Chloe said in her heart. ''I filed for divorce because I want to protect you from your father. I see that Vincent doesn''t even see you as his daughter anymore. Who knows what''ll he do next if I you stay by his side?''


    ''I know it''s an arduous road we will go through, but I will continue to fight as long as it''s about you and your happiness.''


    **


    Vernon was busy dealing with so many things at work. He had to deal with theunching of his beverage product soon, managing a food brand he had just acquired, and also finding potential celebrities he could use to advertise Vincent''s new cosmetic product.


    He was always busy, and to be frank, had it not been because he wanted to give Chloe and Mackie a good life, he''d rather manage a small business and live with small earnings of about two to five million dors a year.


    Well, it was a small earning for the Gray family.


    But it didn''t matter that much to him. All he wanted was to build a happy family with the love of his life anyway.


    Unfortunately, to build that small, happy family, he had to do so many things to ensure that Vincent couldn''t snatch Chloe back.


    Vernon signed thest document of the day and stretched his limbs. He felt like his body was sore from head to toe, and he''d really appreciate having Chloe by his side, worrying about his health, asking if he needed something.


    ''Ah, I already miss her.''


    Vernon grabbed his briefcase and texted Diamond that he had finished all the needed documents, so Diamond could process them tomorrow morning.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon was too exhausted to cook today, so he bought food from his favorite restaurant before going home. He also bought a pizza because Mackie wanted one.


    Chloe had been cautious not to let Mackie indulge in too much fatty or fast food, but Vernon thought it was alright for her to indulge a bit.


    ''This is her gift for guarding her mother really well,'' Vernon thought as he ordered a pizza from one of the authentic Italian restaurants he liked.


    Vernon used the elevator to his penthouse, holding a briefcase in his right hand alongside a paper bag full of food and a pizza box in his other hand.


    Vernon unlocked the door with his fingerprint and kicked the door open.


    "Wee back, Uncle!" Mackie rushed to greet her Uncle as always. She got excited when she saw the pizza box in his right hand, "Whoa! Pizza!"


    "Heheh, grab it and put it on the dinner table," Vernon instructed as he handed her the pizza. "Where''s your Mommy?"


    "She''s taking a bath!" Mackie said. She ran to the dinner table and put the pizza before opening the box. Mackie grabbed one slice of pizza and devoured it despite the size.


    Vernon put the food he bought on the table and ate a slice of pizza to apany Mackie.


    "Have you been a good cop today?" Vernon asked. Mackie refused to be called a good girl these days and demanded her Uncle call her a good cop since she was guarding her Mommy.


    Mackie shook her head, "I''m sorry, Uncle. I''m not a good cop today."


    "Huh? Why not?"


    "Because Mommy leaves when I was reading a story," Mackie reported. "Um¡­ she left for like¡ª four hours!"


    "Four hours?" Vernon frowned out of suspicion. "She went out for four hours? With her right hand wrapped like that?"


    "Un!"


    ¡­


    Vernon paused for a while, staring at Mackie, who was busy eating another slice of pizza while he stopped eating his.


    He lost his appetite instantly as suspicion roused in his mind.


    "Did your Mommy tell you what she was doing?"


    "Un, Mommy told me that she''s just looking around!"


    "Looking around? In this apartment?" Vernon twisted his hip as he turned to look around the foyer of his penthouse, and his eyes darted to the balcony. "This is literally the penthouse. The best view is here. Why''d she need to look around?"


    Mackie''s innocent mind didn''t catch her Uncle''s suspicion, so she replied casually, "I don''t know, but Mommy said she''s bored."

 Chapter 491 491

    "Bored?" Vernon''s frown got even deeper, his eyebrows scrunched together until they almost formed a straight line. He was about to say, ''that''s bullshit,'' but Mackie was with him, so he had to refrain from cursing.


    He wasn''t satisfied with that answer, but Mackie was just a kid, so she would believe all her mother''s lies.


    ''Where did she go? There''s no way she can drive with only one hand,'' Vernon thought. He didn''t want to have any kind of suspicion to Chloe. But he couldn''t help it, especially when he knew that Chloe''s life was always in danger.


    ''I''ll ask herter,'' he thought.


    Chloe finished taking a bath and walked to the stair. She heard the sound of tes and metal utensils nking and also the giggle of her daughter.


    Her lips curled up as she realized that Vernon must''vee home earlier today, ''That''s good, he really needs some rest,'' she thought.


    Chloe went up, and her curled-up lips bloomed into a gentle smile when she saw Mackie and Vernon eating dinner together.


    She joined and ate with them without hesitation. As her connection with her new family improved each day, she regained some of her appetite. Thus, she didn''t need Vernon to coax her to eat anymore, though she still ate a small portion each time.


    Vernon nced at Chloe, who was eating without any problem. He lived with Chloe long enough to know that she would lose all of her appetites whenever she was stressed out and would regain them when she was happy and rxed.


    ''She doesn''t seem to be nervous,'' Vernon thought. ''Does that mean she didn''t get into any trouble today? But what about the four hours'' disappearance? Is it really just her walking around the apartment because she was bored? I found that weird.''


    There was a lot of suspicion in Vernon''s heart, but he kept it all until dinner ended.


    "Mommy, will you tell Uncle about it?" Mackie opened the conversation.


    "About what?" Vernon interrupted. "Tell me."


    Chloe and Mackie looked at each other and giggled at the same time. They thought it was funny, not knowing that Vernon''s mind was running wild.


    There were so many theories¡ª even the illogical ones because he was driven by fear. The fear that Chloe and Mackie reconciled with Vincent somehow and would leave him alone.


    That was the worst nightmare that could happen, and he would do anything to prevent that from happening, even if he had to abandon his long n and kill that bastard right now.


    But his fear was proven to be false.


    Because Chloe smiled at him and said, "We had a talk before, I asked Mackie if she wants to transfer to another school since the current school is not¡­ uhm¡­ not proper for her study, and she said yes."


    "Wha-?!" Vernon stood up from his seat and darted his eyes at Mackie. "Is that true?"


    "Un!" Mackie nodded happily. "I want to change school, so the bullies won''t find Mackie and Mommy anymore!"


    "That''s amazing!" Vernon''s eyes were glimmering with hope. All his suspicion and fear vanished instantly as he finally got good news from Mackie and Chloe.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "She doesn''t mind getting transferred as soon as possible," Chloe said. "So, if you don''t mind..." Chloe let her words hang as she wanted an answer from Vernon.


    She was worried that Vernon might be too busy, so he couldn''t help Mackie transfer.


    "Are you kidding? Of course, I''ll help!" Vernon answered. He tapped his chest proudly as he volunteered, "In fact, I will be the one who finds the safest and best school for Mackie, so you two don''t need to worry about a thing!"


    "Yay! Uncle is the best!"


    The atmosphere became so much better after that. Vernon ate his dinner with relish while they chatted about random stuff, of course in moderation, as Mackie was still there.


    After they were done with dinner, Vernon asked, "Mackie, can you go to your room first? I have to talk with your Mommy about your transfer."


    "Un! I''m also sleepy," Mackie jumped from the seat and walked to the stairs. She turned her head, looked at Uncle and Mommy, and grinned from ear to ear, "Mommy, tell me if Uncle bullied you again with a big police stick tonight, okay? Mackie will beat him!"


    "M¡ªMackie¡ª" Chloe''s cheeks reddened instantly. Mackie was still too young to understand what Chloe and Vernon were doing privately, but that only made this even more embarrassing.


    Mackie went downstairs without looking back and giggled along the way.


    "Geez, that kid," Chloeined. She nced at Vernon, and her rosy cheeks turned rosier as she started to fidget ufortably. "Um¡­ don''t listen to her. She''s too young to understand."


    Vernon raised one brow and teased, "What if I actually want to bully you with a Big police stick today? Are you willing?"


    Chloe lowered her head as she couldn''t handle the shame.


    No, she wasn''t ashamed of the question. They had done it a few times, and she''d love to have some fun with Vernon.


    She was more ashamed of the fact that she was actually willing¡ª no, very eager to y with that big police stick again. She felt lecherous.


    "W¡ªWell, if you insist¡­." Chloe murmured.


    "Fuck¡ª" Vernon cursed as his trousers got tighter instantly. He was teasing Chloe, but her willingness was like a dopamine rush. His instinct told him to pounce on Chloe and eat her clean. That would be the best dessert he could get.


    He crossed his arms in front of his chest and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He wanted to do it, but they had to address the most important thing first.


    "We can do thatter," Vernon said. "We have to talk about Mackie''s transfer."


    "Ah, yeah," Chloe straightened her back and raised her head to look at Vernon. "Um, just like what I said before. I asked Mackie if she wants to find another school, and she said yes."

 Chapter 492 492

    ? "I see, hmm¡­" Vernon hummed for a moment. "What''s her reason? Usually a child wouldn''t want to transfer school. They''d be upset and refuse to do it willingly."


    "It''s bullying¡­." Chloe replied. "She has been bullied by two children whose mothers slept with Vincent. She had a good homeroom teacher who could protect her in school. Not anymore, though. Vincent must''ve arranged Mrs. Allison-- the previous homeroom teacher, to be reced by a less-caring homeroom teacher that won''t give a crap even if Mackie gets yelled at by her bullies."


    "Sadly, I can''t do anything to prevent the bullying because the Principal, Mrs. Andrew, is Vincent''spdog. She''ll do anything to appease Vincent because she''s afraid that Vincent will pull his funding and also take back thend."


    Vernon nodded. He looked calm, but there was a raging storm in his head. His mind reyed that moment when Chloe returned to his office covered with bruises. It was his fault because he gave in and allowed only two bodyguards to protect Chloe, even though he should''ve sent ten at least.


    When Mackie said that changing school would stop the bullies from finding her and her Mommy, she really meant it. Because of this, Vincent will lose track of Chloe and Mackie''s whereabouts, which would make him frantic.


    ''I have to be prepared if Vincent bes frantic. He''ll be very unpredictable,'' Vernon thought. He opened his eyes and stared at Chloe. He sighed and muttered;


    "Honestly, I''ve been trying to find a good time to suggest transferring Mackie to another school. That school is owned by my family, and currently under the hand of Vincent. So he can do whatever in that ce," Vernon said. "As long as Mackie is in that school, you two will still be under his control, and I don''t like that. I don''t feel safe knowing that Vincent can take both of you easily."


    Chloe was stunned by Vernon''s statement because that statement was eerily simr to what Dorothea said.


    As long as Mackie was still in that school, she was still under Vincent''s control and was at his mercy.


    "You''re right," Chloe agreed. "I thought about it while taking a walk around your apartment today, and realized that I have to take decisive action to transfer Mackie, or else we will never be able to escape Vincent."


    "For four hours?" Vernon questioned. "Mackie told me that you went out for four hours."


    "Haha, yeah¡­ I was just bored. So I walked to each floor to check the corridors. Nothing much," Chloe said. She averted her gaze subconsciously, even though she tried her best to look natural in front of Vernon.


    ¡­


    Vernon went silent instantly. His eyes darkened, staring at Chloe, who was fidgeting ufortably in front of him.


    "V¡ªVernon?" Chloe called his name. "Are you okay? You look¡­ angry¡­"


    "Oh, sorry," Vernon tried to act nice to hide his anger. But he couldn''t smile at all. "I was thinking about what happened to you during that Autumn Festival."


    "Ah, please forget that, I don''t want you to think about bad memories too much," Chloe said. She stretched her hand, trying to reach Vernon, but Vernon didn''t even budge, which made her feel awkward.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I can''t forget it, I refuse to," Vernon replied. "I feel like my pride as a man has been trampled when I saw you getting bruises all over. It hurts me too much that I keep thinking about it day and night."


    "Chloe, your pain is my pain. We have a connection, and I want to know everything about you, got it?" Vernon said. He was trying to give a signal to Chloe toe clean about her four hours of absence today, so things wouldn''t escte because Chloe was a bad liar, and she wasn''t fooling anyone right now.


    Unfortunately, Chloe only shook her head, "I have nothing to hide from you."


    "You sure have nothing to hide from me," Vernon said sarcastically, though Chloe didn''t seem to catch any of his hints. So he tried to shift the topic, or else he''d get infuriated, "Anyway, I have a few private elementary schools in mind. It''s not in a gated area like Mackie''s current school, but it''s not too far from our current location."


    "Besides, I''ve been thinking about moving out as well," Vernon said.


    "Moving out?!" Chloe jolted.


    "Yeah, I mean, I live in this penthouse because I don''t really have a family. This is just a ce for me to rest in New York before you and Mackiee to my life," Vernon said. "Now that I have a family, I prefer anded house, a house in a gated neighborhood, with proper security and a nice garden. I know that you like gardening, right?"


    "Mm¡­" Chloe nodded. "I love gardening, I''ve been doing it since I was a child."


    "I know. I watched you gardening in Gray mansion when I was a kid," Vernon said. "I can buy a house near Mackie''s new school. I don''t even mind if we have to move far from here, maybe a state away?"


    Chloe remembered Dorothea as Vernon kept on talking about moving out. Dorothea was trying to heal herself from such a traumatic life experience. She was trying to get better, and Chloe knew that Dorothea needed her as a support.


    She couldn''t just leave so far away and leave Dorothea alone. Something bad might happen if Dorothea''s depression spiraled out of control!


    "What do you think?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe swallowed her saliva.


    Honestly, she wanted to live in anded house with a spacious garden, so she could do gardening in her free time. Vincent''s mansion was beautiful, but the fact that Vincent lived there turned the beautiful mansion into a prison she couldn''t wait to escape.


    But Dorothea''s mental health was her utmost concern now. She also wanted to help mend Dorothea and Vernon''s rtionship, so moving to another ce was out of the question.


    "I¡ªI don''t think we need to move out, Vernon," Chloe said. "We can transfer Mackie to another school, but I want us to stay here, in your apartment, at least for a while."

 Chapter 493 493

    "Huh? Why not?" Vernon asked. "I thought you love a spacious garden."


    "I¡ªI do, but¡­. Um¡­ I think I''ve started to like this ce¡­." Chloe pointed at a random spacious spot near theundry room. "See that spot over there? I can build a small garden with potted nts in that area. I can also put many potted nts on the balcony. I bet it''ll be even more beautiful!"


    ¡­


    ''She''s lying,'' Vernon said in his heart. It was so easy to tell due to her nervousness.


    He also remembered clearly how much Big sis Chloe wanted to have a spacious home so she could grow lots of vegetables and flowers. She told him she had wanted that since she was a kid because she was born and grew up in New York, where everything and everyone was squeezed so tightly together.


    She even mentioned a few times that the Gray family mansion would look better if the garden had more variety. Now, Vernon had all the money to buy her a spacious mansion if she wanted to, but she preferred to stay here? In this regr-sized penthouse?


    ''There must be a reason that she doesn''t want to move out of this apartment. Either something¡­ or someone¡­'' Vernon theorized. He started having dark thoughts, mostly about the possibility that Chloe was meeting someone¡ª someone more special than him when he was working. ''I don''t want to think that you''re cheating on me, my love. But why do you need to hide something from me? Why do you need to lie?''


    ''Is our story so short-lived that you grow bored of me after seven months?''


    Vernon''s heart was crushed on the inside, but he kept his straight face and acted as if nothing was wrong.


    Because if he let his temper override his logic, he''d definitely yell at Chloe and force her to tell the truth, or he''d explode even more.


    "I see, so you want us to live in this penthouse for a while?"


    "Um¡­"


    "How long would that be?" Vernon asked. "I actually don''t want to live in this penthouse for too long. You should give me a time frame so I know how long I would have to live here."


    Chloe remembered that Dorothea said she''d stay for a while, probably about two months. She believed she could mend the estranged mother-son rtionship between Dorothea and Vernon.


    "Two months," Chloe stated. "I need two months and we can move out."


    "You NEED two months?" Vernon peered suspiciously. "What for? Surely there must be something that''s keeping you here."


    "Ah¡ª I¡ª um¡­ I just need to prepare myself. Moving out is not easy, especially when you already feel safe in the area," Chloe reasoned. Vernon was forced to ept the lie, or else he''d start arguing.


    "Fine, two months, and we will move out," Vernon said. "I will prepare for Mackie''s transfer to the new school."


    "Oh, I''ll have to go to Mackie''s current school for administration."


    "Don''t," Vernon rejected quickly. "You''ll get caught again. I''ll go there myself¡ª"


    "Vernon, you can''t," Chloe said. "That principal will report your appearance to Vincent. Diamond is also out of question, she has a close connection to you, Vincent will also recognize her."


    "Besides, the one who can submit a transfer request is the guardian of the student. So it''s only either me or Vincent."<novelnext></novelnext>


    ¡­


    "I will dispatch ten bodyguards with you, and there is no room for negotiation, Chloe. You must go with ten bodyguards or you''re not going at all."


    Chloe sighed and nodded reluctantly, "Alright, you can send ten bodyguards to protect me."


    Vernon nodded and zipped his lips after that. He was still crossing his arms, staring intently at Chloe, which made thetter feel shy.


    She thought Vernon was impatient for the ''fun'' that was about to happen.


    Thus, Chloe took the initiative to stand up and walked toward Vernon. She took the initiative to sit on hisp, and she could feel Vernon''s whole body jolt a little when her butt sat on his thigh.


    Vernon''s breath became heavy, but his eyes were still staring straight, and his arms crossed together.


    ? ''Does he want me to be even more active than this?'' Chloe wondered.


    Of course, she was embarrassed right now. But she thought it was also her duty to show her interest in him. All this time, it was always Vernon who showed eagerness and took a more active role.


    ''I guess this is my first time to be the active one,'' Chloe thought. She got even more nervous, though, because she never showed any kind of eagerness to Vincent before.


    In fact, Vincent always wanted Chloe to be passive, like a doll he could fuck whenever he wanted.


    Chloe was not allowed to show resistance or reluctance. She just had toy and let Vincent do everything to his body, a whimper of pain was eptable, though, and that was the only thing that Chloe did every time she had sex with Vincent.


    She''d whimper and cry because she felt absolutely humiliated. She felt like a cheap prostitute whenever she had sex with Vincent.


    But Vernon was different.


    She felt wanted whenever she was touched by him. She felt a lot of new sensations whenever he ran his finger through her skin, and the way he looked at her as if she was the only woman he had ever loved in this world.


    "Um¡­ Vernon, d¡ªdo you need me to do something?" Chloe asked with a low voice. She tried to say more, but she was too shy.


    ¡­


    Again, Vernon said nothing. He didn''t even want to look at Chloe, even though his face was already flushed just like hers, and he lightly bit his lower lip a few times to control himself.


    Chloe looked down to check and realized that Vernon''s bulge was so big it must''ve been suffocating under his slim fit trousers.


    "Um, I¡­ I can take care of this," Chloe murmured. She ced her hand on his bulge, and his cock twitched instantly.

 Chapter 494 494

    Vernon felt his blood rushing to his dick. The moment Chloe touched his rock-hard cock, he felt the dopamine rush that made his body almost reacted instinctively.


    His savage instinct almost overruled his sanity. Had it not for the thorn in his heart right now, he''d definitely carry Chloe into his room and fuck her hard until the morning came.


    But he didn''t want Chloe to think that he was an easy man to please. He wouldn''t yield just because she touched his dick and whispered sweet words.


    Thus, when Chloe wanted to unbuckle his belt, he quickly caught her wrist and said, "I''m not in the mood."


    "Eh? B¡ªBut¡ª" Chloe looked at Vernon''s face and then down to his crotch simultaneously. "Um¡­ y¡ªyour thing is still hard. Are you sure you don''t want to¡­"


    "I''ll just take a cold shower," Vernon said. "You should get up and go to sleep. It must''ve been tiring today."


    "Ah, yes, it''s very tiring today. But I¡­ um¡­ I can spare some of my energy for you¡­."


    Vernon clenched his jaw as he tried not tosh out at Chloe. In his imagination, Chloe must''ve had some fun time with this new man, thus why she was tired.


    Both his heart and mind were chaotic, and he didn''t want to show it in front of Chloe. She was in the process of recovering her appetite and had put on a bit of weight over time.


    Unfortunately, she was also prone to lose her appetite whenever stressed out, so Vernon tried his best to lift her mood daily for Chloe''s gradual mental and physical health recovery.


    Chloe thought Vernon didn''t want to look at her because he was a little nervous, just like her. But he''d usually be so eager after Chloe touched him a little.


    But today was different.


    It seemed like he deliberately refused to look at Chloe for whatever reason, "Vernon?"


    "What?"


    "Are you alright?"


    "I am."


    "Then why don''t you look at me?" Chloe asked again. She got worried when Vernon replied to her with curt answers.


    "I''m not in the mood," Vernon finally couldn''t hold himself much longer. He grabbed Chloe''s waist and gently propped her up, forcing her to get off hisp.


    Vernon stood up and turned around. He walked to his bedroom without looking back.


    Chloe was flustered by Vernon''s cold attitude, "Wait, Vernon!"


    Vernon halted his step, "What?"


    "Y¡ªYou''re acting so weird today. Did something happen in the office? You can tell me what''s wrong, maybe that will make you feel better."


    Vernon stood in silence for a while before he looked over his shoulder. His hawk-like piercing gaze observed Chloe from head to toe, and he muttered, "There is indeed a problem. But it''s noting from the office."


    "R¡ªReally? Then you should tell me, maybe I can help."


    "Yes, you can help by stop asking me questions," Vernon said. "I''m tired."


    "W--Wait--"


    Vernon walked to his bedroom and ignored Chloe, who tried calling him several times.<novelnext></novelnext>


    SLAM!


    Chloe jolted when the door mmed. She stood still like an idiot, staring at Vernon''s bedroom door, trying to process what had just happened.


    "He''s mad," Chloe murmured. "But why?"


    She wondered if her refusal to move out of this apartment immediately upset him. Or was it because she insisted on attending Mackie''s school to handle the bureaucracy?


    Or¡­


    Chloe gasped, "D¡ªDid he already guess that I''m meeting someone right now? Did she already guess about Dorothea?"


    Chloe quickly covered her mouth and warned herself not to speak too loud, or Vernon might hear her.


    She took a few steps back and returned to the kitchen, leaning on the wall near the fridge.


    "I don''t know why I have a bad feeling about this," Chloe murmured. "Obviously, I have a perfect alibi. I just walked around his apartment because I was bored, and I went on for four hours because I was thinking about transferring Mackie to another school. It''s literally perfect."


    "But what if¡­ he can see through my lies? After all, people said that I''m a pretty bad liar¡­."


    ¡­


    Chloe shook her head as she didn''t want to think too much about it, "No, you''re just overthinking, Chloe. Vernon would go into an uncontroble rage if he knows about the meeting with Dorothea."


    "That''s right, I''m just overthinking. This is all just my anxiety running around," Chloe repeatedly chanted before she returned to her room downstairs. She tried to eliminate her anxiety since she had to spare most of her worries for two different topics.


    1. Preparing herself to handle the bureaucracy in Mackie''s school so she could transfer without a problem.


    2. Finding a way to mend the estranged rtionship between Vernon and Dorothea.


    Chloey on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she thought about Dorothea and Vernon.


    "I wonder if there is a way for Vernon to forgive Dorothea. He''s not the forgiving type," Chloe thought. "Maybe Dorothea should do something that can make Vernon happy?"


    Chloe continued pondering until her mind floated to dreand. In her dream, she saw Vernon carrying Mackie on his back while she carried a baby in her arms.


    Dorothea was standing beside Vernon, while Diamond was standing right next to her. Everyone had a smile on their faces, and it was a picture of a beautiful family that Chloe wanted.


    Thus, she spent the night having a good dream.


    Unlike Vernon¡­


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    "FUCK!" Vernon cursed while continuously punching the bathroom wall as he was showering with cold water. He didn''t care if his knuckles were bruised. He was in so much rage that the cold water somehow felt warm on him.


    His teeth gnashed as he was unable to control himself.


    "Why? Why are you hiding something from me, Chloe?" Vernon asked. This was the only ce he could do such a thing, as he didn''t want to scare Chloe. "Why do you need to hide something¡ª or someone? Do Ick something, huh? CHLOE, ANSWER ME!"

 Chapter 495 495

    Vernon''s voice echoed inside the bathroom. He wanted to grab Chloe and put her right in front of him. He wanted to intimidate her, just like he intimidated those who dared to y games with him.


    He wanted the truth right out of her mouth. No need to y pretend.


    He''d be lying if he said that he wasn''t jealous.


    He was so fucking jealous and angry right now. He wanted to force Chloe to spill it out and then find that man and end his life. He didn''t even care about the consequences. To be jailed was better than having his heart crushed like this.


    But he couldn''t.


    Because no matter how angry he was, he still wouldn''t let the devil take his body and intimidate his beloved woman. After all, Chloe was very fragile regarding his appearance since he resembled the monster in her head¡ª Vincent Gray, but bigger, scarier, and stronger.


    He was, in nature, a man that Chloe should''ve feared the most. But he tried his best to keep his cool so Chloe would soon forget about his naturally intimidating appearance and only remember good memories with him.


    "You''re terrible, Chloe," Vernon grunted as he could not express his frustration. "You know I can''t get mad at you, so you used it to lie to me. You''re obviously hiding someone right now."


    Vernon still didn''t feel calm even after he took a cold shower. He jumped to his bed, staring at the ceiling, and the only thing that appeared in his mind was the face of Chloe smiling at him as if she didn''t just lie through her teeth.


    Then, the following image was Chloe lying naked on a bed, but with an unknown man that Vernon never saw before.


    "Ugh, fuck that," Vernon quickly shook his head to throw that bad imagination out of his mind. But he couldn''t help but groan in pain, "Ugh, I hope I won''t dream a thing tonight, I don''t want to have a nightmare again."


    **


    Vernon woke up groggily in the morning. He was in a terrible mood, waking up every hourst night.


    Each time his consciousness floated, he''d soon dream of Chloe smiling at him while entangled with another man. He was screaming, struggling, trying his best to reach Chloe. Obviously, Chloe was meant to be with him!


    But he couldn''t reach her. He was trapped in a ss box until he woke up, feeling even shittier than an hour before.


    "This is bullshit!" Vernon cursed as he readied himself to work.


    It was still six in the morning, but he was already well dressed. He''d prefer it this way for now. It reminded him of when he was still dating so many women before he reunited with Chloe.


    He''d be ready at six and stayed in the office from seven in the morning. Usually, he''d be done by eleven¡ª almost midnight and drank one or two bottles of whatever alcohol he had in his fridge before passing out.


    Usually, when his loneliness spiraled out of control, he''d stop drinking and work for almost 20 hours a day, only sleeping for two or three hours because it was his way to feel like he was doing something productive while his Big sis Chloe wasn''t by his side.


    "If I could manage myself without her seven months ago, I can also manage myself now. I want her toe clean somehow," Vernon said to himself. Though he wasn''t even sure about his own statement.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon opened his bedroom door and saw Chloe preparing his suit fresh out of theundry. She looked surprised when she saw him already all dressed up.


    "Vernon, it''s only six in the morning. What''s the hurry?" Chloe asked while staring at him with her sweet doe eyes. He clenched his jaw silently and replied;


    "I have things to do."


    He walked past Chloe and headed to the main door.


    "W¡ªWait!" Chloe tried to catch up to Vernon''s long steps. "I made a banana-apple smoothie for you and Mackie. If you''re not in the mood to eat anything, you should at least drink that smoothie. It''s not good to go to work with an empty stomach."


    Vernon''s hand that was holding his briefcase trembled. He clenched his briefcase''s handle even tighter and spoke in a low voice, "I''m not in the mood."


    "B¡ªBut, it''s just a smoothie," Chloe insisted. "Hold on, let me pour it in a tumbler, so you can drink it in the office."


    ¡­


    Vernon said nothing, but he didn''t move from his current spot. So Chloe thought Vernon was waiting for her to bring him that smoothie.


    She rushed to the kitchen to grab the tumbler.


    It was hard for her to open the lid because she only used one hand.


    She then poured the banana-apple smoothie carefully into the tumbler. Then she tried her hardest to close the lid again before giving it to Vernon.


    Vernon watched the whole thing as he stood near the dining area. At first he wanted to leave right away, ignoring Chloe who was trying her best to please him.


    But his heart told him to see what she was doing, and so he did.


    He saw how serious Chloe was and how she tried her best to serve him his favorite banana-apple smoothie even though he was obviously not in the mood right now.


    It might be a small, insignificant thing for most people, but for Vernon, who had been hungry for Chloe''s attention, this kind of small gesture made him feel so weak, he was about to fall on his knees and beg Chloe to tell the truth, so he wouldn''t be in so much pain right now.


    "Vernon? Hey, Vernon!"


    Vernon snapped out of his daze when Chloe called his name. She stood in front of him with a tumbler in her left hand.


    "Here''s your smoothie. I''m sorry that I can only make you this for now. I will cook a feast for you once I can use my right hand, okay?"

 Chapter 496 496

    Vernon epted the tumbler. He stared at it for a while and then looked at Chloe, who was smiling at him.


    His hand trembled as he tried his best to keep it together. He had to be strong. He didn''t want to be seen as a weak man who could easily be coaxed even though his spouse was cheating on him.


    "You... you don''t need to do this. I don''t need it," Vernon said as it was hisst attempt to show Chloe that he wasn''t the one she could coax.


    "Eh? Why?" Chloe tilted her head. "You always love banana-applebo in a smoothie or juice. Did you change your taste now? Tell me what you like, so I can make it for you."


    "Tsk!" Vernon couldn''t do this. He couldn''t handle Chloe''s sweetness when he was supposed to be angry.


    Whenever she smiled and stared at him with her sweet doe eyes, Vernon felt he could give up on anything as long as Chloe wanted to stay with him.


    It was pathetic. Even Vernon called himself pathetic in his head while he rushed out of the penthouse.


    "Good luck at work!" Chloe said, and Vernon jolted a bit before he shut the door behind him.


    "Fuck, you''re so pathetic, Vernon," he said while he went down to the basement parking lot with the elevator.


    He stared at the tumbler in his hand. His hand trembled again, and he quickly wiped the tears pooling at the corner of his eyes, "This is so stupid. Why did I be so weak just because she made me a smoothie? She''s lying to me! She''s cheating!" Vernon yelled. "Am I this easy to please? You''re a fucking loser!"


    Vernon arrived at his office around six thirty. He was still holding the tumbler as he went up to the top floor.


    He entered his office and put the tumbler on his desk while he sat on his executive chair. He was staring emptily to the front, trying to let his mind settle before he started his work today.


    But he could not.


    He kept on stealing nces at the tumbler as he got the urge to taste the smoothie that Chloe had made. He knew it''d taste good and would improve his mood immediately.


    But he had to refrain from doing so to prove his firmness. So he just tapped the desk with his fingers impatiently until he couldn''t wait anymore.


    "Fuck this. I need to know with whom she''s cheating!" Vernon finally grabbed his phone and called the head of the security department of his apartment building.


    The phone was answered quickly as the security department was supposed to be always on the call 24/7. Now that their boss was calling, they didn''t even dare to miss just a second of it.


    --


    "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray," The security guard greeted me on the phone.


    Two people were working as the head of the security guard, and they were brothers working on shift, Luis and Jose.


    "Hm, am I talking to Luis or Jose right now?" Vernon asked.


    "Luis, Sir."


    "Okay, Luis," Vernon paused for a moment, thinking whether it was wise for him to spy on Chloe''s activity. He wanted her toe clean, but at this rate and with Chloe acting so sweetly at him, he''d be the first one to fall and beg in front of Chloe.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So he had to check on this man first. If Chloe cheated with a random man for whatever reason, he''d just... erase that man from existence, and the problem would be solved.


    But if he was a man with high status... he''d still erase that man. He didn''t care about what would happen next.


    "I have a job for you," Vernon said. "You need to check the CCTV camera aiming at my penthouse main door. Check if my woman-- Chloe, leaves the penthouse today, and continue following her path with the CCTV to see if she goes somewhere in the apartment building, probably in one of the rooms rented for regr guests."


    Luis got nervous instantly. He felt that he was now listening to his boss'' marital problem.


    But he had to do his job nheless.


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Inform me if you see her entering one room," Vernon said, to which Luis replied with the same answer. "Good. I expect the information as quickly as possible."


    Beep.


    --


    Vernon put his phone on the desk.


    Now that he had given the order, he didn''t know what to expect.


    Part of him wanted to catch Chloe red-handed, so he could make that man vanish out of this world, and Chloe had nowhere else to go except him.


    While another part of him didn''t want the security department to call him. He wanted to trick his own mind, convincing himself that maybe he was just overreacting.


    After all, he believed that Chloe was never a cheater.


    If she could stay with Vincent-- that bastard who abused her nonstop for the past ten years, how could she not be able to stay with him?


    Nevertheless, his decision stayed the same. He would do anything to make Chloe stay. He refused to let Chloe fall into the arms of other men.


    "Even if I have to ruin the lives of so many people in this world, as long as I have you by my side, then I don''t care about the rest," Vernon murmured with a glint of danger in his eyes.


    He was well aware of his dark thoughts, which might be inherited from his bloodline.


    It was also hard to control this crazy urge because he had never experienced it before. This urge only popped into his mind when it was about Chloe.


    "I want us to burn together, Chloe," Vernon said. "I will never hurt you. I''d rather hurt myself than everying my hands on you."


    "But if you decide to hurt me again, then let us burn together. We will drag everyone to hell with us."

 Chapter 497 497

    Chloe let out a relieved breath once Vernon left the penthouse carrying the tumbler. It was a sign that he wasn''t all that mad to her.


    Maybe he was in a bad mood because of work, so he had that naturally bitter face the whole time.


    "See? I''m just overthinking," Chloe said as she tried to convince herself. "He hasn''t noticed a thing, and that''s good. I don''t want him to notice Dorothea''s presence way too early. I still have to n out the best way to introduce Dorothea to our small family."


    Chloe grabbed her phone on the kitchen counter and texted Dorothea, asking if she was avable, and Dorothea replied quickly;


    -


    Dorothea:


    Pleasee at seven, the door will be slightly open like yesterday.


    I also want to tell you about the progress of my n to disturb Vincent''s charity work.


    -


    "Great!" Chloe cheered. She checked the time and realized that she only needed to wait fifteen minutes before going to the eleventh floor.


    Chloe hummed as she made two more banana-apple smoothies for Mackie and Dorothea. She didn''t know if Dorothea liked this kind of drink, but Vernon and Mackie had the same taste, so she thought their tastebud must''ve been inherited by someone in the family.


    She was busy cutting the banana and apple with one hand skillfully, when Mackie suddenly came upstair.


    She rubbed her eyes and stared at her Mommy, who was busy making smoothies as always, and asked, "Good morning, Mommy...."


    "Morning, dear," Chloe turned her head towards her daughter and smiled. "I''m still preparing a banana smoothie for you."


    "Mommy, can I eat cereal today?"


    "Cereal? Alright then, but not too much, okay? Eating too much cereal is not good," Chloe said. She grabbed a bowl, cereal box, and milk from the fridge to the dinner table.


    Mackie was already used to preparing her own cereal and generally would be happier if she was allowed to do so.


    Thus, Chloe allowed her daughter to help herself while she poured the banana-apple smoothie into a tumbler.


    She also poured the rest into a ss and decided to have that as breakfast.


    She sat in front of her daughter. She watched her daughter, who was eating cereal and milk. Though she probably poured too much cerealpared to the milk because she loved the sugary cereal.


    Mackie nced at her Mommy and then at Uncle Vernon''s bedroom door that had been opened and asked, "Mommy, where''s Uncle?"


    "He went to work early," Chloe replied. "He''s busy."


    "Mm... is he mad?"


    "Huh? Mad? Why?"


    "I don''t know, Mommy," Mackie shrugged. "Uncle looked so scary when I told him that you left for four hours. He was like-- the real Big bad wolf from my school y!"


    "Ahahaha... he always looks scary, don''t you think?"


    "Nu-uh," Mackie shook her head. "Uncle is usually very kind. He might not smile so much, unlike Daddy. But he is very kind when talking about you!"


    "Really?"


    "Um! Uncle is always happy whenever he talks about you!"


    ...<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Crap, now I feel guilty for lying to him.''


    Chloe already knew that Vernon had feelings for her. He might call it love. However, Chloe thought Vernon''s love for an old, ugly, unassuming woman like her was weird.


    But if she had to be honest, she also felt the same.


    As she lived with Vernon for the past seven months, she realized that Vernon had all the traits that Vincentcked.


    He showed more genuine emotion.


    He was tough on the outside but surprisingly very attentive and soft in the inside.


    He was full of passion. His touch carried the heat that Vincentcked. He was the man that Chloe''s body was naturally attracted to.


    So she''d be lying if she said she didn''t have the same feeling.


    She was attracted to Vernon, and she found that feeling to be dangerous and unnecessary.


    ''He might not realize that I lied to him for now. But what''d happen when he found out about me hiding the news about Dorothea once I introduced her to our small family?'' Chloe started to get anxious. She realized that she wasn''t thinking about the long-term impact.


    ''Surely, Vernon would be angry and feel betrayed...'' Chloe thought. ''But I really can''t let Dorothea leave without trying to mend her rtionship with Vernon!''


    Mackie watched as her Mommy gradually turned anxious for some reason. Though she was still a child, she had seen that expression more often when they lived with Daddy in their real home.


    Mommy would always have that expression, and whenever Mackie asked if she was alright, she''d try to smile and say that everything was alright and Mommy was okay.


    Toddler Mackie couldn''t discern that something was wrong.


    But as Mackie grew older and lived with Uncle, she realized that Mommy''s anxiety in their old home was not supposed to happen because Mommy was mostly in a good mood when she lived here with Uncle.


    Now that she showed her anxiety again, something must be wrong.


    "Mommy, is everything okay?" Mackie asked. She scooped a spoonful of cereal and milk while staring at her Mommy.


    "Ah-- E--everything is okay, dear. Just finish your cereal, okay?"


    ...


    "Mommy, do you want to go out again?"


    "Ah-- uh..."


    "It''s okay, Mommy. I won''t tell Uncle this time!" Mackie said. "I promise!"


    "R--Really?" Chloe was surprised by her daughter''s initiative. Usually, Mackie would report everything she did for the whole day to her Uncle so her Uncle knew that she had done a great job today as a cop.


    "Un!" Mackie nodded. "Mommy said that you''re bored yesterday, so you went out for four hours! Mommy is anxious today, maybe you should walk around the apartment again!"


    "Mackie..."


    "Un, I won''t tell Uncle. But Mommy must promise me that you won''t be sad or anxious after you return home, okay?"


    Chloe got up and hugged her daughter from behind. She kissed her daughter''s forehead and murmured, "Oh dear, thank you so much. I promise to bring you with me once everything has been settled."


    "Un! I also want to go for a walk!" Mackie said. "I hope my new school will be very big, so I can walk a lot!"

 Chapter 498 498

    Chloe grabbed the ess key and the tumbler in one hand and told her daughter that she could watch TV for now because Chloe would only go out for an hour, so Mackie wouldn''t feel so lonely.


    Chloe went down the elevator to the eleventh floor and walked to room 1112.


    The door was slightly ajar, just like what Dorothea said, so she knocked three times before entering and closed it behind her.


    She thought she was being smart and careful because the corridor around this floor was empty right now.


    Unfortunately, all of her movements in the CCTV camera from the moment she left the penthouse, entered the elevator, and entered room 1112, which was obviously upied by a guest.


    "Shit¡­" Luis swallowed his saliva with difficulty as he had just witnessed the woman his boss treated like a wife cheating on him. "Damn, this woman is crazy¡­ She already has everything from Mr. Phoenix Gray but still decides to cheat on him. I don''t think she''d be able to score someone better than him."


    "Maybe it''s just way over her head, thinking she could seduce everyone just because she''s beautiful," Luis murmured.


    Honestly, he didn''t want to inform his boss right now. Because he was scared, this call would be the start of a murder case.


    Mr. Phoenix Gray might have a clean record in public, but he was so intimidating, and his eyes were harbored malicious intentions toward everyone around him. So murdering someone might be a possible case for a man like Vernon.


    If he knew that his woman cheated on him, either that woman would be dead, that man would be dead, or both.


    Nevertheless, Luis was in a dilemma right now.


    He kept thinking and thinking until he couldn''t handle it anymore and grabbed his phone, "Screw this. I''m just doing my job!"


    Thus, he called his boss, and Vernon picked up his call after just one beep.


    -


    "Do you have something for me?" Vernon asked.


    "H¡ªHello, Boss. Yes, I have a¡­ uh¡­ bad news for you¡­" Luis said.


    Vernon took a deep breath. He clenched his fist until his nail dug into his skin, and blood started trickling down, "It''s fine, tell me," he said in a low voice, but it contained so much threat even Luis was scared right now.


    "Sir I saw Miss¡ª uh, your woman left the penthouse about fifteen minutes ago, around seven past ten. She used the VIP elevator to the eleventh floor, and walked straight to room 1112."


    ''Room 1112¡­'' Vernon tried to put that number in his mind, so he wouldn''t kill the wrong person after this whole cheating bullshit ended.


    "She''s carrying a tumbler with her. She knocked on the door three times before entering and closing the door. That''s all, Sir."


    ¡­


    It took Vernon a while to finally answer. He was losing his mind in the office right now.


    "Good, keep me informed, call me again when you see her getting out of that room," Vernon instructed.


    "Understood, Sir."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vernon hung up the call first. He mmed his phone on the desk and looked down. He stared at the empty desk, trying to empty his mind so he would calm down.


    Because both his mind and heart were in so much rage that he could kill a person right now.


    However, as he kept looking down, he noticed the tumbler that Chloe gave him today sitting at the edge of the desk. There was a banana-apple smoothie inside, which was supposed to be a very special thing that Chloe made only for their small family.


    "Heh, turns out you''re also giving it to another man, how disgusting," Vernon said.


    He tried to ignore the tumbler, but it became too much of a thorn in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and grabbed the tumbler.


    "BULLSHIT! YOU''RE LYING TO ME!" Vernon raised his hand and smashed the tumbler to the floor until the inside spilled out.


    He stomped on the tumbler and destroyed it after a few stomps, but he was still unable to curb his anger.


    He got angrier each second and knew he wouldn''t be able to work today.


    He turned to the desk in front of him and kicked it with so much power that the big, heavy desk actually fell down in one kick, "LIAR! YOU''RE A FUCKING LIAR!"


    **


    Diamond had just arrived in the office when she saw that the light inside the CEO''s office had been turned on.


    The security guard and receptionist said that Mr. Phoenix Gray came earlier than usual, which wasn''t really a surprise for Diamond.


    Diamond had already witnessed how much of a workaholic her boss was. It was after living with Chloe that he toned it down a bit. As he was in a constantly good mood, his performance and efficiency at work increased a lot even though he didn''t spend as much time in the office these days.


    And above all those improvements, Diamond was most grateful for the positive change Chloe gave to her boss. He became less irritable, less temperamental, and could actually hold a conversation with her. Hence, their rtionship felt more like a good friend and casual coworker than a tyrannical boss and secretary.


    ''Maybe I should ask if he wants a coffee,'' Diamond thought. She put her bag on the table and walked to the CEO''s office door.


    She was about to knock when she heard;


    "LIAR! YOU''RE A FUCKING LIAR!"


    Followed by a loud thump which Diamond guessed must be the desk. Then she heard another loud thump and ss shattering, and everything just turned into chaos after that.


    Her boss kept on yelling and cursing like a madman. He kept calling someone a liar, and she knew it must''ve been another fight with her homegirl, Chloe.


    "Ah, damn it," Diamond cursed in a low voice as she returned to her desk. "Everything must''ve been destroyed inside, and I have to rece everything with brand new stuff."


    Diamond massaged her temple as she started imagining all the stuff she had to handle, "What''s their problem now? I bet this is just another misunderstanding."

 Chapter 499 499

    "What''s their problem now? I bet this is just another misunderstanding."


    Diamond rolled her eyes. It was obvious that Chloe and Vernon already loved each other at this rate. But theirmunication skillscked so much, so there were a lot of unnecessary fights between them.


    Diamond listened to her boss'' rage, followed by so much furniture getting destroyed. She got even more worried as she thought Vernon would destroy everything inside his office, costing Diamond her weekend and possibly her Christmas and New Year holidays.


    After all, the holiday season meant many of the usual craftsmen and distributors selling Mr. Phoenix Gray''s stuff were closed. So she had to pre order or get something simr elsewhere, which would take her a month or two.


    "Damn it, I have to call Chloe now. I don''t want to deal with this crap before Decemberes," Diamond grabbed her phone and called Chloe.


    Usually, Chloe would pick up her call in less than ten seconds. But the phone kept ringing, and Chloe didn''t pick it up.


    "Huh? What''s wrong with her? Is she in the bathroom?" Diamond wondered. She tried to call her again, and Chloe still didn''t pick it up.


    As Diamond was about to make the third call, the CEO''s office door was suddenly mmed open from the inside.


    Diamond almost jumped out of fright when she saw her boss standing at the door. His suit was disheveled, and blood dripped from his clenched fists.


    He had that heinous aura around him, and then he darted his eyes at Diamond.


    "Don''t call her," Vernon said. His voice was hoarse, probably after he screamed and roared like a madman a while ago.


    Diamond gulped.


    Her boss was so scary that she preferred not to be around him right now, "S¡ªSir, I don''t know what happened, but I know for sure that you need Chloe by your side right now. I''m calling her, so she cane here with lyft or uber."


    "It''s no use. She won''t pick up, no matter how many times you try calling her. Because she''s busy getting fucked by another man right now," Vernon said. His voice was calm but more like the calm before the storm.


    Diamond''s eyes widened out of shock, but her first natural reaction was, "That''s impossible," Diamond stated boldly. "I know what kind of woman Chloe is, and cheating is wayyyy out of her dictionary. If she''s actually a cheater, she''d be cheating on Vincent long ago!"


    Vincent scoffed, "Heh, you''re stupidly biased. I have the proof already. There''s video footage of her leaving my penthouse, and meeting a man. She''s in floor 11, room 1112 of Phoenix Tower. She''s getting fucked by another man inside my apartment building. Heheh¡­"


    "T¡ªThat''s not possible!" Diamond kept on denying it. She just thought that it was just ridiculous!


    "Sir, I will call Anna, the receptionist in your apartment. I''ll ask her to check who''s the one living in room 1112!" Diamond said, gantly protecting her homegirl. "Even if she enters that room, it could be anybody, right? Maybe it''s her old friend, or maybe even her mother. Maybe she made up with her mother!"


    "Hahah! You''re so funny, Diamond. You are defending Chloe as if she''s an angel who can''t do no wrong," Vernon kept on giggling, scoffing, andughing, which made everything feel so creepy for Diamond. "No angel would lie to me and fuck another man behind my back."


    "Let me prove it to you!" Diamond called the Phoenix Tower''s receptionist, and Anna picked it up quickly.


    Diamond put it on loudspeaker, so Vernon could listen to it;


    ¡ª


    "Good morning, Phoenix Tower Lobby, this is Anna, may I help you?"


    "Anna, this is Diamond, Mr. Phoenix Gray''s secretary."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes, Miss," Anna turned serious instantly, not wanting to make a mistake in front of her boss'' secretary. "May I help you with something?"


    "Yes, tell me who is the one staying in Room 1112, I need the information!" Diamond demanded.


    "One sec, Miss."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There were at least thirty seconds pause until Anna replied, "The room has been upied by a guest since two days ago, Miss. The guest is staying for one week with a high chance of extending the stay."


    "Tell me, who''s her name?" Diamond demanded. Her leg kept bouncing under the table as she couldn''t withstand being stared at by that kind of psycho stare from her boss.


    "Her? Miss, the guest is a man named Jonathan¡ª"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Diamond quickly hung up the call when she heard the guest was a man. She still couldn''t believe that her homegirl was cheating. It was simply not possible!


    "See?" Vernon smirked creepily. "She''s cheating on me. She''s fucking with a man named Jonathan. Heheh, I don''t know what''s on her mind that she''d do something so stupid, but I guess I''ll have to do some cleaning up."


    Vernon walked towards the elevator, and Diamond quickly got up and ran towards him.


    She stopped right before him, blocking her boss from entering the elevator. She was scared as shit right now, but she had to keep him here, or else something terrible might happen as soon as he left the office.


    "Out of my way, Diamond," Vernon said. His voice was calm, but his eyes were so dark and scary that he could kill a person with his gaze.


    In fact, he would. Diamond was 100% sure he''d murder that guy named Jonathan.


    "Where are you going, Sir?"


    "To my apartment, I want to meet that man who dares to fuck my woman," Vernon said. "I''ll make sure he''ll be taken care of.


    Diamond shook her head, "Sir, you''re not thinking clearly right now. That man named Jonathan might be Chloe''s old friend, or it could be her cousin!"


    "She won''t need to lie to me if he''s just an old friend or her cousin," Vernon said. "You''re protecting her because she''s your best friend, you''re blind, Diamond."


    "Sir¡ª"


    "Why don''t you put yourself in my shoes?"

 Chapter 500 500

    "Why don''t you put yourself in my shoes?" Vernon said.


    "W--What do you mean, Sir?"


    ...


    Vernon paused for a while. He had a moment of rity. He contemted telling Diamond about his past and his deepest feelings for Chloe.


    Of course, he could shove Diamond to the side and enter that elevator. But he felt that Diamond''s bias was unfair.


    He was obviously the one getting hurt here. Why would Diamond try to defend a cheater just because Chloe was her best friend?


    Thus, he decided to let it all out so she''d understand.


    "Imagine yourself born as an unwanted child, your father didn''t give a shit about you, your mother despised you, and your Big brother treated you like his pet," Vernon said.


    Diamond gasped. It seemed that her boss wanted to open up about his past in front of her, which was taboo to talk about this whole time.


    "Your life was bleak and depressing. You were a child starving for love and attention... then a young woman-- ten years older than you, came to your life. She showered you with genuine love and attention that you never had in your life before."


    "As you spent the time together, of course, you''d fall in love with her, and you thought you had the chance even with the age gap...."


    "Then everything was robbed in front of your eyes. She told your father that she''d rather marry your Big brother because he was better, and you were just a useless piece of shit with no future."


    "And she did, she chose your Big brother, married him and shoved you to the side. She was so happy with her new life that she simply forgot about your existence."


    "So you left, with all of your heartbreak, you left your home to Europe. Because you thought your presence was unneeded, and the love of your life had abandoned you."


    "Your life was filled with nightmares. Days were fleeting, you got drunk, slept with random women, studied hard and then worked your ass off every day. But no matter how sessful you were, you still felt empty."


    "So you returned to New York, worked here, thinking that you could at least catch a glimpse of her with her lovely family, only to realize that the marriage failed."


    "So you thought you''d finally had the chance... to avenge your pain to both of them. Then you realized that she was actually suffering from constant mental and physical abuse."


    "So you abandon your n for a revenge, and take her in, constantly treating her gently so she''d heal from her trauma while hoping that eventually you could be the man that''d treat her right."


    "And you thought everything was going smoothly until this random man suddenly entered our life and fucked her while I''m here working my ass off for our future," Vernon scoffed. The more he tried tough it off, the scarier he got. "I want to see what kind of man dares to touch my woman. Is he better than me? Or it''s just Chloe spurring out of control because she wants to taste another man''s dick."


    "But the reason doesn''t matter in the end, because I will kill that bastard and make sure that Chloe won''t be able to do this again in the future," Vernon said coldly.


    Diamond listened to everything and was so shocked that she couldn''t speak anymore.


    Because she actually sympathized with her boss who was about to murder someone soon.


    "Step aside, Diamond," Vernon ordered.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Sir, t--think about this. Please, you... you''re going to make a big mistake!"


    Vernon looked down at Diamond with a cold gaze, "I know you''re her best friend. But she called me a useless-good-for-nothing man in front of my dad and now cheated on me. You''d step aside now if you still have any conscience."


    ...


    Diamond lowered her head. She really wanted to believe that Chloe did no wrong.


    But Anna said a male guest was in room 1112, and Vernon imed he had the video footage of Chloe going inside that room.


    It was too hard for her to defend her homegirl, and Vernon was right... if she still had a conscience, she''d step aside.


    And so she did...


    Diamond stepped to the right, allowing her boss to pass her.


    She dared not look back, afraid that she''d change her mind, and tried to stop her boss again.


    She heard the elevator door closed with a Ding, and her feet wobbled as she tried to reach the sofa to sit.


    Diamond was so shocked that she still didn''t know whether she had made the right judgment or not.


    "But I can''t stop him if what he said is right, Chloe...." Diamond said. She covered her face with her palms. She was confused and frustrated at the same time.


    "Chloe, Did I really make the wrong judgment about you? I thought you''re my best friend, and I''m usually good at reading someone''s personality...." Diamond murmured. "Am I wrong all this time? Are you really that kind of whore?"


    "Chloe-- Homegirl-- I... I don''t know if I can continue being your friend if his usation is true...."


    **


    Chloe entered Dorothea''s room and saw the old woman watching random news on the TV.


    "Morning, Dorothea," Chloe greeted with a smile, and Dorothea smiled back at her.


    "Morning, I thought it''d take you a while to return here," Dorothea said. "After all, you''re living with Vernon right now. You have to be careful, you know...."


    "Ahaha, rx," Chloe sat next to Dorothea and put the tumbler on the coffee table in front of them. "He hasn''t suspected a thing.


    "Are you sure? I don''t think you''re a good liar," Dorothea said. "Vernon is not stupid. He must be perceptive enough to read lies."


    "Well, I guess he''s just too busy with work. That''s why he hasn''t noticed a thing," Chloe tried to pacify Dorothea. "Though I do feel guilty for lying, but it can''t be helped, since I can''t just bring you inside the penthouse and act like we''re all good."

 Chapter 501 501

    Dorothea sighed, "You''re right. Though, I do miss Mackie so much¡­."


    "¡­ Let''s just hope that things will get better from now on," Chloe said.


    "I hope so. I really want to see the light¡­." Dorothea murmured. She lowered her head, trying not to show too much sadness in front of Chloe. Chloe was already kind enough to visit her, so the least she could do was not bring the mood down.


    Unfortunately, Chloe quickly noticed that Dorothea''s mood was somber, so she quickly shifted the topic and pointed at the tumbler, "Have you had anything for breakfast? I made a banana-apple smoothie for you, it''s Vernon and Mackie''s favorite''s drink after banana milk!"


    "Ah, I do love banana and apple, I usually make smoothies or juice out of them, it''s afort drink for me," Dorothea said. She grabbed the tumbler on the table and raised her brow, "May I?"


    "Sure, I made it for you," Chloe said.


    Thus, Dorothea took a sip, and her eyes widened out of surprise. Her tongue smacked a few times to taste the smoothie better in her mouth, "Oh wow, this banana-apple smoothie is tasty, you really know how to create a perfect bnce for them! No wonder Vernon and Mackie love this so much."


    "W¡ªWell, it''s my own recipe, because Vernon loved that smoothie when he was a kid, and I perfected the recipe for Mackie," Chloe said. "d you like it."


    Dorothea took another sip of the smoothie from the straw. She smiled at her daughter-inw, "You''re very attentive to your family. That''s good."


    Chloe was a little shy listening to Dorothea''s praise.


    She had been cooking for the Gray family since she was only seventeen. But Dorothea was too drunk and depressed to appreciate her food, unlike Vernon and Vincent, who loved her homemade food so much.


    But she was happy nheless. At least Dorothea knew that Chloe could take care of her family.


    "Well, I''m in a better mood now thanks to your smoothie," Dorothea said. She put the smoothie on the table and continued, "Now, let''s talk about my n to distract Vincent."


    "Oh, yeah! Please tell me!" Chloe was excited about this news. She actually wanted to have a more active role in helping Vernon. Even though Vernon kept telling her that all she needed to do was to stay by his side, she still felt that she did nothing all this time while getting all the help from Vernon.


    She wanted them to work together. She wanted to fight for him just like how he fought for her.


    If she could make a good connection with Dorothea in the long term, Chloe believed that Dorothea would be lenient enough to tell all secrets that Vincent never told Chloe, and she could inform Vernon about it.


    Besides, Chloe always wanted to connect with Dorothea in a mother and daughter-inw rtionship. It''d be great if she could visit Mackie more often because Mackie was really close to her grandma.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In exchange, Dorothea would have peace of mind and find a family that''d ept her. So, it was a mutual rtionship between them.


    Though, it all depended on Vernon in the end¡­


    "I called the man who managed all the charity funding of the Gray familyst night. I told him there is a problem within thepany, so he has to hold the schrship for everyone for at least three months. We will keep the fund for now, and if the problem within thepany has been solved, he can send it all to the awardees."


    "But, what if that man asked Vincent about it?"


    "Oh, trust me, he won''t," Dorothea chuckled. "Vincent gives me full control over the charity, so I can do anything with it as long as it will give him a good name. The first two months, the awardees may think there''s just a slight dy for the schrship money, so none of them wouldn''t dare to protest."


    "But after three months, surely they will start protesting, maybe bringing it to social media," Dorothea said. "It''ll get people specting if something really happened within thepany, and many of the important shareholders might start asking Vincent about it."


    "Just like what I said before, I will use my mental health issue as an alibi of this blunder, and send the three months fund to the schrship awardees. I will be safe, so you don''t need to worry," Dorothea knew what was on Chloe''s mind, so she said it earlier before Chloe started worrying.


    "A¡ªAlright then, I trust you with that¡­" Chloe said. Honestly, she was always nervous whenever it involved messing with Vincent. She tried to mess with Vincent once by driving her car around New York City without any clear direction to wind up since living with Vincent was literal torture.


    But once she returned home, Vincent pulled her out of the car and dragged her by her hair into the master bedroom. He yelled and pped Chloe. Because she was uncontactable for two hours, baby Mackie cried loudly because she only wanted to be taken care of by her mother.


    "This will disturb him, and I''ll try to see if I can do more to disturb himter," Dorothea said. "I hope it''ll be enough help for my second son¡­."


    "I''m sure it''ll help him!" Chloe said with optimism.


    Dorothea chuckled, "You sound so excited. Do you really want to help him that much?"


    "Of course!" Chloe stated boldly. She had never been so bold in her life before, but when it came to Vernon, strength was drawn from inside her heart. She wanted to help him as he helped her. "I want to support him in any way I can."


    Dorothea chuckled again, ''I don''t think Vernon needs any help. He''s very skillful on his own. Besides, he''s a Gray man, I''m sure he''ll find his way to tackle his problem.''


    ''But I guess, Vernon would be happy that his beloved woman actually wants to help him. It''s a blessing to have a supportive spouse¡­'' Dorothea thought. "I bet he''ll be happy knowing that you''re trying to help him in his endeavor."

 Chapter 502 502

    "He has been so sticky to you since he was a kid. I guess he truly can sense a good heart," Dorothea said. "Unlike me."


    Chloe turned meek again as she kept being praised by Dorothea. She wasn''t used to getting any genuinepliments, so her feeling of pride and joy was a little weird.


    Dorothea sighed, "Wish I would''ve realized this sooner, so you don''t need to suffer with Vincent."


    "D¡ªDon''t me yourself, Dorothea. It''s a choice I made to marry him back then," Chloe said. "Anyway, I''m also wondering about one thing."


    "Hm? What is it?"


    "I wonder how did you discovered my rtionship with Vernon?" Chloe asked. "I''ve been wanting to ask that since yesterday actually, but your condition was so concerning, so I kept it to myself."


    "Do you really want to know?" Dorothea asked.


    "Is it information I''m not supposed to know?" Chloe asked back.


    "No, it''s fine. I can tell you," Dorothea said. "I''m just a bit nervous because this woman who told me about you and Vernon¡­ she is poisonous, and Vernon knows about her."


    Thatst sentence caught Chloe''s attention immediately. She knew that Vernon had a lot of flings outside before they reunited, but she never thought that Vernon would tell anyone about Chloe and Mackie.


    Either this woman was very special to her, or Vernon had a moment of blunder.


    "Please tell me," Chloe said while staring at Dorothea.


    Dorothea sighed, "She is my¡ª"


    Knock. Knock.


    Dorothea zipped her mouth instantly when she heard the knock on the door.


    Dorothea and Chloe simultaneously turned their necks towards the door and side-eyed each other.


    "Did you order something?" Chloe asked.


    "I don''t think so," Dorothea replied.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Room Service!"


    The voice of a young man from outside gave a massive relief to both Dorothea and Chloe.


    "Phew, I thought it''s Vernon," Chloe said. "If that''s really him, then we''re fucked, like absolutely fucked."


    Dorothea chuckled. It was good humor because it was true.


    If Vernon discovered that Dorothea was staying here,plete with Chloe, who had been visiting her behind his back, then both of them were absolutely screwed.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Room Service!"


    "Alright, let me tell him to go," Dorothea said. She tried to get up from the sofa, but Chloe quickly got up first.


    "Let me do it. I''ll just tell him that you don''t need room service," Chloe said.


    "Thank you."


    Dorothea sat back as Chloe walked to the door. She didn''t check through the peephole because she thought it wasn''t important since it was just room service.


    Click.


    Chloe unlocked the door and opened the door slightly. She peeked from the gap and said, "We don''t need¡ª"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe saw a scared young man, probably around neen years old, wearing the standard janitor uniform. He stood in front of the door, his body was trembling from head to toe, and his face was ghastly pale out of fear.


    Chloe soon noticed a man standing right behind the young man.


    He had a big frame, his palms were bloodied for some reason, and he wore an expensive work suit that had been disheveled.


    Since the man was tall, Chloe''s eyes followed his height until her eyes met his.


    The man smirked while staring at her as if she was a random roadkill at the side of the road.


    "What are you doing here, love?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe gasped. She tried to m the door shut, but Vernon used one hand to stop the door from closing. He chuckled and looked down at the janitor, "You can go now."


    "Y¡ªYES, SIR!" The young man quickly scurried out of the corridor because he believed there''d be a bloody scene soon, and nobody dared to stop Mr. Phoenix Gray from doing so.


    Chloe tried to push the door out of reflex. Vernon looked so terrifying that her first reaction was to flee and hide.


    There was no way he''d forgive her after this.


    "C¡ªChloe? What''s wrong?"


    Chloe looked over her shoulder while she tried holding the door with her shoulder. Dorothea was confused and about to approach Chloe to check, but Chloe shook her head frantically.


    She mouthed, ''HIDE'' without making a sound, and then ''VERNON'' to signal her who the man was.


    Dorothea''s eyes widened, and her feet felt weak instantly. She leaned on the wall to support herself. She wasn''t ready to face her second son because the timing was absolutely terrible, and there was bound to be a lot of misunderstanding after this.


    They got discovered, and this was the end of her.


    Fear started to take over Dorothea''s body, and she started hyperventting.


    Chloe also panicked and tried to instruct in a low voice, ''Hide! Hide!''


    "I heard that, honey," Vernon responded. His smirk grew wider as his heart kept on getting crushed every second.


    He kept trying to deny it repeatedly as he walked through the corridor. He wished it was just a big fat misunderstanding and he was just overthinking, because he still believed that Chloe wasn''t that kind of woman.


    Sadly, the truth was out.


    His beloved woman cheated on him, and there was no denying it.


    "Why are you trying to hide your guest? I want to have a talk, heheh¡­." Vernon taunted his desperate lover.


    He could push this door easily, no matter how hard Chloe tried to hold it. But he wanted to know to what extent Chloe wanted to protect that bastard.


    Chloe started getting desperate, so she yelled, "HIDE!"


    Chloe''s voice snapped Dorothea out of her daze. She was still panicking, but when she saw her daughter-inw trying her hardest to hold her second son, Dorothea''s instinct was to help Chloe shut the door.


    "HIDE!!" Chloe yelled again as she realized that Dorothea was about to help her.


    Dorothea was startled by Chloe shouting at her. She hesitated for a moment before rushing to the bedroom and locking it from inside.


    "Hmm? Is he hiding for real? Heh, what a useless bastard," Vernon mocked


    ''He?'' Chloe was confused for a second.


    Who was this ''he'' Vernon mentioned just now? Because for sure there was no man in here.


    "Since he''s hiding like a cornered rat, then I''ll treat him as such," Vernon said as he started pushing the door open.

 Chapter 503 503

    He pushed the door slowly, just enough so Chloe wouldn''t identally get hurt.


    Unfortunately, his slow push was too powerful for Chloe, who didn''t stand a chance against Vernon''s monstrous strength.


    "W--Wait, Vernon--STOP! Ah!" Chloe lost her footing and fell on her back.


    The door was opened, and Vernon stood right in front of her. He had a malicious grin, and his eyes were so dark and full of murderous intention.


    He looked down at Chloe, and his grin grew wider, "Are you alright, love?"


    ...


    Chloe was too shocked that her tongue became numb. For a split second, she didn''t see Vernon. What she saw was the big version of Vincent.


    A monster who could hurt anybody if he was pissed, and she thought Vernon would hurt her, just like Vincent did.


    "V--Vernon?" Chloe tried calling his name to ensure the man in front of her was Vernon, not Vincent.


    Vernon kneeled in front of her and stretched his bloodied hand. The images of Vincent beating her shed in her head, so Chloe flinched instinctively, thinking that Vernon wanted to beat her, but he patted her head lovingly instead.


    "It seems that you''re alright. Please stay put, okay? Don''t interrupt me while I kill that bastard."


    ...


    Vernon stared at her with his dting pupils, he looked crazed, but he still tried his best to tone down his wrath.


    Chloe noticed her own reflection inside Vernon''s dting ck pupil. It gave the impression that Vernon was absurdly obsessed with her and only with her.


    She wouldn''t lie that Vincent and Vernon looked alike. The only difference was the obsession radiated from Vernon and how Vernon directed all his rage towards someone else instead of her.


    Vernon gave Chloe a light kiss on her forehead before he got up and walked to the bedroom door that had been locked shut.


    Knock. Knock.


    It took a while for Chloe to recover from that shock. She turned her head towards Vernon and yelled, "V--Vernon, this is all a big misunderstanding!"


    Vernon paused for a second, then he tried to ignore Chloe.


    He continued knocking.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Come out now before I bash your skull open," Vernon said calmly, but it carried so much murderous rage that nobody in their right mind would open that damn door.


    Dorothea gasped before she covered her mouth with her hands. She took a few steps back from the door until her back hit the wall. Her legs trembled until she couldn''t support herself anymore, and she dropped to the floor.


    How Vernon threatened her reminded Dorothea of herte husband-- Vaughn Gray.


    ''Who am I kidding? Of course he reminds me so much of Vaughn. They all have the same blood flowing within, of course they have the same cruelty,'' Dorothea thought.


    Chloe panicked. She got up and rushed to Vernon.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She hugged his arm to stop him, "Vernon, stop this!"


    ...


    Vernon only quickly nced at Chloe before he knocked on the door again.


    Knock. Knock.


    "You think you can hide there forever? Do you want me to kick this door open? I''d be happy to snap your neck, hahaha!"


    "VERNON!" Chloe raised her voice. She tried her hardest to pull him away from the door, but it was to no avail. She was too weakpared to enraged Vernon.


    Vernon stoppedughing and looked down at Chloe with a re, "I have been so patient to you, love. Get off me and back off before I get angry."


    Chloe was stunned for a few seconds. Blood drained out of her body as she felt a bone chilling sensation of fear around her body


    Vernon was truly terrifying. He was bigger, scarier, and stronger than Vincent. One hit from him would definitely break her bone.


    But somehow, Chloe firmly believed that Vernon would NEVER hit her. No matter what she did, he would nevery his hand on her, and she was clinging to that belief right now.


    Chloe mustered her courage and pulled Vernon as hard as she could until Vernon actually budged a bit.


    Vernon was pissed because his beloved woman insisted on protecting this bastard.


    Did she not care about his feelings? If his chest was made of ss, Chloe would be able to see his bleeding heart right now.


    ''Do you really love this guy? After seven months of loving me, did you actually get bored of me and leave me for another man? Chloe, you''re cruel....''


    Vernon could only pour all his sadness inside his head. He didn''t want Chloe to see his weakness because that would be too humiliating for him.


    Thest thing he would do was cry and beg Chloe not to leave him. As much as he wanted to do that right now, he would never do it in the face of a cheater.


    "Let go, Chloe," Vernon said.


    "N--No! This is just a misunderstanding! Vernon, please sit down and listen to me first!"


    "I don''t need to," Vernon said curtly. "You''re cheating on me with a man Jonathan. After all I have done to give you a good life, but you--" Vernon stopped because he realized his voice was shaking as he was about to cry.


    He gritted his teeth and ignored Chloe, who was still hogging his arm. He raised his feet and kicked the door.


    BAM!


    Dorothea snapped out of her daze when she heard the loud kick at the door.


    The area around the door hinges was cracked and broken because of the powerful kick. Dorothea then heard Chloe begging Vernon to stop, followed by her telling him that it was all a misunderstanding.


    "There is nobody named Jonathan! Oh my god, Vernon! You''re going to scare someone to death!" Chloe was frantic as Vernon kept on kicking the door ruthlessly.


    "That''s good, so I don''t need to kill him with my own hands! That bastard dares to fuck my woman, but too scared to face me? HAH!" Vernon continued kicking the area around the hinges to vent out his rage.

 Chapter 504 504

    Dorothea soon realized that Vernon was in a huge misunderstanding because she told Jonathan-- her driver, to book the room under his name.


    Dorothea used her driver''s identity because she was afraid that Vernon would find out about her immediately and kick her out, giving her no chance to speak with Chloe.


    Who would''ve expected that small thing to lead to this big fight?


    ''Vernon still finds out about me in the end. I can only stay here for two days...'' Dorotheamented. She knew with this kind of misunderstanding, there was no way Vernon would try to tolerate her.


    Dorothea kept hearing Chloe begging Vernon not to kick the door and to calm down. In contrast, Vernon kept yelling at her to let go so he could use his full strength to break the door open.


    Dorothea saw the door could not hold Vernon''s rage much longer. It''d definitely break after a few more kicks.


    ''There is no way for me to avoid him. The moment he destroys that door, he will see me, and I... I have no intention of hiding as well.''


    Dorothea closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then walked to the drawer near the window to grab her purse and wear her heels.


    She had decided upon one thing, and she was certain.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    ''I''d rather let him see me as an awful mother forever, so I could prove Chloe''s innocence,'' Dorothea thought. ''Chloe is a good woman. I don''t want Vernon to lose such a precious woman just because of a misunderstanding I created.''


    BAM! BAM!


    ''Chloe, thank you for being so kind to me for the past two days. It might be short, but at least I know that someone still cares for an old woman like me.''


    BAM!


    ''You''re truly a gem for the Gray family. I''m sorry that everyone in my family mistreated you, including me....''


    BAM!!!


    Vernon had sessfully kicked the door until the hinges were broken, and the door fell to the floor with a loud thump.


    Vernon clenched his fists, ready to bash that rat bastard''s head open, and he wouldn''t be satisfied until that bastard was dead!


    But the person standing in front of him was not a man.


    It was an old woman. She looked haggard, with unkempt hair, a lot older than she usually looked, and wearing the pajamas prepared by the staff for the guest.


    However, she still maintained that air of arrogance in front of Vernon.


    She was Dorothea Gray, Vernon''s mother, the vilest woman in the world, and the woman he despised the most in his life.


    Vernon was so confused with his mother''s presence that he just stood there speechlessly.


    Dorothea stared at enraged Vernon and rolled her eyes sarcastically, "You look like an ape, Vernon. Why can''t you act civilly?"


    "D--Dorothea, s--stop talking!" Chloe didn''t know why Dorothea suddenly returned to her old, condescending self that always mocked Vernon whenever they met.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Obviously, she really wanted to connect with her second son!


    Chloe could 100% vouch that Dorothea was eager to be part of their small family a few moments ago!


    Dorothea shifted her eyes at Chloe and scoffed, "I don''t understand how could you stay with an ape like him. He doesn''t act like a human, he''s like an animal," Dorothea shrugged, "Oh well, I guess that''s just how it is, a trash woman for a trash man. You two suit each other so well."


    "Dorothea!" Chloe panicked. She thought Dorothea would try to pacify Vernon so they could talk. "V--Vernon, Dorothea is just not in her right mind. She really wants to make amends with you! In fact, she wants to help us!"


    "Really? Did I ever say so?" Dorothea grinned maliciously. "You''re so gullible, Chloe. No wonder Vincent cheated on you."


    "Dorothea..." Chloe was shocked by Dorothea''s harsh words. She had never said those words before.


    Was she being tricked? Or was Dorothea trying to do something here?


    Chloe pondered for a moment, but she was startled by Vernon''s thundering voice.


    "ENOUGH!" Vernon''s voice filled the room with intensity. He stared at Dorothea as if he was about to rip her in half. But Dorothea didn''t seem to care at all.


    "What did you do to my woman?" Vernon asked. But it was obvious that he was not open for any kind of light banter right now.


    "Hmm, just found out that Chloe is hiding with you right now, so I came here to check," Dorothea exined. "I know that you''re going to kick me out if I book the room under my name, so I used my driver''s id. He''s that Jonathan."


    Dorothea gave Chloe a mocking, condescending gaze, "Who would''ve expected that woman to be so gullible. With just a few fake tears, she melted and told me almost everything. Boo hoo."


    "N--No, that''s not-- Vernon, she is lying!" Chloe said. "She''s trying to make you hate her! She has a lot of trauma and--"


    "SHUT UP! I''VE HAD ENOUGH WITH YOUR STUPIDITY, CHLOE!" Vernon yelled, and Chloe staggered. She slowly released Vernon''s arm and took a few steps back.


    Vernon felt guilty instantly. He knew that she shouldn''t have yelled at Chloe and shouldn''t have called her stupid.


    She was a kind woman, but kindness was a double-edged sword, often taken advantage of by a maniptive person like Dorothea.


    Besides, this was not the time to apologize. Vernon had to kick that dying bitch out of his apartment first!


    He darted his eyes back at Dorothea and roared, "YOU-- DYING BITCH, GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT!"


    Chloe flinched, but Dorothea sighed, "It''s a pity that I can''t use that stupid woman to ruin you, but oh well, I''ve had my fun."


    Dorothea''s high heels tapped on the floor as she walked past Vernon and Chloe.


    Chloe still believed that Dorothea must''ve been doing this so Vernon would hate her. She didn''t know why, though...


    "D--Dorothea--"


    Dorothea halted her step when she heard Chloe calling her name. She looked over her shoulder and gave Chloe and Vernon a mysterious smirk, "Don''t worry. I won''t tell Vincent about this. I despise all of my sons equally now. Wish both of you were never born."

 Chapter 505 505

    Vernon clenched his fist.


    To say that he was angry was an understatement, right now. He truly wanted to rip that old woman in half! The hatred in his heart that had been umted since he was a child almost burst out, and he almost lunged at her.


    "I don''t care if you will tell him or not. In his eyes, you''re the crazy one, and I can always kill youter, you old hag," Vernon said, then he mocked her; "Heh, why do I need to kill you anyway? You''re just a dying bitch that nobody likes. You''ll die alone, and Vincent will probably toss your body to the trash bin. That''s where you''re supposed to be!"


    There was a trace of sadness in Dorothea''s eyes, but she quickly turned her head straight and walked to the front door. She didn''t want to look back anymore because if she did so, they would see her tears.


    Dorothea walked out of the main door, leaving Chloe and Vernon alone in the apartment room.


    Chloe had been chewing her lower lip for a while. She was trying to find a solution to this because she refused to believe that Dorothea was evil.


    Chloe might not be the smartest or the most scheming person in the room like Vernon, but she had her heart.


    And her heart told her that Dorothea was not evil. She probably did this so there would be no further fight between the three.


    Chloe nced at Vernon, who had been staring at the main door with his hawk-like gaze. There was a deep hatred in his eyes, which greatly saddened Chloe.


    Because for a few seconds, she thought she could persuade Vernon to stop Dorothea from leaving.


    "Stop thinking about it, Chloe," Vernon said coldly as his eyes were still staring straight. "I know that you want to stop her from leaving. But you should know that she''s an old bitch. She''s the worst woman I''ve ever met, and nothing will ever change that."


    Chloe shook her head. She opened her mouth, wanting to argue with Vernon.


    But she thought that it was useless to do that now.


    What she needed to do right now was to stop Dorothea from leaving.


    Thus, Chloe dashed to the main door, trying to chase Dorothea.


    "CHLOE!" Vernon rushed to catch her.


    "Dorothea! Dorothea, stop!" Chloe exited the apartment room and saw Dorothea sauntering, heading to the elevator at the end of the corridor.


    Dorothea flinched for a moment. She instinctively looked over her shoulder and saw Chloe trying to catch up.


    She halted her step, wanting to turn around and tell Chloe to stop her futile effort to reconcile Vernon''s rtionship with her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Because it was no use. Dorothea and Vernon''s reconciliation would never happen, she was an unwanted old woman, and her sons would be d to see her dead.


    It was a cold, harsh truth that she had to ept. It was her punishment for being such a shitty mother to both of them, especially Vernon.


    However, before she could turn around, she saw Vernon rushing out of the apartment room and catching Chloe''s wrist, stopping Chloe from running toward Dorothea. Knowing that Vernon would not allow her to get close to her daughter-inw, Dorothea continued with the act and walked steadfastly toward the elevator.


    "Dorothea!" Chloe tried to run towards her, but Vernon caught her wrist tightly, giving her no chance to reach Dorothea. "Ugh, let go!"


    "STOP THIS, CHLOE!" Vernon''s thundering voice echoed around the corridor. He red at Chloe as his patience was seriously wearing thin right now.


    He wanted to be patient and loving to his woman. After all, this was just a misunderstanding, and Chloe was being used by that maniptive old bitch.


    But Chloe''s insistence was seriously going to make him explode at some point;


    "Do you really want to go with that old bitch? Fine, you can choose," Vernon said. "You can either chase that hag, but that means you will never meet me again after this, or you can stay with me, and you must forget that old hag. She''s just manipting you!"


    Chloe was shocked by Vernon''s threat. Of course, she couldn''t choose between them, because she believed they were supposed to be a family! How could he let her choose between two people she thought were already part of their small family?


    Meanwhile, Vernon kept staring at Chloe with a deep gaze. He confidently gave that option, but his heart was full of doubts.


    He was scared that Chloe might want to leave him and go with Dorothea instead. After all, he wasn''t exactly the ideal man that she''d want in her life.


    Thus, Vernon subconsciously tightened his grip around Chloe''s wrist, silently pleading for Chloe to stay with him.


    Chloe turned her neck to look at Dorothea and Vernon simultaneously. She gave Vernon pleading eyes since she didn''t want to choose, but Vernon was firm with his decision.


    He would never allow his beloved woman to meet with that old bitch again, or else that hag would try to use Chloe''s kindness to do her bidding again.


    Dorothea scoffed as she continued sauntering, "Hah, why would you give her those stupid options? She''s a confused dumb woman. Of course she can''t choose," Dorothea mocked. "Go keep her. I don''t want her anyway. All she talks about is how kind you are. How happy she is staying with you. How gentle you''re towards Mackie and her. How much she loves you and wants to be your wife. ... It''s so disgusting. I can''t believe you fall in love with a lowlife woman like her."


    "Dorothea..." Chloe muttered her name weakly. Vernon might not notice this, but Dorothea''s words just now were a clear signal, telling Chloe not to leave Vernon''s side.


    Dorothea pressed the elevator button, and it opened in an instant. She entered the elevator and said, "This is thest time we will meet, Vernon. Remember that I will always hate you, you''re forever an unwanted child."


    And the elevator door finally closed.

 Chapter 506 506

    Dorothea waited until the elevator door closed before she dropped onto the floor.


    "That''s it..." she muttered. "I''ve lost my only chance to have a family. I''m just a bitter old woman that nobody wants, and I cannot change that anymore."


    Dorothea knew this was her punishment, but she still couldn''t help to weep over the spilled milk.


    She wished she could turn back the time and treat her sons right, especially Vernon. She hurt that boy to the point that his hatred flowed in his blood.


    She wanted to me Vaughn for making her like this, but she couldn''t.


    Because it was her fault that she used Vernon as a scapegoat for all her hatred for her bastardte husband.


    "If only I could be a bigger person like Chloe, none of this would happen...." Dorothea felt her heartache keep getting more excruciating with each passing second. Her tears dropped on the elevator floor.


    She wiped her tears. Though she was feeling a little faint right now, she would never pass out here, or her second son would hate her more and brand her as an attention-seeking, maniptive, dying bitch for passing out in his elevator. She had enough derogatory nicknames already.


    Ding!


    Dorothea got up and stood straight as she exited the elevator. She walked to the receptionist named Anna, whose face was so pale and acted nervously. Vernon probably yelled at everyone before he came up to the eleventh floor, and this receptionist was one of the victim of his wrath.


    Dorothea stood in front of the receptionist counter and looked down at Anna. They stared at each other for a while until Dorothea raised her brow arrogantly, "Why are you standing like an idiot? Call a taxi for me."


    ***


    Chloe and Vernon stared at the elevator descending to the ground floor in silence, but their expression differed.


    Chloe had a defeated face, full of grief and disappointment.


    While Vernon had a face full of satisfaction. He was satisfied that the old bitch was finally out of Chloe''s life.


    Now he had to take extra measures, so this kind of thing wouldn''t happen again.


    ''Maybe I have to limit her phone as well, making sure she wouldn''t contact anyone that''s not good for us,'' Vernon considered.


    He knew he might sound like a controlling bastard-- or maybe he was right now.


    But to him, Chloe and Mackie''s safety was his priority. He didn''t want them to get hurt, and he had to protect them from any possible harm.


    Vernon bowed his head to look at Chloe, who was still staring emptily at the elevator. His gaze darkened for a second before pulling her wrist as he headed to the VIP elevator, "Let''s go. We need to go up to the penthouse. Mackie is waiting."


    Chloe resisted for a second, and Vernon noticed it.


    Vernon stopped on his track. He turned around and frowned, "What now?" he stared at Chloe, who stared back at him. There wasn''t much emotion on her face except for sadness, and that was normal. She''d move on from this problem eventually.


    "You don''t need to hold my hand," Chloe said as she tried to pull her hand.


    Vernon''s brows creased even deeper, "What''s wrong with me holding your hand? Are you still upset because of what just happened?"


    ...<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon sighed, "Look, I am not in the mood to coax you right now. I''m d you''re not cheating on me because if you did, I would--" Vernon paused and decided not to continue that topic because he''d sound like a total psycho.


    He had to admit his head was messed up, but it was because this whole thing turned him into a madman, just the thought of Chloe being embraced with another man was enough to drive him insane.


    "Anyway, I will forgive you for this," Vernon said. "It''s not your fault that you''re being manipted. That dying bitch has the skill to ruin people''s lives."


    "Don''t call him a dying bitch...." Chloe murmured. "She''s not that mean...."


    ...


    "Dorothea truly wants to help us. She wants to disturb Vincent''s charity works, because she''s the one that has full control over it. As long as she can disturb Vincent just a little bit, that''d be beneficial for you, right?"


    "That''s just her trick! She wants you to believe her, but she will never do that!" Vernon''s voice started rising. "Damn it, Chloe, wake up! She''s not a good person!"


    "... You''re filled with hatred, Vernon...." Chloe said.


    Vernon gritted his teeth and yanked Chloe''s hand instead. Chloe winced in pain as she tried to match Vernon''s long steps to the VIP elevator.


    Vernon yanked Chloe inside the elevator, pulling her like a rag doll as they went up to the penthouse.


    Meanwhile, Chloe tried her best not to whimper or beg him to release her hand to show that she wasn''t going to back down.


    Chloe knew Vernon hated his mother so much, and he was justified to do so.


    She thought she couldpletely side with Vernon once he found out about Dorothea''s presence.


    But the way Vernon treated his mother so harshly and how he refused to take a second opinion from Chloe made her realize how stubborn Vernon could be.


    Now, she started wondering if Vernon was truly a good man she fell in love with, or was he just the second Vincent?


    Because Vincent was also gentle to her at first but turned violent once they married.


    Vernon unlocked the penthouse door and was greeted by Mackie, "Wee back Mommy--" Mackie''s jaw dropped when she saw her Mommye home with Uncle, and both of them were not smiling at her.


    "Ah, um, wee back, Uncle," Mackie greeted awkwardly.


    "Hm, go back to your room, Mackie. I want to speak with your Mom," Vernon said straight to the point. His mood wasn''t the best right now, even a seven-year-old noticed that easily.


    Mackie looked at her Mommy, wondering if her Mommy would be alright.


    Chloe sighed and nodded, "Go to your room, dear. Mommy wants to talk with Uncle for now. Don''t worry about me."


    "Um... are you sure, Mommy?"


    "Yes," Chloe nced at Vernon with a bitter look. "Mommy will be alright."

 Chapter 507 507

    "Um¡­ okay then¡­" Mackie was a little lost now. She wanted to protect her Mommy from all harm. But Mommy said she''d be alright, and she seemed to be sure about it.


    Besides, she was staying with Uncle, and Mackie believed that Uncle would never hurt Mommy, unlike Daddy¡­


    Thus, the little girl decided to just believe in her Uncle and went downstairs to y with her toys again to pass the time.


    Vernon''s eyes followed Mackie until he was assured that Mackie was downstairs and wouldn''t hear the shit that was about to go down between them.


    Vernon pulled Chloe to enter his bedroom and forced Chloe to sit on the bed as he closed the door behind him. He flipped the switch so the bedroom was brightly lit.


    Vernon leaned on the door, crossing his arms in front of his chest, while Chloe sat at the edge of the bed.


    They stared at each other, but none of them wanted to speak. The mood was just too terrible right now.


    Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. He didn''t know that Chloe could be upset like this. He was so used to the ever-tolerant and meek Chloe that this came out as a surprise, and not a good one.


    "How long will you keep getting upset about this?" Vernon finally opened his mouth. "You know, I should be the one who''s upset right now. Even if you''re not cheating, you''re still talking to my enemy behind my back!"


    "¡­ Dorothea is not our enemy, Vernon," Chloe said. Her voice was calm, and there was no trace of fear in her. She stared at Vernon with unwavering faith.


    "I don''t know what''s going on inside your thick skull," Vernon''s gaze peered at his beloved. "Didn''t I tell you that she''s abusive towards me as well? She beat me when I was a kid. She hit me with her beer bottle plenty of times, and shoved and kicked me as well. She has never been a good mother¡ª heck, other than giving birth to me, she has done nothing else!"


    "Chloe, you know how I feel, right? You''ve experienced the same thing after marrying that bastard, and I want nothing but to destroy his life so I can protect you! Why can''t you do the same for me?" Vernon asked. "I don''t need you to destroy Dorothea, but I want you to at least stop talking to her!"


    "Why do you need to be the one who sacrificed everything for you? Why can''t you do the same for me!?"


    ¡­


    Vernon thought that Chloe''s silence was a sign of defeat. She''d eventually turn meek and stop arguing with him, which would be great. Because he truly had no more energy to be patient with Chloe right now.


    However, Chloe kept on staring at him. She looked calm as if Vernon''s intimidation didn''t work on her at all.


    She suddenly stood up and walked towards Vernon.


    Vernon frowned but said nothing as Chloe stood in front of him. She looked up, and her sweet doe eyes were filled with determination.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I certainly acknowledge all the abuse that Dorothea did to you when you were a kid," Chloe said. "And I will not defend her for that. She did wrong, so wrong in fact, that it''s justified for you to hate her forever."


    "Then, if you''ve acknowledged her shitty behavior, why would you still want to defend her? You''re not making sense, Chloe!" Vernon yelled. "Do you even care about me?!"


    "Oh, I care about you," Chloe said. "So much so that I''m willing to sacrifice myself back to Vincent as long as you''re safe, in case you fail to destroy him."


    "But you should know that I''m also a mother, and I''m defending Dorothea not for her shitty actions. I''m defending her for you," Chloe said firmly.


    Vernon''s heartbeat skipped for a second. He didn''t understand why, but Chloe''s words made him somewhat unsure.


    "Dorothea is a shitty woman, I know that, and she deserves all the pain in the world. She deserves your hatred, I know that as well," Chloe said. "But I want to give you peace of mind, Vernon. You may think that kicking Dorothea out of your life forever will give you a peace of mind, but I know that deep down, you will never feel satisfied until your problem with Dorothea has been solved."


    "Yeah, I won''t be happy until I can kill that dying bitch for ruining my childhood!"


    "¡­ Does revenge satisfy you?" Chloe asked. "If I''ve ever done something wrong to you, will you ruin my life so you''ll be satisfied?"


    Vernon''s body stiffened instantly. He gulped as he stared at Chloe. He got nervous and tried to dodge Chloe''s piercing eyes subconsciously.


    "I never have that kind of idea about you," Vernon said. "Believe me, Chloe. I never have any kind of bad thoughts about you."


    Of course, he was lying. He took her in initially to ruin her life, just like how she ruined his. He wanted to humiliate her just like how he felt humiliated and discarded.


    However, his idea changed once he realized that Chloe was a victim and suffered more abuse than most people could bear and that he still had feelings for her.


    His heart loved Chloe more than it hated her.


    "Oh, I believe in you," Chloe nodded. "That''s why I also believe that you''re capable of forgiveness¡ª or at least tolerance."


    "I know that she hurt you badly, and I will never justify what she did," Chloe said. "But I want you to try, just for this one person. Try to tolerate her presence and see what will happen next. I want to give you a peace of mind. I want you to know there is something else to look for other than revenge."


    ¡­


    "Dorothea is already suffering from the constant guilt. You don''t even need to kill her, she''ll die out of heartbreak and depression sooner orter," Chloe added. "I don''t know if I''m qualified to say this, Vernon, but I¡­ I don''t want you to be filled with hatred. Vernon, you are a man with heart, you can forgive."

 Chapter 508 508

    Chloe''s words pierced straight into his conscience.


    His heart was beating abnormally, and he started having cold sweat under his suit.


    He didn''t know why, but Chloe''s words made him weak. He should be angry at her. In fact, he should be able to yell at her for being so thick-headed!


    But Chloe''s surprising determination was like a kryptonite to him. She still had her sweet doe eyes, still with the beautiful face and tender lips that he really loved to nibble.


    But her stance, gait, and wordsing out of her mouth were different.


    Chloe was so bold that she didn''t even back down, no matter how much Vernon tried to intimidate her, and the power dynamic started to shift between them.


    Realizing he was losing this argument, Vernon gritted his teeth and vehemently shook his head, "If I forgive everyone in my life, then they will stomp on me! You don''t understand how I feel, Chloe. I live in a world without my family''s help, so I have to climb my way up with my own ability, and it''s not a road filled with flowers and shit!"


    "Don''t you understand that your kindness can be used by everyone? That''s your weakness and Vincent used it against you!"


    Vernon started raising his voice again, thinking Chloe would eventually stop this argumentpletely. The power dynamic shift between them made him feel ufortable as if he was about to be dominated by his woman.


    ...


    Chloe stayed silent for a moment. She kept her steady gaze on Vernon, who kept dodging her eyes nervously.


    Vernon''s words actually hit her nerve, but she didn''t want to turn this argument into a fight. She was exhausted.


    "Yes, I don''t know how you feel, Vernon," Chloe said. "To be a multi millionaire entrepreneur at such a young age-- that must''ve required a lot of sacrifice and struggle that I''ll never experience in my life. I will never deny your sess."


    "But you also know nothing about my suffering. It''s not my kindness that forced me to stay with Vincent. It''s a lot moreplicated than that. So better not judge each other, because we have different struggles."


    ''Damn it!'' Vernon cursed in his heart. He was frustrated because somehow Chloe always got a way to counter his words. He had to admit defeat at this point.


    "You keep saying that Dorothea is trying to apologize to me. You also said that she is trying to help us by messing up with Vincent''s charity works," Vernon scoffed. "Those are just tricks to fool you! She loves her first son so much, she''d probably kill herself if Vincent told her to do so. She is ying with death if she dares to disturb Vincent''s public image."


    "What if we suddenly get the news that Dorothea actually does her job and prevents the schrship awardees from getting their monthly allowance from the Gray foundation starting from next month?" Chloe asked. "Will you finally believe that Dorothea is trying to make peace with you?"


    Vernon''s brows creased, "What are you implying here? Do you really think that she will do that stupid thing? She is betting her life if she did that."


    "Yes, she will do it," Chloe said. "I believe she will."


    Vernon scoffed again. He puffed his chest as he saw that as a challenge, "Alright, if that''s the only way to get through your thick skull. I naturally have ears around the Gray family. If I got the news that Dorothea actually stops all the schrship funds, even just for one month, then I will yield."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "If I win, you can do whatever with Dorothea. You can even bring her here, though I will probably move to another apartment. Just thinking about her grosses me out."


    "If I lose?" Chloe asked.


    "You will never see her again, and you''re not allowed to have any contact with anyone except me, Mackie, Diamond, and a select few people I trust. This is the deal if you want to bet, Chloe," Vernon said.


    He knew the deal was unfair to Chloe. If she lost, she''d be trapped, and Vernon would control her life forever. But it was more of a threat, and he hoped Chloe understood the danger she was about to cross.


    If she was smart enough, she would reject it and withdraw immediately. That''d be the end of this stupid argument between them.


    Since there was no way that old bitch would be willing to destroy her life just to disrupt Vincent''s public image, it was a guaranteed defeat for Chloe.


    "Deal," Chloe said without hesitation.


    Vernon''s eyes widened, "You-- Do you know what you''re getting into?!"


    "Naturally," Chloe nodded. "I will take it because I want to prove my point. Dorothea has changed, and she''s trying her best to get your forgiveness--"


    "--And I will never forgive her!" Vernon interrupted.


    Chloe paused for a moment, "It doesn''t matter if you want to forgive her or not. As long as I win, you''re not allowed to stop me from sitting you two at a table to have a talk."


    "And it doesn''t matter if you will reject me or not. If you lose, your life will be in my hands. Do you not see the risk?"


    "I know, and I''m still firm in my belief," Chloe stated.


    Vernon gritted his teeth.


    Chloe wouldn''t back down, no matter how many times he tried to intimidate and stop Chloe from arguing with him, "You''re unbelievable. Fine then, give me your phone. I want to make sure that you won''t contact her until next month!"


    "It''s on the kitchen counter. You can keep it until next month," Chloe said boldly. "Just keep it safe. There are... few photos that I treasure."


    "Tch," Vernon turned around and opened the door. He strode to the kitchen and grabbed Chloe''s phone before returning to his room.


    Vernon waved Chloe''s phone in front of her face, "Are you sure about this? You can back down now before it''s toote."


    "I know that I am right," Chloe stated. "Just keep that phone, and hide it somewhere that I cannot touch so I won''t be able to contact Dorothea. I know that I''ll win this bet, and you''ll have to meet her again."

 Chapter 509 509

    "Fine, Deal! Don''t you regret this, Chloe!" Vernon threatened. "You will lose your freedom! I will make sure you won''t speak with anyone except me and our small family! I won''t allow you to go out unless youe with me!"


    "Alright. Mhm. Understand," Chloe reacted with plenty of nods and agreement.


    Vernon might be the one who threatened Chloe, but he was the one who felt defeated in this argument. He pocketed Chloe''s phone to make sure that she wouldn''t be able to contact Dorothea after this, not until their bet had a result.


    Though, the result was already obvious.


    "I don''t understand," Vernon murmured. "Why do you insist on me forgiving Dorothea so much? You know what she did to me, right?"


    "I know, and though I wish you could forgive her, all I want from this bet is to sit you with her together at a table. I want you two to have a heart-to-heart talk as mother and son."


    "And you think I will forgive her just because you sat us together? What do you take me for? A five year old in a kindergarten?"


    "... At least you should listen to what she''s about to say...." Chloe implored. "It won''t hurt for you to listen, right?"


    "No, you''re hurting me right now, because you''re forcing me to do something that I don''t want to," Vernon said. "You''re trying to make me forgive my abuser."


    "At least learn to tolerate her presence. You don''t need to forgive her if you don''t want to," Chloe said. "It''s for Mackie too. She is close with her granny."


    "... Tsk," Vernon clicked his tongue. "You''re so cruel to me. Do you even care about my feelings?"


    Chloe finally lowered her head after hearing thatst sentence. She felt guilty, but she wished that Vernon and Dorothea could talk before he decided whether he wanted to kick Dorothea out of their life permanently or tolerate her presence-- sometimes.


    "And what''s with this tough charade you''re putting in front of me just now?" Vernon asked. "Are you that passionate to defend Dorothea? Why don''t you do the same to defend me instead?"


    Unable to stay silent, Chloe finally lifted her head and stared at Vernon with her usual sweet doe eyes, "I told you already. I do this for you, not for her." Chloe''s voice finally softened. She had returned to her usual gentle and meek woman that Vernon was familiar with.


    "For me? Heh, sure," Vernon said sarcastically. He had a mocking grin as he continued, "What''s next? You''re going to cheat on me because you care about me? You don''t make sense."


    "Vernon..." Chloe was about to argue again. But she realized there was no point in arguing for now. All she could do was wait, and Vernon would naturally listen to her once the truth was out.


    "I don''t have energy arguing with you anymore," Chloe said. "I just hope that you will eventually understand my choice."


    Chloe tried to pass Vernon, but the door was barricaded by his big body, giving her no way out.


    "We''re not done talking," Vernon said curtly. "I haven''t given you permission to leave."


    "What more do you want to talk about? You''re not going to listen to any of my words anyway," Chloe said. "It''s better for us to be separated for a while, at least until next month after we see the result of this bet. Should I leave to find a hotel somewhere? I will bring Mackie with me-- AH!"


    Chloe''s words were interrupted when Vernon suddenly gripped her right arm tightly. He was already repressing his anger, but again, Chloe ignited his rage over and over, no matter how many times he tried not to be rough on her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    At this point, he felt he was being taunted by his beloved woman.


    "You''re not going anywhere," Vernon said. His words felt like a demand. "I won''t let you leave me. You''ll find Dorothea again if I let you out, and you''ll use the chance to cheat on me."


    "Stop with the cheating already!" Chloe raised her voice as she grew frustrated. "Why do you use me of cheating so much?!"


    "Because you can hide things behind my back, so you can also cheat on me!"


    "That''s different! I can''t simply tell about Dorothea to you, because you''re going to kick her out!"


    "Then you''re still hiding things! We''re not supposed to hide things from each other!" Vernon insisted. The more they spent time together, the more heated their arguments got.


    Chloe had had enough of Vernon''s nonsense at this point. She tried her best to argue civilly, but Vernon kept yelling at her.


    So she wanted to end this heated argument for good before it escted into something even worse. She endured the pain in her right arm and grabbed Vernon''s tie.


    "What are you-- wha!"


    Chloe suddenly yanked Vernon until he lowered her shoulder, and their faces were at the same level.


    She gave him a deep kiss, so much so that she started using her tongue to pry around Vernon''s mouth.


    Vernon struggled at first, he tried to pull himself away, but Chloe clutched his tie. If he used more force, he might identally hurt Chloe. So he had to yield.


    Eventually, he started to drown under the pleasure of being kissed by his beloved woman.


    "Chloe..." Vernon murmured her woman''s name amidst their passionate tongue-on-tongue kiss. Vernon closed his eyes and eventually loosened his grip on Chloe''s arm.


    His hands went down instead, wrapping them around Chloe''s waist, and pulled her closer for a deeper kiss.


    Vernon''s mind started getting hazy. He realized that he couldn''t get angry at Chloe right now. But he didn''t regret it. This kiss was worth the pain.


    Because it was Chloe who kissed him first, it was proof that it wasn''t one-sided.


    His love for her wasn''t one-sided, and that assurance was what he needed the most right now.


    Vernon was enjoying the kiss when Chloe suddenly stopped and separated herself.


    "Wha? Uh... Chloe?"

 Chapter 510 510

    She saw that Vernon was still confused and took the opportunity to shove him to the side until he lost his footing and fell.


    "Ouch!"


    Vernonnded on his butt. He looked up and saw Chloe standing in front of her with a reddish hue around her cheek.


    "That''s my answer for you, Vernon," Chloe said. "I''m not gonna cheat on you. I love you more than you know."


    Vernon was amazed by how bold, and domineering Chloe could be. She never showed this tough self of her before and probably never showed it in front of anyone except him.


    And that made him feel... special.


    Also, the fact that she said love so lightly as if she had loved her far longer than he thought and his love had been reciprocated long ago.


    Ba-dump.


    Vernon felt his heart racing. He swallowed his saliva hard and kept staring at Chloe without blinking. He thought he''d hate it if Chloe lost her meek and gentle demeanor.


    But even now, when she had shown the other side of her, Vernon felt that he fell in love even harder than before.


    So he discovered that...


    ''Is this how it feels to be so hopelessly in love?'' Vernon wondered. ''How is she able to finish our argument with only one kiss, and I yield almost instantly? Damn, isn''t that a little unfair?''


    "It''s fine if you don''t want me to move out, I will just stay downstairs with Mackie. You don''t need to worry about us," Chloe said before she opened the door and left.


    "W--Wait! Chloe--!"


    SLAM!


    Vernon''s words were hanging as he stared at the door. He still had a lot to say to Chloe, mostly asking if she was also down to make out after an argument-induced kiss.


    "... I could ask that, or maybe I should''ve asked if I get another kiss if we make up...."


    Vernon sighed defeatedly, "Oh well, guess this is my life now."


    **


    Chloe strode to the kitchen in silence. She slowed down once she was about to go downstairs.


    She had to calm the chaos in her heart before she faced her daughter.


    Chloe could feel that her face was so hot right now, and it must be red like a cherry.


    "God, I can''t believe what I did just now...." Chloe murmured. She never had that kind of urge to dominate Vernon. Heck, she never had the desire to dominate anyone in her life.


    She was always a modest, shy woman and wouldn''t say a thing as long as it saved her from a beating or two.


    But when she saw how crazed Vernon got and didn''t even want to listen to her, Chloe realized that she had to profess her love even in the most bold way she could think of.


    "W--Well, at least now he won''t question my loyalty to him anymore...." Chloe said. "Did he enjoy the kiss, though? I think he did. He looked like he was on cloud nine just now...."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ah, why do I think about stuff like that? It''s weird...." Chloe shook her head. She took a deep breath, trying to regte her breath and calm down her heart. Then she went downstairs to check on her daughter.


    Mackie was ying with her dolls on the sofa. She tried to busy herself to distract her mind, or else she''d go upstairs to check on Mommy.


    Despite her worry, she kept telling herself to believe in Uncle. Because Uncle would never hurt Mommy, no matter what!


    Chloe went downstairs and smiled at her daughter, who surrounded herself with many dolls. She was relieved that Mackie didn''t seem to be heavily affected by her fight with Vernon.


    But before she could say a thing, Mackie asked her a difficult question, "Mommy, did you have a fight with Uncle?"


    "Ah-- w--well, it''s not that big of a deal, dear," Chloe replied.


    ...


    "Mommy, please don''t lie to me. Uncle and Mommy came in before, and you two didn''t smile at me," Mackie said calmly while ying with her dolls.


    ...


    Chloe was thinking for a while. Usually, when they were still living together with Vincent, Chloe would lie to her daughter.


    She didn''t want to show the ugly part of her marriage with Vincent, so she always lied and said that Mommy and Daddy were just talking about important stuff together.


    Thankfully, Vincent happened to be the master of faking his kindness.


    He would act so kind and gentle in front of Mackie and lie to her, saying he would never hurt Chloe. So Mackie had no reason not to believe it when both of her parents said the same thing.


    But Vernon wasn''t as proficient as Vincent at pretending and faking his mood.


    He was an open book. It wasn''t hard to spot whether Vernon was pissed, angry, sad, happy, or even when he was judging someone silently.


    Besides, Vernon''s temper was far too explosive to be able to handle a fight with grace, so even a little girl like Mackie could read his mood.


    "Dear, in a rtionship between two people, it is normal for us to have a fight," Chloe said, trying to ensure that Mackie didn''t feel too stressed after witnessing an argument. "It''s normal, and sometimes it can''t be helped."


    "But Uncle didn''t beat you, right, Mommy?"


    "Ah-- he never beat me...."


    "Un, then it''s alright!" Mackie nodded. "I had a fight with my friends before. But we never hit each other and apologizedter! Um... well, except Jaden and Mia. They''re mean to me! They like to hit me just like how Daddy beat you! Hmph!"


    Chloe went silent instantly. Whenever Mackie brought up the topic of Vincent, she got a conflicting feeling in her heart.


    Should she say yes, and tell Mackie that her Daddy did far worse than just ''beating'' her Mommy?


    Or should she just lie and defend Vincent again?


    ''I don''t think I can defend him anymore, after what he did to me in the Principal''s office before,'' Chloe thought. ''And Mackie witnessed his deed with her own eyes, it was basically impossible to defend him at this point.''

 Chapter 511 511

    Thus, Chloe decided to just stay silent and let her daughter form an opinion of her own about her Daddy. She didn''t want to be the instigator that started Mackie''s hatred of her father, but she also didn''t want to be a stupid martyr that had to cover up for Vincent''s shitty behavior any more.


    "Did Uncle and Mommy make up already?" Mackie asked. "Don''t get angry for too long, Mommy. I usually say sorry after an hour!"


    ''If only it''s that easy,'' Chloe thought. She smiled at her daughter and patted her head, "I know. Don''t worry, we already say sorry to each other. We make up quite fast...."


    "Really?" Mackie dropped her dolls and shifted all her attention to her Mommy instead. "Mommy, how did you make up with Uncle so fast? I want to do that too! Maybe I can do that to make up with Jaden and Mia!"


    "Ah-- um... t--that''s a secret, dear...." Chloe said nervously.


    Of course, she wouldn''t tell her daughter that she stopped the argument with Vernon by kissing him on the lips. She gave him a kiss that was passionate enough to finally shut him up and gave him reassurance about her loyalty.


    "Eehh, why? I want to know too...."


    "Y--You will know about it once you get older," Chloe said.


    "That''s too long...." Mackie pouted.


    ...


    ''Ah, damn it,'' Chloe cursed in her heart. Now she had to handle this adult stuff by making it sound kid-friendly.


    "Well, Mommy just gave your Uncle a tiiiight hug until your Uncle feels better," Chloe said.


    "Oh! Maybe I should hug Jaden and Mia! But if they don''t want to be hugged, then I will hug my new friendster!" Mackie said. "I will hug my new friends one by one in my new school!"


    "Ahaha... you can do that, dear...."


    ''Crap, what about Mackie''s transfer when Vernon and I still have a fight like this? Should we postpone Mackie''s school transfer?''


    Unfortunately, she had no answer unless she confronted Vernon about it.


    ''Maybe I should just leave a memo to Diamond, and use her as a third-partymunicator between Vernon and I,'' Chloe wondered.


    Nevertheless, the most important thing right now was to keep her daughter in a good mood. Good thing that Mackie seemed to be genuinely happy with Chloe making up with Vernon. Though that was yet to happen.


    It would take at least a month until they could have a civil conversation because they were still trying to prove each other''s point about Dorothea.


    "So, have you had your lunch yet, dear?" Chloe asked, trying to find a topic that didn''t involve Vernon.


    Mackie shook her head, "Not yet, Mommy. I want to eat pizza!"


    "Pizza? But you already ate a pizzast night, remember?"


    "I still want to eat more! Um... if I can''t, then I want to eat pasta!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hm, I guess we can go with pasta then. Hold on, let me order it for us," Chloe said. She reached into her pocket and paused for a moment, ''Oh shit, I forgot that Vernon had confiscated my phone. How am I supposed to order anything?''


    The realization smacked Chloe in the face.


    She forgot that she needed her phone for the most basic thing since she could not cook or drive with only one hand.


    ''Damn it, I shouldn''t have said yes so easily. I was so confident, and now I have to go up there and ask Vernon for my phone so I can order food? Where should I put my face?!''


    "Mommy? What''s wrong?" Mackie tilted her head as she noticed that her mother suddenly got nervous.


    "A--Ah, it''s nothing, dear. Hold on, let me go upstairs and grab my phone," Chloe said.


    She stood up and walked to the stairs. But she stopped halfway when she saw Vernon went downstair and stood right before he hit thest step of the staircase.


    "Vernon--"


    "Uncle!


    ...


    There was a short pause from Vernon. He observed Mackie, who was surrounded by a lot of dolls and seemingly in a fine mood. He was relieved that Mackie didn''t seem affected by his fight with Chloe.


    Thus, he directed his attention at Chloe. He pointed at the cable telephone near the TV and instructed;


    "You can use that phone to contact the receptionist. Just tell her whatever you want for food, and she will order it for you. She''ll also deliver it here, so you don''t need to worry."


    "You can also use that telephone to call Diamond or me," Vernon said. He gave Chloe all the options to help her on a daily basis but still refused to give Chloe her phone. "If you need something, you can just call the receptionist while I''m gone and use my ck card to buy something if you''re bored, and that includes you, Little Wolf," Vernon darted his eyes at Mackie. "You can go to the mall with your Mommy and buy something that you like. Call the receptionist and tell them to prepare for a driver and bodyguards if you two want to go to the mall."


    Mackie listened to her Uncle and wondered what was in her Uncle''s head. Why did he suddenly want her to go to the mall?


    Nevertheless, Mackie was still happy because she could buy that Disney princess collection she had wanted for a while! One of her friends already had theplete collection, and they were so beautiful!


    "Thank you, Uncle!"


    "Mm," Vernon smiled at Mackie before directing his attention back to Chloe, "Don''t forget to wait for mete tonight. I''ll be busy until ten today, but we should continue discussing Mackie''s school transfer as soon as possible."


    Chloe was stunned silly at Vernon, who suddenly acted so kind and generous to her. She thought Vernon and her would have very limited contact for at least one month.


    But not an hour had passed since she left the room, and he already acted like everything was normal?


    ''Did he actually yield because of one kiss? No, right? He''s so stubborn. There''s no way he''d fall just because of a kiss from me....''

 Chapter 512 512

    ''Did he actually yield because of one kiss? No, right? He''s so stubborn, there''s no way he''d fall just because of a kiss from me...'' Chloe was still in denial over the fact that she held such power against Vernon.


    How could he yield just because of a kiss? Was he that simple?


    Vernon felt his cheeks getting hotter as he kept staring at Chloe''s sweet lips. He had to admit that he got defeated by those lips. She gave him a deep kiss that evaporated all of the solid rages in his heart into thin air.


    "I--I will have to go back to the office. There are a lot of things to do," Vernon said.


    He was about to turn around, but Mackie suddenly yelled while pointing at his hands;


    "Uncle! You have blood in your hands!"


    "Ah--" Vernon quickly put his hands into his trousers pockets. "It''s nothing. I was being careless and identally hit the wall," Vernon replied. "I''ll get it treatedter."


    "But, that must have hurt!" Mackie insisted. She looked at her Mommy and remembered how her Mommy always treated her when she fell from the bike or identally cut her fingers with thorns in the garden.


    Mommy would blow her wounds before treating them with medicine and then use band-aids so they won''t hurt anymore.


    "Mommy, please help Uncle! Can you blow Uncle''s pain away?"


    ''Blow--" Vernon knew that Mackie was just an innocent kid who wanted Chloe to treat his wound. But his dirty mind traveled somewhere else instead.


    Thus, Vernon shook his head vehemently and refused, "No need. I''ll get it treated myself. I--I have to go now. Bye!"


    Vernon awkwardly turned around and rushed upstairs to the penthouse.


    Mackie tilted her head, "What''s wrong with Uncle?"


    "I--It''s nothing, dear. Your Uncle is just busy with his job," Chloe said. Her cheeks also reddened as she had the same dirty mind that Vernon had.


    "Mommy, are you okay too? Why is your face so red?"


    **


    Vernon washed his hands at the kitchen sink to clean all the dried blood. There was a sharp pain in his palm and knuckles, so he used the iodine in the first aid kit to clean the wound and used plenty of band-aids.


    Though it didn''t bother him that much, he''d be more than happy to receive treatment from his beloved woman.


    "Maybe I overreacted...." Vernon wondered as he stared at his wounds. "Maybe I shouldn''t have gone on a rampage before I could witness her cheating with my own eyes."


    "But I just can''t control myself...." Vernon murmured. "Just the thought of her leaving me with another man is enough to drive me insane. I cannot lose her for the second time. I refuse to."


    Vernon knew that his obsession with Chloe might be unhealthy at some point because he truly could not imagine himself living without her by his side.


    "But my heart only beats for her," Vernon sighed. "I only want her, and I don''t care about the risk."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon got a ss of water before going to the basement and driving his car to the office. Now that the chaos in his mind and heart had subsided, he could work like a normal man in that shipwrecked office.


    **


    Diamond was still sitting on the sofa.


    She was dazed even after so long. She really thought that her friendship with her best friend was over because there was no way she would support a cheater.


    ''Ah, this is worse than just getting dumped on by my ex back then,'' Diamond thought. ''At least I can find a new man easily to rece him. But I can''t just find a new best friend. It''s hard to find someone you can truly connect with.''


    ''Chloe, why did you do this to yourself? If Vernon doesn''t satisfy you, you should just tell him, cut the rtionship with him first before finding a new man, and I will still support you. Maybe I''ll resign so that Vernon won''t use me as a hostage to lure you back.''


    ''But you''re cheating on him. You''re no better than Vincent....''


    As Diamond was lost in her thoughts, the elevator suddenly lit up. A Ding from the elevator snapped Diamond out of her daze.


    Diamond turned her neck and watched as the elevator door slid open. She saw her bossing out of the elevator calmly. He had fixed up his disheveled suit, tie, andbed his hair neatly.


    Vernon looked at Diamond who slumped on the sofa defeatedly. He frowned, "Why are you cking off now? Don''t you remember how much work we have to do today?"


    ...


    Diamond blinked a few times. She wondered if she was hallucinating right now.


    How could her boss act so calmly after going on a huge rampage in this office? Did he just kill the man, dump his body somewhere, and return here to work again? What about Chloe?


    Diamond stood in front of Vernon and asked, "Sir, about Chloe and that man named Jonathan...."


    "It was a misunderstanding," Vernon said lightly. "It''s my bastard mother who used her Driver''s ID to register herself and she stayed inside my apartment. Dorothea manipted Chloe by using her fake tears, saying that she wants to connect with me and wants to be part of my small family."


    Vernon scoffed, "Well, I know that''s just bullshit. I''m not like Chloe who can be easily influenced by fake tears. So I kicked that old hag out."


    "T--Then, should we do something about her?" Diamond asked.


    "No need, Vincent won''t believe that dying old hag as well. She is just too crazy to be believable," Vernon said. "Besides, I have a bet with Chloe about that old woman."


    Vernon''s eyes darkened when he mentioned the bet, but he refused to exin further, so Diamond decided that she could just ask her best friendter.


    Diamond was so relieved that her best friend did not cheat on Vernon. She just couldn''t imagine having to cut ties with Chloe so abruptly.


    Though, she also wondered why her boss could return to the office looking just fine.


    In fact, he seemed to be in a good mood.

 Chapter 513 513

    ''Although the cheating usation is proven to be false, I''m pretty sure that Vernon will still be angry at Chloe for getting herself involved with Dorothea,'' Diamond thought. ''In fact, he SHOULD be angry. Chloe put everyone''s lives in jeopardy just because an old woman is shedding a fake tear or two. I''d scold her for being so gullible too.''


    Diamond also knew how bad her boss'' temper was. It was impossible to see him returning to the office, acting as if nothing was wrong after rampaging around the office before.


    Unless¡­


    ''Homegirl must''ve done something to calm him down,'' Diamond theorized. Diamond observed her boss from head to toe. He looked so rxed that Diamond thought she was the one hallucinating before.


    But the shipwrecked CEO''s office was proof that she wasn''t dreaming.


    Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she asked:


    "Boss, you seem to be awfully calm after destroying everything in your office just now," Diamondmented. "Did Chloe do something to calm you down?"


    Diamond''s question was straight to the point, and she could see her boss'' jolt lightly in response.


    "Well¡ª uh¡­ yeah, she did something to calm me down," Vernon replied. He tried to dodge Diamond''s peering eyes because he didn''t want to lose prestige as the intimidating boss in front of Diamond.


    ''Nobody would take me seriously if I told them that I fell because of one kiss. That''s damn embarrassing,'' Vernon thought.


    "Really? Then may I know what she did?"


    "No," Vernon rejected instantly. "It''s a secret between us, and you shouldn''t pry about your boss'' private matters, Diamond."


    ¡­


    ''Doesn''t matter, I can always text Chloeter,'' Diamond thought.


    "Oh, also, don''t you dare prying about this stuff from Chloe, she''s uncontactable," Vernon warned.


    Diamond''s eyes widened, "W¡ªWhat did you do to her? Did you¡ª Oh god!" Diamond imagined that Vernon locked Chloe somewhere, probably tying her up in a little ck room like some crazy psychopath!


    "Hey, hey! Stop with your wild imagination!" Vernon yelled. He clicked his tongue and fished Chloe''s phone out of his pocket. "I confiscated her phone. That''s why she''s uncontactable."


    "That does not make it any better, Sir," Diamond said. "You¡ª did you lock her up somewhere?"


    "What¡ª NO!" Vernon denied it vehemently. "She gave her phone to me as a requirement for our bet. So she won''t be able to contact Dorothea for a month. I''ll naturally give it back to her after a month."


    "And what kind of bet is that?"


    "We''re betting on Dorothea''s promise to disturb Vincent''s charity work. That old hag hasplete ess to all of Vincent''s charity, and she told Chloe that she would stop all schrship awardees to get their monthly allowance for three months."


    "It will stir up some drama and spection in social media, and people will start questioning the credibility of the Gray foundation. Thus, Vincent will be busy dealing with that, giving me an opening to do stuff to thepany," Vernon exined.


    Diamond got speechless and shook her head slowly, "Sir, that''s¡ª"


    Vernon scoffed, "Yeah, I know right? Chloe will lose the bet. There is no way Dorothea will do something utterly stupid that will ruin her life. Besides, Vincent is her beloved son, there''s no way she would do something that ruins her son''s reputation."


    ¡­<novelnext></novelnext>


    Diamond went silent in an instant.


    What her boss said was true. Logically speaking, there was no point in Dorothea doing something so dangerous that it would ruin her life and her rtionship with Vincent.


    "And what did she bet on, Sir?"


    "Her freedom," Vernon said. His mood turned somber when he mentioned it. "She will give her freedom to me if she loses the bet. But if she wins, she will force me to forgive Dorothea."


    ¡­


    Again, Diamond was left speechless by how absurd this whole thing was. She didn''t understand why Chloe would bet on her own freedom for that old woman. It wasn''t worth it!


    ''But if Chloe has that much belief for Dorothea, that means she must''ve known something that Vernon and I don''t know,'' Diamond thought. She nced at Vernon, whose mood turned bitter whenever Dorothea was mentioned, a sign that his hatred for that old hag was permanently engraved in his heart.


    "Will you actually take her freedom, Sir?" she asked.


    "I just want to prove a point that I am right, and she is wrong," Vernon said. "She needs to know that you need to put aside your heart when facing a monster like Vincent and Dorothea."


    ''But it doesn''t seem that you''re putting your heart aside, Sir,'' Diamond said in her heart. ''Your hatred for both of them is obviously influencing all of your judgment.''


    Vernon clicked his tongue, "Let''s just not talk about this. We have a lot of work to do."


    Vernon sidestepped Diamond and walked to his office. He opened the door, and his jaw dropped immediately.


    "Goddamn¡­"


    Vernon was shocked upon seeing how bad his rampage really was.


    Diamond followed behind andmented, "Yep, you destroyed everything, Sir. It will take me a while to order stuff since Christmas is near."


    "I wasn''t thinking clearly when I punched and kicked everything in my office," Vernon said. "I didn''t know it could be so bad¡­."


    "Well, now you know," Diamond shrugged. "You can just use the spare office on the tenth floor, Sir. I can tell the janitors to clean it and prepare it for you."


    "Alright, you should do that, thank you, Diamond."


    Diamond smiled and grabbed her phone. She got busy calling people to clean and prepare the spare office.


    Vernon walked into his office and closed the door behind him.


    He looked around the destroyed office and walked around the flipped furniture until he reached his flipped desk. He didn''t care how expensive he had to pay to fix everything here. He had enough pocket money for that.


    What he cared about the most was the crushed tumbler, with the smoothies spilling everywhere on the floor.


    ''It must be hard for her to prepare this banana-apple smoothie with only one hand. But she did it just for me¡­'' Vernon thought. He crouched and used his finger to wipe and collect the spilled smoothie in his hand.


    He sucked his finger and closed his eyes immediately, "It''s tasty, as always." He murmured. "I''m sorry, my love. I shouldn''t have been so rough on you."

 Chapter 514 514

    Vernon stayed inside the spare office untilte at night. He was so engrossed with his work that he didn''t realize Diamond had been standing in front of a desk for a while.


    Diamond cleared her throat to get his attention and said, "Sir, I will be leaving."


    Vernon gave Diamond a quick nce and nodded before returning to hisptop, "You can go now."


    ...


    "Sir, I want to ask you something, and it''s about Dorothea."


    Vernon''s brow creased. He lifted his head and stared at Diamond, "And what is it?"


    "I thought you''d notice this sooner than I do. But I have been wondering about this for the whole day," Diamond took a deep breath and continued, "I wonder how Dorothea found out about your rtionship with Chloe. Surely there must be someone who told her about this, right?"


    ...


    Vernon''s expression changed from calm to distraught instantly.


    It was that ''Oh shit'' moment before he cursed himself for being so stupid and oblivious.


    Diamond was right. How the hell did Dorothea know about his rtionship with Chloe?


    "Could it be that Chloe is the one who told her about this?" Vernon started giving options. "She might guilt trip Chloe to give the information."


    "I don''t think so, Sir," Diamond rejected the idea. "Chloe might use her heart more, but she is not stupid. She won''t tell Dorothea about your rtionship with her because it''ll hurt all of you."


    "I think Dorothea found out about this from someone else, and came to your apartment and stayed as a guest. Then, she told Chloe that she was already inside your apartment and might have threatened her toe and meet her or else she''d expose this to the whole world."


    "She forced Chloe to meet her, and Chloe had no other choice...." Vernon murmured,pleting Diamond''s theory with his own. "But if Dorothea forced Chloe to meet, howe Chloe got so heated to defend that old hag?"


    "We don''t know what happened between those two. But I think Dorothea used her fake tears to trick Chloe into believing that she''s actually suffering," Diamond theorized, and Vernon nodded in agreement.


    It made perfect sense.


    Chloe might be careful at first, but after one or two fake tears, that old hag might have influenced Chloe to do her bidding.


    But all of this still hadn''t answered the main question.


    Who informed Dorothea about Vernon''s rtionship with Chloe?


    Diamond and Vernon stared at each other in silence before Diamond started theorizing again, "Maybe someone in the office or in the apartment? They saw Chloe and Mackie quite often."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That''s not possible," Vernon denied. "Vincent never showed Chloe and Mackie''s face in public. He kept his married life very private, so nobody knows about the connection between Vincent and Chloe."


    "In fact, I think those around us know her more as my lover or wife instead of Vincent''s wife," Vernon imed, and Diamond nodded in agreement this time.


    Vincent''s refusal to show his family in public indirectly helped Vernon conceal Chloe''s identity easier. So that also eliminated the chance of staff knowing about Chloe''s identity and told Dorothea about it.


    "There must be someone else outside," Diamond said. "Could it be someone you know, Sir? Did you ever tell anyone about Chloe''s identity?"


    "There is no way, I would--" Vernon paused immediately once he remembered two people who knew about Chloe''s identity and her connection with Vincent. "--Wait, you''re right. There are two people that know about Chloe''s identity; Carlos, my best friend who''s the owner of that usual restaurant. And Shailene, that useless-as-fuck psychologist who does nothing other than putting bad ideas in my head. She''s also a bitch of an ex."


    ...


    ...


    "I think we know the culprit already," Diamond said. "I mean, it''s still an usation at this point, but I can guess with at least 80% uracy that Shailene is the one who told Dorothea about it."


    Vernon leaned on his chair. Aside from Carlos and Shailene, he hadn''t told anyone about Chloe''s identity as Vincent''s wife.


    Carlos was Vernon''s best friend, and they still maintained that rtionship. He even told Vernon to be careful because he was fighting against the big wig.


    With Carlos off the table, only one person could do this...


    "Do you think there is a way for Shailene to get in contact with Dorothea?" Vernon asked.


    "I don''t know, Sir. Do you want me to find out about it?" Diamond offered.


    "Yes, try to find any information about Shailene and all of her clients in New York. I suspect that Dorothea is also one of her clients," Vernon said.


    "And what will you do if it''s confirmed that Shailene is the one who told Dorothea about this?"


    "Oh, I will make sure she will leave New York for good," Vernon said without thinking twice. "Though, I''m yet to think of a good method to do so."


    "It''s fine, Sir. I will do it for you," Diamond offered. Her eyes darkened as she seemed determined to do so, much to Vernon''s surprise.


    "Really? You know that it''s not a clean job, right? I can give you my resources, but I will not cover for you if you fucked up."


    "Don''t worry, I want to be the one who kicks her out," Diamond said coldly. "You see, I was thinking that she did a good job to help you, so I thought it''d be wise if I brought Chloe there to get treated for her trauma as well. But if she''s proven to be the one who spilled the information to Dorothea, then I have no pity and respect for her. Because she puts everyone''s lives in jeopardy for a reason, and I believe that reason must be really petty, judging from your past rtionship with her."


    "Let me be the one who investigates and punishes her for this, Sir," Diamond said. "I will do a good job, and I will make sure she''ll never find us in trouble anymore."

 Chapter 515 515

    Vernon was surprised by Diamond''s daredevil attitude. He didn''t expect her to take the initiative to solve this problem, and he believed there must be a reason for it.


    "You''re usually not as eager as this," Vernonmented.


    "Yes, I have my own reason, Sir," Diamond said. "It''s a private matter. But let''s just say that she did something I hate the most in this world."


    "I see. Well, as long as you did the job, then I have nothing more to ask," Vernon said.


    "Consider it done, Sir. I will make sure a nasty woman like her won''t be around for long," Diamond said. "Now, please excuse me."


    Diamond turned around and walked to the door.


    Vernon watched Diamond''s back as she was leaving. He was still surprised by Diamond''s reaction to this problem. She reacted as if she had a personal beef with Shailene, and what Shailene did actually offended her so much.


    ''There must be something that I don''t know about her,'' Vernon thought. ''Well, as long as she gets the job done, then I have nothing to worry about. She ispetent.''


    Vernon continued working nonstop until his phone suddenly rang. He frowned, and with his eyes still on theptop, he picked up the call without checking the caller;


    -


    "Hello?"


    "Ah, um¡­ Vernon, it''s me¡­."


    Vernon paused for a moment when he heard the sweet voice of his beloved woman. She must''ve called him using the cable telephone.


    ? He abandoned his work immediately and cleared his voice to sound gentler;


    "Yes, what is it¡­ Chloe?" Vernon said. He was about to call her ''love,'' but he wondered if it would sound too awkward right now.


    "What are you doing right now?" Chloe asked.


    Vernon thought Chloe was just worried about him, and her concern instantly melted his heart. He was fighting his urge toe home as soon as possible and continued did something fun together.


    "I''m just working as always. Why do you ask? Do you miss me already?" Vernon chuckled. "Do you want me toe home earlier?"


    "Um, yeah, I want you toe home earlier. You told me that I have to wait until you''re home, then we can discuss Mackie''s transfer¡­."


    "Oh¡ª" Chloe''s answer wiped the grin off Vernon''s face. He really thought that Chloe was missing his presence and couldn''t wait to meet him.


    Turned out it was just Vernon''s wishful thinking.


    As his expectation was crushed, Vernon''s mood also got ruined.


    "Alright, I''ll go home now. Do you want something for dinner?" Vernon asked nonchntly.


    "Mackie and I already had our dinner, I''ll just wait for you," Chloe said before she hung up the call.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vernon clicked his tongue. He shouldn''t have that kind of expectation that Chloe would act so sweet and spoiled in front of him, though he would be thrilled to see her acting spoiled at least once.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He checked the time and sighed, "I overworked myself again today."


    Thus, he stuffed a few important documents and hisptop into his briefcase and walked out of his office.


    **


    Vernon used his fingerprint to unlock the penthouse door. He looked around to check on Chloe but saw no sign of her around the penthouse.


    "Huh, where is she?" Vernon wondered. "Maybe she falls asleep after waiting for too long?"


    Vernon tossed his briefcase on the sofa. He went to the kitchen for a ss of water and continued looking around in case Chloe might be sleeping somewhere.


    He continued searching until there was only one ce where he hadn''t checked.


    "Wait, don''t tell me that she is¡­."


    Vernon started breathing heavily as his fantasy told him that Chloe was in his bedroom, sleeping on his bed, preferably naked.


    "Oh fuck!" Vernon felt his cock twitch and quickly swole until his trousers got tight. He rushed to his bedroom, thinking Chloe was waiting for him with only lingerie¡ª or even naked. Both were good choices for him!


    Vernon opened the bedroom door and turned on the light, "Chloe¡ªOh¡­."


    Vernon was disappointed to see his empty bed. He wished a body was hiding under his nket, like a gift ready to be unwrapped. He would pull the nket and enjoy his gift after a tiring day at work.


    "Heh, what am I thinking anyway? Of course she won''t be here after we had such a terrible fight," Vernon said. He sat at the edge of the bed. He took off his suit and threw it on the floor.


    He loosened his tie andy on the bed, staring at the ceiling while contemting all the shit that went down today.


    "Ah, I fucked up badly. I got crazy and shouted at her so many times¡­." Vernon confessed. "Things would''ve been handled much better had Chloe told me about Dorothea sooner, though¡­."


    Vernon closed his eyes. He was about to fall asleep due to exhaustion.


    As his consciousness slowly drifted away, he heard a click from the door. He opened his eyes instantly, and his eyes met with Chloe, who also had the same startled expression as his.


    "Ah¡ª V¡ªVernon, you came home earlier than I thought," Chloe said. She was wearing pajamas as usual, but that didn''t stop Vernon from looking at her. She was the most beautiful woman on earth.


    He got up and sat on the bed, staring at Chloe silently as she entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her.


    She leaned on the door and asked, "Should we start the discussion now?"


    ¡­


    Honestly, Vernon didn''t like how formally Chloe acted.


    She acted as if they were just friends, even though they could call themselves lovers at this point.


    Heck, they could call themselves husband and wife, and Vernon would be the first one to celebrate!


    "Where have you been?" Vernon asked. "I thought you said that you''ll wait for my arrival."


    "I''m downstairs. Didn''t I tell you today that I won''t be going upstairs unless there is something important, it''s an agreement we had after our fight, remember?"

 Chapter 516 516

    "Scrap that agreement. You shoulde to the penthouse and live here with Mackie instead," Vernon said. He was annoyed but tried not to be too obvious about it.


    "Are you sure? Does that mean we''re on a truce? Can I get my phone then?" Chloe asked. She stretched her hand and opened her palm, ready to ept her phone in Vernon''s possession.


    "Hey, hey! I''m just allowing you to live in the penthouse! The bet is still on, and your phone is still in my possession until we get to see what Dorothea will do!"


    "Alright then," Chloe nodded. "Then, should we talk about Mackie''s transfer? The school will start tomorrow, so I''m thinking if I shoulde with Mackie and talk to the Principal about her transfer."


    "No need," Vernon said. "I''ve told my friend working in the school to handle the transfer."


    "Huh? Handling the transfer?" Chloe frowned. "You mean, I don''t need toe to the school?"


    "You two shouldn''te to that wretched school anymore. It''s under Vincent''s control, and he obviously hasplete control over everyone there, including the Principal."


    "If you tell the Principal about Mackie''s transfer, I''m afraid that she will notify Vincent, and he will hold you hostage inside the school again," Vernon said. He seemed to have prepared everything beforehand to keep Chloe and Mackie safe.


    "But, what would happen if the principal finds out about your friend?" Chloe asked. "Wouldn''t that put her in danger?"


    "She is a professional. I told her to be careful so that the old Principal won''t sniff it out," Vernon assured. "But even if my friend finds it impossible to move Mackie''s document. We can just make new documents for Mackie."


    Vernon rubbed his thumb and index together and smirked, "Money talks, don''t worry about documents and such. I can get it done."


    "Now, what you need to do is to survey new schools for Mackie. I told Diamond this evening to start finding a few private schools that are good for Mackie. There might be less students, but they are all heirs of the elites," Vernon said. "You''re going with Diamond to some of those schools to see if it would fit Mackie."


    "And don''t worry about safety, naturally that is on the top of my list," Vernon added. He was so well prepared for everything that Chloe was left speechless.


    "W¡ªWell, since you have prepared everything for Mackie, then I guess I can go downstairs to rest," Chloe said. "Thank you, Vernon."


    ¡­


    Vernon stared at her with a deep frown. He crossed his arms in front of his chest like he was about to throw a tantrum soon.


    "Is that it?" he asked.


    "Huh?"


    "Is that how you show gratitude? With only a thank you?" Vernon sneered. "Do you know how hard it is to convince my friend to help me with Mackie''s documents? And how about all the calls I have to make to make sure that I can give the safest options for Mackie''s new school? It''s so exhausting."


    "Uh¡­ I''m sorry that you feel that way. What can I do to express my gratitude?" Chloe asked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon said nothing, but he pouted his lips slightly. Chloe quickly caught what he wanted. She grinned and teased, "Well, what do you want? I won''t understand unless you say it."


    "Damn it! Kiss me like before! Smooch my lips like you want me!" Vernon demanded. He was ashamed to have demanded this, but it was better to say what he wanted and get ashamed now than to regret it for the whole night because he could not get the kiss he wanted.


    Chloe giggled.


    She walked towards Vernon until she stood between his thighs. She looked down, and he looked up until their eyes met.


    "It''s just a kiss. Why do you have to demand it that badly? Is it different from our usual kiss?"


    "It''s goddamn different!" Vernon insisted. "I like it when you kiss me. I love it when you insert your tongue and take the initiative. I fucking love every second of it!"


    Vernon''s bold statement pleased Chloe to no end. She sat on Vernon''s thigh and pinched his chin. She turned Vernon''s head towards her and grinned, "Say no more, Big boy."


    "Hmph¡­" Vernon closed his eyes when Chloe gave him another deep kiss, just like she gave him this morning.


    The only difference was with how he immediately reacted and enjoyed every second of the kiss that Chloe gave. She nibbled on his lips, and Vernon instinctively wrapped his hands around her waist, feeling up the body he wanted to touch every day.


    "Chloe¡­" Vernon called his beloved''s name amidst their kiss. He opened his eyes slowly during the kiss, trying to peek at Chloe''s beautiful features.


    But he was shocked when he saw Chloe had her eyes wide open the whole time.


    She winked at him, and Vernon''s heart pumped more blood around his body. He was about to pass out just because of a wink.


    Vernon tightened his arms around Chloe''s waist to pull her deeper. He opened his mouth and their tongues started dancing into each other''s mouths. Sometimes it was him that explored her mouth. Sometimes it was her turn to do the same in his mouth.


    "Fuck, this is so hot," Vernon said after they halted their passionate kiss for a moment to catch their breaths. He was about to start again with the kiss, but Chloe covered his lips with her hand to stop him.


    "Nu-uh, you''ve had enough," Chloe said.


    Vernon frowned. He was already on cloud nine, and now he wanted more!


    "Why not?" he asked. "Obviously, we both like it, right?"


    "Yes, we do. But I''m afraid we will do something more if we kiss again," Chloe said. She looked down for a second, pointing at Vernon''s bulge. It was so obvious that his big cock wanted to ram inside a hot pussy right now.


    Vernon gritted his teeth, "And why is that wrong? I have been wanting it for a while. I just don''t want to do it yet because you''re still recovering from bulimia!"

 Chapter 517 517

    "I have been wanting it for a while. I just don''t want to do it yet because you''re still recovering from bulimia!" Vernon stated. "Do you think I can hold it for this long had it not because I care about you?"


    "Oh, of course, I know that," Chloe smiled. "Honestly, I''m not sure when will be the best time for us to do it. Besides, your size is too big¡­."


    "Then I can help prepare you, so you will be able to fit my size after getting used to it," Vernon tried to convince Chloe. He was at his wit''s end now and would be grieving if he got a NO for an answer.


    Chloe giggled, "You are so eager about this. Can''t you wait a little longer?"


    "I''m trying," Vernon said. "But I can''t guarantee myself. Why don''t we do it now?"


    "Well, we can''t go for more," Chloe said. "The bet is still on, and we''re still not on the same page about Dorothea, remember?"


    Vernon gritted his teeth. This goddamn bet and problem with Dorothea needed to go away so he could finally fuck his woman!


    "Unless, you want to call it a truce," Chloe offered. "You should hand me my phone, then we might be able to hit it tonight."


    ¡­


    Vernon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His body was shaking because he was trying his best to say no.


    ''We can do itter. We can do itter,'' Vernon kept chanting inside his heart to calm his raging heart¡­ and raging cock.


    As much as he wanted to fuck his beloved, he still had to maintain his rationality against her.


    If he gave her the phone, he''d definitely contact Dorothea. And it would indirectly give the idea that Vernon was easily defeated with a bit of seduction.


    ''Well, technically, I am already defeated right now, but her safety is still my number one priority, no matter what,'' Vernon thought.


    "I can''t do that. The bet is still on and I don''t want to call a truce that will harm you or Mackie," Vernon said.


    "Are you sure?" Chloe asked again.


    "Yes, I am 100% sure."


    ¡­


    Chloe sighed. She thought if she could seduce Vernon to give up. But it seemed that she had grossly underestimated his willpower.


    "Well if you say so," Chloe epted. She gave him a light peck that surprised Vernon as a parting gift. "You should release my waist now, so I can get up."


    ¡­


    Vernon was reluctant to release the smooth waist that he liked to hold, but he had to give in, or else he might lose this battle of wits and willpower against Chloe.


    He released her waist, and she got up.


    Vernon stared at Chloe for a while and asked, "Will you maintain this persona in front of me even after our bet is done?"


    "Depends," Chloe grinned. "I might have to be a bit more active to give you reassurance, but I still prefer you to be the eager one."


    "And I don''t mind spoiling you as well," Vernon said. He grabbed a pillow and covered his crotch to hide his obvious bulge. "Now go, or I might change my mind."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe chuckled, "Good night."


    Vernon was alone again in his bedroom. He dropped his body on the bed and sighed, "Well, this is for the best. Chloe is still trying to contact Dorothea, so I have to protect her even if it''s against her will."


    "She definitely has to repay me by giving me a good BJter though," Vernon said. He put his finger on his lips, tracing the area that had been nibbled by Chloe just now.


    If he could be honest, that kiss was so hot yet short.


    He was unsatisfied, but that was all he could ask for now.


    "Tsk, that old bitch needs to die or something, so we can get this over with."


    **


    Dorothea entered avish presidential suite in a hotel not far from Vernon''s apartment. She tossed her bag on the nearest sofa and walked towards the long window pane with the view of morous New York.


    It was beautiful, especially at night, but it wasn''t her main focus.


    She kept her eyes on a building not far from this hotel, a tall building called Phoenix Tower.


    Dorothea stood there for a good minute, sighing full of woe, "This ce is nicer than that small rented apartment I had to live in for two days. But there is no Chloe, or Mackie, or even Vernon."


    "Now that I lost my opportunity, I don''t know what I should do to pass my time¡­" Dorothea said. She turned around and ambled towards the bed.


    She sat on her bed, staring emptily at the wall in front of her.


    To say that she was sad was an understatement. She was in such a heartbreak right now.


    She truly wanted to reconnect with her son and reunite with her granddaughter and daughter-inw.


    "Well, this is my punishment now. No matter how much Iment, I still won''t be able to get my happiness," Dorothea chuckled, full of self-depreciation. "Now, what should I do to pass the time until my death?"


    Dorothea was thinking about returning to her old self and started another round of drinking until she nked out. She could pass the days like that until she suddenly got a heart attack and died.


    "That doesn''t sound too bad. At least I don''t need to be reminded of my failure every single day since I''ll be too busy getting dead drunk," Dorothea said.


    As she was busy deciding whether she should take heroin until she overdosed and died faster, her phone suddenly rang.


    Dorothea raised her brow. She sat on the sofa and grabbed her phone.


    She checked the caller ID and picked it up instantly;


    ¡ª


    "What is it, Nigel?" Dorothea asked. Nigel was the manager of Gray foundation, and he was the man who had full control over the charity works.


    "Madam, I got the memo that you want me to halt the fund for the schrship awardees for three months. Are you sure about this, Madam?"

 Chapter 518 518

    "Just do what I told you to do," Dorothea said nonchntly. "Don''t worry, I will take full responsibility."


    "I understand, Madam. I''m just making sure that you don''t make a mistake with the memo," Nigel said. "Keep it in mind that we cannot reverse this decision after I locked the fund for three months, Madam. It requiresplex bureaucratic work that is not easy to be done."


    "Yeah, just make sure that all the cumtive allowance will be transferred in bulk to all the schrship awardees after three months."


    "Yes, Madam. Understood," Nigel confirmed. He had a bad feeling about this because he knew what Madam Gray did would anger Mr. Vincent Gray.


    Nigel didn''t know Madam''s true intention and dared not ask. He feared he''d get involved in something that would harm his life.


    Thus, he could only say, "Stay safe, Madam."


    "Mhm, you too, Nigel."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Dorothea tossed her phone right next to her. She was staring at the ss pane across the sofa, and again, her gaze was solely focused on the Phoenix Tower.


    Her muddled mind cleared up a bit after the call. She remembered that she had a promise that she wanted to keep, and that was to help Chloe and Vernon.


    "Well, technically, I don''t need to do it anymore, since Vernon will not appreciate my help anyway," Dorothea murmured. "But I''m doing this to repent. I have to do something topensate for all the mental damage I did to Vernon and Chloe."


    "All I need to do is to make sure that Vincent is in shambles for three months and give Vernon enough window to do stuff that he''s nning to do," Dorothea said. "And after that, I can just overdose myself and leave this cruel world without at least a bit of pride in me."


    Dorothea wouldn''t have any regret leaving this world after she did something for her second son. She knew it wouldn''t be enough topensate for their mental damage, but disrupting Vincent''s structured business was the only thing she could do.


    "Well, there is one thing that I still have a regret in my heart," Dorothea murmured. "It''s you, Chloe Gray. I wish that I have enough time in this world to know you better. Though our rtionship started rocky, I believe that we can bond pretty well, maybe you can still be my daughter-inw and my best friend. I''m pretty sure having you around will have a better effect than wasting all my money to hire that sham Shailene."


    Dorothea sighed, "Unfortunately, there is no way that Vernon will allow Chloe to meet me again after this. So that''s the end of our short, but very meaningful rtionship as inws."


    Dorothea felt that God was ying with her right now.


    She found the light in Chloe and Vernon, and thought she could join this small family to spend her old days taking care of her granddaughter. It would be a perfect remedy after decades of suffering in her younger days.


    But it seemed that God didn''t want to be happy, because he destroyed the only hope Dorothea had, and now she was all alone again.


    **<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe woke up the following day feeling refreshed after what happenedst night.


    It went well because she realized Vernon wasn''t all that mad at her despite all the crazy stuff happening yesterday.


    She still refused to believe that Vernon yielded because of her kiss, but the way he reacted and beggedst night to get a kiss gave her the idea that she had that kind of power over him just with her sex appeal.


    "Ah, that can''t be. He was just extra hornyst night, So he acted out of character just to get what he wanted," Chloe denied. She just couldn''t imagine herself dominating a man, especially an absolutely intimidating and domineering man like Vernon.


    She spent her life getting dominated by men. She was always submissive, especially when she lived with Vincent for the past ten years. She was used to listening and obeying, not giving orders.


    "But imagine how fun it would be to get dominated or dominate each other with consent. Wouldn''t that make things hotter during sex?" Chloe wondered, then her cheeks turned reddish once she realized what she was thinking about. "Okay, I need to stop thinking about sex. I can''t be a pervert like Vernon, there has to be one person with a clear mind between us at least."


    Chloe got up and washed her face in the bathroom to prepare for the day. She opened the door, and was surprised by Mackie who was standing in front of her door with a wide smile pasted on her face.


    "Good morning, Mommy!" Mackie cheered.


    "Ah, good morning, dear," Chloe greeted back. "Why are you up so early?"


    "That''s because I''m so excited, Mommy!" Mackie said. "Will we go to my new school today?"


    "Ah, I talked to Unclest night. He said that he is still finding a few options for you dear, then we can visit the schools one by one. Maybe we can visit them in two or three days."


    "Aww," Mackie pouted. She was so excited because she thought she could finally move today. "Can I at least go to my old school? I want to say goodbyes to my friends."


    "W¡ªWell, dear, we cannot go to your old school as well," Chloe said. She had to be honest with this.


    "Why?"


    "Because¡­" Chloe tried to think of a way to exin that the ce was too dangerous for them and Vincent might hurt them if they decided to go there.


    But Chloe couldn''t find the right words to deliver this exnation, and she started to feel nervous as Mackie kept on staring at her, waiting for an answer.


    "It''s because of that old Principal."


    Chloe and Mackie turned their heads at the same time and saw Vernon fixing his tie while walking toward them. He was already in his suit, ready for work in the early morning.

 Chapter 519 519

    "Principal? Mrs. Andrew?" Mackie asked her Uncle who was drawing near them.


    Vernon stopped in front of Mackie and Chloe and nodded, "Mrs. Andrew, your Principal is a bad guy. She wants to lock you up inside the school once she knows that you want to move out."


    "She wants to lock me up? Why?" Mackie asked again. She was far more interested in her Uncle''s straightforward answer than her Mommy''s careful answer that she always got whenever she asked about Daddy.


    "Because she''s an old witch, hahah," Vernon chuckled. "Well, because Mrs. Andrew wants to see you getting bullied by Jaden and Mia. That''s why she won''t let you out."


    Chloe thought that Mackie would be surprised by this. But her daughter didn''t even react.


    She nodded lightly, "Un, Mrs. Andrew is a bad Principal! She allowed Daddy to beat Mommy and tried to stop me from entering her office!" Mackie said, recalling the event during the Autumn Festival.


    Vernon grinned, "See? That''s why you cannot go to your school anymore. What if that old witch wants Jaden and Mia to bully you again? And what if she catches your Mommy too? Do you want her to get beaten?"


    "NO!" Mackie looked up at her Mommy and hugged her waist. "Mommy, I don''t need to go to my old school! I don''t want you to get hurt again!"


    Chloe was stunned by how effective Vernon was. While she was trying to find a way to make up a white lie, Vernon came up with the truth but was still able to conceal how much of a bastard her father was. "D¡ªDon''t worry, dear. We don''t need to go. But we have to wait until your Uncle gives me the list of all schools we can visit, okay?"


    "Un!" Mackie nodded. She released her Mommy and hugged her Uncle''s thigh now. "Uncle, I want a school without bullies! I don''t want to hit or get hit!"


    "Don''t worry about it, I will put you in the best school. And I won''t let anyone hurt you," Vernon said. He patted Mackie''s head a few times before Mackie released her hug.


    "Mommy, can I eat cereal for breakfast today?" Mackie asked.


    "Dear, you ate cereal yesterday¡­." Chloe sighed. Her daughter would usually eat anything she made for breakfast.


    But now that she couldn''t use her right hand, she had to order breakfast from outside, and Mackie hated the food most of the time. So, cereal had be her go-to for breakfast.


    It seemed that she started to be a picky eater like Vernon. It made Chloe wonder if Vernon might have influenced her daughter too much.


    "How about I cook something for breakfast instead?" Vernon offered.


    "No!" Mackie shook her head vehemently.


    "Huh? Why not? I made good food," Vernon imed proudly.


    "It tastes like Mom''s cooking, but it''s not as good!" Mackie said. She stuck her tongue out. "Uncle can''t cook as good as Mommy!" Mackie ran after quipping with her Uncle.


    "M¡ªMackie!" Chloe called her daughter. She wanted her to apologize to Vernon, but she didn''t stop.


    Instead, she went to the penthouse upstairs, probably grabbing the milk jug and cereal herself.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernonughed the whole time and imed proudly, "That''s my daughter!"


    Chloe nced at Vernon, waiting for him to refute his own statement just now. But he didn''t. He just kept on staring at Mackie with a proud smile on his face.


    He truly saw Mackie as his daughter right now.


    Chloe went silent as she kept staring at Vernon.


    She didn''t know how to tackle his im.


    Of course, she was happy that Vernon seemed to have seen Mackie as his own. But she wondered if Vernon could stay interested in fatherhood after a while.


    Vincent was also a very good father when Mackie was still a baby. She almost thought that Vincent would change his way after Mackie was born.


    And he did¡­ for three years.


    Then, he grew stressed out, bored, and tired of fatherhood. He started cheating again, and now that Mackie was already seven years old, his cheating worsened. He even told his people to bully Mackie in school.


    Chloe was scared that Vernon would also do the same. He''d be very excited at first, then abandon Mackie when he grew bored and tired.


    ''I want him tomit to raising Mackie as her new father, or simply put himself behind the line and never cross it,'' Chloe thought.


    Vernon finally checked on his beloved after Mackie went upstairs. He smiled at Chloe and teased, "You know¡ª I think I deserve appreciation because I can handle that well, right?"


    "Ah, you did," Chloe nodded. She had to give him credit because he handled it well. "Thank you, Vernon."


    Vernon smiled proudly, but that proud smile didn''tst long because he was concerned about Mackie.


    "You know that you can''t cover his awful deeds forever, right? Mackie will eventually learn about everything," Vernon reminded. "The only reason why I haven''t told Mackie about Vincent''s sins is because I respect you as her mother. You need to be the one who tell her about everything, not me."


    Chloe lowered her head after that. She nodded weakly, "Mackie already learned about her father beating me. She saw how Vincent choked me in the Principal''s office. She asked me about it, and I don''t think I can lie anymore."


    "So I told her that her father has a problem, and we can''t return until Vincent solved his own problem. That''s why Mackie stopped asking for her Daddy," Chloe said.


    "That''s good. But did you really tell her about everything? Including his cheating, abuse you experienced for the past ten years, and how he told the whole school to bully Mackie?"


    "Maybe you should just tell her everything," Vernon said. "She should know that she never has a father in the first ce. Vincent is not and will never be a good one, and Mackie should have just forgotten everything about Vincent and moved on."

 Chapter 520 520

    "It''s not that easy, Vernon," Chloe shook her head. She sighed and leaned on the wall behind her.


    All this talk about Mackie and Vincent''s rtionship made her nauseous and weak.


    "Why is it not easy? I''m pretty sure that Mackie will understand. After all, she has witnessed how crazy Vincent can be with her own eyes! You just need to tell her everything and she will hate Vincent forever!"


    "Vernon, calm down¡­." Chloe soon noticed that Vernon started to get worked up by this conversation. "You don''t need to get upset about this¡­."


    "Chloe¡ª you¡ª" Vernon took a deep breath to calm himself down. Again, he was about to yell at Chloe for being so wishy-washy. He didn''t like that Chloe kept covering for Vincent for absolutely no reason!


    Thus, Vernon calmed himself first and softened his voice, "I have the right to be upset, Chloe. Mackie might be a child, but she has been exposed to some of the most fucked-up thing a kid would ever see, yet you still want to lie to her?"


    "And don''t give me that ''Mackie is still too young'' as your main reason. Mackie might be young, but you should see how much she matured for the past seven months or so," Vernon insisted.


    "But¡ª"


    "And you shouldn''t worry that Mackie will not have any father figure in her life," Vernon puffed his chest and bumped his chest twice with his fist. "She has me. I am definitely a better father figure for her¡ª more than Vincent will ever be. Heck, she can pass as my daughter and nobody will question her, we are so alike in everything!" Vernon imed, which wasn''t entirely false.


    In fact, Chloe could vouch that Mackie had more of ''Vernon'' than ''Vincent'' in her blood. Mackie''s mannerism was almost like a perfect copy of Vernon when he was a kid, and she believed that Mackie and Vernon would make a great father-daughter pair.


    But what made her hesitate?


    Chloe stared at Vernon and shook her head out of instinct. She was still hesitating to tell her daughter about Vincent''s shitty behavior despite the chance that was given right in front of her.


    Mackie already had a negative opinion of her father, so it wouldn''t be hard to convince her that Vincent was a monster.


    But she believed that telling her about this would do no good.


    It''d only traumatize Mackie and give her a trust issue towards older men, and probably growing up with hatred of men in general. Chloe didn''t want to raise Mackie with hatred.


    "I know that you''d make a great father, Vernon. But this is not the way to tell Mackie about it," Chloe said. "Please wait a bit longer, okay? Let me find the right time to finally tell her about everything. We cannot rush this, especially to a kid."


    Vernon still thought that Chloe was way too soft. He believed that Mackie was just mini-him, so she must have the same mental fortitude as him.


    He was already used to seeing all the shits happening in her family when he was around Mackie''s age, including his father sleeping with so many women, his mother beating him plenty of times, and his Big brother who treated him like a pet.


    He had experienced everything, so he thought that Mackie would be able to handle it as well.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon had a lot to say, but in the end, he decided to keep his mouth shut because the only one with authority over Mackie was Chloe.


    Vernon sighed, "Alright, I will be patient because I believe that you''ll find the right time and method to tell Mackie about this. Remember, you should not cover up for Vincent''s craziness, he''s not worth it."


    Chloe nodded, "I know, I''ll think of a method. And thank you for urging me to tell Mackie about this. I need that."


    Vernon was relieved and smiled at Chloe. He drew near her and gave her a light kiss on the temple, "No need to thank me. It''s just something I have to do, since you two are my treasures."


    Chloe said nothing, but her cheeks reddened after that statement. She was genuinely happy to be ced at such a high spot and be called a ''treasure.''


    She liked the feeling of being treated special.


    Thus, Chloe kept staring at Vernon''s back and silently murmured his name, wishing that someday, she would have her own happy ending with the man who treasured her and her daughter.


    **


    Vernon was busy with work today. He had a lot to do, including working with Diamond to call and check if some of the selected private schools were good and safe for Mackie.


    Vernon''s throat was a little sore after doing so many calls. He drank a ss of water and said, "We''ll have a lunch break first. I''ve been calling at least thirty schools, both public and private. My throat is sore."


    "Sure sir, would you like to listen to my report regarding Shailene?" Diamond said.


    "That fast?" Vernon frowned. It hadn''t even been a day since theirst conversation about Shailene. Though he hated that bitch for talking shit about Chloe. He didn''t have the urgency to ruin her life yet.


    "Yes, Sir. Didn''t I tell you that I have a personal beef with her? While our lives might not be connected, the shitty thing she did with her skill and power as a psychologist was beyond evil. I have to be the one who shut her up," Diamond said coldly.


    "Alright, alright. I gave you the permission already, remember?" Vernon sighed. "So, what do you know after a night of investigation?"


    "Sir, you know that she is a psychologist famed for handling patients of domestic abuse, right? Be it verbal, emotional, or physical abuse. She is supposed to be the best in her field."


    Vernon nodded. Obviously, he knew that.


    "I''ve done a little research, and found out that most of her clients are highly profiled women¡ª celebrities, socialites, and rich olddies with money," Diamond said, intentionally giving a hint. "Sir, from the information I got, Shailene has one secret client that pays a crazy amount for every meeting they set up, and she is rumored to be an olddy."

 Chapter 521 521

    "And olddy?" Vernon frowned. "And that olddy is Dorothea in your theory?"


    "Likely so," Dorothea nodded, full of confidence. "Shailene''s line of work aligns with Dorothea''s illness since she suffered from domestic violence before."


    Vernon scoffed, "Just because she got hit by myte father once or twice doesn''t give her the right to beat me. She is just the same kind of monster like my father."


    "Yes, Sir. I understand that," Diamond replied. "But Dorothea might put herself as a victim, and will actively search for a good psychologist that can help her, and Shailene is the best in her field right now."


    "Well, what will you do next? Will you just confront Shailene about this? She''s a snake, you know."


    "Oh, of course not, Sir. I will continue gathering information. I''m just giving you a heads up and telling you that I''m doing this seriously," Diamond stated.


    "Hm," Vernon shrugged. "I''ve never doubted your work. You''re the mostpetent employee I have, though a bit too biased with Chloe."


    "Thank you for thepliment, Sir. I have always put an objective lens in my eyes."


    Vernon''s lips twitched, "Tsk, whatever. Let''s just have a lunch break and continue making the list for Mackie''s school. You don''t need to go to work tomorrow, just apany Chloe and Mackie to these schools."


    "Yes, Sir."


    **


    "Diamond will be here at seven, you two should get ready early tomorrow morning, because I have listed at least ten schools that suit Mackie, both in education and safety," Vernon said as he served his homemade pasta for dinner.


    "Thank you so much, Uncle!"


    "T¡ªThank you," Chloe said meekly. She was embarrassed because she couldn''t do much right now. She wasn''t even able to do house duties. Meanwhile, Vernon did everything: working, cooking, preparing for Mackie''s new school, and handling the document from her old school, and still handling .


    He was basically a one-man standing.


    She also noticed how exhausted Vernon was. He looked a little pale, and his dark eye bags were very prominent. He even had stubbles on his chin, which was quite a rare sight since he was clean-shaven most of the time.


    Vernon sat facing Mackie and Chloe at the dining table. He observed them first, making sure that both ate their food before he dug his.


    "Chloe?" Vernon frowned. "Why don''t you eat? Is there something stressing you out right now?"


    "Ah, it''s not that¡­."


    "Then what is it? Do you need me to spoon feed you?"


    Chloe saw that Vernon looked genuinely concerned just because she wasn''t eating well. He put her as someone important in his eyes, and Chloe¡­ just felt it was too much sometimes.


    She felt she should''ve done something to help him ease his work. But she couldn''t do a thing, and Vernon forbade her to do something moreborious.


    Vernon thought that Chloe had just remembered Vincent again. She always had this moment of silence as she stared at her food for a while. It was probably due to her past trauma.


    So, Vernon got up and walked towards Chloe''s side. He grabbed a chair and sat right next to her. He grabbed her te and was about to feed her as always when Chloe finally reacted by shaking her head, "No need, Vernon."


    "Are you sure?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Mm¡­" Chloe nodded.


    Thus, Vernon returned her te and was about to return to his spot.


    "S¡ªStay here, let me feed you instead."


    "Huh?" Vernon frowned. "You want to feed me?"


    "Mhm," Chloe nodded. She grabbed the fork. The fork was a little shaky because she was a little nervous. It had been a while since she fed Vernon.


    ''I think thest time I fed him was when he''s about ten years old, then he refused to be spoon fed anymore because it was too embarrassing and he imed that he was an ''adult'' now.


    "Open up, aaahh¡­." Chloe said in front of Vernon.


    Vernon stared at the fork in front of his mouth. The way Chloe tried to spoon feed him reminded him so much of his old self.


    Back then, he really loved getting fed by Big sis Chloe, even though he was already eight years old, and a boy his age shouldn''t be spoon fed.


    But Vernon enjoyed it too much that he kept acting spoiled in front of his Big sis Chloe. He kept doing it until he was ten, and started developing a huge crush on his Big sis Chloe.


    So he tried to look more ''adult'' and ''man'' by refusing to be spoon fed or hugged tightly by her.


    And now they were back to when he was only eight years old, and she was only eighteen.


    Vernon nced at Mackie, who was sitting on his left. She had her eyes on him attentively, waiting for her Uncle to eat.


    She didn''t seem to be upset that Mommy was feeding Uncle. In fact, she was excited!


    "It''s okay, Uncle! If Mommy feeds you, that means she loves you!" Mackie said. "She fed me often too!"


    "I know that," Vernon replied without hesitation. "I know that very well."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, "Ahh¡­."


    ¡­


    Vernon finally opened his mouth and ate the pasta. He munched slowly while his eyes were locked on Chloe.


    He observed her and noticed the relief on her face. She looked genuinely happy and started feeding Vernon slowly, just like she always did when he was young.


    Vernon raised his brow. He wondered what was on her mind right now.


    ''Does she want something from me? Is it about Dorothea again?'' Vernon wondered. ''Damn, she used that hard method by seducing and dominating me before and I could barely hold myself, and now she wants to use this gentle and loving method? Jesus, she''s really not holding back.''


    Despite his suspicion of Chloe, he kept opening his mouth and munched slowly while staring at his beloved.


    ''Oh well, I''ll just think about this problemter. Let me just¡­ enjoy getting spoonfed first¡­'' Vernon thought as he released all the tension in his mind.

 Chapter 522 522

    Meanwhile, Chloe was happy that Vernon didn''t seem to mind getting spoon fed. She wanted to feed him because it was the least she could do for him right now.


    After she fed him a full te of pasta, she murmured, ''Good boy,'' in a very low voice. She thought her voice was low enough, but Vernon heard it and chuckled, "Should I ask for a tight hug too?"


    Chloe jolted andughed nervously, "Ahaha¡­ s¡ªsorry, muscle memory."


    Vernon didn''t know if this was all an act to put him in a good mood, so she could get what she wantedter. Nevertheless, he felt good, and Chloe seemed to be in a fine mood as well, so there was nothing to worry about, at least for now.


    Vernon got up and ruffled Mackie''s hair, "Eat your pasta, Mackie. I know it''s not as good as your mother''s but it''s definitely better than any takeout."


    "Mm¡­ that''s true¡­" Mackie pouted. She started eating despite her reluctance.


    "Chloe¡­"


    "Y¡ªYes, I know," Chloe grabbed Vernon''s te across the table and started eating it, much to his relief.


    "I still have plenty of work to do. I''ll be in my room," Vernon announced. He walked through the foyer towards his bedroom and gave his family a quick nce before going in.


    Chloe and Mackie stared at each other, and Mackie asked, "Mommy, why did you feed Uncle like that? Did you feed Daddy too?"


    Chloe smiled, "I took care of your Uncle when he was around your age. He was very cute and brave, just like you."


    "Oh! Did he y with Barbie too? I have many barbies I could give to him!"


    "Ahaha, no dear, he liked ying with a skateboard instead," Chloe recalled. "I bought him a skateboard once, and he skated around the house almost every day."


    Mackie pouted, "Hmph, he was no different than the boys in my school!"


    "Ahaha, of course, he was a kid too. He cried, asked, pouted, and threw a tantrum, just like you."


    "I never throw a tantrum!" Mackie defended herself.


    Chloe chuckled and patted her daughter''s hair, "Sure, dear. Just finish your dinner, okay?"


    "Urgh, I don''t like it¡­."


    **


    Vernon sat on a rattan chair inside his bedroom with hisptop in hisp. He continued fiddling with his work.


    He sighed and took off his sses. He pinched his nose to let go of some of the tension. He refused to work in his home office because it would only stress him out even more, so he thought working inside his bedroom would make him feel more rxed.


    "Well, that doesn''t work, apparently," Vernon scoffed.


    He put on his sses again and read some documents on hisptop. He was fully focused until he heard a few knocks at the door.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Vernon raised his head and stared at the door, "Who?"


    "Vernon, may Ie in?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon''s expression eased when he heard his beloved''s voice, "Sure."


    Click.


    Chloe stood at the door with a warm ginger tea in her right hand. She walked in and put the ginger tea on top of a drawer near the bed before drew near Vernon.


    Vernon watched her movement from start to finish and wondered, "What do you want?"


    "Um¡­ nothing¡­" Chloe replied.


    She stepped back and stood right behind Vernon, "W¡ªWould you like me to massage your scalp?"


    ¡­


    "Do you need something after this?"


    "Nothing in particr," Chloe replied. "Um, I see that you''re stressed out with so many things happening at once. So I thought of helping you to destress a little."


    ¡­


    Vernon got even more suspicious of her kindness, but he nodded and closed hisptop.


    He took off his sses again, leaned on the rattan chair, and closed his eyes, ready to receive treatment from Chloe.


    "Alright¡­" Chloe inserted her fingers inside his hair and started massaging his scalp.


    Chloe''s hand was soft, but she put pressure each time she massaged Vernon''s scalp. It was a sensation that Vernon had never got before. He never liked to go to a massage parlor because he thought he could just destress himself with sex.


    ''I still don''t want to go to any massage parlor, but this is not bad at all,'' Vernon thought while enjoying the scalp massage. ''Well, Chloe will be the only one to do this to me.''


    Vernon enjoyed the scalp massage so much that his body gradually rxed and melted. He slumped on the rattan chair and was about to fall asleep, and then he suddenly jolted and opened his eyes.


    "Vernon? What''s wrong?" Chloe asked. "Did I identally hurt you?"


    Vernon sat straight, and he looked over his shoulder. His eyes peered suspiciously at Chloe, "I know what''s your true intention to massage my scalp."


    "T¡ªTrue Intention?" Chloe took a step back. "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Vernon."


    "Oh, don''t try to hide it. I know that you want me to fall asleep, so you can take your phone and call that old bitch, right?" Vernon used. "Seriously, Chloe, knock it off. Stop trying to make things happen between Dorothea and I. She is a bitch and will always stay a bitch, case closed."


    "You can leave now. Thank you for the scalp massage, but I have things to do," Vernon said curtly as he kicked Chloe out of his room.


    Chloe stood like a statue behind the rattan chair. She was too shocked by Vernon''s over-of-the-top usation.


    "I will never do that," Chloe said. "Even if I want to have my phone back. I won''t do that kind of underhanded method to obtain it!"


    "Then what are you doing feeding me dinner, and pleasing me by massaging my scalp? Just say what you want and we can get it done!"


    "I don''t want anything!" Chloe yelled back as she started to grow frustrated by Vernon''s usation. "I just want to make you happy! You look very tired these days and I want to help!"

 Chapter 523 523

    "W¡ªWait¡ª" Vernon was startled by Chloe''s sudden outburst and rebuttal.


    "Why can''t you see that I feel so guilty? I can''t use one of my hands. I can''t cook, can''t clean, can''t even take care of Mackie by myself, and I can''t take care of you too!"


    "Chloe, I¡ª"


    "I see that you''re so exhausted, and I understand that. You''re doing many things right now and still have time to take care of Mackie and me. That''s why I want to do something to please you for once!" Chloe''s chest rose up and down as she exerted much power to yell back at Vernon.


    Fortunately, it seemed to work in the end, because Vernon went silent immediately. His mouth opened once and twice, but no words came out.


    He felt awkward because he actually kept using Chloe, thinking she had a hidden agenda behind her kindness.


    Little did he know, he was actually projecting his own sin.


    Because he was the one who always had a hidden agenda for anything he did, good or bad.


    Even now, he was doing everything he could to help Chloe and Mackie because he wanted them to stay by his side forever. It was his version of happiness, and he would not give up until he achieved what he wanted.


    "I¡ªI''m so¡ªsorry," Vernon stuttered as he tried to apologize. He got up from the rattan chair and turned around to face Chloe. "I was just too stressed out with everything happening around us, so I thought¡­ I thought you wanted something."


    "All I want is for you to rest for a bit!" Chloe yelled again.


    "I¡ªI know, I''m sorry¡­." Vernon kept on apologizing. He didn''t know how to calm down an upset woman. After all, he had never been in this position before.


    He never apologized nor tried to calm down his ex-girlfriends. If they were upset, Vernon would be ten times more upset to them, and his exes would yield as all of them were so in love with him.


    Now the situation has been reversed.


    He was so in love with Chloe that he didn''t know how to calm her down, "Why don''t we sit and have a little chat first, okay?"


    "No need," Chloe replied curtly. "I don''t want to disturb you. So, I''ll just leave."


    Chloe was about to pass Vernon when thetter suddenly grabbed her arm, "Chloe, please don''t do this to me. I didn''t mean to offend you just now."


    Chloe looked over her shoulder. She red at Vernon, but Vernon gave her those abandoned puppy eyes instead. He looked pitiful and vulnerable as if he''d break down in tears if Chloe decided to leave him alone right now.


    "Please stay and talk with me. Let me apologize properly¡­." Vernon begged. "Besides, I do like getting spoiled by you as well."


    Chloe tried to maintain her re until she couldn''t hold it anymore.


    She sighed and lowered her head, "Fine, go sit on that rattan chair again."


    Vernon nodded enthusiastically. He released Chloe''s arm and sat obediently on the rattan chair. His eyes followed his beloved, who walked around the chair and stood behind him again.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Lean back and let me massage your scalp and your temples. It''ll help you rx," Chloe said.


    Vernon did just that and soon felt the gentle massage on his scalp again. He released a long, relieved breath as he closed his eyes to rx.


    "I''m sorry for using you just now. My mind has been upied with so many things, including about our fight," Vernon murmured while he enjoyed the scalp massage.


    "Mm, it''s okay. I know that it''s been hard for you," Chloe replied. "I don''t know what I should do to help though. I feel really useless right now."


    "You don''t need to help, seeing you recovering¡ª both physically and mentally is enough for me, really."


    "You are too kind," Chloe sighed. "I''m used to work my bones off in the house so Vincent will at least spare my life for a day. It feels weird not to do anything like this."


    Vernon opened his eyes slowly. He stared at his beloved woman''s chin. Even from this angle, she still looked beautiful.


    Every facial feature she had was so perfect that Vernon wondered if Chloe had a bad angle.


    Vernon lifted his hand to reach Chloe''s cheek and caressed her, "I don''t want you to live with fear, so forget about that bastard, alright?"


    Chloe and Vernon knew that it was almost impossible for Chloe topletely forget about Vincent. Vincent''s abuse shaped Chloe''s body and mind, and Mackie was still Vincent''s biological daughter, so Chloe was forever emotionally tied to that bastard despite her reluctance.


    Vincent had been immortalized inside Chloe''s mind, but not in a good way, and that monster would be the source of her fear forever.


    To say that Vernon hated Vincent was an understatement. He despised that monster so much he couldn''t wait for all of this scheming to be over and for he could live a happy life with Chloe and Mackie.


    ''Probably with our babies too,'' Vernon thought. ''I''d love to have at least two more¡­.''


    "I will try to forget about him¡­." Chloe smiled bitterly. "Sorry that I brought him up in our conversation. I just can''t help to think that you''re treating me way too kindly, it makes me ufortable. I''m not used to being spoiled."


    "Well, get used to it," Vernon said. "Cuz'' I will never stop spoiling you."


    Chloe giggled. She found it funny because Vernon looked so serious about it. As if his life goal was really to spoil her.


    "You really are the same sweet-toothed Little Vernon," Chloemented.


    "Is that a bad thing?"


    "Nope, not at all. You''re so cute when you were young, and so handsome when you''re an adult now."


    "Well, I''m a big man," Vernon said seriously. His hand trailed down and pinched Chloe''s cheek, forcing her to look down so their eyes could meet. "So you should trust me. I can protect you and Mackie."

 Chapter 524 524

    "Vernon¡­" Chloe called his name amidst the flooding emotion in her heart. Vernon imed he could protect Chloe and her daughter with so much confidence despite all the odds, and it made her feel wanted.


    Vernon said the same thing a few times, and it never got boring or tasteless in Chloe''s ear. Because It was like a constant reminder and assurance that she was well protected and didn''t have anything to worry about as long as she trusted him.


    "You''re surely a big man now," Chloe smiled. He leaned down and gave Vernon a deep kiss on his forehead.


    Vernon''s body jolted for a split second, but he said nothing until Chloe finished the kiss.


    Chloe finally lifted her head after a while and smiled when she saw the reddish hue on Vernon''s cheeks. He was still closing his eyes, still expecting another kiss from his beloved.


    "Hey, we''re done with the kiss," Chloe reminded.


    Vernon opened his eyes slowly, "Another tease," heined.


    "What? Do you expect something else?"


    Vernon opened his mouth. He had a list of what to do next after a simple forehead kiss. But he zipped his mouth again in the end.


    He didn''t want to sound too demanding, which might lead to another fight with her.


    Thus, Chloe continued massaging his scalp and temple, and Vernon enjoyed it. He was about to fall asleep plenty of times but refused to sleep because he didn''t want to waste this good time.


    The atmosphere was right, and both were in a good mood. So Vernon thought this was the time to¡­


    "Chloe."


    "Hmm?"


    "About Dorothea¡ª I¡ª"


    "Stop," Chloe interrupted him quickly. "Let''s just stop talking about her for now, okay? I don''t want to fight with you. I just want us to be on good terms, at least for one night."


    ¡­


    "Okay."


    Thus, Vernon resisted his. He was about to give up so he could have sex. He was so close to saying he would allow Chloe to make a short call to that old bitch under Vernon''s supervision if they could finally break the barrier.


    ''Well, I guess it''s just my time to fast. I''ll eat herter,'' Vernon thought.


    Thus, Chloe and Vernon spent the night talking about random stuff that didn''t involve Dorothea, Vincent, or work, and it was the first night they felt at ease in each other''spany.


    **


    "You don''t need to bring your backpack, dear," Chloe reminded Mackie as Mackie went upstairs with her backpack.


    "But I will go to school today, Mommy!" Mackie chirped excitedly. "I have everything ready in my backpack!"


    Chloe giggled, "Dear, we''re going to visit each school first, and then you can decide which one you like the most. Okay?"


    Mackie was a little disappointed she couldn''t start school today, but she nodded and returned her backpack to her room before going to the penthouse again.


    Mackie was surprised when she saw Uncle Vernon and Diamond already standing and chatting with her Mommy near the dinner table.


    "Good morning, Uncle! Diamond!" Mackie greeted them both. They all turned their heads simultaneously, and their faces brightened when they saw Mackie.


    Diamond crouched in front of Mackie and said, "Morning, Mackie. Are you ready to see ten new schools today?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Un!" Mackie nodded excitedly. "Uncle said you will apany us today!"


    ? "Hihi, that''s true. I''ll apany you and your Mommy, and keep you two safe!" Diamond said.


    She got up and spun her body to face Vernon and Chloe, "Alright then, shall we go?"


    "I''ll be ready in five minutes¡ª or ten," Chloe said as she rushed downstairs.


    Vernon also excused himself, "I''ll go to work early You don''t need to work today, Diamond. Just make sure to keep them safe," he reminded.


    "Understood, Sir."


    "Mm," Vernon gave Mackie a quick nce and grinned. "See youter, Little Wolf."


    "See youter, Uncle!"


    Vernon strode through the foyer and left the penthouse shortly after.


    Now there was only Mackie and Diamond in the penthouse. Diamond leaned on the wall, ying with her phone in silence. She thought Mackie would run around like a kid her age or probably grab her phone and y fruit ninja.


    But she didn''t do any of that.


    Instead, Mackie looked up and stared at Diamond without blinking for a long time.


    Diamond tried to ignore it for a moment but couldn''t help to get nervous and distracted by Mackie''s stare.


    So she pocketed her phone and looked down, "Do you need something?"


    "Un," Mackie nodded. "Diamond, you''re so tall and beautiful, you look like Princess Tiana!"


    "Oh?" Diamond was ttered by the little girl''spliment. Kids were brutally honest with theirpliments and insults, so it was an honor for Diamond. "Well, thank you. You''re also a princess, you know?"


    "I am?"


    "Mhm, you look like¡­ hm¡­." Diamond wanted to say Princess Mia from Princess Diaries. But she remembered that movie wasn''t something a kid would watch. "Well, you look like Snow White!"


    "I look like Snow White?" Mackie didn''t seem to be happy with thepliment she got. "Umm, I want to be more like Mn! She is strong, and she can protect her family!"


    "Ohh, that''s great!" Diamond approved Mackie''s view of what a princess could do. "Do you want to be a warrior like Mn when you grow up?"


    "I want to be a policewoman! I want to protect my Mommy and hit the baddies!" Mackie eximed, and Diamond smiled in response;


    "I believe that you can be a great cop. You should protect your Mommy at all costs, okay? She has gone through a lot¡­." Diamond said.


    Mackie nodded again.


    "Diamond, do you know that Mommy is also a princess just like you and I!"


    "Then, which princess is she?"


    "She is Belle from Beauty and the Beast!" Mackie said. "Mommy is very beautiful, smart, and kind!"


    "Oh? Then I suppose the beast is¡­."


    "Uncle!" Mackie said without hesitation. "Uncle is a beast! He is mean, loud, and scary!"

 Chapter 525 525

    "Uncle is a beast! He is mean, loud, and scary!"


    "Pffth¡ª!" Diamond almostughed out loud, hearing Mackie''s answer. ''It seems that the bickering between them is mutual. Vernon also told me a few times that Mackie is so loud, demanding, and hyperactive for a little girl.''


    Vernonined a few times, but he got offended whenever Diamond asked if he hated Chloe''s daughter.


    -


    ''What the¡ª how am I able to hate my own daughter?!'' Vernon snapped as he found the question to be so outrageous.


    ''Then why do you keepining about her?'' Diamond asked. ''I mean, if you see her as your daughter, wouldn''t you think that she is perfect?''


    ''You can love your daughter and stillin about her behavior. Mackie is not a satan''s child or whatsoever. She''s just hyperactive and loud.''


    ''Did you tell Chloe about it then?"


    ''I did, but she didn''t seem to be worried about it. She said it''s normal for children of Mackie''s age to be excited about everything,'' Vernon said. "And she also wondered why I have toin about this since Mackie behaved just like me when I was a kid," Vernon snorted and crossed his arms. ''I don''t think I''m that loud and troublesome!''


    ''I''m pretty sure Chloe is the right one here. She took care of you when you were a kid.''


    ''Ugh, I hope I''m not as unbearable. I don''t think I''m that bad,'' Vernon admitted. ''Though, I drove away literally every nanny that came into the Gray mansion when I was a kid¡­.''


    ''Yep, you''re definitely unbearable as a kid, Sir,'' Diamond said.


    -


    Diamond chuckled as she remembered the conversation before. Mackie tilted her head, "Diamond, why are youughing?"


    "Ah, it''s nothing," Diamond replied. She smiled and asked another question, "Do you still love him even though he''s a beast?"


    "Of course!" Mackie nodded excitedly. "Uncle is a beast, but he loves Mommy sooooooooo much!" Mackie opened her arms as a gesture to show that Uncle Vernon''s love for her mother was so big.


    "And I love Uncle because he loves Mommy!" Mackie said. "Unlike Daddy, Daddy is Gaston!"


    Diamond''s smile faltered instantly. She didn''t expect Mackie to mention her real dad, and now Diamond didn''t know how to react.


    "Well, uh¡­ why do you think so?" Diamond asked.


    "Because Daddy hurts Mommy, he is a meanie!" Mackie imed.


    Diamond gulped.


    She didn''t know if it was Vernon or Chloe, or Vincent himself, who formed that idea inside Mackie''s head, but one thing was for sure, there was no use in hiding all the abuse Chloe suffered.


    Her daughter might not truly realize the extent of the abuse, but she already got a glimpse, and kids her age would always remember a bad memory.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Okay, I''m ready!" Chloe finally went to the penthouse after taking at least ten minutes of preparation. "Sorry it took me a while. It''s hard doing stuff with only one hand," she murmured as she walked.


    She was checking her bag the whole time, so when she shifted her attention to Mackie and Diamond, she noticed an awkward silence between them, and Chloe noticed that Diamond was nervous.


    Chloe frowned, she wanted to ask, but it seemed to be something Mackie shouldn''t hear. So she took care of her daughter first, "Go wear your shoes, dear."


    "Okay!"


    As Mackie dashed to the shoe rack to put on her shoes, Chloe drew near Diamond and whispered, "What''s wrong?"


    Diamond gulped again, "Your daughter said that Vincent hurts you. Did you tell her about the abuse?"


    "Uh, no¡­" Chloe replied. "She witnessed me getting choked by Vincent in the Principal''s office before, and now she thinks that her Daddy is a bad guy."


    "Then what are you waiting for? This is the perfect chance topletely sever Mackie''s rtionship with Vincent! It''s better to do it as soon as possible!"


    ¡­


    Chloe sighed, "You''re the second one to tell me that."


    "Wait, did Vernon say this to you as well?"


    "He did, and I¡­ I don''t know, Diamond. I feel like severing the ties between a father and daughter is too cruel," Chloe said. "I never have a dad in my life. My dad left us shortly after I was born, and I feel like a part of me is missing because of his absence."


    "I want Mackie to have aplete family, with a father and mother who love her equally, so she won''t grow up like me; hating my dad for leaving, but also missing him dearly¡­." Chloe sighed. "I don''t know what I should do to fix things."


    "Uh, by severing Mackie''s connection with Vincent?" Diamond maintained his opinion. "Gurl, why are you worried about a father figure for Mackie? The answer is literally right in front of you! Are you blind or what?"


    "Huh?"


    Diamond rolled her eyes, "Vernon! Damn it! Vernon is far more capable of being Mackie''s father, and he loves Mackie too. He doesn''t see Mackie as ''Chloe''s daughter.'' He sees Mackie as his too! He mentioned many times in the office that he wonders if he should hire a fake Santa for Mackie for Christmas this year!"


    "I¡ªI don''t know, I keep hesitating whenever I''m thinking about giving Vernon the job of bing Mackie''s father figure," Chloe said. "Fatherhood is not easy¡ª well, parenthood in general. I feel like he''s too young and wild to have the responsibility of a father. I''m afraid he''ll get bored and tired after a while, and I can''t afford to let Mackie experience her second heartbreak¡­."


    Diamond opened her mouth, but Mackie had already returned to their side before she could speak.


    So she decided to zip her mouth and whispered in Chloe''s ear instead, "We will continue thister. I have a lot to say to you."


    Chloe nodded, and she put up her smile toward her daughter once more, "Are you ready to see your new school?"


    "Ready!" Mackie chirped. She grabbed her Mommy and Diamond''s hand. She pulled them towards the penthouse door, "Let''s go, I don''t want to bete!"

 Chapter 526 526

    Diamond drove Mackie and Chloe to each school Vernon had confirmed was safe for them. Vernon made sure that the Principal of these schools had no history of connection with Vincent or any of the Gray family. The students'' family backgrounds were more diverse to minimize the probability of the parents having close contact with Vincent.


    ? Vincent made a great deal of effort just to ensure Mackie and Chloe''s safety, so Diamond thought she should at least help him by assisting her boss'' favorites.


    They arrived at the first school located around the corner of Manhattan. It was a private school inside a tall building with no front or backyard. It might not be as exclusive as Mackie''s old school because Mackie''s old school was inside a gatedmunity with a big indoor gym, huge outdoor track, garden, et cetera.


    But it was still a good school that can guarantee Mackie''s safety.


    Mackie stood in front of the main door of the first school they were about to enter. She stared at the American g waving right above the door.


    "Let''s go, Mackie," Chloe grabbed Mackie''s hand and followed Diamond, who led them into the school.


    Mackie walked through the corridor. She looked around and noticed that everything wasn''t as spacious as the one in her old school.


    The hallway wasn''t huge, and the ceiling wasn''t as tall.


    She quickly nced at one of the sses with the door opened and realized that even the ss wasn''t as spacious and colorful as her old school.


    This ce was a little strange for her since she was used to the luxury she got from her Daddy.


    She looked up to check on her Mommy and realized that Mommy was also looking around.


    But she didn''t seem to be bothered with the size of the new school. She looked very excited instead.


    "Dear, do you know that Mommy used to go to a school like this when I was your age?" Chloe said. "Well, not as good as this, but it has a simr feeling!"


    "Really?" Mackie tilted her head. "But it''s not as big as my old school, Mommy."


    "That''s true. But it''s filled with warm people. I still remember my best friend when I was in elementary. Most of them were also my neighbors, so we were used to y together during recess, weekend, or after school."


    "Maybe you will be able to find lots of new friends here," Chloe said.


    Mackie stared at her Mommy without blinking. She always wondered why her Mommy was so different from Daddy.


    Daddy told her that she shouldn''t befriend kids with no good background, and she should always report every kid she made friends with, and Daddy would make sure that they were friend-able.


    Thus, Mackie reported about her new friends-- Jaden and Mia, to her Daddy before.


    But Mommy never had that kind of restriction on her. Mommy told her to befriend everyone but never say yes to everything. If her friends wanted to do bad things, Mackie should never follow them because good friends would not ask you to do bad things together.


    So far, Mommy''s advice was far better than Daddy''s.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Because Jaden and Mia suddenly bullied her after they left the mansion. But she stayed friends with other kids whom she didn''t report to Daddy.


    ''Un¡­ maybe Mommy is right. I can befriend everyone, but if they''re bad guys that want me to do bad, I have to refuse!''


    Thus, with that new mindset in mind, Mackie realized that the new school didn''t seem to be all that bad.


    Everything might be smaller than in her previous school, but if everyone was nice to her, and nobody would bully her again, then it was much better than her old school.


    Diamond knocked on the Principal''s office, and the Principal opened it from the inside. She told them to sit on the seat facing the Principal''s desk.


    The Principal was a young woman in her early thirties, so she was around Chloe''s age, which put Chloe at ease since it was less likely for this woman to have a deep connection with Vincent or the Gray family.


    "Good morning, Miss Johnson, Mr. Phoenix Gray already told me about your arrival today," the Principal greeted. "My name is Miranda Moralez, you can call me Miss Moralez, especially you, Mackenzie," Mrs. Morazle winked at Mackie.


    Mackie was surprised that the Principal already knew her name. She looked at her Mommy and saw that Mommy was also as shocked as she was.


    "Do you know about us already?" Chloe asked.


    "Naturally," Mrs. Moralez nodded. "Mr. Phoenix Gray told me he is already married but told me to keep it a secret. Your name is Mrs. Chloe Phoenix Gray, and the little girl is¡­." Mrs. Moralez shifted her eyes towards Mackie and smiled. "Miss Mackenzie Rose Phoenix Gray, correct?''


    Chloe''s jaw dropped instantly. Now she knew why the Principal didn''t seem bothered by theck of documents for Mackie.


    Turned out Vernon imed them as his. Chloe was his wife, and Mackie was his daughter.


    Chloe wondered if Vernon imed Mackie as his biological or adopted daughter since he''d been around 17 years old when Chloe was pregnant.


    "He told me to keep his daughter''s identity a secret until he is ready to go public with the marriage," Mrs. Morales said. "I will give Mackenzie a new surname, if you don''t mind, and I will make sure that she is well protected as she''s integrating herself inside this school."


    Mackie shifted her gaze between her Mommy and then at the Principal a few times. The more Mrs. Moralez spoke, the more confused the little girl got.


    ''Why do I have Uncle''s surname now?''


    ''When did Mommy marry Uncle? Did they get married without telling Daddy or me?''


    ''If Mommy is married to Uncle, then what happens to Daddy?''


    ''Uuu¡­ this is confusing, my head is hurting¡­'' Mackieined in silence.


    Despite her curiosity, she didn''t dare to ask Mommy right now because Mommy looked so serious while talking to Mrs. Moralez.

 Chapter 527 527

    Meanwhile, Chloe had a train of thoughts running in her head. She had a lot of questions for Vernon, mostly about one thing;


    ''How the hell could he think about something like this? Does he not realize that you can''t just ask random people to keep a big secret like that?'' Chloe wanted to scold Vernon for being so reckless. She thought he was very smart, but how did he not realize that his decision to im Chloe and Mackie as his wife and daughter would only harm him.


    What if this woman¡ª Miranda Moralez, decided to sell this to the gossip reporters, and the news reached Vincent. Wouldn''t that put a big red g on Vernon''s head?


    ''Crap, Vincent will definitely hunt him down once this gossip reaches his ears!'' Chloe had an internal panic, but she kept herposure in front of the School Principal.


    "Should I give you a tour around the school then?" Mrs. Moralez offered.


    Chloe looked at Diamond, and thetter shrugged, "I see nothing wrong with it. Just make it quick, we still have nine more schools to visit."


    Chloe took a heavy breath when Diamond mentioned nine more schools.


    ''Damn it, so there are nine more people that know me and Mackie as Vernon''s wife and daughter. Vernon, what were you thinking?!''


    **


    Chloe was spacing out as she followed the Principal around the school. It was a nice school, but Chloe couldn''t help to think about the shit that was about to go down soon.


    Meanwhile, Mackie was enjoying the tour. She found this new school to be just as fun as her old one. It might not be as big, but every staff member who passed them had a big smile.


    Mackie also loved the cafeteria because it had yellow tables and chairs, like a banana forest!


    "And now we''re done with the tour," the Principal spun and faced them. "Mr. Phoenix Gray also told me that you are going to survey other schools first. If you''re interested to register your daughter into this school, please contact me. Miss Diamond Johnson has my contact."


    Chloe nodded, "Thank you so much, please excuse us."


    Mackie kept looking at her Mommy, whose face was stern, with her lips zipped tightly until they left the school.


    "Dear, can you go with Diamond to the car, Mommy needs to call your Uncle first," Chloe asked.


    "Okay, Mommy¡­"


    Mackie entered the car with Diamond while Chloe tried to distance herself from the car before making a call.


    She hid behind a tree to make sure that Mackie would not see her face turn sour as she was about to scold Vernon.


    After making sure she was out of Mackie''s sight, she called Vernon.


    Vernon seemed to have expected her call because he picked it up in less than five seconds;


    ¡ª


    "Morning, love," Vernon greeted in a happy mood. "How''s your survey? It''s still too early for you to finish surveying all the schools, right?"


    "Vernon, what the hell were you thinking?" Chloe said without thinking twice. She was so pissed at Vernon for endangering his own life like this. "Do you not realize that you''re putting yourself in danger?!"


    "Huh? What do you mean? Putting myself in danger?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe rolled her eyes. "The Principal thinks we''re married, and Mackie is your daughter!"


    "Uh-huh¡­" Vernon leaned on his chair as he continued with the call. He was so rxed, unlike Chloe, who got worked up by this. "I see no problem in it unless you¡­." Vernon had a pause before he continued. His voice was ten times colder as he continued, "Unless you don''t want me to im you and Mackie as my wife and daughter."


    Before Chloe could say a word, Vernon interrupted her with his bold statement, "Just so you know, to have you and Mackie is my end game, and I will not stop unless I get what I want."


    "You¡ª" Chloe took a deep breath. She was absolutely speechless right now.


    She didn''t know whether she should be happy that Vernon was so bold with his statement or be sad for the same reason.


    ''This guy is so damn reckless!'' sheined. "I would be happy if you want to wed me, but you should mind your own damn self first! Why are you telling them that I''m your wife and Mackie is your daughter? Do you think those ten Principals will be able to keep their mouths shut? Oh god, I thought you''re so smart, but why are you doing something so dumb!"


    "What would happen if the news reached Vincent? He will hunt you down! He will kill you!"


    Chloe''s chest rose up and down as she got agitated by Vernon''s ignorance. She was truly worried about him, fearing for his safety.


    "You keep telling Mackie and I that our safety is your priority, but do you think I don''t feel the same for you as well?" Chloe continued chiding while Vernon went silent, listening to Chloe''s nonstop chide. "What will happen if you get discovered by Vincent? Do you think I''ll be happy seeing your life crumble because you''re trying to protect me? What''s the use of you wanting to marry me or bing Mackie''s father if you can''t even protect yourself!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Chloe was done with her child after realizing that Vernon had been silent the whole time. She thought Vernon was reflecting on his decision right now. Maybe he just realized he was being a total dumbass for iming that Chloe and Mackie were his wife and daughter. Now he was thinking of a way to backtrack and save his ass.


    Well, that was what Chloe wanted¡­


    But what he said next made her speechless instead;


    "Can you say that again?"


    "¡­ What?"


    "Can you repeat what you say just now?" Vernon asked. "The first thing you said to me just now."


    "That you''re putting yourself in danger?"


    "Not that one."


    "You''re so damn reckless?"


    "No, more."


    ¡­


    "I would be happy if you want to wed me?"


    "YES, THAT!"

 Chapter 528 528

    --


    "I would be happy if you wanted to wed me?"


    "YES, THAT!" Vernon eximed excitedly. "You should''ve said that sooner! Damn, you made my day just now!"


    ...


    Chloe got even more speechless to the point that she couldn''t even utter one word from her mouth.


    "That''s a promise, okay? I won''t allow you to retrieve that sentence!" Vernon said. "Just so you wait, I will make everything official between us in the end!"


    ...


    "Vernon..."


    "Yes?"


    "FOCUS!" Chloe yelled. She didn''t know what was in Vernon''s mind and why he kept thinking about romance. "This is a serious matter! You''re in danger!"


    "About Vincent stuff?" Vernon sneered. "Heh, nothing will happen, don''t worry."


    "How can you be so sure!?"


    "Because I paid all of those schools with a huge sum of donations as an initial offering to keep their mouths shut. I also told them that I will donate even more if my daughter decides to study in one of their schools. Most of them are just regr people with no real connection to the old rich like the Gray family, and I have intimidated most of them, so they will not dare to speak ill of us."


    "And don''t worry about Vincent, he is dangerous, but he has no time to check on random gossip like that," Vernon assured. "And don''t worry about Maria as well, she got busy these days trying to match Vincent''s erratic behavior at work. He made many erratic choices in business and Maria is trying so hard to keep everything afloat."


    Vernon was confident that Chloe couldn''t find any w in his n.


    "You don''t need to worry about trivial stuff like this. Just focus on finding a good school for Mackie, so she can continue her study, alright?" Vernon said, then he chuckled excitedly, "I''m also going to focus on working here, so I can marry you and give you two a good life. So, put all of your trust in me, and I will never disappoint."


    His confidence and assurance somehow gave peace to Chloe''s heart. She was still scared of what woulde next, but whenever she wanted to voice her concern, Vernon''s words would linger in her mind, telling her not to worry.


    ''So, put all of your trust in me, and I will never disappoint...'' Chloe repeated Vernon''s words just now. ''Then I will trust you, Vernon....''


    "Oh, I''ll have a meeting in thirty minutes, I''ll call youter, love," Vernon kept calling her with ''love'' so naturally as if he had been in love with her for a long time.


    Beep.


    --


    Vernon ended the call after giving assurance in Chloe''s heart.


    Chloe clenched her phone for a moment before tossing it back into her tote bag.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I guess I can do nothing except trusting him and his judgment."


    **


    Mackie sat in the backseat of the car. She kept on staring at the tree that Mommy used to hide behind. She wondered what her Mommy said to her Uncle on the phone just now, but judging from how stern and angry she got, there must be an argument between them.


    And Mackie didn''t like an argument. She never wanted to see Mommy arguing with Daddy or Uncle.


    Mackie asked Diamond, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, "Diamond, why did Uncle say that Mommy is his wife, and I''m his daughter?"


    ? "It''s to protect you and your Mommy, of course," Diamond replied. "Your Daddy is not really healthy right now, so there needs to be a better Daddy to rece him."


    "Un... Mommy said that Daddy has a problem and we can''t return until Daddy solves his problem first...." Mackie said. "So Uncle is Daddy''s recement?"


    ...


    "Mm," Diamond replied with a short hum. She wasn''t sure if what she said was correct, but her boss must''ve prepared himself with a solid n. Since he had boldly imed that Chloe and Mackie were his wife and daughter, V


    "Umm... I don''t mind having Uncle as Daddy''s recement," Mackiemented. "Uncle never hit Mommy. He loves Mommy so much, and he is very kind to her. Uncle is also very kind to me...."


    Diamond smiled, "I''m sure your Uncle will be happy with what you said just now."


    "Un..." Mackie yed with the hem of her skirt as she kept staring at the tree. "I want Mommy to be happy. If she is happy, then I''m happy too! If she is not happy with Daddy, she should go with Uncle."


    ...


    Diamond had a lot of questions in her mind, but the only one that came out of her mouth was;


    "Do you miss your Daddy?"


    "Of course," Mackie replied. "I miss him so much. Sometimes I dreamed of him. He promised me many things, but all I want is to spend my time with Daddy."


    Mackie sighed. She stopped looking at her Mommy. Her eyes cast down as she had a growing sadness in her heart, "But Daddy is not good for Mommy. I thought Mommy fainting, being very thin, and crying often are normal, because Mommy said it''s normal."


    "But when I see her living with Uncle, I realize that Mommy is not supposed to faint everyday, to be very thin, or to cry often," Mackie fiddled with her fingers as she was telling her point of view. "So I know that Uncle makes Mommy happy, while Daddy makes her sad."


    Diamond was astonished by Mackie''s astute observation. She was smart for her age and very understanding despite all the coddling and white lies that Chloe gave her.


    That being said, Diamond sympathized with this little girl. At such a young age, she had learned that her father was not good, witnessed him choking her mother, and also experienced bullying from her ex-friends in school just because her father was a sick freak.


    ''Chloe told me that Mackie is not like her, and she is happy with it because that means Mackie is not weak,'' Diamond tried to remember her conversation with Chloe. ''But I think Mackie has her mother''s quality as well. They have a strong perseverance, and still maintain good morale despite all the bad things happening in their lives.''

 Chapter 529 529

    ''There is no use in hiding things from her anymore. Mackie already epts Vernon as her father''s recement and wants her mother to be happy¡­'' Diamond remembered one sentence that Chloe often repeated to justify everything she did.


    ¡ª


    ''I want my daughter to be happy. I want her to have a normal life, and grow up to be a good woman. I don''t care if I have to suffer for it.''


    ¡ª


    ''Well, you don''t need to look too far to make your daughter happy, Chloe,'' Diamond thought. ''She is happy when you''re happy. You twoplete each other. So please find your own happiness as well, because your daughter naturally wants to support you.''


    Chloe returned to the car with a seemingly okay-ish mood, which was weird since she looked angry when she went to call Vernon just now.


    "Is everything alright?" Diamond asked.


    "Mm¡­ I guess," Chloe replied. She twisted to look at the back seat, so she could check on her daughter.


    She saw that her daughter was sitting calmly. Mackie looked down and fiddled with her fingers. Chloe knew that her daughter must''ve been questioning the whole thing, including Vernon iming them as his wife and daughter.


    That must''ve been confusing for the little girl.


    "Dear, you can ask anything if you want," Chloe opened the conversation.


    Mackie lifted her head and stared at her Mommy, who smiled at her.


    Chloe thought her daughter would ask about what happened in the Principal''s office.


    But she caught Chloe off guard with a statement instead;


    "Mommy, do you like Uncle too?"


    "Eh?! W¡ªWhat''s with that question?" Chloe was genuinely startled and unable to find a good answer to it. Should she answer that she was indeed in love with Uncle Vernon? But how about Chloe''s rtionship with Vincent?


    Mackie always believed that her parents were in love with each other. How could she ept the third party into their new life?


    There was a long silence between Chloe and Mackie.


    Chloe was trying hard to find a good answer but couldn''te up with any.


    While Mackie kept her silence, staring at her Mommy, waiting for her to answer the million-dor question.


    Diamond felt this topic was too early to bring up, or maybe they needed a better time and space to discuss it.


    So she tried to shift the topic, "How about we go to the nearest gto before we visit the next school?" She offered it to Mackie. The little girl''s attention was diverted instantly.


    "Yayy! I want triple scoop gto!"


    "Alright, let''s go!"


    Diamond started the car engine and drove to the nearest gto. Chloe was relieved that Diamond could break the silence and divert Mackie''s attention, "Thank you," she said in a low voice at Diamond, who was still driving.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Diamond nodded, but gave Chloe a side eye signaling her that Diamond also had things to talk about with her, so Chloe wasn''t safe yet.


    **


    After they had their gto, Chloe, Diamond, and Mackie visited each of the new schools that were rmended by Vernon. In thete afternoon, they were finally done visiting each of them and went to the nearby restaurant to eat.


    Mackie was enjoying her dessert after lunch. Chloe checked on her daughter and brought up the conversation, "So, we have visited all the schools, which one you like the most, dear?"


    "Ummm¡­" Mackie was pondering for a moment. Her eyes looked up, trying to remember all the schools they had visited today.


    None of them were simr to her old school.


    They were small and a bit cramped, but everyone seemed to be warmer, and the Principals were all nice to her, unlike Mrs. Andrew.


    But there was one thing that stuck in her mind. It was the yellow cafeteria from the first school. It was like a banana jungle!


    "First one!" Mackie replied excitedly.


    "Why so?"


    "Because the cafeteria is yellow! It''s like a bunch of bananas. I like it!" Mackie replied again. "And Mrs. Moralez is very nice!"


    Chloe chuckled while Diamond raised her brow in confusion. She said, "Can you believe this?'' look on to Chloe, but Chloeughed even more because of that.


    "It''s fine, Diamond. Mackie loves yellow and banana, she''s just like Vernon," Chloe replied. "Well, I see nothing wrong with it. Each of those schools are nice and they''re safe, just like what Vernon said. So if Mackie wants to choose the first school because it has a banana forest, I see why not? Her enjoyment during the study session is the most important after all."


    "Un! I can''t wait to make new friends!" Mackie said.


    Diamond sighed, "Well, if that''s what you want, I guess why not. Let me call him to inform about the school''s choice."


    "Thanks, Diamond," Chloe smiled.


    Diamond got up from her seat and grabbed her phone. She went out with her phone near her ear, ready to report to her boss about Mackie''s school choice.


    Now, Chloe and Mackie were all alone once more. With no Diamond around them, Chloe was worried that Mackie would ask that nerve-wracking question again.


    But Mackie didn''t seem to be bothered with it. She ate her dessert and squealed a few times because it was so delicious. She finally stopped eating when she noticed her Mommy was staring at her.


    "Mommy, do you want my dessert?" Mackie asked. She pushed her half-eaten cake toward her Mommy. "Here, Mommy, you can eat the rest!"


    "Ahaha, no dear, that''s yours," Chloe smiled. "How are you feeling right now?"


    "Un? Happy!" Mackie cheered. "I ate gto and cake! Oh, and also, I will be going to a new school soon. I will make new friends!"


    Chloe was relieved that Mackie wasn''t bothered by any of the things happening in the Principal''s office, or maybe she did, but Mackie had a short attention span, so it was easy to make her mind busy.


    ''But she will remember about thister, and ask the question again. What should I do? What''s the best answer if she asked about my rtionship with Vernon?''

 Chapter 530 530

    To be honest, Chloe feared any question regarding Vincent or Vernon that came from her daughter.


    She didn''t know how to exin theplicated situation they were in. She was also scared that Mackie might react strongly once she finally knew the full truth.


    ''Oh god, please don''t let her hate me. I don''t know what I should do if Mackie hates me because I can''t keep the perfect image of a family with Vincent,'' Chloe secretly prayed in her heart.


    Diamond returned to her seat after ten minutes. She looked at Chloe and Mackie and nodded, "Alright, I told him about Mackie''s transfer and her school choice, all is well."


    "Thank you, Diamond."


    "Thank you, Diamond!"


    Chloe and Mackie said simultaneously, and their response made her smile.


    "It''s fine, it''s my job to help you two, and I''m d to help because you two are my family as well," Diamond said.


    **


    Diamond drove Chloe and Mackie back to the Phoenix Tower. She followed them to the penthouse, and once they entered it, Diamond signaled Chloe with her eyes to let Mackie go somewhere so they could talk.


    Chloe naturally understood her signal and told her daughter, "Dear, you should go to your room and take a warm bath before dinner."


    "Un! Okay, Mommy!"


    Chloe watched her daughter until Mackie went downstairs, then she turned around to face Diamond, "Before we start, you should know that the fight between Vernon and I about Dorothea has been dissolved¡ª well, not really. We''re on truce until next month. So, what are we going to talk about?"


    Diamond crossed her arms and leaned on the wall. She eyed her best friend for a while before starting, "You know well that you won''t be able to return to Vincent, right?"


    "Naturally," Chloe nodded. "And I have no n to return to him as well."


    "Then why are you still trying to portray Vincent as a good father for Mackenzie? It will only damage her in the long run!" Diamond stated firmly. She thought she had to knock some sense in Chloe''s head, so she wouldn''t do stupid shit like trying to convince her daughter that her father was fine while her father was the biggest turd on earth.


    Chloe already expected this question, so she just gave her the same answer as what she gave Vernon before;


    "I don''t want her to see any kind of strangeness in our family. I grew up with a single mother, so I grow to resent, yet miss my father as I get older."


    "So I want to give Mackie a perfect family, with a father and a mother. I''ve been doing this for years, and I¡­ I don''t know how long I will be able to maintain this lie before she finds out about everything," Chloe sighed. "I''m in a dilemma¡­."


    "Chloe¡ª Homegirl¡ª do you know that your endless coddling over your daughter will only damage her?" Diamond warned. "No matter how hard you try to keep things hidden, she will eventually find out about everything!"


    "Do you know what Mackie told me when you were busy arguing with Vernon behind that tree? She told me that she will be happy as long as you''re happy!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That¡­ that is natural¡­" Chloe replied weakly. She started to get nervous when Diamond brought up the topic of what had happened today. "S¡ªShe is a good kid¡­."


    "Yeah, she is," Diamond agreed. Her eyes squinted at her best friend, who started to look nervous. "Do you know why I said so? Mackie is not only a good kid. But she is very mature for her age. She knows how different your life is nowpared to when you lived with Vincent."


    "She knows you''re not happy with Vincent, andstly¡­." Diamond took a deep breath. "She told me that she''d be okay if Uncle reced her Daddy. Because her Daddy cannot make her Mommy happy. She already knows that Vincent is a horrible man, there is no use to hide it from Mackie."


    Chloe''s eyes widened once she heard thest sentence. It was like thunder in a clear sky that made her too shocked to react.


    "N¡ªNo way¡­." Chloe muttered in a low voice. Her body trembled from head to toe, and her legs wobbled.


    She almost fell, but Diamond quickly helped her best friend to sit on the sofa. She saw that Chloe was getting a panic attack and started hyperventting.


    "C¡ªChloe?" Diamond tried calling her name amidst her panic attack. "Chloe, breathe. Take a deep breath and let it out."


    Chloe followed Diamond''s instructions. She tried to breathe in and out, but she was still in a mental shock.


    Diamond rushed to the kitchen to grab a ss of water and returned to Chloe, "Here, drink first, Chloe, then take a breath in and out."


    Chloe followed all the instructions until she calmed down a bit.


    But she felt so weak from head to toe that she had to lean on the sofa.


    Chloe''s mind was in chaos. She stared straight, but her eyes were empty.


    Diamond didn''t expect her statement to put this kind of shock on Chloe. She knew it''d shock her best friend, but not to the point that Chloe started having a panic attack!


    "Chloe? Chloe, talk to me!" Diamond shook Chloe''s body a few times to snap her out of her panic, but Chloe did not react.


    Her face got paler and paler as if blood had been drained out of her body. It seemed that the shock was too much for her to handle.


    "Damn it, I should call an ambnce!" Diamond panicked. She grabbed her phone and was about to call 911 when Chloe suddenly grabbed her wrist.


    "Don''t call 911, Diamond," Chloe said. Her voice was still shaky, but at least Chloe''s eyes had been refocused.


    Diamond let out a relieved sigh. She put her phone down and sat right beside Chloe, "Are you alright? I''m sorry for what I said, I didn''t expect you to have that kind of reaction."


    "N¡ªNo, it''s alright," Chloe replied. She took a few more deep breaths to calm down. "It''s just shocking to me, because I thought¡­ I thought I had perfectly sheltered her this whole time."

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    "I thought I had perfectly sheltered her this whole time," Chloe said. Her eyes started getting teary as shemented over the fact that her daughter might have matured way too early.


    "It''s my fault," she murmured. "I failed to protect her and her innocence¡­."


    "What¡ª no!" Diamond grabbed her best friend''s arm and shook her several times to pull her out of her self-me. "It''s not your fault! It''s because your daughter is an observant kid. She is smart and will naturally understand what is happening no matter how hard you try to hide everything!"


    Chloe darted her eyes at Diamond, and Diamond was stunned when she saw tears that streamed from the corner of Chloe''s eyes down to her cheek.


    Diamond didn''t expect this news to have a huge impact on Chloe, and now she regretted everything she said just now.


    She shouldn''t have told Chloe about Mackie who matured too early.


    "Diamond, you don''t understand¡­." Chloe murmured. "Mackie is the sole reason why I let myself endure Vincent and all of his degeneracy. She is also the reason I threw myself to beg for a job to Vernon. I want her to have a good life."


    "I don''t want her childhood to be ruined, and I surely don''t want her to know about all this," Chloe''s body was visibly shaken, and her tears streamed freely. "What should I do now? What''s the point of all this when my daughter''s innocence and childhood have been ruined?"


    Diamond''s eyes started getting teary as well. Her heart started hurting seeing her best friend crying over spilled milk, "I¡ªI''m sorry," Diamond muttered. "I shouldn''t have told you."


    Chloe didn''t want to me Diamond for telling the truth. But Chloe wasn''t ready to ept the truth.


    That everything was in vain.


    All of her effort to preserve Mackie''s innocence was in vain, and she could do nothing about it now.


    "I¡­ I need time alone," Chloe said. She tried to gently push Diamond away from her. "I''m sorry, Diamond."


    Diamond felt lost. She wanted to apologize for ruining Chloe''s rose-colored sses. But since it had happened, she could do nothing except retreat.


    Diamond stood and stepped back, "I''m sorry, Chloe. I really don''t know it''ll hurt you this bad¡­."


    ¡­


    Chloe said nothing. She lowered her head and cried in silence.


    Diamond knew she could do nothing right now, so she simply excused herself and left the penthouse.


    **


    Diamond drove her car absentmindedly. She kept thinking about what she had said today.


    She believed that Chloe had to know that she couldn''t and shouldn''t lie to her daughter. There was no point in lying to Mackie. That little girl was smart and had matured way too early anyway. Lying to her would only give her trust issues.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Maybe I was too harsh¡­'' Diamond med herself. ''Mackenzie is truly Chloe''s life. She did her best to protect her innocence even though it failed in the end¡­.''


    Diamond was thinking about how to help Chloe ept this new fact easier. Because she surely didn''t want Chloe to keepmenting over this.


    She kept thinking and thinking until she found only one way out, and that was¡­ by telling this to her boss.


    "I doubt his ability to reason with a woman who is =going through emotional turmoil, but the only one that can go through Chloe''s self-me is Vernon¡­." Diamond decided to turn around and go to the office instead of home. "Please, Boss, pull her out of her self-me, or this will be really hard."


    **


    Vernon was busy reading new documents when his office door was suddenly mmed open.


    He lifted his head and frowned.


    "Diamond? Didn''t I tell you that you don''t need to go to work today?" Vernon asked. "Is there something wrong?"


    Diamond''s chest rose up and down as she walked towards her boss. Vernon didn''t notice anything wrong with her until she stood up close and realized that Diamond''s eyes were red, as if she had just cried a river.


    "What''s wrong?" Vernon asked out of concern. After all, Diamond was always a strong, capable woman who never showed her weakness. So this was the first time Vernon ever saw her crying.


    "Boss¡ª no, Vernon," Diamond called his name to signify the personal matter between them. "I fucked up."


    "Fucked up? What kind? I can help if it''s something about money."


    "No, it''s not about money, it''s about¡­ my best friend, Chloe" Diamond''s voice shook when she mentioned her best friend''s name.


    Vernon turned serious instantly. He dropped all his work and focused everything on Diamond, "What did you do to her?"


    "I¡ªI told her about what Mackenzie said to me," Diamond confessed. "Mackie told me that she already knows about Chloe''s condition with Vincent, how the anorexia, fainting, and the tears weren''t normal, because her Mommy never showed any of that after they left the mansion."


    "Mackie told me that she is alright if you¡ª Uncle Vernon¡ª reces Vincent, her Daddy. Because her Daddy failed to make her Mommy happy," Diamond reported. "You see, Mackie is very observant, and she already knows about most of the things happening around her at such a young age. So there is no use of hiding and lying because it''ll only hurt the little girl in the end."


    "So I told Chloe about it, I said it bluntly, and she¡­ she didn''t take it well," Diamond clenched her fist, trying to calm down because she got emotional whenever she saw Chloe''s tears.


    She was burdened with an absurd amount of guilt in her heart that she was about to cry again. Diamond stared at Vernon and pleaded¡ª something that she had never done before;


    "Vernon, I know I fucked up. But I don''t want Chloe to keep deluding herself, trying to keep lying to her daughter. It will only hurt them both and ruin the mother-daughter rtionships in the future!"


    "So please, please have a serious¡ª but calm conversation with Chloe about this. She needs to know that she can''t keep doing this to her daughter!"

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    Vernon was astonished as he listened to Diamond.


    What she said was true and obvious, even in Vernon''s eyes.


    He knew that Chloe kept on lying to her daughter. She insisted that Mackie was an innocent kid who knew nothing about the real world and should be kept that way because she was too young to understand.


    But the thing was...


    Even Vernon could see that Mackie was far smarter for kids her age. She might look innocent and pampered, but her observant skill was developed earlier than other kids. She would eventually learn about everything simply by observing, just like Vernon when he was young.


    But he could also see why it would affect Chloe greatly.


    Vernon had to admit that he had also sinned.


    Because he exploited Chloe''s desperation to give her daughter food and shelter after they left Vincent''s mansion. He intentionally gave her no option but to return and beg him.


    He could see that Mackie was the main reason in almost all of Chloe''s actions. Mackie''s happiness and safety was always Chloe''s main priority.


    Vernon swallowed his saliva. He realized he was also a total scum who exploited Chloe and her desperation, and now he had to help the woman he had tried to ruin before.


    "Alright, I''ll do it now," Vernon put his documents andptop inside his briefcase, then grabbed his car key, "I''ll go home and talk to her."


    Honestly, Vernon also didn''t know what to say to Chloe about this. He wasn''t really mentally mature or stable himself. He had a lot of problems of his own.


    But he knew Chloe needed to ept the truth, that she couldn''t keep lying to Mackie.


    "You can go home now, Diamond," Vernon advised.


    "C--Can Ie? I''m too worried about Chloe...."


    "Don''t," Vernon rejected immediately. "Your presence might make things worse. Just wait until you hear the good news."


    Diamond felt hopeless, but she couldn''t do anything except wait now, "Alright, please help her, Vernon. I can''t bear seeing her tears...."


    Vernon nodded and left the office.


    **


    Chloe still sat on the sofa, her head hung low, and she cried continuously.


    She knew that she couldn''t keep hiding things from her daughter. She knew that Mackie would eventually learn about everything.


    But whenever Chloe saw her daughter, she was reminded of her young self. When she was Mackie''s age, she saw her mother having manic episodes; yelling, and mming things to release her stress.


    It was difficult for a single mother of two to earn a living in New York while caring for her family. She also had no child support as her husband took all their savings and left without a trace.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe remembered how her mother-- Judith, often cried alone, crying over her husband, who had heartlessly left her broke, without a dime that she could use to raise their two daughters.


    Chloe couldn''t do anything to help her mom when she was a child, but she was indeed lonely.


    She envied her friends who had fathers to spend time with, and she couldn''t help resenting her father for being a total scum.


    So, when she married Vincent, she thought he was a perfect man who would treasure their daughter together, just like how Chloe wanted to be treasured by aplete family consisting of a father and mother.


    Thus, even after Vincent showed his true color, she still tried to persevere. She wanted to give Mackie the thing that she didn''t get when she was young, a father.


    She tried her best to maintain a fake image of a Vincent as a good father because she didn''t want Mackie to get heartbroken over her father''s true behavior.


    "Now it''s all useless. There''s no use of me doing all of this when I can''t keep her innocence..." Chloemented. She was so absorbed in her self-me that she didn''t realize her daughter was already staring at her from across the foyer.


    Mackie approached her Mommy with concern and put her small hands on Chloe''sp, "Mommy, are you alright?"


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She looked to her right and saw her daughter staring at her with concern.


    "Ah-- I--I''m okay, dear," Chloe quickly used the cor of her shirt to wipe her tears.


    "If you''re okay, then why are you crying, Mommy?" Mackie asked again.


    "Ahaha, you know Mommy cried a lot. It''s normal for me...."


    "Um... no," Mackie shook her head. "It''s not normal, Mommy. I only cry when I''m sad, hurt, or upset. So Mommy must be sad, hurt, or upset...."


    "Y--You''re just imagining things, dear. Mommy is alright...." Chloe started to get nervous around her daughter after knowing that Mackie was very observant. She still wanted to lie and put up a fake ''everything is okay'' persona in front of her daughter. It was almost like a default thing to do for Chloe.


    Mackie raised her small hand and touched the corner of her Mommy''s eyes. She tried to wipe the tears that couldn''t stop flowing and said, "Mommy, don''t cry. I feel so sad when you''re sad too...."


    "I--I''m not sad--"


    Mackie shook her head, "Mommy is crying. I know it because...." Mackie put one hand on her chest and continued, "Because my heart is also hurting."


    Knowing that Chloe couldn''t hide her sadness anymore. She opened her arm and pulled her daughter to hug her. Chloe''s body trembled as she tried to repress all of her emotions.


    But when her daughter patted her back, as if Mackie understood all the pain and humiliation that Chloe had endured for the past eight years for her, Chloe broke down in tears.


    She hugged her daughter tighter than before and repeatedly apologized, "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry, my dear. I''m sorry I failed to protect you," Chloe murmured constantly. "I did everything but I still failed. I''m sorry."


    "Um... Mommy, it''s alright. Mommy doesn''t need to do anything, just be happy, okay? Mackie is happy when you''re happy, Mommy," Mackie said. She sounded too mature for her age, which hurt Chloe the most.

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    Vernon parked his car in front of his apartment building and told the valet to park it in the basement. He didn''t do this often. He''d usually park the car in the basement himself because he liked the privacy as everyone''s eyes would be on him when he walked through this lobby.


    But he couldn''t care less.


    He was worried about Chloe and Mackie. He was scared that Chloe might be saying or doing something stupid because she drowned herself in self-pity and self-me.


    It was always her weakness. Chloe was prone to be hard on herself, so even a small problem could be instigated into a big thing because of Chloe''s self-depreciation.


    Vernon entered the VIP lift and shot up to the penthouse. He unlocked the door with his fingerprint.


    He rushed inside his penthouse, expecting a mess that would be difficult to solve.


    But what he saw was Chloe, who hugged her daughter tightly. Her body trembled as she kept murmuring something that Vernon couldn''t hear, while Mackie simply stood there, epting the hug and patting Mommy''s back.


    Looking distressed, she repeated the same word, "Mommy, it''s okay. Don''t cry. I feel sad when you''re crying."


    "Sorry, I''m so sorry, my dear...." Chloe repeated.


    Mackie panicked because they had been like this for at least thirty minutes, and her Mommy still cried. She was scared that something might have happened to her Mommy.


    She started looking around, trying to do something to help her Mommy and then saw her Uncle Vernon standing still near the door. He looked concerned but unsure whether to interrupt or not.


    Mackie''s eyes brightened, and she yelled, "Uncle!"


    Mackie''s voice startled both Chloe and Vernon. Chloe turned her neck as she followed her daughter''s line of sight and was petrified when she saw Vernon standing awkwardly near the penthouse door.


    "Uncle! Come here, Uncle! Please help Mommy!" Mackie called, and Vernon flinched in response.


    He really wanted toe and embrace his family, but he wasn''t sure if his presence was wanted by Chloe right now.


    "I--I can wait here, you two can continue," Vernon said.


    Mackie pouted. She wriggled out of her Mommy''s embrace and rushed towards her Uncle.


    "Mackie!" Chloe called her daughter''s name, but Mackie didn''t listen. She approached her Uncle and grabbed his wrist with two small hands.


    "L--Little wolf, not now," Vernon warned. He nced at Chloe, who looked like a mess, and thought Mackie was all Chloe needed, not him.


    "Come on, Uncle! Help Mommy!" Mackie urged. She tried her hardest to pull her Uncle''s hand, but he didn''t budge.


    Vernon gulped and finally followed Mackie to approach Chloe, who was sitting on the carpet absentmindedly.


    Mackie guided her Uncle to stand before her Mommy and pulled him down so he would sit on the carpet, just like her Mommy.


    Vernon followed the little girl''s instructions and sat facing Chloe. He swallowed his saliva again. Somehow, he felt even more nervous facing his beloved when she had a mental breakdown.


    He was afraid that he might identally hurt her fragile heart.


    "Okay!" Mackie was happy that her Uncle cooperated with her. She stepped back and observed her Uncle and Mommy, then instructed, "Uncle, hug Mommy now!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "HUH?!" Vernon was shocked by Mackie''s instruction. He shook his head vehemently. "Seriously, Mackie, this is not a good time, your Mom is--" Vernon gave Chloe a quick nce and lowered his voice, "--in too much shock."


    Mackie tilted her head. She didn''t understand why her Uncle wouldn''t cooperate with her because she believed that her Uncle was the one who could make her Mommy happy.


    "Uncle, don''t you love Mommy?" Mackie asked innocently. But her innocent question was like a spear that stabbed through his heart.


    "I--I can''t answer that," Vernon replied. "The time is not right. Mackie, you should just go back to your room and let me talk with your Mommy, alright?"


    Mackie shook her head, "I won''t go back to my room until Uncle hugs Mommy!"


    Under pressure from the little girl, Vernon stared at Chloe, who was still staring emptily.


    "Vernon..." Chloe finally opened her mouth and called his name softly. But it wasn''t a voice of seduction or sweetness. It was filled with grief and desperation. "Please hug me."


    Vernon''s heart was aching instantly upon hearing her request. He knew that Chloe wanted him to hug her to appease Mackie''s request, so Mackie would stop pestering them and return to her room.


    "Love..." Vernon murmured with an even softer voice and then leaned closer to her. He opened his arms, and there was a slight pause due to hesitation before Vernon finally hugged Chloe.


    He buried her inside his embrace and gently caressed the back of her head.


    Chloe''s body trembled again, but she said nothing.


    Mackie was satisfied with the hug. She nodded approvingly, "Hum! This is better! Mommy, don''t cry, okay? Uncle is with us now. We are safe with him!"


    "And Uncle, go hug Mommy tighter! Mommy is very sad now!"


    "A--Alright," Vernon hugged Chloe tighter until there was no more gap between their bodies.


    "Mhm, that''s good! Please make her happy, Uncle! I''ll be in my room!" Mackie said. She turned around and skipped joyously to the kitchen, where the stair was located, and went downstairs to her room.


    ...


    ...


    Now there were only Chloe and Vernon in the penthouse. There was an awkward silence between them, and Vernon thought Chloe was ufortable with such a tight hug.


    But when he was about to release her, Chloe suddenly said, "Don''t let me go, Vernon. I need you."


    ...


    Vernon tightened his hug again. They spent a while in this position until Vernon could sense that Chloe''s stiff body started loosening.


    Vernon was unsure if he should celebrate for Mackie, who had easily epted him as Vincent''s recement.


    He thought it''d be more difficult to coax Mackie into epting him. But Diamond was right. Mackie was very observant for her age, and she was also understanding and mature. She observed everything around her and could draw a positive opinion from it.

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    Even Vernon had to admit that Mackie was far more mature than him when he was her age. Because he saw the world as bleak and full of hatred, while Mackie could still see the love and hope in it.


    ''I think it''s because of Chloe''s education too. She is a great mother for that little girl,'' Vernon thought.


    But at the same time, he was also sad that Mackie''s maturity shocked Chloe so much.


    "Chloe..." Vernon called her name again. He thought Chloe wouldn''t respond, but she did;


    "Mm?"


    "... You should be happy that Mackie is a smart and sensible kid," Vernon said. "She knows that you''ve been suffering this whole time with Vincent, and genuinely wants you to be happy."


    "She handles this whole thing maturely, something even the young me can''t do," Vernon admitted. "So don''t be sad anymore. You did great as a mother. You''ve raised a sensible, smart, and kind little girl."


    ...


    Chloe buried her face deeper into Vernon''s chest. She said nothing at first but then opened her mouth after realizing she couldn''t keep being upset.


    "I know that I should be happy, because Mackie has grown up to be a sensible and smart little girl. Maybe it''s also my fault because I tried to baby her too much, even though she''s already seven years old," Chloe admitted. "I think I projected my own childhood onto her."


    "Your own childhood?"


    "Mhm. I wish I wouldn''t mature too early when I was young, so I don''t need to worry about anything and spent my childhood studying, ying, and having fun in general," Chloe said. "I want to give that life to Mackie. But fate brought me to Vincent, and... you know the rest...."


    Vernon gritted his teeth. Knowing how toxic her family was, it wasn''t surprising that Chloe was robbed of her childhood.


    So it was natural for her to want the best childhood for Mackie since she couldn''t enjoy hers.


    But still...


    "You may want to raise her with your standard. But Mackenzie is still her own person. She has independent thought no matter how much you try to control her," Vernon said. "You did great nheless. You''ve raised a sensible and smart little girl, in fact...."


    Vernon gently pushed Chloe''s shoulder until his arm''s length, so they could stare into each other''s eyes. He confessed, "You are a great caretaker in general, Chloe. You raised me well too. You''re the only reason why I haven''t turned into a monster like Vincent."


    "So, I''ve never doubted you and your motherly instinct," Vernon said. "You just need to know that you can''t fully expect Mackie to grow up like what you expected her to be."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You also shouldn''t try to hide anything from her. You don''t need to tell her explicitly about Vincent. But you don''t need to hide it anymore."


    "But... What would happen If Mackie knows that her father is an abusive scum? Will it ruin her future? Will it ruin her view of men? What about the father figure in her life?" Chloe''s mind was filled with anxiety.


    "She will know about it eventually. If you keep lying to her, you''ll only ruin your rtionship with Mackie. She might me you for hiding things for too long," Vernon said. "And no, her future and view of men will not be ruined. Because I will be her new father figure. I will raise her as my daughter," Vernon imed boldly.


    He had already imed it a few times in front of Chloe, but Chloe was always unsure whether Vernon was ready to bear such a heavy responsibility as a father.


    "I don''t know if you''re ready for it, Vernon," Chloe said. "After all, fatherhood wasn''t something you do during your free time. You need to be present in the child''s life, and you can''t get bored of it, because a child is not a toy. They will always see you as their father, and you cannot simply leave when you are tired."


    Naturally, Vernon knew and understood the role of a father.


    He experienced a life where he was treated like a toy by his own family. His father treated him like an insignificant family member, almost like a toy. His Big brother treated him like an obedient pet, and his mother... he didn''t even want to be reminded of that bitch''s awful abuse towards him when he was young.


    "You forgot that I don''t have a good parent figure in my life," Vernon mentioned. "Naturally, I don''t want to be an awful man like my Big brother andte father. I also don''t want to be an abusive asshole like my mother. My desire to have a normal family is far bigger than you expected."


    "I want to raise Mackie as my daughter. I want to have a family of my own, and I can only see it when you and Mackie are inside the picture," Vernon admitted. He thought there was no need to hide his own feelings at this point.


    It was clear that he did everything for Chloe and Mackie. He did everything because he wanted a family, and no woman would do anything except Chloe.


    Chloe wanted to deny Vernon''s statement as she thought he was just making empty promises.


    But she saw the spark of seriousness in his eyes. He also gave Chloe that pleading look, begging for Chloe to trust him and his promise to be a good father.


    "Trust me, Chloe. Trust me with everything and I will give you the happy ending that you deserve," Vernon said.


    Chloe kept staring into Vernon''s eyes, and her heartbeat started elerating.


    She sighed defeatedly and murmured, "I really can''t say no when you''re pleading like that."


    "R--Really? So you will ept me as Mackie''s new father?" Vernon couldn''t believe what he had heard just now. He confessed his desire to be Mackie''s father because he truly cared for Mackie and Chloe deep down. He didn''t expect Chloe to ept his plea.

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    Chloe smiled and leaned forward. She took the initiative and gave Vernon a gentle kiss on the lips.


    Chu.


    Vernon was stunned by the short and gentle kiss. It was almost like a feather brushing on his lips. He didn''t even have time to enjoy it before Chloe retreated.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened as a sweet smile and glimmer in her eyes had returned, "Thank you for wanting to be Mackie''s father. I hope things will improve so we can make it official."


    ¡­


    Vernon knew that he had told himself about this many times.


    But no matter how often he said it, he couldn''t help but marvel at Chloe''s beauty.


    She was truly the most beautiful woman on earth. The goddess in his dream.


    "You''re truly a beauty when you''re brimming with happiness," Vernon murmured.


    "Eh? Mmffh¡ª" Chloe was taken aback when Vernon suddenly kissed her, and it wasn''t the same light kiss she gave him just now.


    It was a kiss full of passion, the kind of kiss you''d expecting from a lover who had a deep love for his woman.


    "Mmhh¡­ ah¡­" Chloe struggled a little out of reflex. But as Vernon kept kissing her, her defense started crumbling down, and she epted the kiss wholeheartedly.


    Just like how she finally put all of her trust in him wholeheartedly.


    ''It should''ve been this way since the beginning,'' Chloe thought as she enjoyed Vernon''s kiss.


    **


    Mackie was ying with a doll in her room when she heard a knock on the door. She looked over her shoulder, staring at the door for a while until she heard another knock.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Come in!" Mackie yelled.


    Click.


    "Ah, Mommy¡ª Uncle!" Mackie''s face brightened when she saw her Mommy standing at the door, apanied by her Uncle, who stood right behind her. They were smiling at her, so Mackie got up and threw herself into her Mommy''s embrace.


    "Mommy!" Mackie hugged her Mommy and buried her face in Chloe''s stomach.


    In response, Chloe patted her daughter''s head, "Yes, dear?"


    Mackie looked up. She stared at her mother''s eyes filled with happiness, bringing the same joy in the little girl''s heart in return.


    "Mommy, are you okay now? Don''t be sad, okay? I don''t want to see you cry again¡­."


    "Mommy is okay," Chloe replied. She smiled and looked over her shoulder momentarily, "Thanks to you and your Uncle, of course."


    "Un! I will do anything to make Mommy happy!" Mackie said before she released her hug. She sidestepped her mother, hugged her Uncle''s thigh, and looked up, "Uncle, thank you for making my Mommy happy! I won''t call you Big Bad Uncle for one week as a reward!"


    "Heh, only for one week?"


    "Un! Only for one week! Uncle is still bad!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon chuckled, "Fine, we''re going on a one-week-truce."


    Chloe had fun staring at her daughter and Vernon, who bickered as if they were truly a father-and-daughter duo. Even Mackie never showed that kind of bickering with Vincent because Vincent always gave her fake pampering, not a genuine one like Vernon.


    "Alright, it''s time for dinner," Vernon said. "We called you here for dinner, you know."


    "Oh!" Mackie''s expression brightened, she checked on her Mommy and realized that her Mommy''s right hand was still wrapped in a cast, so it wasn''t her who cooked dinner today.


    Then her eyes dimmed again, "Is it your cooking again, Uncle?"


    "Hey, what''s wrong with my food? I made good food!"


    "It''s worse than Mom''s cooking," Mackie said bluntly.


    "Well, you can''tpare my cooking with hers. I''m not as good as hers, but mine is still great!" Vernon insisted.


    "Mhm, sure, Uncle," Mackie agreed unenthusiastically.


    "Ahahah, it''s okay. I will help, Vernon," Chloe offered.


    "Huh? You''re still injured, you should rest," Vernon said. "I don''t want you to get another injury because you have to use one hand to help me."


    "No, no, I will help by telling you what to do. We will make our dinner with my recipe, but with your hand as the cook," Chloe said.


    "Oh, that''s great! I can finally eat Mommy''s cooking again!" Mackie cheered.


    Vernon frowned, "I still don''t want you to step on the kitchen for a while. But if you insist, then I will be your assistant, Chef."


    **


    Mackie was watching with sparkling eyes as she saw her Mommy instruct her Uncle to prepare all the ingredients, cut it, put it in the oven, boil it, et cetera.


    They were making quesadis andsagna.


    "Alright, that''s it for thesagna," Vernon said as he put thesagna inside the oven and set the timer and temperature based on Chloe''s instruction.


    "Good job," Chloe said. She pulled a few sheets of tissue and wiped the sweat on Vernon''s forehead and cheek. "Sorry that you have to do a lot."


    Vernon looked at his beloved and raised his eyebrow, "Why are you apologizing? It''s my duty to cook until you''ve recovered. Besides, I should be the one who thank you, because you gave me the best recipe to make quesadi andsagna."


    Vernon darted his eyes at a big te full of quesadis. He picked one slice and then fed it to Chloe, "You should try it. It''s your recipe."


    "Mm¡­" Chloe opened her mouth and gave the quesadi a bite. She munched it several times and nodded approvingly, "It''s good. It tastes like what I usually make."


    "Oh, nice!" Vernon ate the half-bitten food in his hand and nodded. "That tastes great!"


    Vernon was happy that he could finally replicate Chloe''s dishes. He had to admit that Chloe had that special touch because no matter how skilled he was at cooking, somehow Chloe''s food would always taste better.


    Vernon grabbed another slice and called Mackie, watching them from the dining table, "Mackie,e here and try this! It tastes just like your mother''s cooking!"


    "Really?!" Mackie jumped excitedly. She rushed to the kitchen and opened her mouth, ready to eat the homemade quesadi.


    "Aaa¡ªumpp¡ª" Mackie munched it a few times, and her eyes brightened. "It tastes just like Mom''s cooking! Uncle is amazing!"

 Chapter 536 536

    Vernon grinned proudly, "But of course! Now we''ve solved the food problem. I will cook, and your Mommy will be the one who tells me what to do, so we can still eat her cooking even when she can''t cook for a while!"


    "Yay! Finally, I can eat Mommy''s food again!" Mackie chirped.


    Chloe watched how Vernon and Mackie rejoiced over such a trivial thing. She didn''t expect such a simple thing as homemade food could affect them greatly.


    ''Maybe I''ve underestimated myself...'' Chloe thought. ''Maybe I do have a role in this family.''


    Vernon carried the quesadi te to the dining table, followed by Mackie, who couldn''t wait to eat more.


    But they stopped halfway when they realized that Chloe wasn''t following.


    Vernon and Mackie turned their heads at the same time, staring at Chloe, and asked;


    "What are you doing standing there? Come, let''s eat."


    "Un! Let''s eat, Mommy. I''m starving!"


    "Ah--" Chloe snapped out of her daze and smiled at them. "Yes, let''s eat. I''m also hungry."


    Thus, Chloe joined them at the dining table, eating the food Vernon made under Chloe''s tutoring. Chloe felt so happy and rxed for the first time that she ate a lot of quesadis today.


    **


    Diamond was busy watching Netflix at home when she got a call from a private number.


    Of course, she knew who this person was. So she picked it up without hesitation;


    -


    "Hello?"


    "Good evening, Miss. I have all the information you need about Miss Shailene Walsh," the man with a heavy voice said on the phone.


    "Mhm, tell me," Diamond instructed. She had to thank her boss for allowing her to use this informant to investigate Shailene. He was very effective in doing his job.


    "Shailene Walsh has one very important client, and that is Mrs. Dorothea Gray," the informant said. "Mrs. Dorothea Gray paid her at least ten thousand dors per session, though it doesn''t seem to help."


    "As expected," Diamond murmured.


    She was wondering about Dorothea because Diamond believed the old woman couldn''t get that kind of information without any insider information. And the only ones knowing about Vernon and Chloe''s rtionship and Chloe''s true identity as Vincent''s wife were only her and Shailene, Vernon''s temporary psychologist.


    This information was important, but she needed something more to catch that bitch off guard, "Do you have any additional information?" she asked. "You know having Dorothea''s identity as Shailene''s main client isn''t going to change things, right?"


    "Yes, Miss. I''ve gathered one more piece of information that will ruin her career. I''d like you to read it by yourself. I put the document under your parked car," the informant said.


    "Good, my boss will send you the money as always," Diamond said.


    "Understood, thank you for the business, Miss."


    Beep.


    --<novelnext></novelnext>


    Diamond tossed her phone on the sofa. Two weeks had passed since the day Diamond started investigating Shailene. She had obtained all the information needed, including Dorothea''s identity as the main client.


    But she needed stuff that would actually screw the crap out of her.


    "Well, let''s hope this information he got is good," Diamond murmured. She grabbed her sweater and went to the basement, where her car was parked.


    She walked to her car and crouched. She grabbed a file under her car and entered the car to read the document. She couldn''t wait to read what kind of secret that maniptive bitch had.


    "Alright, now, let''s see," Diamond murmured as she unwrapped the file. She had no expectations since Shailene seemed to be a good psychologist who handled many important women.


    But when she read the document, Diamond''s hand suddenly trembled. She clenched the paper until it was crumpled around the corner.


    "Wow, what an ass," Diamond cursed. "I know she is already a despicable woman for telling Dorothea about Vernon and Chloe. But I never expected her to be THIS despicable."


    Diamond gritted her teeth. She couldn''t wait to face that woman and tear her apart.


    But she had to wait patiently because she didn''t want to ruin her n.


    "Heh, things just get even more personal now," Diamond said. "I won''t let here ruin people''s life for the third time."


    **


    Shailene sighed as she took off her sses. It was a busy day today. She had three clients with severe problems.


    But none of that mattered much because she still hadn''t seen her biggest client entered the door.


    "Where is Dorothea now? Don''t tell me that Vernon killed her after a confrontation?" Shailene guessed. "Ah, I don''t think Dorothea is that stupid. She can always tell Vincent about this, and Vincent will do the stuff to ruin Vernon and Chloe''s life. So Vernon will know that Chloe is just a misfortune brought into his life."


    Shailene still thought Chloe was behind all the misfortune befalling the Gray family.


    Dorothea and Vincent had gone crazy after Chloe was married into the family. Vernon insisted that Dorothea and Vincent had been crazy since the start, but Shailene didn''t believe that.


    "How can I believe him when he was being groomed by that bitch?" Shailene said. "I feel bad for Vernon, honestly. A perfectly good man, getting groomed by a maniptive, poor woman who just wants to climb the socialdder."


    Shailene couldn''t help but imagine, "If only I had ess to Vernon when he was young. I would be a much better person than Chloe, and Vernon will get obsessed with me instead."


    "But I can''t rewind time. I just hope there''s news from Dorothea, and Vernon will get separated from that maniptive bitch," Shailene wished. "He must know that I''m the one who cares so much about him. He won''t find a better partner than I am."


    Shailene spent her evening thinking about Vernon when she suddenly got a call from an unknown number;


    Shailene didn''t think much about it and picked it up;


    --


    "Good evening, Dr. Shailene Walsh, Ph.D. here," Shailene opened with her title to make sure the one calling her wasn''t some random person.


    "Hello, Dr. Walsh," the voice from the other side sounded calm but somehow mysterious. "My name is Diamond Johnson, I want to set up a meeting."


    --

 Chapter 537 537

    --


    "My name is Diamond Johnson, I want to set up a meeting."


    "A meeting?" Shailene frowned upon hearing the request. Most of the time, any new clients had to go through the hospital bureau before contacting Shailene.


    Still, it wasn''t umon for her to get a direct call from a potential client, but she didn''t simply share her number with random people. The ones with her number must be rmended by her current or ex-clients, and all her clients were the elites.


    ''So this woman must be one of them as well,'' Shailene believed.


    "Certainly, Miss Johnson. But before we proceed, may I know who would rmend me to you? It''s nothing serious, just patient data I have to fill in for the admin," Shailene said, though there was no administration here. She just wanted to ensure she wouldn''t waste her time with a client without money.


    "Yes, I got the rmendation from Madame Dorothea Gray," Diamond replied. "She told me to look for you."


    Shailene''s eyes widened instantly. She got excited knowing that Dorothea rmended her to one of her friends. Because it was a sign that Dorothea was still on her side, and she probably told Vincent about Vernon and Chloe''s secret rtionship already.


    "Madam Gray is my main client. I feel honored that she rmended me," Shailene said. "I''m the best in my field, so you can trust me to handle your problem."


    "That''s nice...." Diamond said. She didn''t seem to be as excited as Shailene. But Shailene didn''t care. Maybe this woman was in too much emotional turmoil and needed a ce to vent.


    ''In fact, it''d benefit me even more in the long run,'' Shailene thought. ''As long as this woman is vulnerable, it won''t be hard for me to extort more information about Dorothea and everything that''s happening in the Gray family.''


    "Please inform me when you will visit my office. I will send the address after a meeting has been scheduled," Shailene asked.


    There was a brief pause from the other side until Diamond replied, "A week from now. Same day, I want to go after midnight."


    "After midnight?" Shailene was taken aback by the sudden request. "M--Miss, my schedule is empty next week, so you cane at anytime--"


    "Anytime, right? Then I wille after midnight, prepare yourself," Diamond said.


    She was calm as she stated her schedule, but somehow, Shailene had a gut feeling that it sounded more like a threat.


    But she quickly dispelled the idea, ''Maybe this woman is just crazed. It''s not the first time I dealt with crazy women. Don''t worry, Shailene, getting information from this woman will be easy,'' Shailene tried to convince herself that everything was alright, even though her gut feeling said otherwise.


    "Alright, Miss Diamond Johnson. I will set up the meeting on December 3rd, after midnight. Pleasee at the designated time, I will wait for one hour or the meeting will be canceled," Shailene said seriously. "I will text you my address after the call ends."


    "No need, I know your apartment already," Diamond replied.


    "Really? Did Madam Gray tell you my address?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes, she told me everything," Diamond hinted. "Including something very private."


    Shailene took this as good news because Madam Gray must''ve been close to this woman to share something private.


    ''This is great, I can definitely extort a lot of information from a mentally unstable woman like this one,'' Shailene thought.


    "Then, the meeting has been scheduled. I''m looking forward to meeting you next week, Miss Johnson."


    "Yes, good bye."


    Beep.


    --


    Shailene frowned when this woman ended the call with a simple goodbye, and it didn''t sound friendly either.


    "What the-- this woman sounds condescending as fuck!" Shaileneined. "No wonder she has problems, she''s definitely the type of woman that everyone despises."


    "Well, she is friends with Dorothea, I guess they''re pretty much the same. They are the type of women that everyone hates, and the only redeeming quality they have is their money," Shailene said condescendingly. "Oh well, if she''s as rich as Dorothea, I guess I can ask for ten grand, or even more as a payment for every meeting we got."


    Shailene put her phone down and leaned on her chair. She stared at the ceiling for a while before a simple smile perked on her lips, "I don''t know what''s happening inside the Gray family right now. But I''m pretty sure that things are going awry there."


    "Maybe Vincent had gone insane after knowing that he had been betrayed by his own little brother, then he decided to take that maniptive bitch back while ruining Vernon''s business and his future."


    "Then Vernon will have nowhere to go. He will be heartbroken, ruined, and he will realize that Chloe is nothing but a misfortune brought upon himself."


    "Then, once everything has been destroyed, I can just wait and enter his life," Shailene''s grin turned into a wide smile as she tried hard to contain her excitement.


    It had been so long since thest time she had embraced that man, and that man was the only one she fell in love with. She thought that she would eventually forget about Vernon after their bad breakup.


    But that feeling never left her heart. It lingered for so long that she stayed single because she found other men lesser than Vernon.


    Thus, when she realized that her feelings for him hadn''t subsided, she packed up and went to New York to find him. Honestly, it wasn''t hard to find him because he was a rising CEO that was hot talk on social media.


    She couldn''t contact Vernon because he was so busy and didn''t want to make the same mistake. She wanted to know everything about him before they got together again.


    Thus, she started getting in contact with Madam Dorothea Gray and was able to grab her as the main client. Madam Gray naturally told her everything about her family. From there, she concluded that Chloe was the maniptive bitch that ruined Vernon.

 Chapter 538 538

    Shailene thought that she had to be close to Dorothea enough until she got the chance to meet Vernon at an event.


    Who would''ve expected that he suddenly gave her a call, asking for a therapy session? It was almost like a dreame true for Shailene. She was trying her hardest not to scream out of excitement at that time.


    Until she realized that Vernon''s problem was about this woman called Chloe, the same woman who ruined their rtionships and the same woman who ruined Vernon''s childhood.


    "That''s why I want to wake you up, Vernon," Shailene said firmly. "I want you to know how much I care for you. You won''t find a woman who has you in my mind more than I do."


    "And that Chloe bitch?" Shailene''s gaze got cold as she mentioned Chloe. She scorned, full of contempt, "She can rot in hell. What a maniptive woman, trying to take advantage of a vulnerable heart just to get what she wants."


    "Ah, can''t wait to have him by my side again," Shailene said. "I miss him so much¡­."


    **


    A week passed, and Shailene was preparing herself in her home office. She had to look proper in front of her client, so it would convince the client that Shailene was a professional worthy of being hired.


    She waited in her living room until midnight and heard a door knock after 00.00.


    Knock. Knock.


    Shailene''s heart jumped. She couldn''t help to curse out of reflex, "God-fucking-damn-it, why did she knock right when it''s midnight? Has she been waiting in front of my door for a while?"


    Shailene was creeped out, but after another knock, she walked to the door and checked through the peephole.


    She was surprised when she saw a ck woman in her 20s. She was young¡ª too young to be able to befriend Dorothea since Dorothea''s friends were mostly women of her age or just slightly younger or older.


    She was also gorgeous, with her tall and slim body. Shailene almost mistook her for a supermodel.


    ? ''Is this really my client? She doesn''t look sick or mentally deranged. Can I really get any information about the Gray family from her?'' Shailene started doubting her client''s usefulness. She didn''t have time to handle another mentally sick woman right now, especially one like Dorothea, who had a lot of emotional baggage.


    ''But this woman got my contact from Dorothea. Let''s just hope that she has good news for me.''


    Thus, Shailene put up her sweetest smile and opened the door.


    She smiled at the ck woman who was a head taller than her, "Miss Diamond Johnson?"


    Diamond nodded in response, "May Ie in?"


    "Oh, sure! Follow me, Miss, we can start your therapy in my home office."


    Shailene opened the door for Diamond and led the woman into her home office.


    "Pleasey there, Miss," Shailene pointed at the chaise lounge while preparing a warm tea ss as a wee gift.


    Diamond obedientlyy on the chaise lounge. She kept staring at Shailene''s back, who was busy preparing tea for her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I have been expecting you, Miss Johnson, I can''t wait to meet and talk to you," Shailene tried to sound hospitable as she was brewing tea. "After all, Madam Gray is my main client, so it''s my pleasure to treat you here."


    "I have been expecting you as well," Diamond said. But her voice was cold and unfeeling, which made Shailene ufortable.


    But she maintained her amiable persona and took it as a joke instead, "Haha, you''re funny, Miss."


    If Shailene turned her back now, she would see a pair of eyes full of hostility, as if Diamond couldn''t wait to end her life.


    Shailene returned to Diamond with a ss of hot tea. She put it on the small table right beside the chaise lounge and sat on the seat on her usual seat.


    She picked up her pen and notes, then crossed her legs, a sign that she was ready to do her work, "Alright, time to start the session, shall we? Miss Diamond Johnson, may you state your name, age, and upation first?"


    ¡­


    "Diamond Johnson, 23, Secretary."


    Shailene was genuinely surprised by the answer, "Twenty-three and you''re already friends with Madam Dorothea Gray? Wow!"


    "Well, since you said that you''re a secretary, does that mean you''re working for the Gray business? Maybe you''re Mr. Vincent Gray''s secretary? That will exin your connection with Madam Gray."


    "¡­ You talk too much for a psychologist. Shouldn''t you listen to your client first?" Diamond said condescendingly.


    "Oh, my apology, I got excited because I see Madam Gray more like a friend than a client," Shailene said. She was about to say ''like a mother-inw,'' but she had to wait until Vernon married her to have that title. "Well, Miss Johnson, you just need to take a deep breath for now, inhale and exhale¡­ and once you feel more rxed, you can start talking to me about your problem."


    Diamond followed the instruction that Shailene gave, but she didn''t feel rxed at all.


    She felt vengeful.


    She wanted to take down this bitch forplicating things between Dorothea, Chloe, and Vernon.


    Diamond knew that Shailene was doing it out of spite, maybe she still loved Vernon or just wanted to be part of the Gray family.


    Nevertheless, she messed with her family too, since she already saw Chloe as a sister from another mother¡ª and father.


    Other than that, Diamond also had a personal matter with this woman simply because of what Shailene did to one of her clients a few years back.


    "I do have a personal problem," Diamond said. "It''s about my big brother, Derik."


    Shailene started to guess about the problem this man named Derik had, "So it''s a family problem, I see," Shailene murmured as she started writing down her note. "Please continue, Miss."


    Diamond smirked momentarily and continued, "He was bullied in middle school, and his depression worsened each day. So he got assigned to a psychologist to treat his depression and trauma."

 Chapter 539 539

    [Warning: Upsetting Content regarding mental issues. Readers have been warned.]


    "I see¡­" Shailene continued writing down her note. But she couldn''t help to get distraught about the teenage bullying until he got depressed and had to be assigned to a psychologist.


    Because it reminded Shailene of something unpleasant back then.


    "You may continue, Miss Johnson."


    "¡­ Derik got assigned to a male psychologist named Carter, who happened to be young and also quite inexperienced. My parents didn''t have that much money to begin with, so we could only afford a third-ss psychologist and hoped for the best,"


    "We thought that Derik''s mental health would eventually recover. But as time passed, and money wasted into the psychologist, Derik''s mental health wasn''t recovering at all. He got worse, and had to drop out of high school because he had a manic episode that harmed one of his ssmates."


    "My parents were heartbroken because my brother had to drop out. They tried to move my Big brother to a different psychologist, but he got very close to this male psychologist, and refused to get treated by other professionals."


    Shailene continued noting down, but she got increasingly ufortable as she didn''t know what to do with this information.


    First, she got ufortable because her client kept mentioning her brother in the past tense. As if he had died long ago.


    Second, the story she was listening to sounded like something had happened to her. She tried her best to ignore and close the case because it would taint her reputation as a renowned psychologist.


    But she maintained her magnanimity and asked, "So, your brother got stuck with that male psychologist?"


    "Yes," Diamond replied. "Since he refused to find another one, we had to endure with that man, and it got worse after that. Derik''s mental instability endangered everyone around them, and Derik locked himself in his room most of the time, onlying out when it was time to eat or going to his therapy session."


    "Have your parents tried to talk to him?" Shailene suggested.


    "As I said before, he only listened to that bastard psychologist," Diamond said. As she mentioned this psychologist, her tone grew increasingly cold and filled with hatred. "He manipted my Big brother until he got emotionally dependent on that psychologist. He''d get frantic when he missed his therapy session. That psychologist started to increase his price until my parents had to sell a few things to be able to afford him."


    "We got poorer and poorer, but Derik''s depression had gotten even worse, and his manic episode got even more dangerous. My Dad started borrowing money from family and friends, until none of them wanted to give him more, because my Dad couldn''t pay them back."


    "So he started borrowing from the bank just to get enough money for Derik''s therapy, and a series of bad decisions ended up costing us our home," Diamond grew increasingly bitter. She remembered that day when they were kicked out of their houses because their Dad couldn''t pay the bank and had their house confiscated. "After they kicked us out, we had to live in a trailer on the outskirt of our town. Life was miserable, and Derik was still unwell."


    Shailene starts sweating bullets. She didn''t know if it was just a coincidence, but this story was too simr to something that had happened to her a few years back, and it wasn''t a pretty thing to remember.


    In fact, Shailene had been trying to forget about it, but she couldn''t.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''This is just a coincidence. Still, it''s definitely an eerie coincidence,'' she thought. ''Alright, let''s just act professional. Shailene. Act like nothing''s wrong.''


    "Did they manage to cure Derik in the end?" Shailene asked.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a long ufortable silence between them. Diamond didn''t answer right away.


    Instead, she kept staring at Shailene with a pair of dark, unblinking eyes. It was inexplicably creepy under the dim light of her home office.


    Shailene gulped nervously. She wondered if this was also part of her new client''s mental illness. Maybe a traumatic incident affected her whenever she recalled a memory. That traumatic incident must''ve been linked to Derik.


    "He died," Diamond replied with a smile.


    "D¡ªDied?" Shailene''s hand started trembling. She realized that things had gotten way too simr for her to ignore. "H¡ªHow?"


    "He hung himself," Diamond continued. "I was fifteen at that time. I was the first one to see his corpse, hanging on a tree in front of our trailer. I remember how his eyes were lifeless, his tongue stuck out, and there were wounds around his neck where he wrapped the rope around. Maybe he realized that it was a bad idea, so he tried to free himself by wing his neck, but it was toote, and he died."


    "I remember screaming upon seeing his corpse, then my family all came out, and everyone was hysterical. My brother, Derik Johnson, died at the age of seventeen."


    My family was grieving, we were poor too, so it was hell on earth for me," Diamond said. "Derik left us a note detailing his reason formitting suicide. He realized that he was nothing but a burden to the family, and he knew he wouldn''t get any better, so he ended his life to save us all from the pain."


    "But there was something that shocked us all inside his note. He mentioned one name that helped to push himself tomit suicide," Diamond said. "Do you know who it is?"


    Shailene had already guessed the identity of the person who helped push Derik tomit suicide, but she hoped she was the wrong one here.


    Because if she wasn''t wrong, she could probably die from a heart attack right now.


    "W¡ªWho?" Shailene asked, ying along with Diamond, who was ready to drop the bomb.


    Diamond smiled and opened her mouth. Not only she mentioned the name of the culprit, but also what he said to Diamond''s brother that led him tomit suicide.

 Chapter 540 540

    [Warning: Upsetting Content. Violence. Readers have been warned.]


    Diamond mouthed it word by word. In fact, with her cold and somber tone, she said;


    -


    I want to say thank you to Mr. Carter Fallingham. He is such a good person who has given me hope for so long. He told me that a worthless piece of shit like me deserves to live for a while, and he also told me that I shouldn''t try to hold myself back.


    He said that if I have the urge to hurt someone, then I should do it.


    If I want to make a mess, I should do it.


    And if I want to make anyone''s life a living hell, I should do it too.


    After all, it''s just a way for me to feel better.


    Releasing my rage and sadness to others is a way to make me happy.


    And I did. For the past four years, I have been feeling better and better.


    I feel great as long as I hurt others!


    I thought we could stay like this forever until Carter told me my Dad failed to pay for my therapy. He was not happy with the failed payment, and after getting unpaid three times in a row, Carter told me that I should just die because I couldn''t pay for my therapy anymore.


    He told me that I was a failure who didn''t deserve to live and I should hang myself because it would serve my father a reminder that he was a failure of a father. He was a poor bastard who could not save his son.


    I thought about Carter''s words and then looked at my family. For the first time, I finally realized that I was nothing but a burden.


    Carter is wrong about my Dad. My Dad is not a failure. He did his best to make me feel better.


    We have to lose so many things just for me to feel better, and I realize that I can''t pay them back.


    No matter what I do, I''m a failure, and I definitely don''t deserve to live in this family because I did nothing but be a burden to them.


    So I have to end our suffering. I have to end my life, so my family won''t suffer anymore. So do I. Soon, none of you would suffer anymore.


    Goodbye, Mom, Dad, and you too, Desmond, Diamond, and Damien. I love you all.


    I''m sorry for being a burden for so long.


    Derik.<novelnext></novelnext>


    --


    "Stop! STOP!" Shailene couldn''t handle it anymore. She dropped her notes and tried to get up. She wanted to run as far as possible, but her legs felt weak as the image of a teenage boy hanging on a tree haunted her mind.


    Her legs wobbled as she tried to escape from Diamond and slumped on the floor.


    Diamond finally got up from the chaise lounge. She walked slowly towards Shailene, who tried to crawl away from her.


    Diamond kept talking about her deceased sibling, "Do you know what happened after we read that note?"


    "Stop! Please stop! I don''t want to hear it!" Shailene begged. She wanted to escape, but her body was so weak. So I felt like she would faint anytime soon.


    Diamond stood right behind Shailene, who desperately tried to escape her.


    Diamond wondered if Shailene had already guessed her intention or not because she really didn''t expect this bitch to fall on her knees and try to escape like this.


    But that was also beneficial for her because it also meant that Shailene had an absurd amount of guilt in her heart, ''Heh, even an evil, maniptive bitch like her still has a conscience. That''s funny.''


    Diamond stepped on Shailene''s feet and pressed the ankle with her stiletto. Shailene shrieked in pain, but she was powerless when Diamond pressed her ankle harder with the sharp tip of the stiletto.


    "Don''t run away, I''m not done with you yet," Diamond said coldly. "After we read that note, my Mom became manic, she screamed crazily and wailed, calling my deceased brother''s name hysterically."


    "While my Dad-- well, he grabbed his gun and drove to that bastard''s office," Diamond remembered how her father didn''t listen when all her children tried to stop him. He pushed everyone out and drove to Carter Fallingham''s office with his car.


    Diamond finally lifted her stiletto off Shailene''s feet. She crouched behind Shailene and grabbed her long hair.


    She yanked Shailene''s hair to the back, "Ah! S--Stop, p--please, I''m begging you, stop this...." Shailene whimpered. Shailene was so scared of this woman that she was about to faint.


    She didn''t know if this story was true, but it was way too simr to what Shailene did back then, and she couldn''t handle the guilt at all.


    Diamond smirked and leaned closer until she put her lips close to Shailene''s ear, "My Dad drove to that bastard''s office with a fully loaded gun. He stormed inside his room and found Carter Fallingham sitting leisurely in his office. My Dad must be very angry, because that bastard was the one who ruined our family, and the one who pushed Derik to his death."


    "So he aimed his gun towards Carter''s head, and shot him without hesitation," Shailene whispered. She sounded calm, but it was like a knife that pierced deep into Shailene''s ear.


    "My Dad shot him three more times to make sure that bastard is dead, and after getting his revenge, he--" Diamond formed an L-shape with her thumb and finger and pointed right under Shailene''s chin. "--He shot himself from this position. That day, I lost my Dad and my brother at the same time, and that day will forever be ingrained in my mind as the worst day in my life."


    Shailene started crying out of fear and guilt. This woman called Diamond was too terrifying. Shailene really thought that she was going to get killed today, "P--Please spare me. I--I can do anything, I will give you money if that''s what you want!"

 Chapter 541 541

    [Song rmendation: Mia Rodriguez - Psycho, slowed ver.]


    "After that day, my family was in shambles. My brothers and I had to help our Mom to do odd jobs and part times to earn money and survive," Diamond continued. "I had to stop thinking like a teenager. I buried my dream to go to university and be a part-time model since I was fifteen."


    "I''m not as smart as the oldest of my brothers, Desmond. He got a schrship and achieved what he wanted by going tow school. But that also meant he couldn''t help us to earn money, because he was busy studying and working part-time to support himself in a new city."


    "So the responsibility fell to my Mom, and naturally me as well. I didn''t want to see my Mom getting too exhausted, so I worked hard to do casting as a young model. Did you know what kind of harsh world I have to enter just to earn money?" Diamond paused for a moment.


    The topic was too upsetting for her because she had to dig up all the painful memories she had working as a teenage model. Knowing how cutthroat the industry was was especially painful for a poor ck girl like her.


    "Did you know all the sleepless nights I have to endure because of depression? I hated working as a model, but I had to do it because I need money," Diamond said. "It was thanks to my boss who took me in when I was twenty-- five years into the modeling industry-- he noticed my talent of reading people''s intentions and hired me as a secretary."


    "Because of that one person-- Carter Fallingham-- I have lost my innocence, my childhood, my teenage years, and also lost my dream to go to university," Diamond said. "Now you know how much I hate a bastard like him, right? Those bastards who would use someone''s vulnerability for their own gain."


    "Carter knew that Derik was too young and mentally unstable to understand most of his actions, so he influenced him to earn as much profit as possible. That man was really sick in the head, and I can''t wait to kill someone just like him."


    Shailene was instantly reminded of Chloe. That woman was the kind of woman Diamond would hate the most since she was maniptive to young Vernon.


    ''This woman is undoubtedly dangerous. I need to make her my friend, no matter how messed up she is,'' Shailene thought. ''She will hate Chloe for what she did, and she might channel her hatred by killing that maniptive bitch instead.''


    Shailene was still scared that someone might send Diamond to attack her. But Shailene could tell that Diamond was messed up in her head, so Shailene could use this to her advantage and gain more allies.


    "It''s Chloe!" Shailene suddenly mentioned.


    Diamond frowned, "Huh?"


    "Yes! Chloe Gray! She is the one behind everything in the Gray family! She is a bitch who manipted young Vernon to submit to her. He was a mentally unstable kid with a lot of trauma in his head, and Chloe used the chance to groom him!" Shailene yelled as she continued ndering Chloe. "She is the worst kind of woman on earth! If you want to hurt someone real bad, then you should attack her instead!"


    ...<novelnext></novelnext>


    There was a silence from Diamond, and Shailene thought it meant Diamond was contemting whether she should believe it.


    "You don''t believe me? Then you should ask Madam Gray about this! Look at her current mental condition, she is in a deep depression! You can also look at Mr. Vincent Gray, he got messed up in the head! Now the most obvious one, Vernon. If Madam Gray hasn''t told you yet, he got together with Chloe and became her love ve. She manipted that poor young man by grooming him! I bet she also molested him when he was young!"


    Diamond''s eyes turned frigid as she continued listening to Shailene''s words. Not because she believed her but because she was full of bullcrap.


    This woman was exactly the type of person that Diamond hated. She was no different than Carter Fallingham.


    Shailene was convinced that Diamond''s silence meant she was contemting, probably forming a scenario about Chloe''s sin inside her head. Shailene felt a triumph in her heart, ''As expected, I still have the touch. It''s not hard to influence a mentally unstable woman like this one.''


    "Y--You see, all I want to do is to free the Gray family from that woman''s clutch, especially Vernon. He has been abused, and groomed since he was a child, don''t you think that he deserves a better person by his side rather than Chloe?"


    "And that better person is you?" Diamond asked.


    Shailene choked on air as Diamond suddenly asked something she tried to conceal as much as possible. She tried to stay silent, but Diamond pulled her hair harder. "Ouch--Ouch, stop pulling my hair!"


    "ANSWER!" Diamond snapped.


    "Y--Yes! I admit, that''s me! I am a better person than Chloe. I love Vernon much more than she could ever have, and I''m not a maniptive bitch like she is!" Shailene admitted. "Besides, I work to help people! Don''t you see that I''m a renowned psychologist? Everyone wants to go to me because they know that I''m a good person!"


    "I see," Diamond finally released Shailene''s hair, and Shailene''s upper body fell to the front. She hit the ground face-first and grimaced in pain for a while.


    Diamond circled around Shailene, who was still trying to recover until she stood right before her, with her stiletto tapping the floor.


    "I never knew that you had that kind of opinion about Chloe Gray," Diamond said. "It''s never been on my mind before."


    Shailene propped herself with her arms and lifted her head to look up at the crazy ckdy in front of her. She believed she had convinced Diamond, "I know you don''t like a maniptive bitch like Chloe, and so do I! Let''s join forces and we can kick that toxic woman away!"

 Chapter 542 542

    Diamond stared down at Shailene. Her eyes couldn''t get any more intense and more malicious than this. Her hatred for this woman had been doubled-- no, ten times more than before.


    ''It''s funny that she tried to convince me with that crazy eyes and grin she has. Maybe she doesn''t realize how deranged she looks right now. She doesn''t have any grace and professional aura in her as a psychologist,'' Diamond thought. ''Or maybe she could pretend to have one, but all of her pretense vanishes when she is in a desperate situation.''


    ''Hmm, maybe I shook her conscience too much with my story. Which is funny, since she doesn''t feel an ounce of pity for that boy she killed.''


    There was a long silence between them, and Shailene waited until she got an answer from Diamond.


    However, instead of a straight answer from her, what Shailene got was a smirk. Diamond gave her a mysterious smirk full of meaning, and Shailene dared not to think about the worst possible scenario in her head.


    "Wow, Miss Walsh, you''re so good at convincing people, I almost believed you for one second there," Diamond said.


    "R--Really?"


    "Mhm," Diamond nodded. "But you must know one thing about me."


    Diamond''s mysterious smirk turned malicious as she continued, "I am Chloe Gray''s best friend."


    Shailene''s eyes almost popped out of their socket. She thought she misheard it just now, "W--What did you just say?"


    "I am Chloe Gray''s best friend," Diamond repeated. "I am her closest confidant. She is my sister from another mother. She is the only person I can ever feel at ease. Do you know why?"


    Diamond bent her back until her face was so close to Shailene''s that the tip of their nose almost touched. It gave a zoomed-in effect on Diamond''s pair of malicious ck pupils, making her ten times scarier than before, "Because she is the kindest woman I''ve ever met. All you did is judging and ndering her, you piece of shit."


    Shailene felt that blood had been drained out of her body. She felt so weak and limp that she almost fainted, "B--But Dorothea rmended you. You must be one of her people, right? How could you befriend Dorothea when you are Chloe''s best friend?!"


    "Haha! Now, this is funny," Diamond ridiculed. "Do you think you know everything that is happening inside the Gray family, when you''re not even within their picture? All you did is just judging and pulling conclusion out of your ass."


    "Well, if you want to know about Dorothea. Then you should know that Dorothea is all well right now. She is on Vernon''s side, and she is the one who told us about you," Diamond said. Of course, this one was just a lie, or maybe wishful thinking as well. Since there was no movement from Vincent, Dorothea hadn''t told him about Chloe and Vernon''s rtionship yet. So she believed that Dorothea was on their side.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "N--No way," Shailene shook her head in disbelief. "H--How could this be? I already told Dorothea that Chloe is a poison that needs to be eliminated!" Shailene''s voice was shaky, but she clung to the hope that Diamond was bluffing.


    "Well, maybe she just got a moment of rity and realized that you''re just full of shit," Diamond shrugged. She stood straight again. She crossed her hands in front of her chest and raised her brow. She acted high and mighty in front of Shailene as she should.


    "I guess you already guessed by now, I do not work for Vincent Gray. I do in fact-- work for Vernon Gray, the man you fall in love with," Diamond stated boldly. "And if you know how crooked he is, you won''t fall in love with him. But I guess, a stupid woman like you has a rose-colored ss in your eyes, so you see him as a perfect man, not a crooked bastard who only has his eyes on Chloe."


    Shailene was inplete shock that her body simply shut down. She was unresponsive while staring at Diamond with her mouth gaped wide.


    Diamond could end it here. She believed that Shailene''s dream about Vernon had been shattered already.


    But she wasn''t satisfied. She came here because of a personal grudge and would be satisfied once the blow had been delivered.


    "Now, let''s return to our main topic. I''m here for therapy, remember?" Diamond smirked. "Well, as you know, I really, really hate someone who''s simr to Carter Fallingham. He was maniptive, evil, and greedy, just like you."


    Shailene''s heartbeat elerated as she guessed where this topic would lead them. She shook her head vehemently, "I did nothing! I''m not as evil as him! I''ve always beenpassionate!"


    "Compassionate? Are you kidding me?" Diamond scoffed. "Let me tell you all of your sins, Miss Walsh."


    Diamond took a deep breath and dropped the bomb one by one, "First, you''re the one who manipted Vernon until he believed his love for Chloe. You ndered Chloe in front of Vernon, Dorothea, and me. You called her a toxic bitch, maniptive, a groomer, and a poison. Do you not realize that you''re projecting your own sin to an innocentdy?"


    "Second, you told Dorothea about Chloe and Vernon''s rtionship. You''ve crossed the line as a professional. You shared another client''s secret, and you should be jailed for it. Because you don''t know the risk that you put towards all of us just because of your stupid obsession towards Vernon."


    "Third, and well, this is a personal matter I simply cannot let go," Diamond said. "I know what you did, Shailene Walsh. I know that you failed during your internship as a young psychologist."


    "I don''t know why you were so cruel back then, maybe because you''re just inherently heartless. But I know that you pushed a boy around the age of fourteen to suicide, right? You got a fourteen years old boy who was bullied at his school, just like my brother, at your mercy, and you killed him with your words."

 Chapter 543 543

    [Warning: Upsetting content. Violence. Readers have been warned.]


    "I¡ªI didn''t¡ª" Shailene wanted to refute it, but Diamond didn''t give her a chance to do so.


    "But because you''re in a bad mood, you told him that his life is worth nothing, and no amount of therapy will help. So he should just kill himself, right?" Diamond said ruthlessly. "He was a kid suffering from depression and self-esteem issues. He got bullied badly, and his parents sent him to your Dad''s hospital where you worked after you graduated."


    "Since he suffered from extremely low self-esteem, he kept on pitying himself until you got annoyed by him," Diamond said. "Realizing that he will not get better anytime soon, you started getting annoyed by his constant visit. No matter what you did, his depression never got better, and he kept his pity party."


    "Then, that day¡­ maybe you haven''t had your morning coffee, or maybe you woke up at the wrong side of the bed, but you said a heartless¡ª no, many heartlessments to him when he was doing his therapy session with you," Diamond said. The image of Derik inside her head only got Diamond angrier about what Shailene did to that poor boy.


    Shailene kept on shaking her head. She knew it was all true. It was her who killed that teenage boy with her sharp mouth. But she still wanted to forget it. She wanted to act like she did nothing wrong!


    "Well, since you keep shaking your head like an idiot, then I will let you hear something I recover from that boy. This is hisst voice recording before hemited suicide, just like what my brother Derik did."


    Diamond fished out the phone from her zer pocket and quickly found the voice recording of a fourteen-year-old boy. It was stored inside a small memory card inside the document that the agent gave to Diamond before, just to make sure that Diamond got everything ready for this big reveal.


    ¡ªRecording¡ª


    Hello, this is Erik. If you¡ª I mean, Mom and Dad are listening to this recording right now, that means I''m dead.


    I know I''m not a good son, and I don''t know if my death will affect you two. I hope you can forgive and forget about me. I have been nothing but a failure for you two.


    I want you to know that it''s not your fault. It''s my fault for being a failure. I''ve been trying my best not to be a burden and to be confident, but no matter how hard I try, I just know that I''m not good enough for this world.


    But if you want to me someone else for this, you can me my psychologist, Miss Shailene Walsh.


    She told me yesterday that I''m a worthless piece of shit because I keeping to her. She told me I should just end myself because I kept pitying my life.


    She also told me that she got bored treating me because there is no use in helping someone who''s just born sick, and I''m only a burden to everyone around me.


    She''s usually not mean to me, but maybe she''s just having a bad day.<novelnext></novelnext>


    No, she''s right. She''s definitely right about this.


    ? There is no use in helping a person who is born sick like me. In the end, I will only be a burden to everyone, just like what she said.


    So this is myst message to my family. I hope you two can forget me.


    Goodbye.


    ¡ªRecording End¡ª


    Diamond waved her phone before Shailene''s eyes to taunt her, "Do you remember everything now? I got this recording from one and only Erik''s parents. They told me that the court can''t give them justice because of your father''s connection, you bribed the judge and buried this case until nobody knows about this, and you can walk out without any guilt or shame."


    "Really, how evil can you be, Shailene Walsh. You pushed a kid to end his own life, then tried to cover it up because you don''t want your reputation and career to get ruined. What a scum," Diamond scoffed. "Now I understand why you overreacted when I told the story of my deceased brother. It''s because you have the same sin as Carter Fallingham."


    "You may not know about Carter personally, but damn, you''re basically the female version of him, hahahahaha!" Diamondughed heartily for a while before herugh suddenly stopped abruptly. Her gaze got colder, and her lips thinned. "And I hate everyone who acts just like Carter Fallingham. It makes me want to kill them just like my father did to that bastard."


    "No!" Shailene started shaking her head like a madwoman. The image of herself getting shot repeatedly because of what she did was utterly terrifying. "NO! NO! I''M NOT EVIL! I DIDN''T KILL THAT KID! HE KILLED HIMSELF!" Shailene yelled as she didn''t want to die.


    Diamond crouched in front of Shailene until they were at the same eye level, then she put her finger gun on Shailene''s chin, "I could kill you with one shot from this spot. I guarantee that your head will explode with your brains bursting out like a horrible pinata."


    "Or do you want me to shoot you in here?" Diamond moved his finger gun to the spot between Shailene''s eyebrows, then she scoffed, "Heheh, it doesn''t matter, in the end, you will die a gruesome death, and you will probably meet with Carter Fallingham in hell. You two can get to know each other, and maybe you can date him in hell!"


    Shailene imagined all the gruesome stuff that Diamond would do to her, and her stomach turned out of fear and disgust.


    "Urp¡ª uupp¡ª URK!" Shailene retched a few times, and Diamond quickly retreated by getting up and taking a step back. She watched as Shailene puked her guts on the floor.


    Diamond grinned in satisfaction. Watching someone who acted like Carter Fallingham puke her guts out of fear was amusing and satisfying.

 Chapter 544 544

    ''If only I could kill her,'' Diamond thought. She asked for permission from her boss on the call. She told her about everything, and Vernon vehemently refused, much to her surprise.


    -Diamond''s call with Vernon-


    ''You can hurt her, but don''t kill her. She has a strong backing of her own. You might get killed as an act of revenge from her father, and I don''t want to lose my best employee,'' Vernon said. ''Try to do something less risky, but with bigger reward. Try to scare or traumatize her, you can also use the information that my agent gave to your advantage. I know that you can think of something that can absolutely traumatize her.''


    ''Are you sure, Sir? I mean, Shailene is a threat. She might have told Vincent something that''d harm us,'' Diamond said.


    ''No, she won''t,'' Vernon replied confidently. ''She has no channel whatsoever with my Big brother. She only has a channel with Dorothea. All I need to do is to eliminate that old bitch.''


    ''¡­ So far there is no movement from her, maybe you should postpone your n to eliminate her.''


    ''Stop overstepping your boundary, Diamond. She is my problem, just do your job.''


    -End call-


    ''Well, I feel like he should be less hostile to Dorothea, since she doesn''t seem to be causing anything dangerous these days,'' Diamond thought. ''Oh, well, not my problem. Let''s just focus on this one bitch first.''


    Diamond waited until Shailene finished puking everything. Her appearance was unsightly now, especially since she tried to wipe her mouth with her sleeve.


    The stench of her vomit filled the air, and Diamond took another step back just to get away from a disgusting woman like her.


    Shailene felt nothing but dread right now. There was an extreme amount of dread filling her heart that she would rather faint.


    But she couldn''t. The existence of Diamond in the same room prevented her from fainting because she was afraid that Diamond would gun her down when she was unconscious.


    "Look up, trash," Diamond said after she had waited long enough.


    Shailene instinctively looked up to stare at Diamond. To say that she was scared was an understatement. Right now, the existence of Diamond was enough to make her piss herself.


    At first, Shailene thought that Diamond was just trying to intimidate her. But maybe it was the mix of guilty conscience in her heart and how terrifying Diamond was right now. Shailene finally broke down in tears and despair.


    What if Diamond snapped and killed her because Shailene reminded her so much of Carter Fallingham?


    What if she decided to torture her first because she wanted to hurt someone who acted like Carter Fallingham?


    Those thoughts filled Shailene''s head, and she was hopeless about it.


    Because no matter what she did to save herself, Diamond would always remember her as the second Carter Fallingham, so Diamond''s hatred towards her was innate.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "P¡ªPlease¡­ please I beg you¡­" Shailene started begging with her hoarse voice.


    "For what?" Diamond raised her brow. She liked taunting this woman, just like how Shailene taunted that poor boy just because she felt like it.


    "D--don''t kill me. Please just let me go. I won''t do it anymore¡­."


    "Do what?" Diamond kept on pushing Shailene to admit all of her sins. To Diamond, she enjoyed the look on Shailene''s face.


    Her face filled with horror, and her lips trembled as she tried hard to admit her sins one by one.


    "I¡ªI won''t nder Chloe again, and I won''t have any contact with Dorothea anymore. I will never have any contact with the Gray family, I promise," Shailene murmured. "I¡ªI regret what I did to that boy back then, I know I was in a bad mood and made a rash and stupid decision to say those mean things to him. I¡ªI just didn''t expect him to kill himself."


    Diamond scoffed full of contempt. This woman was still trying to defend herself even in such a state, truly shameless.


    "No matter how many times you imed that you didn''t mean it, the damage has already been done. That kid is dead, and I want that to be engraved in your mind forever," Diamond said. "And by the way, you still have one more sin that you haven''t admitted."


    Shailene was trying to remember everything she did involving her past sin to that kid named Erik and the Gray family.


    She shook her head and murmured, "I¡ªI don''t think I have anything else to admit¡­."


    Diamond smiled and gave her an order by tapping her heel on the floor twice, "Come here."


    Shailene felt she was treated like a dog in front of this woman. But she realized that she wasn''t the one in control right now. This woman had Shailene''s biggest secret that would instantly ruin her reputation and career. As a psychologist, Shailene knew that Diamond was naturally a little fucked up in the head.


    So the possibility of Diamond murdering her was still high.


    Shailene swallowed her saliva as she started crawling toward Diamond. She dared not look up and stopped when she could finally see the tip of Diamond''s stiletto.


    "Do you still not remember yourst sin?" Diamond asked, and Shailene replied by shaking her head. She genuinely didn''t know what she had done wrong. "I see. Well, I''ll help you to remember. Look up."


    Shailene looked up, and before she could register the terrifying sight of Diamond''s hateful eyes, she felt a sharp pain on her cheek.


    "AHH!" Shailene shrieked when Diamond kicked her left cheek until she fell to the side. She got dizzy because Diamond kicked her hard.


    "If you still don''t know your sin, then let me tell you," Diamond slid one foot towards Shailene''s head and nudged Shailene''s face with the tip of her shoe.


    "You dare to covet Vernon''s love, you worthless thing. Just becuase you''re in love with that equally-fucked-up man, doesn''t give you the right to nder my best friend."

 Chapter 545 545

    "You should also know that the kick is personally ordered by my boss. Vernon said I should kick you for ndering his beloved woman," Diamond said, adding salt to the injury.


    Because it was a clear sign that Vernon hated her, and there was no way for them to reconcile and be a pair of lovebirds again.


    Shailene was still in both physical and mental shock after getting kicked in the face by Diamond. She was still trying to process what was happening, then started regretting all the decisions that led her to this condition.


    Had she know that she would be disgraced like this, with her deepest secret getting dug out, she would never stay in New York.


    Diamond was finally satisfied, looking at the despair in Shailene''s eyes. She loved seeing this bitch break down both physically and mentally. After all, Shailene didn''t seem to be bothered when she said all those horrible things to Erik, the boy she killed with her words.


    So let her taste despair, just like what she inflicted on everyone around her.


    "You must know that you are at my mercy, Shailene Walsh. I own you with this recording. I can publish this and have your life, your career, even your family ruined. But I am a merciful woman," Diamond said. "I do have one requirement for you though."


    Shailene finally recovered after hearing there was a requirement. She got nervous again. She got up and sat on the floor, staring at Diamond submissively, unlike her usual conceited arrogance hidden beneath her kind smile, "W¡ªWhat is it?" she asked nervously.


    "It''s an easy requirement, really," Diamond smirked maliciously. "I will give you two days to leave New York and return to your hometown in Stockholm, Sweden. You''re not allowed to return, and you''re not allowed to contact Vernon or anyone rted to him again."


    "Remember, if you dare to break this requirement and tell some stuff to the press about Vernon''s rtionship with Chloe, then you will see your family¡ª your father and mother and their hospital business crumble in front of your eyes. Surely, you don''t want to see your parents suffering because of your foolishness, right?"


    Shailene paused for a while. She was conflicted right now.


    Of course, she didn''t want her own life, and her parents'' as well, to get ruined because of one minor mistake she made a few years ago.


    But she also didn''t want topletely let go of Vernon.


    She knew it was foolish to wish Vernon would love her back, especially after he sent his secretary to deal with her.


    But love was foolish to begin with, and she happened to love a crazy man with a mental issue.


    "ANSWER!" Diamond yelled and snapped Shailene out of her dilemma.


    Shailene felt hopeless right now. She had to give up on her love because there was no way out other than leaving this country.


    So she nodded reluctantly, "I¡ªI will pack up and leave in two days. I will never return to New York ever again, and I will never talk to anyone rted to Vernon¡­."


    "Good, I will take that promise, but if you break it, then prepare to get ruined," Diamond''s threat was effective enough that Shailene shook her head vehemently. She was already scared, thinking about all the horrible things that Diamond would do to her if she broke this promise.


    Diamond finally let out a simple smile after long intimidation, but somehow it was even more terrifying for Shailene, "Good, I will check in two days to see you leave New York for good."


    Diamond pocketed her phone into her zer pocket and walked to the chaise lounge. She grabbed her bag and strutted past Shailene to the door.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "W¡ªWait!" Shailene interrupted before Diamond opened the door. "W¡ªWhere are you going?"


    "Huh?" Diamond looked over her shoulder and stared at Shailene as if she had just heard the stupidest question ever. "To home, duh!"


    "Do you think I will stay for the whole night here? With that rancid puke on the floor? Ew," Diamond rolled her eyes. "I''ll be damned to spend the night here. I''m already a little messed up, I don''t want to get full blown crazy because I have to talk with a maniptive bitch like you for too long."


    "Anyway, I''m leaving, adieu~."


    SLAM!


    Diamond left and mmed the door behind her. She strutted and left the apartment in a happy mood.


    She knew what she did was a little fucked up. She basically used intimidation, guilt, and fear to break someone.


    ''But it''s well deserved,'' Diamond convinced herself. ''I don''t want her to continue her dirty work in the name of being a psychologist. She doesn''t qualify as one. She is just a maniptive woman taking on this job to get benefits all for herself.''


    Diamond was still a little disappointed that she couldn''t kill Shailene for what she did. Because honestly, if she followed what her heart wanted, she''d be nting a knife deep inside Shailene''s heart and leaving as if nothing happened.


    She might get in trouble or even be jailed for murder.


    But she didn''t really care.


    She hated Carter Fallingham to the bone for ruining her family, but she couldn''t get the satisfaction because her dad killed him first.


    So when she saw Shailene and all of her simrities to Carter Fallingham, she couldn''t help to feel the drive of vengefulness taking over her heart and logic.


    But her boss told her something that always kept her sane for now.


    -


    ''Don''t kill Shailene, and we shouldn''t publish her secret right now.''


    ''But why? Wouldn''t it be better to ruin her career as soon as possible?'' Shailene asked.


    ''No, she might do something reckless, like getting all the attention that she could get to tell Vincent about the whole thing as a way for revenge,'' Vernon said. ''You know there is nothing scarier than a person who has nothing to lose. It''s better to keep her in a leash for the time being.


    -

 Chapter 546 546

    -


    ''Then, will you do something to herter? I won''t be happy if you''ll still allow this bitch to keep her job as a psychologist and ruin the lives of so many people,'' Diamond protested.


    ''Oh, of course not,'' Vernon said. ''I don''t want to let her free too. She is very toxic, and she will hurt others with her words. So I''m nning to take her down too, at least to expose her secret so she wouldn''t be able to influence others with her job as a psychologist anymore.''


    ''And when will that be?''


    ''After I defeat Vincent,'' Vernon said decisively. ''Once he is defeated, and I can go public about my rtionship with Chloe, then I have nothing to worry about.''


    Diamond finally calmed down after her boss reassured her he would take her downter. Diamond was already thinking that she''d take this matter into her own hand because she wouldn''t let another Carter Fallingham run around in this world, ruining people''s lives.


    "I will hold onto that promise, Sir,'' Diamond said.


    "I promise I will take her down. So don''t you dare to do something reckless that will get you jailed, Diamond,'' Vernon warned. ''Chloe told me you want to be the bridesmaid for our wedding. Can you be a bridesmaid when you''re in jail?''


    -


    "Ah, he''s right," Diamond murmured as she entered her car and rested. "I don''t want to miss the wedding of my best friend. My homegirl."


    Diamond doubted that Chloe realized how important she was in her life. Chloe might see their rtionship as regr friends.


    But for Diamond, Chloe was so much more than that.


    She was like a sister to Diamond. That Big gentle sister Diamond always wanted in her life. The sister could hug her and say everything was alright, and Diamond was naturally attracted to her home girl.


    Maybe it was just her gentle aura, but Chloe''s smile was enough to attract her brothers-- Damien and Desmond- to get attracted to her as well.


    "Well, I don''t mind if Chloe doesn''t see me as a sister, as long as we can still hang out and chat, then I''m good."


    Diamond took a while to let everything sink in before she grabbed her phone and called her boss. It didn''t take long for Vernon to pick up the call;


    -


    "Did you do it?" Vernon asked. After all, they already knew what they''d talk about anyway.


    "Yes, Sir."


    ...


    "And you didn''t kill her, right?"


    "I wish," Diamond sighed. "But I let her live. She will be leaving New York in two days, and I will make sure that she actually left. I think I have broken her mind enough that she will never dare to return here."


    "That''s good," Vernon nodded. "I will give you a bonus as a reward. I know you''ve been doing a lot of work to take her down."


    "I don''t need any reward for this," Diamond refused. "Honestly, I did it for Chloe. I don''t want her beautiful life to get ruined because of someone like Shailene, and I also... have a personal grudge against someone like her."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I understand," Vernon obviously investigated Diamond before hiring her. He knew about that terrible incident befalling her family when she was young and believed that Diamond would never get manipted.


    Because Diamond herself hated to get manipted and instantly recognized any maniption when facing the one doing it, like Shailene.


    So Vernon wasn''t surprised when he knew that Diamond had befriended Chloe. In fact, Diamond was so eager to be close to Chloe because Chloe was the rarest type of person who had no evil intention toward people around her.


    "Thank you for your help, Diamond. I will make sure to give her a happy life," Vernon said, putting Diamond''s heart at ease.


    "As you should, Sir," Diamond chuckled. "Well, I''m going home now. I want to take a bath as soon as possible. That bitch puked all over the floor and now my zer smells rancid, ugh!"


    Vernonughed before hanging up.


    Beep.


    --


    Vernon pocketed his phone and returned to the living room.


    "Who did you call just now?" Chloe asked as she put a ss of hot ginger tea on the table for Vernon.


    "Diamond," Vernon replied lightly. He sat on the sofa and picked the ginger tea.


    "Diamond?" Chloe frowned. She sat next to Vernon and nestled closer until there was no gap between them. "Did something happen? Did she need help?"


    Chloe started to worry. She checked the window and saw that it was quite windy outside. So she was worried that Diamond might be in trouble at midnight and needed urgent help.


    "No, she''s fine," Vernon smiled. "She just reported that she finished her work and returned home."


    "Don''t give her too much work," Chloe reprimanded. "She is a young woman. She needs rest, and maybe needs a date too. You might ruin her n to go on a date because you keep pestering her to do so much work."


    "It''s fine, Diamond is the one who willingly takes the job," Vernon said. "Don''t you see how much of a workaholic she is? That''s why she is my most trusted and best employee, and also the one I paid the most."


    Chloe sighed. That was true. She told Diamond several times that she needed to rest and have time. Chloe even offered to help with some of her jobs.


    But Diamond refused and said she liked doing this job and preferred this rather than being a model. Because she could work normally and didn''t have to worry if she got older and abandoned by the industry.


    -


    ''Besides, gurl, do you know how much he paid me? He raised my sry a month ago, and now, my base sry is around 1.2 million dors yearly! I might be the highest-paid secretary in New York!


    -


    ''Well, as long as she''s happy doing it,'' Chloe sighed. She nced at Vernon, who was eyeing her the whole time, and muttered, "Maybe you should give me another job after I can use my right hand."

 Chapter 547 547

    "A job?" Vernon frowned. "Do you want to work after you''re healed? In my office?"


    "Well, not really in your office since you have Diamond, who is already good at handling everything," Chloe replied. "But I''d really appreciate it if you could put me somewhere to work¡­."


    "With another man around you? Fuck no," Vernon refused immediately. "You either have to work with me, or you can be a housewife," Vernon said. "Besides, you are going to be busy with our new home. I''ve prepared it for us and we will move out a month from now on, remember?"


    "W¡ªwell, yeah," Chloe sighed. "I don''t know, I just feel like I want to do something to pass my free time after I drive Mackie to school and cook for you."


    "Then, you can juste to the office and apany me there. I''d love to have you around," Vernon insisted. He just didn''t want Chloe to go too far from him. He didn''t want to be filled with anxiety when he was working.


    Chloe sighed, "You should trust me, Vernon. I won''t be cheating on you just because I work somewhere else."


    "I trust you," Vernon replied quickly. "But I don''t trust myself and other men."


    "Eh? What do you mean?"


    "It means that I don''t trust they will not try to hit on you when I''m not around," Vernon slid his hand behind Chloe''s back and wrapped her waist to pull her closer. "You should know that you''re a beauty, and you got even more beautiful now since you''ve gained some weight."


    "I know that there will be so many men trying to impress you, trying to steal you away from me," Vernon said. "And I also don''t trust myself. I almost went crazy when I thought you cheated as I caught you sneaking to another apartment room under the name Jonathan."


    "Ah, Dorothea''s incident¡­." Chloe was reminded of Dorothea once more. Three weeks had passed since thest time that incident and Dorothea left the apartment. Chloe had no idea where Dorothea was, and she also couldn''t contact that sad olddy since Vernon was still confiscating her phone.


    "When will you check about Dorothea''s matter?" she asked.


    "You''re still thinking about that old bitch?" Vernon''s mood turned sour when Chloe mentioned Dorothea again. He thought Chloe would eventually forget or simply ignore that old woman after three weeks.


    But it seemed that Chloe was still trying to get in contact with Dorothea and still sympathized with her.


    ''Her kindness is seriously a double-edged sword,'' Vernonined in his heart.


    "Don''t say that. She is your mother," Chloe reprimanded. "I know that you hate her, but we still have that deal before. You''ve confiscated my phone for three weeks, I think it''s time for you to check whether she had actually helped us by stopping Vincent''s charity fund for at least a month."


    Vernon scoffed, "And you think she will actually do that? You''re still naive, Chloe."


    "Vernon¡­"


    "Fine, fine," Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. "I will give it a check. Besides, I will be meeting with my Big brother tomorrow, I can just ask if everything has been going well these days. But you shouldn''t hope too much, you know what Dorothea promised is simply not possible knowing the danger."


    ? "I still want to believe her," Chloe insisted. "Just check it first, okay? I don''t want her effort to go on waste because you don''t take the chance."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vernon rolled his eyes but agreed to check just to appease Chloe.


    Despite her gentle nature, Chloe was very stubborn when she believed in something. She would not back down when she wanted something, and Vernon couldn''t help but give in.


    After all, Chloe would give him a deep kiss full of passion after he did what she wanted him to do, and it was worth it. He would flip a mountain if that meant Chloe would kiss him or something even better.


    Vernon rejoiced whenever Chloe was the one who took the initiative during their intimate times.


    ''Ugh, let''s just get this over with, so we can move on and forget about that dying bitch. Where is she anyway? I haven''t heard from her since three weeks ago,'' Vernon thought. ''Did she already overdose herself? Well, good grief.''


    Vernon couldn''t dispel the hatred in his heart.


    All the horrible things Dorothea did to him when he was a kid had been engraved in Vernon''s mind, and now he felt nothing but contempt for that old woman.


    **


    Vernon drank his banana-apple smoothie after he finished his breakfast. He checked on Chloe and Mackie, ensuring they had eaten breakfast. It had be a habit for him to check on them because he didn''t want Chloe to return to her old habit of starving herself to death.


    After ensuring that Chloe had finished her breakfast, he grabbed his briefcase on the kitchen counter, "I''m going now. I have a meeting," Vernon said. He didn''t specify whom he would meet because there was Mackie here.


    "Un! See youter Uncle!" Mackie chirped.


    Vernon smiled and patted her head before leaving, "Everything''s well in your new school, right?"


    "Un! Everyone is so kind to me!" Mackie reported. "Miss Moralez is very kind. I make many new friends, and nobody tries to bully me!"


    "d you''re happy with your new school," Vernon smiled. "Don''t forget to report to me if there is a kid who''s making trouble with you, okay?"


    "Un! Don''t worry, Uncle! I will fight if there is anyone who wants to bully me!" Mackie puffed her chest proudly. She was trying to show that she was a strong girl who wouldn''t get bullied by the boys.


    But her statement didn''t make Vernon happy, "You can fight the bullies if there is any. But if they dare to hurt you, then you MUST tell me, got it?"


    Mackie stared at her Uncle, who looked so serious, which confused her.


    "Um, why should I tell Uncle if I got bullied? Will Uncle do something about it?"

 Chapter 548 548

    "Um, why should I tell Uncle if I got bullied? Will Uncle do something about it?"


    "Obviously," Vernon replied. He also got a little confused with her question just now. "What''s with your question? Of course it''s natural that I will do something if someone dares to bully you. I will¡­ punish them."


    There was a slight pause because Vernon was about to say that he would make sure those bullies would drop out of the school. But that might be too scary for Mackie.


    He just wanted Mackie to know that she was well protected.


    "Uwaaah!" Mackie''s eyes were sparkling with awe. She grabbed her Uncle''s other hand and wrapped it with her two small hands. "Uncle, will you defend Mackie too? Will you stop those mean boys and girls who are going to bully me?"


    "Of course!" Vernon got even more confused, but he gave a default answer.


    Of course, he would protect her. He already took her as his daughter! Of course, all fathers would protect their children, right?


    Mackie got even more excited. She darted at her Mommy and chirped excitedly, "Mommy, did you hear that? Uncle said he will protect me! Does that mean I don''t need to hide it when I get hurt?"


    "Y¡ªYes, dear, you don''t need to hide it anymore¡­." Chloe said weakly. She nced at Vernon, who was eyeing her with a pair of terrifying dark eyes. Chloe hunched her shoulder instantly. She was scared that Vernon might get mad once he knew the truth.


    "Chloe, we need to talk, let''s go to my room first," Vernon said.


    "But I have go to school now, Uncle!" Mackie pouted. I don''t want to bete!"


    "Y¡ªYeah, we can talk about thister, Vernon," Chloe wasn''t prepared to get confronted over this problem. So she tried to go along with her daughter.


    Vernon''s gaze deepened once he realized Chloe was trying to hide something from him. He wasn''t angry¡ª at least not yet. But he got annoyed because he had never heard of this bullying problem and how Mackie had to hide it.


    "We will talk at night, prepare yourself," he warned Chloe, and thetter nodded weakly.


    Vernon finally left after giving Chloe a warning gaze.


    Chloe could finally let out a relieved breath once Vernon left. She didn''t know how to tell Vernon about her lies and how she tried to stop Mackie from telling Vernon about the bullies in her old school.


    Because Vincent set up those bullies to make his daughter''s school life a living hell, Chloe had to return to him as a requirement for Mackie''s safety.


    Chloe couldn''t do anything then, and she was scared that Mackie might tell Vernon about this, and Vernon would do something rash that would endanger his life and career.


    "Mommy, Uncle looks mad just now. Did I do something wrong?" Mackie asked.


    "No, dear. It''s not you who did something wrong," Chloe sighed. "He''s mad at me."


    "At Mommy?!" Mackie''s doe eyes widened. "But Mommy did nothing wrong! Don''t worry, Mommy! If Uncle wants to hurt you, I will protect you!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe stared at her daughter, who bravely wanted to protect her even if she had to face a terrifying man like Vernon.


    Mackie had shown her bravery many times and had grown a lot since thest time they left Vincent''s mansion together.


    Of course, Chloe was very proud of her daughter. But she also felt very guilty.


    She wondered if she should''ve returned to Vincent at that time, so Mackie wouldn''t have to fight those bullies.


    ''Things have changed now. Mackie won''t get bullied anymore, and she grows to be a brave and strong little girl, but at what cost?'' Chloemented. ''She lost her innocence. She had to get beaten, and the stupid me can''t do anything but to wipe her wounds and told her that everything will be okay someday.''


    ''I feel so useless¡­.''


    "Mommy? Mommy!" Mackie shook her Mommy''s body because she didn''t get any answer from her.


    "Ah¡ª d¡ªdon''t worry, dear. Uncle won''t hurt me. He is just angry because I did something wrong. He''ll probably just scold me," Chloe tried to pacify her daughter.


    "Humph! I will scold Uncle back if he makes Mommy cry!"


    "Hahah, he won''t," Chloe said before she shifted the topic. "Well, finish your smoothie now, we will have to go or you might bete. I think the driver is already down there."


    "Un, okay Mommy!"


    Since Chloe couldn''t drive for the time being, Vernon hired a private chauffeur¡ª who was actually one of his military-trained bodyguards¡ª to drive Mackie to the school and drive Chloe around if she wanted to buy something.


    Chloe and Mackie tried to talk to the chauffeur a few times, but he was silent. He only replied with a hum or yes whenever Chloe asked him to go somewhere to buy something she wanted before returning to the apartment.


    ''I bet, Vernon told him not to speak with me no matter what. He is almost like a robot,'' Chloe thought.


    Chloe tried to offer the driver some of the food she bought, but the driver always rejected anything by shaking his head or saying no.


    One time, Chloe tried to grab his wrist. She wanted to hand him a bag of donuts without saying a word, so the chauffeur had no time to reject her offer. But the man jolted out of reflex and tried to distance himself as far as possible from Chloe.


    His face paled as if he had seen a ghost, and he was terrified to the bone just because their hands almost touched.


    Chloe couldn''t help but pity this guy, ''I wonder what kind of intimidation Vernon did until a big man like him was terrified of me. Well, as long as he did his job, I guess. But I can''t help feeling pity for him because he has to act like a robot.''


    Chloe sat in the backseat with Mackie, then told the chauffeur, "Drive to Mackenzie''s school."

 Chapter 549 549

    Vernon tapped his finger while staring at the rows of buildings from the car window. He was still on his way to his Big brother''s office. He wasn''t all that worried about Vincent being an ass, as always.


    After all, Vincent had grown to be increasingly erratic each day, and Vernon had gotten a lot ofints from many businessmen from Vincent''s circle that the Big Boss acted very strangely these days.


    ¡ª


    ''Could it be because of his wife?''


    ''Oh, it could be! Don''t you remember how he tried to pit us against each other because he wanted to know which one of us dared to hide his wife?''


    ''As if I''d hide his wife. I still have a brain! I still want to live!''


    ''At this rate, we will all lose our business because Big Boss keeps making reckless decisions and mistakes.''


    Vernon listened to the chatters of those businessmen while he sipped his wine calmly. It was all ording to his n. Soon, those businessmen woulde to him to save their businesses because Vincent would destroy everything, including his business partners, with a series of bad decisions.


    ''It''s good if things continue to go this way,'' Vernon thought. ''As expected, no matter how many times Vincent wants to say that Chloe''s disappearance has no impact on him or whatsoever, it''s obvious that his mental stability relies on Chloe''s presence.''


    ''Maybe we''re not so different as a pair of brothers. We both need Chloe to survive in this world, or else we will go crazy.''


    ¡ª


    The car took a sharp turn and entered the driveway until it reached the front of the lobby.


    The driver exited the car and opened the door for his boss, "We''ve arrived, Sir."


    "Hm," Vernon grabbed his briefcase and left the car. "Don''t forget to stay in the car," he instructed before entering the lobby.


    "Understood, Sir."


    It had been a week since Vernon hired two military-trained drivers for his small family. It was obvious that Chloe needed a personal driver to get her around, but for him, he hired one because he wanted someone to always be on the watch for his car. After all, Vincent or Maria might grow too suspicious of him as his businesses continued growing and nt a tracking device or recording device inside his car.


    So he needed someone trusty and strong to protect his small family''s privacy.


    Vernon entered Vincent''s office and walked through the lobby with confidence wafting from him. Everyone in the lobby had their eyes on him, both with admiration and fear.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of course, everyone knew his identity. He was Vernon Phoenix Gray, the CEO of Golden Star Inc. He was young, handsome, and a well-known yboy. He was also the younger brother of Vincent Gray, the billionaire and Master of the Gray family businesses.


    Together, they were like a pair of ultra-powerful brothers with nothing to stop them, especially since the brothers'' rtionship looked very harmonious.


    Vernon ignored all of those admiring gazes. He was someone with tunnel vision. He didn''t care what the others said about him, especially when he had someone precious to protect from his big bro.


    Vernon went up with the VIP elevator and was greeted with the sight of Maria who looked as cold as always. Sometimes Vernon wondered if Maria actually had a heart or not because most often Maria did something illegal or dangerous just for the sake of Graypany stability, even though it didn''t really benefit her of some sort.


    ''I feel like there''s something that meets my eyes. Nobody will dedicate her entire life to do so many crooked things for no reason,'' Vernon suspected. ''Maria doesn''t even gain as much mary gain as I expected, especially after all the things she did.''


    Naturally, Vernon had already investigated Maria and her current matters. But she seemed to be just a regr old woman outside of work. She was divorced and lived alone in a fairly luxurious apartment as her sons were already adults and had their own lives.


    She earned a lot of money from being the Senior Secretary for the Graypany for the past few decades, but it wasn''t enough to justify all of the crooked shit she did just to defend Vincent and save thepany because of Vincent''s reckless decision.


    Vernon walked out of the elevator and approached Maria, who stood still in front of the door to Vincent''s office.


    He briefly stared at the old secretary and decided, ''I will have to investigate further. This old woman is much more dangerous than Vincent simply because she is more aware of her surroundings than Vincent does. Maybe I can find her weakness and take her downter.''


    "Good morning, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray, I know that you have a scheduled meeting with Mr. Vincent Gray, but he is currently busy dealing with someone else in the office," Maria said politely as always, but her tone was cold, so it didn''t sound friendly at all. "Please wait patiently, I will tell someone to make you tea."


    Vernon''s eyes peered at the old woman, then asked unscrupulously, "Who is it?"


    "Pardon me?"


    "Who is the person meeting my big bro right now? I believe that person must be someone more than just a businessman. Vincent will never dy our meeting unless it''s an extremely important matter¡ª which is never."


    "It is not my responsibility to tell you about my Boss'' matter, Sir. Please back off and sit, I will call you once Mr. Vincent Gray is done dealing with her," Maria replied.


    "Her? Hehe¡­" Vernon more or less already guessed who was the oh-so-important woman inside that room with Vincent. It must be his mother, that crooked old bitch who should''ve been dead by alcohol and drugs at this point!


    Vernon couldn''t wait to catch that bitch red-handed and then told Chloe that Dorothea betrayed them, so Chloe would never think about befriending that crooked old bitch anymore!


    Thus, Vernon stepped forward, and Maria quickly blocked his entry, "Where are you going, Sir?"

 Chapter 550 550

    "Inside, isn''t it obvious?"


    "You''re not allowed to enter, Sir. Mr. Vincent Gray is still in a meeting with an important guest," Maria insisted. She didn''t budge even under Vernon''s intimidation. "Be civil and step back."


    Vernon wanted tough because this bitch dared to prevent his entry.


    How could she dare to block her entry when it was obvious that Vincent favored him so much?


    Thus, he did the oldest trick in his book, "BIG BRO! MAY I COME IN?!" Vernon yelled, calling Vincent with the endearing ''Big bro'' that would surely entice Vincent''s brotherly feelings.


    And it worked.


    Ten secondster, there was an answer from the inside, "Juste in!"


    "Heh, see? I don''t understand why you need to keep me away from my Big bro. We''re obviously so close, and there is nothing to hide between us!" Vernon said proudly.


    Maria could only bite her lower lip and turned her back. She opened the CEO''s office door and muttered, "Come in, Sir."


    Vernon passed Secretary Maria arrogantly and entered the CEO''s office. He was eager to see the sight of Dorothea-- that dying bitch who put a gap for the past three weeks between him and Chloe.


    He didn''t even care if Dorothea started using him of being the one who was keeping Chloe by his side. It would be funnier because Vincent would never believe her.


    Dorothea was just a crazy olddy nobody wanted. Not even the servants liked her.


    But what he saw wasn''t Dorothea.


    It was also another olddy, but she was a lot fatter and looked less crazy and more nervous. Vernon already knew the identity of this woman, but he acted like he had no clue, so Vincent wouldn''t suspect a thing from him.


    Vincent smiled at his little bro and called him, "Come here, Vernon. Join me to investigate this useless old woman."


    Vernon acted innocent and sat right beside Vernon on the sofa, facing the old woman whose face was so pale, it looked like she was about to faint anytime soon.


    "So, what''s the problem with her?" Vernon asked while checking on his Big brother''s face.


    Vernon noticed a repressed rage. Vincent was all smiling right now, but his lips twitched a few times, and his neck was so tense, it looked like he was about to explode in front of this poor old woman.


    "The problem? Oh, it''s nothing much," Vernon sneered. "Why don''t you tell my little brother about the problem that you brought here, Mrs. Andrew."


    Mrs. Andrew-- The Principal of Mackie''s old school, swallowed her saliva. Her body shook, but she still tried to act calm and exined, "I--It''s about Mackenzie...."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Uh-huh, what about my niece?" Vernon asked as he continued his y as an innocent bystander here.


    "She... she hasn''te to school since three weeks ago," Mrs. Andrew reported. "Since thatst incident of Mr. Gray abusing Chloe--"


    "--Giving her a lesson," Vincent interrupted. "I didn''t abuse my wife. I just give her a lesson, so she knows that I''m still the one in control, and she is nothing but a weak bitch who will eventually crawl back to me."


    Mrs. Andrew swallowed her saliva again, and Vernon sensed that Vincent got even angrier.


    Which was funny. Vernon should be the one who was mad because his bastard brother still believed that Chloe needed him.


    ''Obviously, it''s YOU who needs her the most,'' Vernon ridiculed in his heart. ''But it''s fine. Keep being in denial with your own heart, it''s better because that means Chloe will never return to you.''


    After a brief silence, Mrs. Andrew revised her words, "Since thatst incident of Mr. Gray giving Mrs. Gray a lesson, Mackie was nowhere to be seen. We tried to contact Mrs. Gray''s number, but we have been blocked, and even if we try to call her with other numbers, she just rejects the call. Mrs. Gray''s number has been uncontactable sincest week."


    "So it took you three weeks of my daughter missing until you decided to tell me about it, right?"


    "M--My apologies, Mr. Gray."


    "Apology won''t change the fact that you failed to protect my daughter," Vincent said. "Tsk, what if she got kidnapped? So annoying."


    Vernon was surprised by Vincent''sment just now. He didn''t expect Vincent to be so attentive to his daughter. He thought that Vincent only saw Mackie as a pet, just like how Vincent treated him when he was young.


    ''I guess I was wrong,'' Vernon thought.


    "Rx, big bro, don''t panic. I''m sure Mackie is fine," Vernon tried to put him at ease.


    ? "And why do you think so?" Vincent asked.


    "Because if Mackie got kidnapped or disappeared, sister-inw would be the first one to search for you and beg for your help," Vernon exined. He didn''t want Vincent to start a nationwide hunt to find his daughter. While in actuality, his daughter went to another school for her own safety.


    Vincent pondered briefly and nodded, "You''re right, Vernon. If she got kidnapped, Chloe would be the first one to crawl back to me," Vincent chuckled as if he had just remembered a funny moment. "It''d be funny if I kidnapped Mackie myself and hid her somewhere. I bet Chloe will go insane and kiss my feet, so I will return Mackie to her."


    Vernon''s lips twitched. He was trying not to punch Vincent for having that crazy idea. But Vincent was crazy, to begin with, and Vernon should''ve been used to it by now.


    "I think that''s a little extreme, Big bro. What if Mackie got traumatized because she got kidnapped by you?" Vernon advised. "She is still your daughter, don''t you want to keep her safe?"


    Vincent finally turned his head towards his Little brother. He gave Vernon that puzzled look, "What do you mean, Vernon? Why should I care about Mackie? She is just a kiding out of Chloe''s womb. We can just make another baby if that little girl dies. It''d be better if it''s a boy."

 Chapter 551 551

    Vernon couldn''t believe what he had heard just now. He thought he misheard it, so he asked again, "I¡ªI''m sorry, Big bro. What did you just say?"


    Vincent noticed Vernon''s astonished expression, and he found it funny. Vernon should''ve been used to this since the time their father was still alive.


    After all, Vincent also knew that Vernon had the same idea in mind. They were blood brothers, and Vincent always expected Vernon to agree with him.


    "I said, Mackie is just a little girl who came out of Chloe''s womb. She''s receable," Vincent said. "I can fuck Chloe again and get her pregnant with another child if we ever lost Mackie. It''s not a big deal."


    Vernon was speechless. He knew that his Big brother was a monster, but he always thought that as monstrous as he could be, he would still love his daughter.


    Apparently, he was wrong.


    "What? Why are you giving me that face?" Vincent chuckled. "Do you really think that I care so much about Mackie? Hahahahah!"


    Vincentughed freely as if what he said wasn''t just degenerate. He actually liked the expression that his Little bro made.


    "What''s with your shock? Don''t you think it''s normal?" Vincent asked. "I think it''s very normal to get another baby if one died, especially when it''s a girl."


    Vernon wanted to keep agreeing like usual, but he couldn''t this time.


    He had to admit that he had a simr view to Mackie before, but it wasn''t limited to just a girl.


    Vernon saw children as a nuisance and didn''t want to have one of his own because they''d onlyplicate things.


    That was until he reunited with Chloe. He loved Chloe so much that he was willing to ept Mackie as part of the small family but still didn''t see her as his daughter. At most, he just saw Mackie as Chloe''s daughter, but not his.


    And then, that little girl slowly melted his cold heart until Vernon realized how simr Mackie was to him.


    ? Now he took Mackie as his own daughter whom he''d protect fiercely. Hence, Vernon was visibly upset when he listened to Mackie''s biological father saying the little girl was receable.


    "I don''t think so, Big bro," Vernon stood up for the first time against his brother''s twisted view. But he tried to keep it simple and less ''confronting'' so his Big brother wouldn''t get hostile towards him.


    "Don''t think so? Why?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I just think that you should be responsible for the children you brought into this world," Vernon said. "It took us a while until we could be independent of our parents, no?"


    Vincent found his Little brother''s answer to be quite funny. Because he never expected Vernon to have such an idealistic view of having a child. This was weird for Vincent since he was used to having people around him agreeing with him.


    ''Hmm, maybe he still doesn''t understand that we''re the same brothers. We share the same interests and views,'' Vincent thought. ''Perhaps it''s because he doesn''t have a daughter yet. I bet he will be just like me if he has a daughter. They are easy to rece, you could let them die and fuck your woman again to get another one. Simple.''


    As Vincent enjoyed Vernon''s shocked reaction, he darted his eyes at Mrs. Andrew, whose face had pale out of fear. He raised his chin arrogantly, "You¡ª tell my little brother about the bullying stuff."


    Mrs. Andrew''s eyes widened. She shook her head as she tried to reject the order. She was burdened when Vincent told her to block any help from other staff to Mackie and let the little girl get bullied by so many people inside the school.


    But she was so scared of losing her position as Principal that she decided one little girl''s life was worth the exchange for the sake of her career.


    As long as she could keep her job, she''d be able to take care of many more children, and that''d offset all of her sins against Mackenzie.


    Besides, it wasn''t her fault that Mackie''s father was a literal monster.


    "Hm? Why are you still trying to hide it? Do you also feel ashamed of what you did?" Vincent scoffed. "Ohe on. It''s not that big of a deal. I don''t care if that little girl is hurting. I just want to get a reaction out of Chloe."


    Mrs. Andrew looked at Vincent, who seemed to be in a good mood once his Little brother was around. He was like a peacock unting his shiny feathers to everyone and expecting everyone to praise him.


    But when she checked on Vernon, she noticed a crazy amount of rage that Vernon tried to repress. His fists were clenched to the point that all his veins were popping. His lips were zipped, but his jaw tightened, showing extreme patience because he couldn''t wait to bite his Big brother for talking shit about that little girl.


    Mrs. Andrew swallowed her saliva. She didn''t expect Vernon Phoenix Gray to get angry over this. She thought they were the same kind of scum since they were blood brothers.


    But Vernon seemed to have a bit more conscience than Vincent. Because any normal human would get upset if they heard all the sickening stuff that Vincent said just now.


    Mrs. Andrew was terrified of Vernon''s rage. He looked big and intimidating, like a giant that could crush you.


    But the old Principal was even more terrified of Vincent. She didn''t want to know what Vincent would do to her if she dared to defy his order. Because this man could deploy the whole school to bully his own daughter to upset his wife. Nothing could be more deranged than that.


    So she admitted, "M¡ªMr. Vincent Gray told me to orchestrate bullying for Mackenzie. He wants me to make Mackenzie''s life in the school a living hell. Her peers bullied her daily, and nobody was allowed to interfere. This has been ongoing for almost eight months."

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    Vernon darted his eyes towards the old Principal, who hunched her shoulder cowardly. Again, he couldn''t believe what he had just heard and how Chloe had never told him about the whole thing. Had he known that Mackie had been bullied for eight months straight, he would move her out of that school much sooner.


    Vincent nodded in approval, "Yep, that''s right," then he nced at his Little brother. "Don''t you see, Vernon? I''ve been using my daughter as a way for me to keep Chloe around. I know that Chloe would always be under my control as long as I have control over Mackie."


    "You can even ask her what kind of bullying I did," Vincent''s eyes returned to the old Principal, and he continued his showboating. "Go on, I want him to know everything."


    Mrs. Andrew nced at Vernon before lowering her head quickly. She didn''t dare to look longer because Vernon was ring at her back, which terrified her.


    "Uh¡­ Uh¡­."


    "Speak," Vernonmanded. "I can''t wait to know what my Big Brother did to Mackenzie."


    Knowing there was no way out under the pressure of two powerful men, the old Principal finally confessed for the second time, "Mr. Vincent Gray told some of the children''s parents to work with him to bully Mackenzie. There are in total six kids who were bullying Mackenzie."


    "So, Mackie has been bullied by six different kids without any intervention from the school for the past eight months?" Vernon asked to rify, and the old Principal nodded slowly.


    "Very good," Vernon scoffed sarcastically. "I never knew that you have a hobby of hurting your own daughter, Big bro. This is a new discovery for me."


    "Really? Well, I don''t really like hurting my daughter. But I have to, so Chloe will realize that she is under my control," Vincent exined lightly. "Just like what I said before. Mackenzie is just a babying out of Chloe''s womb. Nothing more, nothing less."


    Vincent was clear and concise with his words, giving no space for Vernon to have any goodwill against his Big bro.


    ''I can''t imagine that Chloe has to stay with a monster like you for so long,'' Vernon thought. ''What a bastard. No, even a bastard is too good of a curse for you. Vincent Gray.''


    Vincent was in a better mood after he unted what he did to Vernon. He wanted Vernon to know the way of the Gray family.


    There was a reason why their Late father, Vaughn Gray, treasured Vincent much more than Vernon.


    It was because Vincent had so much valuepared to his Little brother. He was smarter, more emotionally stable, and had the right as the Gray family''s next master. So it was natural for Vincent to be favored.


    Now, he should''ve done the same by favoring Mackenzie, his only child.


    But he still felt that a girl didn''t have that much worthpared to a boy. So he didn''t care if Mackie disappeared. He could always make another one with Chloe, and hopefully, it would be a boy this time.


    Mrs. Andrew couldn''t wait to leave this room. The tension between the two brothers was terrifying, and he didn''t want to get caught in their fight.


    Vernon couldn''t wait to kill his Big brother, while Vincent unted his degenerate deeds because he thought it was the right thing.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "S¡ªSir, I''ve reported Mackenzie''s disappearance and I have no more to report. May I leave now?" Mrs. Andrew asked.


    "Huh¡ª oh yeah, you can leave now," Vincent said lightly.


    "T¡ªThank you, Sir. Please excuse me."


    The old Principal grabbed her bag and got up. She walked towards the door, but before she opened it, Vincent suddenly added, "Oh, you''re fired, by the way."


    Mrs. Andrew''s body stiffened instantly. She couldn''t believe what she had heard just now.


    She turned around and faced Vincent Gray, leaning leisurely on the sofa, "E¡ªExcuse me, Sir. I¡ªI don''t know why I got fired¡­."


    "You don''t know? Do you have dementia, so you can''t remember?" Vincent''s smile faltered as his mood dwindled. "You failed to keep my daughter under your clutch. The only reason why I keep you around is to make sure that Mackenzie will still stay in that school and I can monitor my daughter and wife."


    "Now that they''re gone, I don''t see any use of you anymore. Leave," Vincent said coldly.


    Mrs. Andrew felt that her whole world was crumbling right now. She worked so hard for the past few decades until she could get promoted and be a Principal. She had dedicated her life to that school and nned to continue until her death.


    She even went as far as hurting a little girl just so she could keep her job.


    But how could¡ª how could this man crush her life so easily?!


    "S¡ªSir, p¡ªplease give me one more chance. I¡ªI really don''t expect Chloe to move Mackenzie away from the school. Maybe we¡­ we can create an announcement about the disappearance of your daughter?" Mrs. Andrew tried her best to satisfy Vincent, hoping that Vincent would be in a good mood and take back his words just now.


    "Why? So everybody in this world will know my daughter''s face?" Vincent scoffed. "You know that I keep them hidden because I don''t want them to be well-known, and people might start targeting Chloe," Vincent said, and he nced at Vernon, asking for an agreement, "Don''t you think so, brother?"


    Vernon tried to repress his rage as much as possible. He couldn''t smile right now but could at least act normal.


    After all, what his Big bro said was very beneficial for Vernon.


    As long as the public didn''t know Chloe and Mackie''s faces, Vernon could continue his work to take down his Big brother and the Gray family without locking Chloe and Mackie up inside the apartment for months¡ª or maybe years for their safety.


    "Yes, Big bro. You shouldn''t show my sister-inw''s and my niece''s face to the public. It''s too dangerous for them," Vernon agreed. "You don''t want them to get kidnapped by someone else, right?"

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    "Obviously!" Vincent raised his voice. He was subconsciously angry whenever he imagined someone else was kidnapping his wife and daughter. "I don''t want her to get beaten by someone else, it has to be me!"


    Vernon''s lips twitched for a second, but he kept his cool and continued, "Then, I think it''s best to keep my Sister-inw and my niece''s identity hidden for now. I don''t think they''re going that far. It''ll be difficult for them to leave since my sister-inw has no family outside of New York."


    "Hmm, you''re right," Vincent said. "Then what should we do to find them? I don''t really care about that little girl, but I really need to make sure that Chloe is still around, so it won''t be hard to take her back when I feel like it."


    "Have you found any clues about the benefactor?" Vernon asked. "I gave you the list before."


    "I''m trying to weed them out. But it seems that you''re wrong with your list, Vernon. I investigated them one by one, but they don''t have anything suspicious against me," Vincent replied. He then had a meaningful smile as he stared at his Little bro. "You know, you''re actually the one who is most suspicious."


    Vernon was surprised, but it wasn''t acting right now.


    He was genuinely surprised at how easily Vincent could sniff some of his activity, "Me? Why? Did I do something wrong Big bro?"


    "Well, it''s just a report from Maria, of course," Vincent said. "She sent me a report of you working with two more of my business partners after Gregory Maxwell. I don''t take it seriously, because I know that you just want to expand your business through my connection. But I''m also curious."


    "Curious? About what?" Vernon frowned. "Big bro, you already got the answer. I''m just trying to expand my business, and using your connection is the easiest way to do it. I''m just using the resources I have in hand."


    "I know that. But I also know that you don''t actually need my connection," Vincent leaned back while observing Vernon''s expression. "You can build your ownpany without my help, so what makes you change your mind now."


    Vernon sighed, "I hate to admit this but¡­ I just want to feel closer to you, Big bro. I also want to feel closer to the family, because my rtionship to all of them are very estranged right now."


    "Besides, it would take me a long time to gather business partners, especially powerful ones. So why would I waste my time when I have a powerful Big bro I can rely on? I''d rather follow your footsteps so I can be as good as you, Big bro!"


    Vincent felt so much better after listening to his Little brother praising him to the moon and back, and he also aspired to be like him.


    Vincent stretched his arm and patted Vernon''s head, "That''s good. It''s good that you aspire to be like me. That means you truly have the Gray family blood in you."


    "Don''t worry about Maria''s report. She''s always suspicious with everyone, that''s why she always sends me any kind of report regarding the movement of all my business partners, including you."


    Vernon was relieved that it wasn''t hard to actually please Vincent. All he needed to do was stroke his ego, and his Big bro wouldn''t question him further, and Vernon had mastered the art of making his Big brother happy.


    "Well, it''s fine, Big bro. I get that you can be suspicious of me. But we have something more urgent to work on right now," Vernon said as he shifted the topic. "What about sister-inw and Mackie? What should we do to find her now?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hmmm, I can set up a manhunt to find them. But I don''t think it''s worth all the hassle," Vincent said. "Do you have any suggestions?"


    "I do, but that means you will have to rely on me too, Big bro," Vernon said.


    "Oh, do tell me. I don''t mind relying on you. I know yourpetence," Vincent replied. He was looking for his little brother to offer his work because Vincent was always excited to see how much his Little brother had grown up to be a good man, just like him.


    "Well, I''m thinking about searching for her myself," Vernon said. "You know, my sister-inw might be too scared to face you, so she will keep moving when she realizes that you''re searching for her."


    "So how about me? I will be the one who searches for her, and coaxes her to return to you," Vernon offered.


    He thought that Vincent would agree immediately, just like he usually does.


    But he didn''t.


    He just scoffed and said, "Well, that''s not what I want."


    "Not what you want?"


    "I don''t want you to coax her. Why would you try to coax a woman? And I don''t want you to use my name to persuade her as well. That''s a disgrace," Vincent said.


    His eyes darkened as he imagined Vernon trying to be sweet in front of Chloe, and Chloe responded by throwing herself into his embrace. That image was somehow very infuriating for Vincent.


    "You can help me find her. But once you locate her, you should return and report it to me," Vincentmanded. "I don''t want you to deal with her."


    Vernon frowned upon hearing that, "Why? I''m just trying to help, Big bro."


    "I know, but Chloe is a bitch. She ran away from a loving and responsible man like me, and then jumped into the arms of another man. She has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and I don''t want you to fall into her deceit."


    "I don''t understand, Big bro. I know my boundaries, and I know that Chloe is married to you. Why would I try to keep her for myself? I have a date of my own, and I''m nning to marry her," Vernon protested. Of course, that was all a lie. In fact, the date that Vernon wanted to marry was none other than Chloe herself.

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    Vincent started to get infuriated with Vernon''s protest, "Don''t question me, Vernon. I just do what I think is best for you. I don''t want you to get tricked by her, and I don''t want you to waste your youth dealing with a useless woman like her."


    Vernon also started to get irritated by his Big bro. Of course, he should''ve known better. His Big brother was a narcissistic sociopath who had never med himself for all the bad things that happened in his life or others.


    He was always right, and nobody could defy him.


    "I just think that you''re being unreasonable, Big bro. I just want to help you, but you keep on restricting me for no reason!"


    Vincent clenched his fist. He knew that Vernon was too young to understand how dangerous Chloe was, so he got up and yelled at Vernon;


    "BECAUSE I CAN''T STOP THINKING ABOUT HER!" Vincent shouted, shocking everyone in the room. "MORNING, DAY, AND NIGHT, I CAN''T STOP THINKING ABOUT HER! SHE HAS PLAGUING MY MIND, AND NOW I CAN''T SLEEP WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT HER!"


    "FUCK, EVEN MY DREAM IS ALWAYS ABOUT HER!" Vincent continued releasing his pent-up anger. He tried not to admit it, but his Big bro kept pushing him until he had to tell the truth.


    He wanted Vernon to know that Chloe was a gue. She was a parasite that lived in your head, and her image only became even more vivid as time went on.


    Vernon slumped back to the sofa, "Now you get it, right? I don''t want you to have a simr experience like me! I don''t want your mind to get gued by her image!"


    ¡­


    "And what do you think caused that, Big bro?" Vernon asked.


    "How the fuck would I know? She''s probably cursing me or some shit," Vincent said. "How else would someone like me¡ªa man who never has the thought of any woman for too long in his mind¡ªto have a continuous dream about her, and vivid imagery about her every day? I need to stare at her picture or at least the video of me teaching her a lesson so I can fall asleep now."


    "This is unique only from her, and I don''t want you to catch the same illness, Vernon. You''ree too young to get your mind distracted by a subus."


    ¡­


    ''I think you''re just in love, Big bro,'' Vernon thought. ''But you have the emotional maturity of a kid and ego of a giant to realize that you''re actually missing her so much. That you''re suffering without her by your side.''


    ''But I will not tell this to you. Keep being oblivious with your own heart, Vincent. It''s better if you never realize it for the rest of your life, so Chloe will never think about returning to you."


    Vernon felt so much better after knowing that his Big bro also had a weakness like this, so he replied, "I just want to help. But I will ept your warning, Big bro. I will just deploy my men to help you search for my sister-inw and my niece. I will tell you their location once I find them."


    Vincent took a deep breath to rx. His heart was beating fast right now. He hated this the most when he remembered Chloe, who was still stuck in his mind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    His heartbeat would elerate until it got painful as if he felt an excruciating pain because she wasn''t by his side.


    Which was stupid.


    He was Vincent Gray. He never needed anyone, not a man, not a woman. Such an insignificant ant like Chloe shouldn''t bother him as much.


    "Good, I will also deploy some to find her," Vincent said. "Also, you don''t need to hurry. I don''t expect you to give me a fast result, New York is huge, and Chloe is probably hiding with Mackie after what I did in the school during the Autumn festival."


    "Oh, speaking of the Autumn Festival¡­." Vincent darted back at Mrs. Andrew, who was kneeling, waiting for the two brothers to finish their argument before she could continue begging to be spared. "Why are you still here?" Vincent asked.


    "S¡ªSir, about what you said before¡­."


    "Yes, I fired you. Why are you asking it over and over? No matter how many times you''re begging, I have my decision already," Vincent clicked his tongue. "What an annoying old bitch."


    Mrs. Andrew''s whole body trembled as the final sentence from the Big boss was delivered to her. But she still couldn''t believe it.


    How could he fire her when she had tried her best to follow all the crazy things he asked? Why wasn''t there any justice for her?!


    ? "Sir, I¡ªI don''t know what I did wrong, really. If it''s because of Mrs. Gray and Mackenzie who ran away, then we can try to find them and bring them back!" Mrs. Andrew said. "I¡ªI will try my best to find them, please don''t fire me. I''ve dedicated my entire life to school! You don''t know how important this job is for me!"


    "And I don''t care," Vincent cut her short. "I don''t give a shit about you and your dedication for the school or whatever. I can hire someone younger to rece you, no big deal."


    "B¡ªBut¡ª"


    "And stop thinking that you can help find my wife and daughter. You''re the one who cannot keep them tight," Vincent added.


    "B¡ªBut, how am I supposed to keep them tight when I only have control over Mackenzie in the school?!" Mrs. Andrew started raising her voice as she got desperate.


    "You''ve failed to keep a seven-year-old out of the Principal''s office when I was teaching my wife a lesson. Never in my life had I ever seen someone as ipetent as you," Vincent''s gaze grew colder and unfeeling. "Leave now. I don''t want to see your face anymore."


    Mrs. Andrew clenched her fist. She tried her best to beg, but since Vincent didn''t want to listen, she had to do this.


    "T¡ªThen, I will tell the media that you''re sleeping with so many parents in the school! I will also tell them that you''re bullying your own child and abusing your wife!"

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    Vincent''s smile faltered once he heard what she had just said. His eyes turned sharp instantly, and they glinted with hostility as he asked again, "I can''t hear you. Repeat it."


    Mrs. Andrew was even more terrified now. She felt that her life was on her throat.


    But she didn''t want to back off, and she knew there was no way out other than facing this monster anyway.


    So the Old Principal gathered her courage and repeated, "I will tell the media that you''re sleeping with so many parents in the school, and you''ve deliberately set up plenty of bullies to hurt your own child! I will also tell them that you''re abusing your wife!" She yelled. "Vincent Gray, do you realize what will happen if I tell the media about this? Your career will be over! You will be done for! You should be scared!"


    "Oh, I guess you''re right," Vincent nodded. Then he acted exaggeratedly as a response, "Oh no, what should I do? I don''t want my career to be ruined! I don''t want everyone to hate me! Tell me, Mrs. Andrew, tell me what you want? I will give you everything, just don''t tell everyone about my sins!"


    Mrs. Andrew knew that Vincent was just ying around right now. Maybe he didn''t take her seriously. Maybe he took it as a mere threat that wouldn''t affect him because nobody dared to stand their ground against the terrifying Mr. Vincent Gray.


    But she was different.


    She would do everything as long as she could keep her job as Principal, even if she had to face Vincent Gray.


    "I will keep my mouth shut as long as you let me keep my job. I don''t need anything else. It''s not that hard to fulfill, right?" Mrs. Andrew asked.


    "Hm, I guess so," Vincent sighed. "Please don''t tell this to anyone. I don''t want my career to be ruined. I have so much to do, and I don''t want thepany to be ruined because of my fault!"


    Mrs. Andrew was actually surprised because she didn''t expect it''d be so easy for Vincent Gray to yield. She really expected him to argue with her because of the threat.


    Had she known earlier that Vincent was so easy to scare, she wouldn''t have to beg on her knees, "T¡ªThen, it''s a deal. I can keep my job and you can also keep your secret."


    Vincent nodded, "Deal, please don''t tell anyone about this."


    "I won''t, as long as I get to be Principal until my death. It''s not so hard right? I don''t want to intimidate you, Mr. Gray. But you really leave me no choice," Mrs. Andrew said. "But since you agree on my conditions, then I won''t tell anyone."


    "Good, thank you," Vincent said.


    Mrs. Andrew tried to get up from her kneeling position, but her old bones weren''t strong enough to get her up.


    She struggled to get up, and Vincent caught it fast, "Oh? You can''t get up on your own?"


    "Oh¡ª Yeah, old body, it''s difficult for me to get up from this.''


    "Let my staff help you then," Vincent took a deep breath and shouted. "MARIA!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    SLAM!


    Maria mmed the door open upon hearing her boss'' calling her. She saw the old woman who was kneeling on the floor and then proceeded to kick her from behind.


    Mrs. Andrew shrieked when she felt a strong kick from pointy heels from behind. She tried to get up to see who dared kick her, but the woman behind her quickly stomped her on the shoulder and pressed the sharp tip of her heel until Mrs. Andrew screamed in pain.


    "AHHH! STOP! STOP!"


    Vincent chuckled and leaned back on his sofa again, "Maria, our Mrs. Andrew here said that she can''t get up because she''s too old. Would you like to help her?"


    "No," Maria replied curtly. "I''ve heard everything, and I know that she is threatening to ruin thepany by telling the media about it. I will not let that happen, Sir."


    "Good," Vincent scoffed. "Well, you know what to do then."


    Maria nodded. She pressed her heel and stared down at the old woman who was writhing in pain because of Maria''s ruthless kick. For an old woman, Maria seemed to have no brittle bone in her.


    She was still as strong as she used to be when she was young and still as ruthless. Mrs. Andrew talked with Secretary Maria a few times before, and she always thought that Maria was just an old woman who was dedicated to her job, just like her.


    So she had a sense of camaraderie with Maria.


    ''But it seems that I made one mistake,'' Mrs. Andrew thought. ''Maria¡ª this woman has no heart.''


    "Do you want her breathing or not, Sir?" Maria asked. She was still calm even though she actually gave an option for Vincent to just kill the old Principal and toss her body somewhere.


    "Well, she told me that she will leak all of my secrets to the media if I don''t keep her around as the school Principal. Do you think she deserves to live or not, Secretary Maria?"


    "Not at all, Sir," Maria replied curtly. Her gaze grew colder as she kept her eyes on the old woman under her, "She dares to threaten you and threaten to ruin thepany. I will not forgive that."


    "Then you can do whatever with her, just keep it clean," Vincent gave out the order.


    Mrs. Andrew''s body turned frigid in an instant. She tried to process what Vincent had said just now, and once she realized what would happen to her next, she started struggling like a mad woman.


    "LET GO! LET ME GO!"


    "Tsk, what a nuisance," Secretary Maria lifted her heel for a split second and stomped on the back of Mrs. Andrew''s head instead. Mrs. Andrew was at Maria''s mercy now because every time she struggled, Maria would press her heel harder until it was hard for Mrs. Andrew to breathe.

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    "Mmmp¡ªMmmppp¡ª!!" Mrs. Andrew continued struggling to no avail. Mrs. Andrew was scared that this woman might actually kill her if she kept struggling, so she stopped once her face was nted on the ground until it was for her to breathe, let alone open her mouth.


    "Mm, good, she finally stops struggling," Maria said, then nced at Mr. Vincent Gray and also Vernon. "Don''t worry, it will take her long enough to actually die out of asphyxiation. I don''t care if she does, though."


    Maria fished her phone out and started calling someone, and then, ten minutester, two men in ck showed up and helped her prop Mrs. Andrew up. They covered the old woman''s mouth with one hand and pulled her out of the office.


    Secretary Maria watched from the side. After ensuring that woman was taken care of, she bowed respectfully at Vincent and Vernon before leaving the CEO''s office and shutting the door.


    ¡­


    Vernon was speechless the whole time. He knew that Maria was Vincent''spdog that would do anything for him and thepany. He also knew that Maria was very dangerous and observant.


    But he didn''t expect Secretary Maria¡ª that old woman could be ruthless and unfeeling. She didn''t even hesitate to stomp the old Principal and called two men to bring the old Principal out.


    ''I also can''t believe that it''s so easy for her to talk about murdering someone in front of a guest like me. Is this amon urence?'' Vernon nced at his Big bro, who didn''t seem to be affected at all, then asked, "Big bro, what will she do to that old Principal?"


    "Hm? I don''t know," Vincent shrugged. "She will probably kill her, or even worse, torture that old woman until she dares not talking about anything to the public. She''s quite effective for this job."


    "And you also allow her to use those important men in ck to do her bidding?"


    "They are still my people. I just give Maria enough control to deal with tasks like this," Vincent continued. "Why are you asking? Are you surprised that Secretary Maria can be so ruthless?"


    Vernon nodded.


    He was genuinely curious about Secretary Maria''s life story and why she did everything for Vincent, even though it barely benefited her.


    "Well, let''s just say that ourte Father helped her enough until she decided to dedicate her life to our family. You won''t find someone more dedicated than she is, that''s why I keep her around," Vincent exined. "Anyway, that old Principal''s life is over. I don''t think Maria will kill her because it''s too much of a hassle to do. But she will definitely punish and traumatize Mrs. Andrew enough until that old bitch don''t even dare to do think about telling the media about me."


    Vincent watched the astonishment on Vernon''s face. Again, he always felt so proud when Vernon looked so surprised and stared at him with awe. It proved that Vernon was still the same Little brother who would always listen to his words.


    Just like a dog.


    "Speaking about old women. I don''t know where Dorothea is right now," Vincentined. "I tried calling her many times, and she never answered any of my calls. I tried to contact the Gray mansion, and the head butler said that she is on her trip to Greece to heal herself."


    Vernon swallowed his saliva when Vincent brought up the topic of Dorothea. He was afraid that the old woman might''ve told Vincent about everything, "Are you sure that you can''t get her in contact? Does she have any bodyguard that follows her around?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Huh? Why?" Vincent frowned. "Why do I need to hire a bodyguard to protect a depressed dying woman like that?"


    "Well, I just thought that maybe you want to keep her safe¡­." Vernon murmured.


    "Huh? You really think I care so much about her?" Vincent stared at his Little brother as if Vernon had said something so utterly ridiculous just now.


    "I just thought that you might have a little good will to her, Big bro," Vernon said. "After all, you''re her favorite son."


    "Favorite son? HAHAHAHA!" Vincent burst out inughter. The more he listened to his Little bro, the funnier it got. It took him the whole five minutes until he was satisfied with hisugh and asked back with a grin on his face, "Do you really think that she loves me?"


    ¡­


    "Well, let me tell you something, Vernon," Vincent patted his Little brother''s shoulder and leaned closer so he could whisper, "I didn''t give a shit to her pampering when I was young. You and I know that she did it because of her failing marriage with ourte Father."


    "She doesn''t want to be left out. Although her life has been ruined by her husband, she still have me. She wants me to be her doll that she can shape whichever she want based on her vision of perfect son," Vincent said. "Unfortunately, I''m not that doll. I got bored dealing with an overbearing mother like her, and I don''t care if she dies or not right now."


    Vernon''s body trembled slightly. Vincent was simply terrifying, especially when he acted all kind and amiable like this.


    It reminded Vernon of how ruthless he could be to an old woman just now.


    But he clenched his fist to gather his strength so he didn''t look scared in front of Vincent.


    "I see," Vernon nodded. "Then, if you don''t care about that old woman, why are you trying to find her now?"


    "Obviously because I have to make sure that she will die in a civilized manner. There are still so many Gray family assets under that old woman''s name. It''ll be a headache if I have to fight all of those rotten apples to obtain all of my birthright," Vincent said, referring to the Gray family branch members as rotten apples.


    "I see¡­"


    Vernon was relieved that Dorothea hadn''t told Vincent about his rtionship with Chloe. Just like what Chloe said¡ªDorothea wouldn''t betray them.


    ''What if¡­ what Chloe said a few weeks ago was true? Dorothea has changed and wants to help us. What should I do if Chloe actually win the bet?''

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    ''What if¡­ what Chloe said a few weeks ago was true? Dorothea has changed and wants to help us. What should I do if Chloe actually wins the bet?''


    That question lingered in Vernon''s mind more than he''d like it.


    He was unsure whether he would call it a blessing or not, but he certainly disliked the fact that there was a chance of him losing the bet against Chloe.


    He was 100% sure he''d win it because, in his mind, Dorothea was a monster no less than Vincent. She was an abuser, and her target was the innocent Little Vernon, who knew nothing about this world and his fault for deserving such beating from his mother at such an early age.


    So he was certain that a monster like Dorothea would not change her view in such a short time, and Vernon refused to believe that Dorothea could be good.


    She hurt him so badly that he never felt any motherly love from that monster. He foundfort from his Big sis Chloe instead, and now this old woman wanted to crawl back into his life with Chloe?


    Oh, that would not happen!


    ''Fuck, this is bothering me now,'' Vernonined. ''Did Chloe somehow tell Dorothea about our bet? That would exin how Dorothea hasn''t told Vincent about my rtionship with Chloe.''


    ''But why? I don''t think Chloe is that dumb. She may be kind, but she''s not stupid enough to get manipted by that old witch for the second time,'' Vernon wondered. ''Besides, she has had no contact with anyone for the past three weeks. She''s only going out apanied by that military-trained bodyguard as a driver, so her action throughout the day is very predictable. She also has no phone. So there''s no way she could contact Dorothea.''


    ¡­


    ''Are you telling me that Dorothea is actually trying to help us? Trying to help me?'' Vernon''s chest felt heavy as he thought about the idea of meeting his estranged mother. ''No fucking way. There''s no way that bitch has no malicious intention.''


    ''I just have to prove Chloe wrong, so I don''t need to sit face-to-face with that old bitch!''


    Thus, determined to kick that dying witch away from his new life with his beloved, Vernon asked his Big bro, "If that old woman actually disappears, then there must be a reason before she left, right? Did something happen to Big bro when you talk to her?"


    "I don''t think so," Vincent replied. "Thest time I talked with her was in this office, with you. Do you remember how she tried to frame you and pit us against each other? Yeah, that time when I showed video of me beating Chloe as lesson."


    ¡­.


    "Then, did something happen after she disappeared?"


    "Yes," Vincent''s eyes darkened as he answered. Vincent rarely took things seriously at work and usually weed out problems without thinking twice.


    But he looked so serious now, so there must be a big problem after Dorothea was out of his radar.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Dorothea, that old bitch, dares to withhold three months of schrship money from the Gray foundation. She directly instructed the manager of Gray foundation to allocate the three months'' money somewhere else, and now I can''t reverse it due toplicated bureaucracy," Vincent said. He really hated to be put in a tight position like this.


    He was always in control, but when something irreversible like this happened, he got easily frustrated and distracted with everything else.


    "I don''t know why that old bitch doing this. Shouldn''t she be happy that I allowed her to live for so long? I could''ve killed her easily if I wanted to, but letting her live is the biggest blessing she could get, really."


    "Can you just use your own money first, Big bro?" Vernon asked.


    "No, again, the bureaucracy isplicated. I can do that, but it''d take another month to do, it''s best to just wait it out."


    Vincent darted his eyes back at his phone, "And now, those ungrateful shits that got their schrship money restrained for three months start protesting in social media, mostly twitter."


    ¡­


    "I thought you don''t care about what people said, Big bro," Vernonmented.


    He actually wondered about this one as well. Vincent always said that he didn''t give a shit to what people said outside, but Vernon knew very well that Vincent had a professional PR team that worked nonstop to keep his image perfect in public.


    So it was obvious that Vincent actually cared a lot about what people thought of him.


    "Tsk, I don''t care about those twitter bastards. But Maria told me that theirments push the topic to be a top one trending, and many investors and business partners are specting about what happened to me and the Gray foundation," Vincent said. "They start calling me over and over, asking the same thing, mostly about the stock and if everything is fine. Because the Gray foundation is proof that we are rich enough to send so many people to good schools, we even sent plenty to Harvard and Yale before."


    Vernon was quite surprised that his Big bro knew very well about the domino effect that might happen because of this event set by Dorothea. It would definitely affect the public image of the Gray family. Some might assume that thepany started having problems¡ª big enough to stop them from sending schrship money, at least, and that would also affect the stock.


    Vernon wouldn''t deny Vincent''s mind. He was smart, brilliant, in fact. And Vernon would never be able to defeat him academically when he was young.


    But his Big brother also had a weakness, which was his mental instability that often clouded his judgment, especially when it involved his ego. Whether it was his insatiable desire to look perfect in front of the public, or his crazy fetish to abuse women, especially his own wife.


    The more Vernon talked with his big brother as an adult, the more he realized how wed Vincent was.


    ''And that means I have a lot of room to exploit his instability.''

 Chapter 558 558

    Vernon had 101 ways to exploit his Big brother''s vulnerable state right now.


    Vincent must''ve had a lot on his mind, and he got frustrated when he couldn''t solve any problem quickly. It was the perfect time for Vernon to start thinking about a counterattack, maybe taking more of his Big bro''s business partners under his wing or putting even more people inside the Gray mansion and Vincent''s own mansion.


    He was certain that Vincent wouldn''t notice a thing or even care about those ''menial'' things when he had a lot of stuff on his mind.


    ''He''s also even more unstable after Chloe left. He can im that Chloe doesn''t affect him. But he grows increasingly unbearable and ruthless to people around him. He bes more of a madman,'' Vernon thought. ''I guess it can''t be helped. I was also easily irritated and prone to temper before I reunited with her.''


    Vernon knew this was the right time to start nning for his next move against his Big bro.


    But there was something else much more important disturbing his mind, and it absolutely ruined his mood right now.


    ''I hate to admit that Chloe wins the bet,'' Vernon fussed. ''That old bitch actually never told Vincent about my rtionship with Chloe, and also fulfilled her promise to go against her own favorite son to help us, to help me¡­.''


    Vernon gritted his teeth in silence. He couldn''t imagine himself forgiving Dorothea. He''d rather kill that old bitch, so she''d never enter his life with Chloe again.


    He could do that, in fact, but he cared a lot for Chloe''s opinion.


    He had done everything for Chloe up to this point, so he couldn''t afford the possibility of Chloe hating him for killing that heroin-addicted old woman.


    Vernon watched his Big bro, who was busy on his phone. He called someone called Nigel and told him toe to the office as soon as possible.


    "Who''s Nigel, Big bro?" Vernon asked.


    "The manager who handles the Gray foundation. He is Dorothea''s direct subordinate and also the one who got the call from that witch," Vincent informed. "You should stick around longer, Vernon. Let''s interrogate Nigel about Dorothea, maybe you can help me to find her. I''d appreciate your help finding Dorothea more than finding Chloe."


    "And why so?"


    "Because Chloe is mine," Vincent imed without hesitation. "I know that you''re trying to help me. But I don''t want her to get touched or even talk to you. Because she might use her pussy to seduce you instead. She''s a cheap whore after all."


    Vernon started to get used to Vincent''s nder over his beloved woman. Chloe was NOT a cheap whore. She was, in fact, the kindest woman that Vernon had ever met in his life, before and after he lived in Europe.


    He was still angry about the nder, but he was able to contain his rage inside his heart, so Vincent wouldn''t suspect him.


    It took at least thirty minutes before the door was knocked, and a man called Nigel entered the office.


    He was a young man in histe twenties, well-dressed like a geek with big framed sses and a sweater. He was checking his tote bag as he entered Vincent''s office.


    He stood right in the middle of the room, under the scrutinizing gaze of two Gray brothers. Funnily enough, he didn''t look scared even though he was facing the ruthless Vincent Gray.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Good morning, Sir. I''m here to answer all of your questions regarding the schrship fund that gets withheld for three months."


    Vincent and Vernon nced at each other briefly before nodding in tacit understanding.


    "Tell us about Dorothea''s instruction," Vernon asked first.


    "Madam Gray told me to withhold all schrship funds for three months straight, so nobody will get their schrship for December-January-February. It will return to the regr schedule in March."


    "Can you reverse this? Or did Dorothea actually take all the schrship fund for herself?" Vincent asked.


    "No, Sir. Madam Gray didn''t take any money from the foundation. Unfortunately, I cannot reverse this because all the funds have been directed towards disaster relief, we cannot take those money back, Sir."


    "USELESS!" Vincent shouted. He got annoyed with the fact that Dorothea gave him no way out. So all he could do was endure those phone calls from business partners and investors for three months until things went back to normal.


    "My apology, Sir. But I cannot do anything now. All I can do is to put up a public announcement regarding the condition. I can say there is a slight mismanagement, or we can put someone to me for corruption perhaps, people will sympathize more if you say there is corruption in the Gray foundation and thepany is trying to investigate."


    "Yes, do that," Vincent said. "Put the me on someone in the Gray foundation and fire him. Give himpensation to shut him up, so he won''t talk bullshit in the media to challenge our announcement."


    "Yes, Sir," Nigel agreed.


    Vernon was listening to the conversation the whole time. He found it terrifying how easily his Big brother instructed his subordinate to frame someone to save his perfect image in public.


    "Is there anything I can help before I leave, Sir?" Nigel offered as they continued with the investigation.


    Vincent had already been informed about this problem before. He just told Nigel toe so they could solve this problem faster bymunicating directly.


    "You can go now," Vincent said.


    "Yes, Sir," Nigel was about to turn around when Vernon suddenly interrupted.


    "Wait!"


    Nigel and Vincent darted their eyes toward Vernon at the same time, and they waited for him to speak, "It''s about Dorothea. Did she say something when she gave you the instruction? Is there a reason for her doing this?"


    "Nothing in particr, Sir," Nigel replied. "I asked if she is certain of this instruction, knowing the bacsh that will happen in the social media and the fact this instruction is irreversible. But she said that she will take responsibility for everything."

 Chapter 559 559

    "She said she''ll take full responsibility?" Vincent reacted.


    "Yes, Sir. Madam Gray said she''ll take full responsibility over everything, that''s why I dare to do this big move, because she granted my safety."


    "Heh, very good," Vincent scoffed. His eyes darkened with a glint of maliciousness in them. He was so angry right now that Nigel and Vernon noticed it immediately.


    The atmosphere became tense, and Vincent said, "You can leave now, Nigel."


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir. Please excuse me," Nigel bowed his head and took a few steps back until his back hit the door behind him. He quickly turned around and left. He didn''t dare to be in the same room with the angry Mr. Vincent Gray. He heard enough scary stuff from other staff about Mr. Gray''s mood swings and general insanity.


    Now Vernon was alone with his Big brother, who was so angry, he could kill a man¡ªor an old woman in this case.


    "That dying bitch. I gave her the right to stay alive for so long and this is how she repay me? How ungrateful," Vincent muttered. "She said she will take responsibility for everything? So she''s really well prepared to face my wrath, huh? I wonder what she can do when I catch herter and skin her old wrinkly body."


    Vernon shuddered upon hearing his Big brother''s threat. Vernon might have the bigger temper between them, but he never threatened to kill someone easily. He had to have a solid reason for eliminating someone, mostly when they threatened his life first, unlike his Big bro, who could do something heinous for the fun of it.


    Vernon felt that it was justified for him to want to kill that dying bitch, because Dorothea had been so horrible to him when he was young.


    But Vincent had been spoiled rotten by Dorothea and still wanted to kill her for this.


    "What are you going to do next, Big bro?" Vernon asked.


    Vincent nced at Vernon with malevolence in his eyes and asked, "What do you think, Vernon? What should I do next when I have to face a traitor like her?"


    Vernon swallowed his saliva with difficulty. He knew this was his chance to actually save Dorothea. He could ask his Big bro not to hurt Dorothea because of their blood rtion.


    But Vernon was petty.


    He still had a grudge against Dorothea, even though it had been confirmed that Dorothea was trying to help him and Chloe.


    But he still refused to admit it and refused to reconcile with that hag.


    So he replied, "Naturally, it''s to eliminate her, right?"


    "Hahah, you''re right! It''s so obvious that I will fucking find and kill that hag for ruining my image!" Vincent proimed. He was ruthless and didn''t seem to be ying around with his words.


    Vernon stayed silent. Somehow, he felt guilty for telling Vincent to kill Dorothea, especially after the revtion that Dorothea was trying to help him, which was something very unlikely of him.


    ? Vernon was just as ruthless as Vincent, but now, he pitied his abuser.


    ''Am I bing soft and stupid now? Is this because I''ve been enjoying life for too long?'' Vernon pondered. ''Or maybe it''s because I''ve been pampered by my beloved? I heard from Carlos that men tend to get docile after finding his true love.''


    ''I shouldn''t be soft to anyone other than Chloe and Mackie. This is not right,'' Vernon thought.


    "I think you need to leave now, Vernon," Vincent said. "I don''t want to kick you out so early, but I''m not in the mood, and you might get caught in my rage."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Okay, Big bro," Vernon nodded. He also knew that it was his time to go because there was no use staying here after he got all he needed.


    Now he knew that the Old Principal had been taken care of, and Dorothea hadn''t told Vincent a thing about his rtionship with Chloe.


    She also fulfilled her promise to disturb Vincent for three months, giving a lot of leeways for Vernon to do his thing.


    So, in short, Chloe won, and Vernon hated it.


    "I''ll talk to youter, Big bro," Vernon said before he left Vincent''s office.


    **


    Vernon resumed his day like usual since he still had a lot to do in his office. He worked nonstop and had a meeting until it was nine in the evening and continued to work in his office.


    "Sir, you don''t seem to be so energetic today, did something happen at home?" Diamond asked as she put a coffee on the desk. She checked the clock and added, "Maybe you should go home."


    "No," Vernon refused curtly. "I don''t want to face her right now."


    Diamond frowned, "Did you fight with Chloe again? Sir, you know that you shouldn''t yell at her, right? She is easily frightened."


    "I didn''t yell at her¡ªhell, I''m not even fighting with her, we''re on good terms these days," Vernon began to get annoyed by Diamond''s bias. "And why do you think that I''m always yelling at her? I don''t yell without reason."


    "That''s not what I see for the past few years I worked with you," Diamond shrugged. "Anyway, what''s the problem now? Maybe I can help in some way."


    "You can''t, because we don''t have a fight. It''s about the bet that Chloe and I made before," Vernon said.


    Diamond frowned, "What bet, Sir?"


    ¡­


    Vernon went silent for a moment and then grabbed his briefcase.


    He took out a phone that Diamond identified easily since it was so outdated, and the only one who had an outdated phone was none other than Chloe.


    Thus, she quickly connected the dots and remembered Vernon and Chloe''s fight and bet about Dorothea.


    "Do you remember?"


    "Yes, Sir. I think it''s been a month since you two made the bet, right? So what will you do next?" Diamond asked. "Remember that I will never forgive you if you dare to lock her up just because you win the bet."


    "That''s the problem, I lost the bet."

 Chapter 560 560

    "That''s the problem, I lost the bet."


    Diamond''s jaw dropped, "YOU WHAT?!"


    Vernon sighed. He dropped all the documents in his hand and leaned on the executive chair, "I lost the bet. I found out that Dorothea never told Vincent about my rtionship with Chloe, that''s why Vincent has no suspicion of me whatsoever."


    "Wait, the whole Gray foundation fund--well, stuff you two talked about? Did she actually do it?" Diamond had gotten the information about the whole bet thing from Chloe and Vernon.


    Thus she knew the whole point of the bet.


    If Dorothea actually helped them by fulfilling her promise to stop the schrship fund of Gray foundation for all awardees for three months, that meant Chloe won the bet.


    But if she didn''t do anything for the whole month, or even worse, told Vincent about their rtionship, then Vernon won the bet.


    Chloe took a huge risk in this gamble because Vernon tried to intimidate her by saying he''d own her body. Everything about her would be all for himself, and her life would be under Vernon''s control.


    Vernon said he wouldn''t actually do that. It was just a threat so Chloe would back off.


    But she didn''t.


    She epted the bet and said that Vernon had to follow Chloe''s instruction, whatever that would be.


    Of course, Vernon knew it was to ept his abusive mother into their small family.


    "Fuck, I can''t believe that I lost the bet," Vernon cursed. He didn''t know who to me except himself right now. Heck, he didn''t even know if he should me himself because he didn''t expect Dorothea to actually take the risk to go against Vincent.


    "What should I do now, Diamond? I don''t want to meet, let alone epting that cruel witch into my life. I don''t want her around Chloe and Mackie too!" Vernon vented out his frustration. He felt lost, and even more so when he realized that he had to tell Chloe about this.


    Diamond went silent for a moment and sighed, "I don''t know, Sir. A bet is a bet, and you lost it. You can''t do anything other than following her demand, especially after Chloe is brave enough to challenge you and ept the bet that might cost her own freedom. She earned it."


    "Damn it!" Vernon grew increasingly frustrated after hearing Diamond''s answer because it was true. He had no way out anymore and had to admit his defeat this time.


    "Maybe I should lie to her," Vernon said. "I can lie that Dorothea did nothing, so Chloe will automatically lose the bet!"


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, Sir," Diamond sneered. "After all, you''re only dealing with the inevitable. Chloe will eventually find out about everything, and you still have to face your defeat plus Chloe''s anger and disappointment on the side."


    "It''s so unlike you to avoid responsibility, Sir. You''re not a coward," Diamond reminded. She always saw her boss as a powerful man that wouldn''t falter against anything or anyone.


    "I''m not a coward. I just don''t know if I can control myself when I see that old bitch''s face, makes me want to punch her old wrinkly face," Vernon said, full of contempt. "I''d rather face 100 Vincent than facing 1 Dorothea, who wants to act nice and warm in front of me. It''s disgusting."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Diamond had no more words for this. There was no way for her boss to ept that old woman into his life, especially with Chloe and Mackie around.


    But he also had to face his loss like a real man. Chloe truly earned her win because she was brave enough to bet on her own freedom.


    "I have no more suggestions, Sir. All I can say is good luck, and face Chloe."


    "Tsk, fine!" Vernon grabbed all of his documents andptop on the desk and shoved it all into his briefcase. "If there is no way out, then I guess I will have to face Chloe!"


    "Wait, you''re actually going to do that?" Diamond asked.


    "What? You told me that I have to face Chloe with the truth that I lost the bet. What else do you want?"


    "Nothing, Sir. I was just a little surprised by how decisive you are, especially when you have to admit defeat."


    "Just like what you said just now, Chloe earned it. And I don''t mind admitting defeat in front of my beloved," Vernon proimed. "It''s her right to do whatever she want, since she owns me now."


    "Owns you?" Diamond raised her brow. "You mean because of the bet, right?"


    Vernon didn''t give any answer and walked out of his office instead, "You can leave the office anytime you want, Diamond. I''m going home first to meet with my woman and tell her the whole truth."


    "Yes, Sir. I wish you good luck."


    Vernon scoffed and swaggered out of the office arrogantly. He closed the door behind him, leaving Diamond alone in the office.


    "Well, I guess that''s what we call character development," Diamondmented. She sipped her coffee while staring at the door. "He never wanted to admit defeat to anyone before, not even for the smallest argument. No matter how wrong he was, he''d never back down."


    "But Chloe has changed him in a good way, and I''m all for it. After all, who wouldn''t want to have a kind boss?" Diamond nodded as she agreed with her own statement. "I guess that means I''ll have to extend my stay in this office. I like the atmosphere now."


    **


    Vernon turned up the radio to the max volume as he listened to some random music ring from the speaker. His eyes were on the road, and he tried to mouth some of the lyrics from a few songs.


    But his mind was actually empty as he kept thinking about Chloe and Dorothea. Just the thought of spending time with Dorothea was enough of a nightmare for him.


    And now, the nightmare was about to happen soon since he had just parked his car in the basement.


    Vernon sat inside his car for a while and muttered, "I fucking hate this."

 Chapter 561 561

    "I fucking hate this."


    Vernon had already lost count of how many times he muttered that sentence.


    Because the truth was¡­ he really didn''t want to admit his defeat, not in this case at least.


    He could lie.


    In fact, he WOULD lie if it wasn''t for Diamond, who stopped him before.


    She was right. If he lied to Chloe about this, he''d only dy the inevitable and also have to face Chloe''s anger and disappointment, two distinct emotions that Vernon never wanted to appear on Chloe''s face.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself down and opened the car door.


    He grabbed his briefcase and mmed the car door to express his frustration again.


    Vernon felt his feet heavy as he walked to the elevator and went up.


    Ding!


    "Oh, fuck!" Vernon cursed spontaneously when his heart jumped upon hearing the sound of the elevator reaching the top floor. He wanted tough at himself for acting like a coward right now.


    But truly, this shit was ten times more nerve-wracking than having to meet Vincent.


    Vernon dragged his feet to the front door of his penthouse. He would usually use his fingerprint to unlock it and enter without thinking twice because it was his penthouse, after all.


    But not today.


    He stood in front of the door for a long time before he pressed the bell that hadn''t been used for a long time.


    Ding-Dong!


    Vernon pressed it a few more times until he heard a footstep from the inside, followed by a click on the door.


    Chloe opened the door carefully. She peeked from the gap and was relieved to see Vernon.


    She opened the door and asked, "Vernon, what''s wrong? Why are you pressing the bell?"


    ¡­


    Vernon said nothing, but he stared at Chloe with a deep gaze full of unknown intentions.


    Chloe quickly caught the sadness in his eyes, and she got worried immediately, "Oh no, did something happen?" she asked. She inserted her hand inside Vernon''s arm and pulled him inside.


    Vernon said nothing, but he followed Chloe to go inside his penthouse. She led him to sit on the sofa and gently wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. Vernon looked up to stare at Chloe''s face.


    She looked very concerned and instructed, "Stay right here, okay? I will make you tea first so you can rx. Do you want a snack?"


    "¡­ Yes," Vernon finally opened his mouth, much to Chloe''s relief. It would be a disaster if Vernon didn''t even want to open his mouth because that meant the problem Vernon had to face was a big one. It stressed him out so much he''d prefer not to speak rather than yell at Chloe for no reason.


    Chloe had picked up most of adult Vernon''s habits after living together with him for so long.


    Chloe put the tea and bowl of Doritos on the coffee table in front of Vernon. She sat beside him and asked, "Can you tell me what happened? I''m worried about you."


    "I don''t feel like it," Vernon refused, but he kept staring at Chloe.


    Chloe thought that Vernon wasn''t in the mood to tell her about the problem, but she was d that it didn''t seem to be a huge problem that''d stress him out for days. Chloe was always sad to see Vernon working until he was exhausted and still had to deal with many problems outside of his working hour.


    "Alright, if you don''t want to talk about your problem, then I''ll let you sit here for a while. Call me once you feel better. I''ll be downstairs in my room, okay?" Chloe got up from the sofa, but Vernon quickly grabbed her wrist. Chloe cast her eyes down at Vernon in response, "Vernon?"


    "Don''t leave. I need you here," Vernon said. "And yes, there is a problem, and it involves you¡ª it involves us."


    Chloe frowned.


    She returned to the sofa and waited for Vernon to speak.


    Vernon wanted to grab the mug first and drink the herbal tea to calm himself down, but his finger was slippery because of the cold sweat on his palm. So he struggled just to grab it.


    "I''ll grab the mug for you," Chloe volunteered. She held the mug and slowly put it in front of Vernon''s mouth, allowing Vernon to sip the herbal tea without using his hand.


    Vernon looked at Chloe''s right hand, which was still covered with a cast, yet she still wanted to help him with menial stuff like this. He was grieving whenever he saw that cast because it proved he failed to protect his beloved woman.


    Vernon took another sip before nodding, signaling Chloe that he had had enough of that herbal tea.


    Chloe put the tea back on top of the coaster.


    She gently intertwined her fingers around Vernon and joined their palms together. She didn''t care if Vernon''s palm was sweaty, as she knew that Vernon had a lot on his mind, and holding his hand was the only thing she could do to calm him down when he didn''t want to tell the problem.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "My palms are sweaty, let go," Vernon said.


    "It''s just sweat. I''m here so you can feel better," Chloe insisted. Instead of letting go, she twined their fingers tighter, so Vernon couldn''t push her away.


    She felt it was her duty to be there for Vernon, especially after all he had done for her.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    They held hands together for a long time until Vernon started regting his breaths. His body felt warmer as their hands were joined, and he slowly leaned towards his beloved and rested his head on her shoulder.


    He was staring emptily at the TV in front of him and wondered if things would be better if he had just lied to Chloe.


    After all, Chloe would always believe him. Then, he could find that old bitch Dorothea somewhere and kill her, so she wouldn''t be able to say a thing to Chloe anymore, and they would happily live in a lie he created.


    Because the happy family he envisioned didn''t have Dorothea in it.


    "Chloe, this is about Dorothea," Vernon murmured.


    Chloe jolted lightly, her fingers twining with Vernon''s fingers tensed in an instant, and Vernon noticed it all, "I¡ªIs that so? Did you find out if she actually helped us or not?"


    "I did," Vernon replied.


    "So, did she help us or not?" Chloe asked.


    ¡­


    There was a long silence from Vernon. His mind told him to lie now, and with that, Dorothea would never be able to disturb them again.


    But his heart said a different thing.


    His heart told him not to lie and face his defeat like a real man. Which he found ridiculous because he was probably the most callous man on earth.


    But even to his beloved, he could even utter a single lie anymore.


    Because if he lied now, he''d feel immense guilt that''d continue to hunt him until he told the truth.


    But he still wanted to test Chloe''s loyalty to him before he told the truth.


    "Chloe, do you really want to make a good family with me?"


    "Huh? W¡ªwhat''s with that question?" Chloe''s cheeks reddened instantly. She stuttered as she got flustered, "Y¡ªYour question shocked me¡­."


    "Just answer it," Vernon insisted. "Just tell me that you want to make a good family with me. You, me, and Mackie."


    ''And two more children to be Mackie''s little brothers or sisters,'' Vernon added in his heart.


    Chloe still found the question to be so out of the blue, but she nodded shyly, "I¡ªI do. I want to have a man that can protect me and¡­ uhm¡­ a good father for Mackie. I want a normal family."


    "Just the three of us, right?" Vernon asked. "Nobody shoulde into our perfect little family."


    Chloe found the question to get weirder. She didn''t know what Vernon truly wanted to hear from these questions.


    "Why do you keep asking about this, Vernon? What''s wrong?"


    "I just need your assurance," Vernon said. "I don''t want someone else to be in our small family, there is no more room in my heart."


    Chloe gulped. She wanted to mention Dorothea, but she was unsure if it was the right time to say so.


    "Um, how about Dorothea? If she''s proven to be innocent and actively tries to help us, will you ept her too?"


    "No," Vernon refused decisively.


    ¡­


    Chloe went silent.


    She wasn''t surprised by the answer, though. It was obvious that Vernon''s heart was closed off for Dorothea. She knew he was entitled to it, knowing how horribly Dorothea abused Vernon back then.


    Vernon scoffed after hearing nothing from Chloe.


    So Chloe still had that idea of putting Dorothea inside their small family in her mind, "You''re naive, Chloe. You should know that I won''t yield just because you want me to. The emotional scars that she made in my heart are just too horrible. Nothing can change that."

 Chapter 562 562

    "I know..." Chloe lowered her head. She stared at their joined hands and continued, "I know that you''re hurting, Vernon. That''s why I want to help you heal from your wounds."


    "And you''re doing it by trying to get Dorothea inside our family? That''s ridiculous!" Vernon snapped. "The way for me to heal from my wounds is by kicking that woman out of our life! She needs to leave us alone or die!"


    "Besides, do you want Mackie to be around with an abuser? What if Dorothea got annoyed by the tantrum of a child and started hurting her? Dorothea abused me when I was around Mackie''s age back then!"


    "I seriously don''t understand your way of thinking, Chloe. So please, please enlighten me because I don''t think anyone understands your logic right now."


    There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. To say that he was pissed would be an understatement.


    He was always enraged whenever Chloe tried to defend Dorothea. She could do that simply because she didn''t experience the pain that Vernon got.


    She was just a bystander listening to his side of the story. But she didn''t feel pity for him.


    She felt pity for that old bitch instead, just because she looked old and brittle, while Vernon looked strong.


    "Vernon, take a deep breath, rx...." Chloe tried to calm him down because she knew it was a sensitive topic. She allowed Vernon to let his anger burst and stayed silent the whole time because she knew that all Vernon needed was to let go of his frustration so he would listen to her.


    "As much as I want to put Dorothea inside our small family, I still believe that you have more right to decide than I do," Chloe said. "Your anger is valid, everything you feel about her is valid, and I''m not going to question or challenge that."


    "But, if I win our bet, I just want you to give her just one chance--"


    "--To stay with us? Fuck no!" Vernon interrupted. His face was so bitter that Chloe dared not to stare at his face for too long.


    Chloe shook her head, "Not that. I just want you to give her one chance to talk with you. You don''t need to ept her, you don''t even need to meet her after this. Just one chance, and we will never see her anymore, okay?"


    ...


    Vernon peered suspiciously at Chloe, "Just once? Are you sure?"


    "Yes, just talk with her once, and listen to what she is saying," Chloe said. "You don''t even need to think twice about kicking her away after she finished talking. Okay?"


    "And you will be okay with it?" Vernon asked. "You know that I will kick her away immediately, right?"


    "Yes, I know," Chloe felt pain in her heart. If she could be honest, she''d be happy if Vernon really gave Dorothea a chance to make amends. Maybe they could start fixing their rtionship somehow.


    But she didn''t want to force Vernon to do something against his will. She just wanted Vernon to start healing from his past trauma, and in her mind, facing his trauma was the right way to go.


    "Just let her talk to you, you don''t even need to say a thing."


    ...


    "Alright, if you say so," Vernon finally agreed. "As long as you already know the result. Because it won''t be what you''re hoping, Chloe."


    "I know, I just want the best for you," Chloe said. She said it in a very soft, almost inaudible voice. But Vernon still heard it because he was leaning on her shoulder.


    Vernon could sense her concern. He still didn''t understand why Chloe cared so much for that abuser.


    Shouldn''t she be the one who took the biggest stance against Dorothea? After all, Chloe was abused by Dorothea''s son, Vincent. And she should hate that old woman more after getting Vernon''s story about Dorothea''s abuse as well.


    ''I don''t understand you, Chloe,'' Vernon thought. ''Why couldn''t you just take my side without question asked? It would be easier if you could just agree to what I say and ask, it''s not that hard.''


    Vernon still felt betrayed in his heart. Still, in his heart, he wanted Chloe to never think about Dorothea anymore. They had so much to do in the present and future without Dorothea in the picture.


    ''But a deal is a deal. I lost the bet, and I don''t want to lie to her,'' Vernon thought.


    Thus, he opened his briefcase and fished Chloe''s phone out. He separated their joined hands, which made Chloe nervous.


    She thought Vernon was pissed out because she brought up the topic of Dorothea again.


    "Your hand, open it," Vernonmanded.


    Chloe opened her hand nervously. She was afraid that Vernon would do something unpleasant to her because she pissed him off. After all, Vincent also started very sweet towards her before he devolved into a degenerate monster.


    Afraid of punishment, Chloe quickly apologized, "Ah, Vernon, I''m sorry for--" her sentence was interrupted when Vernon suddenly put her phone that he had confiscated for the whole month into her palm.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe stared at the phone for a while and asked, "What is this?"


    "You won," Vernon replied. He sighed, feeling a little regret for telling the truth. But there was no turning around now, so he exined, "Dorothea hasn''t told Vincent about us, and she has been actively helping us. She restricted the Gray foundation''s schrship for all of the awardees for three months straight, so none of those awardees will be getting their money."


    "Vincent is on a hot seat right now. He got a lot of calls from investors and business partners, asking about the current stability of thepany, because those schrship awardees have been blowing social media with their tweets, so the topic of Gray foundation''s sudden halt of ie has been trending these days."


    "Dorothea sessfully turned the wholepany upside down, and her deed is not reversible, so Vincent simply has to deal with this problem for the next three months, giving me a lot of options to start taking over."


    "I can snatch more of his business partners and continue shaking his position. I can create even more problem to make it difficult for Maria too, so she won''t be able to investigate about all of my current works," Vernon admitted. "Dorothea really helps us, surprisingly."


    Chloe was dazed while listening to Vernon''s exnation the whole time. She truly believed that Dorothea had changed and would never intend to harm her family, especially Vernon because she seemed to have regretted her past abuse towards Vernon.


    She also believed that Dorothea truly wanted to turn her life to find happiness for herself.


    But Chloe never expected Dorothea to actually do the crazy shit. She actually went against Vincent and turned Vincent''s life upside down for the next three months.


    It was a genuine surprise, but now that it had happened, Chloe was unsure if she''d want this.


    Because she didn''t want Dorothea''s life to be in danger.


    "Where is she now? Did she get caught by Vincent?"


    "No, she''sying low somewhere. She won''t answer any of Vincent''s calls, and the staff in the Gray mansion doesn''t know where she is. She said she''s staying in Greece on a vacation, but she''s currently untraceable," Vernon replied. He nced down at the phone in Chloe''s hand and muttered, "I think the only way to find her is through you. I bet you''re the only one who canmunicate with her right now."


    "So go on, call her," Vernonmanded.


    Chloe looked at her phone and then at Vernon simultaneously. She started hesitating, seeing how displeased she looked, "A--Are you sure?"


    "Huh? What do you mean? It''s in our deal, right?"


    "I--I know. But I don''t want to displease you even more. I don''t want you to get angrier," Chloe muttered.


    Vernon crossed his arms and looked away, "Go make a call for her before I change my mind. You earned it, and you have the right to call her."


    Chloe hesitated. She stared at her phone for a while before gripping it and finally turning it on.


    Then, she scrolled through her contact and found Dorothea''s name.


    She gave Vernon thest nce, and after realizing that he was gripping his arm tightly to hold himself off, she realized that it was her only chance to call Dorothea.


    So, she pressed the green button.


    It only took a few beeps until Dorothea picked up the call. This surprised Vernon because he thought Dorothea might''ve been dead somewhere, drowning in alcohol or overdosing on heroin.


    Chloe nced at Vernon again and decided to turn the phone on loudspeaker, so Vernon could hear what Dorothea was saying and to show that she didn''t try to do something against him behind his back.


    --Loudspeaker--


    "Dorothea, it''s me, Chloe," Chloe mentioned her name, afraid that Dorothea might be too drunk to remember.


    "Yes..." Dorothea''s voice was rough as sandpaper. She also sounded very weak, "I never expect you to call. I thought... you''ve forgotten about me."


    "How could I?!" Chloe snapped out of distress. "I''ve been worrying about you the whole time!"


    "About me? Why?" Dorothea sounded genuinely confused. "You''re better without me, Chloe. I just hope that you''re doing well with Vernon, and uh... please tell Mackie that I love her. Granny really wants to meet her, but I''m so busy right now."


    "Good bye, Chloe."


    Dorothea was about to hang up the call when Chloe suddenly yelled, "VERNON WANTS TO MEET YOU!"


    --

 Chapter 563 563

    ¡ªLoudspeaker¡ª


    "VERNON WANTS TO MEET YOU!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a long silence on the other side of the call. But at least Dorothea didn''t hang up the phone, much to Chloe''s relief.


    Chloe knew that Dorothea was trying to process the whole thing, and she was d she could at least say that to the old woman. It must be something that she had been waiting for so long.


    "Chloe¡­ you don''t need to lie to make me happy," Dorothea said. "Don''t worry, I will manage to live without my sons. I hope I can."


    "No¡ªNo! Dorothea, Vernon and I made a deal. He confiscated my phone for an entire month, and we will wait until there is a move from you to attack Vincent. He bet that you won''t do anything, but I believe that you will!" Chloe kept on speaking while ncing at Vernon next to her. "Vernon found out that you haven''t told Vincent about us, and you also helped by stopping the Gray foundation schrship money for all of the awardees!"


    "Ah, I¡ªI didn''t expect everything to go so smoothly," Dorothea murmured. "I thought Nigel wouldn''t obey my words, and I had failed you. That''s why I dare not to call anymore¡­."


    "But you did! Everything went well, and Vernon said that he now had a lot of windows to start attacking Vincent left and right. He is doing even better because of you!" Chloe began to get excited as she imagined Vernon could triumph over Vincent because of his family support.


    He always said that he wanted a family of his own.


    The real family that he would love and love him back.


    "Tsk, you''re speaking too much. I will do well even without her help," Vernon finally opened his mouth, and the first thing he said was to belittle Dorothea''s aid.


    Chloe heard an audible gasp from Dorothea. There was another long silence before she asked, "I¡ªIs that Vernon? He is by your side?"


    "Ah, yes. He is by my side right now," Chloe replied truthfully. "Don''t worry, he gives me permission to call you. He wants to meet you."


    "I DON''T WANT TO MEET HER, WHAT THE HELL, CHLOE!" Vernon shouted and got up from the sofa. "I DON''T EVEN WANT TO SEE HER FACE! STOP MAKING UP STUFF TO MAKE HER HAPPY!"


    Chloe''s heart jumped when Vernon suddenly yelled at her. She looked up and saw the pooling tears in Vernon''s eyes. She gulped as she realized that she might''ve said too much.


    So she put the phone on the coffee table and then got up. She took a step toward Vernon and wiped the tears at the corner of his eyes while whispering, "I''m sorry, I said too much. I know that you don''t want to meet her."


    Vernon stared at Chloe for a while, and his tears kept on pooling, which he found to be shameful. He was a man, after all. He shouldn''t be crying just because his childhood memories began to flood his mind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Just finish the call," Vernon said. He turned around and walked to his room.


    He mmed his bedroom door and stayed inside until Chloe finished her call.


    Chloe sighed. She grabbed the phone again, "Dorothea, are you there?"


    "I am," Dorothea replied. "Chloe, you don''t need to lie. I know that Vernon hates me."


    "I''m sorry. I was just too excited¡­." Chloe admitted her mistake. "I just can''t wait to have you two meet each other¡­."


    "Us? Meeting each other? Why?"


    "To make amends, of course."


    "That¡­" Dorothea paused and then sighed. "I don''t think that''s possible, Chloe. He hates me, and I deserve the hate. Nothing can change that."


    "But you have to try, Dorothea! Convince him that you''re a changed woman! Tell him that you want to apologize for all the things you did back then!" Chloe insisted. "You should know that Vernon still doesn''t allow me to call or contact you in any way until I won this bet before. This is my¡ªI mean, OUR only chance to make things right!"


    "Come on, Dorothea. I don''t want you to miss it. Just please, try to have a talk with Vernon. This is your only chance to make him listen, so if you want to apologize, then you should!"


    ¡­


    "Why are you doing this, Chloe?" Dorothea asked.


    "Huh?"


    "Why do you insist on making things right between Vernon and I. It''s my fault that I abused him when he was young, and it''s also my fault for ignoring your plea about Vincent''s behavior before," Dorothea admitted. She thought that she was past the point of no return anyway. "Why do you keep trying to fix things when nothing that can be done?"


    "Because I want to give him a good family!" Chloe stated boldly. She raised her voice as it was her goal the whole time, and she wanted Dorothea and Vernon to hear her. "I want him to know that he is well loved. He didn''t have that privilege when he was young, so I want to give him a good family that he can rely on. And I think, there has to be you in it, because you''re also part of his trauma that can be healed."


    "Dorothea, while I want you to be healed, you should know that my real goal is to make Vernon happy. He gave me so much and I gave him nothing in return for so long. This is my way to make her happy!" Chloe said. "So please, Dorothea, for his sake, pleasee and talk to him. Tell all the things you want to tell him, say any kind of apology that has been brewing in your heart, I want him to be happy."


    "Chloe¡­" Dorothea was speechless after realizing that Chloe had grown up a lot after so long. She was a scared woman who didn''t know what to do when she was with Vincent. She always looked down and barely said anything, especially when Vincent was around.

 Chapter 564 564

    --Loudspeaker--


    But now, she stood up for herself and worked on what she wanted to achieve.


    But the most important thing was she did this for Vernon, the son that Dorothea abused and abandoned when he was young.


    And Dorothea knew Vernon deserved to have a good mother, or at least the one who actively tried to make amends with him.


    ''You really struck gold, Vernon,'' Dorothea thought. ''You found a woman who cares for you so much, that she''s still trying to reach out to me even though everyone else has discarded me, just to make sure that you can let go of your horrible past.''


    ''I don''t know if this will work, but I will try to apologize. Just like how Chloe tries her hardest to fix our lives.''


    "I can''t believe I''ll be doing this, but alright," Dorothea said. "I will meet him and say all the things I want to say. But I can''t guarantee that he will forgive me. My sins are too much for most people to forgive...."


    "I... I also can''t guarantee that he will forgive you. But I just want him to know that his real mother is sorry for all of the things she did, and she''s still actively trying to get an apology," Chloe said. "But it''s worth the try."


    "Okay, then set up the time for us to meet somewhere. I will be there," Dorothea said.


    "R--Really? You''ll go?"


    "Yes, I''m doing this also to thank you for giving me a chance, Chloe."


    "Oh, yes--yes! I should be the one who thank you!" Chloe said. She was so happy that she could explode right now. "Thank you for helping Vernon, I know that you took a huge risk by facing Vincent!"


    "Hahaha, it doesn''t matter, really," Dorothea chuckled as if she found it funny. "I just realized that I''ve been raising a monster this whole time. So it''s also my responsibility to help take him down, so he won''t hurt more people in the future."


    "Anyway, I will try to sober up when I meet him. I''ve been a mess these days," Dorothea said. Her voice didn''t sound sad anymore. She had regained some of her ''Madam Gray'' vitality, and this was the first time Chloe felt happy to hear that arrogant tone in her voice.


    That arrogant tone of Madam Gray sounded nice when she was on your side.


    "Great! I''ll tell youter about the time and location! You shouldy low for now, I bet Vincent is searching for you right now."


    "Of course, I got that information from my good friend," Dorothea imed. "But it''s fine. I can keep myself safe. I wont allow him to catch me, not before I can meet my family, right?"


    "Anyway, I''ll see youter. Bye, Chloe," Dorothea said. Before she hung up the call, she added, "And thank you, for everything."


    Beep.


    --Call ended--<novelnext></novelnext>


    Chloe put her phone on the coffee table and stood still like an idiot for a while. She didn''t expect Vernon actually give in and allow her to call Dorothea.


    She also didn''t expect Dorothea to pick up the call, and in the end, agreed to meet and talk with Vernon.


    Everything was so smooth, it made her wonder if she was dreaming right now.


    She didn''t mind if this was all a dream, though. After all, living with Vincent was like living in hell with Satan, and she''d prefer to never wake up if she wouldn''t be able to find Vernon by her side.


    "Right, Vernon."


    Chloe turned around and dashed to Vernon''s bedroom. She opened the door and saw the man she loved standing tall in front of her. He had aplicated mood which was reflected on his face.


    But Chloe didn''t care. All she wanted was to embrace him to share her happiness.


    She threw her weight towards Vernon, and the man quickly caught her in his warm embrace and wrapped his arm around her waist.


    "Vernon, thank you so much!" Chloe said while resting her head on Vernon''s strong pecs. "Thank you for allowing me to call Dorothea. Thank you for giving in and allowing Dorothea to talk to you. Thank you for everything!"


    Vernon stayed silent, but his heart felt so warm that he didn''t even know what to say now.


    Of course, he overheard Chloe''s call with Dorothea. He didn''t even need to eavesdrop because Chloe had been shouting the whole time as she couldn''t contain her excitement. She also put the phone speaker on full volume.


    Thus, he heard when Chloe said that her goal was to make Vernon happy and give him a happy family that he could rely on.


    She said that he had been doing so much for her while she did nothing in return, and this was the way for her to make things even for them.


    Vernon thought it was ridiculous, Chloe did so many things for him when he was young, and she did even more now by simply staying by his side.


    She was his anchor, so her presence would keep him sane and happy, and seeing her face every day was enough for him to be content for the rest of his life.


    ''She doesn''t even need to do anything, and I don''t need Dorothea in my life. All I want is her, and Mackie. I just want a small family that I can love and trust. The one that will love me back as well,'' Vernon thought. ''But... if this is your way to repay me, then I''m not mad. At least I know that my love is not one sided.''


    ''At least now I realize that you''re always thinking about me. Just the thought of me living in your head is enough to make me forgive you about this whole Dorothea--thing.''


    ''I don''t even care if I have to meet Dorothea now. As long as you''re doing this for the sake of my happiness, then I''ll be willing to do anything for you, including facing my own trauma.''

 Chapter 565 565

    "I will start nning the meeting between you two. Maybe I''ll call her a cab and set it up in a cafe? Do you have any cafes that you like?" Chloe asked.


    But Vernon quickly shot her down, "We can''t set up the meeting outside," Vernon said. "She is a wanted woman, and Vincent has a lot of his agents around. If we have a meeting in an open space, he will find out and everything will be ruined. So we need a more private space."


    "Besides, you can''t just call her a cab. That''s way too risky. I will send one of my people to fetch her and we can talk here, in this apartment," Vernon said firmly, not giving Chloe any chance to refuse his decision.


    Chloe paused momentarily before nodding, "Okay, I''m fine with that. Do you want me to make something for you two? I can, um¡­ I guess I will prepare a snack."


    "No, we''re just going to talk. We won''t have some sweet mother-son dinner whatsoever," Vernon refused. "Don''t go overboard with this whole thing, Chloe. I''m doing this because I don''t want you to be sad. Also because I don''t want to break my own promise to you."


    "Okay," Chloe was a little disappointed that Vernon still didn''t want to open up to Dorothea. But she knew that it must be hard for him toe to this point of tolerating his own abuser.


    So all Chloe could hope for was for the whole meeting to go on smoothly and for Vernon would give Dorothea a chance in the end.


    Chloe released her hug and took a step back from Vernon, "Thank you for everything, Vernon. Thank you for being the bigger guy. I know it''s very hard for you."


    "If you know that it''s very hard for me to do this, then you shouldn''t be asking too much about my response to Dorotheater. You know it won''t end well," Vernon said.


    Chloe''s smile faltered a bit, but she tried to maintain her smile and nodded, "I will ept and respect your decision. In the end, it''s you who has the right to reject her or not."


    "Good, now give me a kiss. I deserve at least that from you, since I have to do the things I don''t like," Vernon demanded apensation.


    Chloe''s smile bloomed again, and she stepped forward to give him a peck on the lips before taking two steps back before he could hug her back, "I can only do that much too. I don''t want you to get too addicted. Good night."


    Chloe opened the door and closed it, leaving Vernon alone.


    Vernon was stunned as he tried to process the peck. Again it was way too quick for him to be satisfied. He''d kiss her deeper and strip their clothes until their bodies had no gap if he could.


    But this was all he could have right now because everything was tooplicated. After all, he never thought that he''d actually reconcile and rekindle his rtionship with Chloe, even going as far as building a new family together.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Everything just happened naturally, and he didn''t want to fuck this up.


    Vernon sighed as he stared at the door, "I guess I have no choice other than meeting with Dorothea right now. Even though I really don''t want to."


    **


    Dorothea kept tapping the dusty motel room floor for at least thirty minutes. Chloe called her this morning, saying that Vernon''s agent would pick her up and he''d drive her into Phoenix Tower so they could have a talk without the worry of Vincent finding out about the whole thing.


    Though, truthfully, Dorothea didn''t really give a crap if his first son found her. She had no more willpower to live. She was a broken woman who had nothing to look up to in the future.


    But she didn''t want Vernon and his new little family to get involved. It was her fight. She helped them because she also wanted to fight for the right thing, and that was to take her first son down with her.


    Dorothea unlocked her phone and opened her front camera. She checked whether she looked presentable enough in front of Vernon and Chloe.


    She had been in such a mess this month. She drank so many times until she passed it was surprising that she didn''t start using heroin again.


    She knew that she looked like a crazydy every day for the whole month, and if she wanted to convince Vernon and Chloe to ept her, then she had to look normal, at least.


    "Why do I keep wanting to convince them to take me in? It''s already obvious that Vernon won''t take me back," Dorothea wondered. She had epted that her second son had a permanent hatred against her. She even thought it was justifiable since she had been a horrible mother to him.


    But she still had hopes that Vernon would at least tolerate her presence. Maybe she could visit them once or twice yearly, especially during holidays. It was much better than not having any family during Christmas and New Year.


    Dorothea had forgotten thest time she enjoyed Christmas and New Year. Ever since she married Vaughn, she''d always dressed up morously. She''d attended so many events for one day with Vaughn, keeping up with the same fake smile to show her happiness with him, even though her heart was screaming inside.


    Vaughn would bring Vincent along for many of those events because he would be the next Master of the Gray family, while always leaving Vernon behind, drowned by gifts that Vernon probably never liked.


    ''Ah, whenever I remember about all the things I did to Vernon, I can''t help but feel so guilty. I was so caught up with the idea of hating Vaughn and raising Vincent, that I havepletely abandoned my second son,'' Dorotheamented over her past sins that she couldn''t erase.

 Chapter 566 566

    She knew that Vernon would never forget all the bad things that had happened in his childhood, and Dorothea was ready to take all the me. She deserved it anyway.


    "But is it wrong for me to wish that he''d at least tolerate me?" Dorothea asked, to which she got no answer. Because she had to meet with her second son first before hearing his verdict.


    Knock. Knock.


    Dorothea lifted her head when she heard the knock. She peered suspiciously and then asked, "Who''s there?"


    "I am Mr. Phoenix Gray''s driver, Madam. He told me to pick you up, pleasee out."


    Dorothea gulped. She stepped towards the front door and checked from the peephole. She saw a man wearing a suit.


    Dorothea opened the door and observed the man from head to toe silently.


    The man bowed respectfully and said, "I''m here to escort you to the Phoenix Tower. He has been waiting for you today, pleasee with me."


    "Wait, before we leave, can I ask if Chloe is also there?" Dorothea felt slightly nervous, thinking that Chloe would leave her alone with Vernon. She wasn''t ready to face her second son after all the things she had done to him in the past.


    She needed a support system, and that would be Chloe, of course, as she was the only person who had ever forgiven and epted Dorothea.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray didn''t give me any information regarding his wife, Madam. But I believe that Mrs. Phoenix Gray is currently in the apartment, because I''m usually the one who drives her around the city."


    Dorothea wasn''t all that surprised when the man called Chloe ''Mrs. Phoenix Gray'' or her boss'' wife. Because Dorothea already knew that Vernon''s obsession with Chloe knew no bounds.


    Vernon was bound to be with that woman, and Dorothea was actually d that Chloe was the woman who entered his heart.


    Because she knew that Chloe had so much impact on Vernon during his childhood stage, and she was also a good woman.


    After all, without proper care, she didn''t think that Mackie would grow up to be a good child.


    ''And Vernon will definitely turn even worse than my first son. He is far more scheming and scarier than Vincent, he will definitely be the bigger monster if Chloe didn''te into his life back then.''


    "Ah, that''s relieving," Dorothea let out a relieved sigh. "Well, let''s go then, I want to see my son and daughter-inw."


    "This way, Madam."


    The driver opened the car door for Dorothea and drove to the Phoenix Tower, which was quite far from her current stay.


    Because she was staying in a dpidated motel far from the center of New York, where the Phoenix Tower was located.<novelnext></novelnext>


    After all, she needed a ce where it''d be hard for Vincent to locate her while she wasunching an attack on the Gray foundation. This ce suited her because Vincent would never expect her to lower her standard and live in such a run-down motel.


    She also believed that it was the ce she deserved. A ce where there was nothing but sadness and despair, a ce people would call garbage, just like her.


    The car took a sharp turn once it entered the basement of Phoenix Tower. The driver parked the car at a reserved spot, and once he turned off the engine, he looked behind and stared at Dorothea, "We''re here, Madam. Mr. Phoenix Gray has been waiting for you on the fifth floor, room 505. You may take the elevator."


    The man handed a card as the key to open room 505, and Dorothea epted it before exiting the car.


    She entered the elevator and stopped on the fifth floor.


    Ding!


    The elevator door slid open, and Dorothea''s eyes widened when she saw Chloe, who had been waiting in front of the elevator.


    She looked happier than before, a lot ruddier and more beautiful too. She looked ravishing, just like before she got married to Vincent. Dorothea knew that Chloe must be very happy staying with Vernon, especially after ten years of abuse from Vincent.


    But Dorothea still couldn''t get used to Chloe''s free smile and open hug, "C--Chloe?" she called her name, making sure it was her daughter-inw.


    "Mhm, wee back, Dorothea. How about a hug?" Chloe offered as she opened her hand.


    Dorothea hesitated momentarily, looking around to check, and Chloe giggled when she saw it, "Don''t worry, Vernon is inside the room. I''m just here to greet you. It''s been a month since thest time we met. I miss you."


    Dorothea stared at Chloe, who didn''t seem to have any kind of reluctance or suspicion toward her. So she let down her guard and stepped out of the elevator.


    They hugged tightly, but it was mostly Dorothea who hugged Chloe so tight, as if it was herst. She felt like she hadn''t seen Chloe for a long time, even though it had been only one month since thest time they had met.


    She really thought that she wouldn''t be able to see Chloe anymore after Vernon went on a rampage against her. She thought her life was over, and she''d lose the only person caring for her well-being.


    "Thank you for giving me another chance, Chloe. I know it must be really hard for you to convince Vernon about this," Dorothea said.


    "Mhm, well, the bet is dangerous, but the reward is well-worth it. At least I can give you another chance to talk with him, but...." Chloe hesitated momentarily before continuing, "But this is yourst chance, Dorothea. I keep asking Vernon to let you inside our small family, but he is hellbent to reject your presence. I hope that you can convince him now, or we might never meet anymore...."


    "I will try to convince him. You''ve worked hard for this, so I have to at least try my best," Dorothea said.


    Chloe was relieved by the answer. She thought Dorothea had given up on everything and wouldn''t even try to convince Vernon.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Go into room 505 and convince him! Good luck, Dorothea!"

 Chapter 567 567

    "Well, what are you waiting for? Go into room 505 and convince him! Good luck, Dorothea!" Chloe cheered on her as she separated their hugs and pushed Dorothea until they reached the door of room 505.


    Chloe took a few steps back and went to the elevator to give Dorothea time for herself so she could gather her courage before opening the door.


    Dorothea stared at the door in front of her. To say that she was nervous was an understatement. She actually thought she''d die out of fright right now.


    She still wished that Vernon would somehow ept her back, even though the possibility was very low to almost impossible at this point.


    ''I just want him to allow me to visit Chloe and Mackie during every Christmas and New Year, it''d be more than enough for me. I can''t ask for much due to all the things I did to him in the past.''


    Dorothea scanned the card key until the door was unlocked. She wiped her sweaty palms on her long skirt before grabbing the door handle. She took a deep breath before pushing the door open.


    Click.


    As the door opened, the first thing that Dorothea saw was Vernon, who sat at a table with two chairs in the middle of the room, and there was a wine bottle on the table with two wine sses.


    Vernon darted his eyes at Dorothea and crossed his arms. He scrunched his brows as their eyes met, and there was an obvious hostility in his eyes which petrified Dorothea.


    Dorothea expected nothing less from this meeting, and she had prepared herself for the hostility.


    But when she had to face her son, she realized she wasn''t as strong and courageous as she expected.


    Vernon scoffed, "Why are you standing at the door like an idiot? Sit and let''s get this over with. We know what''ll happen anyway."


    Dorothea said nothing but approached Vernon carefully and sat on the opposite seat.


    Vernon leaned back, still with his arms crossed and his eyes peering at his mother. He zipped his mouth tightly, not even nning to speak a thing in front of Dorothea because he thought there was nothing to talk about anyway.


    There was nothing but awkward silence for a long time until Vernon suddenly scoffed, "You know that I won''t change my mind just because you''re trying to coax me, right? Wait, do you even know how to coax? I''m pretty sure you''d beat me with a bottle every time I cried when I was a kid, hahah!"


    Dorothea bit her lower lip and lowered her head instantly. She felt ashamed whenever she was reminded of her past sins, especially from her own son.


    "You do know that I''m doing this for Chloe, right? So why don''t we just finish this bullshit meeting and act like we never know each other after this?" Vernon was about to get up and leave Dorothea before thetter finally opened her mouth.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Chloe told me to talk to you, and try my best to convince you. We should do that at least," she suggested. "I know she has done a lot for us, and this is her attempt to fix things between us."


    Vernon stopped and returned to his seat, "There''s nothing to fix between us. You''re never my mother to begin with. All you did was just give birth to me, you didn''t even breastfeed me."


    "I was having baby blues back then...." Dorothea admitted. "I couldn''t face you when you were a baby. So I had to hire a wet nurse."


    "Did you still have your baby blues when I was six? Maybe that was the reason why you beat me up so bad back then," Vernon sneered. "Just admit it, Dorothea. You''re a horrible person, and you''re just trying to get us to ept you, so you won''t feel lonely, right?"


    ...


    Dorothea nodded reluctantly. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that she had failed to be a decent mother, and she also failed everything in her life, and nobody wanted to ept her.


    So this was actually an attempt for Vernon and Chloe to ept her, so she could find a ce she could call a family.


    Though, the whole process didn''t seem to be going smoothly, especially with Vernon, who was so hostile against her.


    Vernon''s lips thinned when he saw Dorothea nodding. So it was clear that Dorothea didn''t even try to hide her idea of joining his little family because nobody wanted to ept her, not even her beloved son, Vincent Gray.


    Vernon was actually hurt when Dorothea confirmed his suspicion. Because that meant his estranged mother only came to him because she had nowhere else to go.


    Vernon was always the second choice for his own mother.


    "You have a family of your own, go to Vincent. I bet he will let you stay," Vernon said.


    "You know I can''t do that anymore," Dorothea murmured. "I ruined his Gray foundation and give him a lot of headaches right now, the only thing he will do if we meet is to kill me."


    "Heh, so that''s why you''re destroying the Gray foundation and creating a lot of problems for Vincent. So you will have nowhere to go now, and use it to make Chloe pity you?" Vernon used. "Well, it''s working. Chloe pities you so much, she even went against me just to prove a point that you''ve changed. Congrattions, Dorothea Gray, you''ve sessfully fooled my woman. But that''s because Chloe has a kind heart, so it''s not hard to gain her sympathy."


    "But I''m not kind. I am far more evil than you''d ever imagine. You''d be surprised how many times I''ve nned to kill you before," Vernon admitted without hesitation. "You should thank Chloe for saving your life. The only reason why I haven''t killed you is because I don''t want Chloe to hate me. She has been protecting you this whole time, you selfish bitch."

 Chapter 568 568

    Dorothea''s heart started aching as Vernon mentioned how much he wanted to kill her. She knew it was justified for Vernon to have that kind of vengeful drive toward her.


    She also knew that getting killed by her own son might be the best retribution that Dorothea would ever get.


    ''But I still feel sad nheless,'' Dorothea thought. ''Now I know there is no hope in us bonding as mother and son.''


    "You might be able to fool Chloe many times you want, but you should know that you''ll never fool me, Dorothea," Vernon stated firmly. "Now that you''ve gotten my answer, let''s wrap this up and never see each other, looking at your face makes me sick."


    Dorothea saw that Vernon was about to get up and leave again, so she took a deep breath and answered, "You''re not allowed to leave, Vernon. I''m yet to say what I want to say."


    "Tsk, fine! Just say it and let''s get this over with!" Vernon yelled and sat on his seat again.


    ''Stay strong, Dorothea. Vernon''s anger is well justified because you''ve been a horrible mother to him. But no matter how angry he is, you must stay on your ground and tell him what you want,'' Dorothea braced herself.


    Dorothea was about to say something but stopped when she noticed the Dalmore Wine on the table.


    Dorothea loved this wine so much and drank it whenever she was stressed out with life. She assumed this was also Vernon''s favorite wine since they were rted.


    And the fact that Chloe was the one who set this up, it was obvious that she wanted Dorothea to drink and rx.


    Thus, Dorothea poured the wine into the two wine sses and grabbed hers. She took a sip and felt more rxed.


    Vernon watched how his estranged mother kept on taking a sip of her wine ss, and he scoffed, "You''re going to get drunk now? How ironic. Your alcoholism is reason why I hate you so much. You were drunk most of the time when I was a kid, and then you''d beat me with the wine bottle when I was trying to get your attention."


    "Vernon, I can''t return back to the time when you were young," Dorothea said. "I''d love to get the chance to return back in time and take care of you as a proper mother, but I can''t, and now I''m facing my retribution."


    "There are a lot of things I want to say to you, but I know that you won''t listen because you hate me to the bone."


    "And it''s well deserved, you''re a shitty mother," Vernon added. He wanted to challenge Dorothea. He wanted to see her acting like a crazy drunkard again, so he could continuously hate on her.


    But Dorothea was calm, as if Vernon''s provocation didn''t faze her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    She nodded in response, "Indeed, I am a shitty mother, and the hatred is well deserved. I... I want to apologize, but I don''t know where to start...."


    "No need to apologize, but I''d probably forgive you after you''re dead, heh," Vernon was entertained by his own statement. He thought Dorothea would react hysterically after what he said just now.


    But she nodded in agreement and added, "It''s true. I think the only way for you to forgive me is with my death. That''s why I''m not asking you for forgiveness, since both of us know that it''s futile anyway."


    "Since you know it''s futile, then stop trying to influence my woman with your pitiful act!"


    ...


    "Let me tell you something about my past, Vernon," Dorothea said, knowing it was impossible to get forgiveness. She took a big gulp from her wine ss and started her story.


    "Back before I married your father, I was just a naive girl born from a wealthy family. Vaughn Gray was the hearthrob in our circle. He was handsome, gant, with a superb family background. He was the ideal bachelor for all the young women, and I was no exception."


    "I fell in love with his charm, and the way he made me feel loved when we were dating. He said all the good things about me that made me say yes when he suddenly proposed. We were at our marriageable age back then, so I said yes without thinking twice."


    "Everything starting from our quick engagement up to the wedding day was perfect. Vaughn was an amazing man, and I felt the envious gazes of those women who failed to marry the ever-so-charming Vaughn. I was proud and happy, and I thought my happiness would stay until the end of my life."


    "Vaughn treated me well for a year until I gave birth to Vincent. Then he started returningte from work, which he told me was just because he got a lot of work to do."


    "I epted his alibi back then because he just took over thepany after his father retired. He worked hard for both of us, and worked hard for Vincent, and I was just a traditional housewife who wouldn''t question a thing as long as things were doing well in the Gray mansion."


    "Then, I finally discovered his cheating when Vincent was about three years old. I caught him red handed fucking a maid in one room inside the Gray mansion. I was utterly shocked and became hysterical when I saw it."


    "But Vaughn acted as if nothing was wrong, and I was just overreacting over something so trivial. He made it look like the whole cheating thing was normal for a man to do, because a man would get bored easily."


    "I asked for a divorce right on the spot, but he beat me up because of that. He told me not to say a thing and never ask for a divorce, because it would ruin his reputation. He said that he''d kill my entire family if I dared to open my mouth about his new adultery hobby."


    "He forced me to y house in front of Vincent while he cheated behind my back repeatedly. The man that I loved became a monster that I hated the most."

 Chapter 569 569

    "I wanted to run away. I tried to escape from the clutch of that bastard to no avail. He got everyone believing that he was the best husband and also best father to me and Vincent."


    "I was like a caged canary. I could only watch as he kept bringing more and more women into the mansion and fucked them. Sometimes he forced me to watch," Dorothea''s voice started getting shaky as she tried to remember all the horrible things Vaughn did to her back then. "So I thought all I could do was to raise Vincent to be a good man. Since I''ve failed as a wife, I would at least not fail as a mother."


    "And you think you didn''t fail as a mother after abandoning and abusing me?" Vernon interrupted. "You need to get your mind checked, Dorothea. Crazy bitch."


    ¡­


    Again, Dorothea wasn''t fazed by his provocation, much to Vernon''s annoyance.


    He disliked how Dorothea tried to act like a normal person as if she wasn''t the one who''d cry hysterically and beat Vernon whenever she felt like it.


    She was his monster, and he hated seeing his monster acting so pitiful, as if she was also a victim.


    "Oh yeah? So what if you got beaten by Vaughn? Did that give you the right to beat me back? You hated me just because of Vaughn?" Vernon asked though it sounded more like a challenge.


    Dorothea swallowed her saliva. Her body started shaking as she tried hard to maintain her dignity andposure in front of her son, so she wouldn''t look like a crazy bitch he could easily kick out.


    "Just like what I told you before. I got baby blues after I gave birth to you. But my baby blues happened for a reason," Dorothea exined. She took a deep breath and continued, "Back then, I had no intention of having another child after Vincent, especially not from Vaughn. Just the idea of conceiving his baby made me sick. But he raped me. He beat me up until I was half conscious and then raped me, and you¡­ you''re the product of that rape, Vernon¡­."


    SLAM!


    CRACK!


    Dorothea almost jumped out of fright when Vernon suddenly mmed the table until there was an obvious crack in the middle. He red at Dorothea with a gaze full of rage, but there was also a tint of grief in it.


    Vernon opened his mouth a few times but then closed it as he didn''t know what to say. Many mixed feelings were brewing inside his mind, so much so that he didn''t know what to say anymore.


    There was a long silence between them, but Dorothea noticed Vernon''s eyes were zed with tears. Her heart ached for him, but she had to tell the truth, so Vernon knew she also had a reason to experience such crazy turmoil in her life when Vernon was around.


    Vernon was a product of rape, and though it wasn''t his fault to be born in such a condition, Dorothea''s mental condition got hit severely whenever she saw Vernon around her.


    "This is bullshit," Vernon murmured. His voice was hoarse. "I don''t want to believe an abuser like you. You told me that I''m the product of a rape? HAH! THAT''S BULLSHIT!"


    Vernon already knew that it was definitely the truth. It all made sense how Dorothea treated him so differentlypared to Vincent.


    Dorothea hated him because his existence was unwanted.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dorothea must''ve been filled with loathing whenever she saw Little Vernon, and if this whole rape stuff was true, then even her hatred toward Vernon was justified.


    But if Dorothea''s hatred and abuse towards Vernon were justified, where would Vernon ce his vengeance?


    All this time, he always believed that he would avenge all the pain he experienced in the past for the Gray family. But now that he discovered that Chloe and Dorothea were abuse victims, he had no right to hurt them. Because no matter how hurt and angry he was, he would never hurt someone who had been abused.


    He had experienced a childhood full of beating, so he knew how traumatizing it was.


    Vernon clenched his fist until his whole body trembled out of rage. He got up and kicked the table until it flipped to the side, shattering the wine sses and bottle.


    Dorothea flinched out of fear. She closed her eyes immediately, scared Vernon might beat her up because she told the truth.


    But she felt nothing after a few seconds, and once she opened her eyes again, she saw her son who stood still, with his fist clenched and tears wetting his cheeks.


    The ruthless and powerful Vernon Phoenix Gray, the second son that never shed a tear after getting beaten by her back then, actually cried.


    Vernon''s tears gave a mental shock to Dorothea. Because she didn''t expect Vernon to actually cry. She just thought that Vernon would go on a rampage and kill her.


    His tears also evoked Dorothea''s motherly nature. She got up and tried to hug her son, wanting tofort him.


    But Vernon quickly shook off Dorothea''s arms to avoid the hug, "DON''T YOU DARE TO HUG ME, YOU OLD BITCH!"


    Dorothea was shocked by Vernon''s refusal. She really thought that Vernon had opened his heart after knowing the truth.


    Dorothea was saddened. She wanted to hug her son since they had never done it before.


    But she respected his refusal and took a step back.


    Vernon wiped the tears and red at Dorothea with his red eyes. He refused to show weakness in front of his estranged mother.


    "Do you think that I will suddenly ept you after you told me about your life story? Hah, that''s ridiculous!" Vernon yelled. "You''re telling me all this to show that Chloe is just like you, right? Both of you are victims of domestic abuse and suffering under the hands of evil husbands."


    Dorothea nodded. It was her original intention. So Vernon knew that Chloe''s sympathy towards her wasn''t unfounded, and she didn''t try to manipte a kind woman like Chloe.

 Chapter 570 570

    Both Chloe and Dorothea naturally bonded because of trauma. They both knew how hard it was to live under the terrible suppression of monsters they had to call husband.


    They also had nobody they could rely on for so long. The only difference they had was that Chloe had the guts to leave Vincent, whereas Dorothea had no courage and continued enduring the pain until Vaughn''s death.


    Unfortunately, even after Vaughn''s death, Dorothea still couldn''t find peace.


    She was still filled with sadness and hatred. She was nothing but a bitter old woman to so many people out there, and her depression worsened as time went on.


    "You two might have the same life, but you did something that Chloe will never do!" Vernon yelled louder to mask his aching heart right now. "Despite having the same circumstance as you, Chloe NEVER hurt Mackie! She raised Mackie to be a good daughter, and always tried to shelter the little girl from the harsh reality until she eventually found out about it by ident!"


    "Do you know how devastated Chloe got when she realized that Mackie isn''t the same ignorant little girl anymore? She thought her life was done for!"


    "But how about you, Dorothea Gray?" Vernon confronted, then made a mocking remark, "Oh, I am abused, that''s why I will also abuse my own second son because he is a product of rape. I will hit him so hard with that bottle of wine, just because I feel like it!"


    "See how ridiculous that is? And you dare to lump yourself together with Chloe? Don''t make meugh, Dorothea!"


    "Vernon--I--I--didn''t--" Dorothea could only stutter as she had no way to retaliate.


    Both of them knew it was the truth.


    She wasn''t as good as Chloe. She used Vernon to vent her frustration against Vaughn, even though Vernon was just an innocent little boy who knew nothing about the situation surrounding him.


    She was just as bad as Vaughn and Vincent. She was a monster that would live forever in Vernon''s head.


    Vernon''s chest rose up and down as he got triggered by the whole thing surrounding his life.


    If he could, he wished to have never known about this. He preferred to stay ignorant and continued with his n to ruin Dorothea''s life.


    "Remember, Dorothea. Just because you have some sad story, doesn''t mean that I will forgive all the abuse you did to me back then! I don''t care if you''ve been beaten by Vaughn or not, that doesn''t give you the right to beat me!"


    Dorothea kept getting attacked by Vernon''s words until her legs trembled, and she slumped on the floor.


    "So--Sorry--"


    "Don''t you fucking apologize now!" Vernon snapped. He pointed at Dorothea''s head with his index finger. He continued, "You have twenty years to apologize for all the abuses you did to me back then, but you never say a single sorry to me. All you did was just get drunk and cry about your messy life!"


    "You loathed everything, including my presence! Just the fact that I could breathe was enough to send you into rage and beat me for no reason!"


    "Dorothea Gray, I will fucking break your bones if you dare to utter an apology now!"


    Vernon''sst sentencepletely shattered Dorothea. She looked up to see her son, whose eyes were zed with tears again.


    Vernon bit his lower lip until it bled to hold off his sobs, "I''m done with you and all of this bullshit! Just leave and stop bugging my little family."


    "V--Vernon, my son, I--"


    "DON''T YOU DARE CALLING ME YOUR SON!" Vernon shouted as loud as he could. He was so agitated right now that he might lose control anytime soon. "I don''t have a mother, Dorothea. You''re dead to me!"


    Vernon couldn''t bear to stay in the same room as Dorothea. So he stormed out of the room before he did something to Dorothea that might upset Chloe.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    SLAM!


    Vernon opened the door and mmed it behind him. He wasn''t surprised to see Chloe standing only two feet away.


    Of course, Chloe would get curious about what would happen to her beloved mother-inw.


    "Have you been eavesdropping the whole time?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe gulped and nodded slowly. After all, there was no point in hiding it, and Vernon surely would appreciate her honesty.


    Vernon stared at Chloe''s concerned eyes for a while and then sighed. He truly couldn''t stay mad for too long when Chloe was around.


    "Dorothea is inside. Don''t worry, I did nothing to her. We just had a chat, if you could call it a chat, since it''s mostly just me shouting at her," Vernon admitted. "You should check on her."


    Vernon was about to walk away to calm himself down, but Chloe suddenly grabbed his arm.


    "How about you, Vernon?" Chloe asked.


    "Huh? Me?"


    "Yes," Chloe nodded. "Do you need time alone, or do you need me to be with you?"


    "Tsk, why do you care about me anyway? Just think about that old woman first."


    "You''re my priority, Vernon," Chloe insisted. "Everything I did the whole time is for you. So I won''t let you leave without giving me an answer."


    ...


    "Do you know about the circumstances regarding my birth?"


    "Yes," Chloe admitted. "Dorothea told me. That''s why I want to make sure you''re alright. You''re the one who got hurt the most here."


    Vernon took a deep breath and finally turned around to face Chloe again. He stepped forward and hugged his beloved woman tightly, then kissed her head.


    "If you know about my birth circumstance, then you should know that I have nobody but you and Mackie in this world. I have nothing without you two by my side."


    "So you shouldn''t think that you have no worth, Chloe. You are everything in my life, you''re the woman who has given me something to look up in the future. I am probably dead by this point without you by my side."


    **


    Today, 14 March, is Pupa''s birthday! Please check thement section!


    Thank you!


    **

 Chapter 571 571

    Chloe closed her eyes and buried her face into Vernon''s chest. She felt guilty for forcing Vernon to meet Dorothea.


    Maybe she just had such an idealized view of what a good family would be, so she thought that Vernon would be able to ept Dorothea if Dorothea tried hard enough.


    As much as she wanted Dorothea to be with them, her focus had always been Vernon.


    She wanted Vernon to have aplete family, with a mother, wife, and daughter. Because in her mind, Chloe always thought that Vernon would not have a happy life as long as he hadn''t made peace with his past, and that past was his mother.


    "I''m sorry, Vernon¡­." Chloe murmured. "I never thought that things could be this bad¡­."


    Vernon tightened his hug for a while and then whispered gently, "It''s never your fault. I know that you want the best for me. But I really don''t need anyone except you and Mackie by my side."


    "I¡­ I understand. I will tell Dorothea to leave¡­." Chloe had difficulty epting that her strategy to get them to talk actually backfired. Now there was no more chance for mother and son to reconcile, and she didn''t know what to do next.


    She didn''t want Dorothea to die out of heartbreak, but she also didn''t want Vernon to get stressed out because of Dorothea''s presence around them.


    Vernon said nothing as if he had silently agreed with Chloe to kick Dorothea out of their lives.


    He separated their hugs, and Chloe gave Vernon a pitiful look before turning around. She approached the door, ready to open it, and kicked Dorothea away.


    "Chloe," Vernon suddenly called her name.


    Chloe looked over her shoulder, "Yes?"


    Vernon was a little lost. He opened his mouth, but no voice came out until Chloe assured him, "It''s okay, Vernon. I will ept whatever verdict you want to say. Whether you ept Dorothea or not, it is all your right to decide."


    "Then¡­" Vernon took a deep breath before continuing, "Tell her that she doesn''t need to leave this apartment. She can meet with you or Mackie daily. But she is not allowed to join any family dinner, nor events. I don''t want to see her face."


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She didn''t expect Vernon to suddenly tolerate Dorothea''s presence.


    "I''m sorry that I can''t do more than this, Chloe. This is the best I can for you, for us," Vernon said, feeling guilty because he couldn''t ept Dorothea into his life.


    "I¡ªIt''s okay, Vernon! You''ve done much more than you should!"


    Vernon smiled thin and stepped back, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go and meet with Dorothea. Tell her what I said just now."


    "Huh? You''re noting with me? I''m pretty sure that Dorothea will be happy to hear the news from you," Chloe said.


    Vernon shook his head, "I''m afraid that I will change my mind and kick her out once I see her face again. The reason why I decided to just tolerate her is because of you, Chloe. I don''t want to see you sad or heartbroken. So go and meet her. I''ll be going somewhere to calm myself first."


    "I¡­ I will meet you again tonight, right?" Chloe asked. She feared Vernon might go to a club or a bar to drink his sorrow until he cked out.


    "Don''t worry, I know that you''re sad whenever I get absolutely drunk," Vernon smiled. "Go and tell her."


    Chloe hesitated. But she finally nodded after getting approval from Vernon.


    She opened the door and entered room 505.


    Vernon stared at the door briefly and muttered, "You''re the reason for everything, Chloe."


    **


    Chloe entered the room and saw Dorothea slumped on the floor, sobbing endlessly as she realized that Vernon would never ept her as his mother.


    "Dorothea!" Chloe rushed towards Dorothea and hugged her. "Oh no, I''m sorry, Dorothea, I didn''t expect it to go this bad."


    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® Dorothea hugged Chloe, and she cried loudly. She had had enough of maintaining her dignity and trying her best not to look weak.


    This was herst chance to have a normal family, and she actually blew it.


    Now she could not meet Chloe, Mackie, and Vernon after this.


    She had nothing to look up to in the future, and this moment was how she died, lonely, heartbroken, and full of regret.


    "Chloe, I¡­ I tried my best to make Vernon understand my circumstances and how regretful I was for treating him horribly. But I¡­ I blew it," Dorothea said in between her sobs and wails. "I actually hurt him way more after I told him the truth."


    Chloe wanted to console Dorothea to make her feel better.


    But Dorothea did blow up the whole thing. She had failed to convince Vernon to ept her into the family and even went as far as triggering Vernon until he snapped.


    So she hugged Dorothea in silence, listening to the old woman''s desperate cry as she regretted everything she did when she was younger.


    It took at least thirty minutes until Dorothea stopped crying. Her head was dizzy, and she felt really weak after crying her heart out, something that she never did before, as she always tried to mask her sadness with lots and lots of booze and heroin.


    Dorothea finally separated herself from Chloe and tried to wipe the dried tears on her cheek, "I will leave now, Chloe. Thank you for everything. You''re truly the kindest person I''ve ever met in my life."


    Dorothea grabbed the chair and used it to prop herself up. Her legs were still weak, but she had to leave, or else Vernon might get mad at her for staying inside his apartment too long.


    Chloe watched as the woman ambled towards the door. Her back was hunched, showing the extreme exhaustion that she had endured for so long.


    "Dorothea, don''t leave," Chloe said.


    Dorothea halted and replied, "I don''t want to leave either. But Vernon has rejected me, and he will not change his mind. I can''t stay, Chloe."

 Chapter 572 572

    "You''re right, Dorothea. You''ve failed to convince Vernon to ept you back. You''ve triggered him by ident after you told him the truth, and Vernon said that he doesn''t want to see your face anymore."


    "You fucked up, Dorothea, and I don''t think he will ever forgive you anytime soon," Chloe kept attacking Dorothea with the harsh truth that stabbed the old woman''s heart repeatedly.


    "Y--You don''t need to repeat it. I know..." Dorotheamented.


    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® "But, Vernon is not a heartless person," Chloe said. "He is having a hard time epting you, but he knows that I treasure you. He also knows that you''ve been a good grandmother for Mackie. So, he told me that you are allowed to stay in this apartment. You''ll live under his protection."


    Dorothea''s eyes widened. She turned around to face Chloe again, "C--Chloe, don''t tell me that he--"


    "He allows you to meet Mackie and I as much as you want," Chloe stated. "But you''re not allowed to gather with us in any event, because he still can''t face you without getting angry."


    Dorothea couldn''t believe what she had heard just now, "D--Did he really say that?"


    "Yes, and unfortunately, this is the only thing he could do for you, Dorothea. Please understand that I will always side with him in the end," Chloe said though her heart was full of grievance. "He is my priority. I did everything, including bringing you back into his life so he could make peace with his past."


    "No--No! I''m okay with it! I just-- I didn''t expect him to actually ept me back...."


    "He doesn''t ept you back. He just epts your presence for Mackie and I," Chloe reminded her, so Dorothea wouldn''t get her hopes up.


    Although Vernon didn''t ept him, Dorothea was so happy that he at least allowed her to meet with Chloe and Mackie and also allowed her to stay here, where it was definitely the safest ce for her.


    Chloe was afraid that Dorothea would demand more because she mentioned to Chloe once that she''d love to spend events like Christmas and New Year with a family.


    But in contrast to her fear, Dorothea actually looked overjoyed.


    "Thank you, Chloe. Thank you for everything," Dorothea said. "I know he allows me to live here because of you and Mackie, so you should know that I owe you everything in this world. You''re the one who gives me a safe haven in the end."


    **


    Chloe returned to the penthouse after spending an hour with Dorothea. She told Dorothea that she''d buy clothes for her since the old woman had toy low these days to avoid Vincent and his men.


    "I thought you''d spend more time with her," Vernon said.


    Chloe darted her eyes towards the source of the voice, and she saw Vernon drinking directly from a gin bottle in the middle of the day.


    He spread his arm on the sofa while watching Spongebob on the TV.


    "I told her that I''ll upgrade her room to the suite one, so she can have more space since she won''t be able to leave that room for a while," Chloe said as she walked towards Vernon. She sat beside him and continued, "I also told her I''ll buy her clothester."


    "Hm," Vernon nodded, but his eyes were still glued to the TV, watching Spongebob as if it was the best cartoon he couldn''t miss.


    Chloe gently rested her head on Vernon''s strong chest and watched the TV with him, "I don''t know what to say, Vernon. But you really surprised me."


    "Because I let Dorothea live in this apartment?"


    "Yes, you also allow Mackie and I to meet her. You''ve matured a lot."


    "... I did it for you and Mackie, that''s it."


    "Mhm, I know, that''s why I said that you''ve matured a lot. It takes a lot of maturity to prioritize your family''s wellness over your own ego," Chloe praised. She raised her hand and patted Vernon''s head. "You did well, Vernon."


    Vernon took a deep breath. He actually enjoyed getting a head pat from Chloe, "As much as I hate her, I have to make sure that Mackie has a good family as well. She misses her grandmother a lot, and Dorothea has always been a good grandma to her."


    "Mhm, thank you for everything, Vernon," Chloe said. "Do you want something as a reward?" she asked. She thought that it was about time for Vernon to get a reward, and she meant it sexually, of course. It had been a while since they had done something ''fun'' together.


    Vernon nced down at Chloe, and his breath heaved instantly. Of course, there was a reaction down there. It had been a while since he had fun with his beloved woman.


    "So, what do you do? I will do it for you," Chloe said in her sweet voice, which only aroused him even more. He couldn''t wait to hear moans from her sweet red lips as well.


    Vernon put his gin bottle on the floor, and his hand slowly crept and slid into Chloe''s shirt. He grabbed her waist and rubbed her skin with his thumb, "You''re gaining weight."


    "Did you not like it?" Chloe asked as she got a little worried. "I can try to lose weight."


    "No, you''re still on your way to reach your proper weight. I''m saying that as apliment," Vernon said. "That means you have gained your appetite as you spend more time with me. You should know that your weight gain gives me pride for myself, because it''s proof that I''ve been treating you very well."


    Chloe giggled, "I don''t think you need proof when I''m here and offering you a reward."


    "It''s not a big deal, just something I have to do for my small family," Vernon said. "Speaking about Mackie..."


    Vernon nced at the clock on the wall, and Chloe jolted after she realized something, "Oh crap! Mackie''s school will end soon, I have to pick her up!"


    Chloe quickly escaped Vernon and grabbed her bag. She wore her shoes and told Vernon, "I''m sorry, Vernon. But I don''t want Mackie to wait for too long. We can do it tonight if you want."


    Vernon chuckled, "Sure, sure. Go pick her up with the chauffeur. Mackie will be upset if you''re toote."

 Chapter 573 573

    Mackie was overjoyed when she saw her Mommying to pick her up. She was scared that her Mommy might have forgotten about her because it was very unlikely for her Mommy to bete unless she fought with Daddy, which happened quite often when they lived together.


    But they weren''t with Daddy now, and Mackie''s simple mind always believed Uncle wouldn''t hurt her Mommy.


    So what caused her to bete?


    Mackie sat right beside her Mommy as the chauffeur drove them back home. She nced at her Mommy a few times, silently checking if there was a visible bruise around her Mommy''s body or if she had just cried until she fainted like before.


    But no, Mommy looked alright and even had a natural smile, which was weird for Mackie.


    Thus, unable to keep her curiosity, Mackie asked, "Mommy, are you okay?"


    "Hmm? I am, what''s wrong, Dear?" Chloe asked.


    "Because it''s rare for you to bete to pick me up. Did Uncle do something to you?"


    "Ah, no, it''s not Uncle," Chloe replied, which Mackie could identify easily as the truth. Because whenever Mommy lied, she''d start smiling as wide as possible and close her eyes so Mackie wouldn''t see her red eyes.


    It looked really fake, but Mackie was too young to realize the amount of lies her Mommy made back when they were still living with Daddy.


    Well, she could identify her Mommy''s lies now, and she definitely preferred her Mommy not to force a smile and lie. She''d love to hear all the truth from her Mommy.


    Chloe realized that Mackie was able to identify her lies now. The little girl needed a real exnation, so Chloe added, "We have a special guest today, that''s why I have to meet her before Ie to pick you up."


    "Special guest? Can I meet her too?" Mackie asked innocently.


    "You want to meet her? Why?"


    "Because I don''t want Mommy to get hurt!"


    ¡­


    Chloe wondered if Mackie had started picking Vernon''s habit of getting invasive in the name of protection. Little Vernon also had this type of curiosity before.


    Every day, Little Vernon would interrogate her, asking Chloe where she had been and who had talked with her today.


    The Young Master wouldn''t rest until Chloe told him all the details about her day, and it was exhausting for Chloe. However, she also thought Little Vernon was adorable with all his curiosity back then.


    Thus, knowing that she couldn''t hide a thing from her daughter, she replied, "Do you want to meet her then?"


    "Un!"


    "Alright," Chloe smiled and patted her daughter''s head. "You can meet her today. She is in the apartment right now."


    "Okay!"


    **


    Once they had arrived in the basement parking lot, Chloe grabbed her daughter''s wrist and guided her to the elevator.


    Mackie watched her Mommy as always and realized that Mommy pressed the number 5 instead of the highest number in the elevator.


    They stopped at the designated floor, and Chloe kept leading her daughter until they stopped in front of room 505.


    "Is is there your guest is staying, Mommy?" Mackie asked curiously.


    "Yes, she''ll be here for a while," Chloe said. "Let''s meet her then."


    Chloe knocked on the door a few times until she saw an eye peeking from the peephole.


    Chloe smiled and pointed at her daughter, who was tilting her head, staring curiously at the door.


    Chloe could hear a loud gasp from inside before the door was opened slowly.


    There was a slight hesitation from Dorothea, but seeing her granddaughter''s innocent doe eyes made her unable to control herself.


    Dorothea opened the door and stood in the middle, staring at her daughter with a gentle smile full of yearning, "Long time no see, Mackie."


    Mackie''s eyes widened, "GRANNY!"


    Mackie quickly jumped and threw herself toward her Grandma. She hugged Dorothea like a baby Ko who finally reunited with the mother Ko.


    "Oh¡ª Mackie, you''ve gotten bigger and heavier now!" Dorothea said she had difficulty maintaining her bnce with a bigger Mackie dangling on her.


    Mackie looked up, zing with tears, "Where have you been, Granny? I miss you so much!"


    "Really? Well, Granny has a lot of things to do before I can meet you again. You know that Granny is always busy, right?" Dorothea said while gently caressing Mackie''s hair.


    "Un, but I still miss you¡­." Mackie murmured. "I thought I would never be able to meet you again, Granny¡­."


    "Eh? Why?"


    "Because I don''t know if I will ever meet Daddy again," Mackie said. "Daddy likes to hurt Mommy, I don''t want Mommy to cry because of him."


    There was a hint of sadness and helplessness in her voice, and Dorothea quickly looked at Chloe, who stood at the door, sighing and shaking her head.


    Chloe silently mouthed, ''I''m sorry,'' telling Dorothea that she had failed to protect Mackie''s innocence.


    Dorothea grieved for Mackie''s lost innocence.


    After all, Mackie was just a seven years old little girl. She should''ve been focusing all her energy on ying with her friends, studying hard for the next exam, having a crush on one of her ssmates, and many more.


    But now, Mackie had to face the reality that her family wasn''t perfect, and her Dad was definitely not the best Dad that her Mommy always tried to portray him to be.


    Dorothea felt that her granddaughter shouldn''t be involved in this mess. But things happened, and now they are here, reunited under such aplicated situation.


    Chloe sighed. She walked towards Dorothea and whispered, ''I''m sorry, Dorothea. I tried my best to maintain her innocence. But things happened, and she saw me getting beaten by Vincent a month ago. She already knows so many things about Vincent''s true nature now.''


    Dorothea nodded weakly. She wouldn''t me Chloe for Mackie''s lost innocence because it must''ve been torture for Chloe to endure Vincent''s beating while maintaining a farce in front of her own daughter.


    Dorothea had to do that in front of young Vincent as well, making sure that Vincent never knew how much of a degenerate histe father was.

 Chapter 574 574

    Dorothea thought that she had done a great job until recently, she found out that Vaughn might''ve poisoned Vincent''s mind ever since he was young, turning Vincent into the second him.


    ''Or maybe Vincent is just built that way. I tried so hard to protect him when he was young, but he still evolved into the new Vaughn that I hate so much,'' Dorothea thought. ''Or maybe it''s my fault, because I didn''t raise Vernon at all when he was young, it was Chloe who raised him, and he turns out to be a good person.''


    Dorothea was lost in thought until Mackie called her, "Granny!"


    "Ah--yes?" Dorothea looked down to focus on her granddaughter again.


    "Mommy told me that you''ll be staying here for a long time, does that mean I can visit you anytime I want?" Mackie asked.


    "That--" Dorothea turned her head towards Chloe, asking for permission. She knew that her position in this ce was still very tentative. Vernon could kick her out anytime he wanted, and she didn''t want to displease Chloe, because Chloe''s approval was her lifeline right now.


    Chloe smiled in response and nodded, much to Dorothea''s relief.


    Thus, the old woman returned her focus to her granddaughter and replied, "Of course, dear! You can alwayse to my room. I will bake your favorite cookies--well, not for everyday, of course, that''d give you a toothache."


    "A, but I want to eat your cookies every day...." Mackie pouted. "Oh well, as long as I can meet Granny every day, I don''t mind! I don''t have any friends after school ends. Granny can be my friend after school!"


    Dorothea chuckled and lightly pinched Mackie''s nose, "I want to be your friend too, Mackie."


    Mackie hummed happily and hugged her Granny tighter than before. She never thought that she''d be able to meet her beloved Granny again!


    Mackie looked at her Mommy, who stood right beside Granny, "Thank you, Mommy!" she chirped as she thought it was her Mommy''s help that reunited her with her Granny.


    But Chloe shook her head, "You should thank Uncle Vernon first. He is the one that allows your Granny to live here."


    "Oh! I want to meet him now! I want to thank him, hug him, and kiss him for being so kind!" Mackie finally released her ko hug of Dorothea and grabbed her Mommy''s wrist instead, "See youter, Granny! I want to thank Uncle!"


    Dorothea chuckled, "Yes, sure! You should thank him first!"


    "We''ll return soon, Dorothea, don''t worry about new clothes and other stuff. I will get it ready by tomorrow morning," Chloe said before she left with Mackie.


    **


    Vernon was still in the same spot since Chloest left him to pick up Mackie from school. He was still watching a cartoon, though it was a different one he couldn''t recognize, and he still had the same bottle of gin from before.


    He hadn''t finished it simply because he lost interest in the gin after realizing Mackie would return home soon. He didn''t want his breath to smell like alcohol.


    He sighed and tossed the half-empty bottle of gin behind his sofa. He was still wondering whether his choice of allowing Dorothea to meet Chloe and Mackie was right.


    After all, he still couldn''t believe that old woman.


    No matter how many tears she shed, Vernon would forever be prejudiced against her simply because Dorothea was his abuser.


    ''Of course I can''t erase the image of her screaming like a madman, raising her empty bottle and hitting my head or body repeatedly until I could only cry and cower. The image of a mother has been forever ruined in my head, and no amount of apology can fix it,'' Vernon thought. ''Seriously, why am I bing so weak these days? Is it because of Chloe? Did I be soft and kind because Chloe is in my life right now?''


    Vernon was still busy fighting against his own thoughts when the door suddenly opened.


    He darted his eyes and saw his beloved woman and daughter enter the penthouse with a smile on their faces.


    Mackie''s face brightened even more when she spotted her Uncle.


    "UNCLE!!" Mackie ran towards Vernon and jumped right on him. She hugged him so tightly around his neck.


    "Wha!" Vernon was caught off guard by Mackie, who hugged his neck until he couldn''t breathe.


    "UNCLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" Mackie chirped loudly. "THANK YOU FOR BRINGING GRANNY BACK! I''M SO HAPPY!!"


    "Urk--" Vernon hurriedly patted Mackie''s back a few times. He could yank her out, but it''d probably hurt her, so he patted the little girl until Chloe noticed that Mackie was choking him.


    "D--Dear, don''t hug him too tightly. You''ll choke your Uncle to death...." Chloe said.


    "Ah, sorry!" Mackie released her hug, and Vernon quickly took a deep breath to fill his lungs. Mackie sat on her Uncle''sp, staring at her Uncle, who was coughing a few times. "I''m sorry, Uncle. I''m just too happy!"


    "I--It''s okay," Vernon assured. "Did you meet with your Granny just now?"


    "Yes! She said that she will stay here for a long time, and Mommy told me that you''re the one who gives permission, so I have to thank you!" Mackie replied.


    Chloe sat beside them on the sofa and smiled, "Well, that''s true. You have to thank your Uncle for it. He has done a great sacrifice to keep your Granny in this apartment."


    "Really? Un, thank you so much, Uncle! I will call you Good Uncle for today! But you will still be my Big bad Uncle when you bully Mommy again!" Mackie warned.


    Vernon finally smiled after he watched Mackie''s doe eyes and puffy cheeks. It was so cute, and he couldn''t help but pat her head, "Then you will have to call me Big Bad Uncle for the rest of your life."


    "Whaa!" Mackie nced at her Mommy, and her Mommy didn''t seem surprised at all. Then she returned to her Uncle with a re that wasn''t intimidating at all, "Bad Uncle! Big bad Uncle!"

 Chapter 575 575

    [Mature Content.]


    It waste at night, and Vernon sat in the living room with aptop on hisp. He tried to busy himself by working on some of his projects. He couldn''t sleep, knowing Dorothea was living in the same apartment as him and his little family.


    He tried to assure himself that Dorothea had changed, and he wouldn''t turn against them and tell Vincent about the whole thing.


    Unfortunately, Vernon couldn''t believe his own words. He was still worried that Dorothea would eventually return to her old ways.


    "Besides, I still can''t trust Dorothea to be with Mackie alone. There has to be someone with them, or I will die out of anxiety," Vernon talked to himself, trying to justify his suspicion. "There is no guarantee that the old witch will not use Heroin or booze around Mackie. I don''t want Mackie to be a bad influence, or even worse, get beaten like I got back then¡­."


    "Rest assured, I will always be around them, so I won''t leave Dorothea and Mackie alone."


    Vernon turned his head to the left and saw Chloe wearing a towel that barely covered half of her boobs and thighs. Vernon''s eyes were glued on the figure of his beloved.


    She looked so alluring now that she had gained some weight. Her hips entuated behind that towel, giving a glimpse of the sweet curve Vernon couldn''t wait to embrace as soon as possible. Her boobs were barely covered, with her nipples almost popping out of that tight towel.


    Vernon kept staring at Chloe without blinking because he didn''t want to waste a millisecond blinking when he had a beauty in a towel approaching him.


    Her long chestnut hair swayed alongside her hips as she strutted closer toward Vernon until she stopped right in front of him.


    Vernon took a deep breath because he could smell the fresh scent of soap and a bit of sweet floral-scented perfume that made him want to take a bite.


    Chloe smiled sweetly at Vernon and said, "You don''t need to micromanage everything about our family, I will do it for you."


    Chloe leaned down until her boobs were hanging right in front of Vernon''s face and whispered, "All you need to do right now is to rx, Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    Vernon took another deep breath. The scented flower seemed to emit from her cleavage, which made him want to bury his face between her tits.


    Vernon opened his arms and wrapped them around Chloe''s waist. He led Chloe to sit on hisp while his hand slowly felt his beloved woman''s body under the towel.


    Chloe wrapped one arm around Vernon''s neck and giggled, "Hey, don''t rub my thighs, you know I''m ticklish in that area."


    "Hahah, well, I can''t hide my excitement," Vernon replied. "What''s with this by the way? Am I getting my Christmas present early?"


    "Your Christmas present is a different one," Chloe joked. "I''m doing this because I know you need to rx after an exhausting day."


    "Then I''ll work hard every day so I can get this reward every night," Vernon said. He kissed Chloe''s boobs a few times and was ready to yank the towel down to get a full view of Chloe''s tits. But before he did that, he asked, "Why are you wearing a towel anyway? You can juste here with pajamas and you would still seduce me."


    "Do you not like it?"


    "No, not that," Vernon quickly denied. "I just want to say that you don''t need much to make me want you."


    "Well, this is a special asion, since you''ve worked so hard for me," Chloe said. "I actually want to wear a tight, short dress that I''ve been wanting to use for a while, but you know¡ª hand."


    "Oh¡­" Vernon lowered his gaze to check on Chloe''s hand, which was still wrapped in a cast. "I think we should go to the doctor tomorrow to check if we can take it off. It''s been a month or so."


    "I can go to the hospital tomorrow myself, don''t worry," Chloe assured. "Besides, you shouldn''t think about something else other than what we''re going to do tonight, right, Sir?"


    Vernon gulped once he realized that Chloe had be bolder these days. It was a good sign, of course, because that meant Chloe had begun to develop the self-confidence that had been long crushed when she was with Vincent before.


    But Vernon couldn''t help to worry if Chloe would use her sex appeal a lot more often in the future to get what she wanted, knowing that Vernon would never be able to refuse her.


    Chloe sensed Vernon''s nervousness, which was strange for the ever-domineering Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    So she asked, "Vernon, are you alright?"


    "Ah, I¡ªI''m alright. I was just a little taken aback by your initiative," Vernon replied. His hand continued to crawl around Chloe''s body until he gripped the towel and whispered, "Not that Iin. You look so sexy with your confidence."


    "Ah!" Chloe was startled when Vernon suddenly yanked her towel, and her boobs bounced in front of his face. Vernon stared at Chloe''s boobs without blinking for a moment before hurriedly shoving his face between her boobs.


    It was the ce he loved the most, and he feltfort whenever he did this.


    Chloe giggled as she felt ticklish, but she allowed Vernon to bury his face between her boobs to make him feel better.


    She even inserted her fingers inside Vernon''s hair and pushed him deeper to feel her stubble rubbing on her skin.


    Vernon''s breath started getting hurried, and his hand crawled down until he reached Chloe''s inner thighs.


    "Umn!" Chloe jolted slightly when Vernon rubbed her inner thighs. She mped her thighs together in response, but it wasn''t enough to stop Vernon from exploring deeper.


    His hand slid inside the towel until the tip of his finger reached that warm flesh between her thighs.


    Vernon raised his head and grinned at Chloe, "You''re wet."

 Chapter 576 576

    [Mature Content.]


    "You''re wet."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened instantly. No matter how many times she did this with Vernon, she still couldn''t help but feel shy at times, especially when Vernon started mentioning how lewd she could be.


    "Um... it''s because of you...." Chloe said.


    "Me?" Vernon acted dumb to tease his beloved. His finger started sliding through her pussy slit, and he rubbed it gently, giving an electrifying sensation for Chloe. "What did I do to make you wet? I haven''t even touched it before, hm?"


    "Umm, ah--Vernon, s--stop rubbing, I--ahh!" Chloe tried her best to form a sentence. But the way Vernon kept rubbing her slit and started nudging on her clit made her unable to think clearly.


    She was filled with lust and couldn''t wait to have him inside her.


    "Come on, answer me first, Love," Vernon insisted. He started lightly flicking her clit a few times but still waiting for an answer from Chloe.


    "Uuu... I--It''s because of you," Chloe tried hard to answer the question. "I--unh! I got wet because I got excited...."


    "Excited?" Vernon raised his brow. He finally stopped flicking on her clit for a second to give her a rest and then asked again, "Excited about what? You should be more specific, so we can continue."


    Chloe felt like she was in heaven and hell right now. The stimtion Vernon gave with his fingers was something she was craving for.


    But she was scared that Vernon would keep teasing her like this. Stopping when it was obvious that she was wet already, eagerly waiting for him to do more.


    So she changed her tactic. She spread her legs and sat on Vernon''sp. She put her hand on his shoulder, spread her legs further, and straddled his crotch until her pussy rubbed against Vernon''s bulge hidden beneath his rough jeans.


    "Come on, Big boy, I''ve been waiting for this," Chloe said, directly provoking Vernon, who was already at his limit. He kept teasing so that Chloe would eventually give up on this whole thing and get satisfied with a little y.


    He just thought that their current situation wasn''t suitable for them to have sex.


    But now that he had been provoked thoroughly, he''d be an idiot for not going in.


    "Heheh," Vernon chuckled. He pulled the towel out of her body and was satisfied with the sight he got right now. "Then I''ll dly do you."


    "Um-- Ah!" Chloe was startled when Vernon''s hand suddenly crawled from behind and grabbed her butt cheeks. He squeezed with his hands and pped them until they left red marks on both sides.


    Vernon opened his mouth and sucked one nipple into his mouth while his hand rubbed around her pussy slit, giving her no chance for Chloe to recover from the neverending touch.


    Chloe got confused by so many stimtions. Her body trembled as she felt weak all over, and thus leaned forward to rest her body and to let Vernon suck her nipple deeper than before.


    "Ummhh, Vernon--itchy. It''s so itchy down there...." Chloe murmured.


    Vernon''s breath got heavier, and his cock was so hard that it twitched under the jeans.


    "You''re so hot, Chloe," Vernon said in between his kisses. He started pinching Chloe''s clit lightly with his middle and index finger until her sweet moans were uncontroble.


    "Uuuhh, if--if you think I''m hot, then you should do more than just... this!" Chloe challenged. She loved making out with Vernon, but she also had her limit.


    All she got so far was teases, and now she was ready for the big gun.


    "Do more? Well I''m sure you''ll like this," Vernon used his index and middle finger to spread her pussy lips open and then started inserting the index first into the warm wall inside her pussy.


    Chloe gasped, it had been a long while since thest time she got something inside her pussy, so it was tight and very sensitive.


    "Ah! Uhnnn!" Chloe flinched when she felt Vernon''s thick index finger explore her inside. She wriggled left and right, but Vernon kept her in ce by wrapping his hand around her waist.


    Vernon kept his eyes up, checking Chloe''s expression as he did shallow pration with his index. He wanted to study if Chloe actually enjoyed this or not because she must have had a lot of trauma from having sex with Vincent back then.


    He saw that Chloe''s cheeks were red, with her eyes zed with tears, and how many times she bit her lips to muffle her moan. Vernon finally learned that Chloe loved to be yed like this.


    Maybe she was always this active in sex, but Vincent never gave her the satisfaction, or maybe Vincent would shame her for wanting more.


    But not him, though. Vernon actually enjoyed seeing Chloe getting overtaken by lust. He wanted to do more to her and wanted to see her face losing control because of his touch.


    Thus, he continued doing shallow thrusts inside her pussy until he inserted his middle finger.


    "AH!" Chloe''s eyes widened when two fingers entered her, squeezing together inside her pussy that, made her feel full already. Because Vernon''s fingers were thick, and two of his fingers were probably around the same size as Vincent''s erect dick.


    Vernon raised his brow, wondering if this was the limit she could take, even though it was only two fingers, "Tell me if you''re feeling ufortable."


    "N--No, it''s not that...." Chloe replied, realizing that Vernon must''ve thought this was her limit.


    It wasn''t.


    Her body hadn''t been explored deeper than this, so she was still trying to adapt to the huge size she''d take soon.


    "T--This is... uhm... Vincent''s size...." Chloe replied weakly.


    "What the--two fingers?!" Vernon was astonished. He had a big dick, so he thought that Vincent had that too, since they were brothers.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, and she confirmed with a hum, "That''s why I got shocked by it, because that''s the only size I got used to."

 Chapter 577 577

    [Mature Content.]


    Vernon initially thought it was a joke, but seeing how serious and genuine her reaction was, Vernon had to believe what she said was true.


    ''But that also means I can''t just ram inside her right now. She needs to be prepared a lot because mine is too big for her,'' Vernon thought. He would never hurt his beloved no matter what, and if they wanted to have full sex, Chloe had to get used to his size first. ''So there''ll be a lot of fingering to do for a while.''


    Vernon started making continuous in-and-out thrusts inside Chloe''s pussy with his fingers. He started slow so Chloe could get used to this... Vincent''s size was almost three times smaller than his.


    "Uuuhhh..." Chloe gasped a few times. She could feel his two fingers exploring the depths that were barely touched by Vincent because, apparently, Vernon''s fingers were longer than Vincent''s dick.


    She knew that it was bad topare these two brothers. But she couldn''t help feeling wild when she was with Vernon. Because Vernon did so many things that Vincent never did to her body.


    Vernon hooked his fingers inside her pussy to press on a spot that made Chloe scream and jolt, "AH! Ahhh!" Chloe felt that her entire body was consumed by fire.


    She wanted to escape this crazy pleasure that Vernon gave because she was afraid there would be no turning back after this.


    But Vernon kept her in ce by wrapping his other hand around her waist and kissing her breasts.


    "Vernon... uhh... Vernon--Ahh!"


    Shlick. Shlick. Shlick. Shlick.


    Chloe and Vernon could hear the sound of his fingers rubbing inside her wet pussy. She squirted a few times already, wetting his fingers and jeans. But Vernon didn''t give her a break.


    Instead of stopping or slowing down, Vernon hastened his finger thrusts inside her pussy, going in and out nonstop and pressing on some spot until Chloe felt that she had lost control over her own body.


    "Uhhh! Ahhhnnn!" Chloe''s body trembled out of pleasure. She grabbed a big chunk of his hair before she couldn''t hold it.


    "V--Vernon, I--Uhnnn!"


    Squirt! Squirt! Squirt! Squirt!


    Chloe lost her mind for at least ten seconds. She felt she was on cloud nine, getting fingered by the man she chose. It was such bliss that she couldn''t describe it.


    She lost all of her energy and fell into Vernon''s embrace.


    Vernon pulled his fingers out of her pussy slowly and licked his wet fingers like it was honey.


    Chloe closed her eyes. She tried to catch her breath for a while, "P--Please wait a moment before we continue," she said, thinking that Vernon wouldn''t wait because his dick under the jeans was so hard right now.


    But Vernon frowned, and he released his arm around Chloe''s waist. He gently lifted her up and put her on the long sofa before getting up, "There is no continue."


    "Huh?" Chloe hurriedly opened her eyes. She stared at Vernon, who had already got up from the sofa, still with a huge bulge in his crotch. "B--But, I thought we would do it."


    "Not now," Vernon said. "You already know my size. You''ll only get hurt if we do it now. You''ll have to get used to the fingers first."


    "B--But, I can do it!" Chloe felt that Vernon was not taking her seriously. She was ready to do stuff with him, but he kept ying with her like this. "I can take it!"


    Vernon chuckled. He was happy with Chloe''s eagerness, but he didn''t want to traumatize Chloe with his size since it happened a few times with his ex-bed partners. They''d say they could take it, but really, they couldn''t, and it ended up horribly sometimes.


    Vernon leaned down and kissed Chloe''s lips, "We can do it moreter. I want to ensure you feel no pain when you have to take me in. I want you to get addicted to me, not fear me in any way."


    Chloe pouted. She was upset.


    She really thought that they''d do it today, and she was mentally prepared for it.


    "Since when have you be so patient?" Chloe asked sarcastically, but Vernon didn''t take it seriously.


    "Since I met you, of course."


    Vernon finally turned around and grabbed a nket from his room. He covered Chloe''s body and then carried her bridal style.


    "Wha--" Chloe was a little surprised by his gesture. She quickly wrapped her hand around Vernon''s neck to stabilize herself. She looked up to Vernon, who had stubbles around his jaw, and asked, "Where are you taking me?"


    "To my room," Vernon said. "It''s warmer in my room. I don''t want you to get sick before Christmas."


    "... Are you sure you don''t want to do me?" Chloe asked again. She thought it was a wasted chance for them, especially when Chloe was THIS eager to get fucked.


    "We still have a lot of time. You might think you can take me, but really, you''re only used to two fingers, you''re practically a virgin at this point."


    Chloe blushed, "I--I''m not a virgin. I had a baby before."


    "I know, I just don''t want to traumatize you even more," Vernon said. He gently put Chloe on the bed andy right next to her. He took off his shirt and jeans and threw them aimlessly. He started snuggling with Chloe while only wearing his boxer and then closed his eyes. "We should go to sleep, I have lots to do tomorrow."


    ...


    Chloe stared at Vernon for a while. She wondered if Vernon actually took her seriously because she felt that Vernon kept on dying to fuck her.


    "Vernon, are you sure you''re okay with me?"


    Vernon opened his eyes slowly. He stared at Chloe, his brows scrunched together, "What do you mean?"


    "I mean, are you sure you''re okay with me by your side?" Chloe asked. "If--if you want to find another woman, then I can''t stop you...."

 Chapter 578 578

    Vernon''s frown deepened: "What kind of stupid question is that? Do you think I don''t love you?"


    "I--I''m not sure," Chloe replied weakly. "If you do love me, then why aren''t you doing me?"


    "It''s exactly because I love you, that''s why I don''t want to just fuck you and leave you in a ditch after that," Vernon said. "You''re precious to me, that''s why I want you to get used to it first. I want you to feel nothing but pleasure, so you''ll get addicted to it."


    "If I don''t like you, or treat you as a random woman I could fuck, I''d just fuck you and leave. There''ll be no string attached, and I won''t care if you like me or not," Vernon tried to exin his intention. "Besides, why are you insisting on this anyway? I remember you looked terrified when I touched you at first."


    "W--Well, things changed between us," Chloe replied. "Now, I want to give myself to you. I want you to touch me...."


    "Whoo, your confidence really is really surprising, I love it though," Vernon smiled. "But just like what you said before, things changed between us. Now I want to treat you right first before we can go raw."


    "R--Raw?!" Chloe''s cheeks reddened even more. She never expected Vernon to say something crazy.


    "What''s your reaction? I thought you''re ready?" Vernon teased. He chuckled when he saw Chloe''s flustered face and then gave her another kiss on the forehead. "Go to sleep now, we have lots to do tomorrow."


    "Um, are you satisfied though?" Chloe asked. "Since I did this to make you rx and happy for the night."


    "I''m very satisfied," Vernon replied without hesitation. "You''d be surprised how hard I''m trying to hold myself not to be rough on you. But as long as you have me in your mind, then I''ll always be satisfied."


    "Then, I''ll be waiting until that moment when you finally decide to go fully rough on me."


    "Heh, then we got a lot of fingering to do before that."


    "I--I don''t mind," Chloe murmured. "I like it too...."


    Thus, Chloe and Vernon fell asleep while embracing each other. Though they still had unfinished business, at least they realized they had much to do in the future.


    **


    Chloe woke up the earliest as usual. She was still trapped inside Vernon''s embrace, trying hard to break free from Vernon''s bear hug.


    ''Ugh, seriously, his bear hug can be a choking hazard,'' Chloeined as she tried hard to wriggle her way out.


    She escaped after ten minutes of struggling and quickly distanced herself from Vernon.


    "Urgh... hrmm..." Vernon groaned. He frowned in his sleep, and his hand started patting around, trying to find Chloe, whom he had embraced all night. Chloe stuffed a pillow for Vernon to hug so he wouldn''t wake up because of her absence.


    Chloe let out a relieved sigh after that. She was about to leave the room when she realized her body felt breezy.


    "Oh crap, I forgot," Chloe remembered that she was still naked. She wanted to go out but was scared that Mackie might be running around the living room and kitchen. She was an active girl who would wake up very early in the morning to make a noise.


    So she rushed to Vernon''s wardrobe and used his pajama, two times bigger than her real size, before opening the bedroom door.


    She opened the door slightly, and her head peeked out to check her surroundings. After being assured that Mackie was nowhere to be seen, she left Vernon''s room. She hastily grabbed her towel near the sofa before throwing it into theundry room.


    She wanted to go down first to change into her pajamas because it would be a little embarrassing if Mackie or Vernon caught her wearing Vernon''s pajamas.


    But before she could go downstairs, her little girl greeted her Mommy happily, "Good morning, Mommy!"


    "Ah!" Chloe got startled by her daughter''s sudden greeting. "G--Good morning, dear...."


    "Mommy, I want to eat pancakes for breakfast! Can we ask Uncle to make one for us?" Mackie requested. She was just in the mood for a pancake, and she knew that her Mommy could not make one because she only had one hand for now.


    "Y--Your Uncle is tired, I can make you a smoothie or toast instead, is that okay?" Chloe offered.


    "Really? Aww..." Mackie pouted. "I really want to eat pancakes."


    "It''s fine, I''ll make it."


    Chloe and Mackie turned their heads simultaneously when they heard the heavy voice behind them.


    Vernon sauntered from the living room to the kitchen. He was topless but wore his jeans fromst night at least.


    He scratched his head and yawned a few times until he stood right behind Chloe and hugged her from behind, "Morning, Love," he said before giving her a light kiss on the cheek.


    Then he looked at Mackie, who stood before them and raised his brow, "And you too, Little Wolf."


    "Good morning, Uncle!" Mackie greeted. She didn''t see anything wrong with her Mommy and Uncle''s intimacy. She liked it, in fact, because it showed that her Uncle loved and treasured her Mommy so much!


    "Uncle, can you make me three stacks of pancakes? I want to eat a lot today!" Mackie asked.


    "Sure, go watch cartoons first while your Mommy and I cook for you."


    "Okay!"


    Mackie rushed to the living room to turn on the TV and watch morning cartoons, leaving Vernon and Chloe alone in the kitchen.


    It took Chloe a while to register what happened just now. Vernon hugged and kissed her naturally in front of Mackie as if they were already a married couple.


    Chloe looked over her shoulder and asked, "When did you wake up?"


    "Soon after you, of course," Vernon grinned. "Do you think I won''t notice when I can''t feel your body in my embrace? I woke up soon after that."


    "And by the way, you should wear my pajamas more often. You look cute."

 Chapter 579 579

    Vernon was making pancakes for breakfast with the help of Chloe by his side. Mackie had been watching them from the living room, peeking from time to time, finding herself enjoying watching Mommy and Uncle in harmony in the kitchen.


    It wasn''t a new experience anymore for her. Uncle and Mommy always cooked together these days because of Mommy''s injury. But that still didn''t erase the novelty for the Little girl.


    In her eyes, just seeing her Mommy smiling over the simplest thing was enough to bring joy to Mackie. After all, her Mommy had been suffering for so long living with her Daddy.


    Mackie still hadn''t exactly grasped the whole thing. But not because she was ignorant. She kept observing her surroundings and learning about new things each day, but her Mommy¡ªand Uncle¡ªalways kept her in the dark, never telling her what exactly went wrong with her Daddy.


    Nevertheless, Mackie knew that Daddy wasn''t as good as Mommy portrayed him because no good man would beat her Mom until she couldn''t use her right hand for a month.


    Truth be told, Mackie never had high expectations of her father. She wished that her Daddy would apany her, fulfill all his promises, and apany Mommy during any school events.


    But he was always busy, and Mackie clung to the idea that Daddy was a good person because Mommy kept telling her so.


    ''Mommy, I don''t understand¡­'' Mackie pondered. ''Why did you stay with Daddy if you''re not happy? I don''t want to befriend Jaden and Mia anymore after they bullied me. But why did you stay with Daddy?''


    Mackie had a lot on her little mind when Chloe called her, "Mackie! Time for breakfast!"


    "Um! Coming!" Mackie jumped from the sofa and rushed to the dinner table to eat with Mommy and Uncle.


    She climbed the chair and sat right next to her Uncle, who had already prepared three stacks of pancakes,plete with maple syrup and honey bottle on the side.


    Mackie''s eyes marveled, and she started digging in without waiting for anyone.


    "Eat slowly, dear. You''ll choke," Chloe advised as she put a ss of water on her side.


    Mackie chewed slower and swallowed the food in her mouth, "Un! Thanks, Mommy! Thank you for the pancake too, Uncle! It''s tasty!"


    "It''s fine. Go eat," Vernon said.


    They ate together until Vernon finished first and then told Chloe, "You need to go to the hospital today. I will call the doctor to be ready to take off your cast. It''s been a month, and it should be healed perfectly."


    Chloe nodded slowly until she swallowed her food, then replied, "I think so too. I can feel my arm inside this cast already. I think I''ll be fine."


    "Whoa! Mommy will be able to use two hands now?"


    Chloe smiled at her daughter, "Yes, dear. I can finally cook for you and your Uncle again."


    "Can I go to the hospital with you? I want to see it too!"


    "You can''t. You have to go to school, and it''s almost winter break, remember? You will probably get a lot of assignments for it. You can''t miss it," Chloe said. "Besides, it will only take an hour at best, dear."


    "A, okay then," Mackie was a little disappointed. But her Mommy was right.


    It was almost winter break, and the teachers would give everyone a lot of homework until winter break ended, so she had to be prepared not to miss any of it.


    "Go to the hospital after driving Mackie to school. I''ll have to go to work early today," Vernon said. After breakfast, he went inside his room to do some morning freshen-up. He left his room with a working suit and briefcase in his hand.


    He was about to leave until he stopped halfway and returned to the dining table, where Mackie and Chloe were still cleaning up their tes.


    He kissed Chloe and Mackie on the cheek as if it was an everyday thing and said, "I''d love to have dinner ready once I return home. I''ll be home early today."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened after getting a kiss on the cheek from Vernon, while Mackie didn''t seem to mind at all. She just thought it was a natural thing to do.


    "Mhm, I''ll be sure to cook a feast after I get my cast removed. I''ve been itching to cook something with my own hands," Chloe said.


    Vernon smiled, "I''ll be off then, see you on dinner."


    "Un! Good luck at work, Uncle!"


    Chloe and Mackie left the apartment thirty minutester. They sat in the backseat of the car, with the driver being as strict and silent as always, like a robot.


    "Mommy, will you go somewhere else after having your cast removed?" Mackie asked out of curiosity.


    "Mhm, I''ll be buying your Granny some clothes because she needs them, and I''ll do some grocery shopping. I''ll start making your lunch again tomorrow, so you don''t need to eat cafeteria food again, okay?"


    "Whooo! Finally!" Mackie cheered. "Um, the cafeteria food is nice, but Mommy''s food is better!"


    "Hihi, alright then, I will make one for you."


    Chloe dropped Mackie in front of the school. She watched Mackie enter the main hall before she returned to the car.


    "Where are we going next, Madam?" the driver asked.


    Honestly, Chloe felt a little disturbed by the new title. She didn''t know if it was Vernon''s order or the driver''s initiative to call her Madam Phoenix Gray as if she had been married to Vernon already.


    She didn''t hate it, but it was a new thing for her.


    Because when she lived with Vincent, nobody called her Madam Gray because Vincent always told them not to put Chloe in high regard.


    They should know that Vincent was still the Master of the house, and Chloe was a mere wife of the Master who happened to handle a few light tasks.


    So she never expected herself to be put in such high regard.

 Chapter 580 580

    "Did Vernon tell you to call me that?" she asked.


    "..."


    The driver went silent again. He had no intention of replying because it wasn''t within his program to do so. All he had to do was to bring the Boss'' wife anywhere she wanted and protect her with all his life, so he dared not to answer anything or even smile at her.


    He was like a robot, and it was honestly torture.


    Because Madam Phoenix Gray was a very kind woman, and she often asked him one day whether he had a family and offered him some food. She seemed to be a genuinely kind person that would care about you and your well-being.


    ''I guess it makes sense why Mr. Pheonix Gray is very protective and downright obsessive to her. It won''t be hard for any man to fall in love with her, she''s very beautiful, and also very kind, a perfect wife material,'' the driver thought.


    Though he was still single, he wasn''t here to have an affair, especially not with his boss''s wife. His boss was intimidating enough when he wasn''t angry, imagining Mr. Phoenix Gray hunting everyst of his family members because of an affair was already a deterrence for him.


    ''Besides...'' The driver looked over his shoulder for a split second to check on her boss'' wife. ''I don''t think she is the type to have an affair. Mr. Phoenix Gray told me to watch where she was going everyday, but really, so far Madam Phoenix Gray only went to the grocery shop most of the time.''


    Vernon told the driver to always keep his eyes on Chloe, but the driver never saw her with another man, nor did she have any contact or gesture that could raise suspicion. She looked like a normaldy, though a very beautiful one, of course. Which was a big contrastpared to Vernon, who often intimidated everyone around him for no real reason.


    ''I can also see his insecurity though. If I have a wife like her, I will worry that she will get taken by someone else without me knowing,'' the driver silently agreed to Vernon''s obsession.


    "Did Vernon tell you to call me that?" Chloe repeated her question since she didn''t get any answer.


    The man hesitated momentarily, wondering if it was right to answer that question.


    But it seemed that Madam Phoenix Gray wouldn''t let him out of this question, so he replied with a nod.


    "I see..." Chloe sighed. "You can call me that if Vernon told you to do so. But you can also call me Chloe if you want."


    The driver''s eyes widened, and he paled instantly.


    He shook his head vehemently as if he had just heard something horrific.


    Chloe frowned. She didn''t understand what was wrong with her statement just now.


    She just wanted to be more friendly. Besides, everyone in Vincent''s mansion called her Ms. Gray or simply Chloe because they thought they didn''t need to be so respectful toward her.


    But this strong guy looked horrified just because Chloe told him to call her by her first name as a friendly gesture.


    ''I wonder what kind of terrible intimidation did Vernon do until this man bes so terrified because of name calling?'' Chloe wondered. ''I don''t think that kind of image is good for him. He needs to build a more approachable persona to his subordinates, right?''


    "Just so you know, you don''t need to be so scared of Vernon. He might look intimidating, but really, he is a kind man," Chloe said, trying to build a better image for Vernon.


    ''Yeah, he is kind only to you. You won''t say that when you''re in my position,'' the driver replied in his heart.


    But he nodded and repeated his question, "Where do you want to go, Madam?"


    "..." Chloe sighed. "To the hospital. I have to remove my cast."


    "Understood."


    Chloe rested her head on the seat while staring at the window, ''Vernon needs to have a more amiable image for himself. He has to realize that his subordinates aren''t ves that he could yell or intimidate for no reason.''


    ''I''ll talk to himter.''


    **


    Chloe arrived at the hospital an hourter. She had already got a text from Vernon telling her to just go straight to the Doctor''s office because Vernon had registered her name with a call.


    There was already a nurse waiting for the special guest, so she escorted Chloe to the Doctor''s office. It was the same Doctor who treated Chloe a month ago.


    "Good morning, Mrs. Phoenix Gray. Your husband told me that you want to remove your cast," the Doctor said. He walked to Chloe and checked the cast that had been doodled by Mackie before. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Phoenix Gray?"


    "Morning, Doctor. I''m feeling great. My left hand has beenpletely healed, and I''m sure my right as well. Please remove it as soon as possible."


    "Indeed, luckily, it''s just fractured bones, because if it''spletely broken or snapped in half, it''ll take probably two or three more months to heal," the Doctor checked the cast before he grabbed his tool. "Please stay still, Mrs. Phoenix Gray, I''ll break the cast."


    Chloe stayed still and silent as the Doctor split the cast with a cast saw, and it didn''t take long until the Doctor removed everything, and Chloe finally saw her hand against month.


    Thest time she saw it, her right hand was in a pitiful state. It was swollen badly, and Chloe could see some internal bleeding inside her vein because Vincent kept punching her, and she used her hand to shield herself many times.


    Vincent wasn''t that rough on her most of the time. Usually, he''d p her once or twice until she cried, and then stopped after he got the satisfaction.


    But because Chloe dared to fight back for the first time in her life, Vincent got enraged and beat her mercilessly.


    "Alright, Mrs. Phoenix Gray, try using your fingers one by one, then clench your fist, and tell me if you still feel pain," the Doctor instructed.


    Chloe did everything and shook her head, "All great, Doctor."


    "Great! Congrattions for your recovery, Mrs. Phoenix Gray!"

 Chapter 581 581

    Chloe left the Doctor''s office feeling satisfied and proud of herself. She kept looking down, staring at her right hand, and clenched her fist a few times to ensure everything was alright.


    "I survived," Chloe murmured as she let the realization sink in. "I survived his beating, and never apologized or begged even once."


    "I fought back. I really fought back against that bastard...." Chloe''s lips curled up. "I''m not that weak."


    She wanted to scream to let out this overwhelming joy in her heart, but she was still in the hospital, so she went out silently and entered her car.


    She finished her phone and took a quick photo of her right hand, then texted Vernon with the photo attached.


    -


    I''m all fine now.


    -


    It didn''t take long for Vernon to call her.


    --


    "All good?" Vernon asked on the phone.


    "Yes, all good. I can use my right hand now. Thank you for taking care of me, Vernon.''


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s my duty as your husband--" Vernon stopped when he suddenly realized what he was about to say. There was a slight pause before he continued, "Anyway, I''m happy that you''ve recovered now. Let''s celebrate it tonight!"


    "Yes! I can''t wait to go home and cook a lot of food!" Chloe was taken by the euphoria as well.


    "I''m still at work right now. But damn, I can''t wait to meet you and Mackie tonight," Vernon said.


    "Hihi, work hard, darling. I''ll meet you at home."


    "Meet youter, my love."


    Beep.


    --


    Madam Phoenix Gray didn''t put the call on loudspeaker, but the volume was maxed out. Hence, the driver had to listen to their conversation involuntarily.


    He couldn''t help to feel weirded out when he heard his boss getting all sweet and giddy on the call. He sounded vastly different when he was facing his subordinates.


    ''I guess you be apletely different person when you''re in love,'' the driver thought.


    "Where are we going next, Madam?" the driver asked.


    Chloe was thinking for a moment. But her attention was stolen when she looked out the window and saw a child running out of the hospital and crying alone in the parking lot. He was around six years old and had a bruise on his cheek.


    Chloe''s eyes widened when she identified the little boy outside her car.


    "AARON!" Chloe opened the car door and rushed to her oldest nephew.


    Aaron looked up with his red eyes, and when he saw Aunt Chloe rushing towards him, his tears flooded like a broken dam, "AUNTY!"


    Chloe crouched and hugged her nephew tightly before checking his bruise, "Oh my god! What happened to you? Why are you here alone? Where''s your mother?!"


    Aaron cried even harder when Chloe asked about Chelsea''s whereabouts.


    "Oh god, calm down okay? Let''s find somewhere safe first," Chloe looked around to find a spot they could rest. But it was in the middle of the parking lot, so the only choice was to bring him into her car.


    "Let''s go inside Aunty''s car, you can rest there and tell me what''s wrong."


    Aaron nodded, and Chloe grabbed his hand, leading the little boy into her car.


    The driver was surprised when Madam Phoenix Gray entered the car with a little boy, "Madam, this is...."


    "He''s my nephew. Would you mind buying drinks and snacks for him?" Chloe asked.


    "Yes, Madam."


    Aaron was more rxed once the driver left them alone. He still sobbed and still tried to cover his swollen cheek. He was in no good condition to speak, so Chloe continued hugging and rubbing his head until he felt at ease.


    The driver returned with drinks and snacks but only gave the bag to Madam Phoenix Gray and stood outside, guarding the car.


    "Here, drink first and eat some chocte so you can feel better," Chloe offered.


    Fortunately, Aaron cooperated and started drinking water and eating chocte. It took him at least twenty minutes until he calmed down.


    Chloe patted his head, asking, "What''s wrong, Aaron? Why are you here? Where''s your Mommy?"


    "Mommy, it''s Mommy...." Aaron repeated while rubbing his swollen cheek. "She hit me..."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, "She hit you?"


    "Um..."


    "How could she--" Chloe was speechless. She knew that Chelsea often yelled at her boys for being loud or naughty. But she never hit them.


    ''Did Aaron do something bad? But even if he did, it''s still not right to hit a child until his cheek is swollen!'' Chloe protested. "Do you know why you got hit by your Mommy?"


    "Un, I told Mommy that her smile is scaring other kids. That''s why every other kid is crying. Then she suddenly hit me, so I ran away...." Aaron said.


    Chloe frowned. She could barely catch what the little boy had said just now.


    "What do you mean that your Mommy''s smile is scaring other kids? You know that''s not very kind, right?"


    "But I''m not lying!" Aaron insisted. "Mommy''s smile makes everyone cry! Even Mike, Nathan, and Tony said Mommy is so scary now!"


    Chloe got even more confused now that Aaron dragged his younger brothers into this.


    "Aaron, your Mommy will get hurt if you keep saying that her smile is scary. You know it''s not nice."


    Aaron got annoyed because Aunt Chloe didn''t believe him. He used the melted chocte on his lips to draw a long line from each corner of his lips until it almost reached his earlobe, "Mommy has a scar like this!"


    "Huh? A chocte scar?"


    "No-No! She looks like the Joker from Batman now! She has a creepy scar and looks very scary! You might cry if you see her too!" Aaron insisted.


    Chloe started to catch what her nephew was trying to say, which scared her.


    "D--Did something happen to your Mommy?"


    "Yes! Mommy got hurt and has to stay in the hospital. She has a long scar on her cheek now! That''s why she''s scaring everyone!" Aaron stated. "Mommy is still in the hospital now, Aunty. I can bring you to her if you want to see. But don''t be scared, because she might hit you too!"

 Chapter 582 582

    "Your Mommy is in the hospital?" Chloe asked. "How long has it been?"


    Chloe never got any news from her side of the family for a while, so she had no idea that Chelsea had been hurt¡ªpossibly attacked by someone until she had a horrible scar.


    She felt a little guilty for not contacting her family anymore. But it was mainly because Chloe knew she had to cut contact or she''d keep getting harassed by her mother and sister.


    Who would''ve thought that things would be a mess during her absence?


    "Umm, Mommy visits the hospital today to treat her scar, Aunty," Aaron informed. "She told me to go with her even though I have school¡­."


    ''So she''s going for a stic surgery or something simr¡­'' Chloe assumed. ''But does she even have enough money to do that? I don''t know what they''re doing now since I''ve stopped giving them money.''


    ''Maybe it''s the stress from money that makes her hit Aaron like this? Oh, that''s still not a valid reason to hit a kid until his cheek is swollen badly like this.''


    "This is the first time your Mommy hit you like this, right?"


    "Nope!" Aaron shook his head. "Mommy hit me four times already!"


    "FOUR TIMES?!" Chloe almost got a heart attack. She never expected things to go this bad while she was missing. "H¡ªHow about the others?"


    "Um, they got hit once each. It''s because we were noisy at night¡­." Aaron reported. He looked sadder as he continued reporting his Mommy''s abuse. "I don''t want to get hit anymore. Aunty, can you tell Mommy not to get angry all the time?"


    ¡­


    Chloe was unsure how to answer that question. As much as she wanted to help and protect her nephews, she was also still in a difficult situation, and there was no way she would tell Vernon about this.


    Vernon already had enough problems for himself and made a huge sacrifice by allowing Dorothea into their lives. She couldn''t just ask him to do everything for her.


    ''Besides, Aaron and the others still have their parents. I have no way to take them in, and I''m not sure if Vernon will allow me to do so.''


    "Where is your Daddy? Maybe I can talk to him first," Chloe asked.


    Aaron got even sadder once his Aunt mentioned his father. He shook his head again, but he said nothing.


    He stopped snacking on the chocte and lowered his head in silence.


    "Aaron?"


    "He''s gone," Aaron replied curtly. "Daddy is gone."


    "Gone?" Chloe had a lot of bad assumptions from that one word. The image of her childhood without a father figure shed in her mind, and she shook her head quickly to ward off that bad thought.


    "Um, Daddy hasn''t been home for so long. I don''t know where he is right now¡­." Aaron said. "Mommy has gotten angrier each day, and Grandma is too old to take care of us. So I start helping her to do house chores now¡­."


    ''What is happening with them? Why is everything a mess?'' Chloe wondered. ''What happened with that useless bastard anyway? Did he just walk away from his family like what my dad did back then?''


    Chloe got irritated just thinking about it. She knew Tommy wasn''t exactly a father who could provide for his family, but at least he didn''t hurt his wife and sons. It was the least he could do.


    ''Talk about bare minimum,'' Chloeined.


    Chloe stared at Aaron, who snacked on another chocte bar, but he ate it slower this time. He looked sad, especially with his swollen cheek.


    Chloe also identally discovered a bruise on his palm. Chelsea seemed to hit the little boy''s palm with a metal ruler.


    Her heart ached so badly. Though she didn''t have a good rtionship with her sister, she always saw her nephews as her sons. She wanted them to have a good childhood and be well cared for so they grew up to be good men.


    Now that Tommy had already left and Chelsea had be abusive, she felt she had to step in and do something to save her nephews.


    But how?


    ''Should I call Child Protection Service? But what will they do next? What if they don''t find enough evidence, and it will only enrage Chelsea even more? What will she do to these poor boys?'' Chloe started having bad thoughts as anxiety took over her mind. ''Even if they do find enough evidence, what will happen next? Will they take the boys'' custody and give it to foster parents? Since I''m the only one of their rtives, and my situation is way tooplicated right now.''


    Chloe was torn between the boys'' problem and her own. She also wondered if there was a way out for now.


    Just as she tried to ask more from Aaron, there was a loud yell in the parking lot.


    "AARON! COME OUT!"


    Aaron and Chloe turned their heads at the same time and saw Chelsea standing not far from Chloe''s car.


    She tapped her heel while crossing her arms. She looked so pissed, as if she could eat a child right now.


    But the most shocking thing was the scar on her cheeks. It really looked like the Joker scar from that Batman movie. It was horrifying and looked scarier because Chelsea was ring right now.


    ''Oh my god, Aaron isn''t lying when he said she looks like the Joker. No wonder other kids are scared of her. What happened, seriously?'' Chloe had a lot of questions popping up as she kept staring at Chelsea for a while.


    Aaron''s face paled instantly. He looked at his Aunt Chloe and begged, "Aunty, please tell Mommy not to hurt me again. I don''t want to get beaten. I will be a good boy, I promise!"


    Chloe darted her eyes at Chelsea and Aaron simultaneously. She swallowed her saliva as she faced such a difficult decision.


    She wished to take Aaron home, and if she could, she also wanted to take the rest of the boys. But she wasn''t in the right condition to do so.


    ''I guess I have no choice...''

 Chapter 583 583

    Since the only thing she could do was to face Chelsea and address this problem. But before she opened the car door to face Chelsea, she told Aaron, "Aaron, you have to return to your Mommy for now, I''m sorry, but I can''t bring you with me."


    Aaron looked sad. He actually expected his aunt to take him in because living with his Mommy had be genuinely unbearable and scary.


    "But, I will give you something," Chloe looked around until she found a note and pen near the driver''s seat. She grabbed them and quickly wrote her phone number before shoving it inside Aaron''s chest pocket. "This is my phone number. Don''t let your Mommy know about it. Hide it somewhere in your room, and you can always call me when you''re in danger."


    "In danger?"


    "Yes, in danger. Maybe your Mommy hits you too hard or starts using a dangerous weapon to hurt you or your siblings. Then you can always call me using your friend''s phone or someone in your school, understand?" Chloe instructed. She knew the boys could not contact anyone since their mother never gave them any phone, even the child-friendly one for emergencies.


    "H--How about Grandma? Can I use Grandma''s phone?"


    "No," Chloe quickly shook her head. "Your Grandma is... too weak. You don''t want your Grandma to get hurt by your Mommy as well, right?"


    "I don''t want Grandma to get hurt...." Aaron muttered. Though Grandma could be cold to all of them sometimes, Grandma at least never yelled at them. So he didn''t want his Grandma to get into trouble as well.


    "AARON! COME OUT!"


    Chloe and Aaron flinched when they heard Chelsea continue screaming in the parking lot. Chloe gave Aaron an encouraging look and wrapped his hand, "You got this. Remember, I will never leave you. If you feel like you can''t bear it any longer, you should call me, okay?"


    "Um, thank you, Aunty."


    Chloe took a deep breath. She was also scared to face her sister. She felt that Chelsea had be unhinged these days. Just the look in her eyes already told Chloe that her sister wasn''t in the right mental state.


    Chloe opened the car door and gave the driver a meaningful look, "Stay right here. I have to face her."


    ...


    The driver said nothing but gave Chloe a worried look before focusing all his attention on the crazydy with a creepy smile in the middle of the parking lot.


    Chloe held Aaron''s hand tighter as she approached Chelsea.


    Chelsea darted her bloodshot eyes toward Chloe, and she red at Chloe with so much hostility that she made it impossible to call them sisters at this point.


    "Good morning, Chelsea," Chloe greeted, trying to be friendly to her sister.


    "..." Chelsea ignored Chloe, but she red at Aaron instead.


    Aaron shrieked and quickly hid behind Chloe''s back, only peeking asionally as he didn''t dare to face his mother right now.


    "C--Chelsea, you shouldn''t scare him too much. He''s just a child."


    "Shut up. I am not in the mood to face you right now," Chelsea said, thinking that as long as Chloe was out of the frame, Vincent would eventually forget about her and move on. So she tried to limit any kind of interaction with Chloe as much as possible. "Hand me my son," she ordered.


    "I can give him to you, but you must learn to treat a child kindly...." Chloe said, trying not to brush up on the topic of abuse way too early, or Chelsea might explode.


    "Oh, now you''re acting like a Mother Theresa, huh?" Chelsea sneered. She advanced one step to close their gap and used her index finger to poke her shoulder a few times. "We both know that you''re the dirtiest whore here. So stop lecturing me on how to treat my son, and get your filthy hands off him!"


    Chloe gritted her teeth. She gathered her courage to stand still despite feeling intimidated, "I can''t give Aaron to you. Not until you promise not to hit him anymore. I found him crying in the middle of the parking lot with a swollen cheek. He told me that you beat him often, too. Do you not realize that you will ruin your rtionship with him in the future?"


    Chelsea''s eyes widened. She darted her eyes at Aaron this time and then tried to grab his shoulder to no avail.


    Chloe quickly retreated a step back and continued shielding the little boy behind her.


    "YOU LITTLE SHIT! COME HERE, AND I''LL BEAT THE FUCK OUT OF YOU!" Chelsea yelled. Her voice echoed in the parking lot, alerting the people around.


    Chelsea was like a mad woman. She didn''t care about the others who started staring at them. All she had in mind was that her son dared to go to Chloe, of all people, and report her beating, while it wasn''t really a beating.


    It was just one hard hit on the cheek to make the little boy behave since he dared to say that her face scared other kids in the hospital.


    Aaron''s body started trembling. He almost pissed himself just looking at his own mother, and Chloe noticed it instantly.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® "Step back, Chelsea. You''re scaring him!" Chloe yelled.


    "Scaring him? Oh, just because I have a scar on my face, that''s why he got scared?" Chelsea rolled her eyes. "He should be more scared of you, you dirty whore! What will you teach him, huh? Do you want to teach him how to run away from your good husband because you''re such an ungrateful piece of shit?"


    "That--"


    "Oh yeah, that''s right, I guess you and Aaron are the same. Both of you are ungrateful little shits!"


    "CHELSEA!" Chloe finally snapped. She didn''t want her nephew to listen to more of her curses. "You''re making it worse! Just stop cursing and calm down, so we can talk about this!"


    "I HAVE NOTHING TO TALK TO A BITCH LIKE YOU! GIVE MY SON BACK OR I WILL FUCK YOU UP!"

 Chapter 584 584

    Chloe was astonished by how uncontroble her sister had be. She knew Chelsea hated her guts, but she had never been this erratic.


    She wondered if Chelsea''s craziness was because of her new scar. That kind of horrible scar must''ve affected her confidence and stability.


    ''But that''s still not a reason to beat up your own son!'' Chloe challenged her own theory just now. Because no matter how horrible her life got, she would never beat Mackie. So she also expected Chelsea to at least hold the same moral ground as her.


    "C¡ªCalm down, Chelsea. You''ll attract people''s attention," Chloe said. She checked her surroundings briefly and added, "Everyone is staring at us right now."


    Chelsea red at everyone around her. Whether it was a man, woman, or children, all of them gasped when they saw that horrible scar across her cheek, "What are you looking at? Are you scared to see my scar?"


    Chelsea scoffed and suddenly pointed at Chloe, "Then you should me this bitch! She is a two-faced bitch who sends someone to attack and carve this scar on me!"


    "Chelsea! What are you talking about?!" Chloe panicked. She noticed that a few people had their phones on recording, ready to share this thing on social media, which would be a problem for Vernon soon. "Why would I send someone to attack you? I have no reason to do that!"


    "No reason? Oh, you do have a reason for that, you bitch!" Chelsea said confidently. "You know that Vincent has grown tired of you. He needs someone more beautiful, more interesting than a useless crybaby like you! That''s why you get jealous when you know he has moved on from you and starts to fall in love with me!"


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She didn''t know what kind of imagination Chelsea had in her mind, but it was all wrong! She didn''t even know that Chelsea and Vincent had started an affair now.


    Chelsea grinned scarily when she saw the astonishment on Chloe''s face. She thought she had caught Chloe red-handed, so she looked around, grinned, satisfied with each camera aiming at them, "All of you, see this bitch who cheated, and then attacked me because her ex-husband chose me over her!"


    "What the¡ª" Chloe tried to keep her cool the whole time. But she wouldn''t stand still while getting ndered by Chelsea''s nonsensical usation. So she yelled back, "Watch your mouth, Chelsea! If you keep ndering me like this, then don''t me me if I take this to the court! Let''s see how much you can pay for your bullshit!"


    Chelsea didn''t expect her sister to dare to fight back. Her rage exploded, and she shouted, "I AM THE FUTURE WIFE OF VINCENT GRAY! DO YOU THINK I CAN''T PAY YOU? I CAN FUCKING BUY YOUR LIFE, YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT!"


    Chelsea raised her hand. She couldn''t wait to p the fuck out of this ungrateful bitch. But when Chelsea swung her hand, a strong hand suddenly caught her wrist and gripped it hard.


    Chelsea red at the man who suddenly stopped her from pping Chloe. The man was handsome, young, and looked rich, and Chelsea had an assumption ready, "Are you one of her victims? You should know that your woman is a whore who spread her legs to all men she found as long as she could stay alive! You''re being tricked!"


    "THAT''S ENOUGH!" The driver, who had been watching the whole time, couldn''t hold himself any longer. He was tasked to protect Madam Phoenix Gray, so he had to step in despite Chloe''s disapproval.


    The driver looked at Chloe and warned her, "Madam, this is enough. You should go back to the car."


    "B¡ªBut my nephew¡ª"


    "Madam, you can''t," the driver warned. "It''s too dangerous. We''ll get in trouble."


    Chloe tightened her grip on Aaron''s wrist. She was so reluctant to leave him alone with her mentally unstable sister.


    But the driver was right. She couldn''t do anything right now.


    So she patted Aaron''s head and said, "I''m sorry, I can''t bring you with me. But you already know what to doter, right?"


    Aaron stared at his Aunty''s sweet smile and gentle eyes, and he gained courage andfort from her. He nodded, "Um, I know, Aunty."


    "Good, now you should return to your Mommy. Don''t make her angry, understand?" Chloe said before she released Aaron''s wrist.


    "Yes¡­" Aaron reluctantly walked towards his mother''s side. Chelsea red at the little boy before she pulled her hand. "Let go!"


    The driver quickly released Chelsea''s hand and stepped in to stop Chelsea from assaulting Madam Phoenix Gray. He acted like a wall and looked over his shoulder to signal his Boss'' wife to enter the car first.


    Chelsea clicked her tongue annoyedly. She didn''t understand how Chloe could have so many men trying to protect her. What kind of ck magic did she use to charm these men until they became so stupid?


    ''Hah, whatever. I will be Madam Gray in the end. All of those men will never be better than my perfect Vincent Gray!'' Chelsea said in her heart. She started imagining herself standing side by side with Vincent. People would worship her as the most sessful woman because she married the right man. It would be the best reward for all the pain she experienced when she married Tommy before.,


    The driver kept his stance until he was assured Madam Phoenix Gray had entered the car. He gave Chelsea thest warning look and said in a low voice, "You''re lucky we''re in a public area."


    "Oh yeah? What do you want to do to me? Do you not hear what I said just now? I AM VINCENT GRAY''S FUTURE WIFE! YOU WILL DIE IF YOU DARE TO HURT ME!"


    The driver zipped his mouth, knowing this woman was beyond saving. He simply turned around and entered the car.


    "We''re leaving now, Madam. That woman is crazy."


    Chloe stared at Chelsea and Aaron from the window and sighed pitifully, "Let''s go. I don''t want to bring trouble to Vernon."

 Chapter 585 585

    There was an uneasy atmosphere in the car after the incident in the parking lot. The driver kept checking on his Boss'' wife because she had been quiet this whole ride.


    Madam Phoenix Gray was staring emptily at the window. She looked heartbroken. She clutched the stic wrappers of snacks that the little boy had eaten before as if those stic wrappers were something precious.


    Normally, the driver would stay silent and do his job to drive her around and protect her when there was any danger nearby.


    But it was excruciating to see a good woman in pain.


    ''She is a very kind woman, obviously. It''s probably the main reason why Mr. Phoenix Gray loves her so much. But why does she have such a messy family?'' the driver wondered. After working for her long enough, the driver gathered enough evidence to support his opinion that Madam Phoenix Gray was a kind woman with so many problems following her.


    Unable to maintain his calm longer, the driver finally opened his mouth.


    "Madam, you''ve done your best for that little boy."


    Chloe nced at the seat before her and sighed deeply, "I hope I can do more. He is my nephew. He''s a good boy, and he''s very close to Mackie." Chloe clutched the chocte wrapper in her hand as if it was her own heart. "I can''t bear seeing him getting beaten by his mentally ill mother."


    "Has she always been this crazy?"


    "No, I don''t know what happened to her. I know she hates me, but she''s never been this erratic and uncontroble before," Chloe replied. "I think this has something to do with Vincent, maybe he said something that led her to have that kind of stupid idea. But there is no way Vincent will marry Chelsea. She is not exactly his type¡­."


    Chloe nced at the front seat again and said, "I''m sorry that you have to watch that."


    "No, it''s fine, Madam," the driver said. "Mr. Phoenix Gray dispatch me to be your driver and guard because you have plenty of problematic people trying to get you."


    Chloe nodded. Vernon must''ve expected something like this to happen eventually.


    Chloe sighed, "I hope things won''t get worse than this. There are so many people recording, thest thing I want to do is to create more problems for Vernon."


    "You have a good intention, Madam. If this bes a problemter, Mr. Phoenix Gray will still forgive you," the driverforted. He was 100% sure his boss would never be mad at Chloe, especially since Vernon was so whipped for her.


    "I know he won''t be mad at me, but that makes me feel guiltier than before," Chloe said. She stared at the front seat for a while and then asked, "You should tell me your name by now. I don''t know how to call you."


    The driver went quiet instantly. He clenched the steering wheel and stared straight at the road. He tried to ignore the question by now because he didn''t want to go all personal with Madam Phoenix Gray.


    He was too scared that his boss might do something if he dared to be friendly to her.


    "Still not going to tell?" Chloe looked bitter. "I feel like an idiot for oversharing about my problem to you. Please forget about what I said just now."


    "Miller."


    "Excuse me?"<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "You can call me Miller, Madam," the driver said. He didn''t want to give his first name because he thought it might be too personal. But Miller was his surname, which sounded more formal and appropriate for this asion.


    "Miller, okay then, you can always call me Chloe¡ªbut I know you''ll still call me Madam anyway."


    Chloe was in a better mood after getting his name. She didn''t have many friends these days, only Diamond and now Dorothea. So she always treasured a new friend or colleague she gained along the way.


    Thus, she started a conversation with her new friend, "So, what does Vernon tell you about me, Miller?"


    "¡­" Miller still had the nervousness whenever Madam Phoenix Gray stroked a conversation with him. Even though Madam was very friendly, he still had to make sure not to get too personal. "He told me to protect you from any harm, Madam. He is very protective of you, and will always inquire about what you''re doing daily to make sure that you''re always safe."


    "Does that mean you''ll also report him about what happened today?"


    Miller nodded, "I''m sorry, Madam. But it''s my job."


    "Understandable¡­" Chloe said. "I just hope things won''t get messier after this, I don''t want to make him angry."


    "You will be okay, Madam. Mr. Phoenix Gray truly loved you," Miller assured. "He never showed so much devotion for a woman. So I think you''re the one for him."


    Chloe smiled, "I hope so. I wish I could do more for him though. He''s been doing everything for me, and all I did is to be a burden for him."


    "Your presence is enough for him, Madam," Miller said. He remembered when he was hired by Mr. Phoenix Gray two years ago.


    That man was younger than him, but he had such a terrifying aura around him, which signaled that Mr. Phoenix Gray went through a lot.


    Chloe kept on getting the same answers from everyone around her. Vernon, Diamond, Dorothea, and now Miller.


    All of them said the same thing.


    Her presence was enough for Vernon; he didn''t need anything else.


    But Chloe thought she ought to do more because she didn''t want to keep feeling like a burden.


    Miller noticed Madam''s dwindling mood, so he asked, "Where do you want to go next, Madam? I assume you want to go grocery shopping because your hand has been healed."


    "Oh yeah," Chloe finally had something to shift the topic. "Go to Citare now, I want to do some grocery shopping. Cooking my family a good dinner is the least I could do to make them happy."


    "Yes, Madam."

 Chapter 586 586

    Vernon was busy in his office, as always. He was ten times busier than before because he had to elerate some of his projects and ns to take advantage of the situation created by Dorothea before.


    Now that his Big brother would be upied for at least three months, he had a lot of meetings with Vincent''s business partners. They were starting to jump ship and cooperate with Vernon because they had already sniffed the instability in the Graypany, so they had to save themselves first before that century-oldpany started crumbling.


    Vernon had just finished a meeting with two more of Vincent''s business partners and struck a quick deal with both of them for his next project. He checked his watch and sighed, "Almost five. I got to leave now after handling one more project with Diamond. I don''t want Chloe to wait for too long for our dinner."


    Vernon was also excited about Chloe''s recovery. He couldn''t wait to see her in full health again, doing anything she liked without worrying about her cast.


    ''And I have to protect her better from now on, so there''ll be no more idents that will lead to Chloe or Mackie getting hurt.''


    Vernon entered his office and saw Diamond busy with her phone, scrolling through something that Vernon thought would be Tiktok or Twitter.


    "You can rxter, Diamond. Don''tze around," Vernon chided.


    Diamond looked up, and her eyes glimmered excitedly when she saw her Boss. She got up and yelled, "Sir! Check all social media''s trending!"


    Vernon frowned, "What''s up there? Is it about the schrship problem from the Gray foundation? I know it already, it''s been trending for a while."


    "No! There''s a new one that pops up today! Holy shit, it''s crazy!" Diamond couldn''t hide her excitement any longer. She didn''t even care that she was talking to her Boss.


    Vernon''s frown grew deeper. Diamond was acting weirdly excited now, as if the social media trend was big and important today.


    ''Maybe it''s just another meaningless celebrity gossip,'' Vernon thought. "Just put your phone down and go to work!" He scolded.


    Diamond shook her head, "Sir, you have to see this video first!"


    She shoved the phone screen in front of Vernon''s face, and the first thing Vernon saw was the title.


    -


    Trending: Sisters fight. Two sisters are rted to Vincent Gray?!


    -


    Vernon''s eyes widened. She snatched the phone from Diamond''s hand and pressed y.


    ¡ªVideo start¡ª


    The video was set in the parking lot of a hospital. There was a creepy woman with a Joker-like scar across her cheek, and Vernon identified it easily as Chelsea.


    Chelsea was looking around as everyone was watching her, facing a beautiful woman that was definitely Chloe. Chloe held a boy Vernon didn''t recognize, but it must''ve been one of her nephews.


    "What are you looking at? Are you scared to see my scar?" Chelsea scoffed and suddenly pointed at Chloe, "Then you should me this bitch! She is a two-faced bitch who sends someone to attack and carve this scar on me!"


    Everyone gasped, and Chloe looked astonished.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Vernon clenched the phone. He was angry when he heard that bitch dared to nder his beloved.


    Even if that bitch didn''t know that Vernon was the one who sent the attacker, she should''ve known that Chloe was a kind woman that wouldn''t do such a thing!


    Vernon thought that Chloe would be crying or at least ept everything as she got scared easily.


    But to his disbelief, Chloe actually fired back, "Watch your mouth, Chelsea! If you keep ndering me like this, then don''t me me if I take this to the court! Let''s see how much you can pay for your bullshit!"


    Chelsea''s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, then she boasted with a loud voice that echoed around the parking lot, "I AM THE FUTURE WIFE OF VINCENT GRAY! DO YOU THINK I CAN''T PAY YOU? I CAN FUCKING BUY YOUR LIFE, YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT!"


    ¡ªVideo end¡ª


    Vernon was left speechless after the video ended abruptly. Thatst sentence was the video''s highlight, creating a buzz.


    There were a few top trending hashtags on Twitter regarding this issue.


    #VincentGrayWife


    #VincentFutureWife


    #VincentandJoker


    #JokerLady


    Fortunately, there was no hashtag regarding Chloe, and nobody on social media tried to go around finding out about Chloe''s identity. Because she looked very normalpared to Chelsea, who looked like a female Joker.,


    Vernon returned the phone to Diamond and asked, "Go and start searching if anyone wants to know about Chloe''s identity. Make sure to tell the IT team to take down any of them mentioning Chloe."


    Diamond''s excitement died when she realized that her Boss must''ve worried about Chloe''s safety. She nodded, "Certainly, Sir. I will tell our IT team to take down anything mentioning Chloe."


    "Good, I don''t want her identity to be revealed. Things will get messy," Vernon said.


    "Yes, but you shouldn''t be too tense, Boss. As far as I know, everyone is talking about the female Joker, Chelsea. She really looks like a maniac with a creepy smile and scar that would scare everyone around her," Diamond said. "Now that she mentioned Vincent, everyone starts questioning if it was true that thedy was Vincent Gray''s future wife."


    "Vincent will do something about this," Vernon said. "And it won''t be pretty."


    "Oh, for sure, Sir. He will probably order all of his PR team to take this down. But it''d be too hard to do because it''s such big news right now. Everyone is talking about it. I think the official ounts of many gossip news outlets are starting to pick this up as well," Diamond said confidently. "It won''t be long until this news about Chelsea the crazy Jokerdy and Vincent Gray will be covered in mainstream media!"


    Diamond thought that Vernon would be more excited than this. But he looked concerned instead, "Sir, are you still thinking about Chloe?"


    Vernon nodded, "I don''t want people to start inquiring about her identity."


    "Don''t worry about that one, Sir. I will do my best to keep her identity concealed!" Diamond assured. "Besides, you should be happy! Chelsea''s blunder means that Vincent will be very, very busy trying to handle the attention!"

 Chapter 587 587

    Vernon sighed, "I suppose you''re right. I should be happy that Chelsea made that kind of im in public, now everyone''s attention will be on them, and my Big brother will be even busier as he has to handle the Gray foundation schrship problem, and also this one."


    "Yes, Sir. You get so much space to do your thing now, and I believe everything will be on our side before Vincent even realizes it!" Diamond was fired up. Though she didn''t have any connection with Vincent Gray, she still had animosity against that bastard who dared to hurt her best friend, and also for daring to ask Diamond about her price, as if she was a prostitute.


    Vernon knew that he should be happy about this, but he couldn''t help to get distracted by his ever-growing worry about his beloved.


    Now that her face was on the inte, it wouldn''t take long until someone noticed the beautiful woman as Chloe Gray, Vincent Gray''s wife.


    ''And that means I have to elerate things or else people will always think of her as Vincent''s wife, and I don''t want that,'' Vernon thought.


    "Diamond, we should call it a day for today," Vernon said abruptly.


    "Eh? But you said you want to finish the preparation for Vincent Gray''s cosmetic advertisement project, Sir," Diamond said. "This will be the best time, right? With Chelsea''s Joker-like face, everyone will start mocking Vincent''s cosmetic products to be put on that woman''s face, so she actually looked like the Joker with make-up!"


    Diamond was right.


    This was the right time tounch Vincent''s cosmetic product advertisement because people would beughing and mocking the product. The people would do smear campaigns against the brand even without Vernon trying to manipte anything in the ad. That would save him from Vincent or Maria''s suspicion.


    "We can do it tomorrow. But I have to go home today, I want to check on Chloe and ask her about this whole thing," Vernon said. "I bet she still doesn''t know that she went viral. She doesn''t use social media."


    "Ah¡ªokay then. I will do overtime to finish the advertisement''s paperwork," Diamond volunteered with a devilish grin pasted permanently on her face. "I can''t wait to see that bastard getting stressed out over people''s mockery."


    "Thanks, Diamond. I''ll make sure to give you a bonus for your pay," Vernon said. He grabbed his briefcase inside his office and left as soon as possible.


    **


    "So, do you have a n to marry my second son?" Dorothea asked as she helped Chloe to cook in the kitchen.


    Chloe allowed Dorothea to enter the penthouse kitchen to help her with lunch and dinner because Chloe nned to cook a lot for Vernon and Mackie.


    Meanwhile, Mackie was dancing around while watching some kind of dance tutorial on Youtube. It was enough to distract her so she wouldn''t stay in the kitchen, insisting on helping even though she wasn''t even tall enough to put her hands on the kitchen countertop.


    Chloe sighed. She knew that Dorothea would eventually ask that question, "I''m not sure," she replied while cutting rows of carrots skillfully. "I haven''t even been divorced with Vincent yet, and it''d be difficult to force Vincent to sign that paper. So, marrying Vernon is still a far off dream for now."


    "But you do want to marry him, right?" Dorothea asked.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Chloe paused momentarily and nodded lightly, "I''d love to. He has grown to be a good and responsible man. He is good with Mackie, so he is probably good with our next children if we decide to have moreter."


    "However, I don''t want him to solely focus on me," Chloe said. "He is still young, and we don''t know when I will get divorced with Vincent. I don''t want him to wait for too long until I''m too old. If he has another woman that he likes, then I will let him go."


    Dorothea smiled. Chloe hadn''t changed since the first time they met. She still prioritized everyone around her except herself.


    Depending on the situation, it could be a good or bad trait, but it was endearing for Dorothea.


    "Well, I''m just making sure that you won''t reject him once he proposes," Dorothea said. "And trust me, Chloe. Vernon will find a way to make it happen. I don''t think he will marry anyone except you, that''s why he''s trying his hardest right now to topple Vincent, right? He did it all for you."


    "¡­"


    Chloe said nothing, but her cheeks visibly reddened. She would be an idiot if she didn''t see all of his efforts to separate Vincent and her. He also did so much to topple the Gray century-old businesses, so Vincent had no room to retaliate.


    He would never do such dangerous stuff behind his big brother''s back if he didn''t love her.


    Chloe knew he loved her. She just didn''t want to be his only target in case he failed to topple Vincent down.


    ''Maybe I''m just too pessimistic,'' Chloe thought. ''I just can''t imagine him ruining Vincent. That monster is far too powerful, and I don''t want Vernon to get hurt because he tries to protect me.''


    They finished making ate lunch for all of them before continuing to make dinner. Around five, all the food was served on the dinner table.


    "Wow, we cooked so much," Chloe said as she wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead.


    Dorothea smiled, "This is Thanksgiving worthy of food."


    "Hahaha, yeah, I was so happy to be able to use both of my hands. It''s liberating," Chloe said. She turned around to grab a lunch box full of food and handed it to Dorothea. "I''m sorry, Dorothea, but¡­ you know¡­"


    Dorothea smiled and epted the food they had cooked just now, "It''s fine, I understand."


    Dorothea got up slowly from the chair and walked towards the penthouse door.


    "Granny!" Mackie rushed towards her Grandma and hugged her waist. "Granny, where are you going? Why don''t you eat with us? Uncle will be home soon!"

 Chapter 588 588

    "Ah--" Dorothea didn''t expect her granddaughter to ask her to stay. So she was stunned for a second before she replied slowly, "Mackie, I still have things to do in my room. That''s why I can''t join you for dinner."


    "A..." Mackie pouted sadly. "Then, can you join us for dinner tomorrow?"


    "T--That I can''t do as well. You know that Granny is very busy, right?"


    "Umm..." Mackie naturally knew that her Grandmother was very busy. It was the main reason Mackie was never allowed to stay for too long with Granny in the Gray mansion, because she would have to meet with her socialite friends by three, and then to another party by five, et cetera.


    But it was still sad because Mackie expected Granny to eat with them daily since she lived in the same apartment as them, just on a different floor.


    "Can you at least eat with us for Thanksgiving, Granny?" Mackie asked. "Or Christmas, I want to open Christmas presents with you!"


    Dorothea looked helpless as Mackie kept asking her to attend events she obviously couldn''t do since Vernon would be there. She wasn''t allowed to be in the same room as Vernon.


    Thus, Chloe came to the rescue. She gently patted Mackie''s head and said, "Dear, you should let your Granny go. She still has things to do."


    "But she hasn''t promised me to eat together for Thanksgiving!" Mackie insisted. She tightened her hug on her Granny.


    Chloe and Dorothea looked at each other pitifully. Of course, if possible, they''d love to be together for Thanksgiving and Christmas.


    But they had to adhere to Vernon''s rule since Vernon tolerated Dorothea enough.


    "Dear, how about we eat lunch in Granny''s apartment tomorrow. That way we can still eat with her, right?" Chloe suggested.


    "Umm... okay then..." Mackie was still sad that Granny wouldn''t be with them for Christmas or Thanksgiving, but at least they could still eat together in her apartment. ''I will ask Uncle about thister! I''m sure he can join us too during the weekend!''


    Mackie slowly released her hug and allowed Dorothea to leave. She gave Mackie and Chloe a sad look, "Thanks for allowing me to help you here. It''s been fun."


    "I should be the one who thank you, Dorothea. I won''t be able to finish all of them on time without your help."


    Dorothea had a little smile on her face before she left.


    Despite agreeing with the terms, Mackie was still sad. She returned to the living room and then silently yed with her iPad.


    Chloe sighed. It was such a difficult situation to handle. Mackie didn''t know what was wrong with her Uncle and Grandma, and there was no way to tell her that Grandma had been awfully abusive to her Uncle when he was young.


    ''I just hope that Vernon''s heart will somehow be softened so he will allow Dorothea to be with us during Christmas and Thanksgiving,'' Chloe secretly wished. She didn''t dare to hope for it because she knew Vernon wasn''t the forgiving type. Vernon''s tolerance towards Dorothea was already a big thing that only came once in a blue moon.


    Besides, it was too early for him to forgive Dorothea. It would probably take years to be together as one big family.


    **<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Vernon returned home around five-thirty. He unlocked the penthouse door with his fingerprint and opened the door abruptly. His worry might''ve been exaggerated, but he just couldn''t be rxed when he had this bad thought that Vincent might''ve tracked Chloe''s location because of that video.


    "Uncle!" Mackie''s face brightened when she saw her Uncle at the door. She rushed and hugged her Uncle''s thigh.


    Vernon calmed down after he saw Mackie. If his little girl was here, Chloe must be with her somewhere. Vernon patted Mackie''s head and asked, "Where''s your Mommy?"


    "Um, she is taking a bath. She''s been sweating because she cooked a lot for dinner!" Mackie chirped happily, much to Vernon''s relief.


    ''Okay, that means Vincent is still busy with that Gray foundation problem. Maybe he still hasn''t noticed the news about Chelsea on social media. Things will get crazy once he knows about it though,'' Vernon thought.


    Mackie noticed that her Uncle wasn''t in a good mood. He looked very concerned for an unknown reason.


    "Uncle, are you okay?" She asked.


    "Huh?"


    "You look worried, Uncle. Are you okay?"


    Vernon sighed. He smiled at his daughter and lifted her up. Vernon carried Mackie with one hand and then patted her head, "I''m fine. I''m just a little tired from work."


    "Then you should have dinner with us! Mommy cooked a lot, we''re having a feast today!" Mackie said.


    "Haha, I''d love to eat with you two," Vernon ruffled Mackie''s hair. He walked to the dining table carrying Mackie. He clicked his tongue in awe when he saw a variety of foods that he liked served on the table. It was still fairly warm too.


    Vernon put Mackie on the chair before he sat right next to her, "I can''t wait to eat, but we should wait for your Mommy first."


    "Let me call her!" Mackie jumped from the chair and went down. She returned while holding her mother''s hand. "We''re here, Uncle!"


    "C--Careful, Mackie. You might trip...." Chloe said while she followed her daughter to climb the staircases.


    Vernon''s lips finally perked when he saw Chloe in her pajamas, still trying to dry her hair with a towel. This kind of sight was what Vernon craved the most.


    Mackie pushed her Mommy to right next to her Uncle, filling Mackie''s usual spot while the little girl sat facing them instead.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened when she was seated beside Vernon, she didn''t know why she became so shy, but she greeted him meekly, "W--Wee home, Vernon. I''ve cooked a lot for our dinner today to celebrate my recovery."


    Vernon smiled. He grabbed the chair and slid it closer to his side until their knees rubbed on each other. He gave her a light peck on the cheek and asked, "Congrattions for your recovery, I''m not toote for dinner, right?"

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    It was around eight when they finally finished the buffet, and Mackie got sleepy after eating so much.


    She kissed her Mommy and Uncle good night and then went down to brush her teeth and sleep, leaving Chloe and Vernon alone at the dining table of the Penthouse.


    Chloe busied herself by putting all the dishes in the dishwasher while Vernon watched from the side.


    He crossed his arms. There was a lingering worry despite seeing Chloe in full health in front of him.


    ''How did she bump into Chelsea?''


    ''Why did she try to protect that little boy?''


    ''Did she realize that she was being recorded by so many people?''


    ''Does she know that she and her sister are trending on so many tforms right now?''


    Those questions lingered in Vernon''s head. He waited until Chloe finished putting all the dirty dishes into the dishwasher before he asked, "Did you stumble into something interesting today?"


    Chloe paused for a moment. She turned around awkwardly to face Vernon and tried to force a smile, "I¡ªI don''t understand what you mean, Vernon. Stumble into something?"


    "Yes, maybe an old face that gives you trouble," Vernon said.


    "¡­" Chloe gulped. Her face got paler instantly, and she shook her head, "I¡ªI don''t understand what you mean, Vernon."


    Vernon clicked his tongue, "Come on, juste clean about it. You know that you''re a bad liar, right?"


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe sometimes forgot how bad of a liar she was. But she truly didn''t want to make unnecessary trouble for Vernon. "How do you know about it?" She asked.


    "¡­ it''s trending on many tforms. People are talking about the Female Joker because of Chelsea''s disfigured face and crazy behavior," Vernon said. "Everyone recorded your fight with her, now everyone is searching about the identity of that Female Joker. The only thing we can salvage about this whole incident is the fact that you''re not as shy as her, so nobody really has any curiosity to search for your identity."


    She sighed and murmured, "I''m sorry, I really don''t know what to do against her. She keeps yelling at me, shouting in the parking lot and attracting people''s attention."


    Vernon leaned on the wall and said, "You should tell me what happened first so I get the gist."


    Chloe sat on the stool and put her elbow on the kitchen countertop. She took a deep breath and started, "It happened today in the morning, right after I finished getting my cast taken off. I went to the parking lot, and saw Aaron crying in the middle of the lot with a bruised cheek."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    ''¡­ I think I already know how this story goes,'' Vernon guessed. It was easy to predict because Chloe had a strong motherly instinct.


    "So I brought him into the car, then hugged and coaxed him with snacks until he finally opened up to me about his problem," Chloe said. She felt heavy as she had to remember all the sad things Aaron spoke about his home these days. "He said that his Father had left without a trace, leaving his Mother and Grandma alone. His Grandma had be old, so he helped with house chores. Meanwhile, his Mother got attacked, and became very unhinged these days. She started beating Aaron and his brothers even for the smallest reason."


    "He told me that Chelsea pped him so hard because he said that her face scared the other kids in the hospital," Chloe said. "Now I know what he said was wrong, and Chelsea is probably not in the right mental state right now. But beating your kid is still wrong no matter what!"


    Vernon gritted his teeth in silence while staring at Chloe. He felt conflicted right now.


    Obviously, he was the one who caused this whole mess in Chloe''s family. He just couldn''t let his beloved get hurt repeatedly by his mother and sister, so he nned an borate revenge against Chelsea and Tommy first.


    He ruined Chelsea''s face and indirectly gave Tommy a job that paid him well while he did nothing, so he ran away with his groomed girl.


    He loved seeing that useless family crumble to pieces. It was a good payment for using Chloe as their bank ount, but they couldn''t care less when she was being abused by Vincent.


    But he was so blinded by revenge he forgot that Chelsea had four sons, and they were innocent.


    Now, even Vernon didn''t know what to do. Of course, he couldn''t reverse the whole thing. Tommy had run away, and Chelsea''s scar was permanent without intensive stic surgery.


    Chloe rested her cheek on her palm, "I don''t know who attacked Chelsea, and I sympathize with her. I can even help to pay for her surgery if she wants. But no matter how bad the situation bes, she still cannot hurt her children."


    "Not everyone is as strong as you, Chloe," Vernon interrupted. "Just because you can persevere under pressure to be a good mother for Mackie, doesn''t mean the others can do the same. Just look at my mother for example."


    "She was beaten by myte Dad, and then turned on me to release her frustration," Vernon let out a heavy sigh as he remembered Dorothea again. "Chelsea is not as good of a mother as you are. She must be frustrated over something, and she released her frustration by beating her sons."


    "But it''s wrong!" Chloe insisted.


    "I never said it''s right. I just say that it''s somethingmonly happening in real life. Mother hurting their own children to let out their frustration."


    Chloe went quiet. She knew that Vernon was right in this one.


    Dorothea and Chelsea were prime examples. Even her mother¡ªJudith, also had her moments of breakdown, though she never beat Chelsea or her at least.


    "I gave Aaron my phone number, and told him to call me if things got really bad in his house," Chloe said. "But other than that, I cannot do anything else. I¡ªI want to protect those boys, Vernon."

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    "No," Vernon replied curtly before Chloe could speak more about this problem. "We won''t bring those boys into our house, Chloe."


    Chloe was speechless. She hadn''t even asked about it yet, but Vernon already had the answer.


    "I know what you have in mind, Chloe," Vernon added. "I know that you think you can give those four boys--your nephews a sanctuary in our house. But you will soon realize that having too many children is a very difficult thing to do. I don''t want you to get stressed out because you have to take care of five children at once."


    Vernon remembered how Dorothea ignored him since she was already busy caring for Vincent. Everyone in the Gray mansion always saw him as a secondary thing. They couldn''t care less because they already had their true Young Master.


    Vernon didn''t want Mackie and their children to feel like theycked motherly love because Chloe was too busy caring for her nephews.


    "But I can''t let them get abused by Chelsea!" Chloe stayed on her ground. Just imagining those boys getting hurt by Chelsea repeatedly was enough to make her heart ache. "Vernon, please, I--"


    "No." Vernon crossed his arms as he frowned deeper. "We still have so many things to do right now. We''re not yet to take down Vincent. Don''t let your emotions take control of you, Chloe. It''ll only bring us trouble."


    Chloe finally zipped her mouth once she realized that Vernon was up to no negotiation right now. No matter how hard she tried to convince him, he just wouldn''t budge.


    So she could only lower her head, feeling conflicted about what to do.


    Vernon sighed, "I did this for us, Chloe. I know that you have a good intention to protect those boys. But you should also know that we simply can''t afford those four boys, and this is not about money, this is about your time and safety."


    "You and Mackie are still in hiding from Vincent, adopting those boys would only make it easy for Vincent to find you," Vernon tried to repeatedly give Chloe an exnation that she could take. "This is also about time, do you actually have time to handle four boys plus Mackie at once?"


    Chloe wanted to say she could take care of four boys and Mackie. She had done it many times in the past because Chelsea would always throw all of her boys at Chloe whenever Chloe came in for a visit.


    But she got what Vernon wanted to say.


    Mackie''s safety was the most important. Adopting the boys would only expose them.


    But still...


    ''Is this it? I can''t do anything in the end because the situation is just not favorable?'' Chloe wondered.


    Again, it was easy for Vernon to read what was in Chloe''s mind, and truthfully, he also felt guilty for putting Chelsea''s son''s life in jeopardy.


    Though he would ruin Tommy and Chelsea''s lives gleefully, he took no joy in hurting the kids.


    Vernon approached Chloe, who was still sitting on the stool. He stood behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, "I know your heart is in the right ce, Chloe. It''s also one of the qualities that I love about you."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Chloe nodded. She had good intentions but was powerless because of the circumstances.


    "I''m sorry that I can''t do much for now, but I promise to do something for those boys. Maybe we can put them in a foster home with adopted parents?" Vernon suggested. "I will pay the parents professionally, you can have control over the boys'' education too. But you don''t need to be their caretaker 24/7."


    Chloe nodded again. It was a good suggestion though she still wished she could directly be their mother to rece Chelsea''s inability to do so.


    "Alright, it''s settled then. But you should know it will take a while for those boys to be released from Chelsea," Vernon informed. "We should have a sign of heavy abuse or Chelsea''s unstable mental health to move the boys to a foster home."


    "Luckily, we don''t need to do much for that," Vernon said. "Everyone on the inte is already appalled by Chelsea''s bold im that she is going to be Vincent Gray''s future wife. Everyone went wild because of that."


    "Ah, that part...." Chloe remembered vividly how Chelsea looked so proud with her own im, as if marrying Vincent was a big achievement for all women on earth. "I don''t know how she bes so obsessed with Vincent. I bet Vincent did something that affected her mind."


    "Most likely," Vernon agreed. "Now we just need to wait until Vincent does something. I''m pretty sure things will get really bad between those two."


    ...


    Chloe gave a quick nod which put Vernon in a better mood. He gave her a little kiss on the head before releasing her, "Well, I''m going to take a bath and work again. You''re free toe to my room tonight if you want to."


    Vernon winked at Chloe, signaling he was ready for another fingering session. Maybe they could do three fingers tonight. It would at least take four deep fingers for Chloe to be ready for the real thing.


    However, contrary to his expectation, Chloe shook her head this time, saying, "I''m not in the mood, sorry, Vernon."


    "... okay then, you should rest," Vernon said calmly, though he couldn''t hide his disappointment.


    "Yeah, I''ll go to my room instead."


    Chloe got up from the stool and walked away from Vernon.


    Chloe returned to her room downstairs. She threw herself on the bed, closing her eyes as her heart grew restless.


    Vernon was right, they couldn''t do anything for now, and they should just wait until Vincent did something horrible to Chelsea, so Chelsea would eventually snap, then the boys would be put in a foster home.


    "But no matter how many times I heard it, I just can''t get used to that n. It sounds very evil," Chloe murmured. "Is it wrong for me to feel pity for Chelsea, Judith, and especially the boys?"

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    Vernon watched Chloe''s back as she walked through the kitchen and went downstairs.


    She looked sad from behind, with her shoulder slightly drooped, and how she dragged her legs to leave. Vernon knew that Chloe still had a lot to argue with him, but he quickly destroyed all of her arguments before this argument turned into a big fight between them.


    He stayed in the same position for a while, even after Chloe had left the penthouse almost thirty minutes ago. He tried to let everything seep in.


    "Of course, I can''t keep saying yes to her, right?" Vernon tried to rationalize all the things he had said just now. "I know she often lets her emotions take control of herself. It might be good for some situations, but something like this¡ªif I let emotion take control over my judgment, everyone including Mackie will literally be dead meat the moment Vincent knows everything about us!"


    Vernon understood really well what kind of person Chloe was. She was very kind and forgiving. After all, it took a huge courage to forgive someone as horrible as Dorothea and give her a second chance while also daring enough to face his rage.


    Chloe persevered against all odds until Vernon had no choice but to at least tolerate Dorothea''s presence in this apartment.


    "But not everyone can be given the same second chance," Vernon murmured. "I know that Chelsea and Judith are her family, but they have done nothing to help her. They don''t see her as a family, they see her as a walking bank instead."


    Vernon wanted to say that Chelsea was a horrible woman that deserved no second chance or forgiveness, but Chloe wouldn''t take it well.


    "Ugh, this is frustrating," Vernonined. "What should I do to make her understand her family deserves what they got for all the shitty things they did?"


    Finding no answer to his own question, Vernon returned to his room, taking a hot shower before lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling silently for a while.


    His heart was aching right now. He felt weak whenever he saw Chloe looking sad or discouraged over something. There was tremendous pressure on himself to just give up everything and cater to Chloe''s needs, no questions asked.


    "But I have to endure this. I want the best for her, for my small family," Vernon murmured. "I''m sorry, my love. I promise I will do something for those boys, but not now."


    **


    "You can clock out now. You''ve done your shift," the manager said to Prisci as she had just finished handling thest customer for the night.


    She checked the time and then nodded, "Thanks, Boss."


    Prisci went to the staff room and took off the blue vest she used while working. She stared at her blue vest for a while. There was a Walmart logoplete with her name tag on it.


    It had been two months since she worked in Walmart to survive.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She was in a huge shock when she got fired by Vincent. She was at a loss since she got used to relying on Vincent for everything, and she thought it wouldst forever since Vincent loved her.


    She tried to get into modeling, but you needed more than just a pretty face to earn money from it.


    She then tried to be a Secretary, just like her old job, but she couldn''t survive that too. They said that she wasn''t good at her job.


    Though she got fired not because of that but because she tried to hook the CEO to sleep with her. She didn''t expect that to be offensive and got her fired.


    ''Well, don''t me me that my only experience is with Vincent. I thought all CEOs want to have sex with their secretaries.''


    She had never saved her sry before because she thought she''d eventually be Prisci Gray anyway, so it didn''t matter if she spent every dor she had. Those fifty thousand dors he gave forpensation were drained in less than a month because she thought she''d eventually get a simr job with simr payment.


    "And here I am," Prisci said. She looked around the empty staff room where those people she often called lowlives used to chat and rest. To say that she was disappointed was an understatement. She felt so worthless right now because she always thought working in retail like this was only for the desperate.


    She was on top of the hill with Vincent before. Then he pushed her down until shended with these lowlives and had to work with them daily, "Ugh, just imagining about them already makes me want to vomit."


    Prisci shoved her blue vest into the locker and grabbed her bag. She went to the Train station not far from her workce, entered the dirty and piss-smelled train, and stood far from the other people. She didn''t even dare to sit on the train seat because she was afraid it might be contaminated by those dirty homeless.


    Prisci''s eyes darted at a homeless man sleeping on the corner, taking a row of seats. She frowned and took a few steps back,ining that New York was filled with so many dirty homeless.


    ''I would never take this train when I was with Vincent before. He would always pick me up, or told his driver to pick me up first before we were going somewhere together. It was such an amazing time.''


    Prisci couldn''t help but reminisce about her life with Vincent before. All the mor and shiny things he brought into her life, and how he became her dream, her future that she couldn''t let go of.


    In fact, the only thing that stopped her from exposing Vincent in the public was how she¡ªdeep down¡ªstill wished that Vincent would eventually realize how important she was in her life.


    She wished that Vincent would beg for her toe back, because nobody in this world was better than her, not even her stupid and ugly wife, Chloe Gray.


    She was also scared that Vincent would kill her and her family if she dared to expose him.

 Chapter 592 592

    Unfortunately, she didn''t know what was currently happening in the Graypany because she didn''t make any friends when she was working there.


    But she believed there was no way for Vincent to suddenly end up with Chloe again. Because Vincent seemed to generally hate Chloe so much, and he was a prideful man that wouldn''t take a woman back once he ditched them.


    ''W--Well, except me. I believe he will take me back soon. So far he has been with me the longest, he will eventually miss me,'' Prisci said in her heart, though it was mostly just to convince herself so she would hope for the day when things would eventually return to normal.


    What kind of normal?


    Her being Mrs. Prisci Gray, of course!


    Prisci stepped out of the train once it reached the third station. She checked her time with her phone before quickly shoving it back into her bag because it was almost midnight, and she didn''t want to get robbed by random homeless or hooligans around the station.


    She clutched her bags until she reached an old building. She quickly entered and went straight to her small apartment.


    Prisci turned on the lights. She stared around her small studio apartment and sighed, "It''s so cramped, and ugly..." sheined.


    Her old apartment was a luxury rented by Vincent. It was spacious, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It also had a kitchen and balcony with Central Park as her view.


    She didn''t know how much it costs per month until she had to pay it herself. Turned out she had to pay eight thousand per month. It was a crazy amount that she couldn''t afford, especially after she literally spent half of her fifty-thousand-dor check on a one-day shopping galore to de-stress after she got dumped and fired by Vincent.


    She moved at least two times until she could only afford this one, a half-thousand dors apartment far from Central Park, where she used to live before. It was a cramped studio apartment with no balcony and insufficient space to put all her belongings.


    There were also never-ending neighbor noises from all sides because the wall was paper thin. Sometimes her neighbor upstairs would stomp his fat feet, while her neighbor on the right would have sex with her boyfriend at night, all at the same time. It was depressing for Prisci, who had just been dumped and single for a few months.


    Unfortunately, this apartment was all she could afford for now, and she didn''t know if she could keep staying there if she had no more ie other than her job at Walmart.


    She threw her bag on the small sofa near the door and then threw herself on the bed. She tried to close her eyes, but her phone was ringing.


    "Tsk, it must be her," Prisci got up from the bed and went to the small sofa to grab the phone inside her bag.


    She checked the caller ID and rolled her eyes. She picked up the call and put it on the loudspeaker while shey on the sofa.


    --


    "Yes, Mom?" Prisci opened the conversation.


    "Oh, thank god, I thought something happened to you at work," Prisci''s mother said at the other end of the call.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Prisci rolled her eyes, "Mom, I''m working in Walmart, not in a Gun Store. I''ll be fine."


    "You often work overtime or take midnight shifts, of course I''m scared something might happen to you when you return home!" Prisci''s Mom couldn''t hide her worry. She was sad when Prisci said that she got fired by Vincent Gray. She thought their rtionship would develop until Vincent Gray divorced his useless wife and married Prisci.


    Now that Prisci had been dumped, there was nothing she could do other than check on her daughter''s wellbeing constantly, "You should just go back home. You can live with me to save up some money, and work here, probably in some nearby shops."


    "No, Mom. I don''t want to live in a small town, and I still want to see if Vincent will take me back," Prisci firmly rejected.


    "Prisci... he dumped you. Vincent Gray is a rich man, he has a lot of women by his side, there is nothing you can do. Just forget about him, okay?" Prisci''s mother felt she had to knock some sense into her daughter''s head. She kept thinking that she could have a second chance with Vincent, even though it was obvious that a man like Vincent would never look at a woman twice.


    Once he dumped you, there was no second chance.


    "You don''t understand, Mom. We''ve been together for so long! This is just a phase because his stupid wife left with his daughter! I bet he will try to find his daughter first before divorcing that ugly woman, and then take me back!"


    "But what if he simply forgot about you and already found another woman?" Prisci''s Mom asked. "Maybe he doesn''t even remember you anymore."


    "MOM!" Prisci snapped. "Stop trying to drag me down! You should support my hard work instead! I''m staying in New York because I KNOW what to do. Stop worrying about me and stop calling me in the middle of the night! Do you know how tired I am after a long shift?"


    ...


    Prisci''s Mom sighed. Her daughter was beyond help. She would not listen to her advice and kept clinging to the idea that Vincent Gray would marry her eventually.


    "I shouldn''t have allowed you to go to New York," Prisci''s Mom said. "Now you''re suffering just because you can''t let go of that rich bastard."


    "Don''t call him a bastard, and bye, Mom."


    Beep.


    --


    Prisci hung up the call impatiently. Her mother kept on repeating the same thing. Her Mom said she should forget about Vincent, return home and work in that small town.


    "How am I supposed to forget the first man I truly fell in love with? He is the man I want to marry and that will never change!"

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    Prisci got tired of thinking about her mother, who didn''t support her endeavor to stay in New York.


    "She should''ve known by now that I can have him back! Vincent has been obsessed with me for so long, of course he won''t just ditch me like I''m nothing!" Prisci insisted.


    Deep down, she knew that she was just deluding herself. She remembered vividly how Vincent pped her so hard that she fell to the ground with a painful swollen cheek.


    He was so rough and cruel to her that day that Prisci wondered if he had fallen out of love because that kind of treatment was only something that Chloe got, not her.


    "Well, maybe he is just in a bad mood. Maybe he just doesn''t like how I seduced him that day," Prisci kept trying to rationalize everything so she could maintain that good image of Vincent in her head.


    Prisci sighed, "I hope things will get better as soon as possible, I can''t imagine myself working in that stupid ce, surrounded by stupid people, and living in this cramped apartment for more than this!"


    Feeling depressed after thinking about Vincent, Prisci decided to unlock her phone. She started scrolling through random stuff on social media.


    She stumbled upon a few luxury bags and watches ads on Instagram and had a bitter smile as he checked their price.


    "Back then, I didn''t even need to check on the price tags of everything I bought. I just gave it all to Vincent, and he would pay for all of them," Prisci reminisced about her good memory with Vincent.


    Itsted for years, and it was lovely. Vincent always told her that the only reason why he hadn''t married her was that he had a wife already.


    A wife that he didn''t love.


    Prisci seriously thought everything would be smooth sailing and she would rece Chloe as the new Mrs. Gray.


    She sighed and then continued scrolling through Instagram before changing to Twitter. She scrolled mindlessly before stopping when she saw a short video of two women seemingly arguing.


    She frowned when she saw the retweets, likes, and reply ratio, "This should be today''s trending then."


    Prisci clicked on the video, not expecting what kind of video it was. She just thought it was two celebrities fighting over the most trivial thing in the world, which was at least entertaining enough to pass the time.


    But when the video started ying, she first saw the creepydy with a long scar on her cheek, giving that image of a female Joker. She red at everyone to the point that they almost popped out also didn''t help her because now she looked like a creepy mad woman.


    Prisci quickly paused the video to look at the female joker andmented, "Holy shit, that''s scary."


    She thought that face was the trending topic of the day because it was already scary enough it could be a creepypasta on its own.


    She also gave the other woman facing the Jokerdy a quick check and felt somewhat familiar with her, "Uh... she somehow looks like that ugly bitch Chloe. But that woman is nothing but skin and bones, and herplexion isn''t as healthy and ruddy as that," shemented. "This woman is gorgeous though. I''m worried that Vincent might actually like this woman because of her beauty and simrity to Chloe."


    Prisci felt a little ufortable thinking that Chloe would regain her morous body again. Because if she did, then she''d be as gorgeous as the woman in the video.


    She had a pair of doe eyes and a sweet smile. Thatbination would be fatal as it was rare for any man to be able to resist them. Even Prisci had to admit she was no match for Chloe at her prime. She saw plenty of young Chloe during her wedding day in Vincent''s mansion, which sometimes made her insecure.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Her insecurity also heightened because sometimes, Vincent told her nobody could defeat the young Chloe''s beauty in his eyes. She was the first woman to ever move his heart.


    Luckily, that young Chloe had turned into a super ugly fat bitch. Now she became a skinny dying bitch, much to Prisci''s relief.


    "Well, good thing that bitch stays skinny as hell. She looks like she''ll die the next second," Prisci sneered.


    She pressed y and resumed the video.


    --


    "Then you should me this bitch! She is a two-faced bitch who sends someone to attack and carve this scar on me!"


    "Watch your mouth, Chelsea! If you keep ndering me like this, then don''t me me if I take this to the court! Let''s see how much you can pay for your bullshit!"


    "I AM THE FUTURE WIFE OF VINCENT GRAY! DO YOU THINK I CAN''T PAY YOU? I CAN FUCKING BUY YOUR LIFE, YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT!"


    --


    Prisci watched the whole thing without blinking. She was dazed for a long time, thinking she must be dreaming because she had heard something crazy just now.


    "No, that can''t be," Prisci muttered. "There is no way Vincent would ditch me for an ugly fuck like this female joker."


    She pressed the y button and heard the same thing. She did this repeatedly until she had forgotten how many times she yed the video.


    Prisci''s hand trembled. Her face paled instantly. She shook her head in denial, "No, Vincent is not an idiot. This woman is probably crazy, that''s why she fantasizes about marrying Vincent. Crazy bitches surely want Vincent for themselves!"


    However, no matter how often she tried to convince herself this woman was a crazy bitch who fantasized about marrying Vincent, she couldn''t rest her heart.


    She just couldn''t ept that she''d be reced by an ugly woman!


    Thus, Prisci started searching the top trends to get more information about this woman''s identity. But nobody seemed to have any information regarding the man''s identity, but she was appalled by the hashtags.


    #VincentGrayWife


    #VincentFutureWife


    #VincentandJoker


    #JokerLady

 Chapter 594 594

    She also saw the title at the original source of the video.


    -


    Trending: Sisters fight. Two sisters are rted to Vincent Gray?!


    -


    Prisci almost dropped her phone after she read the title. She didn''t expect someone to write this bombastic title worthy of clickbait.


    "There is no way, right? I bet this title is just a clickbait to gain views. I''m sure of it!" Prisci tried to convince herself. She scrolled through thements and read so manyints because some had longer videos, but they were all taken down mysteriously.


    So the only surviving video was the top trending video, the short one that didn''t exin anything.


    But it didn''t stop people from making up theories and gossiping about who those two women in the video could be.


    -


    ''Maybe they are just two crazy women fighting in the parking lot. That''s it. I don''t know why people thought this is some huge stuff.''


    ''Yeah, obviously, those two are just delusional women thinking they have a chance to marry Vincent Gray.''


    ''I don''t think Vincent Gray will allow his wife to go around fighting in public space. People said he loves his wife and daughter so much, that''s why he never shows them in public.''


    ''Yeah! These are just two crazy bitches!''


    -


    While that opinion sounded logical, everyone was drawn to a crazy theory formted by one tweet, followed by the others who started adding more theories.


    -


    ''What if these two are actually sisters, maybe one of them is actually rted to Vincent Gray. Just look at the beautiful woman who tried to protect the little boy. Don''t you think that woman looks like old money?''


    ''Yeah, she does look like a richdy with quiet luxury. Maybe she is actually Vincent Gray''s wife? She''s beautiful and elegant enough to be one at least.''


    ''Oh! Then what about that crazy Jokerdy?''


    ''Maybe she''s just a crazy woman who wants to marry Vincent. Or maybe¡­ maybe Vincent has a kink for an uglydy! Maybe he likes dating uglies!''


    ''Hahah! I bet Vincent''s PR team is involved in the deletion of longer videos because it contains more information about him.''


    ''Well, my opinion is, they are actually sisters, they do look alike just looking at their facial features, though the crazydy is obviously the much uglier sister even without that scar. If Vincent is actually involved with these two, maybe they are bothpeting to be Vincent''s future wife.''


    ''Then what about his current wife?''


    ''Either he divorced her, or cheated on her.''


    -<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Prisci was unable to maintain her calm as she kept reading. She knew these theories were just crazy stuff people made up during their free time. They would probably forget about these stupid theories once they were busy with their activities.


    But it was different for Prisci. Her entire body shook when she read one tweet saying the beautifuldy might be Vincent''s wife.


    Prisci watched the video again. She ignored the female joker and focused on the gorgeousdy''s side profile. The woman in the video obviously had a healthier body than the frail Chloe that Prisci knew, but she also had Chloe''s doe eyes, the thin lips that invited men for a taste, and also the long chestnut hair that she tied on a ponytail.


    "No way," Prisci''s face paled instantly. "She is not that skinny, ugly bitch Chloe, right? There is no way Vincent will allow Chloe to gain weight and be beautiful again."


    Prisci knew that she was just in denial right now. She yed the video again and noticed the woman called the female joker as ''Chelsea.'' Though she didn''t care much about Chloe''s side of the family, she thought that the name was familiar.


    Because Vincent mentioned to her once about Chelsea and Judith¡ªChloe''s sister and mother who were nothing but dirty leeches to him.


    "If this female joker is the same Chelsea that Vincent mentioned once, then no doubt the beautifuldy is¡­."


    Prisci kept on staring at the beautifuldy on the screen. She bit her lips as she tried to muffle her whimper, and tears slowly pooled in her eyes.


    However, no matter how much she tried to hold it, her tears slowly dropped from the corner of her eyes and wet the phone screen.


    Prisci gritted her teeth when she saw more and more tears wet the screen. She lifted her phone and smashed it to the ground.


    CRACK!


    Prisci heard a crack from the phone, but she didn''t care.


    She grabbed a pillow on the sofa and tried to muffle her scream as much as possible.


    "ARRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Prisci was unable to control her own emotion. She was frustrated, angry, and also disappointed.


    She didn''t give a fuck about that ugly female joker because there was no way Vincent would be stupid enough to marry an ugly mad woman that belonged in the psychiatric ward.


    But even she knew she was no match for the beautifuldy on the screen. She had that sweet-doe eyes, a ruddyplexion, a healthy body, sweet lips, and long chestnut hair. That gorgeousdy was obviously Chloe in her prime! She was the morous Chloe that Prisci envied so much and the same Chloe that always upied Vincent''s heart.


    Prisci screamed again, but she heard a m on the wall this time.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    "Oii! Shut up! It''s midnight!" She heard the next-door neighbor m the wall and yell at her. Prisci red at the wall and grabbed a wooden stool not far from her. She got up and mmed the wooden stool to the wall until it broke.


    BAM! BAM! BAM! CRACK!


    "YOU SHUT UP OR I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Prisci yelled even harder than her neighbor to vent her anger. Much to Prisci''s disdain, there was no more protest from the other side of the wall.


    She was actually thinking about picking up a fight with her neighbor, so she could vent out.


    Prisci looked down and saw her cracked phone screen. But even though that cracked screen, she could still see the beautiful picture of morous Chloe.


    She gritted her teeth and stomped on her phone with all her power while yelling, "FUCK YOU, CHLOE!"

 Chapter 595 595

    Prisci was like a mad woman, simr to the Jokerdy in the video. She smashed anything she could find to vent out her frustration.


    She had been persevering for so long, moving to a cramped, ugly apartment and working in Walmart with those ugly desperate people because she believed that Vincent would eventually take her back.


    But now that Chloe had be absolutely stunning once more, the probability of her and Vincent being together had been reduced to almost zero percent.


    As dolled up as Prisci could be, she knew that she was no match against Chloe in her current state.


    Prisci''s chest rose up and down as she smashed a mirror on the wall. She stared at her reflection in the cracked mirror and saw a shell of her former self. She looked like a hot mess, and her eyes were red because she kept crying while raging around her apartment room.


    Her tears slowly dropped from the corner of her eyes without her knowing, and she slumped to the floor like a broken doll. She started sobbing as she felt despair crawling inside her heart.


    She saw blood on the floor, it seemed she had stepped on some of the ss shards scattered on the floor after she smashed that mirror, but she didn''t care.


    "Fuck you, Chloe. I fucking hate you," Prisci muttered. She had no more energy to rage on, but the excruciating feeling in her heart lingered.


    "I can''t let this happen. I''ve been with him for years, I can''t let those bitches ruin it for me," Prisci said. She clenched her fist as she couldn''t endure the pain in her heart.


    She knew that Chloe was the main threat to her rtionship with Vincent, but she also knew how much of a yboy Vincent could be and how many women wanted to be on his bed. "I can''t be like this forever. I have to do something before Chloe or any woman out there takes Vincent away!"


    Thus, Prisci started searching through the inte and called some of the people she befriended when she was working with Vincent. The first thing she wanted to do was to track every woman that had been with Vincent before her and also some of the flings that he had whenever he was bored.


    She knew she couldn''t kill each of those women since at least 80% of them were from distinguished families or had security guards surrounding them. Even Chloe, Prisci believed that Chloe was being kept by an old, rich, and powerful millionaire, which meant she had plenty of bodyguards around her. So it was almost impossible for Prisci to actually reach and kill that bitch.


    But she had one way to make sure that Vincent would be avable only for her.


    Prisci smirked from ear to ear as her mind wandered, thinking about her time together with Vincent and how things would be better once they married. She was no different than the female Joker in the video,cking the scar on her cheek.


    Was she mad? Perhaps.


    But she knew really well she was madly in love with Vincent and would do anything to get him back.


    "Hihi¡­ hihihi¡­" Prisci couldn''t help but giggle. "I should''ve done this sooner. If I can''t get him to be by my side, then I just have to force him."


    **<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vincent had just finished another meeting with one of his business partners. Things went awry after the Gray foundation schrship incident, which created a ripple in his ever-steady business, so he had to clear up a few things.


    Vincent slumped on his office sofa and pulled his tie so she could breathe, "That old bitch will have to payter. I''ve been so kind to her by allowing her to live her miserable life, but she decided to go against me for whatever reason."


    Vincent tried to remember if he had done anything bad to his stupid mother.


    But nope.


    All he did was ignore her existence, which was already generous enough because he could always kill her anytime he wanted if he needed extra cash since she also had a lot of Gray family inheritance under her name right now.


    But he was already a billionaire on his own, so he simply abandoned that old woman alone.


    Vincent sighed, "Things are just so bad right now," he murmured. "Many of my business partners are dissatisfied with my performance for whatever reason, and many of them started nullifying our contracts."


    Honestly, Vincent didn''t give a damn about those smaller business partners that he had. Whether they stayed working with him or not didn''t actually affect him much.


    But when the big corporations also began to back off, he knew he had to do something to maintain the power and influence of his century-oldpany.


    "This is all because of her," Vincent said. He closed his eyes, and the only face he saw was Chloe, smiling for him, crying for him, begging for him. She did everything for him, and he liked that a lot.


    Vincent quickly opened his eyes and gritted his teeth.


    No matter how often he tried to brush off the image of Chloe from his mind, she would keep popping out in his dream, or even when he was just a bit dazed.


    He would smile at him, the same smile she gave during their wedding day. The smile of absolute joy, as if nobody except Vincent would be able to fill the space in her heart.


    And he hated it.


    He hated the fact that he wasn''t in control of his own mind and emotion when Chloe wasn''t in his mansion like a caged canary.


    "Obviously, I still am the person in her heart, no doubt about that," Vincent said confidently. "Just because that ungrateful bitch ran away from me, doesn''t mean that she doesn''t love me. But I have to bring her back into my mansion and lock her there, so she will stop making me feel confused like this."

 Chapter 596 596

    Vincent massaged his temple as he had a headache thinking about his evasive wife whose whereabouts were difficult to trace.


    She changed Mackie''s school without notification, so she was likely trying to put a fake document for Mackie so she could study in another school, which wasn''t all that difficult when you had money.


    She also blocked his number to avoid being traced and changed her car. She basically disappeared from his radar, and he didn''t like it.


    He didn''t like when he wasn''t in control of everything. It made him feel itchy in his heart as if something was missing in his life.


    "And the identity of her benefactor. I am yet to find out about his identity," Vincent clicked his tongue annoyedly. "Vernon keeps sending me names, but they are definitely not the one who hides her. They all almost pissed themselves when I used them of hiding my wife, and they begged on the floor like rats."


    "The man who dares to go so much just to hide Chloe from me must be someone with power as big as his guts," Vincent said. He had already stopped taking suggestions from his little brother.


    He knew Vernon meant well. His little brother wanted to help. But Vincent already guessed that the man who hid his wife must be someone with a higher power, maybe even a politician who was well connected with the white house.


    Thus, Vincent had to tread this carefully, or else things would get even messier from now on.


    Vincent closed his eyes again as he tried to rest before going to his mansion. Somehow, he felt that the mansion wasn''tfortable anymore when Chloe wasn''t there.


    It had lost its charm, and now he preferred to rest in the office to busy himself right after waking up.


    "Get off my mind, you bitch," Vincent murmured as he cursed Chloe, who kept on appearing in his mind.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t get his desired sleep when he heard knocks on the door.


    Knock. Knock.


    Vincent frowned. He opened his eyes again and turned his head towards the door. He was annoyed because someone disturbed his sleep, "Who''s there?"


    "It''s me, Sir."


    Vincent''s brows creased even deeper, "Don''te in yet, Maria. Just tell me what''s wrong first before I let you in."


    Vincent didn''t like Secretary Maria''s presence these days. He felt that Maria had be the carrier of bad news. Whenever she knocked on that door, except during work hours, she would alwayse with bad news.


    ''Fuck, what''s wrong this time? Is it Dorothea again? Did she do something even more fucked up? I thought I already told Nigel to freeze anymand from Dorothea, so she has zero power over the Gray foundation now,'' Vincent wondered.


    Secretary Maria went silent for a while before replying, "This is regarding Chloe, Sir."


    Vincent''s eyes widened, "Come in!" He said without thinking twice.


    He sat straight instantly, eager to finally get a glimpse of his wife''s whereabouts, so he could regain control over that evasive bitch again after a month or so.


    Secretary Maria pushed the door open. She didn''t look as happy as Vincent expected.


    In fact, her expression was gloomy, as if a dark cloud was hanging above her head, and Vincent knew this news wasn''t a good one.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vincent''s smile dissipated slowly, and he peered at Secretary Maria, "What''s wrong?"


    Secretary Maria stood before her boss and said, "Sir, there is news about Chloe. But it is not a good one--no, it''s actually very terrible."


    Vincent frowned. He had plenty of bad assumptions in his head already. One of them was about Chloe, who got killed by her benefactor because he was bored of her.


    Vincent scoffed as he entertained his own imagination.


    Of course, he would be angry if he saw his wife''s corpse near the trash can, where she truly belonged.


    But he also found it funny if he saw Chloe getting killed by his own benefactor. That would be great karma for a cheating, ungrateful bitch like her.


    "Tell me then," Vincent ordered.


    Secretary Maria took out the phone from her zer pocket and then scrolled through something before flipping the phone and showing the screen to her boss.


    Vincent frowned when he saw a video that was yet to be yed, but he could read the title of the video.


    -


    Trending: Sisters fight. Two sisters are rted to Vincent Gray?!


    -


    "Rted to me?" Vincent snatched the phone from Secretary Maria''s hand and yed the video.


    The first thing he saw was Chelsea Davis, that ugly woman who happened to be Chloe''s sister. She was very noticeable because the ear-to-ear scar on her cheek was highlighted in the video, and she red at everyone like a mad woman.


    Vincent was disgusted when he saw that creepy scar,plete with her bulging eyes as if it was about to pop out of their eye sockets. He always remembered how Chelsea tried to act cute and sweet. It made him vomit his guts out once because he was too grossed out.


    He saw Chelsea pointing out at the woman in front of her and yelled, "Then you should me this bitch! She is a two-faced bitch who sends someone to attack and carve this scar on me!"


    Vincent''s eyes shifted to the woman facing Chelsea in the video. He didn''t even look at the woman facing the female Joker because Chelsea''s creepy scar was the highlight of the video.


    However, once Vincent took a good look at the woman''s side profile in the video, his body stiffened instantly.


    The woman had long chestnut hair, a ruddyplexion, a healthy body, sweet doe eyes, and thin lips that reminded Vincent of Chloe when they married that day.


    Vincent had to admit that he was enamored by how beautiful Chloe was during their wedding, they were standing side by side that day, and he couldn''t help but nce at her many times to admire the beauty from her side profile.


    ''And she was the most beautiful woman I''ve ever met in my life. She was perfect on our wedding day.''

 Chapter 597 597

    Vincent was dazed as he kept staring at the woman, who was obviously Chloe. But the Chloe he had known for the past ten years was either a literal whale or a skinny twig that could break anytime.


    So he wasn''t used to seeing Chloe at a healthy weight and with a ruddyplexion. His mind started recalling that day when he met Chloe for the first time in high school.


    She was always the school beauty, the kind of woman you couldn''t take your eyes off.


    She was popr, and despite being born as a lowlife, she was about to mingle with other students. She was also top of her ss, even beating Vincent in all subjects, which was a huge feat on its own because Vincent was incredibly smart academically.


    Vincent was attracted to her naturally, and it wasn''t hard for him to pull her off because he was THE Vincent Gray. Who didn''t want to date him?


    He thought she was an easy girl he could hook up with, and it was also true. Though Vincent didn''t admit it, it was also his first time, so both of them were taking each others'' virginity back in high school.


    Chloe was just perfect, like a suit tailored just for him.


    She was beautiful, smart, well-mannered, kind, and caring.


    Thus, Vincent decided to prolong their date for one year, two years, three years¡­ up to the point that he actually proposed to her when they were twenty-five.


    Of course, he had to do something to kick his little brother away because Vernon started showing signs of obsession with Chloe.


    ''Well, that little trick I did with Dad''s help was efficient enough to make Vernon hate his Big sis Chloe instantly. So I don''t need to worry about that kid getting too obsessed with my wife,'' Vincent thought. ''Vernon should thank me for that. He needed to learn his ce as someone lower than me.''


    That wedding day¡­ It was the day when Vernon felt something change within him.


    He realized how beautiful Chloe had be. She attracted so many men that almost every man in their wedding ceremony had their eyes solely on Chloe.


    Vincent realized he had to do something because one thing he learned from histe Dad was.


    -


    ''You need to make sure your woman is subservient to you. Women are promiscuous. They can and will cheat on you when they have the chance. So you need to break her before she breaks you first,'' Vaughn told Vincent once.


    ''Don''t you see your mother? I tried breaking her so many times, but she still acts like a crazy bitch. If you want your wife to be an obedient one, you need to keep breaking her over and over until she will bepletely dependent on you.''


    ''But how about us, Dad?'' Vincent asked. ''Is it okay for us to be promiscuous?''


    Vaughnughed when he heard his son''s question, ''Foolish, of course we can! We''re men! Men have a strong libido. Of course we can have sex with any woman that we want, we are the Gray family, we have everything that a woman wants!''


    -<novelsnext>¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á `n?¦Í?| §ãom</novelsnext>


    Thus, after that wedding day, Vincent decided to break Chloe slowly. He didn''t want his wife to cheat, so he had to break her as much as possible.


    While in the process of breaking his wife, Vincent also realized that he actually developed a fetish just like histe Dad.


    He liked seeing Chloe crying and begging to be spared. He liked seeing her cowering in the corner of the room like a rat, covering her head with her arms, which was a futile attempt because Vincent could just kick her body.


    It was all fun and games.


    Unfortunately, Chloe became ugly after she gave birth. She became super fat and could not lose weight for at least five years straight.


    He immediately lost his sexual interest in her. He just couldn''t bear to have sex with an ugly bitch, so he slept around even more, to vent out his sexual drive outside.


    Chloe med her depression, saying that she wasn''t happy, so it was difficult for her to lose weight. But Vincent beat her even harder because she was so fucking ungrateful after all the things he gave her.


    Then, Chloe started to lose weight, thanks to him shaming her every day, ''It''s an effective way for her to lose weight. She will eventually realize how ugly she was,'' he thought.


    But then, she started losing weight rapidly to the point that she was nothing but skin and bones, which wasn''t something that Vincent liked, so he didn''t feel like having sex with the skinny version of his wife either.


    ''I''ve endured ten years staying with an ugly woman I call as a wife. I should be getting a medal of honor at this point.''


    He was lost in his own thoughts that he didn''t hear Secretary Maria calling him repeatedly.


    "Sir, SIR!"


    "¡­" Vincent finally lifted his head and stared at Maria. "What?"


    "Sir, you''ve been staring at the paused video for at least thirty minutes. May I know if there is something bugging your mind?" Secretary Maria asked.


    "¡­ it''s nothing. I''ll resume watching it by myself," Vincent said before he handed the phone back to the old secretary.


    Maria epted her phone call, but she couldn''t help to question her boss'' sudden change of behavior, "Sir, this is a very important video. We should take swift action about this, or else this will spread like a wildfire in gossip news, and even official news sites."


    "Just tell the PR team to do whatever necessary," Vincent ordered.


    "They are already doing their best, Sir. But we still need yourmand," Secretary Maria insisted, but Vincent wasn''t in the mood to do anything right now. The image of Chloe on their wedding day lingered in his head, making him unable to think straight.


    So he waved his hand and said, "Just leave now, Maria. I will give you amand tomorrow. I''m too exhausted to talk with you."

 Chapter 598 598

    Secretary Maria clenched her fists. She felt that Vincent had be toox, unbefitting for his current position.


    But he was still her higher-up, and Maria had to obey the man above her. She bowed respectfully and said, "Then, I will be waiting for yourmand, Sir. This is a very grave situation we''re facing. Please excuse me."


    Vincent waited until the old secretary left him alone in his office and then took his phone out of pocket.


    He checked Twitter and opened that top trending video again. He didn''t care about anything now except seeing his wife''s face again.


    He yed the video but paused right when it highlighted the side profile of his wife and then stared at it dazedly. Again, his mind started going back to the day he married Chloe and how he fell in love for the second time when they stood side by side while the pastor recited their script in front of them.


    "You nced at me, and smiled so sweetly. You''re the only woman who makes my heart beat faster, Chloe. You''re the only woman who makes me feel love¡­." Vincent murmured while staring at Chloe''s face in the video with eyes full of warmth, something that he rarely did.


    But then, he snapped out of his daze and quickly shook his head, "Damn, why am I talking as if I''m actually in love with her? I can''t let her get into my mind. It''s dangerous if I let a woman control my mind and heart."


    Another thing that Vincent learned from histe Dad was how easy it was for a woman to enter your mind and make you act like an idiot under her order. Vincent thought that was stupid initially because he never allowed anyone to get close to him. Even with Chloe, he still had boundaries with her, enough to make him realize he wouldn''t be her stupid love ve.


    He had also witnessed firsthand how love could make a man stupid.


    His little brother was obviously stupidly in love with his Big sis Chloe when he was young. He acted like a dog, staring at Chloe with awe and following her everywhere.


    There was a big invisible tail wagging behind him, and he would do anything his Big sis Chloe ordered. He was like a literal dog.


    Which was a disgrace in Vincent''s eyes.


    He would never allow himself to be manipted by a woman, so when he realized he started feeling things for Chloe, he beat her up to show her who was the one in charge.


    It was a power y that he needed to keep his heart in check.


    However, he couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Why do you regain your healthy weight once you''re away from me? It''s impossible for you to be sad when you''re with me, right? You''re Mrs. Gray. We have so much money that you don''t need to worry about anything. You live in avish mansion, and you''re married to me, the man that everybody wants."


    "Do you intend to do this because you want to get revenge on me? Because you want to show that you''re much happier without me? That''s impossible."


    "Did you gain your healthy weight because you want to hook another man?" Vincent sighed. "You know that I won''t cheat on so many women in the past if you can maintain that beauty. Don''t me me for sleeping with a younger and prettier woman, when you can''t even take care of your own body."<novelsnext>¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á `n?¦Í?| §ãom</novelsnext>


    "Well, if you decide to return to me with your current beauty, then I will consider not beating you for leaving me. Isn''t that a good deal? You get spared once you return home with our daughter."


    After ten years of feeling cold in their marriage, Vincent felt his whole body warm again. He couldn''t wait to get Chloe back to his mansion and lock her inside.


    "Maybe I should also make sure that she maintains her weight this time, so I can fuck her daily," Vincent thought. "I got bored and tired sleeping with random women outside, maybe it''s Chloe''s time to sleep with me after ten years. Consider that a reward for regaining her beauty once more."


    Vincent calmed down after staring at Chloe''s face for more than an hour. He wanted to stare more, but maybe he should do it in his mansion instead. He wanted topare Chloe in this video and the one in their wedding photo to see whether Chloe''s current appearance matches her old self or not.


    "Well, time to work then," Vincent said. "Let''s see what this ugly bitch Chelsea did. Maria seems so worried about this whole thing."


    Thus, Vincent pressed they button once more and resumed the video where he had left it off.


    ¡ª


    Chloe gritted her teeth and yelled at Chelsea, "Watch your mouth, Chelsea! If you keep ndering me like this, then don''t me me if I take this to the court! Let''s see how much you can pay for your bullshit!"


    ¡ª


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® Vernon paused. He frowned when he heard Chloe yelling back at Chelsea. It had never happened before.


    Usually, Chloe only cowered in fear and kept silent against her sister. She would nod to everything, and everyone was used to it, including Vincent.


    "First she dared to fight back when I taught her a lesson at the Principal office, now she dared to yell back at Chelsea. I guess she has be too brave after leaving me," Vincentined. "This is no good. She needs to know that she''s a woman¡ªmy woman to be exact. I don''t want to keep a disobedient wife. I''ll have to teach her againter."


    Then he resumed the video.


    ¡ª


    Chelsea''s eyes widened even more as if it was about to pop out, and her mouth wide open as she was ready to st Chloe with her next word. She truly looked viinous in this video.


    "I AM THE FUTURE WIFE OF VINCENT GRAY! DO YOU THINK I CAN''T PAY YOU? I CAN FUCKING BUY YOUR LIFE, YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT!"


    ¡ª

 Chapter 599 599

    Vincent''s heartbeat skipped for a second, and his jaw dropped as he could notprehend what he had heard just now.


    He pressed y again and skipped right at the end to make sure he heard it right.


    -


    "I AM THE FUTURE WIFE OF VINCENT GRAY! DO YOU THINK I CAN''T PAY YOU? I CAN FUCKING BUY YOUR LIFE, YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT!"


    -


    Vincent gritted his teeth. His whole body was shaking out of fury when he heard that. He clenched his phone before smashing it to the floor.


    "THAT BITCH!" Vincent yelled as he vented out his anger. "She fucking dare to mention my name in public! Does she not realize how fatal that is?"


    "I AM VINCENT GRAY, DO YOU NOT REALIZE HOW HEAVY THAT NAME IS?!"


    Vincent''s voice echoed inside his office. All his good mood when staring at Chloe disappeared instantly, reced by rage because Chelsea was stupid enough to say his name when she was being recorded by everyone.


    "Fuck! I''ve been too lenient on that ugly bitch! I''ve been trying to be kind to her because I thought she could help me to find Chloe''s whereabouts!" Vincent clenched his fist until his whole body shook, and his face was so red out of anger. He kicked the coffee table in front of him until it flipped. He then started thrashing his office, smashing and kicking anything he could see.


    "I WILL KILL THAT BITCH!"


    He had never been enraged by a woman before. Even Chloe wasn''t stupid enough to use his name in public, knowing the repercussions, and she was the ACTUAL Mrs. Gray, the woman who actually had all the right to mention it.


    Vincent''s chest rose up and down as he looked around his surroundings. His office had been destroyed, "Look at what that ugly woman did to me. I can''t even control my anger because of her."


    Vincent felt like a disgrace as he saw his reflection in the wall mirror in his office. He looked unsightly, with his neatlybed hair ruffled, his usually cold face that had turned red with rage, and his eyes that looked crazy. He was embarrassed because he had lost control over that insignificant woman.


    Thus, he took a deep breath and then picked up his phone from the floor.


    He checked the video again and then checked the hashtag.


    #VincentGrayWife


    #VincentFutureWife


    #VincentandJoker


    #JokerLady


    And he also read thements below the video.


    There were so many peopleughing at him. They said he had bad taste because he''d marry a crazy, ugly female joker. They also started questioning whether the ever-loyal and loving Vincent Gray they knew all this time was just a farce because there might be a chance of him cheating on his own wife.


    Vincent gritted his teeth as he held himself so he wouldn''tsh out again. He didn''t like to get emotional over a woman except for his wife.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He continued reading thements despite his ever-growing rage and then stumbled upon onement that almost made him explode for the second time.


    -


    ''Maybe both of them are his mistresses. Maybe he has a lot of women out there! I bet he cheats a lot with so many women, and the only reason why he doesn''t allow anyone to see his wife and daughter, is because they already left him long ago!''


    -


    "HOW DARE YOU! CHLOE WILL NEVER DARE TO LEAVE ME FOR LONG! SHE WILL COME CRAWLING BACK AND BEGGING TO BE SPARED!"


    He couldn''t handle it anymore. He wasn''t used to getting ndered or gossiped about in a bad way by people.


    He always had a good image that he carefully maintained for the public all this time. Everything was ruined just because that Jokerdy dared to mention him during her fight as if he was her savior.


    Thus, Vincent quickly searched through his contact and called Secretary Maria.


    It only took one beep before Maria picked it up.


    -


    "Do you need something, Sir?" Secretary Maria asked.


    "Where is the PR team?" Vincent asked. "You told me that they''re doing the best they could to handle this mess."


    The old secretary was relieved because it seemed that her boss already saw the full video. She actually expected Vincent to simply explode in front of her. But he had that long thirty-minute pause, staring at the phone screen dazedly, and then another hour until he finally called her and addressed the problem.


    She wondered if he saw something he liked in that video because he had a soft gaze when he watched it.


    ''Could it be that he actually fell in love with Chelsea?'' Maria pondered. ''But I don''t think Vincent is blind enough to like that ugly woman.''


    "Secretary Maria?" Vincent called her.


    "Yes, Sir. The PR team is doing their best for damage control. They have been trying to delete every video about this problem on the inte, but some are just impossible to do because they are already too popr, and everyone is sharing them."


    "The best thing the PR team can do right now is to temporarily stop all kinds of gossip media to cover this problem. So it won''t spread even further," Secretary Maria exined.


    "YOU¡ªBUNCH OF USELESS FUCKS!" Vincent snapped. "I PAID ALL OF YOU FOR NOTHING!"


    Secretary Maria wasn''t fazed by her boss'' anger. It was natural for him to get angry over this, "I''m sorry that I can''t do much about this, Sir. It went viral in less than six hours, and the PR team is scrambling to do something about this. We''re still waiting for yourmand as well."


    Vincent clicked his tongue. As much as he wanted to keep yelling at her, he knew that wouldn''t change a thing. So hemanded, "Block off all the official media that wants to cover this. Try calling the head director of Twitter to delete that trending video!"


    "We have done those, Sir. Twitter already deleted the trending video, but each time someone uploads it, it will explode again and again and it only makes people grow suspicious because it keeps getting taken down, making it a futile effort."

 Chapter 600 600

    ¡ª


    "Futile?" Vincent didn''t expect that word toe out of Secretary Maria''s mouth. She usually devised the most ingenious idea that helped him in dire times. So when Maria said that word, Vincent felt a sense of hopelessness for the first time in his life, and he didn''t like it.


    "Is that all you can say? It''s futile? FUTILE?!" he yelled.


    Secretary Maria sighed, "Pardon me, Sir. This issue is too big for us to cover, I rmend you to just ignore it, and tell the PR team to stop taking down the video, because it will only rouse even more suspicion on the inte."


    "You''re telling me to ignore it? Don''t you see how many people are making fun of me?!" Vincent remembered some of thosements that hurt his pride. He was so used to people praising him daily that he simply couldn''t ignore thosements from faceless people on the inte.


    "It is difficult, Sir. The inte is a tricky ce. We cannot control the people''s mind. All we can do is to shift the topic so they will have a different topic to talk about, but Chelsea''s face is just far too interesting so they just can''t stop talking about it," Secretary Maria patiently exined this whole thing to her boss, knowing that her boss wasn''t used to see himself getting ndered in public.


    Vincent scoffed, "You''re no different than those useless fucks I hire in the PR team."


    "¡­ pardon my inability, Sir."


    "Tsk, then what should I do other than ignoring this?"


    "¡­" Maria paused for a while before giving out a sinister suggestion, "Find that woman, and do something to her. I can do it for you, Sir."


    "Chelsea?"


    "Yes, she is the center of this whole thing. If you don''t shut her up as soon as possible, she might start getting interviewed left and right, so you need to do something before that happens," Maria said. "Because you know she will say something stupid that will only put the spotlight on you for a long time."


    "This spotlight is bad for you and thepany, Sir. I can clean her life for you, including everyone in her family except Chloe, of course," Maria suggested herself, knowing how efficient the old secretary was at her job. "I will do anything to keep thepany running."


    "Chelsea¡­" Vincent murmured that bitch name. Secretary Maria was right. Chelsea was the one who started everything. If she hadn''t said a thing about him, then everything would never start guessing about his rtionship with both of them.


    "You''re right, Maria. If I allow Chelsea to keep living, she will eventually get enough exposure to get interviewed, or start making shit up on social media. We have to take her down as soon as possible."


    "I can do that, Sir. I can clean her family easily," Maria said.


    "No, I don''t want to kill her," Vincent refused. "I have a better way to do this, actually."


    "Are you sure, Sir? I see that she seems to be unhinged, so the only way to shut her up is to kill her," Maria reasoned. "We have to do this swiftly, Sir."


    "Yes, I know, and I don''t need to kill her just to prove a point that she''s crazy," Vincent had a bad smile as he started forming a malicious n in his head. He never spared pity for anyone except his wife, so Chloe should be thankful that he hadn''t done anything too dangerous¡ªexcept just a simple beating and humiliation to her for the past ten years.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What are you going to do, Sir?"


    "I will tell youter. You don''t need to worry about Chelsea," Vincent said. "But I don''t want to hear you say that everything is futile, and I should just ignore the badments. I fucking hire those PR team to handle these!"


    "¡­ pardon my words, Sir. But do you have another way for us to tackle this problem? The PR team has been doing their best, and I''m not familiar with the inte enough to give a proper solution."


    "I''ll think about it first," Vincent said. He also had to admit that he got no solution for this whole thing, but he would never allow those faceless people on the inte to talk shit about him. "Since you said taking down the video is futile, then let them be. Try to stir up something big enough in the celebrity circle so people''s attention can be shifted."


    "We will try our best, Sir."


    "Good, I will have to meet with that ugly female joker tonight. I don''t want to wait," Vincent said.


    Secretary Maria was relieved that her boss quickly decided to eliminate that ugly female joker Chelsea. She worried he would go soft just because Chelsea was Chloe''s sister.


    After all, it wasn''t difficult to see him getting all mushy. Just look at how inefficient he was in tackling this Chloe problem.


    He wouldn''t even allow Maria to just drag Chloe by her hair and throw her back into the mansion, something that Maria could easily do when Mackenzie was still in that school.


    ''Now that Chloe has sessfully transferred her daughter away, it bes awfully difficult for us to track them down,'' Mariained in her heart.


    "Please handle that ugly woman as soon as possible, Sir. Thepany''s futurey in your hand," Secretary Maria reminded, ensuring that Vincent didn''t forget his role as the CEO of Gray''s century-old businesses.


    "Yeah, yeah, I understand."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vincent finally let out a relieved sigh after he called Secretary Maria.


    Though he was yet to get a proper solution to his problem, at least he knew what to do next: eliminate Chelsea Davis.


    Vincent''s smirk grew deeper as he had a glimpse of what would happen next, "I wonder if I should kill that old woman too. Or maybe I should just keep her hostage. I don''t think Chloe has enough sympathy for her sister anymore, but she still has one for her poor mother, right?"

 Chapter 601 601

    [Warning: Upsetting Content.]


    Chelsea dragged Aaron back to her car after her fight with Chloe in the parking lot. To say that she was pissed was an understatement. She was goddamn mad at her bitch sister that she couldn''t wait to w her beautiful face, so Chloe would know what to feel when her face was ruined by an anonymous attack.


    "Mommy, it hurts¡­." Aaron said as his Mommy gripped his arm tightly until he felt pain. He struggled a little so his Mommy wouldn''t be too harsh on him, but Chelsea red at her son when he pulled his arm.


    "Do you want to run away again?" She asked.


    "N¡ªNo, but it hurts¡­." Aaron said, looking at his arm, which might be blue now.


    Chelsea smirked maliciously and then dug her sharp nails into her son''s skin, which made the little boy scream as he saw blood trickling from the tip of his mother''s nail.


    "Mommy¡ªMommy, it hurts!"


    "THEN SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Chelsea yelled. "The more you try to struggle, the more I will beat the fucking shit out of you!"


    Aaron zipped his mouth instantly. He dared not to struggle when his mother dragged him until they reached their car.


    Chelsea opened the car door and just rudely shoved the little boy into the back seat before she sat in the driver seat. She looked at the rearview mirror and saw the little boy biting his lips, trying hard not to sob despite his eyes being already red with tears pooling at the corner of each eye.


    Chelsea scoffed, "Why are you crying? Do you not realize that you ruined my visit today? I''m here to consult the doctor and see what kind of stic surgery I need to have!"


    "Don''t you want to see me happy? I will fix this scar, and then my eyes, my cheek, my jawline, my nose, and then getting botox in a few spots, I will be MUCH MORE beautiful than that ungrateful bitch Chloe!" Chelsea yelled even harder.


    She knew that Aaron was too young to understand what she meant, making her even more pissed because nobody was on her side right now.


    "Mommy, don''t say bad things about Aunty..." Aaron muttered.


    Chelsea couldn''t handle it anymore and twisted her body to face Aaron sitting at the back. She red at Aaron with eyes that could kill, and the scar on her cheeks only made her even scarier, like a monster in the boy''s dream.


    "Don''t you dare to defend her, you little shit! I will fucking punch you in the face if you try to take her side!"


    Aaron almost pissed himself out of fear. He retreated until his back hit the backseat and nodded, "I''m sorry, Mommy¡­."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Heh, your sorry won''t change a thing," Chelsea said. "But that''s better than being a little shit who ruins my day."


    Chelsea finally calmed down a bit after scaring her son. It was a little revenge, so Aaron would understand not toment on anything she did or said, or he would be beaten. So far, it had been very sessful because her kids dared not to make a mess around the house these days.


    ''I''m still pissed though, I can''t wait to get surgery and see Vincent. I bet he will fall in love so hard when he sees me again,'' Chelsea thought. ''He definitely wants to see me after the surgery is done. Why else he keeps sending me money?''


    Chelsea had gotten at least ten thousand dors each month from Vincent. He said it was because Chelsea gotid off from her job as a teacher because she scared the kids too much.


    Though, it was actually Chelsea who resigned voluntarily because she thought she didn''t need to work hard when she had a future husband as rich as Vincent.


    She used the ten grand for different stuff, though.


    She used two thousand dors for her family, which included four children and an elderly mother, so they had to be mindful of their spending. Meanwhile, Chelsea kept the eight thousand all for herself.


    ''Well, of course, I have to save a lot! I have to get the best doctor for stic surgery! Those burdens will eventually know that my decision is right and would also benefit when Chelsea gets married to Vincent sooner orter.


    Chelsea drove back to her three-decker apartment she shared with her kids and elderly mother. She parked her car, and her mood was instantly ruined again when she saw her three children ying in the yground not far from their apartment.


    "Go bring your brothers back to the house. I''m toozy to watch over them," Chelsea said to Aaron, and the little boy simply nodded and went to the yground to fetch his little brothers.


    Chelsea got out of the car and went up to the second floor where her family apartment was located. They used to rent a much smaller and uglier apartment when they were young, but it was thanks to Chloe who asked for Vincent to give her family a better livelihood, so Vincent allowed Chloe''s family to live in one of the triple-deckers that Vincent owned.


    While they didn''t need to pay rent anymore, that didn''t mean they were all safe. Because Vincent could kick them out if he wanted to.


    ''Hah, I bet Vincent doesn''t even love Chloe that much. If he does, he wouldn''t allow Chloe''s family to live in a triple-decker like this. He would simply give a luxurious apartment near Central Park for all of us.''


    ''Just wait and see me getting that,'' Chelsea said. ''Once I get married to Vincent, I will be able to get all the things I want. After all, I will be married to a billionaire, of course I deserve all the good things in life.''


    Chelsea started imagining her wedding with Vincent again. It was her only way to make herself feel better after her face got ruined, ''It will all be worth it in the end.''

 Chapter 602 602

    Chelsea opened the door and saw her elderly mother, Judith sitting on her wicker chair while watching TV. Judith had gotten weaker these days, so she mostly sat on her wicker chair and watched TV to spend her days.


    She couldn''t even cook and clean as much as she used to, much to Chelsea''s annoyance.


    ''Someone got to pull her own weight around here,'' Chelsea thought. But she still respected her mother enough not to say that.


    At least her mother still had the initiative to clean the house and cook dinner for all of them. It was the least she could do so she wouldn''t be a burden in this house.


    She strode through the living room and passed her mother without even saying hi, so Judith turned her neck towards her and asked, "Chelsea, where did you go today?"


    Chelsea halted her step and turned around to face her mother, "When did you learn to be a pesky old bitch?" Chelsea asked rudely. Though she wouldn''t kick her mother out because she was partly useless these days, it didn''t mean she would tolerate any bullshit from her old mother.


    Judith''s heartbeat skipped for a second. She was scared of her own daughter these days because Chelsea had be crazier after Tommy left her, and she got attacked by a mysterious man that ruined her face.


    Aside from that, Judith also had this strange feeling the moment his son-inw, Vincent Gray, stepped in and tried to help Chelsea during the hard times.


    It felt like¡­ Vincent''s presence only further drove Chelsea insane with all the delusion that he would marry her eventually.


    Even Judith knew that would never happen.


    Chloe was obviously much more beautiful than Chelsea. Their appearance was like earth and sky. Chelsea was very average-looking because she took her facial features from Judith.


    Meanwhile, Chloe took the facial features of her bastard husband, who ran away, leaving Judith and her two daughters in a difficult situation for years.


    ''Vincent is still a man. No man wants to marry an average looking woman when they have the chance to get the most beautiful woman on earth with his money,'' Judith thought. ''Besides, Chelsea''s face is ruined now, and she has be unhinged too. I don''t think Vincent will ever consider her to rece Chloe, especially when I know really well that Vincent loves Chloe so much.''


    ''But why does he keep sending money to us? Is it just to take care of us?'' Judith asked herself. ''He is a kind man. But I don''t think he has enough reason to send us so much money when Chloe has betrayed him¡­.''


    "S¡ªSorry, I was just curious. Besides, the boys are asking your whereabouts," Judith said.


    Chelsea frowned, "I went to the hospital with Aaron. I want to consult with the doctor about my stic surgery. I want to get the work done as soon as possible so I can meet with Vincent again."


    Judith tried to hide her disgust as much as possible, not wanting to trigger Chelsea''s unstable rage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She just couldn''t imagine Chelsea getting married to Vincent. There was an icky feeling in her heart. She always saw Vincent as her son-inw who married Chloe, not Chelsea. And the reason why she always took his side because she believed Chloe should be grateful to have such an amazing husband like Vincent.


    "I¡ªI see¡­." Judith nodded reluctantly. "What did the doctor say?" She asked further.


    Chelsea''s mood turned bitter instantly. Her eyes darkened, and she replied, "I failed to meet the doctor, because I identally bumped into that ungrateful bitch Chloe."


    Judith''s eyes widened. She almost jumped out of her wicker chair when Chelsea mentioned Chloe''s name, "How is she? Is she alright?"


    "Well, she''s alive at least," Chelsea sneered. "Why do you ask? Don''t tell me that you still care for that ungrateful whore. I thought she''s dead in your eyes."


    "I never say that!" Judith denied. "Although she made a huge mistake by leaving Vincent, doesn''t mean that I disowned her. I just want to teach her a lesson, so she will return to her husband and be a good wife."


    "A good wife? Hahah! I am a much better wife than she will ever be! I will be a good wife for Vincent and mother for our child in the future!" Chelsea said. "You shouldn''t care about her anyway. She left her husband and abandoned all of us for another man that is probably a lot worse than Vincent anyway. She belongs in the street, not with a handsome, rich, responsible man like Vincent."


    Judith couldn''t hold her disgust, so she said, "And he should marry someone like you?"


    "Obviously," the corner of Chelsea''s lips perked up, which made her scar rise up as well, giving the sinister image of a female joker nning on something devious. "Don''t you see how suitable we are? Vincent and I are both hard workers. He is a CEO of a billion-dorpany that makes him busy all year round, while I am an independent woman who can get my own money without a man''s help¡ªat least when I was still working as a teacher."


    "There is no corrtion whatsoever," Judith said.


    "Of course there is! For a busy man like him, he''d want an understanding wife who will not pester him. Unlike Chloe¡ªthat ungrateful whore who just stands still andins about Vincent''s busy schedule. I can work with him as well. Maybe he will give me a small loan of a million dors to start my ownpany, then we will be a powerful couple, husband and wife, both bing great business moguls!"


    Judith shook her head. She didn''t understand how things went so bad after Chloe left Vincent.


    From their money getting cut, Tommy leaving, Chelsea getting attacked, and now she started to get crazy over her sister''s husband.


    It was as if Chloe''s disappearance opened a pandora''s box that ruined the lives of everyone around her.


    "Stop thinking about him, Chelsea. Vincent is Chloe''s husband, they''re not even divorced."

 Chapter 603 603

    "Stop thinking about him, Chelsea. Vincent is Chloe''s husband, they''re not even divorced."


    Chelsea''s smirk disappeared instantly when Judith reminded her of one vital fact about Chloe and Vincent.


    She was right.


    Vincent and Chloe weren''t together, but they were still technically married. Vincent told them once that he refused to divorce Chloe because he loved her way too much and was willing to ept her back if Chloe returned home.


    Meanwhile, Chloe herself didn''t seem to care enough to divorce Vincent. She simply ran away, as if she was taunting her real husband so that she could fuck with all the other men she wanted, and Vincent would still love her.


    Judith sighed when she saw Chelsea''s smirk falter. Chelsea seemed to have woken up temporarily from her stupid delusion of marrying Vincent, "Please stop all this, Chelsea. Though she betrayed her husband, Chloe is still your sister. We should just focus on bringing her back to her rightful husband."


    "I don''t have a whore sister," Chelsea sneered. "Besides, why do I have to bring her back to Vincent when I can bring myself to him. Do you think I''mcking somethingpared to Chloe?"


    "That''s not what I mean¡ª"


    "I am obviously smarter, more independent, prettier, and much more understanding than Chloe could ever be. Vincent will eventually realize how stupid he is to be so dedicated to a whore like Chloe!" Chelsea imed. Unfortunately, that brief snap to reality wasn''t enough to bring her back from her delusion. She still believed that she genuinely had a chance to be Mrs. Gray.


    "You haven''t even divorced Tommy yet," Judith said. "You and Vincent are in a simr situation, and look at him struggling to put his life together without Chloe by his side. Do you think that he won''t move on as soon as possible if he doesn''t love Chloe?"


    "That''s easy. Once Vincent proposed to me, I''m sure that he will help me to find Tommy and let me divorce his ass!" Chelsea imed. "Besides, why do you keep thinking about putting Chloe and Vincent together. Obviously, Chloe is not trying to get back together with Vincent. You should focus on me and my happiness instead. I''ve suffered long enough when I was married to Tommy. So, it''s time to move on, mother."


    Chelsea said thest line sarcastically since her old mother kept defending Chloe for no reason.


    "Besides, I am the one who''s taking care of you. You should always be on my side instead of her."


    "This is not about picking a side, Chelsea," Judith sighed. "Both of you are my daughters, and I just want the best for both of you."


    "And the best for me is to stay with Tommy? Oh don''t fuck with me, you old bitch," Chelsea started getting heated as she felt that Judith obviously picking Chloe''s side in this situation. "You should be grateful that I allow you to be in this house. You should know how much I want to kick you out for being useless."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Judith gasped.


    She never expected her daughter to have that kind of malicious idea of kicking her out. So she got up from her wicker chair and walked towards Chelsea until they faced each other.


    Judith looked at her daughter and said, "You have no right to kick me out of my house. This apartment is given by Vincent because Chloe asked for it. I still allow you to live here because your husband has no real job, and you can''t afford to rent another apartment with your sry when you have four kids to take care of."


    "Oh yeah? Well, Chloe is gone now, and I am your only ticket to stay in this apartment," Chelsea imed arrogantly. "You know I can always kick you out once I get married to Vincent. He will obey all of mymands, so if you want to have a ce to live, kneel down and kiss my feet, you old bitch."


    PA!


    "AH!" Chelsea was shocked when her mother suddenly pped her right on the face. She staggered and fell to the floor. She covered her hot cheek and red up at her mother. "You bitch! How dare you p me!"


    Judith looked down at her daughter and replied with a cold voice unbefitting her small stature, "You deserve it. Get over that stupid idea of marrying Vincent! He is obviously in love with Chloe because she''s beautiful. You''re not as beautiful as her, Chelsea, just admit it!"


    Chelsea gritted her teeth. She got up and then stated, "Just wait and see, you old bitch. You will regret ever pping me. I was thinking about throwing you to the nursing home out of kindness. But you deserve to fucking die as a homeless!"


    Chelsea turned around and walked away from her mother. Judith should be d that Chelsea had self-control, or else she would p that old woman until her head fell off!


    Judith saw her daughter enter her room and m the door. She sighed pitifully.


    She returned to her wicker chair, sitting idly while staring at the mindless TV program, "I don''t know what''s wrong with my family. I thought things were looking up when Chloe got married with Vincent and I don''t have to worry about money anymore. Then she just ran away after ten years of good life, and now things are turning upside-down."


    Judith nced at Chelsea''s room and felt humiliation crawling inside her heart. She knew that Vincent gave her a lot of money after Chloe left, but she never shared enough of them with her old mother and also her children.


    She remembered having to shamelessly extort money from Madam Dorothea Gray because she faced a difficult situation. Two of the boys were sick and had to be hospitalized because they were very young, but they had no money, and Chelsea refused to give her money to go to the hospital.


    So when Madam Gray called her and asked for Chloe''s contact, Judith found the chance to get the money she needed to go to the hospital.

 Chapter 604 604

    "Maybe I''ve been too harsh on Chloe¡­." Judith pondered. She thought she did a great job teaching Chloe how to be a good woman and wife, so her husband wouldn''t leave her, just like what Chloe and Chelsea''s father did to them.


    Judith realized that sometimes Chloe looked sad¡ªtoo sad for a woman who married a handsome, loyal, and loving billionaire.


    But she didn''t tell Judith, and Judith didn''t want to ask because she was afraid it''d break the small paradise they created after Chloe hit the jackpot and married a man like Vincent.


    Judith remembered how devastated she was when Vincent came to her and said that Chloe ran away with another man because he was too busy with his work as a CEO.


    He looked so heartbroken that Judith instantly took his side.


    "I called her a whore at that time. What was I thinking?" Judith asked herself. She was so angry and disappointed in her second daughter when she confronted her. That word just slipped out of her mouth, something she truly regretted after Chloe left the apartment.


    She tried calling her daughter many times after that incident. She wanted to apologize for what she said. She regretted how she would have handled the situation better and persuaded Chloe to return to Vincent, so things would return to normal and everyone would be happy once more.


    But she got blocked. Everyone in the family got blocked by Chloe as if she just wanted to cut ties with her own family, which only piled the regret even more for Judith.


    "Now I don''t know what to do. We''re stuck in this situation. Without Chloe''s presence, things be really bad somehow¡­."


    While Judith wasmenting about this whole thing, the boys knocked on the door before opening it from outside.


    "We''re home, Gran!"


    Judith turned her head towards the little boys standing near the door. She smiled at them as always, but her smile faltered when she saw Aaron''s cheek. It was swollen red as if someone had struck him hard.


    And that someone was obviously the female Joker who called her mother an old bitch just now.


    The boys went to the kitchen to drink a ss of water, but Judith called Aaron, "Aaron,e here."


    "Um¡­" Aaron walked towards the wicker chair and stood at the side. He looked up to his Gran, waiting for an order.


    Judith pinched his chin and lifted the boy''s head so she could see the swollen cheek better. She squinted and asked, "Who did this?"


    "¡­" Aaron dared not to answer. He was scared that his mother would beat him even harder if he dared to report it to Gran.


    "It''s your mother, isn''t it?"


    "¡­"


    "It''s okay, I won''t do anything if you say yes."


    Aaron finally hesitated. He nodded reluctantly and replied, "I''m fine, Gran."


    "You''re not fine. Let me get some ice first."


    Judith treated the swollen cheek with ice. The little boy winced in pain a few times but always shut his mouth, afraid that making noises would only further infuriate his mother.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Judith sighed when she saw this. Her heart was aching, but she didn''t know what to do against her unstable daughter. It felt like Chelsea was on her way to being truly deranged.


    ''Is it because of Tommy''s absence? I don''t think Chelsea actually loved him enough to care for him when he was gone. Tommy has no job, and spends his time loitering around the city with no purpose.''


    ''Or is it because of Vincent? But I don''t think Vincent did anything to Chelsea before. It''s just Chelsea who starts having funny ideas about him when he started helping us after Chloe left.''


    ¡­


    ''Or is it because of Chloe?'' Judith pondered. ''Chelsea has always been jealous of Chloe''s beauty. She was also jealous of her when Chloe got the schrship to go to an elite private high school. She also got envious when Chloe brought Vincent into our old apartment. She got very bitter when Chloe married the most perfect bachelor in New York¡­.''


    ¡­


    To be honest, Judith already knew the answer. Chelsea''s deranged behavior came from her crazy jealousy towards her own sister.


    But at the same time, Judith also couldn''t do anything to solve this problem. Sister''s jealousy was normal to some extent, and she thought Chelsea would eventually grow out of it.


    ''Who would''ve expected that she would be like this just because of envy?''


    "Gran¡­"


    "Yes?"


    "Will Mommy get better?" Aaron asked. "She is so cruel these days¡­."


    "¡­ I don''t know, Aaron," Judith replied honestly. It was toote to lie to the boy at this point because he had been hit plenty of times already. All the boys had been hit by Chelsea. She really didn''t hold back against any of them.


    In fact, it seemed that Chelsea liked seeing the boys cower in fear under her abuse, and all of this happened after she got attacked. Vincent started paying more attention to her.


    Aaron lowered his head pitifully. He said nothing, but the trace of sadness in his eyes lingered, "I hope I can be with Aunty. She is kind, and she never yells or beats me."


    Judith''s heartbeat skipped for a second. She just realized that Aaron must be with Chelsea when she met with Chloe in the hospital.


    "Did you meet with your Aunt?"


    "Yeah, after Mommy hit me, I ran to the parking lot and met Aunt Chloe there," Aaron replied.


    "Is she alright? How does she look?" Judith asked.


    "Um¡­" Aaron lifted his head again and tried to remember Aunt Chloe''s face, which was actually a bit different from what he used to see. "Aunt Chloe is not sick anymore. She is not too pale, and not too thin. Aunty brought me to her car and bought me many snacks and soda. I wish I could keep the chocte bars¡­."


    Judith had a spark of hope upon hearing Aaron''s exnation, "Did she tell you something about her life and condition? Did she give you something, maybe her location, or her phone number?"

 Chapter 605 605

    "Did she give you something, maybe her location or phone number?" Judith asked. She came out a bit too excited because she thought there was finally a sign of her second daughter.


    She wanted to apologize. Maybe they could talk about this whole problem. Because Judith believed it was partly her fault because she was so angry and disappointed at Chloe she didn''t even want to listen to her daughter''s exnation back then.


    ''I want to make things right,'' Judith thought.


    Aaron stared at his Gran, who got so excited. He nced down at his breast pocket, where he had a piece of paper containing Aunt Chloe''s phone number.


    ''But Aunty told me not to tell anyone that I have her number, and I should only call her when I really need her help¡­'' Aaron remembered the warning from his Aunt.


    At first, he didn''t know why he had to hide it. They were family, after all, and he always believed that his Aunt Chloe never meant any harm to him.


    But then he saw how Mommy was so angry when she saw Aunty, even wanting to attack her many times.


    Thus, he realized that he had to keep her number a secret, or else Mommy would confiscate it, and Aaron would have no way to escape his crazy mom.


    He stared at his Gran momentarily and said, "Nothing, Gran. She just gave me snacks and drinks and brought me back to Mommy¡­."


    "Really?" Judith couldn''t believe that for some reason. Chloe was a very caring woman with a strong motherly instinct.


    Chelsea always threw all the boys into Chloe whenever she visited. Chloe would take care of them withoutining even once.


    In fact, it seemed that she really liked having many children and loved the child-rearing process. So Judith sometimes asked her if she really wanted another child. She should''ve asked Vincent about it since nothing held them back.


    Chloe would just smile bitterly at her and reply, ''Vincent is too busy.''


    "Mhm," Aaron nodded. He lowered his head again, not wanting to stare at Gran''s eyes, afraid that he might slip and say something that would get her in trouble. "I wish I can meet with Aunty again. I''m always at my happiest when I''m with Aunt Chloe, with my brothers, and also with Boss Mackie. I miss my boss too."


    "¡­" Judith said nothing in the end. She was also disappointed that Chloe didn''t give anything to Aaron. It would be nice if Chloe gave him her phone number, so Judith could call her and maybe smoothen things between them. She didn''t want to be estranged from any of her daughters.


    The other boys came to Judith after washing their hands and feet in the bathroom. They sat on the long sofa and said to Judith, "Gran, it''s time for dinner! Can we eat something?"


    "I''ll make a mac and cheese for you all," Judith said. But the boys pouted.


    "Can we get something else? We''ve been eating Mac and Cheese every dinner. I want something more!"


    "Yes!"


    "Um! I want chicken!"


    Judith sighed.


    She had some money left in her under-the-bed savings to buy some meat and veggies for her grandsons. But she wanted to keep it in case one of the boys was sick again, and Chelsea refused to give them money to go to the doctor.


    "Let me ask if your mother can give us money for it," Judith got up and walked towards Chelsea''s room. She knocked at the door a few times until Chelsea opened the door annoyedly


    "What?" Chelsea asked rudely.


    "The boys. They want to eat meat," Judith said. "Please give me some money to buy groceries."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chelsea rolled her eyes, "I don''t have money."


    "Don''t lie, Chelsea," Judith confronted. "I know that Vincent gives you a lot of money every month. He always calls me to make sure the money has been transferred to your bank ount, and he always gives me the amount."


    "You''re given ten thousand dors each month, right? Howe you only give us two thousand? Do you think that''s enough for all of us?" Judith asked. "Don''t be greedy, Chelsea. You will regret it."


    Chelsea''s eyes widened, but she said nothing. She just mmed the door shut and then opened it again with a one-hundred-dor bill in her hand.


    However, she didn''t simply hand it to Judith. She crumpled it first and then threw it to the ground.


    She stepped on it and said, "There, take it."


    Judith stared at her first daughter with hatred and humiliation in her eyes. She clenched her fist, ready to fight Chelsea, who was being so cruel to her family.


    But she had no time or strength to fight, so Judith crouched carefully and picked up the crumpled dor bill on the floor.


    Chelsea smirked and then spat on her mother''s head while Judith was crouching, "I''m going to make you homeless once I married Vincent, you old bitch."


    SLAM!


    "¡­"


    Judith slowly got up and pocketed the one-hundred-dor bill. She sighed and went to the kitchen to pull out some tissue sheets and clean the saliva on her hair.


    She had no energy to keep fighting against Chelsea, but at least she got one-hundred-dor, enough for her to buy meat from the local butcher.


    Thus, she returned to her grandsons with a smile on her face, "Aaron, let''s go out and buy groceries, we''re going to eat something delicious today."


    "Whoo!"


    "Thanks, Gran!"


    "Gran is the best!"


    Aaron got up and went to their room to bring out his Gran''s warm sweater as it was very cold outside for her frail old body.


    "Mike, you should take care of your little brothers while we''re away, okay?"


    "Okay!" Mike nodded, as he was the second oldest.


    Aaron handed the sweater to Gran and asked, "We can eat meat tomorrow, Gran. It''s very cold outside."


    Judith smiled, "It''s fine. The grocery is not far from our ce. Besides, it''ll be warm in the store."


    "Um, okay then¡­."

 Chapter 606 606

    Chelsea locked the door and threw herself onto the bed. She stared at the ceiling for a while and couldn''t help but get annoyed whenever she remembered how her mother dared to talk back at her, even going as far as pping her once.


    When she was Tommy''s wife, it was fair for her mother to reprimand her once or twice.


    But she would be Mrs. Chelsea Gray soon. How dare she reprimand her when the whole world wouldn''t dare? Was she not afraid of Vincent''s rage?


    "Ugh, I got to call Vincent. I know he is a perfect man with so much sympathy. But he shouldn''t be telling this to Judith. That old, greedy bitch will try to use the money for unnecessary stuff!" Chelsea remembered her fight with her mother because she refused to bring her two feverish children to the hospital.


    Chelsea thought it was just a simple fever that would go down, so she told her mother to give those boys some fever pills.


    But her mother insisted on bringing them to the hospital because their fever was too abnormal, and fever pills for adults weren''t suitable for a toddler below the age of five like them.


    "I don''t know where she got her money from. But oh well, at least she doesn''t need to use my hard-earned money to go to a useless pediatrician," Chelseained.


    She grabbed her phone and started texting Vincent, wanting toin.


    --


    To: Vincent


    Babe, don''t tell my mother about the money you send every month, okay? She is a greedy old woman. She kept asking for money and even pped me once because I didn''t want to give her money.


    She is using it for useless stuff!


    --


    Chelsea pressed send and giggled as she imagined the smile on Vincent''s face.


    Vincent never told her to call him Babe or any other endearing name. But Chelsea took the initiative because she thought they would eventually be married anyway. What was wrong with giving each other sweet names before marriage?


    "Well, I''m sure that he is happy with my name call anyway," Chelsea convinced herself. She waited for an answer. Usually, Vincent wouldn''t reply at all, but that was normal since Vincent was very busy.


    But once he replied once or twice per week, it could send Chelsea into a euphoria that she had never felt before. She felt that her body had been lifted to the sky just thinking about Vincent, who spared his busy time just to text her back.


    She was about to put her phone away when Vincent replied in less than five minutes!


    Ding!


    "Oh my god!" Chelsea squealed. "Is he starting to catch feelings for me? He can''t wait to text me? I bet he keeps thinking about me when he''s working!"


    Chelsea quickly opened the text, expecting Vincent to give her a long endearing text on how much he couldn''t wait to meet her again.


    But there was only one sentence there.


    -


    From: Vincent.


    Check Twitter trending.


    -


    Chelsea''s smile faltered, "Huh? What''s wrong with twitter? Is there any gossip that I should know?"


    Chelsea wasn''t exactly the tech-savvy millennial, but she knew that anything that popped up on Twitter trending was not good news.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was either a celebrity drama, some big cases, or just random things happening in life that blew out of proportion simply because people were bored.


    But Chelsea followed the order of her future husband. She opened Twitter and then checked the video that popped up in the top trending.


    And the moment she read the title, her eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    -


    Trending: Sisters fight. Two sisters are rted to Vincent Gray?!


    -


    And the thumbnail of the video was her ring at Chloe with her scary eyes and scar on her cheek. She really looked viinous just looking at the thumbnail.


    Of course, she could quickly identify what the video was about even before ying it.


    It was her and Chloe fighting in the parking lot because Chloe was a bitch who dared to torment her by acting all sweet and kind while she was actually the filthiest, most cunning witch in the world!


    Chelsea didn''t have a good feeling about this, "Why the hell they use that face as the thumbnail. People will think that I''m evil," sheined.


    But she pressed the video anyway. She wanted to see what it was all about.


    --


    "Then you should me this bitch! She is a two-faced bitch who sends someone to attack and carve this scar on me!"


    "Watch your mouth, Chelsea! If you keep ndering me like this, then don''t me me if I take this to the court! Let''s see how much you can pay for your bullshit!" Chloe yelled, which triggered Chelsea even more.


    "I AM THE FUTURE WIFE OF VINCENT GRAY! DO YOU THINK I CAN''T PAY YOU? I CAN FUCKING BUY YOUR LIFE, YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF SHIT!"


    --


    That was it.


    The video ended with her yelling at Chloe.


    Chelsea watched the video a few times and frowned, "That''s it? What''s wrong with this video?" She asked herself. She thought it was a normal video and there was nothing bad about her.


    "All I do is to fight back, and im something that I have the right to. Of course Vincent won''t be mad if I say that I am his future wife, it''s a fact anyway, and he will eventually broadcast our rtionship in the media," Chelsea said lightly.


    She closed the video and checked thement section.


    Then her heart dropped after she read hundreds ofments bashing her, calling her the Female Joker, ugly, evil, and a crazy woman.


    Everyone seemed to have the same opinion about her, and everyone only praised Chloe because she was beautiful and could stand still in front of a scary woman like Chelsea.


    Chelsea''s body trembled. She paled instantly.


    Of course, she believed that she was prettier than Chloe. But it was just this goddamn scar that made her ugly. She was a lot better than that ungrateful bitch in any aspect.


    "I--I have to call Vincent. I don''t want him to be sad just because people online are bullying me."

 Chapter 607 607

    Chelsea quickly dialed Vincent''s number. She kept imagining Vincent''s reaction when he discovered this video going viral and how many people bullied her online.


    ''I bet he must be very angry,'' Chelsea thought. ''I don''t want him to fight with so many people just because of me. Even though I know that he wants to protect me.''


    Chelsea saw herself as a victim of this situation. She got bullied simply because of her scar. If she didn''t have it, she was sure that Chloe would get bashed instead, not her.


    Beep. Beep.


    "Come on, Babe. Pick up the phone!" Chelsea begged. She got even more worried and started thinking if she should juste to the Gray office building or to Vincent''s mansion just to find him and give him a hug to calm the beast in her man''s heart.


    Fortunately, Vincent finally picked up after the third ring.


    ¡ª


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Chelsea felt her heartbeat elerate as there was nothing but silence on the phone. She wondered if Vincent had done something, maybe tracking who dared to nder her online.


    It was so sweet of him since he dared to hunt people for talking shit about her, but she didn''t want to burden him. She wanted Vincent to ignore this kind of bullshit and focus on working to maintain his billionaire status, or else Chelsea would lose 50% of her attraction to him if he lost that status.


    "B¡ªBabe, are you there?" Chelsea asked.


    "¡­"


    There was no answer, but Chelsea was convinced that Vincent must be listening right now. He might zip his mouth because he didn''t want to identally yell at Chelsea.


    So she confidently said, "I just checked that trending video. Please don''t be mad at them, okay? I know that you want to protect me from those nderers on the Inte. But they are just people who have too much time in their hands, all they can do is speak bullshit!"


    "Please don''t do anything rash just because you''re mad that I got ndered, okay? I already know that you love me so much, you don''t need to prove it!" Chelsea begged, thinking she was doing God''s work to save those people and save trouble for her beloved Mr. Gray.


    ¡­


    Again, no voice came from the other side of the phone. But there was a chuckle of some sort.


    "Babe?"


    "Do you love me?" Vincent suddenly asked.


    Chelsea was caught off guard by the question. It seemed that Vincent had be too emotional to keep his usual cool and aloofness.


    So she replied, "O¡ªOf course, I''ve always been in love with you. Since the first time that ungrateful bitch Chloe brought you home to introduce to us, I''ve fallen in love with you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I want to tell you that Chloe is not worth it. She is not good enough for a perfect man like you, only me, Chelsea Gray¡ªI mean, Chelsea Carlson, knows what''s best for a man like you."


    "You are a busy man, with a lot of work that you have to tackle everyday. Of course, you need a supportive woman who understands you, and knows what to do to make you happy," Chelsea said, releasing all the things she had in mind to her future husband. "I know that you have been heartbroken by that whore. But it''s not toote for us to be together. We can be the new Mr and Mrs. Gray, and people will love us."


    "I know that you may see me as Chloe''s recement at first. But it won''t be long for you topletely forget about that whore and love me instead," Chelsea said, then she blushed, thinking about all the good things that Vincent had done for her. "I mean, it''s quite obvious that you''ve slowly moved on from Chloe. You visit me when I get attacked, and you keep sending me a lot of money. You''re such a tease, Vincent."


    "¡­ meet me in the park in front of your apartment. I''ll be waiting there around ten."


    Ba-dump!


    Chelsea felt that her heart could jump out of her chest anytime soon. She was so excited that she wanted to scream and squeal on the floor.


    "W¡ªWhat are we going to do there? Do you want me to do something?"


    "¡­ juste, I have a surprise for you."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vincent hung up before Chelsea could ask more about this apparent gift he had. She expected many things in her mind already.


    "Could it be that he wants to confess, but is too embarrassed to do it on the phone, so he wants to meet me in person?" Chelsea started making up romantic scenarios in her head. It was cold outside since it was already December, and the snow started falling.


    So, Chelsea thought that Vincent wanted to make a proposal in the middle of snowfall, followed by him showing an engagement ring, and then finished with them embracing each other and kissing.


    It was straight out of old Christmas movies!


    "Oh my god! I have to take a bath now and prepare myself!" Chelsea checked the time and was relieved she had at least three hours of preparation before meeting with Vincent.


    So she got up and rushed to the wardrobe to check her stuff first. She nned to wear a beautiful dress and high heels, but it was cold outside and might be out of ce. So she decided to wear a pair of warm Ugg boots,tex pants, and a stylish brown winter jacket.


    "Okay, these are perfect, time to take a shower¡ªno, bath! I need to drench myself in a lot of fragrance before going out. I want to look, smell, and taste absolutely amazing for my future husband!"


    **


    Vincent hung up the call after he told Chelsea what to do. He was still in the office, sitting on his executive chair, staring at the family photo in his hand.


    It was the photo of him, baby Mackie, and Chloe, and this was thest photo with all of them together in the same frame.

 Chapter 608 608

    "You should thank me for being so kind and patient, Chloe," Vincent said as he slowly caressed her cheek in the photo. She was a bit ugly in this picture since she had gained plenty of weight after giving birth to Mackie.


    But she was still tolerable for Vincent until she piled up at least ten more kilos. She became unbearably disgusting for him to fuck.


    "You are truly a troublesome woman, but you should''ve realized that you''re the only special woman in my life," Vincent said. "Maybe I can be harsh when treating you, but this is all for your own good. You''re a woman, therefore, you''re prone to be a cheating bitch. I''m just putting you in ce."


    "If I am truly cruel to you, then I will quickly flip the entire New York just to find you, and then beat the shit out of you until you''re dead. Do you not see how much tolerance I give to you?" Vincent sighed. "You''re marrying Mr. Vincent Gray, Chloe, you should be able to bear with the problem since you get all the benefits of being Mrs. Gray."


    Vincent opened the drawer and put the framed photo inside. He checked his phone and got another text from that female Joker.


    -


    From: Chelsea


    You''re making me so nervous right now. I hope the surprise is worth it!


    -


    Vincent chuckled when he read it, "Oh, don''t worry, the surprise will be worth it for all the troubles you''ve given me."


    "I thought I could use you to make Chloe return, or expose her whereabouts somehow. But you seem to be more of a trouble than your worth. So let''s just get this over with."


    Vincent got up and grabbed his car key.


    He drove his car to the nearest jewelry store. He bought a diamond ring that was the cheapest, not because he couldn''t afford the most beautiful and expensive one. But because he thought Chelsea wasn''t worth that much.


    In fact, he wanted to just buy a faux diamond ring at the side of the street, but that was too much of a hassle for him. So he purchased the cheapest diamond ring in this random jewelry store and got itplete with a ring box befitting a proposal.


    Vincent sat in his car, staring at the diamond ring in his hand. He chuckled as he found it amusing, "Chloe''s wedding ring is a hundred times more expensive than this one, but she just left it in a drawer in the master bedroom before she left."


    "Which is funny, because she could just sell that wedding ring and she won''t be short of cash for a long time, probably for a lifetime if she can live a modest life," Vincent said. "But I don''t think you''ll ever find a vendor that wants to buy it. It''s way too expensive for anyone to afford."


    Vincent always thought that Chloe was an idiot.


    All women were idiots in his eyes, but Chloe was a special kind.


    She was so adamant about leaving him, but she had no n. She just left with Mackie with no money.


    "Well, that doesn''t matter. Since she got herself a benefactor, an old rich man who is probably well-connected with the White House. I should praise her for being an effective whore," Vincent tried tough it off. But there was a brewing rage inside his heart.


    No matter how much he tried to make it casual and acted as if he didn''t care, he still couldn''t shake off this rage whenever he imagined Chloe under another man except him.


    Could you call it love? Perhaps.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But that didn''t matter much for Vincent.


    All he knew was that he had to get Chloe back and punish her for daring to run away.


    Vincent clenched the ring in his hand, squeezing it inside his fist as he tried to curb his anger, "You will see, Chloe. You may be able to evade me. But your family can''t. I will make sure to destroy everyone you love, so you will learn not to fight back against your own husband. You damned woman."


    Thus, Vincent drove to the park where he was supposed to meet that stupid female Joker. He had everything nned and was certain that a stupid woman would fall for it.


    **


    Meanwhile, Judith and Aaron had just returned from grocery shopping. They took a cab on their way back because it was too cold, and Judith''s body wouldn''t survive such cold temperatures.


    Aaron tried to drag the grocery upstairs because he didn''t want his Gran to carry too much weight.


    "Thank you for your help, Aaron," Judith said as she saw Aaron trying to remove her shoe because her back hurt when she crouched.


    "Um, you don''t need to cook if you''re tired, Gran¡­." Aaron said.


    "No, no, I''m fine with cooking. Your brothers must be starving as well," Judith said.


    She opened the door and was greeted by the three boys eagerly waiting for them.


    "Wee back, Gran! Big bro!"


    They quickly helped their Big brothers to carry the heavy grocery bag to the kitchen while Aaron slowly guided his Gran to the kitchen.


    Judith didn''t actually need help once she was home. She needed his guide on the road because her eyesight wasn''t good anymore, especially at night.


    She looked down at her oldest grandson and sighed pitifully, ''I''m sorry that you have to experience terrible things at such a young age, Aaron¡­.''


    Judith first drank a ss of warm water because of the cold outside and then started cooking for her grandsons.


    Aaron helped her to prepare the tes, et cetera, while the three boys were watching TV.


    Judith was busy in the kitchen cookingte dinner around nine-thirty when she heard the boys in the living room ask in a loud voice, "Mommy, where are you going? Stay with us, Gran is cooking dinner!"


    Judith turned around and saw Chelsea wearing stuff as if she was ready for a night out.


    "Where are you going, Chelsea?" Judith asked.

 Chapter 609 609

    "Where are you going, Chelsea?" Judith asked. "It''s so cold out there."


    "It''s none of your business, you old bitch," Chelsea replied curtly."


    "CHELSEA!" Judith snapped when she heard Chelsea could easily curse in front of her children. It wasn''t the first time Chelsea did it, but Judith would always snap and yell at her for doing so.


    Chelsea looked over her shoulder and scoffed, "You''re going to be homeless soon. I suggest you not yell at me, and that includes all of you¡ª" Chelsea looked down at her sons. "¡ªif any of you dare to make a mess or noises at home, I will fucking kick all of you out or sell you to some ck market organ dealer. I don''t have time to take care of four little shits at the same time."


    Judith was speechless, while the boys were too terrified to say anything to their mother, especially when their mother smirked while looking down at them. She was like a monster, ready to swallow them whole if they dared to make a noise. They just nodded and lowered their eyes.


    "Good," Chelsea walked over to their small children and then to the front door. "You guys can eat that meat or whatever. That kind of dinner is so beneath me, ew," Chelsea said.


    After all, she would be meeting with Vincent soon. She believed Vincent would bring her to a fancy restaurant, maybe fine dining. It would be a great treat for her since she had to endure eating peasants'' food cooked by her mother for so long.


    ''Mm, Tommy also never brought me to any fine dining restaurant before. This will be the first time for me!'' Chelsea thought. She almost squealed excitedly as she left her family''s apartment and went downstairs.


    She opened the main door, and her body shivered instantly when the cold hit her. But the energy from her sweet winter romance imagination helped her fight off the cold, and she walked to the park not far from the triple-decker apartment.


    It was a small park with a fewmp posts to light up the area.


    Chelsea saw only one person¡ªa handsome man wearing a suit and long jacket to cover himself from the cold. His hand was tucked inside the pockets on each side of the jacket. He leaned on themp post, staring straight while snow slowly fell around him.


    It was none other than Vincent Gray, the handsome man, the billionaire, the man that every woman in this world wished for in their dreams, and also the future husband of Chelsea Gray¡ªWell, Chelsea Davis right now, but not for long.


    Chelsea held her breath. Vincent Gray looked so ethereal. He truly looked like a handsome man from a movie, which made Chelsea fall in love again!


    She made quick steps towards him, unable to contain her excitement about what would happen soon.


    She approached Vincent, who was dazed, and then made a little surprise by hugging his arm, "Babe!"


    Vincent instinctively pushed Chelsea away until she fell to the snow-piled ground, "Ah!"


    Vincent frowned when he finally turned around to see who dared to touch him, and he was surprised when he saw Chelsea.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Don''t startle me like that," Vincent said.


    Chelsea pouted, but there was no cuteness when the ear-to-ear scar was so grotesque, especially when highlighted by themppost light.


    "Babe, you''re so mean¡­." Chelsea whimpered. She raised her hand and asked, "Help me up pleaseee~."


    Vincent was almost unable to hide his disgust. But he persevered in the end and smiled at her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, and Chelsea used the situation to throw all her weight on him until she fell into his embrace.


    "Ouch, Babe~ Why are you so naughty?" Chelsea giggled as she circled her hand around his neck and rested her head on his chest. She could feel his warmth, and it was all she needed to fight the winter.


    Vincent''s jaw tightened, and the veins on his temples popped as he was so angry because this filthy bitch dared to rest in his embrace. His whole body trembled underneath his suit and jacket, but again, he tried to act calm because this wouldn''t be fun if he lost his temper now.


    He gently pushed Chelsea away, but Chelsea hugged his neck tighter, "Let me stay like this for a while, Babe. You know it''s very cold, or¡­." Chelsea looked up and smiled, which only made Vincent''s hair stand up. "Do you want us to spend the night somewhere warmer?"


    "Let me go now, or I will change my mind," Vincent said harshly. He had had enough of her and her stupidity.


    But Chelsea didn''t see it as harsh or a threat. She got so excited when she heard that Vincent might ''change his mind.''


    ''Does that mean he has everything set in his mind now? Does he want to actually propose here? OH MY GOD!'' Chelsea quickly released her arm around his neck and took a step back.


    She tried to keep calm, but she just couldn''t, so she had that permanent smirk on her that disgusted Vincent so much.


    Vincent took a deep breath first.


    ''Bear with it, Vincent. This won''t be long. You will see some funny stuff after this,'' Vincent told himself so he could continue his act.


    "Chelsea¡­" Vincent called her name with his deep yet mellow voice. "I''ve been waiting for you here one hour earlier than our schedule. I¡­ I can''t shake off the nervousness, because I will meet you tonight for a special assion."


    Vincent almost snickered when he said that line because that was total bullshit. He came here ten minutes ago, but he reckoned these kinds of words would melt a stupid bitch like Chelsea.


    "W¡ªWhy are you nervous? It''s just me, I''m nothing special¡­." Chelsea said. Though she just yed along because she knew that Vincent would definitely 100% propose to her here, maybe with a ring as well.

 Chapter 610 610

    "It is exactly because of you," Vincent said. "You make me... terribly nervous. You''re very special in my eyes, Chelsea, maybe more than Chloe ever would."


    Vincent almost spat out when he said that. Because that was the biggest lie he had ever told anyone in his entire life.


    Chelsea was nothing special. She was always very average. She wasn''t as smart as Chloe, nor as beautiful. She didn''t have the same brightness and softness that made Chloe endearing in Vincent''s eyes. The only special thing about Chelsea was how deluded and ugly she was right now.


    ''Well, I''m going to use her delusion anyway. It''s time to show Chloe what kind of terrible thing will happen if she keeps avoiding me.''


    "D--Don''t say frivolous stuff. You know that I have an ugly scar right now...." Chelsea said. She kept baiting Vincent to keep praising her because she liked to get praised by the handsome and perfect man in her eyes.


    She grabbed Vincent''s hand and ced it on her scar, "See? I have a bad scar. I''m trying to get it fixed with stic surgery. But it would take time, I''m so sorry, Vincent."


    Chelsea could feel Vincent''s hand trembling as he caressed her cheek. Chelsea thought Vincent must be furious because someone dared to hurt his beloved. It warmed her heart. It also gave Chelsea reassurance that Vincent was truly in love with her.


    Though they barely had any meaningful interaction when Chloe was around, now that bitch was out of the picture, and Chelsea believed that Vincent could finally see what he had been missing out on for the past ten years.


    He had been missing the beautiful woman that would make him happy for the rest of his life.


    "I--It''s okay. You''re still the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen in my life," Vincent said. His voice became shaky because he tried his best not to spit on this woman''s face. This whole thing was too disgusting. He couldn''t wait to just end it as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, Chelsea took Vincent''s shaky voice as a sign of love because he was too upset.


    She leaned her cheek on his palm and asked, "I wish you can be more active, Vincent. I know that you love me, but I... I want more than just this non official rtionship between us. It''s time for you to move on and find a new woman to rece that ungrateful whore."


    "I--I understand," Vincent said. He pulled his hand from her, unable to bear having to feel the weird texture of her scar. "That''s why I''m here, Chelsea. I want to make us official. I want to forget Chloe."


    "R--Really? You''re really going to forget that whore?" Chelsea was genuinely surprised this time. She expected Vincent to at least defend Chloe a little because he seemed to be in love with Chloe for so long, and he looked so devastated when Chloe suddenly left. "I thought you loved her...."


    "I did," Vincent replied. "But I''ve been searching for her everywhere and she is nowhere to be found. I think she just wants to leave with her new man, so I... I have to move on as well."


    "YES!" Chelsea cheered out of the blue, then she quickly covered her mouth because she knew it was udylike to do in front of a man like Vincent. "Oh, I''m sorry. I was just too excited when I heard that. I want the best for you, Vincent, that''s why I''m happy for you as well."


    Vincent took another deep breath to tolerate her and took something from his jacket pocket.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chelsea almost fainted out of joy when she saw that small heart-shaped red box in his hand.


    "I want us to be a thing, Chelsea," Vincent said. He opened the small box and showed a diamond ring that sparkled under the light from themppost.


    "V--Vincent, that is..."


    "Yes, it''s a diamond ring," Vincent said. "This is one of a kind diamond ring, it is a hundred times more expensive than what I gave to Chloe back then. I just thought it''s very befitting for a beautiful and special woman like you."


    "Oh my god, I can see how special it is," Chelsea agreed. "It''s a hundred times more... amazing than what Chloe has."


    "Do you want it?"


    "Of course! Damn, I want to wear it and show it off to everyone!"


    Chelsea stared at the diamond ring with awe. Truthfully, she couldn''t see the difference between that special diamond ring versus the one sold in random jewelry stores. But that was just because she had never had a diamond ring in her life before, and Tommy was too poor to afford one.


    So when Vincent said this was a hundred times more expensive than what Chloe had, she just believed it because Vincent was obviously a billionaire! No billionaire bought a cheap or faux diamond!


    Again, Vincent almostughed at how ridiculously pretentious Chelsea was. She pretended to know this diamond ring was a hundred times more expensive than Chloe''s just because he said so.


    ''At least back then, when I presented Chloe the special made ring worth millions of dors. She just got anxious and said it was too expensive, and she was afraid to get robbed wearing it. It''s very sweet in my eyes...'' Vincent thought.


    He didn''t want topare Chloe and Chelsea since the winner was already obvious. But he couldn''t help it.


    He just imagined how different Chloe waspared to her degenerate sister. If she was as stupid and deluded as Chelsea, then Vincent would never look at her.


    ''Ah, I can''t wait to meet her again. I want to see her meek expression after so long. I miss seeing her begging to be forgiven while I kick her body on the ground. It''s such a good time,'' Vincent thought. He refocused at Chelsea again and smirked, ''Just a little more.''


    "So, Chelsea Carlson, do you want to be my bride?"

 Chapter 611 611

    "So, Chelsea Carlson, do you want to be my bride?"


    Chelsea''s legs staggered out of shock. She knew that Vincent would propose to her tonight, but she only expected him to make her a girlfriend or a fianc?? at best.


    But he seemed so impatient and in love with her that he couldn''t wait a little longer to marry her.


    "V--Vincent, this is too sudden...." Chelsea said. Though she already knew her answer. She just wanted to make it seem difficult for her to ept so Vincent knew how expensive she was as a woman. "I--I don''t know, this scares me...."


    Vincent wanted tough at Chelsea''s bad acting. She might say that she was hesitant and scared. But the greediness in her eyes,bined with her body trembling with excitement, was enough for Vincent to know how excited she was.


    But he had to y along to convince her further that he was serious about this whole thing.


    Vincent looked sad. There was a worry in his eyes, which excited Chelsea even more.


    "Don''t hesitate, Chelsea. You should know that you''re really important in my life. You''re beautiful and every man wants you! I''m afraid that if I don''t wed you as soon as possible, you will get snatched by another man!" Vincent insisted.


    ''Am I actually that irresistible?'' Chelsea asked herself. She had never found any man that wanted her so badly in life, so she wondered if Vincent was telling the truth when he said she was beautiful. But she quickly dispelled the doubt in her heart. ''Vincent is a rich, handsome, perfect man. Why would he lie about this? That means I''m actually a beautiful woman. Those men like Tommy are just too cheap and blind, because only a rich man like Vincent can see my beauty!''


    Chelsea was so ready to say yes and ept the expensive diamond ring. But she still wanted to y, "B--But, what about my scar?"


    "I don''t mind your scar. You''re still beautiful. But if you''re too insecure about it, then I will bring you to the most advanced stic surgeon in New York. You will return to your real beauty once more, and you can also get a little work done if you want," Vincent said. "Though, I will still love you either way."


    "I--I know that you will always love me, Vincent. But what about your family? You have so many family members, and they are all rich and well-known. What if they don''t want to ept me because I''m not born from a rich family as well?"


    "It''s fine. I married Chloe when she had nothing as well," Vincent said. "They have no right to say who I will marry. I can make them poor with only a snap of my fingers."


    "So, all I need is for you to say yes, Chelsea. You can marry me, and be Mrs. Chelsea Gray. You will get all the things you want in life," Vincent kept on persuading Chelsea until she couldn''t pretend anymore. "Do you want a private jet? A yacht? A million dor mansion? Do you want our wedding to be held in Dubai and our honeymoon in Europe? I can give you anything you want."


    Vincent''s bait finally worked because Chelsea could no longer bear to y pretend. She couldn''t wait to be Mrs. Chelsea Gray and be the center of attention of everyone in this world.


    People would shower her with praise, and she would be respected everywhere she went.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Thus, Chelsea finally nodded, "T--Then, I guess if you keep insisting like that, I have no more reason to reject you. Vincent, I ept. I ept to be your bride."


    Vincent finally smirked from ear to ear. He was happy that his n was 90%pleted.


    But he didn''t say thank you or anything to Chelsea. He kept the ring box open until Chelsea couldn''t hold it anymore and tried to snatch the diamond ring from the box to wear it herself.


    But before Chelsea could reach the ring, Vincent quickly snapped the ring box shut, startling Chelsea.


    "Vincent?" She called. "Is there something wrong? I thought you wanted to give that ring to me...."


    Vincent continued acting sad, "I do. I really want to put this ring on your finger. But I can''t because of one reason."


    Chelsea felt that her dream was only one inch away, so she started getting antsy, "Tell me what is it? I will help you to solve it," she said impatiently.


    "It''s about your family...."


    "My family?" Chelsea frowned. "You mean my mother and sons?"


    "Yes," Vincent sighed. "Look, I know that you''re a very loving mother to your sons, and a great daughter to your old mother. But I just can''t look past that."


    Chelsea felt an irritation in her heart right now. She was so close to getting what she wanted, but those little buggers were on her way.


    ''Fucking hell, even at this point, those little shits are still dragging me down,'' Chelseained. Not only was she being dragged down by Tommy for the past ten years, but also by her sons. ''How am I supposed to have a happy ending for myself when their presence keeps on hurting my chances like this?''


    "You see, I''ve decided to forget about my past, including my ex wife and daughter, Chloe and Mackenzie," Vincent said pitifully. "They''re dead in my eyes. I have no wife or a daughter now. I am a single man who wants a single woman with nobody tailing behind her back."


    "So you want me to...." Chelsea seemed to get what Vincent was implying right now. She didn''t want to sound cruel and udylike in front of her beloved rich man.


    Vincent stared deep at Chelsea with his viper eyes. He was ready to hypnotize her to do his bidding, "Chelsea, if you want to be my bride, then you must eliminate your family first. Kill all of them, and then we can start anew as a couple."

 Chapter 612 612

    "Kill¡­ all of them?" Chelsea thought she heard it wrong. Of course, she couldn''t wait to get rid of them because her sons and mother were nothing but pests that ruined all her chances of having a happy, fulfilling life.


    But there was never an idea of killing them all in her mind. She just thought that leaving them homeless was enough so she didn''t need to care for them and had her own happy life.


    "Can we just¡­ leave them alone? They can be homeless and that''s it¡­." Chelsea tried to negotiate, as she was unsure of this.


    Vincent''s eyes darkened. He didn''t have the patience for this, "We can''t do that, Chelsea. They will start making noises in public. Your sons and mother will invite those pesky reporters, and smear us on the Inte again. I''ve had enough of that, I just want a peaceful life with you."


    "Vincent¡­" Chelsea felt that Vincent truly cared for her. He patiently persuaded her to do this because he didn''t want to leave her alone, stuck with those dead weights. "I¡ªI''m not sure. What if the police got involved? I don''t want to go to jail because of this¡­."


    "Chelsea, do you not know who I am?"


    "Y¡ªYou''re Vincent Gray," Chelsea said. But she was unsure how that corrtes with this problem.


    "Exactly, I am Vincent Gray. I can do anything with my money and power, and that includes preventing you from going to jail," Vincent assured. "You don''t need to worry about going to jail when I can bail you out easily."


    Of course, Chelsea knew that Vincent could always bail her out easily. He had almost omnipotent influence in New York. He could hide everything, including the murder of four little boys and an elderly woman, if he wanted to.


    Chelsea''s heart started wavering. She was convinced that nothing would go wrong if she killed her family.


    But still, she never wanted to stain her hands like that.


    "I''m scared, Vincent¡­." Chelsea said. "What if I go to jail because of this? I don''t want to be left alone."


    Vincent felt things wouldn''t go ording to n if Chelsea kept hesitating. So he took the decisive action by stepping forward and then kissing her on the lips.


    Chelsea''s eyes widened, she felt that her soul had been lifted to heaven when their lips met, and she felt weak when he wrapped his arm around her waist and pushed her deeper into his embrace.


    Vincent deepened the kiss for five more seconds before separating his lips but still embraced Chelsea. He saw how Chelsea''s eyes got misty, and she was dazed after the kiss.


    "See how serious I am with you?" Vincent said. "I really want to marry you, Chelsea. I want to bring you around the world. I want to do everything sweet and hot to you. But I can''t look past your four children and old mother. So all you need to do is to kill them, and we can be together."


    Chelsea''s heart was pounding crazily. She couldn''t think straight after experiencing a passionate kiss with a rich, handsome, and perfect man. She felt that she could do everything just to experience that kiss again.


    Vincent knew that he had snared her. He leaned again, and Chelsea pouted her lips because she thought he''d kiss her again.


    But he dodged her lips and whispered, ''Kill them, and all your dreams wille true. Trust me, Chelsea. I am the man who will give you everything you want. Imagine what we can do next when we''re free from all the deadweights behind us."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chelsea swallowed her saliva. She had already discarded logic at this point. The vivid image of them having sex in a beautiful vi near a beach made her giggle uncontrobly.


    It was so beautiful that she didn''t want to wake up from her dream, not when she had Vincent hooked to be her husband.


    "Okay," Chelsea said without hesitation. "I will kill them, and then return to you. You will wait here, right?"


    Vincent''s smirk deepened, "Yes, I will wait here. It shouldn''t take you long to kill four defenseless children and an old woman, right? Don''t worry, things will be okay, you''re always under my protection, my love."


    ''My love¡­''


    Chelsea had nothing else in mind after that.


    She nodded and then smiled, "I can''t wait to spend my time only with you, Babe."


    "Me too," Vincent smiled before he pushed her away.


    Chelsea felt at a loss when Vincent separated himself. She felt cold again and couldn''t wait to get that warmth from her future husband.


    "T¡ªThen, I will be leaving now, wait for me, babe," Chelsea said. She took a few steps back while her eyes were still on him, ensuring he didn''t run away.


    With his hands in his jacket pocket, Vincent smiled at her and leaned on themppost, "I won''t leave you alone. Now go, do what you need to do."


    Chelsea nodded, finally turning around and returning to her apartment with only one thing in mind.


    Clean her family and have a fresh start with her beloved man.


    Vincent kept her eyes on Chelsea''s back, and he finallyughed when she was finally out of his sight, "Pfft¡ªHahahaha! How stupid!" Vincent was very entertained by her stupidity. "I just lure her a bit, and she actually wants to kill her family! Now that''s what I call as an interesting woman!"


    Vincent smiled pridefully as he fished something out of his jacket pocket. It was an old phone owned by Chelsea. He snatched it from her pocket when she was dazed by the kiss.


    He stared at the old phone, which had the picture of him as the lock screen wallpaper. Vincent scoffed with contempt. He dropped the phone to the ground and stomped on the phone plenty of times until the screen shattered. He picked it up again and threw it on the fish pond not far from his position.


    "Now you''re done for, stupid bitch."


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 Chapter 613 613

    [Warning: Violence.]


    "See what I can do to your family, Chloe. I kill them all, and I don''t even need to use my hand," Vincent murmured. His eyes darkened with maliciousness as he imagined his wife''s horrified expression when she realized that her little nephews and old mother had been murdered by her own sister.


    "This is your punishment for leaving me. If you still refuse to show up and beg for forgiveness after this, then I''ll show you something even more sinister, heheh¡­hehe hehh¡­." Vincent chuckled sinisterly before he turned around and drove his car away.


    **


    Chelsea felt her body floating as she walked back to her apartment. She didn''t agree with Vincent''s request at first, but she also didn''t want him to leave.


    She was close to obtaining the happy life she longed for, and nothing could stop her from getting that.


    She stopped in front of her apartment door, staring at it for a while, thinking of the soon-to-be bloody scene inside.


    ''It doesn''t matter,'' Chelsea told herself. She had four sons with Tommy, and he ran away when she was at her lowest. Chelsea wasn''t going to take care of four sons all by herself because that was honestly tiring. She also had an aging mother that was nothing but a dead weight. ''So it doesn''t matter if I kill them or not. They are all just a burden for me, and if Vincent said that he doesn''t want them, so do I.''


    ''All I want right now is my own happiness. I deserve to be happy after all the pain I experienced. It''s unfair if Chloe is the only one that has a fulfilling life.''


    Chelsea took a deep breath and opened the door.


    She saw her mother sitting on her wicker chair again, watching TV while waiting for her to return.


    Judith turned her head towards Chelsea and frowned, "Where have you been? Are you meeting someone?"


    "¡­" Chelsea said nothing, but right now, she felt that her aging mother was an annoying old hag that she wanted to shut.


    "Where are the boys?" Chelsea asked. She entered the apartment and locked the door. She took the key and pocketed it, making sure the boys couldn''t run away while she stabbed them one by one.


    "They''re in their room. They had their dinner already, you can eat the rest in the kitchen," Judith said.


    Chelsea walked to the kitchen, but her focus wasn''t on the food on the dinner table. She went straight to the area near the sink, checking the knives she could use.


    Judith watched her daughter''s back and then lowered back to the TV. She sighed and said, "Chelsea, maybe you should try to contact Chloe somehow."


    Chelsea paused, pulled the biggest knife she could find, and asked, "Why do you want to meet her? I thought she was dead in your eyes."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I was emotional¡ªangry and disappointed at Chloe because she cheated on Vincent back then," Judith confessed. "But I never want to get estranged with my daughter like this. I want to meet her again. I want to have a proper conversation so we can sort this o. Hopefullyly, I can persuade her to return to Vincent."


    "I see¡­" Chelsea initially hesitated to kill her old mother because she thought that leaving her homeless was enough, and she didn''t want to get her hands dirty. But hearing her trying to persuade Chloe back to Vincent, she had no other choice right now.


    She knew that deep down, she stood no chance against Chloe. If Chloe actually returned to Vincent, then she''d get ditched again, and she wouldn''t let that happen.


    "I don''t think you have time to meet her again, Mom," Chelsea said. She turned around and hid the knife behind her back.


    She walked towards an unsuspecting old woman on the wicker chair.


    Judith frowned, "Why not? Chloe is not a type who holds a grudge. Please, Chelsea, I know that you have a bad blood against her. But both of you are my daughters, I love you both equally."


    Chelsea stopped and stood behind the wicker chair. With a malicious smile, she clenched the knife behind her, "Because I don''t want my happiness to get robbed by that ungrateful whore. If you really want to meet her, then meet her in hell."


    "Huh, what do you¡ª" Judith looked up and saw Chelsea''s joker-like smile as she raised her hand. Judith saw a sharp knife in her hand, and her eyes were wide open.


    "DIE, OLD HAG!" Chelsea lunged the knife toward her mother. Judith was too old to fight back but could dodge the fatal strike.


    Thus, Chelsea''s knife stabbed her shoulder instead, "AHHHHH!" Judith howled in pain as she felt the sharp pain on her shoulder. Chelsea clicked her tongue and pulled the knife as quickly as possible.


    Judith fell on the floor, with fresh blood seeping out from the open wound on her shoulder. Judith tried to get up, but her legs already gave up, and the pain made her weak.


    "You''re truly an annoying old bitch. Just stop moving and let me finish this, I have to meet my future husband as soon as possible!" Chelsea yelled.


    Judith tried to crawl away from Chelsea, "What is wrong with you, Chelsea!?" She yelled as she tried to get away.


    "What''s wrong with me? Nothing," Chelsea shrugged. "I just want to make sure that I get what I deserve. He told me that he will give me everything as long as I have no more deadweight behind my back, so I have to kill you and those four useless little Tommys."


    Judith''s eyes widened; she didn''t want to think like this, but a terrible prejudice was in her mind, "Did¡­ Vincent told you to kill us all?"


    Chelsea smirked from ear to ear, "Spot on. NOW DIE!"


    Chelsea stabbed Judith on her back, and she screamed again. The second scream finally alerted the boys who were sleeping in their room.

 Chapter 614 614

    [Warning: Violence, slight gore, upsetting content, readers have been warned.]


    Aaron, as the oldest, woke up first. He quickly woke his younger siblings, "Mike, Nathan, Tony, wake up!"


    Aaron shook their bunk beds to wake them up one by one. They rubbed their eyes andined, "What''s wrong, Big bro?"


    "I heard a scream outside. Stay awake, I''ll check it out!" Aaron said. The boys quickly regained consciousness after suddenly hearing maniacalughter from their mother outside.


    They looked at each other, and their faces paled. They didn''t know what their mother was doing, but thest time sheughed like this, she got too stressed and beat them up one by one.


    "You guys wait here, I''ll see what''s wrong," Aaron said.


    He opened the door and then peeked from the small gap.


    He saw his mother sitting on Gran Judith''s back and then stabbed her a few times with a sharp knife. Blood sttered everywhere, and the knife was covered in blood each time Chelsea pulled it out.


    His Gran was still alive, but the little boy could see that her life began to float away from her body. Aaron opened the door and yelled spontaneously, "GRAN!"


    Chelsea and Judith raised their heads at the same time, staring at Aaron, who was trying to help his dying Grandma.


    "About time," Chelsea smirked. She pointed the bloody knife at her first son. "I''ve had enough of you, little shits. I want to have my own happiness, and you all will pay for it!"


    Chelsea got up, she had already stabbed her old mother three times in the back, so she was confident that Judith wouldn''t be able to struggle and would die anytime soon.


    Chelsea felt an unprecedented amount of joy when she saw the fear in Aaron''s eyes. Though he was a boy, Aaron actually had Chloe''s chestnut hair and sweet-doe eyes. It made him look cute but an easy target for Chelsea''s daily bullying.


    She couldn''t wait to kill Aaron out of spite of Chloe, and she would do the same for the rest of her sons because all of them looked like Tommy instead.


    "Come here, you little shit, I will cut your neck first!" Chelsea yelled. She walked towards Aaron, who was petrified on the spot. He was too scared to move. The image of his mother holding a bloody knife while smirking at him would forever be engraved in his mind.


    Judith felt that she had started to lose consciousness. She knew she hadn''t much time left in this world, but she would never let Chelsea hurt her grandsons.


    So she gathered all of her remaining strength and grabbed Chelsea''s ankle.


    "Wha¡ªArgh!" Chelsea fell to the ground face-first.


    Judith gritted her teeth and yelled, "AARON, MY PHONE IS ON THE KITCHEN. CALL 911 AND RUN TO YOUR ROOM, LOCK YOUR DOOR NOW!"


    Judith''s loud voice snapped the little boy out of his daze. He looked at his Gran, gripping his mother''s ankle as hard as possible, "G¡ªGran¡­."


    "GO!" Judith yelled again.


    The little boy felt that his heart was crushed. But he nodded and ran to the kitchen to grab Gran''s phone.


    "You¡ªLet me go!" Chelsea kicked Judith''s face plenty of times, but Judith hung on herst breath to protect her grandson.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Aaron returned with Judith''s phone. He gave Judith thest look before returning to the bedroom and saw how his Gran persevered despite being on the verge of death.


    The little boy knew from that day onward he would never forget how brave and strong his old Gran was, "Thank you, Gran."


    Aaron rushed to the room and closed the door, "B¡ªBig bro, what happens outside? What about Mommy and Gran?" Tony asked.


    "Yes, Big bro."


    "Big bro, I''m scared!"


    Aaron ignored his brothers and quickly grabbed a broom to block the door handle so it couldn''t be opened from outside. He looked around and saw a couch that Gran usually used to rest on after cleaning the apartment.


    "Push that chair to the door!"


    The boys looked at each other and then at their Big bro. But they didn''t dare to question. They just knew they had to follow their oldest brother''s order.


    Thus, all the boys worked together to push the couch to the door to barricade it further, ensuring nobody outside could open it.


    Aaron unlocked the phone and the picture of Aunt Chloe when she was still very thin¡ªabout a year ago¡ªhugging the four boys with a warm smile as Gran''s wallpaper.


    The six-year-old boy felt crushed in his heart since Gran always told him she missed meeting with Aunt Chloe and wanted to apologize because they had had a fight.


    Thus, Aaron pressed 911, and the line was connected shortly after, "Hello, 911, what''s your emergency?"


    **


    Chelsea gritted her teeth when she saw Aaron enter the bedroom. She looked down and saw the old bitch was still trying to hold her by hugging her ankle.


    Her white-yellowish pajama had been stained with blood, and she seemed to have lost her vision as she was on the verge of death.


    "Let me go, you bitch!" Chelsea finally kicked her old mother''s face, and Judith released her ankle. "Goddamn it, just die already! Why are you such a drag?!" Chelsea got up and grabbed the knife on the floor. She then rushed to the boys'' bedroom door.


    Meanwhile, Judith felt that she was only a few breaths away from death, and the only memory that shed in her mind was her time with Chloe.


    She might never say this and tried to treat her daughters fairly.


    But Chloe always had a favorite ce in her heart, mostly because Chloe was the one who cared more about her when Judith was at her lowest. Chloe was forced to be the ''mother'' in the family when she was a kid, doing house chores, taking care of her big sister, and also Judith if she got too exhausted or sick to do anything because Judith had to work three jobs to support them.


    Yet, Chloe neverined and always worried about her mother instead.


    A single tear dropped from the corner of her eye, and she said in her heart, ''Chloe, my daughter¡­''


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 Chapter 615 615

    Chelsea felt a sharp pain in her ankle. It seemed that she identally twisted it when that old hag suddenly grasped her ankle and made her lose her bnce.


    She winced in pain but continued dragging her leg towards the boys'' bedroom door.


    ''Just a little more, Chelsea. Just a little more and you will be Mrs. Chelsea Gray! All you have to do is to kill those four children, and you can return to Vincent. He will handle the rest!'' Chelsea pushed herself through her pain. Of course, it took a great deal of mental fortitude for Chelsea to kill her mother and, soon, her children.


    But she kept imagining Vincent''s handsome face as he stood under themppost, smiling at her with his hand open, and said, ''I''ve been waiting for you, my love.''


    That imagination brought joy to Chelsea''s heart. Somehow, she didn''t feel all that sad knowing that she''d be the one who ended the lives of five people today.


    "Well, I already killed one, there''s no turning back anyway," Chelsea grinned creepily.


    She stood in front of the door and knocked three times.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    "Aaron, Tony, Mike, Nathan,e out and let Mommy see you," Chelsea persuaded. She believed that her children were too young to understand, so they''d just innocently go out, and she would have time to sh them one by one.


    But there was no answer from inside. So Chelsea persuaded her son again, "Open the door now, and Mommy might get mad."


    ¡­


    Chelsea clicked her tongue, "You boys are testing my patience now. Don''t let me get in there."


    ¡­


    Chelsea finally lost her patience. She tried to open the door handle, but it got stuck. She tried to push it to no avail. So the boys were literally untouchable inside the room right now.


    Chelsea''s heart dropped as she finally realized that the boys were smart enough to barricade themselves and probably used a broom to lock the door from the inside. She started mming the door.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    "OPEN THE DOOR!" Chelsea yelled. "AARON, TONY, NATHAN, MIKE! OPEN THE DOOR NOW!"


    The younger boys were huddled together in the corner of their room. They were so scared that the youngest¡ªTony, started sobbing.


    It wasn''t the first time their Mommy would beat them. But the sound of their Gran''s shriek and the maniacalughtering from their Mommy was an ominous sign that they shouldn''t open the door or their mother would hurt them badly.


    Aaron was standing behind the couch and broom that barricaded the door. His hand still held Gran''s phone, with 911 on the line, "It''s my mommy," Aaron said as he tried to repress his fear because he had three little brothers to protect.


    "What happened to your Mommy?" The 911 operator asked.


    "She killed Grandma, now she wants to kill us¡­." Aaron reported.


    Chelsea heard that Aaron was conversing with a woman on the phone. Her eyes widened, and she banged the door even harder, "AARON! HOW DARE YOU CALLING THE COPS ON YOUR OWN MOTHER!"


    "The police will be here, Mom!" Aaron yelled back, though with a lower voice. He gathered his courage and added, "Mommy will go to jail!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "YOU LITTLE SHIT!"


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Chelsea started getting desperate when she knew that she had no more time. She should''ve confiscated Judith''s phone in the first ce, but she really didn''t expect Judith to survive after more than three stabs in her back. She always looked like a fragile old woman, after all.


    "DO YOU WANT YOUR MOTHER TO ROT IN JAIL? YOU LITTLE SHITS WILL BE ORPHANS!" Chelsea yelled. "OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"


    Aaron''s body trembled, the 911 operator told him to stay on the call and tried asking questions to distract his mind, but Aaron was too focused on answering his mother at the other side of the door.


    "W¡ªWe still have Aunt Chloe!" Aaron yelled back. "She never hurt us, and she will take care of us!"


    "Chloe? HAHAHAH!" Chelseaughed as she genuinely found that funny. "You''re so gullible, you little shit! Chloe is a bitch! She''s a whore! She won''t take care of you! I AM YOUR MOTHER! BE GRATEFUL TO ME AND OPEN THE DOOR NOW!"


    "Never!" Aaron snapped. "You''re not our mother anymore! No mother will hurt us like this!"


    "The police wille soon, Mommy! You will go to jail!" Aaron threatened. Though his heart was aching because he had to do this to his mother, he knew it was either her or them.


    Because Aaron knew the moment he opened the door, his Mommy would stab them one by one, just like how she stabbed Gran until she died.


    Chelsea started panicking when she realized this wasn''t going ording to her n. She started getting desperate and banged the door harder, but Aaron went silent after that. He sat while listening to his mother cursing at him and his little brothers many times.


    Chelsea tried to kick the door, but it only sprained her ankle even more, and she lost her bnce.


    "Argh!" Chelsea fell on the floor again. This time, she felt excruciating pain in her ankle. She stared at the door and started crying.


    Her voice softened, and she said, "Boys, open the door. It''s your mother. Please help me. I think I got hurt¡­."


    Aaron stayed on his ground, not wanting to open the door after witnessing his mother''s cruelty. But his little brothers were too little to understand. They approached their oldest bro and asked, "Big bro, Mommy is hurt¡­."


    "Yeah, she''s hurt."


    "We got to help her¡­."


    "No," Aaron refused. His doe eyes turned sharp as he said, "Mommy is evil. She will kill us all."


    "Kill?"


    Aaron nodded and tried to prove it to his little brothers by yelling at his mother, "We''re not going to open the door, Mom! You''ll go to jail! You killed Gran, I saw with myself!"


    "YOU PIECE OF SHIT! OPEN THE DOOR AND I''LL FUCKING SLIT YOUR THROAT!"


    The other boys jumped out of fright when they heard their mother suddenly snap and threaten them, just like their oldest brother said.

 Chapter 616 616

    They hid behind Aaron''s back and stared at the barricaded door. The couch and the broom were the only two things stopping their mother from killing them.


    Aaron was still on the line with the 911 operator. After a long silence, the operator assured him, "The officers will arrive soon. Stay with me, okay?"


    **


    Chelsea knew that she was done for. She failed to kill her sons, but she also couldn''t escape jail time because when she looked over her shoulder, she saw her mother''s lifeless body.


    She gritted her teeth, "I refuse to end in jail. I deserve my happy life with Vincent!"


    Chelsea struggled to get up and then walked away. She walked over to her mother''s dead body and opened the front door with the key in her pocket.


    She knew the police would eventuallye to her house and arrest her for murder, but she had her own Superman to save her.


    She didn''t have time to wear shoes. Besides, her sprained ankle was in so much pain it''d probably only hinder her step.


    She walked out of the triple-decker apartment and winced when her bare feet stepped on the snow. She looked around and was a little relieved there were no police around yet.


    She headed to the park, where she had met Vincent about an hour ago. She tried to reach her pocket to use her phone, so she could call her beloved future husband, but she couldn''t find it.


    "W¡ªWhere is my phone?" Chelsea asked herself. "Did I drop it somewhere? Did it identally slip out of my pocket when I killed that old hag?"


    Chelsea twisted her back to look at the apartment behind her. She gritted her teeth, there was no more time, and she doubted she could climb the staircase as fast as possible with a sprained ankle.


    So she decided to walk to the park where her beloved Vincent was waiting.


    "I¡ªI failed, but I know that he will help me," Chelsea said as she pushed herself to continue walking.


    There was a trace of blood on the snowy ground, but that wasn''t hers. It was her mother''s blood that pooled on the floor, and Chelsea stepped on it when she tried to make a run.


    She could hear the sirening from at least three police cars as she walked away from her house. Fortunately, they didn''t see Chelsea in the middle of a dark road. They just raided the apartment as soon as possible, giving time for Chelsea to finally reach the park.


    "Vincent will tell those cops to go, and he will protect me. He will never allow me to go to jail, just as he promised," Chelsea kept telling herself because she was so scared. "I¡ªI will try to kill those little shits again if I get another chance. But I have to reach him now or else they''ll catch me."


    Chelsea finally reached the spot where she met Vincent. There was a big smile as she expected Vincent to be there, waiting for her.


    But her smile quickly faltered when she saw nobody under themppost. There was no sight of that handsome man with a suit and long jacket, smiling at her with his arms open.


    "M¡ªMaybe he changes his spot somewhere. It''s so cold after all," Chelsea tried to maintain her hope. She started looking around for Vincent. She ignored the pain in her leg and called his name many times.


    "Vincent, where are you?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Vincent,e out now. I¡ªI failed to kill my sons. I sessfully killed my mother. That''s good enough, right?"


    "Vincent, please help me, that little shit¡ªAaron, called the cops, they''re raiding my apartment now, and they''ll probably find me soon."


    "Vincent, please, I need you¡­ Vincent¡­"


    Chelsea felt that her legs had given up on her. She slumped on the snowy ground, feeling hopeless as the realization soon shattered her dream.


    She darted to the spot where Vincent had parked his car before, and it was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    Thus, Chelsea finally understood that she had been tricked by Vincent into killing her own family in exchange for love.


    "So it was all lies¡­." Chelsea murmured depressingly. "All of your sweet words, all of your promises were all fake¡­."


    Chelsea remembered her younger days when she fell in love with Tommy.


    She had just graduated from university, searching for a job. She bumped into Tommy in one coffee shop after feeling awful jealousy since she had to witness her sister marrying the handsome, young, and rich Vincent Gray.


    Tommy was also a fresh graduate, looking for a job just like her. He wasn''t handsome or charming. He wasn''t even rich.


    But he had a trait that was simr to Vincent, and that was his politeness.


    Tommy was very polite and soft-spoken, which gave him the air of a refined man. Chelsea quickly fell into it because she thought that Tommy would eventually be like Vincent if he tried hard enough while finding jobs.


    She was naive and got pregnant a yearter, so they had to marry out of wedlock.


    Chelseaughed, "I was thinking about you when I had sex with that bastard Tommy. You''re the man in my dream, Vincent Gray. I can''t even hide my envy and anger whenever I see you with Chloe," Chelsea confessed. "I feel like I could w that bitch''s face because she doesn''t deserve a man like you. You belong with me! You belong to marry a woman that has been in love with you since we were young!"


    "So I¡ªI was so happy when you finally put me in your eyes after Chloe left. I thought¡­ it''s finally my time to have you¡­." Chelsea murmured. "But it was all a trick, huh? You never put me in your eyes, you just want to see me suffer¡­."


    "¡­ Vincent... my Vincent, I love you so much. Why did you do this to me? WHY?!"


    Chelsea felt something in her mind snapped, and she howled in the middle of the night.


    The police finally found her crying,ughing, and screaming Vincent''s name.


    She became truly mad.

 Chapter 617 617

    The officers started searching through the apartment. The first thing they found was the lifeless body of an old woman that had been stabbed in the back at least three times. They shrouded her lifeless body as soon as possible and then started investigating.


    There were bloodied footsteps all over the floor, presumably from the killer, which based on the 911 call from the child, was done by the crazed mother.


    The officers came in six, and four were dispatched to track the mother, who already ran away. Meanwhile, the two officers followed the bloodied footsteps that led to a locked door.


    The officers stood at each side of the door. They looked at each other for a split second before the male officer tried to open the door, which surprisingly was locked inside.


    Thus, the female officer tried to knock on the door.


    "W¡ªWho''s there!?"


    They heard a boy''s voice, presumably around six or seven years old. They also heard gasps from other boys inside the room. So they quickly identified them as the sons who called 911.


    "This is the police. You can open the door now," the female officer said.


    "H¡ªHow about our mother? Where is she?" Aaron asked while on full guard.


    "She ran away, the other officers are searching for her," the male officer replied. "Please open the door. It''s okay, it''s all safe now."


    Aaron looked over his shoulder and saw her little brothers hiding behind him. They were so scared they didn''t even dare to speak.


    "We are safe now. Nothing will hurt us anymore," Aaron said as he tried to pacify his brothers.


    "But what will we do next, Big bro? Mommy is evil, Gran is¡­." Nathan almost cried when he remembered all the evil screams and curses that their Mommy had made before. Their Mommy imed that she killed Gran with a knife, and their big brother had also witnessed Gran''s death.


    Aaron went silent for a while and then replied, "We have Boss Mackie. We also have Aunt Chloe. She will protect us."


    "She will?"


    "She promises me that she will¡­." Aaron said. Though he was just a child, he could sense that Aunt Chloe was genuine to them and seemed happy taking care of them as well.


    "Um, okay then, let''s go to Aunty. She will take care of us¡­."


    "Yeah, I miss Aunty."


    "I want to eat her cooking again¡­."


    Thus, the boys were pacified by the idea that their Aunt would care for them.


    Truthfully, they always had more fun and joy whenever their Mommy shoved them all to Aunt Chloe, so they had to spend the whole day with her.


    She was very patient and sweet, but she also looked fragile. So the boys dared not make too much of a mess because they didn''t want to make their Aunt sad, and Boss Mackie would scold them if they did.


    After the boys were pacified, they worked together to push the couch away and then pulled the broom to unlock the door.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Aaron opened the door from inside and slowly pushed the door open.


    The officers saw four boys, the biggest one at the front, while his little brothers hid behind him. They looked terrified, but thankfully, none of them seemed to get hurt.


    They crouched to cover the sight of the boys, then each carried two boys in their arms.


    "Close your eyes now, okay?" The officer instructed, making sure they wouldn''t be able to see their grandmother''s corpse.


    The three younger ones covered their eyes instantly, but Aaron refused to.


    He rested his chin on the officer''s shoulder and stared at the corpse of his Gran that had been covered with a ck shroud.


    He already saw her dying, so it didn''t disturb him too much after the first shock.


    But the image of his crazed mother and Gran struggling to save Aaron by holding his crazy mother''s ankle would haunt the little boy''s dream. It was a nightmare worthy of a lifetime.


    The officers put them inside their car and said, "We''re going to the police station where it''s very safe. You guys can rest assured."


    The little boys nodded and sat silently while Aaron asked, "What about Mommy? Will she go to jail?"


    "¡­" The officers looked at each other and replied, "We will see."


    "Please don''t let my mother see us anymore," Aaron asked. "She wants to kill us. I don''t want my brothers to get hurt either¡­."


    The officers were shocked by how much understanding this six-year-old boy had. They pitied him so much, knowing Aaron must''ve gone through a lot since he was the oldest.


    He was probably the one who witnessed everything and also called 911. It must''ve taken a huge mental toll on him.


    "She will never see all of you anymore. She will be in jail¡­ for a long time," the officer said. They also got the news from the other officer that they had found the mother crying and howling like a madwoman in the middle of the park.


    She kept yelling Vincent Gray''s name for an unknown reason, so they''d have to investigate further for the motive of the murder of an elderly woman and attempted murder of four little boys, something that was unthinkable to be done by a mother.


    The officers didn''t want the little boys to see their mother because they might get hysterical, so they drove away before the officers who arrested Chelsea returned.


    **


    The boys were escorted to a different room, but the younger ones were allowed to rest. So they only interviewed the oldest one.


    Aaron told them everything, from the moment their mother became a bit weird after their father''s abandonment to the attack that led to her disfigured face, Uncle Vincent Gray''s help for the family, and then the abuse they suffered under her hands.


    He told them about the murder of his Gran and also how their mother tried to open the door to no avail because the boys had already barricaded it.

 Chapter 618 618

    After all this interview, the police asked, "Do you have any family you can call?"


    Truthfully, the police didn''t expect the little boy to have any contact or living rtives. Based on their investigation, his father abandoned them, and he also had no living rtives.


    Meanwhile, the mother''s side had Vincent Gray and his wife, which they discovered to be named Chloe Gray.


    But they couldn''t give the four boys with Vincent Gray now because of his status as a suspect since Chelsea kept on yelling his names repeatedly until she almost lost her voice.


    Meanwhile, they got no contact with Chloe Gray. It seemed they had been estranged as well.


    Aaron paused briefly and nodded slowly, "I want to meet my Aunt."


    "Your Aunt?"


    "Mm, Aunt Chloe¡­" Aaron said. "She is Mommy''s sister. Uncle Vincent''s wife."


    The police sighed, "I''m sorry, young man. But we don''t have her number, and we don''t know if your Uncle Vincent will allow us to meet her."


    Aaron shook his head, "Uncle and Aunt had a fight. Aunt is living alone right now¡­." Aaron replied as he remembered how his Gran wept nonstop for days because Uncle Vincent told them that Aunt Chloe cheated and left the house, which Aaron didn''t believe.


    Because Aunt Chloe was very kind, just the idea of her hurting someone was just unthinkable.


    "I see¡­" the office coughed once to relieve the awkwardness and added, "Still, we don''t have her contact. We can''t call her."


    "Um¡­ I have it¡­." Aaron said. He fished a piece of paper inside his breast pocket and then gave it to the officer. "Please call this number, Sir. I met Aunt Chloe in the hospital today, and she gave me that number in case I needed help."


    "And I¡­ I need help¡­." Aaron said with a low voice. He lowered his head ashamedly, and his body started shaking as he felt vulnerable. "I want to meet Aunt Chloe. I really want to see her right now."


    The officer picked up the piece of paper and read the number written inside.


    He gave the little boy a pitiful look. He must''ve trusted his Aunt a lot to be looking for her to find safety in his heart after a painful night.


    So he nodded, "Let me call her. Please wait here."


    The officer left the investigation room and used his phone to call the number.


    **


    Chloe felt restless tonight.


    She had been feeling restless since dinner ended, because she argued with Vernon about keeping the boys with her because Chelsea was abusive towards her children. But Vernon rejected the idea of allowing them to live here¡ªin the Phoenix Tower.


    Because he didn''t want to raise any suspicion from Vincent, especially not at a crucial moment like this when he already nned to go full throttle tounch many of his secret projects to topple his Big Brother''s businesses.


    She knew that Vernon was the voice of logic, and she might be using her emotion a bit too much. But she just couldn''t bear to see her little nephews get beaten by Chelsea.


    She stared at the ceiling, thinking about Aaron, who had been pped so hard by Chelsea today that his cheek was swollen when she met him.


    She had a feeling that something terrible would happen soon, and she couldn''t save the boys when they needed her.


    Chloe checked her phone, thinking of unblocking her mother and Chelsea to see if they could negotiate about the boys. But then she remembered Chelsea''s anger when she saw her, so there was no room for negotiation.


    "Heck, I think Chelsea will only beat the boys even harder if I call her to talk about it¡­." Chloe sighed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She was idle for a while, staring at the ceiling, until there was a phone call.


    "Is it Dorothea? Does she need something?" Chloe wondered. She grabbed her phone and checked the caller, then frowned when she saw an unknown number.


    She became cautious whenever a random number appeared on her phone after knowing Vincent was searching for her.


    But her gut feeling told her she had to pick this up, or she''d regret it.


    So she took a deep breath and epted the call.


    ¡ª


    "H¡ªHello, who is this?" Chloe asked.


    "Good evening, am I speaking with Mrs. Chloe Gray?"


    "Ah¡ª" It had been a while since someone called her Chloe Gray since she had abandoned thatst name.


    "Oh, pardon me, my name is Officer Derek from the New York Police department. I got your number from your nephew named Aaron Davis, Ma''am," the officer said.


    Chloe''s eyes widened, "Police department?! W¡ªWhat happened to him? Is he okay?!"


    "Calm down, Ma''am. Aaron and the other three boys are okay, though they are shaken by the incident that happened."


    "What incident?"


    "¡­" Officer Derek took a deep breath and replied, "Ma''am, I suggest youe here and let us exin it to you. But I should tell you that the little boys¡ªespecially the oldest one, really need you in here, right now. Please pity them."


    "I¡ªI will be there as soon as possible!" Chloe sprung up from her bed and grabbed her jacket on the hanger.


    "Then I will send the address via text, thank you, Ma''am."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    The officer finally hung up, and Chloe quickly put her phone in her pocket.


    She grabbed her wallet but couldn''t find her car key.


    "Shit, I forgot that Vernon doesn''t allow me to drive alone anymore," Chloe panicked. "Then I have to borrow his car. Hopefully he''s already asleep."


    Chloe rushed upstairs to find Vernon''s car key, but she was greeted by Vernon sitting in the living room with aptop on hisp.


    Vernon frowned when he saw Chloe''s panicked face. She wore a jacket and flip-flop, indicating that she wanted to go out.


    He frowned and asked, "Where are you going? It''s almost midnight, and it''s freezing outside."


    Chloe tried to stabilize her breath before replying, "I¡ªI need to borrow your car, Vernon. I need to go somewhere."

 Chapter 619 619

    Vernon''s frown got deeper, and he said, "If you want to buy something from a convenience store, just call the front desk, and they will bring it to you."


    "N¡ªNo, I¡­" Chloe wondered if she had to be honest because she knew Vernon wouldn''t allow her to go if he knew the real reason. But she had promised herself to be more truthful to him, so they wouldn''t misunderstand each other.


    Thus, she replied, "I¡­ I have to go to a police station."


    Vernon raised his brows subconsciously, "Why? What happened?"


    "Something bad happened to my family. An officer called me, saying that Aaron gave him my phone number, because he¡ªand the rest of the boys, need me so much right now."


    Vernon''s eyes darkened instantly, "Did he call you with an official number from the NYPD?"


    Chloe shook her head.


    "Did he specify what kind of incident happened to your nephews?"


    Chloe shook her head again.


    "It''s a trap," Vernon said curtly. "Don''t fall for it."


    "B¡ªBut, they need me. Vernon, please let me just borrow your car and I''ll go alone."


    "I won''t allow it," Vernon tried to busy himself by returning his gaze to hisptop, indicating that he was not open for any more discussion. "It''s obviously a trap set up by Maria or Vincent. They''re using your emotion to bait you out."


    "But he called my number! You know that I''ve changed my number and none of them know about it!" Chloe insisted.


    "Maybe they got it in some way. Vincent has connections everywhere, Chloe. It''s not hard for him to find your phone number if he really tries," Vernon said coldly. "We will have to change your phone number again after tomorrow morning."


    "Vernon! This is serious!" Chloe yelled as she realized Vernon was seriously up to no discussion or negotiation. He ignored her words as if she was speaking bullshit right now.


    Vernon finally closed hisptop and got up.


    He walked towards Chloe and stood in front of her. He wasn''t trying to be menacing, but his cold face was enough to scare anyone, including Chloe, who got a bit intimidated.


    "And I am also very serious," Vernon said. "I know you have a high empathy. But this is obviously a trap, and I won''t allow you to get hurt, Chloe."


    Vernon remembered how much of an idiot he was for allowing Chloe to go to the Autumn Festival in Mackie''s previous school, which ended up with her getting beaten up so badly her right hand had to be put in a cast for a month.


    So he wouldn''t let that happen no matter what.


    Meanwhile, Chloe grew increasingly desperate. She had to see what happened with the boys, or else she would feel awful guilt.


    "Vernon, please¡­"


    "No," Vernon refused again. "I''ll have someone investigate Chelsea tomorrow, but you''re not allowed to leave tonight."


    Chloe was finally at her wit''s end, "Fine then. I''ll just call an Uber!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe rushed to the front door but wasn''t fast enoughpared to Vernon, who dashed to block the main door with hisrge body frame, "You''re not going anywhere."


    Chloe red at Vernon. She adored him so much usually, but she was in such a desperate situation right now that she simply found him annoying.


    She turned around, intending to go downstairs and leave from the door to her apartment.


    But Vernon quickly caught her waist, "Chloe, stop this!"


    Chloe looked over her shoulder and snapped, "Vernon, let me go now! I have to see them!"


    "You''re going to be in danger! I won''t allow you!" Vernon yelled back as Chloe started struggling.


    Chloe knew that she wasn''t on par with Vernon regarding strength. Thus, after so much struggle, she finally gave up and murmured, "Vernon, I¡­ I can''t just ignore them. They are my nephews. They are four innocent boys that I''ve helped to raise since they were just newborns."


    Vernon''s lips thinned.


    Honestly, he also felt reluctant to argue with Chloe in any way. Each time they had a fight or argument, Vernon felt there was a big hole in his heart that kept on bleeding until they made up.


    There was an urge in his heart to just allow Chloe to do anything she liked, even if that meant putting himself in danger because he did everything for Chloe anyway.


    But he couldn''t do that when Chloe was in danger instead.


    It gave him nightmares whenever he remembered how Chloe returned to him, beaten, yet still tried to pacify him not to find his Big bro to kill him instantly.


    "Can you at least stay for tonight? I will investigate them tomorrow morning. So you don''t need to worry," Vernon tried to persuade her. He pulled her deeper into his embrace and added. "I''m really worried, Chloe. I don''t want to make the same mistake by allowing you to get trapped by Vincent again."


    "I¡­ I can''t¡­." Chloe replied. "I''m sorry, Vernon. But I have a gut feeling. It tells me to find the boys tonight, or I will regret it. I''m sorry that my gut feeling might not be logical, but I can''t stop it¡­."


    ''That''s not a gut feeling. That''s probably her motherly instinct¡­'' Vernon thought.


    He sighed.


    He knewing with Chloe right now was probably the worst idea he could ever do.


    If this was a trap and they fell for it, then Vincent would find out that Vernon had been the mastermind behind all the instability in the Graypany and the one hiding Chloe for so long.


    It would be the end of him.


    Or even if Vincent wouldn''t kill him now, Vernon certainly wouldn''t be able to reach the height he wanted. He wouldn''t be able to crush Vincentpletely to the point that his Big brother wouldn''t be able to recover anymore.


    So it would be a lot harder for Vernon to give that full sense of security to Chloe¡­


    ''But I still won''t let her go alone¡­.''


    Vernon took a deep breath and finally decided, "Alright, let''s go now."

 Chapter 620 620

    "Alright, let''s go now."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, "W--What do you mean by that? You want to apany me?"


    "Obviously," Vernon replied. He released his embrace and grabbed the car key from the drawer. "I won''t let you go alone. It''s too dangerous."


    "But your safety--"


    "Yours is more important to me," Vernon said. He grabbed Chloe''s wrist, pulled her to leave the penthouse, and went straight to the basement, where the car was parked.


    Vernon asked Chloe the address that the ''officer'' sent just now. He was relieved that it was an actual police department near Judith and Chelsea''s apartment.


    Vernon drove the car while Chloe sat next to him in silence. Chloe lowered her head, ashamed because she didn''t expect Vernon to tag in.


    She just thought that Vernon would allow her to leave alone. She''d use his car or at least grab Uber.


    Vernon parked the car in front of the police department ording to the officer''s address, "Alright, let''s go in," Vernon said decisively.


    But Chloe held his wrist to stop him from getting out of the car.


    "You should stay here, Vernon," Chloe said.


    "Huh, why?"


    "Because someone inside might recognize you. I don''t want your life to be in danger because you got exposed toe with me."


    "And I don''t want your life to be in danger as well," Vernon clicked his tongue. "Why do you keep sacrificing yourself like this?"


    "I--I''m not sacrificing myself. I just don''t want all of your hard work to get wasted because of this...." Chloe tried to persuade him now. "Just stay here and let me check inside. Don''t worry, it''s a police station, Vincent won''t be able to do anything here."


    "..."


    Vernon was contemting for a while. He still wanted to tag in to protect her.


    But she was right.


    This was a police station full of legal officers. No matter how powerful and influential Vincent could be, he couldn''t make a scene here.


    "I will storm in if you don''t text or call me after ten minutes, okay?" Vernon set up a rule. "Just inform me if you''re alright inside, so I''ll be rest assured."


    Chloe nodded, "I understand. I''ll text you immediately," she opened the car door and then gave Vernon a quick kiss on the cheek, "Don''t worry too much about me, Vernon," she said before she closed the door and headed to the police department entrance.


    Vernon paused after he got the sudden kiss on the cheek. He watched Chloe''s back as she entered the building and rested his forehead on the steering wheel, "That image of you getting injured has been imprinted in my mind, Chloe. I cannot not worry about you."


    **


    Chloe went inside the building and checked in at the front desk, "Excuse me, I am Chloe Gray. I got a call from Officer Derek regarding my nephews."


    The officer at the front desk understood instantly. She escorted Chloe to meet a middle-aged, tall, ck man wearing a police uniform.


    "Mrs. Gray?" Officer Derek asked.


    Chloe nodded, "Where are my nephews? Are they safe? What happened?"


    "Follow me," Officer Derek said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe followed the officer inside his office and pointed to a long sofa where four boys were huddled together. They were already sleeping except Aaron, still wide awake, guarding his little brothers.


    "Aaron!" Chloe called his name spontaneously, relieved after knowing that Aaron and the other boys were safe.


    "Aunt Chloe!"


    Aaron felt that he had seen an angel who came down from heaven to save him. Truly, after a frightening night with his crazed mother, Aaron only had Aunt Chloe in mind. Because he thought at least he and his brothers wouldn''t bepletely abandoned as long as Aunt Chloe was here.


    He wanted to get up and hug his Aunt and cry in her arms, but he was still huddled with his brothers and didn''t want to wake them up.


    Chloe rushed to them and hugged them all in one big embrace, "Oh god, I''m so d that you''re all alright!"


    The other boys finally woke up when they felt a warm body embracing them.


    "Umm..."


    "Aunty?"


    "It''s Aunty!"


    The boys hugged her and buried their faces inside Chloe''s chest and arms. They were so terrified when their mother wanted to kill them. They thought their lives were doomed because they had nowhere to go after this. But their oldest bro assured them that Aunt Chloe wouldn''t leave them alone.


    Aunt was a good person and was always there when they needed her the most.


    Thankfully, their big bro was right.


    Aunt Chloe would never abandon them.


    The boys, except Aaron, started hogging Aunt Chloe all for themselves. They wanted a sense of security and finally obtained it with their Aunt.


    Meanwhile, Aaron only stared at Aunt Chloe. He wanted to hug her too, but he was the oldest and didn''t want to cry in front of his little brothers.


    Chloe noticed Aaron''s reluctance and said, "Come here, my boy. You''ve been through a lot. You need a hug."


    Aaron was hesitant at first.


    But he finally opened his arm and then hugged his Aunt Chloe.


    The warm and secure sensation hit him, waking him up from the nightmare of a lifetime.


    Tears dripped from the corner of his eyes, and he started sobbing to release the emotion he had been holding for so long.


    "I''m so scared, Aunty. I thought I would die...." Aaron murmured in between his sobs. "My Mommy... she is..." Aaron couldn''t continue his word anymore. He felt too sad whenever he remembered about his mother and Gran.


    Chloe''s heart was aching when she heard his sobs. He was the oldest, so he must be the one who protected his little brothers. The officer hadn''t told Chloe anything about what happened yet, but she could grasp it from the boy''s reaction when meeting her.


    Chelsea must''ve gone insane.


    "Ssh... you''re not going to die, nobody is going to die. I will protect you," Chloe assured the boys.


    She tried to look dependable because the boys needed it most. But she was also unsure of how to care for these four boys without Vernon''s permission.

 Chapter 621 621

    Officer Derek felt a little guilty for disturbing this heartfelt reunion. But he had the duty to solve this case, so he cleared his throat to signal Mrs. Gray.


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe looked over her shoulder, stared at Officer Derek, and then nodded. She turned back at her nephews and said, "Boys, I will have to talk with the Officer about this. You guys stay here for a while, okay?"


    The boys were reluctant to part with their Aunt Chloe. They wanted to hug their Aunt for the rest of the night, or forever even because they had been deprived of love and safety.


    Although he was unwilling, Aaron released her first, "We will wait. Please don''t leave us, Aunty."


    Chloe forced a smile. She was still thinking hard about how to convince Vernon about this, but she knew they just needed reassurance, "Don''t worry, I won''t leave you. You will meet with Boss Mackieter, okay?"


    The boys'' faces brightened after they heard about Boss Mackie.


    They missed her a lot and couldn''t wait to y with her.


    Usually, Boss Mackie would tell them what to do, and they''d follow her instructions because she was so much fun to be around. They adored and respected her a lot, though it was probably because Boss Mackie looked like Aunt Chloe.


    "Okay!" They said in unison. They finally released Aunt Chloe and sat obediently on the long couch, waiting for Aunt Chloe to take them.


    Chloe turned around, and her smile disappeared instantly. She followed the Officer to leave the room and said, "Hold on, Officer. I''ll have to text someone first."


    Officer Derek nodded, and Chloe quickly texted Vernon that she was safe and told him to stay inside his car so he wouldn''t get recognized.


    After all, he was already quite popr on the Inte.


    After getting the affirmative response she wanted, Chloe returned to Officer Derek. She asked, "Can you tell me what really happened? I know from the looks of my nephews that it must be something traumatizing. What happened to my sister and mother?"


    Officer Derek paused for a moment and then nodded, "It''s a tragedy. The reason I''m not telling you about this on the phone is because I''m afraid you cannot take it, Ma''am."


    Chloe took a deep breath. She knew that Chelsea had gone insane. It was already obvious since thest time they met. Chelsea looked so unhinged as if she could snap anytime soon.


    "I''m ready, take me to my sister and mother."


    "This way," Officer Derek said.


    Chloe followed the Officer who escorted her to another room, but this wasn''t an office that the boys stayed in right now.


    It was on the other side of an interrogation room with a one-way mirror. So they could see the interrogation room inside.


    "There she is, Chelsea Davis," Officer Derek said, pointing at the one-way mirror.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chelsea gave it a nce and gasped instantly.


    She saw Chelsea with a haggard look. She was wearing a blood-stained jacket and pants. Her hair was a mess, and the scar on her face only heightened the madwoman''s look on her.


    She was handcuffed with her hand behind her while an officer interrogated her.


    "W¡ªWhat happened?" Chloe asked, her eyes still focused on her sister.


    "It''s a murder case," Officer Derek replied. "She murdered your mother, Judith Carlson with three backstabs and a stab on her shoulder, Judith passed away soon after. She then chased after her sons, but they were smart enough to hide themselves in a room and barricade the door by using broomsticks and a couch. We found her in the nearby park. She was hysterical, screaming at your husband¡ªVincent Gray''s name repeatedly, and saying¡­ disturbing stuff such as how she wants to marry him and how he lied to her about their love."


    Chloe felt her world had been crushed when she heard about all this, especially when she learned that her mother had passed away.


    She was very close with her mother ever since she was young. Chloe always looked up to her mother because Judith was a strong woman. She raised two daughters while living in harsh New York City.


    She would voluntarily do household duties while Judith worked three jobs to support them when they were young. She''d always worry if her mother got sick.


    Thus, she was also happy that she could at least provide her mother a decent life after marrying Vincent.


    She kept her pretense of a happy married life before her mother because she didn''t want to break her mother''s joy of seeing her daughter happily married.


    ''I want to reconcile with her. I really do¡­'' Chloemented. ''I want to tell her all the bad things that Vincent did. I want to cry on herp, because I''ve been enduring his abuse for the past ten years. I tried to continue enduring, but I''ve reached my boiling point.''


    ''I know she will understand me once we have a heart-to-heart talk, but why can''t she listen to me? Is it because I''m not brave enough to tell her everything that Vincent did before I left him?''


    Chloe started to fall into a spiral of self-me and pity.


    But she quickly pulled herself together. She had to wait until she was in her room to cry freely and grieve over herte mother.


    This wasn''t the time to be vulnerable. She had to know the motive behind the murder to help with the investigation and bring the boys to safety. They went through a lot tonight.


    Chloe gave a nod of understanding. The Officer was a bit surprised by her reaction.


    She was obviously sad. Her facial expression said it all.


    But she didn''t wallow on it for too long and asked, "Did Chelsea say anything about my husband?"


    "Yes, Ma''am, and they are quite disturbing," Officer Derek replied. "I''m sorry if I sound rude to pry on your private life. But may I know if your sister has been obsessed with your husband?"

 Chapter 622 622

    ¡­


    Of course, she knew Chelsea had been obsessed with Vincent since Chloe first introduced him to Chelsea and her mother.


    Chelsea had been lovestruck and soon after started hating her for no reason other than jealousy.


    She thought that Chelsea would eventually grow out of it because she and Vincent had been married for ten years, but it seemed that Chelsea never grew out of the childish jealousy she had.


    However, Chloe didn''t expect things to get this bad.


    "Yes, Officer," Chloe replied, confirming the Officer''s theory. "My sister has been obsessed with my¡­ my husband since we were just teenagers. But I thought she''d grow out of it, especially since she had been married for nine years and had four kids of her own."


    "Did she show any kind of obsession on a daily basis as well?"


    "No, she was normal most of the time¡­" Chloe said. She didn''t want to give too much information to the Officer about her life because she knew it was very private and might be too scandalous. But she gave him enough information to work with. "I rarely meet her, but whenever I meet, she''d always be hostile towards me, even attacked me once. It worsened once she got that scar."


    The Officer had a lot of questions that he wanted to ask. But he also had to be careful because this woman was the wife of Vincent Gray, a highly respected businessman, and phnthropist. He didn''t want to get into trouble just because the questions annoyed a billionaire''s wife.


    "May I know if¡­ if your husband ever reciprocated to her obsession?" Officer Derek asked.


    Chloe understood what he meant. He wanted to ask if Vincent had ever had an affair with Chelsea. Unfortunately, the answer was no.


    Though Vincent was a serial cheater who''d fuck any woman he liked. But he was also very picky.


    He only wanted to sleep with a woman if he was physically attracted to her or if he would get any benefit from sleeping with them, such as connection, or letting that woman do his bidding, just like what he did by sleeping with Jaden and Mia''s mothers. He did it so they''d go crazy over him and willingly told their children to bully Mackenzie.


    But there was zero incentive for Vincent to sleep with Chelsea. He wasn''t attracted to her, and she didn''t give him any benefit worthy enough to get her fucked.


    It was sick, of course, but it wasn''t surprising for Chloe. Because the sight of Vincent fucking a maid in the mansion wasn''t umon for her.


    She thought it was because Vincent found that maid attractive, but it seemed he just liked seeing her reaction from her. Heughed in joy and satisfaction whenever Chloe became hysterical after finding him cheating, and he''d do it repeatedly just to get her reaction.


    Chloe''s heart ached. She couldn''t help to get upset about it because it was crazy that she could actually endure ten years of physical and mental abuse from that bastard.


    "Ma''am?"


    The Officer''s voice snapped Chloe out of her daze, "Ah¡ªNo, my husband never had an affair with my sister."


    "¡­ are you sure, Ma''am?" Officer Derek asked further. "Because the way she tells the story about him, it seems that Mr. Vincent Gray reciprocated her obsession."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe frowned, "What did she say?"


    "She told us that Vincent Gray is waiting for her. He already promised her a hand-in-marriage, and Chelsea Davis also imed that Vincent woulde to save her here."


    "To save her?"


    "Yes, Chelsea Davis told us that Vincent was the one who asked her to kill her entire family in exchange for a diamond ring," the Officer added. "It may sound bizarre, but looking at Chelsea Davis'' current mental state, it might not be impossible that she''d ept a crazy offer."


    "But Ma''am, you should know your husband and your sister better than I do, that''s why I want to ask your opinion about this," Officer Derek said. "It is up to your judgment if you want to deny all of Chelsea Davis'' im, because it does sound crazy."


    Honestly, Officer Derek expected Mrs. Gray to deny all those allegations about her husband and said that her husband was a loyal man with upright bringing.


    She could also say that her sister was delusional, and everything she said was because she was crazy.


    It was as simple as that.


    However, instead of quickly denying all the usations, Mrs. Chloe Gray stood silently, staring at her sister on the other side of the room.


    Chloe was contemting the Officer''s question.


    Obviously, the most logical thing to do right now was to lie about it. She should''ve just denied all the usations regarding Vincent. Because she was afraid the police would use her testimony against Vincent, which would anger that bastard.


    Chloe shuddered whenever she imagined Vincent getting at her. He''d beat her until she could only cower like a shrimp at the corner of the room, crying while repeatedly asking for forgiveness.


    However, her heart told her otherwise.


    She was 100% convinced that Vincent used Chelsea''s obsession with him to get revenge. He was probably mad when he saw the trending video on social media today. In exchange, he somehow had to suffer because he got humiliated online.


    Since Chelsea was the nearest and easiest target right now, it wasn''t surprising if he actually offered a hand-in marriage in exchange for Chelsea murdering her entire family. Of course, that was all just sweet talk to trap Chelsea, whose sanity had already deteriorated even before that.


    "Mrs. Gray, all you need to do is to say no and we will drop all the usations and suspicions regarding your husband," Officer Derek said. "We won''t question you further and will regard Chelsea Davis as mentally insane, so all of her words would be invalid."


    ¡­


    Chloe brooded for a long time, and her body trembled because her mind and heart were fighting against each other. She contemted whether she should save herself from Vincent''s rage by lying to the Officer.


    Or should she tell him that Vincent wasn''t as kind and generous as people thought he was.

 Chapter 623 623

    "Ma''am?" Officer Derek called her name again. He thought she was being dazed again, but the troubled look on her face said otherwise.


    It seemed that Mrs. Gray was contemting really hard about something right now, which was a surprise for Officer Derek.


    He genuinely thought that Mrs. Gray would defend her husband and said Vincent Gray was a good Samaritan. A respectable man that would do no wrong, and a man who upheld justice, all the good things that would eliminate him from any chance of bad press and investigation.


    ''Why is she contemting this?'' Officer Derek asked himself. ''I thought she had a good rtionship with her husband. I mean, I never met her once, and I don''t know what happened inside their house. But Vincent Gray always told the media that he is in love with his wife and daughter, that''s why he never wants to show their faces, because he wants to protect their privacy.''


    ''Did he lie about it? What if Vincent Gray actually did something to his wife like an abuse, that''s why nobody on the inte ever got the glimpse of Mrs. Gray?'' Officer Derek started theorizing inside his head. He observed Mrs. Gray from head to toe and refuted his own theory. ''No, there is no way Vincent Gray would abuse his wife. She looks so beautiful and healthy. I see no sign of trauma or abuse in her.''


    ''Then what''s with the hesitation?'' Officer Derek pondered. ''Did they have a fight and now Mrs. Gray wants to create bad press for her husband as revenge? Goddamn, that''s one vindictive woman!''


    Chloe finally opened her mouth after a while, "Officer."


    "Y¡ªYes, Ma''am."


    Chloe nced at the Officer for a moment and then asked, "What will happen if I say that Vincent might have been involved here?"


    "Then we will put him as a witness first," Officer Derek replied. "We''re implicating him in this case because Chelsea Davis keeps on calling Vincent Gray''s name, and says that Vincent wants her to kill her family in exchange for a hand-in marriage."


    "We know that Mr. Gray is a very important businessman. He is even a celebrity at this point. So we thought she was just being crazy and delusional. It''s not the first time we have to deal with the case of delusional fans doing crazy stuff in the name of their idols."


    "But, once we discover that she is rted to you, Mrs. Gray, we know that means Chelsea Davis at least has direct inws connection with Mr. Vincent Gray," Officer Derek said. "That''s why we asked you toe and see the situation yourself because I think you have the most say in this."


    "I see¡­" Chloe nodded. She thought that Vincent would be directly persecuted for this case. After all, Chloe was 100% convinced Vincent must be the mastermind behind this murder. He must''ve used his charm to trick Chelsea into doing such a heinous act.


    But he''d only be called as a witness, and with his charm, money, and connection, he''d just walk out scot-free.


    So the only one who''d be at a disadvantage was Chloe because Vincent would definitely hunt her down this time if she dared to say a thing to this Officer.


    ''I should just stay silent,'' Chloe said in his head. But her heart told her that she should at least try to disturb Vincent with bad press.


    More bad press meant more leniency for Vernon to do whatever he liked to gather his resources against Vincent.


    Besides, she also wanted Vincent to know she was a different woman. She wouldn''t be stomped so easily this time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But still, she had to do this carefully.


    "Officer, if I say that my husband isn''t as perfect as he looks in public, will you believe it?" Chloe asked.


    Officer Derek swallowed his saliva with difficulty. He didn''t have any bad opinion of Vincent Gray, at least. However, he did admire that man because he had done many great things, especially for charity. He had done it for years, so whenever people talked about Vincent Gray, everyone always assumed the same thing.


    -


    A rich but generous man, very respectable, and loved by everyone. He was also a great husband and father because he tried his best to protect his family''s privacy.


    -


    That idea had been perpetuated inside people''s minds for so long. Just the idea of him being something different could send them into confusion.


    But this was Mrs. Gray he was talking with. This woman knew Vincent Gray much more than everyone in this world.


    "I''m unsure, Ma''am," Officer Derek replied. "I mean, personally, I wouldn''t believe it, because it''s not something I''m used to hearing. But you''re his wife, so you should''ve known more than I or most people."


    Chloe nodded, "Indeed, know more, of course. I''ve been with him for more than ten years, and I''m telling you, Officer. He is far more sinister than any man you will ever meet in this world."


    Officer Derek held his breath, trying not to freak out over that usation. He didn''t want Mrs. Gray to tell too much of her private life, especially when all that he needed was a yes or no answer from Mrs. Gray initially.


    "I''m sorry, Ma''am. But I just want to know if you think your husband is involved in a romantic rtionship with Chelsea Davis, so we can either scratch his name or put him as a witness for this case, since Chelsea keeps mentioning him."


    "¡­ can you promise me that you will never reveal to him that I am the one who tells you about all this?" Chloe asked.


    Officer Derek nodded, "Your anonymity is also your right, Ma''am. We won''t tell him that you''re the one who tells us about everything."


    Chloe didn''t believe that.


    This Officer could confidently say that she was safe, but Chloe knew that Vincent had more than enough to crack any information from the NYPD.


    But she found another way to keep her anonymity.

 Chapter 624 624

    "I will tell you something once you delete my number from your phone. I also want you to tell him and his team if they ever ask, that the boys are still in NYPD custody, or tell him that they send the boys to a temporary foster house."


    The Officer''s eyes widened instantly.


    He didn''t expect that Mrs. Gray had to protect her anonymity up until this point. He thought that she was just a regr wife of a rich man.


    But it seemed the real Vincent Gray was terrifying enough to make his own wife try to protect her anonymity as much as possible.


    "Ma''am, are you... are you okay?" Officer Derek asked.


    "Promise me, Officer," Chloe insisted. "Guarantee my anonymity or I will never tell you a piece of information that will help you."


    Officer Derek felt tremendous pressure on his shoulder right now.


    It seemed that Mrs. Gray was befitting of her title because she was very oppressive, which was a surprise because her gorgeous face gave you the idea that she was an easy woman to bully or persuade.


    "Okay, I will do that," Officer Derek finally decided. He fished his phone out and then showed his phone screen to Chloe.


    He deleted his call logs and then put them back inside his pocket.


    Then, he pulled a piece of paper given by that boy and said, "This is the paper that your nephew gave me before. Here, you can have it," Officer Derek handed the paper to Chloe, and after all that, he asked, "Is it enough?"


    "Yes," Chloe nodded. She pocketed the paper and said, "Officer, my husband is abusive and narcissistic. He cares A LOT about his public image, to the point that he hired the best PR team possible just to make sure nobody dares to smear his name out there."


    Officer Derek tried to open his mind to this. Though he was a little weirded out by the idea of a different Vincent Gray, he had to believe her because she was the wife, "Go on, Ma''am. I''m listening."


    Chloe nced at the one-way mirror to check at Chelsea, who was rampaging like a madwoman again. She was angry at Chelsea for being so stupid, yet so cruel, because she killed their mother and wanted to kill four children just because of a false promise made by Vincent.


    It was so ridiculous in Chloe''s mind.


    "My sister is crazy, indeed. But she wasn''t always like this. She was a normal woman once, and she starts to turn delusional because Vincent startsing in and out of my family''s apartment," Chloe exined.


    "With you, Ma''am?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No, I''ve been separating myself from my husband," Chloe said. "It''s a long story. But the thing is... my husband doesn''t want me to leave. He wants me to crawl back to him. So he went to my family-side a lot and started twisting the truth to the point that my family started hating me."


    "Chelsea who has been in love with my husband for so long, naturally found an empty spot that she wants to fit in inside my husband''s heart."


    "And they had an affair?" Officer Derek asked.


    "No, I don''t think so," Chloe replied. "Vincent cheats a lot, but he is still very picky with whom he will sleep with. Chelsea has nothing that he likes, and he benefits nothing from sleeping with her. But he has to keep his close connection with my family."


    "What''s the point of him keeping a close connection then?"


    "Obviously, to force me to return home," Chloe said. "Since he can manipte my family at will, it''s not hard to see how much he could take advantage of Chelsea''s delusion. He wants to make her a ve that will do all his bidding, including forcing me toe out of my hiding by using my nephews."


    "..." Officer Derek had difficulty digesting all of this information. Not because it sounded ridiculous. But because it sounded logical and real enough, it made his stomach churn.


    It was too crazy.


    "Officer, have you checked any social media today?"


    "I have not," Officer Derek replied.


    "Then you should check social media, Twitter, Instagram, or anything, and then check the trending video. You will see the video of my fight with my sister," Chloe said. "And in that video, Chelsea got so heated, she imed that she is the future wife of Vincent Gray. The video went viral because of Chelsea''s joker-like scar, and also the fact that she tantly and confidently imed she is the future wife of Vincent Gray. Those are deadlybinations that make both Chelsea and Vincent the butt of a joke by everyone on the inte."


    "... so you''re saying that...." Officer Derek started getting a glimpse of the motive behind this case.


    "Yes," Chloe nodded again with confidence. After all, she was Vincent''s wife for the past ten years. She knew much more about his true personality than any person ever will in this world. "Vincent didn''t expect Chelsea''s delusion to backbite him and turn him into a joke on the inte. People startughing at him, calling him an idiot and such, and there is no way for him to delete that video online with his PR team when everyone must''ve downloaded and uploaded it everywhere."


    "He is a total narcissist that will never ept any kind of humiliation, and beingughed at by the entire world must''ve tipped him over the edge. It''s not hard to connect this with Chelsea''s case right now," Chloe clenched her fist while exining this. She felt nervous, scared that Vincent might suddenly break that door open and catch her spilling some secret.


    But she didn''t want to hold back. She wanted to get some revenge on him and wanted to help Vernon as well.


    "He must''ve asked Chelsea to meet somewhere, and actually persuade her with a false promise of hand-in marriage in exchange of murder. Since Chelsea is already insane at this point, she must''ve epted without second thought," Chloe said. "You should check Chelsea''s phone, you''ll definitely see many phone calls, or even text with damning evidence inside."

 Chapter 625 625

    The Officer sighed, "Unfortunately, Ma''am, we found no trace of her phone. Chelsea Davis said that she lost it somewhere, so we can''t find any evidence."


    Chloe''s heart dropped. Chelsea wasn''t usually careless like that, and her gut feeling told her she didn''t exactly lose it.


    It must''ve been Vincent''s doing, maybe he stole it or took it from Chelsea directly, but Chelsea might be unaware of it.


    "Then you should search for it," Chloe insisted. "I think she didn''t just lose it somewhere. My husband is a very meticulous person, he must''ve done something to retrieve that phone, because the damning evidence would be inside his phone."


    "We¡­ we will try to search for it," Officer Derek said.


    "What if you check on his phone instead. I believe you may find something¡ª"


    "We can''t do that, Ma''am," Officer Derek interrupted. "Mr. Vincent Gray is not a suspect. He is not obliged to show his phone because it contains a lot of privacy that we can''t pry on. He is just a witness, after all."


    "Damn¡­" Chloe cursed in a low voice. It seemed that Vincent must''ve nned everything at this point. Vincent might look and act recklessly, but when he had a n set in his mind, he would never tolerate any failure. There was a reason why Vincent could keep his name clean and his business running smoothly.


    It was because he became a coldhearted cunning man when he was serious, the same trait that Vernon had.


    Though she knew that she wouldn''t be able topletely ruin Vincent because of this case, she could at least get revenge by creating a buzz.


    "Then, that''s all, Officer," Chloe said. "Try to find Chelsea''s phone, and¡ª"


    Chloe paused for a moment and then asked, "¡ªMay I know when you will call my husband as a witness in this case?"


    Officer Derek answered without hesitation since this was Vincent Gray''s wife who asked, "The investigation is still ongoing, Ma''am. But we shall interrogate him here in three days."


    "Great, thank you for the info."


    "What are you going to do, Ma''am?" Officer Derek asked. He started to get suspicious because it wasn''t exactly a secret. After all, this case would go public soon. Vincent Gray would eventually be summoned as a witness during the trial because Chelsea Davis kept mentioning him. "Do you want to apany him during the interrogation? I''m sorry, Ma''am, you cannot do that. You may apany him during the trialter."


    "Ah, it''s nothing," Chloe quickly denied. "I just want to make sure."


    Officer Derek nodded, "Alright then, do you want to have a talk with your sister first? Don''t worry, she is handcuffed."


    "No," Chloe refused curtly. She had two reasons not to check on Chelsea.


    One, she didn''t want Chelsea to say that Chloe visited her with Vincent or anyone else. She wanted to go out of this case scot-free with the boys.


    Two, she didn''t know if she could hold the urge to attack Chelsea.


    Chloe was a very meek person in real life. She really disliked a fight or even an argument. She also actively tried to avoid them unless necessary, such as in her arguments with Vernon.


    However, she doubted she''d be meek and passive in front of her sister after what she did to her mother and four nephews.


    Chloe would probably lunge at Chelsea and w her face to make it even uglier.


    "It''s better for us not to be in the same room, Officer," Chloe said. "I will visit her once she''s been in jail or mental hospital."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Officer Derek nodded, "Anyway, you can go to the hospital three blocks from here. The body of your mother, Mrs. Judith Carlson has been put in the morgue, since she has no living rtive that could im her except you."


    Chloe''s heart was aching again once the Officer mentioned her mother.


    Though she had an estranged rtionship with her mother, Chloe always fondly remembered herte mother as a hard worker who tried her best to support her two daughters.


    "T¡ªThank you, Officer. I will check on her as soon as possible," Chloe said. "Can you escort me back to the boys? I want to bring them with me."


    "Sure, Ma''am."


    They returned to the previous room, and Chloe retrieved the boys.


    "Boys, all of you will be with me for some time," Chloe said.


    "For sometimes? Can we stay with Aunty forever?" Nathan asked.


    "Yes, I want to stay with Aunty!"


    "I want to meet Boss Mackie too!"


    "W¡ªWe can talk about itter. But let''s just get you boys a better ce to sleep tonight."


    "Whoo!"


    "Yay!"


    "Horrayy!"


    The three younger boys were so happy and quickly hugged Aunt Chloe''s legs and held her hands.


    Meanwhile, Aaron stood straight in front of Aunt Chloe and murmured, "Thank you so much, Aunty."


    "All of you are my boys. We''re family after all," Chloe said to reassure them all.


    She nced at Officer Derek, who had been standing in silence. There was an oppressive aura around her, "Remember your promise, Officer."


    "I will," Officer Derek replied. "But Ma''am, I will not be able to control everyone in here. The best I can do is to hide this for a few days, or maybe a week at most before child protection service asks about these boys, and I will have to tell them that they''re in your custody."


    "It is fine, a few days is enough for me to handle this," Chloe said. Though that was mostly just wishful thinking. She wished that Vernon could help her in this, mostly with documentation, just like he did for Mackie''s document to transfer schools.


    "Then, you may leave now, Ma''am," Officer Derek said. "Be careful on your way home."


    "Thank you, Officer. I hope this case will be solved as soon as possible, with the right trial for her," Chloe said, though she didn''t mention Chelsea''s name because the boys were here. "And watch out for that dangerous man. I believe he will do something with his power and influence, probably tamper with evidence."

 Chapter 626 626

    "I will make sure to be careful, Ma''am. We''re treading on a dangerous case right now," Officer Derek said. "I don''t want to make a mistake that might cost my job¡­ or my life."


    Chloe nodded, "I will leave now. Goodbye, Officer."


    Chloe left with the boys tailing behind her.


    Officer Derek let out a relieved sigh after she left. He grabbed his water bottle and drank the whole thing to quench his thirst. He was nervous when he thought about Vincent Gray.


    Honestly, he still couldn''t believe that Vincent Gray could be that dangerous. He just didn''t seem to be the one who''d do such heinous things as manipting a delusional, lovestruck woman to kill her entire family just because she identally embarrassed him online.


    He knew that public image was important for any public figure, but would you actually kill because of that?


    "It sounds so ridiculous, yet¡­ that woman doesn''t seem to lie either¡­." Officer Derek saw the seriousness in Mrs. Chloe Gray''s eyes. There was a certainty in her eyes as if she believed every word she said, and she urged Officer Derek to believe her as well.


    "If what she said is true, that means I have to be careful with Vincent Gray. With that level of crazy and narcissism, he will definitely do something to save his public image," Officer Derek said. "Only time will tell. Let''s see which one I can believe in, the rich and generous man who has been idolized by so many people for over a decade, or his wife instead."


    In the meantime, Officer Derek finally opened his phone again and checked Twitter to see the trending video Mrs. Gray mentioned.


    **


    Vernon tapped his feet impatiently as he waited inside the car.


    He kept checking his phone to see if there was a call or a text from Chloe again, then looked straight at the building to check if Chloe finally came out.


    He kept opening and closing the door because he was fighting the urge not to rush in and check on his beloved woman, ensuring she was safe inside the police department.


    "Fuck, I can''t wait any longer. One more minute and I''ll fucking raid that ce!" Vernon said. He finally opened the door and came out of the car. He was about to rush inside when he finally saw Chloe walking out of the building in one piece. She didn''t seem hurt in any way, which was a relief for Vernon.


    He made a few quick steps toward Chloe with a smile on his face.


    But that smile quickly faltered when he noticed four little boys tailing her from behind.


    Chloe''s heartbeat skipped when she saw Vernon''s eyes visibly darken, and his smile instantly disappeared when he saw the boys. It was obvious that he didn''t like their presence.


    Meanwhile, the boys also halted on their steps when they were faced with a scary man that red at them and also at Aunt Chloe.


    They quickly hid behind Chloe''s body, though Aaron bravely walked to the front and stood beside his Aunt.


    Vernon gave a quick nce¡ªor re¡ªat the boy standing next to Chloe before returning his gaze to her.


    "What is this?" Vernon asked.


    "V¡ªVernon, we can talk about thister. Let''s just go inside the car and let the boys sit at the back, right?" Chloe tried to persuade her lover. She circled her hand around Vernon''s arm and tried to pull him to the car.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But Vernon stood still while ring at the boys who huddled together in fear. Since Aunt Chloe was on that scary man''s side now, they hid behind their oldest brother instead.


    "We''re not going anywhere until you exin this to me about¡­ these," Vernon said while ring at the boys.


    Chloe knew that Vernon wouldn''t ept the boys easily, which would only bring him more troubleter on.


    But this wasn''t the ce to talk, and definitely not in front of the boys because it''d only hurt their hearts.


    Thus, Chloe lowered her voice and said, "Vernon, I can exin after we''re at home. Please, for the love of god, please let''s just let them in and we can return home. I will tell you everything in our home, okay?"


    Vernon''s eyes peered suspiciously at Chloe. He had a lot of questions in his mind right now. Naturally, the first action he''d take was to throw Chloe inside his car and drive away, leaving these boys in here because he knew the boys would only be trouble for him.


    "I''m not leaving before you tell me what happened, Chloe," Vernon said firmly, standing on his ground.


    Chloe started getting anxious. She nced at the boys and at Vernon. He really didn''t try to hide his hostility at all. It was already a miracle that the boys didn''t cry in front of him.


    But before Chloe could say a thing, Aaron suddenly interrupted.


    "Excuse me, Uncle. Aunt Chloe said that we can follow her home," Aaron said with no fear. "Please let use with her, we have nowhere else to go¡­."


    Vernon frowned and then looked at Chloe, "Where''s their mother?"


    "She''s inside, Uncle," Aaron replied. "She is with the police."


    "Inside?"


    "Mmnn¡­"


    Chloe finally took a deep breath and tiptoed, trying to whisper in his ear, ''Chelsea killed my mother. She also tried to kill her sons as well.''


    Vernon''s eyes widened. He darted back at the boys, and his lips thinned.


    He wanted to say something, but it wasn''t the right time, and he wasn''t heartless enough to leave these boys here when they actually had nowhere to go after a difficult night.


    ''Crap, this will be a difficult situation to tackle,'' Vernon thought. He was about to open his mouth, but Chloe grasped his arm as tight as possible. She stared at him with a pleading gaze that finally crumbled Vernon''s defense. It was just impossible for him to leave them now.


    "Tsk, let them in. We have a lot to talk about tonight, Chloe."


    .find_in_page[background-color:#ffff00 !important;padding:0px;margin:0px;overflow:visible !important;].find_selected[background-color:#ff9632 !important;padding:0px;margin:0px;overflow:visible !important;]

 Chapter 627 627

    "Tsk, let them in. We have a lot to talk about, Chloe," Vernon said, which sounded more like a warning for Chloe. He snorted and entered the car all by himself, unlike his usual self, who usually opened the door for Chloe.


    But she couldn''t care less right now. She was already d that she could give her nephews a safe ce to live. It was the only thing they needed right now. Chloe let out a relieved sigh. She turned around to face her nephews and smiled at them, "Boys, let''s go. You will go to our home, okay?"


    The boys were hesitant. They obviously sensed the hostility and annoyance of the scary man who drove the car, so they were scared that they wouldn''t be weed.


    Chloe sighed. Of course, this would happen. Vernon didn''t even bother to hide his displeasure, so Chloe crouched in front of them and said, "Don''t worry, boys. That''s Uncle Vernon, he won''t hurt any of you. He''s just tired because wworkslong days, okay?"


    The boys looked at their oldest brother, waiting for his decision.


    Aaron nodded, "Thank you, Aunty. We will believe in you¡­."


    Aaron looked over his shoulder tomand his little brothers, "Don''t be scared. We all believe in Aunty, right?"


    "Um¡­"


    "Yes, I believe in Aunty!"


    "Me too!"


    Chloe was relieved that Aaron was able to control his little brothers. So it wasn''t difficult for Aaron to persuade them.


    They sat in the backseat while Chloe joined Vernon at the front. Vernon said nothing. His eyes were staring straight at the road she drove away from the police department, but Chloe knew that he must be pretty pissed right now, and justifiably so.


    Because Chloe had intentionally ignored his warning and went as far as creating not only one but FOUR troubles for him to handle.


    Chloe clenched the hem of her shirt. She was scared that Vernon would yell at her again. She was toofortable staying with Vernon, who was always so sweet to her, that the idea of being shouted at by Vernon made her want to cry.


    But she had to be ready for everything because she had to protect her nephews. They had nobody but her, and if they were thrown into real foster care, Chloe was scared that they''d get separated.


    Vernon entered the basement and parked his car in the usual spot.


    "Put these kids into the tenth floor, give them a room right next to Dorothea''s. I will wait for you in the penthouse," Vernon said curtly. He got out before waiting for Chloe''s answer and mmed the car door.


    Chloe flinched and then checked from the rearview mirror.


    The boys were sitting in silence. They must''ve been scared by Vernon just now.


    "Boys, it''s time to get out, follow me, okay?"


    "Um, okay Aunty¡­." Aaron said as he opened the car door first.


    Chloe helped the boys to get out of the car and then headed to the tenth floor, where Dorothea''s suite room was located.


    The door right next to Dorothea''s room had been opened. Vernon had already told the front desk to prepare one big room for them.


    Kate entered the room with the boys tailing from behind.


    "Woahh!"


    "Wahh!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Wow, so bright! Shiny!"


    The three boys were excited when they saw such a sparkly room with a huge ss pane that showed the view outside. Meanwhile, Aaron followed his Aunt everywhere around the room as Chloe checked everything to make sure the boys wouldn''t hurt themselves at night.


    After all, they had to be left alone in here before Chloe could do something with the arrangement, maybe allowing them to sleep on the lower floor of the penthouse, it''d be nice if they could be around Mackie, so Mackie wouldn''t get so bored.


    After Chloe finished making sure everything was safe, she turned towards Aaron, who had been watching her intently.


    She crouched in front of him and said, "Aaron, I know that you''ve been through so much today. But you''re the oldest here, and you have to take care of your brothers."


    "Um¡­" Aaron nodded as he kept listening.


    "I want you to take care of your brothers just for the night, I''ll have to talk with Uncle Vernon and see what I can do. Hopefully, he will allow us to stay together, okay?"


    Aaron nodded, but he asked out of concern, "Will you be okay, Aunty? That Uncle looks so mad¡­."


    Aaron didn''t know the rtionship between Aunt Chloe and that scary Uncle. But since Aunt Chloe had already left Uncle Vincent, Aaron had a few guesses in his mind.


    "I will be alright. He won''t hurt me," Chloe said assuringly. He''s just mad because I did something without his agreement at first."


    Chloe got up and raised her voice so the other boys would listen, "Boys! You guys will have to stay in here for the night, okay?"


    "Un, okay!"


    "Yes, Aunty!"


    "Listen to your big brother, and don''t make trouble. If you''re hungry, just use the phone and press number 1, then say what food you want to eat, okay?"


    "Un!"


    "Okay!"


    "Yes!"


    "Um, Aunty, we already ate before the¡­ you know¡­ so we''re already full," Aaron said, not wanting to make it difficult for his Aunt.


    "I see¡­ but I won''t stop you boys if you want a snack and such," Chloe said as she felt that the boys deserved at least sweets to calm themselves after they went through, especially Aaron.


    He was only six years old, younger than Mackie. But he had been through a very difficult and traumatizing situation that no kid should''ve gone through.


    The boys rejoiced after that.


    Aaron thanked her, and Chloe reluctantly left the room.


    She closed the door and nced at the door next to the boys, where Dorothea was probably sleeping right now.


    Honestly, she wanted to ask Dorothea to at least watch the boys while she was away having an argument with Vernon.


    But not now. The boys and Dorothea didn''t know each other. She had to do some proper introduction before she could let them be together.

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    Chloe returned to the top floor and stood in front of the penthouse door for at least fifteen minutes. She was trying to gather her courage because Vernon must''ve been waiting inside, probably with a sour face and his arms crossed, ready to yell at Chloe for being so stupid.


    She really disliked fighting with Vernon in any way. Though he never hit her like Vincent, Vernon held a special ce in her heart.


    Just the idea of being yelled at could crush Chloe''s heart.


    "But I have to face her. I have no other choice," Chloe reminded herself. He took a deep breath and said, "Here goes nothing."


    Click.


    Chloe entered the penthouse, and her guess was right.


    Vernon was standing menacingly in the middle of the foyer. He stood straight, with his arms crossed on his chest. He looked pissed, even more so when Chloe finally entered the penthouse.


    Chloe swallowed her saliva with difficulty. She carefully approached the raging tiger and said, "Wait, before you say something, we should do this in your room. I don''t know how loud we can be. I don''t want to wake Mackie up and let her see this...."


    Vernon had a quick thought about it before nodding, "Come to my room, we will solve this tonight."


    Thus, Chloe walked towards Vernon''s room, followed by the giant behind him. They entered the room, and Vernon locked the door behind him.


    He leaned on the door while Chloe stood about three feet away. His eyes peered at him as he tried to maintain his intimidation in front of Chloe.


    He felt that Chloe started to do whatever she liked without caring for her own safety.


    "First of all...." Chloe said as she opened the conversation. "I should say thank you to you. I don''t know what I will do if you won''t allow the boys toe with us tonight...."


    Vernon scoffed, "They''ll be in foster home or under police''s custody for a while, and they will be okay. You don''t need to be Mother Teresa all the time, Chloe."


    Chloe gulped.


    She knew it was mostly her fault for bringing troubles into him, but she felt what she did was right, so she tried to argue back, "They are in danger, Vernon. You know how angry Vincent will get once he knows that Chelsea failed to kill all of them."


    Vernon''s lips thinned, "Tell me about the problem first. What truly happened between Chelsea and Vincent?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe paused for a moment before she began recalling the events told by the Officer and tried toe up with the most logical chain of events based on her experience dealing with Chelsea and Vincent.


    "The viral video from today''s event angered Vincent so much. He was ashamed because his public image has been smeared by Chelsea who imed to be his future wife. So he met with Chelsea at night and used Chelsea''s insanity and delusion to do his bidding."


    "He offered Chelsea a hand-in marriage in exchange for her murdering her entire family, Judith and the four sons of hers. Of course she epted because she was crazy in love with Vincent," Chloe exined. "Judith... my mother... She died after getting backstabbed three times. But the boys were smart enough to barricade themselves and hide inside their room. The Officer said Aaron, the oldest of them, called 911."


    "Chelsea was arrested, and now the boys are here..." Chloe lowered her head, feeling guilty that she had to keep asking for Vernon''s help. "You know Vincent, right? He is the type that will not tolerate any failure in his n. He will definitely hunt for the boys and kill them one by one, or at least traumatize them enough that they will never remember about what happened to their mother and grandma...."


    "So please, Vernon. I''m begging you, please let them stay here. They need protection. They have nobody but me and I can''t just let them die in Vincent''s hand!" Chloe begged. Her voice began to get shaky because she was holding her tears.


    She kept imagining Vernon kicking the boys out because he didn''t want any more trouble.


    It was his right, honestly, and Chloe couldn''t fight him if he wanted to do that. After all, they were still technically living on Vernon''s property, so it was all Vernon''s right to do whatever.


    But she also had a firm belief that Vernon wasn''t that coldhearted. He might have an imposing figure and an intimidating aura, but he could be gentle, just like how he treated Chloe and Mackie.


    Vernon took a deep breath. He tried his best not to raise his voice in front of Chloe, knowing that it might trigger her trauma, "You''re being very careless, Chloe. You allow your emotion clouding your judgment. Do you know what kind of danger you just put yourself in? You''re going to be targeted by Vincent directly!"


    "But I already told the Officer not to say my name if any of Vincent''s men asked about the boys'' whereabouts!" Chloe defended herself. "I told them to say that the boys are in foster care right now!"


    "Do you really think those goons will trust that Officer? Oh, don''t be so naive, Chloe," Vernon sneered. "Vincent will search for the boys, and I can do so much to protect you and everyone without exposing myself."


    "And what would you do if the Child Protection Service tried to find them? They are government-owned, it''d be difficult for me to tamper with them!" Vernon began to raise his voice unknowingly. "I''m doing everything I could to protect you from that bastard, but you can''t keep making things hard for me, Chloe!"


    Chloe jolted when Vernon raised his voice. She tried to keep her calm as she didn''t want to be seen as weak in front of him. But her face paled instantly, and Vernon noticed it.


    He clenched his fist, trying not to rush to Chloe to hug her. There was an urge to just drop this whole thing and apologize to Chloe, but he couldn''t let her keep being reckless!


    Chloe tried to maintain herposure. Despite his protest, Chloe still believed that she was doing the right thing.


    Thus she said, "I--I will find a way to solve this problem myself. P--Please let them stay for a while until I can find a way, okay?

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    "What will you do to help them? What will you do when CPSes to ask us about those kids? What will you do about their schools? Do you think it''s easy to manipte data like what I did with Mackie''s?" Vernon started attacking Chloe with the truth about the whole thing. "You''re too naive, Chloe. You don''t know what you''re talking about!"


    Chloe gasped. She started staggering as her knees felt weak.


    Vernon was right.


    She had zero idea of what to do to protect the boys. All she did was bring trouble into their small family because she got emotional watching how the boys must''ve been traumatized after the whole incident.


    "I¡ªI will find a way¡­." Chloe said shakily. Even though she didn''t believe in herself right now.


    "Why don''t you just return those kids to the police station and let them handle this? I''m sure they''d put those kids in a right foster home," Vernon said ruthlessly.


    "I can''t do that!" Chloe snapped. Just the idea of them having to go through another strenuous phase in life as foster kids and possibly getting separated was enough to make her upset. She didn''t know if it was her mother''s instinct kicking, but she would do anything to prevent that from happening. "Vernon, can we find a middle ground in this? Maybe I can do something to help while you''re handling those boys. You know I can''t leave them, right? They''re my nephews, I see them as my sons as well¡­."


    Vernon was beyond pissed right now, but he couldn''t be angry at his beloved either. He was conflicted between tolerating everything that Chloe did or yelling at her for being so illogical.


    But in the end, he just couldn''t handle it anymore, "That''s it. We''re done with this conversation."


    Vernon turned around and opened the door.


    "W¡ªWait, but we haven''t solved this problem yet!" Chloe insisted. She tried to reach Vernon''s arm to stop him from leaving. "Vernon, listen to me, please!"


    "Not now, Chloe," Vernon replied. "I don''t want to shout and yell at you, and I''m so close to doing that right now."


    "So let me go, I need some time by myself right now," Vernon said.


    "T¡ªThen, I will return to my room¡ª"


    "No, you should stay here in my room," Vernon said. "I don''t want you to do stupid things, not on my watch."


    Chloe gulped, "Where will you go then?"


    She was scared that Vernon would go to that bar and get crazy drunk again. Thest thing she wanted was another drunk emotional Vernon and lots of trouble.


    "Not sure yet," Vernon said. He looked over his shoulder and noticed Chloe''s worry. So he added, "Don''t worry, I won''t go to that bar anymore. I just need sometimes alone to cool my head."


    Chloe reluctantly released Vernon''s arm to let him go. She watched how he grabbed his car key from the table and left the penthouse. It seemed that he wanted to go far away from her.


    ''Maybe because he sees me as nothing but trouble¡­'' Chloemented.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She tried to keep her positivity because she knew that Vernon didn''t think of her that way. He put up with her because he loved her. At least, that was what he always showed.


    "But until what point will he keep tolerating me and my problems?" Chloe asked herself and found no answer to that. She was scared that, at some point, she would be nothing but a deadweight for Vernon and would only slow him down in his process of toppling Vincent.


    Chloe sat on the bed and put her palm on her chest as she tried to ease the heartache.


    She tried to think positively that everything they experienced right now was just part of a rtionship.


    But her mind started to get dominated by bad, depressing thoughts, and she began to have one stupidest idea.


    ''Should I just give myself up in exchange for everyone''s safety? I''m sure Vincent would take his time to beat me to death, and that''s okay, as long as my family is safe¡­.''


    That idea hovered in Chloe''s mind for a while until she realized that she was being crazy.


    She shook her head to ward off that dangerous thought, "No, I can''t back down now. I''ve been too far into this fight with Vincent, there is no way he will let everyone off just because I give myself up."


    "The only possible way to handle this is to help Vernon somehow. I can''t keep relying on him," Chloe said to herself. "But how? How am I supposed to help when I can''t even leave the apartment without a driver by my side? I can''t even go to my usual spot for restaurant and grocery because Vincent might be searching from me, so I have to keep myself safe¡­."


    Chloe sighed. Again, she found a wall that she couldn''t pass.


    She dropped her body on the bouncy bed and stared at the ceiling of Vernon''s room. Her mind was floating, thinking about Vernon, who had been under a lot of stresstely.


    "I''m so sorry, Vernon," Chloe murmured. "I''ll try to be less of a burden somehow¡­."


    Thus, Chloe closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    **


    Vernon went to the basement and entered his car. He sat in the driver''s seat and turned the engine. He stared straight ahead, ready to press the gas pedal and leave the apartment. He thought that going around New York would definitely give him peace of mind, at least for the night.


    He clenched the steering wheel as he hesitated. He should''ve left by now, but he just couldn''t.


    He imagined Chloe, who must''ve felt extreme guilt right now.


    "Well, she should feel guilty!" Vernon yelled. "She did so many stupid things! Does she not realize that she''s endangering herself?! Goddamn it!"


    Vernon punched the steering wheel to let out his frustration. He was exhausted these days. Many things are happening, from his mission to take down his Big bro, Chloe getting attacked by Vincent, transferring Mackie to another school, to Dorotheaing into his life.

 Chapter 630 630

    And now Chloe brought four boys who were in a difficult spot. They weren''t just four regr boys, those boys were involved in a murder case, and that would put a spotlight on the inte.


    Child Protection Service would definitely search for the boys'' whereabouts to see if they were in good hands, and that meant Chloe would be exposing their rtionship and even her hideout to the government, or even worse, to the public!


    Vernon felt that he was on edge, and he refused to get all of his ns foiled and his beautiful life with Chloe destroyed because of those four boys!


    "Besides, why do we have to keep other people with our family anyway? All I want is to have a good life with Chloe, Mackie, and possibly our future children. Why do we have to have Dorothea and those four boys as well?" Vernonined. "Chloe needs to stop acting like she''s goddamn Mother Teresa!"


    Vernonined a lot about Chloe''s mother''s instincts and how kind and naive she could be. Because it often gave her trouble that he had to fix.


    But at the same time, he knew well that he wouldn''t fall in love with Chloe had she not had those qualities.


    She was the only woman that could make him feel at ease, loved, and taken care of. Everything about her was genuine and sweet, and for a man with a lot of bitterness in life, a woman like Chloe was all he needed.


    ''Unfortunately, she''s also what my big brother needs,'' Vernon thought. No matter how many times his Big bro said that he didn''t need a woman like Chloe, he obviously did, and it only became even more apparent once she was gone.


    Vincent became unhinged, moody, and temperamental. He made constant mistakes in his office. He became what Vernon was before he reunited with Chloe.


    "As much as I''m angry at her for being so illogical at times, I still can''t scold her," Vernon said. "And I definitely won''t let her put herself in danger. I will do anything as long as she''s safe!"


    ...


    Vernon had a long moment of consideration before he finally left his car and headed back to the elevator.


    However, he didn''t go to the penthouse.


    Instead, he went to the tenth floor where Dorothea and those four boys were sleeping.


    He had a master key that could unlock any door here. So he used his key to unlock the room where the four boys were sleeping.


    He wanted to check if those boys were at least tolerable enough for him so he wouldn''t throw them into the foster home.


    ''Though, I don''t think Chelsea and Tommy''s children will be tolerable. Their parents are two pieces of shit after all,'' Vernon thought.


    However, the moment he opened the door, he saw three children sleeping together in one big bed. They seemed very tired, so they didn''t realize the door was open.


    The oldest one was surprised when he saw Vernon but quickly recognized him and rushed to greet his Aunt''s new man.


    "Um, I''m sorry, Uncle. My brothers are all sleeping, they are very tired...." Aaron said as he lowered his head politely. It seemed that he had been used to acting politely to avoid punishment.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vernon looked down at the kid in front of him. He was scrawny, unlike Mackie, who had a full round cheek healthy for her age. This boy was scrawny, with his cheek a bit sunken, meaning that he barely had enough food for himself.


    ''I thought my big bro gave Chelsea at least ten thousand bucks a month. Where did it go? Don''t tell me that Chelsea wants to starve her sons to death?'' Vernon wondered.


    There was also an obvious palm print on his cheek, showing that he had been pped so hard today, just like what Chloe had told him before.


    Chloe told him that Aaron was only one year younger than Mackie, so he must be six years old right now.


    Yet, he didn''t act like a child. He was calm and collected. Deep down, even Vernon knew this kid had a lot of trauma in his mind. He looked anxious and defensive.


    He looked like the type of kid that would burst when pushed to the edge.


    ''Just like me...'' Vernon thought.


    He was abused and neglected by his mother when he was a kid, and that affected his growth. He became wild and a huge troublemaker in the mansion, but when someone actually took him seriously, they''d see a lot of anxiety in his mind.


    He was scared that anything he did would be seen as wrong, and he''d end up getting hit with that wine bottle again.


    He was also scared that everyone would eventually forget about him because he was neglected.


    His life was bleak until Chloe came into his life and became the guiding light in his dark path.


    ''And now, Chloe has also be the light of this kid''s life, just like what she did to me back then...'' Vernon thought.


    There was a little guilt in his heart, but he tried to maintain his dignity and imposing figure in front of this kid. He looked down at him and asked, "Do you realize that you can be here because of your Aunt?"


    "Ah yes!" Aaron replied swiftly. "Aunt Chloe saves us all, and I can''t thank her enough. I don''t know what will happen to my brothers if Aunt Chloe didn''t take us in...."


    "And um... thank you for taking us in too, Uncle...." Aaron murmured, afraid that he''d offend this scary man somehow.


    "No need to thank me, I would''ve kicked you all out had it not been for your Aunt who begs so you guys can stay," Vernon said ruthlessly. He thought that he shouldn''t sugarcoat anything to this boy. He needed to realize that he wasn''t special. He wasn''t Mackie who was loved.


    He was the son of a useless man and a crazy woman.


    Vernon thought the boy would cry after that.


    But Aaron nodded calmly, "I understand, Uncle. As much as I want to stay with Aunt Chloe, I don''t want to make her sad. We will be okay if we return to the police station, I will take care of my little brothers."

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    Vernon was surprised by how this kid handled his intimidation and harsh truth. He thought the boy would cry and throw a tantrum like no other. Vernon would have a reason to kick them out in the pretense that Chloe shouldn''t keep four unrestrained and uneducated boys that would only give her a headache.


    But this boy¡­


    "But um¡­ can we stay tonight, Uncle?" Aaron asked politely. "My brothers are very tired. I don''t want to wake them up right now¡­."


    Vernon nced at those three boys who slept together on the bed. They looked very exhausted, based on Chloe''s story about Chelsea''s insanity and her mother''s murder. It was pretty obvious these boys had it very rough tonight.


    Vernon gritted his teeth as he realized that he had grown a little sympathy for these boys, especially the oldest ones. He must''ve been the one suffering the most, yet he still acted strong for his brothers.


    ''Fuck, now I feel like an asshole for wanting to kick them out,'' Vernon cursed himself. ''Maybe I shouldn''t let Chloe put too much of her idea inside my mind, now I be too weak minded and weak hearted.''


    "U¡ªUncle?" Aaron called him. "Can we stay for tonight?"


    Honestly, Aaron already realized that he wouldn''t be able to stay with Aunt the moment he saw this scary man in front of him. He didn''t look happy. In fact, he looked very angry when he saw them.


    Aaron learned early that they weren''t really wanted by anyone in this world. Their father often neglected them, and their mother despised them¡ªeven wanted to kill them.


    The only ones caring for them were Gran and Aunt Chloe.


    But now that Aunt Chloe was with this scary man, Aaron had lost hope. He just wished he could somehow protect his brothers.


    Vernon clicked his tongue and scolded, "Why are you still up at this hour? It''s almost two. Go sleep with your brothers!"


    Aaron''s heart jumped when he got scolded. He looked up and saw the man looking away from him. But Aaron was very happy because this meant he could at least spend the night here with his brothers.


    "Yes! Thank you, Uncle!"


    Aaron turned around and quickly joined his little brothers on the bed. He tucked the nket and hugged Nathan, who was the nearest to him.


    Vernon stared at those boys for a while and then left the room.


    He closed the door and leaned on it for a while, trying to calm his aching heart.


    He was angry at himself for being so softhearted. The previous him wouldn''t even think twice about kicking these boys out.


    For him, his goal was only Chloe.


    He didn''t hesitate to throw Mackie away if she became too much of a problem for him. He didn''t care if Chloe would be sad or scared of him because all he needed was her by his side, even if that meant he needed to chain her.


    But she changed him over time.


    Just like what she did to him when he was a kid, Chloe slowly made him a better person, gentler, and a lot calmer when handling difficult stuff.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now he didn''t even have the heart to kick these boys out, thanks to Chloe''s influence on him.


    "You don''t know how much you matter to me, Chloe¡­." Vernon murmured. "You''re truly the woman that I need. Sometimes I''m annoyed that you keep using your emotions. But now, I can''t even let go of my emotions.."


    Vernon finally calmed down after some time. He nced at the door next to him and then checked the time. Then he scoffed, "Two in the morning, that old woman must be wide awake by now."


    "Damn, I can''t believe I have to ask for her help. But she''s the only one that can help me right now," Vernon said. He walked to the next room and then knocked on the door.


    Knock. Knock.


    There was no answer from the other side. So Vernon knocked again and said, "This is Vernon, open the door."


    Then, in less than ten seconds, the door was opened.


    Dorothea was in her pajamas, peeking from the slightly opened door, and asked, "Yes, Vernon?"


    Vernon peered at the old woman. As expected, he still didn''t have any good opinion of her. Every time he saw her, there were only bad memories shed in his mind, making him resent her even more.


    But he also wanted to know if this woman had truly changed. Chloe was so adamant, iming that Dorothea wasn''t the same abusive woman. She realized her wrongdoing and tried to make it up.


    ''But she wasn''t the one suffering under Dorothea''s hand. I did,'' Vernon thought.


    "Let me in, I want to talk with you," Vernon said.


    Dorothea hesitated for a second. She was scared that she might have done something to offend Vernon. She didn''t want to get kicked out just when she thought her life finally had some light in it.


    "I won''t kick you out if you do something for me," Vernon said again, giving assurance because he realized that Dorothea was scared of that reason.


    Dorothea finally gave in and opened the door wide for her son.


    Vernon entered the room and was a tad surprised by how tidy Dorothea had be. She basically lived in this suite these days, but Vernon specifically told the janitor not to clean this ce because he didn''t want another person he needed to watch over it. He had to minimize any possibility of Dorothea getting discovered, which meant he had to minimize her contact with anyone else.


    So he expected her room to be dirty and smelly.


    Surprisingly, the room was clean, and it smelled nice, "Did you ask Chloe to clean your room?" Vernon asked sarcastically. He couldn''t believe that Dorothea would clean her own room.


    A woman like Dorothea wouldn''t even touch the dirt on her shirt, let alone clean dirty ces like the toilet.


    Dorothea smiled. She sat on the couch and replied, "I did it myself. Chloe is too busy taking care of you and Mackie."

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    "Yeah, that''s bullshit," Vernon sneered. He sat on the opposite couch facing Dorothea and added, "Do you really think I believe that you''re the ones doing the dirty jobs? Stop guilt tripping my woman to do your stuff."


    Dorothea decided to just stay silent after realizing that Vernon wouldn''t believe her anyway. So she went straight to the point, "Why are you knocking at my door at this hour? Do you need something?"


    Vernon''s sneer and mocking grin dissipated instantly. He forgot that he had knocked on her door because of those four boys.


    He crossed his arms and asked, "What do you do when I''m not around?"


    "Uh, I help Chloe to cook, clean my room, and watch TV. Sometimes I take care of Mackie when she wants to y with me during her free time," Dorothea said. She wanted to be honest with everything so her son wouldn''t be suspicious of her. "I''ve cut my contact with anyone from the Gray family since I''m currently in hiding."


    Vernon nodded. It was the same exnation that Chloe gave to him. Dorothea was like a regr old woman these days, so she was harmless.


    Of course, Vernon still couldn''t believe Dorothea. He didn''t even believe Chloe because he knew that Chloe often tried to protect Dorothea from his rage.


    So this would be the best time to prove if this woman had some good bone in her.


    "I want you to follow me," Vernon said. He got up and walked to the door.


    Dorothea became tense instantly. She thought Vernon wanted to kick her out right now, "W¡ªWhere are we going?"


    Vernon halted his step and replied, "To the next room. Follow me."


    Dorothea was scared that Vernon might do something to her. Maybe he was at his boiling point and wanted to beat her up to make it even between them.


    She was a frail woman now, so she couldn''t defend herself, let alone fight back.


    ''Just like what I did back then¡­'' Dorotheamented. ''I beat him when he was just a defenseless kid. How could I be so cruel? Why did I unleash my rage on Vernon when my real rage is directed to Vaughn instead?''


    That question often popped into Dorothea''s mind. She med herself for everything she did back then and wished she could be more like Chloe.


    Because Chloe never hurt her daughter, Mackie turned out to be a great child with confidence, intelligence, and emotional maturity. She was also fiercely protective and loved her mother so much.


    Something that Dorothea didn''t get from either of her sons.


    ''Maybe after he beat me up tonight, he can finally let go of his rage and grudge against me. I hope we can start anew as a pair of mother and son. I hope this nightmare will end.''


    Thus, after gathering enough courage to face her execution, Dorothea got up from her seat and then walked out of her room.


    He saw the door next to hers was already opened and assumed Vernon was waiting inside.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    So she dragged her feet to the next room and entered.


    She saw Vernon standing near the bed, looking at four little boys huddled together. They were in a deep sleep, so none of them noticed that Vernon and Dorothea had entered the room.


    Dorothea gasped. Trains of bad assumptions ran wild in her mind. She guessed that Vernon must''ve had a lot of rtionships before he met with Chloe again, and the four boys on the bed were his children from his previous flings.


    Somehow, this was even scarier than her getting beaten up by Vernon. Because these boys would probably break Chloe''s heart, and Dorothea already had a strong connection with Chloe. She wouldn''t want to see her daughter-inw be saddened by this problem.


    Chloe had a strong motherly instinct, but caring for four children from Vernon''s past unmarried flings would be hard for her.


    "Come here," Vernonmanded while his eyes were still on the four boys.


    Dorothea approached him carefully and then asked, "Vernon, did you¡­ did you not use condoms when you had sex with other women before? How could you make four?!"


    Vernon red at her and replied, "These boys are Chloe''s nephews. They are her sister''s sons, Judith''s grandsons."


    Dorothea didn''t know much about Chloe''s side of the family. But she knew that Chloe was born into a lower ss with a single mother that supported the whole family.


    Dorothea thought Vincent married the wrong woman back then, so she simply ignored Chloe''s existence.


    Well, she still believed that Vincent married the wrong woman even now. Because he shouldn''t be married in the first ce. Men like Vincent and Vaughn wouldn''t understand love as they believed all women were just items they could treat as cruelly as they wanted to.


    But then she remembered how Judith tried to extort money from her just because Dorothea asked for Chloe''s number. It was so ridiculous that her opinion of Chloe''s family worsened after that.


    Vincent already told her that Chloe''s family members were a bunch of leeches who always asked for money, and Judith''s action proved that Vincent was right.


    "Where''s their mother?" Dorothea asked. She headed to the bed and sat on the edge, checking the boys who looked thin and pale, proof that they weren''t well fed.


    "In jail," Vernon replied curtly. "Chelsea¡ªtheir mother murdered Judith, and then tried to murder these boys as well. But she failed because these boys barricaded themselves in a room. Now that their father is gone, their mother in jail, and their grandma died, nobody can take care of them except their aunt, so Chloe brought them here without my permission."


    Dorothea was shocked by the revtion. She turned her neck towards Vernon and asked, "W¡ªWhat was the motive behind the murder? Did something happen in the house?"


    "Insanity," Vernon replied. "That bitch is insane, and she''s persuaded by one man to kill her entire family in exchange for hand-in-marriage."


    Dorothea gasped, "Who''s that crazy man? How could he be so cruel to kill an old woman and four defenseless boys?!"


    Vernon paused for a moment, he stared at Dorothea and replied, "Vincent."

 Chapter 633 633

    "Vincent?!"


    Vernon put his index over his lips and looked at the kids, telling Dorothea to shut up, or these boys might wake up.


    Dorothea covered her mouth instantly but still couldn''t hide her shock. She stared at Vernon with disbelief. She shook her head a few times and then murmured, "H¡ªHow could that be? Is he that cruel?"


    "He is, you can ask Chloe about this. I got it from her, and she got this information from the Officer when she got called to the police department this evening," Vernon informed. He peered at his mother, who seemed to be in too much shock that her brain short-circuited on the spot. "Why are you surprised anyway? Do you not realize what a terrible monster he is?"


    "I know he is terrible. I know he''s abusive as well. It''s the reason why I decided toe to you and Chloe, because I realize he is just as bad as your father¡­." Dorotheamented. "But I never knew that he could be so cruel to target kids."


    "He will do anything to get some reactions from Chloe," Vernon said. He remembered that moment when Chloe got beaten up in the Headmaster''s office. He saw how hard Chloe tried to mask her pain so Vernon wouldn''t overreact. But every time Vernon was reminded of that moment, his blood would boil to the point that he wanted to go to Vincent''s house right now and crush that bastard''s head.


    Dorothea noticed that Vernon had already clenched his hands until his veins were showing. She quickly patted her son''s arm to wake him up, "Vernon, take a deep breath. You know that Chloe wouldn''t want you to make a rash judgment."


    Vernon took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then continued, "Well, now you know, these boys have nobody in this world except for Chloe, and knowing that Vincent will not tolerate any failure in his n. He might actually start hunting these boys just to perfect his n to get reactions from Chloe."


    "Then how about Judith¡­" Dorothea asked. "Does Chloe know about her mother''s death? Chloe told me they''re estranged now, but I think she will still be sad, right? Did youfort her?"


    Vernon''s heartbeat skipped for a second, and then he lowered his head, "I was so caught up with these boys'' problems that I argued with Chloe all night about this. I simply ignored her loss. But she also didn''t mention her mother at all, so I thought she''s not that affected."


    "Oh boy, of course she is affected," Dorothea said. "Chloe is a highly empathic person, Vernon. You can''t put him in the same shoes as you and I."


    "I know, I was so angry at her for bringing these boys¡­."


    "Then you should apologize to her about thister, okay?" Dorothea lectured. "Now, let''s focus on these boys. What are you going to do with them?"


    "I was thinking about sending them to foster care before. But I changed my mind," Vernon said. "I don''t want Chloe to be sad, so I''ll have to figure out how to handle this problem."


    "The first problem is the Child Protection Service. They will eventually check the boys'' condition after at least a week. So I''m nning to rent a small apartment under someone''s name and let Chloe and these boys pretend they''re living there. Chloe will show that the boys are well taken care of, and there is nothing to worry."


    "Second, we need someone to watch over them, and we absolutely cannot allow someone from outside to do that. I don''t want to risk getting discovered by Vincent from an external source," Vernon said. He stared at his mother and added, "Dorothea, I want you to be the one who takes care of them."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dorothea already guessed it would eventually lead to this. She went silent after that, not rejecting the idea nor epting it.


    She turned her head toward the boys and asked, "Do you really believe that I can take care of these boys?"


    "Frankly, I don''t," Vernon replied curtly. "You have a bad track record, Dorothea. You beat me up when I was a kid and you neglected me to the point that I have no more familial love for you by the time I am seven years old."


    Dorothea''s heart ached when she heard that.


    She knew it was all true, but she still felt sad whenever she had to face her past sins.


    She wanted to fix things between them, but it seemed that Vernon would never give her one. So she would be forever branded as the terrible mother, the monster in Vernon''s life.


    And she deserved it. She knew she deserved all of it.


    Sensing that Dorothea was sad by his statement, Vernon added, "But, Chloe told me that I should try to at least tolerate you, and that I did. So I decided to give you one more chance, Dorothea."


    "Take care of these boys, watch over them and treat them like how you want to fix things with me," Vernon said. "Treat them as your sons, how you want your sons to actually grow up to be good men. Then I will¡­ I will perhaps forgive you for all the horrible things you did to me back then."


    ¡­


    Dorothea stared at the boys for a while and slowly leaned to wipe the sweat on their foreheads. All of them seemed to have collective nightmares, maybe because of what happened tonight, and Dorothea felt an absurd amount of guilt knowing their misfortune was caused by her son.


    Dorothea felt indirectly responsible for the damage she had caused by spoiling Vincent rotten until he became just like histe father.


    She carefully tucked the nket until it reached half of their body. After making sure they werefortable in their sleep, she kissed them on the forehead one by one.


    Vernon watched how Dorothea took care of the boy and couldn''t help to feel a bit jealous because he had never been treated that kindly by his own mother.

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    But there was no point in being jealous. He was a grown-up now, and he still at least had a good memory of being taken care of by his Big sis Chloe when he was young. It was the only memory he cherished, knowing there was a woman who could stuff his cold, empty heart with love and warmth.


    Thus, after calming himself, Vernon asked, "So, what do you think? Do you want to take the job to take care of these boys?"


    Dorothea got up from the bed and faced Vernon, "Yes, I agree," she replied. There was a fiery determination in her eyes. "I will show you that I am a changed woman, Vernon. I may not be the good mother that you need when you are a kid, but I will show you that I can be a good mother for these boys, and good grandma for Mackie and your next children with Chloe."


    Vernon would lie if he said he wasn''t happy with Dorothea''s resolve.


    She was right. Dorothea missed her chance to raise Vernon, but luckily, Chloe did that.


    But she could be a good grandma for his children and also a good mother for these boys.


    ''I am sure Chloe will be happy with this arrangement, I can''t wait to hug her and reconcile as soon as possible,'' Vernon thought.


    "Then I will start by moving all of you to two suites with a connecting door. So you will have your own room, and those boys will have theirs as well," Vernon said. "You don''t need to watch them 24/7, because I think most of them are well behaved, especially the oldest one," Vernon pointed at Aaron, who was hugging his brother.


    "That boy has matured way too fast. He''s very well spoken, a little timid, and also polite. I think he will also help taking care of his brothers and helping you with house chores," Vernon said. "Remember, other than the ones who''ll doundry and deliver food if you need to, there will be nobody who will enter the suites. All of you are still in hiding, and we cannot afford a fuck up."


    "Yes, I understand," Dorothea said. She stared at her son, who looked so tough and decisive. He was so differentpared to Vincent, who was an egomaniac.


    Maybe because Vernon was raised by Chloe, not her. So he grew up to be the better one among her sons.


    She felt slightly emotional and asked timidly, "Vernon, can I¡­ hug you?"


    "Huh?" Vernon frowned. "What for?"


    "I just¡­ I just want to hug you. I have no intention other than hugging my son¡­." Dorothea said.


    Vernon went silent for a long time, which made it awkward for Dorothea, so she changed her mind, "I¡ªIt''s fine, I''m sorry for¡ª"


    "Make it quick," Vernon said.


    "Sorry?"


    "I said, make it quick before I change my mind," Vernon repeated.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dorothea was shocked, but she quickly opened her arms and hugged her son. She rested her head on her son''s chest, and her voice became hoarse instantly as she tried to hold her tears, "My son, you''ve grown to be a great man¡­."


    "You should thank Chloe for that," Vernon said. He tried to y it cool, but his body was trembling right now.


    He was fighting the urge to hug her back simply because he thought that Dorothea didn''t deserve to get hugged by him.


    "I know. I have a lifetime debt for Chloe. She raised you well, and she also gave me the second chance in life," Dorothea said. "My son, I''m sorry for everything I did for you. I''ll spend my lifetime proving that I''m a better woman now, and I can be good too."


    Vernon said nothing, but he allowed his mother to hug him tighter for a long time before she separated herself.


    Dorothea wiped the tears at the edge of her eyes and said, "Don''t worry about these boys, I will tell them about myself tomorrow morning. But you should also tell Chloe about this new arrangement, so she can help me and these boys to connect better. I know that Chloe must be the only one they trust right now."


    Vernon nodded, "I''ll return to the penthouse now. All of you will move to the new suites with connecting doors by tomorrow morning."


    Vernon swiftly left the room to calm his heart. He entered the elevator and took plenty of deep breaths because there was excruciating pain in his heart.


    For some reason, he actually wanted to hug his old mother. He wanted to tell his mother that he also wanted to reconcile with her. He wanted to forgive her for all the terrible things she did when he was young.


    But his pride prevented him from doing so. He didn''t want to look easy, and this conflict in his heart only worsened his heartache.


    "Damn, I can''t believe that I''m actually thinking about forgiving Dorothea. Chloe really should pat me in the head for being so kind these days," Vernonined.


    He reached the top floor and unlocked the penthouse door with his fingerprint. His eyes darted to his bedroom door. He didn''t know if Chloe was still inside or if she had returned to her room downstairs.


    But there was only one way to find out.


    Vernon opened the bedroom door and then saw the sight of Chloe sleeping on his bed. She was curled up like a ball and looked fragile and sad, especially with the dried tears at the corner of her eyes.


    Well, of course, she was sad.


    Vernon knew that Chloe always cried alone after they had a fight. That was why he tried his best not to fight with her, or else he had to see her tears.


    Vernon carefully rolled on the bed, joining Chloe, and spooned her from behind. He pulled Chloe deeper towards his embrace and whispered, "Don''t worry about anything, my love. I will do everything as long as you''re with me. As long as you can be happy only with me."

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    Chloe woke up feeling stuffy the next morning as if she had been hugged by a bear the whole night.


    "Umh¡­" Chloe felt ticklish on her nape because someone was blowing warm air from his nose, so she looked over her shoulder and saw Vernon sleepingfortably. He was mumbling something and hugged her deeper into his embrace, not letting go even though Chloe tried to wiggle her body out of his bear hug.


    Vernon frowned when Chloe moved too much. He grumbled and then squinted his eyes open. He saw that Chloe had been tossing and turning so much inside his embrace that now they were facing each other instead of the spooning position Vernon did when he went to sleep with her.


    Vernon smiled and kissed Chloe on the head, "Morning, sweetheart."


    Chloe stared at Vernon for a long time. She was unsure if something had happened afterst night when he stormed out of the penthouse. But he seemed to be a lot calmer and in a better mood.


    "Vernon, I''m sorry," Chloe said in a low voice.


    "Hm? Did you do something wrong?" Vernon asked. He looked genuinely confused by her apology.


    "Um, aboutst night," Chloe mentioned. She observed Vernon''s expression to ensure she didn''t offend him. "I''m sorry for making you upsetst night. I''ll try to find a way to take care of the boys without your help¡­."


    Vernon closed his eyes again, seemingly uninterested in the story''s topic, "I took care of that problem already. Let''s just sleep again, okay? It''s a holiday."


    "But there is no holiday for you¡­."


    "It''s Mackie''s holiday, right? Then let me sleep more since we don''t need to prepare breakfast for her, I''ll go to the office around ten," Vernon said. "I want to sleep more with you by my side."


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She had a lot of questions in mind, mainly wanting to know if Vernon did something to the boys, such as kicking them out in the middle of the night.


    But then she realized Vernon might be harsh and strict sometimes, but he wasn''t evil. He wouldn''t kick four defenseless boys in the middle of New York night. It was too dangerous.


    At least, that was the assurance she needed for now.


    She saw that Vernon had already fallen into deep sleep again. After days of nonstop working, he must''ve been so tired, so she decided not to disturb his sleep and snuggled with him for the holiday morning. After all, Mackie must be sleepingfortably in her bed today.


    Chloe woke up again around nine-thirty in the morning. But it seemed that Vernon was too tired to wake up.


    So she carefully pushed his body away and sneaked out of the bedroom. She washed her face in the bathroom outside and then started cooking breakfast for her small family.


    She was in a great mood today, knowing she could finally use her hands to care for her family again.


    Chloe cooked pancakes in the morning. She also prepared herbal tea for Vernon and hot chocte for Mackie. She put three tes with four stacks of pancakes on the dining table and then packed two boxes full of hot pancakes for the boys and Dorothea downstairs.


    Right after she finished packing the pancakes, her daughter came up the stairs and greeted her, "Good morning, Mommy! First day of winter break! I''m so happy!"


    Chloe smiled at her daughter, who was as energetic as always, "Morning, dear. You should eat your pancake while it''s hot. I will also make you a hot chocte since it''s very cold outside," Chloe said. She put all the food boxes inside a wheeled container and added, "Mommy will go to the tenth floor, okay?"


    Mackie tilted her head, "What''s wrong, Mommy? Why are you bringing that box? Do you need my help?"


    "Ah, well, Mommy wants to send food for your Grandma," Chloe said. She didn''t mention the boys yet because she wanted to make it a better surprise for Mackie when they were in a better condition.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Grandma still can''t eat with us?" Mackie pouted. "Then let''s go down, Mommy. I want to eat with Grandma too!"


    "Oh, you shouldn''t, dear. Who will apany your Uncle for breakfast?"


    "Does Uncle need me to have breakfast with him?" Mackie asked.


    "Of course! He will be lonely eating breakfast without you. So you should stay here, okay?"


    Mackie huffed, "Okay then. Come back sooner, Mommy, or I will eat your pancake too!" Mackie threatened, and Chloe only chuckled in response.


    She went out while pulling the wheeled container and went down to the tenth floor, where the boys and Dorothea were staying. She knocked on Dorothea''s door first since she usually woke up early.


    But there was no answer.


    Chloe frowned, "Huh, that''s unusual."


    She knocked on the door a few more times, but there was no answer.


    "What''s wrong with her? Maybe she''s sick? It''s winter after all, it''s not good for her fragile body¡­." Chloe assumed. But somehow, she couldn''t shake off this bad feeling in her heart.


    She was anxious that maybe Vernon had had enough of this whole thing and kicked Dorothea out of the apartment.


    "Oh no, don''t tell me that he also¡ª" Chloe dared not to continue her sentence. She rushed to the next door and knocked on it harder.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    "Boys, open the door!"


    ¡­


    There was nothing but silence. Chloe began to panic. She knocked a few more times, and even harder this time.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!!


    "Boys! Answer me!"


    ¡­


    "Oh no, did Vernon actually kick both the boys and Dorotheast night?!" Chloe was trying hard to stay positive, but whenever she remembered about her poor nephews that just went through a traumatic event and also her frail mother-inw, she couldn''t help being anxious.


    "N¨CNo, Vernon is not that evil," Chloe assureed herself. Thus, she took her phone from her pocket and called Vernon.


    The call was connected after a few beeps, and she heard the voice of Vernon munching his pancake. He didn''t seem to be in the same distress as Chloe was experiencing right now.

 Chapter 636 636

    --


    "Yes, love? What''s up?" Vernon asked right after he swallowed his food. "I''m having breakfast here with Mackie. She said that you''re going to the tenth floor to give pancakes for Dorothea."


    "Vernon, where are they?!" Chloe asked without even trying to hide her worry. "I knocked on their door and nobody was inside. Did you actually kick them awayst night? Oh god, Vernon, how can you be so cruel?!"


    Vernon rolled his eyes. He sipped his herbal tea and replied, "Go to thirteenth floor, Suite room number three and four. I told the staff to move them to the suite rooms with a connecting door, so it''s not hard for Dorothea to watch over those boys."


    "Wait, so you mean--"


    "Yeah, I''m not that evil, love," Vernon said lightly. He stared at Mackie who was eating her pancake happily, blissfully unaware of the big thing they were discussing on the phone right now. "I asked Dorotheast night if she wants to take care of those boys so I can see whether she is a changed woman or not. If you want to visit them, go do it now, but I demand you to return to the penthouse after that. I''m not going to see you miss your breakfast."


    "Ah, o--okay, I''ll deliver these pancakes to them and rush back to the penthouse!" Chloe said.


    "Good, I''ll wait for you at the dining table."


    Beep.


    --


    Chloe was so happy that she could explode right now. She was thinking about moving out of the apartment with Mackie and the boys for some time, so Vernon could have his time alone.


    But who would''ve expected that Vernon had a change of heartst night? He even decided to ept the boys, allowing Dorothea to take care of them so he could improve his opinion of her.


    It was a win-win situation that Chloe always wanted!


    Chloe rushed to the elevator and went to the thirteenth floor. She headed to Suite room number three and four and knocked on the door.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Dorothea, boys, It''s me!"


    The door was opened not long after, and Dorothea greeted her with a smile, "Good morning, Chloe."


    "Good morning, Aunty!"


    "Morning, Aunty!"


    "Aunty, I want to eat!"


    Chloe felt her heart could explode with joy when she saw the boys seemed to be in a better mood after getting to know Dorothea. It was a relief because she thought making the boys ept Dorothea would take longer.


    But it seemed they took Dorothea as the recement for their Gran, who diedst night.


    "Morning everyone! I''m here with breakfast!" Chloe said cheerfully. She pulled her wheeled container in as Dorothea gave her way to enter the suite. The boys were so excited about breakfast that they circled around Aunt Chloe and the big food container.


    "Breakfast!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Whoo! Finally, breakfast, I''m starving!"


    "Yay!"


    "Yes, boys, we will have pancakes for breakfast, and don''t worry about lunch. Grandma Dorothea and I will cook a big lunch for all of us!"


    The boys cheered even louder. They jumped on their respective chairs and dug the warm pancake drenched with maple syrup. It had been a while since they had breakfast.


    Usually, they''d only have lunch or dinner, and that was all for a day since Gran always told them they didn''t have money to buy more food.


    Chloe looked at the three boys digging their food and asked Dorothea, "Where''s Aaron?"


    "He''s still busy cleaning the next room. I told him that I will clean it myself, but he insisted because he said it''s his brothers'' mess," Dorothea said. She looked concerned and leaned forward to whisper in Chloe''s ear, "I''m worried about him. He is too calm for his age. This morning, I told them that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Chloe asked me to take care of them all, and Aaron was the one who pacified his brothers so they''d rx their guards against me. He is very mature, but I can see that he has a lot of anxiety in his eyes. Please talk to him, okay?"


    Chloe nodded.


    She was also worried about Aaron.


    That six-year-old boy had experienced a traumatic event nobody should ever experience in their life, so something must''ve changed inside him.


    ''Maybe I should book a child psychologist for Aaron,'' Chloe thought.


    She entered the other room via the connecting door and saw Aaron finished making the big bed all by himself.


    He wiped the sweat on his forehead and continued to clean the room that had be a mess since the three boys might be too much to handle.


    Chloe saw that Aaron tried to pick up the scattered snack wraps on the floor, and then she joined.


    Aaron was surprised when he noticed his Aunt, "Ah, I''m sorry, Aunty. I didn''t know that you''re here."


    "No, it''s fine," Chloe said as she put all the snack wraps in the trash bin. "Aaron, you should join your brothers. I made pancakes for breakfast."


    "Um, thank you, Aunty, but I will eat after all of them finish their breakfast," Aaron replied. He stood beside his Aunt, like a little soldier ready to be dispatched to do menial tasks.


    Chloe pointed at the long couch and said, "Go sit there, Aaron. I want to talk with you."


    "Okay, Aunty."


    Aaron sat obediently, waiting for the next order from his Aunt. He watched how his Aunt ensured everything was clean before joining him on the long couch.


    "Aunty, did I do something wrong?" Aaron asked cautiously. "Why do you want to talk with me?"


    Chloe stared at her oldest nephew for a while. Amongst all the boys, Aaron was the calmest. Even though he was younger, he was even more mature than Mackie, and that was concerning.


    "Aaron, I''m sorry that you can''t join me and Mackie in the same apartment, but you can stay here permanently with your brothers, okay?" Chloe said. "And Grandma Dorothea will take care of you and your brothers, and don''t worry about ying with Mackie, you will be able to y with her when she''s on in school."

 Chapter 637 637

    "Um, I understand, Aunty," Aaron said. Chloe noticed that Aaron tried to act normal and epting as always, but he lowered his head because he was sad. Chloe decided not to confront him about this because she wanted to continue learning about her oldest nephew.


    "But you don''t need to worry about school," Chloe said. "You will go to the same school as Mackie. Your little brothers are too young to go to primary school, so they will go to kindergarten and pre-school, okay?"


    Aaron simply nodded because he knew Aunt Chloe wouldn''t hurt him and his brothers. He was also secretly happy because he could be in the same school as Boss Mackie, so his Boss could protect him when he was bullied.


    In his previous school, Aaron got bullied because he was very poor. He had a few friends, but he wasn''t close to them. He could never join them in activities outside of school because he had to care for Gran at home.


    Chloe continued observing the boy and then patted his head. Aaron felt veryfortable being patted by his Aunt.


    Aunt Chloe''s magical touch made him feelfortable and safe around her. Unfortunately, he didn''t get this from anyone except histe Gran Judith and Aunt Chloe. Not even Grandma Dorothea gave thisfortable and safe feeling in his heart.


    Speaking about Grandma Dorothea¡­


    Aaron lifted his head and stared at Chloe, "Aunty, about Grandma Dorothea¡­."


    "Grandma Dorothea is Uncle Vernon''s mother. She lives with us to spend her old days," Chloe said. "She''s a kind woman, you can rely on her to take care of your brothers as well."


    "Uncle Vernon is that scary Uncle fromst night, right?" Aaron asked.


    Chloe giggled, "He''s sure scary, right?"


    Aaron nodded in response.


    "Well, he''s very intimidating. But Uncle Vernon is not a bad person. This building is his, and he''s the one who allows us to live here together. He''s also the one who will help you to transfer school as well," Chloe said. "He is a good person, he just has a big figure and rarely smiles!"


    Aaron stared at his Aunty for a while and then asked, "Aunty loves that scary Uncle very much."


    "E¡ªEh¡ª?! W¡ªWhat do you mean, Aaron?" Chloe panicked when the little boy suddenly could read her heart.


    "Um¡­ you are so happy when talking about that scary Uncle," Aaron said. "I''m also happy as long as Aunty is happy too. Aunt Chloe looks healthier with Uncle Vernon than with Uncle Vincent."


    Chloe was embarrassed that she had been exposed by the little boy. But he was right. She was much happier with Vernon, and though she rarely said it, she was indeed in love with him.


    She thought she''d only see Vernon as the cute little brother she raised years ago when she dated Vincent.


    But as time passed, Vernon showed her he was a big man now. He had his own thoughts and was adamant about wanting to have Chloe by his side.


    All of his adult qualities slowly melted her heart, and she began to develop romantic feelings for him.


    Aaron saw that his Aunt was embarrassed by this, and he was assured that Aunt Chloe was happy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Truthfully, Aaron never liked Uncle Vincent because Aunt Chloe looked sad and frail when she was still with Uncle Vincent.


    Whenever she visited his home, she''d always put that joyful expression on her face, but he knew that Aunt Chloe wasn''t happy at all.


    Because Aaron sometimes caught her crying when nobody saw her.


    Aaron was scared of Uncle Vernon, of course. Because Uncle Vernon was so intimidating, and he didn''t even smile.


    But he showed his care with gestures instead of sweet words, proving that Uncle Vernon was better than Uncle Vincent.


    "Gran will be very happy, Aunty¡­." Aaron said. His wordspletely flipped the joyful mood as Chloe finally remembered herte mother, who died in Chelsea''s hand.


    She smiled bitterly. She was estranged from her mother, but it seemed Aaron and the other boys had fond memories of Judith.


    "Really? Will she be happy with what I did?" Chloe asked. Though she knew the real answer was a big no. Judith hated her so much after she decided to leave Vincent.


    "Um!" Aaron nodded excitedly. "I took care of Gran every day. She would say that she misses you a lot, and wished she could meet you again."


    ''To force me back to Vincent, of course,'' Chloemented in her heart, knowing that her mother and sister had malicious intentions toward her.


    Seeing the sadness on Aunt Chloe''s face, Aaron took the initiative to take out something from his pocket.


    "Aunty, eat this!" Aaron said as he handed candy to his Aunty.


    Chloe looked at the candy in Aaron''s hand and frowned, "I never know that you like sour candy."


    "I don''t like sour candy, Aunty!" Aaron replied. "But this is what Gran bought me when we went to the grocery storest night¡­."


    Aaron''s body trembled as he remembered his mother who killed his Gran again. It became a core memory that he couldn''t forget and made him petrified on the spot.


    Chloe noticed Aaron''s tense expression and body. She quickly understood that Aaron had PTSD from what happenedst night, so she hugged him tight and epted the sour candy from his hand.


    "So you went to the grocery shop with Gran, and she bought you this even though you don''t like it?" Chloe asked, trying to shift the topic so Aaron would forget about that bad memory, but she knew that Aaron definitely need to go to child psychologist to treat his PTSD after this.


    Aaron felt the warmth of Aunt Chloe when she hugged him. That bad memory gradually blurred in his mind, and he returned to somewhat normal again.


    "Um, I don''t like sour candy, but Gran wanted me to keep it, in case I meet you again," Aaron said. "She said Aunt Chloe loves sour candy so much."

 Chapter 638 638

    "She said that I love sour candy?" Chloe asked. She unwrapped one and put it inside her mouth. The sourness hit her tastebud and put her in a better mood instantly.


    "Yeah, Gran said that Aunt Chloe loves sour candy, when you were a child, you''d often ask for sour candy as a reward for every housechore you did!" Aaron said.


    Chloeughed freely, "Well, she wasn''t wrong. I loved sour candy so much when I was your age. Your Gran would buy me a pack of sour candy, but always hide it somewhere so I can''t just grab it and eat it all. I''d have to do chores in order to get one sour candy per day."


    Aaron nodded, "Gran told me to give the sour candy to Aunt Chloe in case I meet you again, so¡­."


    "I see," Chloe smiled bitterly. "I wish she could give it to me by herself."


    Aaron knew that Gran and Aunt Chloe''s rtionship wasn''t good. They had a big fight when Aunt Chloe left Uncle Vincent, and after that, Aunt Chloe never visited them anymore.


    Now that Gran wasn''t here anymore, Aaron felt that Aunt Chloe had to know how much Gran missed her.


    "Aunty, do you know that Gran always told me one thing about you?"


    "Hm? What did she say about me?" Chloe asked. She was on guard instantly. She feared that her mother might''ve said something nderous, mean, or even downright humiliating about her to Aaron.


    "Gran said that you''re her sweetest little girl," Aaron said. "You''re forever the sweet little girl she carried, and the most beautiful!"


    Aaron noticed that his words had a huge impact on Aunt Chloe because his Aunt''s eyes began to ze with tears. So he thought this was the right time to utter what Gran always wished since thatst time Aunt and Gran had a fight.


    "She loves you so much, and wishes to meet you again, because she wants to apologize for what she said wrong¡­." Aaron''s voice began to shake as well. He truly loved his Gran. Though his Gran might not be the most perfect, she took care of him and his brothers when they were abandoned by their parents. "S¡ªSo, please¡­ Aunty¡­ please forgive Gran. She regrets everything she said to you, wu¡­ wu¡­."


    Aaron started sobbing as the fond memories of his Gran flooded his mind. He also remembered how his Gran tried her best to stop his Mommy from catching her. It was the biggest sacrifice that Aaron would never forget.


    So he wanted to fulfill Gran''sst wish: to reconcile with Aunt Chloe.


    Chloe quickly wiped the tears on Aaron''s cheek, but she herself started crying as well.


    Though she didn''t have a good rtionship with histe mother. But Chloe always had a fond memory of Judith when she was young.


    It was also the reason why she could never hate her mother, because she knew that deep down, Judith still had some good in her.


    Aaron lifted his hands and tried to wipe the tears on Aunt Chloe''s cheeks as well. They were wiping each other''s tears, but in the end, they just hugged as Aaron cried in his Aunt''s warm embrace.


    Aaron had a lot of emotional trauma right now. He had been trying to stay tough in front of his brothers because he was the oldest and had to protect his little brothers.


    But he was just a six-year-old kid. He was scared, traumatized, and wanted to cry like his brothers did.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe held her nephew so tight, sharing the pain of losing the same person they loved. It was the first time Aaron felt peace after experiencing months of endless torment by his mother.


    He truly wished he could turn back time and give Aunt Chloe''s number to Gran, so she could call Aunt and they could be saved.


    But there was nothing he could do now.


    It was all toote.


    "Aunty, can we meet with Gran again?" Aaron asked with his weak voice.


    "We sure can. Your Gran is a good person. She will go to heaven and we will meet her there, okay?"


    "Um¡­"


    Aaron calmed down after getting hugged by his Aunty for a long time. Honestly, he wanted to be hugged for at least the whole day, but he knew that he couldn''t hog his Aunt all for himself.


    Aunt Chloe had to take care of his brothers, as well as Boss Mackie and Uncle Vernon.


    Thus, Aaron separated himself from Aunt Chloe and said, "I feel better now, Aunty. I will eat with my brothers now."


    Chloe wiped the dried tears on Aaron''s cheeks and wiped hers as well. Then she smiled at him, "That''s good, you should eat a lot. Don''t worry about food here, okay? You can eat whatever you want as long as you brush your teeth after that."


    "Okay! Thank you, Aunty!"


    Chloe was relieved that the boys at least had an appetite, even after what happenedst night. All of them were too thin for their age, especially Aaron, who looked scrawny and malnourished.


    ''I have to make sure they get enough nutrition. They''ve suffered long enough,'' Chloe thought.


    They went out via the connecting door together. Aaron joined his brothers to eat pancakes for breakfast.


    Meanwhile, Chloe was about to leave when she was approached by Dorothea. The old woman held Chloe''s hand and asked out of concern, "You cried just now. Is everything okay, Chloe?"


    "Everything is okay," Chloe smiled. "I just had a heart-to-heart talk with Aaron. He told me about myte mother and how she wanted to reconcile with me. I know it''s toote, but at least, I got to know that she didn''t hate me in herst hour of life¡­."


    "Oh, Chloe¡­" Dorothea hugged her daughter-inw and patted her back. "You still have me. I may not be the best mom, but at least you should know how much I also want to make things right between us."


    Chloe nodded, "Thank you, Dorothea. I know that you want to fix your mistakes. That''s why I give you a second chance. Please take care of the boys, okay?

 Chapter 639 639

    Dorothea finally let go of her embrace once Chloe told her that Vernon was waiting for her in the penthouse. She saw how Chloe had a permanent smile as she mentioned Vernon, which also put a smile on the old woman''s face.


    ''Vernon is well loved. I''m d she can give him the love he deserves after growing up in a hell I created,'' Dorothea thought. ''If only I can be part of their heaven....''


    Dorothea stood still for a while until she felt a little hand grabbing some of her fingers.


    "Grandma, Grandma!"


    Dorothea looked down and smiled at Tony, the smallest one. He was only three years old, and he was the clingiest. He was also instantly close to Dorothea after she introduced herself.


    Dorothea bent her back and patted his head, "Yes, Tony?"


    "Um, my clothes feel itchy. Can I take a bath and get my clothes at home?"


    "Oh, you can take a bath in a few hours, then I''ll prepare a warm bathtub. Don''t worry, I will ask your Aunt to buy all of you clothester, okay?"


    "Ah, warm bathtub? I can take a bath with hot water?" Tony asked. He tilted his head, "You won''t scold me if I use hot water, Grandma?"


    "Of course, not! You can use as much hot water as possible here! Nobody is going to scold you for taking a hot shower too!"


    "Wow! Thank you, Grandma!" Tony returned to his brothers and announced they could use the hot water, and the boys cheered up.


    Dorothea could only sigh as she watched how these boys would be so happy for something so menial.


    Dorothea was born and grew up in a rich family. She never had the same struggle the boys had in their lives. So she wanted to ensure the boys knew they didn''t need to worry about anything and just be happy. It was all they needed after living through hell.


    **


    Chloe rushed to the elevator and went up to the penthouse. She opened her palm while waiting for the elevator to reach the top floor.


    Chloe stared at the sour candies in her hand, and her heart ached as she remembered herte mother again. She wanted to tell Judith that she always admired her for being a strong mother, and nothing would change that, even after they had a huge fight.


    "You''re always my beloved mother," Chloe said as she stared at the sour candies. "I hope you understand what I did by leaving Vincent is the best for me and Mackie. He is a terrible influence on everyone around him. He is toxic...."


    Chloe was saddened that she couldn''t say those words to herte mother. She wished that Judith would at least know how bad that man was. He didn''t deserve to be called the best son-inw she ever had.


    Ding!


    Chloe looked up once the elevator door opened, showing the penthouse door right across the corridor.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She clenched her fist and put all the sour candies inside her pocket, then said, "I hope you know that you will have a son-inw much better than Vincent could ever be, and his name is Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    Chloe unlocked the door with a passcode and then entered the penthouse.


    She headed to the dining room and saw Vernon ying on his phone after breakfast. Mackie was nowhere to be found, but judging from her empty te and mug, she must''ve eaten breakfast and gone downstairs to y.


    Vernon nced at Chloe, who had just arrived. He put his phone down and then got up from the chair. He stood before Chloe and asked with a frown, "What took you so long? I thought something might''ve happened to you there, so I just dispatched your usual driver to check on the thirteenth floor."


    Chloe stared at Vernon for a while without saying a word. She felt she''d cry again, so she threw herself into him. Vernon caught her steadily, wrapping his arm around her waist, and asked worriedly, "Seriously, is everything alright?"


    Chloe buried her face in Vernon''s muscr chest and nodded, "Everything is alright. I just want to thank you for everything you did, Vernon. You are truly a good person."


    Vernon said nothing, but he wrapped his arm around her waist tighter. He felt a surge of electricity around his body and a wave of warmth inside his heart. It made him feel reallyfortable, and he wished he could do more.


    In fact, he wanted to do more just to make Chloe happy.


    ''As expected, I feel a lot better when I can make her happy,'' Vernon thought. ''I could flip the world upside down if that would make Chloe feel at ease. Surely, I don''t mind destroying that bastard brother of mine as long as Chloe would hug me like this, thank me, and say that I am a good person.''


    Vernon knew that, at some point, he might''ve spoiled Chloe too much.


    But he didn''t care.


    As long as Chloe was happy, then so did he. Even if that meant he had topromise on many things, just like how hepromised with Dorothea.


    Chloe looked up and then stared at the handsome man who embraced her. Their eyes met as they stared at each other for a long time, then Chloe muttered, "I love you, my sweet Vernon."


    Chloe''s voice was low and weak. It was almost inaudible even.


    But Vernon heard everything, and her sentence shook his body to the core. He started trembling, trying his best to suppress his urge to do something to Chloe that he might regret.


    Chloe smiled at him and took the initiative to kiss him softly, "I hope that''s enough--Wha--Umffh!"


    Chloe was surprised when Vernon suddenly leaned down and gave her a deep kiss full of passion. She struggled at first but soon gave herself in as she started enjoying the deep kiss.


    She closed her eyes and wrapped her hand around his neck to deepen the kiss.

 Chapter 640 640

    Vernon went to the office around eleven in the morning. He was smiling at Chloe as he gave her a kiss on the lips and a kiss on the cheek at Mackie.


    But the moment he left the penthouse, his smile disappeared because he knew today would be exhausting.


    He drove to his office and met with Diamond in the elevator. Vernon stood in the middle of the elevator. Diamond stood right behind him with a folder she hugged on her chest, indicating this folder was a top secret that shouldn''t be leaked.


    There was silence in the elevator until Vernon asked, "Did you prepare everything?"


    "I did, Sir," Diamond replied. "Sir, I can see that your n is great, but are you sure you can handle the repercussions? Vincent Gray will not like this."


    Ding!


    Vernon fixed his cor as the elevator door opened, "Don''t worry, I am not scared of my Big brother, and I don''t care if he''s hostile to me after this, since half of his business partners are working with me right now."


    Vernon walked to his office, followed by Diamond from behind.


    Diamond was calcting over something in her head for a while and assured, "Then there is nothing you need to worry about, Sir. The timing is also perfect, since people are making fun of Chelsea over her joker-like face, it''s basically a guarantee failure for Vincent''s new cosmetic product."


    Vernon sat on his executive chair, he leaned back, but his eyes were still on Diamond, who stood across the office desk.


    "Do you get everything ready? Because we willunch this product in a few hours. I want all of those influencers to upload their videos as soon as possible, and also get the billboard ad ready. I want that ad to be all over Times square."


    "Yes, I''ve prepared everything, Sir, it''s not hard to do," Diamond said. "Besides, today is actually the due date for the ad. All we do is follow orders from the client, right?"


    Vernon imagined the horror in his Big brother''s eyes, and that actually brought a smile to him, "Yes, just do things ording to our very important client''s schedule, I bet he will love seeing that ad everywhere."


    **


    Vincent had a good sleepst night. After telling Chelsea to kill her entire family, Vincent returned to his mansion. He told the maid to bring a mini fridge full of booze into the master bedroom.


    Thus, he partied by himself, eating and drinking while dancing around on the bed. Heughed freely as he felt satisfied, thinking that Chelsea must''ve murdered her entire family by now, and someone must''ve called the police.


    And after that, Chloe would get the news that her old mother and four little nephews had been murdered in cold blood by her insane sister.


    He knew that Chelsea might be trying to use his name to get out of jail. But there was zero proof of them having any kind of rtionship except that they were inws.


    Besides, everyone would see Chelsea as an insane bitch who killed her family. There was no need to believe her words.


    Vincent imagined the pain on her face. Maybe she fainted, or even better, got a heart attack and died because of this.


    ''Oh, don''t die yet. I haven''t tortured her enough. I haven''t even got the chance to fuck her again,'' Vincent thought as his consciousness slowly drifted awayst night.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vincent got up in thete afternoon after he heard the nonstop knock on the door.


    Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!


    "Urgh, I will fucking kill whoever is knocking at my door," Vincentined as he got up. He had a bad hangover after consuming way too much boozest night.


    He tried to get up and then sat on the bed for a long time before he walked to the door and opened it.


    He thought it was one of the maids, but it was actually Secretary Maria.


    "Ugh, is it about work again? Just dy everything for today, my head is hurting," Vincent said as he returned to the bed. He massaged his head while waiting for Maria to speak.


    Secretary Maria stared at the mess around the master bedroom. Empty bottles of alcohol were scattered everywhere, alongside some boxes of pizza and empty wraps of burgers. Vincent was shirtless, but he was still wearing the same trousers since yesterday.


    The TV had been smashed somehow, but the wedding picture of Chloe and Vincent hanging right above the TV was intact.


    Vincent was a mess, and Maria seriously hated how this man was not on the same level as thete Vaughn Gray.


    Her real boss, Mr. Vaughn Gray, was also a debauched bastard like Vincent, but he was stillpetent with his profession, and if he wanted to do something, then he''d do it perfectly, unlike this man.


    Maria remembered the first time she witnessed Mr. Vaughn Gray make an borate n to kill one of his business rivals. It was so clean that Maria was impressed by his skill, vowing to dedicate her life to working with him because she had never found someone as professional yet so cold-blooded as Mr. Vaughn Gray.


    Maria looked at Vincent with disgust, ''Now looking at his son, I think Dorothea''s gene has muddled Mr. Vaughn Gray''s talent, because Vincent is not as good as histe father.''


    Maria stepped into the master bedroom. Her heels stepped on a bunch of shattered sses on the floor, and she stood in front of Vincent.


    Vincent looked up, "What?"


    "We have a problem--well, two actually. But the first one is much more severe than the other one," Maria said.


    "Then tell me the severe one first, I don''t have enough energy to solve the problems at once," Vincent said.


    "This is about the cosmetic ads job that you gave to your stupid little brother," Maria said.


    "Uh--huh, and what about it?" Vincent asked. He remembered giving that job to Vernon. It was another small job to see if his little brother could handle that project. "Is there anything wrong?"


    Maria said nothing but flipped her phone and then showed the screen at Vincent, "Everything went wrong since the moment you hired him for the job."

 Chapter 641 641

    Vincent squinted to see the screen because Maria said the severe problem was caused by Vernon. Which he thought was something ridiculous because his Little brother worshiped him so much, there was no way he''d try to backstab him.


    Once Vincent regained some of his consciousness, he saw the trending topic of the day. It was not the video of Chelsea''s joker-like face anymore, but it might as well be.


    The trending topic of the day was a picture of a popr make-up guru with lipstick smeared around her cheek. The make-up guru grinned devilishly, and the tagline of that picture was:


    -


    A beautiful mess.


    -


    It was the same tagline that Vincent wanted and the same make-up guru and pose that he liked.


    But the timing of this ad was absolutely wrong. Because everyone was still talking about that jokerdy in the video. They wereughing at her, and also Vincent because Chelsea--the jokerdy, imed that she was the future wife of Vincent Gray.


    So when everyone on the inte saw this ad, they were instantly reminded of that Jokerdy with a scar across her cheek. They knew the Graypany had developed this new make-up brand, so when Vincent checked thements, it was full of ridicule. It pushed one hashtag that everyone used tough at his rtionship with Chelsea.


    --


    ''Omg, did you see the new lipstick ad? I bet Vincent Gray is seriously in love with that crazy woman! #VincentandJoker is real!''


    ''LOL! #VincentandJoker went viral, I wonder what kind of wedding they will do? Maybe a Batman and Joker theme? Vincent as the groom wearing Batman suit, and that crazydy will be wearing a joker suit.''


    ''Ahahaha! I bet the bride will be using the lipstick from the ad, since it fits her so much!''


    ''Oh, that makes me wonder, why does Vincent Gray need to hire a popr make-up guru when he can just hire his soon-to-be wife as the model in the ad? She fits perfectly well, that woman is a mess, but not beautiful!''


    ''Oh, that''s true! I bet that crazydy is head over heels right now, because her boyfriend, Vincent Gray is making an ad just for her!''


    ''Anyway, I don''t want to buy that lipstick or any of the make-up kits from thepany. It always reminds me of the video from yesterday, when that crazy jokerdy is screaming and shouting like crazy.''


    ''Same, I won''t buy that. Maybe they should advertise this product for those who want to do Joker cosy?''


    ''LOL, that crazydy from the video doesn''t even need to do cosy. Just smear the lipstick all over her scar and she''ll be the best Joker ever! Even better than Heath Ledger!''


    ''LOL!''


    ''Hahaha!''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''LMAO!''


    --


    Vincent''s body shook as he kept reading thements while Maria patiently scrolled down on her phone. She wanted to make sure that she got a good reaction from Vincent.


    The angrier he got, the better he would clean this whole mess.


    ''I want him to go absolutely insane about this whole thing, so he is angry enough to chop his pesky brother''s head, and takes the swift action to find and kill Dorothea and Chloe, maybe he should kill his daughter too so he won''t have anymore emotional baggage,'' Maria thought. ''Vincent can be a debauched man who fucks every woman he found as long as that can help him to be a good CEO. Thepany is going down at this point.''


    "There are so manymentsughing at you, saying that you''re an idiot. The ad has also been posted in Times Square''s billboard. You will see many people posting about the billboard ad in Times Square andughing at you in Tiktok and Instagram."


    "You''ve be the butt of the jokes now, Vincent Gray," Maria said while tormenting Vincent. She had been working with Mr. Vaughn Gray and his descendant long enough to know which button to push so Vincent would do what she wanted him to do.


    Vincent imagined everyone whoughed at him. They must be ridiculing him because he wasn''t as perfect as they thought.


    They would see that he was just a regr man with many ws, and they wouldn''t shower him with praise.


    But the worst of all...


    Vincent imagined Chloeughing at him. He imagined her looking at him as if she was higher, better and had more power than him.


    Vincent clenched his fists as he was drowned inside his own fantasy.


    ''That stupid bitch must be looking down on me right now. She must beughing her ass off at my failure while she''s being embraced by another man,'' Vincent thought. He started gnashing his teeth, wondering what he should do to zip her mouth. He couldn''t wait to punch that bitch''s face because she dared to look down on her. ''Don''t you dare you look at me as if you''re better than me, Chloe! You''re my woman, you''re supposed to be below me!''


    Maria''s eyes peered as she stared at Vincent, who looked so pissed off. It seemed that Vincent was thinking about something, and Maria guessed it must be about Chloe.


    Vincent might never admit it, but Maria knew Vincent was obsessed with Chloe. He was obsessed with keeping Chloe by his side, suppressing her until she was barely a human, and then tormenting her every day so he could see her cry.


    It was a hellish cycle for Chloe, but Maria didn''t care about that.


    ''What''s the problem with sacrificing the happiness of one insignificant woman? Chloe''s sole use is to be Vincent''s punching bag, so Vincent can be a good CEO that can develop and maintain histe father''spany. The sacrifice of one insignificant woman is nothingpared to the lives of thousands of people employed by the Graypany.''


    Maria was pissed off because Chloe was shirking her duty to be Vincent''s punching bag, ''I got to torment Vincent even more, so he will find Chloe faster. I refuse to let thepany go down.''

 Chapter 642 642

    [Warning: Upsetting content.]


    Maria remembered how hard Mr. Vaughn Gray worked for hispany. He was talented at managing and improving hispany, so the already prosperous Gray family business could branch out and be even bigger.


    ''Ah, Mr. Vaughn Gray, if only you''re here to rece your son. I know you told me to guide your son so thepany will not fall, but he is not as good as you,'' Mariained in her heart. She stared at Vincent, who was busy with his own thoughts with hatred and disgust in her eyes. ''Look at him, Mr. Vaughn Gray, your son cannot even beat one woman to submission. He''s not as great as you, and he stopped fucking and beating women after his stupid wife left. What a wimp.''


    "What are you waiting for, Sir?" Maria asked. "Are you going to keep being a wimp while everyone isughing at you? Your father must be disappointed."


    "SHUT UP!" Vincent got up from the bed and stood tall in front of the short and old Secretary Maria. He red down at her, but the old woman didn''t budge. "Don''t you dare to call me a disappointment or I will beat the fuck out of you as well!"


    "Are you really going to do that?" Secretary Maria taunted. "Will you get the satisfaction of beating an ugly, worthless woman like me?"


    "¡­"


    Vincent went silent, but he kept staring at Secretary Maria with the same hatred she emanated.


    Both of them hated each other, but at the same time, they also trusted each other so much. Because they knew they had the same amount of maliciousness, they just had a different priority.


    While Vincent wanted to have fun and be satisfied all the time, Maria wanted thepany to run smoothly.


    "You know that we have the same target, right, Mr. Gray?" Secretary Maria said. "No need to hide things from me, Sir. I know that you feel empty and distracted without Chloe by your side. You made many rookie mistakes for months, and you keep putting thepany into jeopardy."


    Vincent hated to admit that he was a mess without Chloe by his side. He was unstable and couldn''t sleep with any other woman because he kept imagining Chloe.


    Now that things kept going wrong, he knew he was at his wit''s end.


    "So why don''t we make a deal?" Maria said.


    "And what would that be?" Vincent asked.


    Secretary Maria was surprised that Vincent would agree to listen to her so easily. She thought she needed to do more.


    But she wouldn''t waste this chance.


    Thus she proposed, "Just let me do whatever it takes to start searching for Chloe. I will tie her up and bring her to you. Meanwhile, you have to deal with whatever bullshit is with your little brother. I don''t have enough power to do anything against him."


    "You''re not allowed to do anything to my little brother or I will kill you first, you old wretch," Vincent threatened. "There must be an exnation why he did something like this. He doesn''t usually make such a huge blunder like this."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You have your opinion, Mr. Gray. But I am convinced that Vernon is up to something. He has a malicious intention towards you."


    Vincent scoffed, "Forget about him, I''ll deal with him myself."


    "Then does that mean you allowed me to deal with Chloe?"


    Vincent hesitated for a while. Though he couldn''t wait to beat Chloe up for making so much mess by leaving him, Vincent still didn''t want her to get killed, and he knew how cruel this old hag could be.


    So he gave her a requirement, "You can handle her. But I will not allow you to severely injure, let alone kill her. Only I can inflict pain on her. So if you can actually catch and bring her to me, I will check whether she has any wound or not, then I will inflict the same wound on you. Got it?"


    "Understood, Sir," Maria nodded. She tried to maintain her cool, but she couldn''t help but get giddy just imagining thepany on the brink of copse finally recovered, and things would return to normal after this.


    "Then I''ll excuse myself, Sir. Please handle the problem with your Little brother before it goes out of hand," Maria said. She turned around and walked away from the master bedroom.


    "Wait!" Vincent stopped her before she left the door. Maria halted her step, waiting for her boss to say something. "You said there are two problems, and you''ve only told me one of them. What''s the second problem? Let me fix it."


    Maria grinned maliciously but tried to reply as formally as possible, "You don''t need to worry about that one, Sir. I will handle it."


    "Huh? Are you sure? You haven''t even told me about the problem yet."


    "Yes, it''s no problem for me, now please excuse me," Maria finally left the bedroom and closed the door behind her.


    Vincent frowned, "She''s usually not the one who''d hide things from me. But I guess the problem is that it''s menial, that''s why she doesn''t bother to tell me about the second problem."


    "Well, it''s time to talk with my stupid little brother. I need an exnation. How could he be so stupid to release the ad when the bad press about Chelsea and I haven''t died down yet."


    Vincent searched for his phone, and once he found it, he started searching for Vernon''s contact.


    Meanwhile, Maria walked through the corridor with a satisfied grin. She was quite happy that Vincent didn''t force her to tell him about the second problem because it was directly linked to Chloe.


    Maria just got the news from one of the police who worked in the New York Police Department that Chloe took Chelsea''s sons with her, and the social service would probably search for them in a week.


    "It''d be the best time to finally find where Chloe lives and ambush her when the time is suitable," Maria plotted. "You can''t escape me, Chloe Gray. Just ept your fate for the good of thepany."

 Chapter 643 643

    Vernon was snacking in his office when he finally got the call from his beloved Big brother. He scoffed as he saw Vincent''s number and cleared his throat to fake the enthusiasm in his voice before answering the call.


    ¡ª


    "Good afternoon, Big bro!" Vernon greeted joyfully, fully knowing that Vincent must be enraged right now. "Is there something you want to talk about?"


    "Yes,e to my mansion right now. Be here in thirty minutes or I will be really mad at you, Vernon," Vincent said with his repressive tone as he tried to intimidate his little brother. But Vernon almost giggled because he was so excited to see his Big brother''s expression.


    "Alright, I''ll be there in thirty minutes!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "Pfft¡ªhahaha!" Vernonughed freely as he was ridiculing his Big bro. Just by his tone, Vernon already knew that Vincent was still trying to forgive him.


    "He probably thought that I did a blunder or something, ppfft¡ª," Vernon got up from the sofa and grabbed his car key. "Well, I''ll act all clueless then. It''s fun to see him struggling to keep his good opinion about me."


    Vernon left the office and saw Diamond sitting on the Secretary''s Desk as always, their eyes met, and Diamond asked, "Where are you going, Sir?"


    "To meet my Big brother," Vernon replied briefly. He walked to the elevator, pressed the button, and reminded Diamond, "Don''t forget to find a good mid-ranged apartment for Chloe and the boys. Make it far from the Phoenix Tower, I don''t want to rouse any suspicion from my Big brother regarding Chloe."


    "Yes, Sir. I already found a good mid-ranged apartment for rent," Diamond replied. Her boss had already told her about the whole thing, and she was hellbent on helping her homegirl to find a ce when the CPS came. "Do you want me to prepare the children''s documents as well, Sir? You know, for their school."


    "I can handle that myself," Vernon said. "But you should help Chloe to buy as many clothes as possible for Dorothea and those boys. She can''t go to the mall because she''s still hiding right now."


    "Understood, Sir," Diamond said. "Please take care, and return in one piece."


    Vernon chuckled. He entered the elevator and assured, "Rx, the only thing that won''t be in one piece after this is Vincent''s sanity."


    Thest thing that Diamond saw was her boss'' malicious grin as the elevator door closed.


    Diamond shrugged as she returned to her phone as she was still contacting thendlord. She knew her boss would be fine, "I''m more worried about my homegirl. She will be exposed since she''s taking care of four boys, I have to make sure nobody can hurt her, maybe I should hire extra bodyguards for her. Meyer the driver is not enough if Vincent decides to raid the apartment."


    **<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vernon went to the mansion without a worry. He parked his car and swaggered through the corridors filled with maids as none dared to even look at him, knowing the status of Vernon Phoenix Gray as Vincent Gray''s favored little brother.


    Meanwhile, Vernon''s eyes swept around the corridor. They realized his Big brother hadn''t removed a single framed picture of Chloe or Mackie. This proved that no matter how much he despised Chloe for running away, he just couldn''t live without her.


    ''We''re not so different,'' Vernon thought. ''We have the same obsession towards her. I just treat her better, that''s why I got to have her by my side.''


    Vernon knocked on the home office door a few times until he heard a voice from the inside, "Come in!"


    Vernon opened the door, and saw his Big brother writing something on his home office desk. He looked pissed, but not pissed enough to the point that he''d attack Vernon without having a proper discussion first.


    Which was funny for Vernon.


    Because his Big brother was clearly able to have a proper conversation. He was logical and smart. But he went absolutely batshit insane in front of Chloe.


    As if Chloe was a special thing, he could pour all of his craziness into her so he could act normal in front of the others.


    Vernon clenched his fist for a few seconds, trying to curb his anger. Vincent had done enough damage to Chloe and would not allow him to keep doing that.


    "Sup, Big bro?" Vernon asked. He sat on the sofa leisurely and put his feet on the coffee table.


    Vincent lifted his head a bit and continued writing as he opened the conversation, "Do you know how much of an idiot you are? You disappoint me, Vernon."


    Vernon acted surprised, "Wha¡ªWhat''s wrong, Big bro? Did I do something that makes you mad? I thought I did everything ording to your instruction."


    Vincent finally put down his pen and red at Vernon, who sat across the room, "Do you not realize the timing of the advertisement? That stupid bitch Chelsea went viral because of a video of her fighting with Chloe. She dares to im that I will be marrying her even though we barely have any contact," Vincent said. Though he intentionally tried to mask a few things, such as the fact that he actually had a lot of contact with Chelsea.


    "The advertisement only exacerbated the viral Vincent and Joker hashtag. Your ad only put me in a worse position, Vernon. Everyone isughing at me right now."


    Vernon almostughed at his Big bro for being so stupid to hire him. But he tried his best to maintain his shocked expression, "But I did everything based on your instruction, Big bro. You told me to make an ad with that beauty guru, and also with that pose, the same shade of lipstick, even the same tagline. And the date as well, you told me to publish today, so I already prepared everything a month before, and everything is ording to the schedule."


    "Why would you me me for something I can''t control, Big bro? It''s not my fault that you be aughing stock!"

 Chapter 644 644

    "Why would you me me for something I can''t control, Big bro? It''s not my fault that you be aughing stock!" Vernon protested.


    Vincent''s veins instantly popped out when Vernon called him aughing stock. He got up from his chair and walked around the desk to approach Vernon.


    Vincent stood in front of Vernon, who was still sitting on the sofa. He looked down at him and asked, "What did you say just now?"


    Vernon clicked his tongue, "I said, it''s not my fault that you be aughing stock, Big bro!"


    "You--!" Vincent raised his hand and swung it towards Vernon, intending to p his stupid Little brother for mocking him.


    But Vernon caught his wrist with one hand effortlessly, which shocked Vincent. He used to get what he wanted and abused whoever he thought to be irritating. There was no history of someone trying to fight back.


    So he was petrified when Vernon caught his hand and got up from the chair.


    Vernon was ten centimeters taller than his Big bro, so he looked down at him. Vincent was surprised when Vernon suddenly lost all of the meekness and childish enthusiasm that he usually showed in front of him.


    Vernon looked at him as if Vincent was a stranger that he could beat anytime he wanted. There was anger brewing in Vernon''s eyes, something that Vincent wasn''t used to.


    "How dare you look at me like that? I am your Big brother!" Vincent raised his other hand andunched a fist at him. But Vernon simply brushed it off with his other palm and grabbed his Big bro''s cor.


    Vernon yanked him when Vincent staggered out of shock, "Listen, you piece of shit," Vernon said without an ounce of warmth in his voice. "I''ve done what you want, and I did it ording to your instruction. I''m not some weakling you can bully just because you''re my Big brother. Why do I need to care about you because of that stupid mistake you made?"


    "I made no mistake!" Vincent yelled. He tried to push himself away from Vernon, but he didn''t expect his Little brother to be so strong.


    "Really? Heh--," Vernon scoffed. "Weren''t you the one who told me that you slept with so many women outside to the point that you already lost count? What guarantees that you''re not sleeping with this one, Big bro? I mean, you basically dipped your dick to every woman you met, you may have no standard at all."


    "BASTARD!" Vincent snapped. He struggled. He tried to punch Vernon''s chest as hard as he could, but Vernon didn''t even seem to get hurt by his punch. "I HAVE STANDARD! I WON''T FUCK AN UGLY BITCH LIKE HER!"


    "Oh really? Weren''t you the one who said that my sister-inw Chloe is an ugly bitch? But didn''t you fuck her? Didn''t you have a daughter with her?" Vernon scoffed. He was trying his best to suppress his anger. He couldn''t help to clench Vincent''s cor tighter when they talked about Chloe.


    Vincent was at a loss for a while. He also didn''t understand his own feelings.


    He kept saying that Chloe was ugly, whether she was fat or super thin. But deep down, he knew he''d still want her to be by his side no matter what.


    ''But why do I keep saying she''s ugly?'' Vincent wondered.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vincent was dazed for a while as he had difficulty processing his own conflicting thoughts.


    Vernon scoffed and released his cor. Vincent lost his bnce and fell on the ss coffee table. The ss table was shattered upon impact, giving cuts all over Vincent''s palms.


    "Argh, fuck!" Vincent cursed as he felt some of the ss shards pierce his palms. He tried to get up, but Vernon stepped on his chest and looked down at him as if he was looking at a piece of dog shit.


    "Remember, big brother. I want to work with you because you also give me profit and connections. Doesn''t mean that I will tolerate getting beaten by you," Vernon said. "You have no power over me."


    Vincent gritted his teeth, "YOU BASTARD! I CAN CRUSH YOUR COMPANY EASILY! YOU WILL RETURN TO ME BEGGING FOR YOUR COMPANY TO BE SAVED!"


    Vernon grinned, "You should see the reality, Big bro. Yourpany is unstable right now because of your own stupidity. I have no reason to fear you anymore."


    Vernon pressed his big brother harder with his shoes until some ss shard pierced his back. He screamed in agony, but Vernon didn''t even pity him because he knew Vincent had done much worse than this to Chloe.


    In fact, he couldn''t wait to slit his Big brother''s throat to finally avenge all he did to Chloe.


    But he knew the repercussions of doing so. He didn''t want to spend his life being a fugitive when he had already nned a beautiful life with Chloe and their children.


    Thus, Vernon acted like a meek young man who was so smitten by his Big brother''s awesomeness that he let his guard down. But now that they were finally on equal terms in business and influence, he didn''t need to be so nice to him anymore.


    In fact, he had been waiting for this moment to happen. Just looking at his Big brother being so helpless against him was like a dreame true.


    "YOU--TREACHEROUS BASTARD! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR DISOBEYING ME! ARGH! MY SKIN!" The more Vincent struggled, the harder Vernon pressed his chest with his shoes. Thus, Vincent finally gave up once he realized he''d actually made some deep cuts if he dared to continue struggling.


    Thus, he stayed still. With his chest heaved, he looked up at Vernon, who was still looking down on him with so much disgust in his eyes, "Listen, Vincent Gray. I am not your dog anymore. So don''t you fucking dare toy your hands on me, understand?"


    Vincent wanted to argue because he knew he had more power than his Little bro.


    But he didn''t want to kill himself over this. He''d rather teach Vernon a lessonter.


    So he could only nod, much to Vernon''s satisfaction.


    He lifted his shoes from Vincent''s chest and said, "Good, know your ce, Big bro."

 Chapter 645 645

    Vincent watched as Vernon swaggered out of the room. He looked so arrogant as he gave Vincent a quick nce full of contempt, "You can try me if you want, Big bro. Do you want to use your influence against me? Then I will show you that I''m not a kid you can bully anymore."


    SLAM!


    Vincent gritted his teeth as Vernon mmed the door behind him. He tried to endure the pain since plenty of ss shards had already dug deep into his skin, so he needed proper medical care.


    However, instead of calling 119 for an ambnce first, he called Secretary Maria instead.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, Sir?" The hoarse voice of an old woman that Vincent usually detested so much became music to his ears. Because now he knew that he needed to work with Maria if he wanted to seed.


    Secretary Maria had been telling him many times that Vernon was not as pure as he looked. He had his own agenda, and he wouldn''t hesitate to push Vincent down if he had no more use for his Big bro.


    Vincent didn''t know to what extent his Little brother worked behind his back, but at this point, he wanted nothing less than to teach his little brother a lesson of humility.


    He needed to know what his little brother was up to, so he could take a proper measure, "Maria, send me all the data that you''ve collected about Vernon''s activity, that piece of shit dares to fight back when I was about to hit him."


    Secretary Maria was excited that her boss had finally snapped out of his stupidity and nned to do something. She had been trying to convince him many times that Vernon was not an obedient little puppy.


    But he kept telling her that she was wrong, and after so many attempts of convincing him, Maria simply gave up.


    She didn''t know what had happened with her boss and his little bastard brother. But she wouldn''t miss this chance!


    "Yes, Sir! I will collect as much data as possible about Vernon''s activity and his growth. We can discuss thister!" The old woman said enthusiastically.


    "Good, because I can''t wait to beat my pup so he will listen to my orders," Vincent checked the ss shards on his palm and added, "He has grown way too big for my liking. It''s time to shrink him back."


    "Yes, Sir. We will beat him into submission. I''ve grown tired of his charade as well," Secretary Maria said. "Now, please excuse me, Sir. I''m in the middle of something."


    "What are you doing right now?" Vincent asked. "Are you searching for Chloe''s whereabouts?"


    "Yes, but I have to start somewhere to find her. I have this feeling that Chloe is being kept by someone very powerful, someone that might be your match, because I have a hard time extracting information and finding any clue about her current whereabouts," Maria reported.


    "Keep searching then. I can''t wait for all of this bullshit to be over with, so everything will turn back to normal," Vincent said.


    "Yes, Sir. I can''t wait for things to return to normal again. I want thepany to keep running forever," Maria said. "It is my life."


    "Good, do your job. I''ll reward youter."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The best reward I can get is to see the Graypany flourish even more than this, Sir," Secretary Maria said. "On another note, the better reward I can get might be your daughter."


    "My daughter? Mackie?"


    "Yes, Mackenzie. She will be the future heir of the Gray family business. You can give her to me and I will teach her to be a good heir. I will teach her to be very professional at work."


    Vincentughed as he thought that was funny, "Well, Chloe won''t be able to have time taking care of that little shit after I get her here. She''ll be inside the bedroom probably for the rest of her life. So you can take my daughter and do whatever you want with her, just don''t let her die, it won''t be good for the press."


    "Certainly, Sir. Please excuse me now."


    "Yeah, I''m waiting for good news from you, Maria."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vincent finally hung up the call after he got a satisfactory answer from Maria. He stared at his bloodied palm again, somehow it wasn''t as painful as before.


    Maybe because he finally realized that he had to be a bloodthirsty monster to fix everything.


    "I just realized that I''ve been so kind these days. I don''t do anything against all the disrespect that I got," Vincent said. "This is all because of Chloe. She makes me weak and confused because she left me. This is just like what my father told me before, women are poison to men. You have to make sure to contain them in a small jar so their poison won''t spread anywhere. Beat her into submission so she won''t dare to fight back, crush her confidence so she dares not to argue with you."


    Vincent clenched his fist, digging the ss shard deeper into his skin. Somehow he felt even more excited as his blood dripped to the floor.


    "I will turn the tide with my power. I am Vincent Gray, and I deserve everything great in this world, including the obedience of my dog brother, and the submission of my wife."


    **


    Maria put her phone back into her pocket and continued waiting at the New York Police Department as she wanted to meet with one Officer.


    After ten more minutes of waiting, a tall, robust ck officer approached her, "Good evening, Ma''am. I heard from my coworker that you''re searching for me. Do you need any help?


    Maria turned her head towards him, and her wrinkly smile appeared, "Are you Officer Derek?"


    "Yes, Ma''am. May I know why you are searching for me. I don''t remember ever meeting you before," Officer Derek said. "Are you rted to a case or something?"


    "Oh, yes, I want to ask about a woman. But I think it''s better to talk in a more private space, Officer," Maria said calmly.

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    "Private space? Uh¡­" Officer Derek was ufortable talking to someone in private, especially because this olddy did not sound kind. There was an insidious aura around her which made him on guard instantly.


    But he was afraid this olddy might make a scene in the police department building, and that would put him on inspection. So he had to be careful.


    "Officer Derek?" Maria called his name.


    "Oh, uhh¡­ sure," Officer Derek agreed reluctantly. "Pleasee with me, Ma''am."


    Officer Derek led the old woman to his office, the same office where he had kept those four boys before they were taken by their aunt.


    The Officer allowed Maria to sit on the sofa while he prepared a coffee for her.


    Maria''s eyes peered around the office, trying to find anything to help her find Chloe. She was 100% convinced this Officer must''ve invited Chloe in here before.


    ''Did the Officer have sex with Chloe in here? Chloe has regained her beauty again after a year, it''s not surprising that she''ll be using her body to get everything she wants. She''s a low born woman after all,'' Maria guessed. ''If only I can find something that I can use to force him to speak up.''


    But she couldn''t continue searching because the Officer returned with a cup of coffee for her, "Thank you, Officer," Maria said.


    Officer Derek sat on the opposite side of the table and stared at the old woman in front of her, "So, may I know who you are and why are you searching for me?"


    Maria sipped the coffee and stared back at the Officer, "Sir, I got the information from someone that my boss'' mother-inw has been murdered. So I came here to find the boys because my boss wants to take care of them."


    Officer Derek connected the dots instantly. If he was right, this old woman in front of him must be someone from Vincent Gray''s side, maybe his secretary, since she referred to Vincent as ''boss.''


    It seemed that Vincent had already discovered the murder, which was very strange because the police were still investigating this case and hadn''t made it public yet, since this case involved a highly reputable man.


    ''Does that mean Vincent has been keeping an eye on the case? Maybe what his wife saidst night was right, Vincent Gray was truly the mastermind behind the murder.''


    Maria could sense the suspicion from the Officer in front of her, so she acted pitifully, "Oh, don''t look at me with those scary eyes, Officer. I''m a fragile old woman, please be kind to me."


    Officer Derek took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was a serious man that took no bullshit, but he also wasn''t the one who liked to intimidate.


    "Pardon me, Ma''am. Now to answer your question, may I know first about how you and your boss know about the murder of Judith Carlson? The case hadn''t been released yet, and we are still under investigation," Officer Derek said. "Does that mean you have an informant within the police department?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Rather than acting scared and denying the usation, Maria only smiled thin and said, "Vincent Gray is not a regr person, Sir. He has power over so many things, and of course he has an influence in the police department too. It is not something surprising, no?"


    Officer Derek became tense instantly. Of course, it wasn''t that surprising, but he became wary of this informant''s real identity.


    Could it be that he was Officer Derek''s higher-up?


    Or maybe someone from the same rank as him?


    ''But I think the informant shouldn''t be someone with a high position, because this olddy wouldn''t need to find me just to find Mrs. Gray and those children''s whereabouts,'' Officer Derek thought. ''Does that mean she is actually on the run from her own husband? Things are actually piling up against Vincent Gray right now.''


    "You''re right, and I will chase you about that informant," Officer Derek said as he tried to control the situation, "About the boys, they are safe in foster care, Ma''am. You don''t need to worry about them."


    "Really? That''s fortunate," Maria said calmly. "But Mr. Gray is a very kindhearted person. He has been trying to stay away from Chelsea Davis'' family because Chelsea keeps on trying to chase after him. She''s like a madwoman in love."


    "Mr. Gray always refused her advances, but that only made her worse. So he was very devastated after knowing that Chelsea had gonepletely deranged and murdered her own mother," Maria said as she tried to picture her boss as a kind man. "So he told me to find the boys, he will take care of them."


    The more this old woman tried to paint Vincent Gray as a good man, the more he realized that Mrs. Gray was right.


    Everyone around Vincent would always try to paint a good picture of him because the public image was very important to him.


    ''Now which one should I believe? Vincent Gray''s image portrayed by the media for years, or his image portrayed by his own wife?'' Officer Derek pondered.


    "So, Officer Derek, can you tell me where I can find those boys? Which foster care are they in right now, or are they still in the government''s foster care?"


    "My apology, Ma''am. But I am not allowed to disclose the whereabouts of the boys. But I can assure you that they''re safe under the right hand," Officer Derek replied.


    "Really? But Mr. Gray is their only family. I think a family has more rights to those boyspared to the foster home, right?" Maria added as she acted pitifully. "Do you know that Mrs. Gray has been crying sincest night? She''s in so much pain and had to be hospitalized after knowing that her mother was murdered. But she told her husband that she wants to take care of those boys because her nephews are their sons too."


    Officer Derek''s heartbeat skipped for a second the moment this old woman mentioned Mrs. Chloe Gray.


    Obviously, Chloe Gray was shaken upst night, but she could still stand her ground. Officer Derek''s eyes peered even more suspiciously at the woman sitting peacefully before him. He thought, "This old woman is lying.''

 Chapter 647 647

    ?


    "Really? Mrs. Gray is in too much shock because of the murder?" Officer Derek asked.


    "Obviously!" Maria huffed as she got a little offended because the Officer didn''t believe her. "She almost fainted after getting the news. She cried all night in Mr. Vincent Gray''s embrace, and begged him to adopt the boys because they are Madam Gray''s surviving family members."


    She was so saddened that she refused to drink, let alone eat anything, until she was too weak and fainted, so we had to hospitalize her," Maria said. The old woman was so convincing that Officer Derek almost believed her. After all, it was difficult for anyone not to believe an old woman''s words.


    But he knew well this old woman was lying because Madam Gray came to the police departmentst night. He was 100% sure the beautiful woman fromst night was the real Mrs. Chloe Gray because the boy recognized her instantly. He was able to contact her because of a phone number given by the oldest boy.


    But of course, he couldn''t just tell all of this to this lying old woman in front of him. Because he knew she was doing all this by order of her boss, Mr. Vincent Gray, and based on Mrs. Chloe Gray''s testimony regarding her husband, she portrayed him as an abusive megalomaniac that would do anything to make sure the public opinion was always in his favor.


    So it wasn''t surprising if Mr. Vincent Gray asked his subordinate to retrieve the kids because they might be the evidence needed to uncover the connection between Vincent Gray and Chelsea Davis, so he had to shut them up.


    He''d also regain his poprity and good public image back once the press published an article about his good deeds of epting the boys into his family, so he''d still be seen as a good family man.


    The man stared at the old woman in front of him and thought, ''Surely, looks can be deceiving. Vincent Gray deceived everyone with his good public persona, and this old woman almost deceived me with her crocodile tears.''


    "Officer? So, can I meet with the boys now?" Maria asked with a pitiful look. "I''m an old woman, so I can''t really stay here for too long. I want to take the boys to my boss and his wife as soon as possible."


    Officer Derek cleared his throat and replied, "Those boys are in foster care right now. We cannot specify which one, and we would not let you meet with them."


    Maria was surprised by the answer. She thought this middle-aged cop would agree with her instantly. So she protested, "Why not? Please, Officer, those boys are suffering right now. They must be crying day and night because they''re put in an unknown environment. Besides, this is my boss'' order to retrieve those boys, because Madam Gray wants to take care of them."


    "Then let Madam Graye here and meet me," Officer Derek said.


    Maria was stunned. She thought she misheard it just now, "Pardon me, Officer, you''re telling me to bring Madam Gray here? To your office?"


    "Yes," Officer Derek nodded firmly. "If she really wants to see those boys, then she shoulde all by herself."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "But there is no difference between her or me who came here to retrieve the boys, right? After all, I''m the one who got the order to bring them back," Maria insisted.


    "Madam Gray is the only family member of those boys, so if she wants them back, then she should be the one whoes here and retrieves them, I''d be more than happy to hand those boys from the foster care to Madam Gray," Officer Derek said.


    Maria clenched her fist beneath the table. She was in a difficult situation right now. This Officer wasn''t as stupid as she expected, and now she had no way to bring Chloe here because she had run away months ago.


    ''How am I supposed to deceit this Officer. Damn, why do they get a smart one for this case?'' Mariained. She took a deep breath to calm herself and said, "But, Madam Gray is currently hospitalized, Officer. Are you cruel enough to force a weakdy toe here? And frankly, Mr. Vincent Gray will definitely get angry if you make it hard for his wife to retrieve her surviving family members."


    Officer Derek''s lips thinned. This old woman had a lot of weapons in her arsenal. She might look frail and pitiful, but her mind was deceitful.


    But he wasn''t the one who''d get fooled easily. Thus he said, "You''re right, Ma''am. I forgot that Madam Gray must be lying on the hospital bed right now. It is very inconsiderate of me."


    "You''re right, Officer. You should be ashamed of yourself," Maria said. "Now, why don''t we just end this whole useless debate and let me meet with those boys? It will save us time."


    "I still cannot do that, Ma''am. It is only Madam Gray''s right to meet them," Officer Derek said.


    "But she is still bedridden in the hospital!"


    "You''re right. That''s why I''m asking you to call her right now," Officer Derek dared. "Call her now, make it a video call, and let me see her face. I will show her face to the boys to see if they recognize her, and if they do, then Madam Gray is free to bring them home."


    Maria''s eyes widened. She got tense instantly because she had no way to call Chloe right now. Heck, even Vincent had no idea about Chloe''s number because she had already changed it.


    Hell, even Chelsea and Judith were not informed about the new phone number. So nobody could get in contact with Chloe right now. They also had no way to catch her easily because Mackenzie suddenly transferred school without any notice from her previous school. Chloe''s new man must''ve done something to forge a new document for Mackenzie to enroll in a new school smoothly.

 Chapter 648 648

    ?


    "So, Ma''am, can you call Madam Gray right now? It''s the simplest method of verification," Officer Derek asked confidently, knowing the old woman before him could not do that. "It shouldn''t be a difficult thing to do if you''re really the subordinate sent by Mr. Vincent Gray and his wife."


    "Madam Gray is very shy, she always refuses to let anyone see her face, and my boss is also a very possessive man who won''t allow anyone to see his wife''s face," Maria said. "It is impossible for me to do so, Officer."


    "Then unfortunately, I cannot bring the boys here, Ma''am," Officer Derek replied firmly.


    Maria began to lose her patience with this Officer. He was so persistent, and he was actually able to push her to the edge. Thus, unable to continue with this meaningless debate resulting in her loss, she grabbed her bag and stood up, "I think we''re done with the conversation, Officer."


    "I think so too, Ma''am," Officer Derek said, but he didn''t get up to escort her out. He pointed at the door and said," The exit is over there."


    Maria gritted her teeth but tried to be as calm as possible, "You will regret this, Officer Derek. Wait until I tell my boss about this, Mr. Vincent Gray is not something you can mess with."


    "Then please send my apology to him because I''m just doing my job being a cop here, Ma''am," Officer Derek said calmly. "I''m sure the benevolent Mr. Vincent Gray won''t do anything to me."


    Maria was finally pushed to the edge. He stomped her heels as she left his office and mmed the door behind her.


    Officer Derek stared at the door for a while, and he let out a relieved sigh, "Mrs. Chloe Gray is right, Vincent Gray''s true face must be very ugly."


    **


    Maria stomped her way to her car. This was the first time someone other than Vaughn and Vincent dared to beat her in an argument.


    Truthfully, she already got the news from her Informant that a woman with Chloe Gray''s-like appearance was the one who took the children. But Maria wasn''t 100% sure it was the real Chloe or someone from foster care which happened to look like her. She couldn''t believe that because Chloe was still in hiding. Chloe was a very timiddy who didn''t even dare to raise her head in front of Vincent, let alonee out to the public, especially the NYPD.


    So Maria came to meet the Officer who handled the case to ask about the boys. She thought that he''d simply say Chloe was the one who took the boys to confirm the information from one of Vincent''s spies.


    But no, he said the boys were the foster care, which was a lot more logical in Maria''s head, because how could the Officer get Chloe''s contact when she had been in hiding for a while? It was simply unthinkable.


    So she went along with the conversation, thinking she could somehow retrieve the boys from foster care and destroy the evidence by sending them somewhere far away. After all, she wasn''t fond of killing children.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But that Officer turned out to be very difficult to reason with, and now she was facing a dead end.


    "Damn it, I don''t know why, but I feel like I am the one who gets yed in here," Maria cursed. She was infuriated because she got beaten by a mere police officer.


    "What should I do now to find Chloe or those boys? That man refused to give me the identity, and nobody except him knows the boys'' whereabouts," Maria wondered. "Should I just use Vincent''s men to force that Officer to bring the boys to me? Hm¡­ no, I shouldn''t. He''s not a man I could mess up with, the police department is too dangerous and it might damage Vincent''s reputation."


    "So my only choice right now is to find Chloe somehow. I can force her to bring the boys from the foster care, so those boys won''t be able to say anything during Chelsea''s trial."


    Maria was trying to find another way to catch Chloe. So she called her Informant from the police department and asked,


    ¡ª


    "How about Judith Carlson''s corpse? Where did you guys put her corpse? Or did you guys already bury her?"


    "No, Ma''am. Her corpse is put in the morgue not far from the police department building after an autopsy. The hospital is waiting for Judith''s family member to retrieve her," the Informant said. "Ma''am, why are you asking for this? I thought I already told you that Chloe was the one who retrieved the boys."


    "You''re mistaken," Maria denied. "There is no way for Officer Derek to get Chloe''s contact. She''s been hiding for so long and nobody could contact her."


    The Informant was confused by that statement. He was 100% sure it was Chloe who retrieved the boys, but at the same time, he also couldn''t find a good exnation for how Officer Derek got Chloe''s contact.


    "Then what are you going to do next, Ma''am?" The Informant asked on the phone.


    "I will ambush Chloe in the hospital. She might not be able to go to the police station to meet those boys because she''s too scared, and it''s too risky to bring the boys with her. She''s a stupid, timid woman, not a risk-taker," Maria said. "But I''m pretty sure she still has some good in her. After hearing about the murder soon, she''d probably ask her powerful man to let her visit the morgue to see her mother''s corpse."


    "Then how about the Child Protection Service, Ma''am. Sooner orter, the CPS will be searching for those boys too. Why don''t you just wait and see, Officer Derek will not be able to lie in front of the CPS," the Informant said, still thinking that Chloe was the one who took the boys even though it was hard to believe.


    "We don''t have that much time, you idiot," Maria scolded. "By next week, those boys might be interviewed by some reporters, and they might say something that will ruin Mr. Gray''s image!"

 Chapter 649 649

    ?


    Vernon could finally take a relieved breath after he left Vincent''s mansion. He really thought that his Big Brother would call all the security guards to surround him and trap him inside the mansion so his Big bro could get instant revenge on him.


    He was confident with his fighting skill. After all, he practiced kickboxing for years as self-defense. But he didn''t know how many men would surround him. Logically speaking, it would be difficult for him to fight ten men at once.


    Fortunately, it seemed that his Big bro didn''t want that instant revenge.


    Vernon entered his car and drove out of the mansion. His mind floated as he wondered what his Big bro would do next.


    "He is definitely nning something nefarious on me," Vernon murmured while his eyes were on the road. "I mean, it''s obvious after what I did to him. But I just can''t control myself to fight back once I realize that he is going to treat me like his dog, just like what he did to me when I was young."


    Vernon still remembered his younger days, when his Big bro truly treated him like a pet that would be given treats as long as Vernon did a trick. He even told Vernon to bark like a real dog in exchange for some of Vincent''s time to y, just because Vernon was so starved of attention back then.


    Vernon gripped the steering wheel tighter, his eyes peering at the road in front of him, "I am done ying dog with him. I don''t care what he will do next. I am ready to take anything from him," Vernon imed boldly. "After all, we''re on equal terms now, he just hasn''t realized it yet."


    "I can even go public with Chloe right now. But I know that wouldn''t give Chloe the true security she deserves," Vernon murmured. He was thinking about Chloe again. His heart was aching whenever he remembered all the abuses Chloe had endured under Vincent''s hand. It made him want to return to the mansion and finish his Big Bro for real. "I swear he will suffer for all the things he did to my woman."


    **


    Diamond was done with the work today. She had already met with thendlord and already told some of Vernon''s men to start filling the room with furniture to make it more believable that Chloe was living there.


    She nned to return home after she was done with work, but she missed her homegirl so much. It had been a while since thest time they met. Her boss didn''t allow Chloe toe to the office anymore because she might get recognized, so he always bought his lunch, or Chloe would ask the bodyguard to send the food to the office.


    "I''ll visit her now, maybe I can help her with something," Diamond said. Instead of turning to the left, she went straight because she intended to visit Chloe. "Hmm, do I need to call her, or should I just make it a surprise visit?"


    Diamond was thinking for a moment before shrugging, "Oh well, I''ll just give her a surprise visit. I bet she''ll be happy with me around."


    Diamond parked her car in the basement of the Phoenix Tower. She headed straight to the penthouse and knocked on the door.


    Knock. Knock!


    "Homegirl, it''s me!" Diamond yelled to make sure that Chloe heard her.


    The door was opened not long after, and Chloe was greeted by the sight of Chloe wearing a pink apron. She smiled cheerfully as she hugged Diamond, but Diamond could see the exhaustion in her eyes.


    "It''s been a while, Diamond!" Chloe said. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yup, I''ve been missing you a lot! What are you doing anyway? Baking something?" Diamond guessed as she sniffed a sweet scenting from the kitchen.


    "Mhm, I''m baking a cake for the kids," Chloe said. She looked tired as she mentioned to the kids, "Actually, can you help me with something, Diamond?"


    "Sure, what is it?"


    "Can you apany my daughter in her room? She''s been sulking all day because I don''t have time for her," Chloe said. "As you see, I''m still baking cakes for her and the other boys to improve their moods, but Mackie kept on sulking, demanding me to apany her y."


    "Why don''t you just bring her to those boys? I thought you said that Mackie is very close to her cousins," Diamond suggested.


    "Yes, but I can''t do that right now. The boys are still in shock after what happenedst night, and I don''t want Mackie to find out about the evil thing that Chelsea did," Chloe exined. She remembered Aaron again and all the things he had to go through. "One child already suffered from PTSD, and I''m sure he needs to be professionally treated by a child psychologist. I don''t want Mackie to be in too much shock in case one of the boys told her about the truth."


    Diamond sighed. Her homegirl hadn''t changed at all.


    She was still the same woman who''d hide things from her daughter. Though it was done with good intentions, it would create a misunderstanding that might damage Mackie in the long run.


    But Diamond fully understood that Chloe was right.


    Mackie should not know about the news yet, especially not from the boys. Because the boys might say something that was absolutely horrifying because they recalled past trauma, and it could damage Mackie too.


    "How about I bake and you talk to her instead?" Diamond offered.


    Chloe shook her head, "Mackie is still upset with me, you should go and talk to her, really."


    "Mhm, alright then, but don''t expect much from me. I''m not a mother yet," Diamond said. Chloe smiled and nodded. She gave way for Diamond to go downstairs to meet Chloe.


    Diamond stood in front of Mackie''s room, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door a few times.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    "I''m not opening it unless you''re ying with me, Mommy," Mackie sulked inside.


    "It''s Diamond. I''m here to apany you instead."

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    ?


    "Ah, Diamond!" Mackie hurriedly opened the door and smiled at Diamond, "Wee to my room! Are you here to y with me?"


    "Sure!" Diamond said.


    Mackie excitedly held her hand and guided Diamond into her room. Thetter looked around the little girl''s room and realized that Mackie actually loved sweet-themed characters since her room was filled with Barbies, Hello Kitty, and Disney Princess merchandise.


    Contrary to Mackie''s bold, active, and even feisty attitude, her room was girly and cute.


    Though, it wasn''t all that surprising for Diamond because she grew up having the same hobby, just like Mackie. Diamond also loved all kinds of girly stuff, and she also had the same feisty attitude as Mackie.


    "You can sit here, Diamond!" Mackie allowed Diamond to sit on a stool while she was preparing a doll house shaped like Cindere''s castle for both of them to y. "You''re the first one that will y this dollhouse with me! Uncle bought this for mest week!"


    "Really? Then it is my honor, Princess Mackenzie."


    Mackie''s eyes brightened when Diamond called her Princess. She bowed her heart politely towards Diamond and replied, "My pleasure, Princess Diamond."


    Diamond chuckled. She helped Mackie to prepare the dollhouse and then started ying with her. Diamond kept on observing Mackie while they were ying and realized that Mackie acted so much like her when she was young.


    Obviously, her family didn''t have money to buy this kind of expensive dollhouse when she was young, but Diamond remembered having a few Barbie dolls that she liked to dress up and y house with. She was the typical girly girl, and sometimes the boys made fun of her.


    Diamond nced at Mackie''s school bag at the corner of the room and noticed it was glittery pink and filled with Disney princesses. Mackie also had plenty of pink, white, and purple shoes.


    Diamond got slightly worried and asked, "Does anyone ever make fun of your pink bag and shoes?"


    Mackie tilted, "Why would anyone make fun of my pink bag?"


    "Well, back when I was your age, I also loved anything pink. Some of the boys in my school didn''t like it and mocked me for being too girly," Diamond said.


    "And what did you do to them, Diamond?" Mackie asked again.


    "I yelled at them and told them to stop," Diamond chuckled. "Well, that doesn''t stop me from wearing anything pink, even now."


    "That''s good! You shouldn''t stop just because the boys bully you!" Mackie snorted.


    "Does that mean you get bullied because you''re wearing pink too?" Diamond asked. She knew little about Mackie''s school because it was under Vernon and Chloe''s control.


    But she still wanted to ensure that Mackie was not bullied for something she liked.


    "Nobody bullies me in my new school, because we''re all friends!" Mackie imed. "And I fight back against those in my previous school because they bullied me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Oh-ho, you''re surely a pretty little warrior," Diamond teased.


    Mackie had a proud grin on her face, "Of course! I promised myself to protect Mommy, I have to be strong!"


    "But¡­" Mackie''s smile faltered. She suddenly lost interest in ying with her doll. "My Daddy¡­"


    "What''s wrong with your Daddy?" Diamond asked worriedly.


    "Um, he told me once that he will throw all of my dolls and pinkies once I get older, because it''s too girly. I''m not supposed to y with it because I''m his daughter, and his daughter doesn''t y with pinks¡­." Mackie said. She looked at Diamond with pitiful doe eyes inherited from Chloe. "Diamond, is it true that I''m not allowed to y with dolls and wear pinks after I''m older? Why did my Daddy say that?"


    ''Well, because your dad is a misogynistic asshole who thinks that femininity is not good,'' Diamond replied in her heart. She was trying hard not to say it out loud.


    Honestly, she didn''t want to conceal that because it was pretty obvious that Mackie had already developed some understanding of what was happening around her. She would eventually realize that her Daddy was an absolute jerk.


    But it wasn''t her ce to tell her the truth. Chloe was the only one who had the right to do that.


    "Don''t worry about your Dad. He just doesn''t like pink," Diamond answered but still tried to be as vague as possible. "Did your Mom and Uncle ever try to stop you from wearing pinks?"


    Mackie shook her head, "Uncle said I look like a Princess each time Mommy dresses me up, and he said pink suits me so much. Mommy loves me and is always happy to buy me anything pink if I want."


    "Then you have nothing to worry about," Diamond smiled. "Just focus on your Uncle and Mom, and forget about what your Daddy said, okay?"


    "Un¡­" Mackie nodded. She finally regained the mood to y with her doll again.


    Diamond was relieved and yed some more before she brushed up on the topic of Chloe.


    "So, your Mom told me that you''re sulking the whole day because she doesn''t want to y with you, is that right?"


    Mackie said nothing, but she nodded.


    "Mackie¡­ your Mom wants to y with you as well, but she is just too busy right now. You can just y by yourself, right?" Diamond suggested.


    "¡­ it''s not about that," Mackie replied. "I''m fine ying alone. But I want Mommy to y with me so she can rest."


    "Mommy looks very tired and sad today. I heard her crying in her room at noon while calling Gran Judith''s name," Mackie said. "I don''t know what''s wrong with Mommy, and I want to help. But each time I ask if she is alright, Mommy would always say she is okay, and try to hide things from me. Is it because I''m just a child? Is that why I shouldn''t know about Mommy''s trouble?"


    Mackie raised her head and stared at Diamond, "Diamond, am I too young to help my Mommy?"

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    ?


    "Diamond, am I too young to help my Mommy?" Mackie asked. "


    "Oh, no, dear, you''re not too young to help your Mommy, but¡­." Diamond stopped midway. She wanted tofort Mackie and assure her that her Mommy loved her so much and wanted her to help.


    But did she?


    Did Chloe actually want her daughter to help? Knowing her protective and coddling nature, Chloe would never want Mackie to help with anything.


    In fact, the first thing that came to Diamond''s mind was Chloe, who would try her best to hide her problem from Mackie.


    And to some extent, Diamond also agreed with her. Mackie didn''t need to know about the difficult thing that Chloe went through because it could actually damage Mackie''s mental health.


    But at the same time, she also understood Mackie''s frustration. She might feel that her Mommy hid too many things from her.


    "But why, Diamond?" Mackie asked curiously. "Why can''t I help Mommy?"


    Diamond sighed. She was put in a difficult situation right now. It was better to bring Chloe here so Chloe could exin it herself, but then Diamond realized that Chloe would probably just try to shift the topic like she usually did.


    ''Well, I''m going to jump into the fire pit after this, but I will try to answer it by myself,'' Diamond thought, and then she silently prayed. ''Help me God, for I am trying to help this child even though I''m single as pringle. Amen.''


    "Well, you know that your Mommy is very sweet and kind, right?" Diamond asked.


    "Mhm, Mommy is very kind, sweet, and gentle! I love spending time with her so much!" Mackie agreed. "That''s why I want to help Mommy. She needs to be protected at all costs! Big bad Uncle and I have vowed to protect Mommy together!"


    ''Well, that''s one way to influence your child,'' Diamond thought as she easily guessed what kind of pep talk that obsessive man would do to his stepchild, so Mackie had the same overprotective nature as him.


    "That''s right, your Mom is a very sweet person, and a sweet person doesn''t like to talk about bitter things," Diamond said. "That''s why if you want to make her tell you about her problem, then you need to assure her that bitterness is fine. Sometimes too much sweetness is not good, right?"


    "Mhm, I like sweets too, but not too much," Mackie nodded. "Does that mean I should just tell Mommy that I can help?"


    "Yes, just tell her that you can help, and you want to help. Then, your Mom will be assured," Diamond said. ''I probably have to warn Chloe about this. I hope she will ept my advice and start opening up to her daughter though. Mackie is already at the age of realizing what is happening around her.''


    Mackie went silent after that, but it was obvious that she had a lot in mind. She finally nodded after convincing herself.


    "Alright, I will tell Mommy that I want to help. I want her to be happy too," Mackie said decisively. "I may be small, but I can help!"


    Diamond smiled and patted Mackie''s head, "Good, I''m sure that your Mommy will be happy with your help as well!"


    Diamond yed with Mackie for about an hour until Chloe knocked on the door and opened it.


    She still had her pink apron on, and she smelled sweet, like a bakery when she came in. Chloe smiled despite her obvious exhaustion and said, "I''ve made a variety of cakes. Let''se upstairs and eat it together."


    Mackie dropped her doll immediately and hugged her mother, "Mommy!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Ah¡ªd¡ªdear, what''s wrong? Why are you hugging me all of a sudden?" Chloe asked, but she still carefully patted Mackie''s head.


    Mackie looked up and smiled wide until her teeth were showing at her mother, "Nothing, I just want to hug you, Mommy!"


    Chloe looked at Diamond confusedly, waiting for an exnation, and Diamond simply shrugged.


    She got up and said, "Well, I want to try some cakes. Let''s go."


    "Let''s go!" Mackie chirped as she released her hug from Chloe and followed Diamond upstairs, much to Chloe''s confusion.


    **


    They ate the cakes together in the penthouse''s kitchen. Chloe made a variety of cakes, and Diamond and Mackie made sure to eat at least one of them.


    "Mommy, why do you make so much cake? Do you want to give it to someone?" Mackie asked while munching her cake.


    "Ah¡­ uhm¡­ it''s for your Uncle and Grandma too," Chloe replied.


    "But they can''t eat this much sweet!" Mackie protested while pointing to at least four more untouched cakes.


    "That''s¡ª" Chloe had difficulty answering Mackie''s question. She didn''t know how to hide that they had four more boys in the family.


    Chloe went silent for a moment until Diamond nudged her with her elbow.


    Chloe turned towards Diamond with confusion, waiting for Diamond to say something.


    Diamond then leaned closer and whispered in her ear, ''Just be honest. I already told Mackie about her cousins here.''


    Diamond lied, of course. She realized that Chloe needed a little push, so she would say something. It wasn''t good to keep Mackie in the dark for a long time because it might create misunderstanding and distrust.


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She was about to scold Diamond for telling Mackie about it without her permission.


    But then Diamond quickly added, ''I told her that the boys are not in good health, so she has to wait until they''re feeling better.''


    Chloe was slightly relieved that Diamond at least devised a clever solution so Mackie didn''t need to meet with her cousins as soon as possible. The boys needed to rest as they were still shaken up after the incident.


    "Well, these are for the boys," Chloe replied lightly.


    "Eh? My cousins are here?!" Mackie said. She almost jumped out of excitement. "Why didn''t you tell me sooner, Mommy? I want to y with them!"


    Chloe red at Diamond because Mackie clearly didn''t know about it yet. Diamond shrugged and said, "You get to y it off, Gurl."

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    ?


    "Mommy, let''s go and meet them! It''s been a long time since thest time I met them!" Mackie said eagerly.


    Chloe cleared her throat as she tried to y it off, "Well, not now, dear."


    "Eh, why not?" Mackie pouted. "Don''t worry, Mommy. I won''t yell at them for not following my orders anymore!"


    Mackie was called Boss Mackie by the rest of the boys because she was the oldest and she had a very domineering and bossy personality. Shed boss around those boys, and each time Chloe tried to scold Mackie for what she did to her cousins, the boys would defend Mackie instead, saying that they really liked to follow Boss Mackie''s order and said Boss Mackie was the best.


    Chloe wanted to tell the boys not to be scared if Mackie threatened them.


    But it seemed that they genuinely liked to stick around with Mackie. They really liked surrounding her like four little soldiers following theirmander to war.


    "Dear, your cousins are sick. They¡­ they caught fever," Chloe bluffed. "So I can''t let you meet them yet or else you''ll get sick as well."


    "A¡­" Mackie looked sad after knowing that her cousins were sick. But Mommy was true. She couldn''t meet them if they were sick because Mackie didn''t want to get sick as well. "How long will they stay here? Can I at least y with them before they go home?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about that, Dear. They will stay here for a long time," Chloe said. "So, when they''re not sick anymore, you can y with them."


    "Wah! Does that mean they''ll be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas?"


    "Ah, we will see about thatter, okay?"


    "Un!" Mackie was excited to spend her holiday with her family. If Uncle, Mommy, Grandma, and her cousins could be with her together at the same table during Thanksgiving, then that would be amazing!


    In fact, it would be even better than any Christmas and Thanksgiving they ever had with Daddy. Because they would only eat Thanksgiving food in silence, and Daddy was never there during Christmas, only Mommy and Mackie opened the gift under the Christmas tree.


    That was¡­ if she could get a gift, of course.


    Mommy always said that she didn''t have enough money to spend on gifts and was sorry for it.


    But Mackie didn''t really care about that. She was already happy enough to spend time with her Mommy.


    ''But imagine if I could spend my time with them all! Whooo! That''d be fun!'' Mackie thought.


    Chloe was relieved that at least Diamond could devise a good idea to dy Mackie and her cousins'' meeting without hiding anything from her daughter.


    Diamond giggled and elbowed Chloe again, "See? It''s not so hard to be honest with her. Well, 50% honest, I guess. But I understand that you still need to hide a few things from Mackie."


    Chloe red at Diamond again for a moment before she sighed and nodded, "I guess you''re right. I can''t keep hiding things from her."


    Chloe only ate one slice of carrot cake she made, then put two whole cakes and apple pies into the food containers.


    "I will bring these downstairs for your cousins and your Grandma. They live together now," Chloe said to her daughter. "Can you wait here with Diamond?"


    "Sure!" Mackie nodded while eating her third slice.


    "Mhm, I''ll be here for dinner too, if you don''t mind," Diamond said. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe chuckled, "Sure, we can cook while waiting for Vernon toe home."


    Chloe went down with containers full of cakes, leaving Diamond and Mackie in the kitchen, still eating cakes.


    "See? Your Mom just needs a little push so she will be honest with you," Diamond said as she winked at Mackie.


    "Hehe, you''re right, Diamond!" Mackie cheered.


    Diamond and Mackie actually nned it from the start. Usually, Mackie could eat a lot of cakes, and so did Uncle Vernon. They had sweet teeth and could eat a whole banana pie by themselves.


    But Diamond told Mackie to say that the cakes were a bit too much and nobody would eat them. She also told Mackie to eat slower.


    Thus, Chloe was pushed to be honest.


    Of course, Diamond still hadn''t told Mackie about her cousins because that was Chloe''s right to do so.


    But she at least set up a small trick to make Chloe spill the beans.


    "Your Mommy isn''t trying to hide things from you. She knows that you must be very excited to meet with your cousins, but they are still sick. If you know it earlier, of course you will insist on meeting them, right? Your Mommy doesn''t want you to be sad because you can''t meet them right away."


    "Mm, I guess you''re right," Mackie nodded while munching on the carrot cake. "Maybe I should be more patient¡­."


    "You should. Your Mommy would be happy and more open to you if you can be more patient with everything," Diamond suggested.


    Diamond watched as Mackie thought hard while eating her cake. She could see some of Vernon''s habits in Mackie because Vernon often ate or drank anything while thinking hard about something.


    They were also impatient, brash, and stubborn.


    ''It''s funny to see that Mackie could 100% pass as Vernon''s daughter, and nobody would bat an eye, really,'' Diamond thought.


    **


    Chloe returned to the penthouse about fifteen minutester and went straight to the kitchen. She thought that Diamond and Mackie had already returned downstairs to y again.


    But Diamond was busy chopping up some vegetables while Mackie was helping by wiping the dinner table and kitchen countertop, though she had to use a stool to reach it.


    "Uhm, why are you two here?" Chloe asked, "You can go downstairs if you want.".


    Diamond and Mackie turned their heads at the same time.


    "Because we want to help Mommy!" Mackie replied.


    "Yeah, we want to help you," Diamond added. She pointed at the note on the fridge and said, "I saw that you want to make a few veggie side dishes, so I can at least help with that."


    Chloe was surprised by their enthusiasm to help. She smiled and quickly wore her apron again, "Well, this means we can finish the dish before Vernones home."

 Chapter 653 653

    ?


    Vernon returned home around seven in the evening. The moment he unlocked the penthouse door, he could smell a sweet scent from the kitchen.


    He kicked his shoes and dropped his briefcase. He rushed to the kitchen because he couldn''t wait to hug his beloved woman from behind and kiss his cute daughter. It was a great reward after a long day at work or facing that bastard Vincent.


    He saw Chloe was busy setting up food on the dining table. She was wearing her pink apron as always, and her hair was tied in a ponytail.


    Vernon''s face brightened instantly. He pounced on her and hugged her from behind suddenly, which shocked Chloe, "Ah¡ªEh?!"


    Vernon wrapped his arms around Chloe''s waist to stop her from struggling too much, "I''m home, my love," he said before kissing her cheek from behind.


    Chloe stopped struggling after knowing it was Vernon, but she said nothing, which was weird.


    Because Chloe would usually greet him sweetly, even kiss him on the cheek in response.


    So, Vernon asked, "Chloe? Is there anything wrong?"


    Chloe said nothing but pointed at two people sitting across the table. Vernon lifted his head and saw Diamond and Mackie staring at them. Vernon didn''t realize those two''s present at first because he had tunnel vision when it was about Chloe.


    Whenever he saw his beloved woman, everything around him would be blurred except the clear figure of Chloe.


    "Ah, damn it," Vernon cursed in a low voice before releasing his embrace. He sat on the dining chair and tried to act normal despite the sudden PDA he had done with Chloe just now.


    "Wee back, Uncle!" Mackie smiled wide. She wasn''t all that surprised by Uncle and Mommy''s affection. In fact, she liked it when her Uncle hugged her Mommy because Mommy always looked happy whenever her Uncle embraced her.


    Diamond had a teasing grin on her face and said, "Whew, it must be nice to be a pair of lovebirds."


    Chloe lowered her head even more because she was blushing so hard right now, while Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly, "Why are you here, Diamond?"


    Diamond shrugged, "I''m just visiting. I asked Chloe if I can eat dinner here, and she said she''s happy to have me."


    "You know you can always eat outside, right? Do you need me to raise your sry so you won''t disturb a family''s dinner time?"


    "Vernon!" Chloe reprimanded him. "Don''t be rude to our guests. Diamond apanied Mackie while I''m busy baking cakes. Besides, it''s nice to have a guest to eat with us, right?"


    "Hmph," Vernon snorted. He truly did not enjoy the presence of someone else during his family time. In his head, his true family would always be Chloe, Mackie, and their future children, so he felt like there was a thorn in his eyes when he saw Diamond.


    Diamond didn''t seem to mind at all. After all, she was already used to her boss and his crazy antics.


    They ate dinner in peace, well, somewhat.


    Because Vernon kept on giving Diamond an unpleasant look as if he couldn''t wait to kick Diamond out of the penthouse, and Chloe had to apologize many times because Vernon was not even trying to hide his disdain.


    Diamond found it very amusing nheless. She got to watch the rtionship dynamic of her boss and her best friend while eating some very good homemade food. What''s not to love?.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was no wonder that Vernon never protested any of Chloe''s homemade food.


    They finished dinner around seven-thirty, and Diamond was the first one to break the silence, "Well, I better get going. I don''t want to disturb the family time here."


    "Should''ve done that sooner," Vernon said.


    "Vernon!" Chloe yelled again, and Vernon only rolled his eyes because Chloe didn''t share the same sentiment as him.


    "I''m so sorry about him, Diamond. Let me escort you out," Chloe said.


    Diamond chuckled and patted Mackie''s head, "We can y againter, Mackie."


    "Un! Sure! Thank you for ying with me, Diamond!"


    Chloe escorted Diamond out of the penthouse, but before Diamond left, she muttered, "The Child Protection Service wille in a week. I''ve prepared the apartment that you will use with your nephews. Just make sure that you don''t look too nervous, and you should allow those boys to do what they usually do, such as ying around and having fun with Mackie."


    "Thank you so much, Diamond. I''m sorry I can''t meet you in the office these days. You know, I''m still in hiding. I can''t even do grocery shopping anymore."


    Diamond smiled and hugged her homegirl, "It''s fine, Chloe. I know that things are just not in your favor right now. Just stay like this until Mr. Phoenix Gray finishes his job to take down that bastard for you."


    "¡­ Do you think that Vernon can do it?" Chloe asked.


    Diamond knew that Chloe would forever have doubt in her heart. She had been abused for way too long that her first instinct would always surrender, or else Vincent would hurt her.


    So all Diamond could do was to assure her, "Thepany has grown at such a crazy pace, and we''re branching out on many businesses as well. He is putting everything on full throttle so he can be on par with Vincent. He''s doing his best, and I know he will seed."


    "Trust him, Chloe," Diamond said.


    "¡­ I will try," Chloe replied.


    Diamond smiled at her, "Don''t forget to give me a video call during Christmas. I''ll be with my family, they said they want to see your face in a video at least."


    Chloe chuckled, "Sure, I will call youter. Bye, Diamond."


    "Bye, best friend!"


    Chloe went back to the penthouse after Diamond entered the elevator. She saw that Mackie and Vernon were eating the cakes together while watching some cartoons, which they usually did whenever Chloe made cakes or pies for them.


    Chloe chuckled and sat right between them. Their eyes were still glued on the TV but instinctively fed Chloe.


    It was truly a picture of a happy family.

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    ?


    Vernon was busy with hisptop when Chloe sat right next to him on the sofa. She peeked at theptop screen and realized that Vernon was actually checking the stock on Graypanypared to his own.


    He was so focused on it as if his life depended on it.


    Well, that might be true because their lives actually depended on whether Vernon could destroy the Graypany and kick Vincent out of his high horse or not.


    Vernon nced at Chloe, who was peeking at his screen a few times, then decided to shut the lid, "Don''t peek on it. I don''t want to show you the process. I just want to show you the result of my hard workter."


    "But I want to help¡­."


    "You already help enough by staying with me, really," Vernon insisted. Truthfully, he just didn''t want Chloe to see that his works also had many obstacles he had to clear.


    There were times when things happened during his job. Perhaps some business partners behaving not ording to his n or some of the unnned incidents he had to handle.


    It wasn''t as smooth sailing as he wanted it to be, and he didn''t want Chloe to see it because it might give her some doubts.


    Chloe truly wanted to help, but looking at Vernon''s disapproving face, was a sign of no negotiation.


    Thus, she shifted the topic because she did not intend to fight with Vernon tonight.


    Chloefortably rested her head on Vernon''s shoulder and said, "Diamond told me that she has prepared the decoy apartment I''ll use to fool the CPS. Thank you for helping me so much."


    "It''s my responsibility to do so," Vernon said. He put his hand on her thigh and rubbed it gently with his thumb. "I will do anything for you and Mackie, remember that."


    "¡­ You did everything for me, but I haven''t done a single thing for you," Chloemented. "I want to be useful too."


    "But you¡ª"


    "Don''t tell me that I''m already useful by staying on your side. That''s just the bare minimum," Chloe insisted.


    Vernon chuckled because that was exactly what he was about to say now.


    But what could he do? It was actually the truth. Her presence was all that Vernon needed in life. Just realizing that Chloe was in his embrace was enough to put his heart at ease.


    "Well, if you feel like you want to do something topensate for me, then why don''t you give me a ki¡ª."


    Chu~


    Vernon was stunned when Chloe suddenly kissed him on the lips before he could even finish his sentence. Usually, Chloe would hesitate and then blush a little when he asked for a kiss. It would even take Vernon a few more kisses that he initiated before Chloe kissed him back.


    But not today.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He stared at Chloe nkly as he tried to find an answer to her sudden kiss. Chloe''s cheeks reddened, but she boldly asked, "D¡ªDo you want more reward? I¡­ um¡­ I could kiss you somewhere else if you want."


    Vernon could feel that his boxer got tight instantly. There was an obvious bulge that couldn''t be hidden anymore.


    He always thought that he loved super-submissive women, and he loved Chloe when she was submissive. But when she tried to take the initiative, there was a novelty feeling that he couldn''t ignore.


    So he yed along, "You could make yourself useful by kissing my lips and then my¡ª"


    Before Vernon could finish his words, Chloe kissed his lips again and then continued to kiss around his cheeks and jaw, rubbing against his stubbles.


    Vernon stayed still like a statue, but his chest started heaving, and it became difficult for him to breathe as he held his urge. Since Chloe wanted to y it like this, he had to be patient.


    Chloe kissed his ear and whispered, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, I want to be useful to you. Do you have any requests?"


    Vernon clenched his fists, trying his best to control himself, then replied, "Sit on myp and grind on me."


    Chloe straddled Vernon''sp. She could feel Vernon''s thick bulge underneath her squirming pussy, they were only separated by thin fabric from their underwear, and Chloe couldn''t help but gasp.


    Taking the initiative always made her nervous, but she knew that Vernon liked this so much. So she tried to push herself to be brave and then started grinding her pussy lips against his bulge.


    "Ah¡­ uhnn¡­" Chloe moaned sweetly as she could feel his big cock twitching and throbbing under her. Vernon said nothing at first, but when Chloe started leaking down there, he started reacting by unbuttoning her pajamas to free her boobs.


    He started fondling a pair of beautiful big breasts in front of him while kissing Chloe''s neck and corbone, making hickeys all over.


    He had no hesitation in making a lot of hickeys because he knew that Chloe would be in this apartment for a while anyway, so no man except him could see the beauty and eroticism that Chloe had.


    Vernon stared at the pair of cute nipples she had. He looked up to see Chloe''s expression. Who was in bliss as she continued grinding on his cock. She even pressed on it a few times, making his boxer wet with her water down there.


    Vernon smirked, ''As expected, I love seeing you like this, my love.''


    Vernon opened his mouth and started sucking on Chloe''s nipple.


    "Ahhhnn!" Chloe felt a surge of heat around her breasts as Vernon sucked harder. She couldn''t wait any longer. She wanted his cock, but she knew Vernon wouldn''t give it to her because it was still too big.


    "Vernon, I¡ªI can''t hold it anymore. It''s throbbing down there, please!"


    Vernon stopped sucking on Chloe''s nipples. He pulled Chloe, put her on his shoulder, and then said, "Let''s try three fingers today," before he rushed to the bedroom to do their unfinished business.

 Chapter 655 655

    ?


    Chloe woke up the next morning feeling stuffy as always. Vernon and his bear hug were truly something that was unbearable.


    Because no matter how many times Chloe struggled to get some air, Vernon would instinctively pull her deep into his embrace and bury her face inside his chest, barely giving her time to breathe.


    Chloe had to wiggle her way out until she could finally slip out and roll to the end of the bed to avoid getting bear-hugged again. She quickly got up from the bed because Vernon''s hand was about to reach her again.


    She let out a relieved sigh once she was finally free from the bear. But Vernon frowned in his sleep once he realized he couldn''t find his beloved woman around him anymore.


    He grunted and opened his eyes slowly, "Chloe¡­ Chloe¡­"


    "Yes, I''m here, Vernon," Chloe replied as she opened the curtain. "You should wake up, you told mest night that you have things to do this morning."


    "Ugh," Vernon grunted again. Last night was wild. Chloe could finally take three fingers of his, just one more, and then he could finally ram his cock inside her without tearing her in two.


    He thought that Chloe would wake up muchter, but it seemed she had gotten used to their y, so she didn''t get too exhausted after a long night.


    Chloe realized that Vernon wanted to sleep again. She sighed and approached Vernon on the bed.


    She patted his cheek a few times and said, "Wake up, sleepyhead. It''s time to go to work."


    Vernon said nothing but suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.


    "Ah!"


    Chloe lost her bnce and fell right on top of Vernon''s body. Vernon wrapped his arms tighter around her hips and his legs around hers, so Chloe couldn''t even wiggle her way out.


    "Vernon¡ªugh, Vernon!" Chloe tried to p his chest, but Vernon felt nothing but a feather tickling his chest.


    "Sleep a bit more, okay? I''m tired."


    "¡­ Fine, I''ll make breakfast while you''re sleeping. Can you let me go now?"


    "Not unless you give me a kiss," Vernon said.


    Chloe rolled her eyes. She gave Vernon a peck on his lips and chin, much to Vernon''s pleasure.


    He finally released Chloe and pulled the nket up to his chest. He fell asleep in less than ten seconds, much to Chloe''s bewilderment.


    ''He''s like a big oaf when he''s rxed,'' Chloe thought. He gave him another kiss on the forehead before adding, ''Which is why I love him so much.''


    Chloe washed her face in Vernon''s bathroom before she left for the kitchen. She put on her apron and started making avocado toast and scrambled eggs for three. She had already asked Dorothea about the boys'' food, and Dorothea said she could handle a simple breakfast for the boys.


    So today, she only needed to make three.


    ''Well, of course we can always tell the receptionist to bring them food everyday. Vernon even told me not to tire myself with cooking for them, but¡­ homemade cooking is always more special than any restaurant food, right?''


    Chloe finished serving three avocado toast and scrambled eggs on three tes when her daughter went upstairs. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Good Morning, Mommy!" Mackie greeted cheerfully in the morning.


    Chloe smiled at her and patted her head, "Morning, dear. I made you avocado toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast, you should eat it while it''s warm."


    "Yay! I love avocados! Thank you, Mommy!" Mackie jumped to the dining chair and started digging in.


    Chloe joined in and ate slowly while watching her daughter.


    "Mommy, where is Uncle?" Mackie asked innocently.


    "He''s still sleeping. He''s too tired, so he''ll have ate breakfast," Chloe replied. She nced at her daughter, who seemed to have something in mind. So she asked, "What''s wrong, dear? Do you want to tell me something?"


    Mackie didn''t answer immediately. She was thinking whether it was fine for her to ask Mommy about it. Because she didn''t want Mommy to keep dodging her questions.


    But Diamond told her that her Mommy only needs reassurance, so she will be honest.


    Thus, Mackie said, "Mommy, how long will my cousins stay with us?"


    "Uh¡­ that is¡­ indefinite, Dear," Chloe replied hesitantly. "They''re going to stay here for a long time."


    "Then what about Aunt Chelsea and Gran? Won''t they be mad if my cousins stay for too long?" Mackie asked.


    "T¡ªThey won''t be mad, haha¡­."


    "Mommy, don''t lie," Mackie knew well that her Mommy was lying right now. It was all on her face, and she probably forgot about one thing. "Aunt Chelsea doesn''t like us, she won''t let the boys stay with you for a long time."


    "Mackie¡­" Chloe was speechless, knowing that Mackie already understood how much Chelsea hated them both. She stared at her daughter, who had grown a bit taller since they left Vincent''s mansion.


    The cute little girl that Chloe raised also had some seriousness in her eyes, unlike the innocent and ignorant Mackie that Chloe coddled.


    ''At some point, I have to tell her about everything. She doesn''t have a normal family growing up, she will eventually learn about many things and that shoulde from me, not from other people, especially not from Vincent who can twist the truth to brainwash my daughter,'' Chloe thought.


    She took a deep breath to prepare herself and asked, "Dear, do you want to meet Gran?"


    "Yes!" Mackie replied with glimmering doe eyes. "I want to meet Gran!"


    Chloe smiled bitterly, "But you shouldn''t be surprised by what happened, okay?"


    Her Mommy''s words stopped Mackie from getting too excited. Though she was still young, she could see the seriousness of this topic. She knew that something must''ve happened to her Gran.


    Mackie began to worry. She thought that Gran must be sick in the hospital because she had a frail body. Her Mommy tried to hide this because she didn''t want Mackie to be sad.


    ''But I have to show Mommy that I''m strong! I can take it!'' Mackie told herself.

 Chapter 656 656

    ?


    Thus, Mackie jumped from her chair and approached her mother. She put her hand on Mommy''sp and looked up at her with determined eyes, "Mommy, you can tell me everything. I will understand."


    "¡­" Chloe sighed and patted Mackie''s head. "Alright then, I will let you see Gran as soon as possible."


    "Yay! Thank you so much, Mommy!" Mackie hugged her Mommy before she returned to her table and resumed eating her breakfast again.


    Chloe had relief in her heart because it seemed her daughter had begun to mature slowly. Though it still wasn''t the same kind of slow growth from childhood innocence to teenager that Chloe wanted, at least Mackie had the chance to understand things around her slowly.


    ''Unlike Aaron who has to endure terrible reality and has to mature extremely early¡­'' Chloe thought. Aaron was way too mature for his age. Sometimes, Chloe wanted to tell him it was okay to ask for toys or tell his Aunt if he wanted something.


    But so far, Aaron always told her that he was happy and content with everything because he could eat good food, hot water, and afortable ce to sleep.


    On top of that, he didn''t get beaten, which was the most important thing for him.


    It was tragic for Chloe to keep listening to him because he must''ve been severely abused and starved by Chelsea to the point that none of the boys even asked for toys or anything else.


    ''At least, Mackie doesn''t have to suffer like the boys. I promise I will give her a good life, and I''ll let her know the truth about her father soon, because she went through a lot of pain caused by Vincent,'' Chloe promised herself.


    Mackie finished her breakfast and went downstairs to read some storybooks she got from her Uncle.


    Chloe ate slowly, thinking about what to say to Mackie about her Gran.


    Of course, she couldn''t say that Aunt Chelsea murdered her Gran in cold blood by backstabbing her three times. Though Mackie had developed some understanding of the world around her, something like that was just too tragic and grotesque.


    "Maybe I should tell her that her Gran died because of old age, that''s the most logical and humane alibi I could give," Chloe murmured. "But that means I have to tell the boys about it. Maybe I just need to tell Aaron not to tell the truth to Mackie."


    "Ugh, this is such a difficult problem, how should I handle this?" sheined.


    Vernon left his room about thirty minutester. He was only wearing his boxer that could barely cover his bulge. He yawned a few times as he joined Chloe at the dining table and ate breakfast.


    Chloe stared at Vernon for a while and then asked, "Vernon, can I visit the hospital not far from the police station before? I want to check on my mother''s body."


    Vernon stopped munching the toast. He turned his head towards Chloe and replied curtly, "No."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "B¡ªBut, I need to check on the corpse! What if it rots before I can give her a proper funeral? Or at least let me cremate her body and keep the ashes!" Chloe protested.


    "Because it''s too fast, Chloe," Vernon said. "It''s only been a few days since the murder. Vincent must''ve been searching for you and those boys frantically right now. The best we can do to stay safe is at least two weeks."


    "No, that''s too long. Her body might rot at that point!" Chloe insisted. "Come on, Vernon. Let me see her for thest time. We can hold the funeralter, but Mackie wants to see her Gran¡­."


    nk!


    Vernon dropped his utensils the moment Chloe mentioned Mackie. He red at Chloe, holding his anger, "Why are you bringing Mackie into this? Do you not know how dangerous it will be?!"


    "Ssh!" Chloe tried to cover Vernon''s mouth so he wouldn''t be too loud. "Mackie might hear you!"


    Vernon zipped his mouth instantly, but he still red at Chloe, demanding an answer.


    "Mackie is asking about her Gran, and the reason why her cousins are staying with us for an indefinite amount of time. I was thinking about making up a lie to cover it again. But then I saw the seriousness in Mackie''s eyes, then I realized that Mackie doesn''t need to be coddled all the time," Chloe said. "She already has an understanding of what is happening around her, and I¡­ I can''t keep lying at her, Vernon¡­."


    "And you will tell her that her Grandmother was murdered by her Aunt?"


    "Of course not!" Chloe rejected. "I will tell her that her Gran died of old age. I just don''t want to keep Mackie in the dark for too long. I''m afraid she''ll start searching for the truth from someone else, and I don''t want her to get a harsh truth, or even a twisted lie from Vincent."


    Vernon''s expression eased up after getting an answer from Chloe.


    Truthfully, he also understood that Mackie had to know about the situation with her family sooner orter. No amount of coddling from Chloe would be enough to stop Mackie from discovering the truth about her family.


    Though Chloe still had to lie about the cause of Judith''s death, this was a step in the right direction of what they should do for the little girl.


    Thus, after a moment of consideration, Vernon finally nodded reluctantly, "Fine, I will let you check on Judith in the hospital. But under one requirement."


    "What is it?"


    "I will let youe with Mackie inside the hospital protected by at least four bodyguards surrounding you, and I will be waiting outside. In case those bodyguards haven''t given me any report of what you two are doing, then I wille in. I don''t fucking care if I found Vincent inside," Vernon said determinedly. He held Chloe''s hand and squeezed it tight. "I will never let you get hurt, not after what happened before in Mackie''s school."

 Chapter 657 657

    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® ?


    "Four bodyguards, that''s a bit¡­." Chloe paused for a moment. She saw that Vernon already expected her refusal and thus showed a disapproving stern expression. He definitely didn''t want to listen to Chloe''s argument right now.


    But Chloe thought that four bodyguards were just too much. She knew she was in danger and had to stay hidden, but wouldn''t it be even more obvious with that many bodyguards around?


    "Vernon, if you send that many bodyguards around Mackie and I, then people around will notice. Who knows that might attract Vincent and Maria?" Chloe argued. "Wouldn''t it be better to just send one bodyguard by my side. After all, it''s just Mackie and I, and it''s in the hospital, where Vincent has no control over the people inside, unlike that school where the Principal waspletely under Vincent''s order."


    "And let you and Mackie get beaten to death by my bastard brother? Fuck no!" Vernon clenched his fist. "Just imagining Mackie and you suffering because of that bastard is enough to make me furious, Chloe. There is no fucking way I''d let that happen again!"


    Chloe flinched when Vernon suddenly yelled in front of her face. But she understood that Vernon must be really upset because of that incident in the Principal''s office.


    Honestly, Chloe was also upset back then. She wished to at least bring a knife with her. Then she would kill that fucker all by herself and end the torment.


    She didn''t care if she had to be the one that went to prison for it. After all, she believed that Vernon could be a good father to Mackie.


    ''My suffering will end if I kill that guy with my own hand¡­'' Chloe thought. ''Why didn''t I do that back then anyway? I have all the time in life to kill Vincent.''


    Chloe recalled all the time she wasted trying to appease Vincent while he kept beating her to a pulp. She feared for her life so much that the only thing on her mind was to survive with Mackie.


    ''Maybe because of Mackie¡­'' Chloe thought. ''I don''t want my daughter to suffer because I know Vincent will definitely hurt Mackie if I tried to fight back.''


    Chloe gently held Vernon''s hands to calm him down, "Vernon, calm down. Mackie might hear us downstairs."


    "Calm down? You asked me to calm down when my family''s life is in danger?!" The more Chloe tried to pacify Vernon, the angrier he got. He grabbed Chloe''s wrist instead and then pointed at her right hand, "Do you not remember how you can''t use your right hand for almost a month?! Do you think I like seeing you trying to endure the pain when you try to stop me from finding Vincent after he beat you?!"


    "I¡ªI just think that you''re overreacting a bit¡­" Chloe said. She lowered her head, afraid to see his face because she felt guilty for upsetting him.


    Vernon suddenly put her hands on his chest, and she could feel his elerating heartbeat, which made her raise her head spontaneously. She was scared because Vernon''s heartbeat was irregr, but she was even more terrified when she saw him shedding tears.


    Vernon was a very tough man. He rarely whined, let alone cried in front of Chloe. He usually put up that strong man persona and was always logical despite all the things happening to them.


    He was always the voice of reason and would try to find a way to help Chloe and all of her problems.


    So when Chloe saw him in this pitiful state, she panicked instantly. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No, no, don''t cry, Vernon, please¡­" Chloe begged as she pulled her hand away from Vernon''s chest and tried to wipe his tears.


    "Do you not realize how important you are to my life?" Vernon asked with a hoarse voice. "I don''t want to cry in front of you. But imagining you being hurt again makes me too upset. Why don''t you understand that you and Mackie are my heartbeat. You two are the reason I keep pushing through!"


    "Vernon¡­"


    "So please, Chloe," Vernon begged. "Please let me protect you. I can only be assured when you''re under the right amount of protection. I''m already doing my best to hold myself not to guard you and Mackie with my own body wherever you go outside."


    Chloe finally zipped her lips once she realized Vernon was upset because of her stubbornness.


    Sometimes she asked herself, to what extent would Vernon tolerate her and all her problems? Would he stop helping and protecting them once he got tired of her?


    ''I don''t know. I still don''t have the answer myself¡­'' Chloe knew she had burdened Vernon so much. Too much, in fact, that she felt she had be nothing but a deadweight for him.


    So Chloe always instinctively tried to lessen Vernon''s burden, even with the cost of her own safety.


    In the end, Chloe had to give up and wipe Vernon''s tears that kept falling with her pajama sleeve, "Okay, I understand, Vernon. You can bring four bodyguards to surround Mackie and I."


    "Really?" Vernon asked while wiping his snot. "You''ll let me do that?"


    "Mhm," Chloe nodded. "I''m sorry that I make you upset. I just don''t want to burden you further with my problems."


    "Your problem is my problem as well, Chloe. I''m not burdened when it''s about your safety," Vernon said. He grabbed Chloe''s hands that had been wiping his tears for a while and then kissed her fingers one by one. "You should know that nothing burdens me about you. You are my end goal, Chloe."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened. Though she had been with Vernon for a while, she still wasn''t used to his pampering and gentle touch. It made her feel wanted, something that she never felt with Vincent for a long time.


    Thus, after it was settled down, Chloe said, "Um¡­ y¡ªyou can release my hand now, Vernon. I have to go down to check on Mackie."


    Vernon finally stopped kissing Chloe''s fingers after a while. He nced at Chloe, whose face was as red as a lobster, and then reluctantly released her hand, "Okay then, I''ll freshen up before work. Remember, Chloe, I will bring four bodyguards for you and Mackie, and you can''t refuse me after this."

 Chapter 658 658

    ?


    "O¡ªOkay, I will listen to you¡­" Chloe nodded obediently. "Just please, don''t cry anymore, okay? I can''t see you cry, Vernon. It hurts me as well¡­."


    Vernon nodded and gave Chloe a kiss on the lips before letting her go, much to Chloe''s embarrassment.


    "W¡ªWell, I''ll go to Mackie now," Chloe said. She hurriedly got up and went downstairs, feeling weird that she had to agree to Vernon''s request without much fight.


    Honestly, she was ready to argue with Vernon for the whole day because she didn''t want Vernon to be too obvious with his protection. What if the supposedly secret visit to see Judith''s body turned into a chaotic mess because Vernon''s bodyguards attracted too much attention?


    ''I just think that sometimes Vernon can be too paranoid¡­'' Chloe thought.


    She sighed as she walked to Mackie''s bedroom door, "Well, now that I''ve said yes, I guess it can''t be helped. I just hope nothing bad will happen."


    **


    Vernon took a deep breath as he stared at the bathroom mirror after washing his face. His eyes were red and puffy because he cried nonstop in front of Chloe.


    Honestly, he disliked showing weakness, especially in front of the woman he was supposed to protect.


    He wanted to be the fortress that would never crumble forever, so Chloe would always lean on him no matter what.


    But when he realized how awfully stubborn Chloe could be, he knew he had to take extreme measures to coax her to give up her stubbornness.


    ''Well, I know that Chloe is weak to tears. If Dorothea can soften Chloe''s heart with her tears, I can do that as well,'' Vernon thought as he shaved his stubble. ''Though, it''s really unpleasant to do. It makes me feel unworthy to call myself a fortress that will protect her.''


    ''But in the end, I get what I want. Chloe''s agreement to send four bodyguards to surround her all the time during that hospital visit, and I get to watch from outside. It''s still far from my ideal protection because I want the hospital to be cleared out with at least twenty bodyguards around her, but I guess it can''t be helped,'' Vernon had a proud grin as he finished his shaving. "This is about Chloe and Mackie''s safety, I don''t care if I have to act pitiful as long as they are safe."


    **


    Vernon entered his office around ten in the morning. He was greeted by Diamond, whose face was stern and serious, indicating that something bad had just happened.


    "What''s wrong?" Vernon asked as he sat in his chair.


    Diamond stood across the desk and replied, "Sir, what did you do to Vincent Gray yesterday?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "¡­ I pushed him to the ss table until it broke and the ss shard scattered around him. Then I stomped him with my shoes, making sure those ss shards dig inside his body," Vernon replied coldly. He had no intention of hiding it because it seemed that Diamond was already dealing with the consequence. "Did that bastard do something to you?"


    Diamond sighed. She knew there''d be a day when her boss finally showed his true self in front of Vincent.


    But she didn''t expect it to be so early, "Sir, based on my calction. You are equal to him in terms of business partners, influence, and worth, with only a slight advantage for reputation because Graypany has been suffering a lot from bad press these days," Diamond said. "Isn''t it a bit too early for you to reveal your true face, Sir?"


    Diamond didn''t exactly know all of her boss'' ns because he kept them hidden most of the time unless the n included Diamond as well.


    So she had to make sure that nothing was out of her calction.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom "It is indeed too early," Vernon said. "But that doesn''t mean we''repletely screwed, Diamond. That just means we will have to be extra careful because we''ll have to cut contact with Vincent''spanypletely."


    "What makes you act so rashly, Sir?"


    "¡­ he wanted to p me for being a disobedient dog. He just wants to vent his frustration on me since the advertisement guarantees total failure for his new makeup brand," Vernon said. "I won''t take a beating from a weak man who can only beat women like him. Besides, I know that his position is already shaky, it''s a good reality p for him so he knows he''s not God."


    "I see¡­" Diamond understood that her boss'' reaction was humane. Nobody wanted to be beaten, let alone by a coward who hid behind his status like Vincent. "Then, what will you do next, Sir? I assume that you have some sort of n, right?"


    "I do," Vernon smirked. "Chloe told mest night that two days from now, the police would announce the case to the public. They have been dying the announcement for a while because it is a gruesome murder case that indirectly involves Vincent Gray, a powerful businessman with a lot of connections."


    "Chloe suggests that I send as many paparazzi and news reporters to the police department right on that day. She told me that the police might not be able to put Vincent to trial because theycked evidence, especially with Chelsea''s sanity, it''s hard to take the word of a madwoman seriously. But Chelsea''s reputation as the female Joker alongside her im about Vincent being her future husband would bring bad press to Vincent and the Gray family."


    "With this, Vincent''s position in his ownpany would be unstable, and the board directors and investors probably would demand him to step down from the position as CEO because of his smeared reputation," Vernon said.


    Diamond''s jaw dropped as Vernon retold the idea that Chloe had.


    "Wow, did Chloe n this by herself?" She asked.


    "Yes, she said that she already nted the seed of suspicion in the Officer''s mind, so he will always be on watch against Vincent and hisckeys, making it hard for Vincent to manipte the oue of the investigation."

 Chapter 659 659

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    "Wow," Diamond was speechless when she heard all this from her boss. "She has grown a lot since the first time I met her."


    "She used to be very timid. She didn''t even dare to raise her head, let alone speak her mind out and nned something like this," Diamond recalled those times when Chloe was very quiet and always apologized for the most menial thing happening around her. It was tragic and probably one of the reasons why Diamond befriended her early on rather than treating her coldly and formally like her boss told her to do.


    She just knew that a woman like Chloe needed support until she could get back on her feet, and she knew that Chloe wasn''t a malicious person.


    "That''s the long term effect of abuse and humiliation," Vernon said. His heart was aching when he said that because he was also guilty of yelling at Chloe many times back then.


    He was full of anger and resentment towards Chloe, and he thought she hated him, so he had to return the same energy to her.


    He was miserable, they were miserable¡­


    ''I will devote my lifetime to make up for it,'' Vernon promised himself before he returned to the topic. "Anyway, don''t forget to contact all the Paparazzi you can get, and also official news reporters, get them to gather for that case, so it will make headlines everywhere, both in and out of social media. We need to make sure that Vincent will be forced to step down from his position as CEO because there is way too much bad press around him."


    "Got it, Sir," Diamond nodded. "I will make sure we will attack Vincent and hispany with endless bad rep to force him to step down. The Graypany''s stock has been going down for at least 30%, right?"


    "It will keep dropping, I want it to at least drop until it plummets to 80%," Vernon said. "You can go now, Diamond."


    "Sir, before I go, I want to tell you that I''ve used the HR department to fire a new staff that we recruited about three months ago," Diamond reported.


    Vernon frowned, "Why?"


    "That new staff member turned out to be Maria''s henchwoman. She''s the one who has been inquiring about our projects and reporting it to Maria, that''s why she keeps being suspicious with the amount of business partners thate to our door," Diamond said. "We got her fired already, but I''m not sure how many things she already knows because I spotted her when she''s trying to search for information on my desk early this morning."


    "Damn, that old bitch needs to die of heart attack, seriously," Vernon cursed. "She''s been more of a problem than Vincent."


    "Do you want me to do something, Sir?" Diamond offered.


    "No, you can''t do anything against her. Maria is a senior staff that has been working with my family for decades. She''s much more experienced than you," Vernon said. "I don''t want you to fall into their trap."


    "Then what can we do about this, Sir?" Diamond asked. She got worried whenever she remembered about Secretary Maria. Just with one look, Diamond already knew that woman was very dangerous. "I bet that old woman is trying to salvage things right now."


    "Definitely, but I will try to keep her in check," Vernon said. "Just do what I told you to do, Diamond. Oh and¡­ I want you to keep track of the CPS visit. I want you to be there since I have a bad feeling about it, and I can''t just surround the house with bodyguards because it might make the CPS staff suspicious."


    "Got it, Sir. I will be there to protect Chloe and those boys," Diamond said. "Please excuse me then, I will contact those reporters and independent Paparazzi."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Diamond turned around and left the office, leaving Vernon alone.


    Vernon took his phone out and started dialing his henchmen about guarding Chloe in the hospital. He had to prepare everything before Chloe''s hospital visit tomorrow morning.


    **


    Meanwhile, Maria was in a terrible mood right now. She failed to retrieve those boys, so it was impossible for her to manipte them so they wouldn''t say anything.


    "What should I do now?" Maria asked herself. "What if the CPS interviewed those boys and those little shits said something about Vincent? I can''t let the Graypany fall, and Vincent is the life of thatpany. No matter how shitty he is, he has the blood of Mr. Vaughn Gray."


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom It was rare for Maria to be put in such a difficult position like this. Had she known that Vincent wanted to manipte Chelsea to kill her family, she''d have prepared a better way or at least made sure those boys would be killed as well.


    "This is a mess because Vincent acted without asking me first, now it''s hard to do damage control," Mariained. "Do I have to use my instinct to find those boys instead?"


    Honestly, Maria didn''t believe that the boys were in foster care after her Informant told her that CPS would be searching for those boys in a week.


    If they were in foster care, it wouldn''t take CPS one week to check on them, so those boys must stay with someone close to them, presumably a family member.


    And the only family member they had right now was Chloe, so her instinct told her that Chloe was the one who had been hiding the boys as well.


    "Well, this is just a wild guess based on my instinct. It cannot be relied on," Maria said. "But this is the only thing I could do. So I need to find a way to track Chloe down."


    Thus, Maria took out her phone and called another Informant she had.


    ¡ª


    "Keep an eye on Judith Carlson''s corpse stored in the hospital near that police department. I have a feeling that Chloe will visit her dead mother sooner orter., Inform me if you see any sighting of her, or any report of her trying to hold a funeral or cremation for the corpse."


    "¡­"


    "Don''t worry about money, bribe all hospital staff as long as they''re on our side."


    ¡ª

 Chapter 660 660

    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® ?


    Maria finished the call after getting those informants to do their job correctly. Now, she had one more thing to do: spy on Vernon Phoenix Gray and all the business partners he had snatched from the Graypany.


    She already knew that boy was up to no good. Initially, he might appear childish and obedient toward Vincent, but he wouldn''t fool her.


    "Well, now Vincent already knows that Vernon is not as obedient as he thought. There is no need to hold back anymore," Maria said. "I''ll get all the information needed to ruin hispany, and get all of those business partners and resources back to the rightful owner, Vincent and the Graypany. That second son needs to learn that he will never be as good as the true heir."


    Thus, Maria went to a coffee shop to meet with her mole, who worked as a new staff member in Vernon''s office. She was the one who had been supplying Maria with all the information about the growth of thepany for the past three months.


    Maria entered the coffee shop where they always met and saw her mole sitting at the furthest corner of the coffee shop.


    She looked sad, which was already a bad sign for Maria.


    ''Don''t tell me there''s another problem,'' Maria guessed. ''I can''t handle another problem. I''m so over this bullshit with Vernon Phoenix Gray.''


    Maria sat on the seat facing the mole and crossed her arms over her chest, "You have ten seconds to exin your failure."


    The mole gulped nervously.


    She tried to dodge the old woman''s condescending eyes as she exined, "I''m sorry, Ma''am. I tried to check the secretary desk to see if there is any document regarding Graypany. I hade as early as I could to avoid detection, but that secretary, Diamond. She actually came to the office very early in the morning, and I got caught red-handed."


    "She immediately interrogated me with threats until I''m forced to admit that you''re the one who sent me," the mole admitted.


    Maria''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets when she heard that. She mmed the table, which shocked the mole and everyone inside the coffee shop, "YOU TOLD HER MY IDENTITY?!"


    The mole paled instantly, and she nodded, "I¡ªI''m so sorry, Ma''am. I really don''t know what to do. That woman is terrifying¡­."


    Maria gritted her teeth. She raised her hand and¡ª


    PA!


    Everyone gasped when the old woman suddenly pped the young woman so hard that she slumped to the floor while holding her cheek.


    Maria wanted to do more to this stupid mole she hired to appease her anger, but she knew she was in public.


    So she took a deep breath and grabbed her bag, "You are fired. You should know the risk if you dare to report our connection to someone else."


    With that, Maria walked away from the coffee shop, ignoring the curious onlookers inside the coffee shop. She wasn''t worried that stupid mole would report anything.


    If she was scared by that stupid bimbo called Diamond, she didn''t know how scary Maria could be when she was truly mad.


    Maria entered her car and quickly called some of her other informants. At this point, she had been exhausting 50% of her connection to find a straw to help Vincent and his massive fuck-up. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¡ª


    "Find me Diamond Johnson''s address, send two men to go with me. I want to have a little chat with her."


    ¡ª


    Her informant didn''t take long to get Diamond Johnson''s address. Maria smirked as she read the address on her phone. She had long known that bimbo was unpleasant and was just as dangerous as Vernon Phoenix Gray, so Maria wanted to weed her out first.


    "Let''s take out the trash one by one, I''m pretty sure that bimbo won''t expect my arrival," Maria said. "I''ll make sure she suffers enough to never show up in front of her boss anymore."


    **


    Diamond had just finished her work in the office today. She had already called many independent Paparazzi and news reporters to gather in front of the police department two days from now, preparing themselves for the headline of the week.


    "Ugh, I''m beat. Can''t wait to go home and continue watching Wednesday on Netflix," Diamondined when she entered the elevator. She pressed the elevator button leading to her apartment floor and leaned on the side while scrolling through TikTok.


    A malicious grin perked up when she watched one video of a womanughing while recording the lipstick ad in New York Times Square. Sheughed and said that Vincent Gray didn''t need to hire a beauty guru to cast a female Joker.


    It already went viral and had two million likes, "Seems like Vincent''s PR team can''t do damage control at this point," she murmured.


    Ding!


    The elevator stopped on one floor. Diamond looked up to check the floor and returned her gaze to the phone because it wasn''t on her floor.


    She noticed three people entering the elevator with her, but she didn''t pay too much attention and continued scrolling until the coarse voice of an old woman called her name, "Ms. Diamond Johnson, we need to talk."


    Diamond lifted her gaze a little and saw the old hand that she despised so much, Maria. She stood in the middle of the elevator with two burly men behind her. It was obvious that she had been stalked and cornered by Maria and her henchmen.


    Naturally, Diamond knew she was about to be tortured and taken away. With one look, Diamond already knew what kind of person Maria was.


    She was a cold and ruthless woman who would stop at nothing until she got what she wanted, and that must''ve involved Vincent and Vernon.


    ''She must''ve realized that I caught her mole red-handed, threatened her, and then fired her when I got all the information about Maria''s mission to infiltrate thepany,'' Diamond thought.


    Thus, she stood upright fearlessly in front of Maria and her henchmen and then nced at the CCTV at the corner of the elevator before returning her gaze towards Maria again.


    "You should know there is CCTV in here," Diamond said. "If you want to have a little chat, you shoulde to my room, I am more than ready to face you, Maria."

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    ?


    Maria checked the CCTV at the corner of the elevator. This ce was an elite apartment with CCTV everywhere, so the security guard must watch their move.


    Maria wanted to just seize this ck bimbo right here, right now, and then drag her out of the apartment to an empty, abandoned building, where Maria could torture her as much as she wanted until Diamond didn''t even dare to raise her head anymore, just like what Vincent did to Chloe.


    But this ce wasn''t safe to beat someone up, and Diamond''s confidence already showed she had the upper hand.


    Maria looked over her shoulder. She brought two henchmen who were burly and strong enough to handle one stupid woman. So she had nothing to worry about.


    Thus, she smirked evilly at Diamond and said, "Please lead the way to your apartment, Ms. Johnson. I want to have a little chat with you."


    Diamond scoffed, "Sure, I''d love to see you try."


    Maria was a bit distraught by Diamond''s confidence. No matter how good the CCTV around the apartment could be, there was no way she could fight back against two strong men once they entered her apartment room.


    Diamond stopped at her apartment floor and led the way to her apartment room. She strutted leisurely, turning the corridor into a runway until she stopped in front of her door.


    She looked over her shoulder for a moment. Maria was eyeing her like a predator, ready to kill her prey, but Diamond wasn''t scared at all because she also had a little surprise for this old hag.


    Click.


    Diamond unlocked the door. She could faintly hear footsteps inside her house. Thus she raised her voice and said, "Since I have three uninvited guestsing to my apartment, then it''s just right for me to greet you with two butlers of mine."


    Diamond opened the door and was greeted by the sight of her two brothers standing side by side, ring at the uninvited guests in front of them.


    Maria''s eyes widened, and she stepped back subconsciously when she saw the uniform and a badge she feared.


    Diamond turned around and smirked as she stood in front of those two powerful men, "Should I introduce you to my two butlers? They happen to be my brothers, by the way."


    "B¡ªBrothers?!" Maria''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She thought those two might''ve been Diamond''s boyfriends because she looked like a cheap bimbo that used her body to gain male''s favor.


    If that was the case, Maria could always take them to her side with a bribe or entice them with a more beautiful woman.


    But the family connection was a different thing.


    "Yup," Diamond stepped back and hugged her brother''s arm on the right, "This is my little brother, Derek. He happens to be a cop in the New York Police Department. He might be young, but I''m sure you won''t want to mess around with him."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Maria checked the man on the right. He was a young cop wearing a police uniform. He looked robust and bigger than both of the henchmen Maria brought. His arms could crush their heads, and his punch could definitely make a hole in their chests.


    The two henchmen were also intimidated immediately upon facing a fully armed, strong, and tall policeman in front of them. After all, they were just gangsters. They knew they weren''t a match against a properly trained cop


    Diamond smirked maliciously as she saw that Derek intimidated the two henchmen Maria had brought. But Maria seemed stronger mentallypared to those two wimps with big bodies.


    Then, she hugged her brother''s arm on the left and introduced him, "This one is my big brother, Desmond. He happens to be a district attorney in Queens, New York. You can see it from his badge, right?" Diamond nudged the badge on Desmond''s suit, which showed that he was a legit district attorney that Maria shouldn''t mess around with.


    Maria''s mental fortitude finally faltered once she knew she was also facing the district attorney. She could still y along and manipte a cop, but an attorney, especially the state-owned one, was NOT something she shouldn''t fight.


    Diamond was satisfied with Maria''s expression. It seemed her two brothers were enough to scare the shit out of Maria.


    "Should wee inside and have a chat?" Diamond offered. "I am so~ eager to know what you want to talk about, Mrs. Maria Orien."


    Maria''s heartbeat skipped for a second once Diamond mentioned her maiden surname. She always tried to hide her real surname because she didn''t want to be traced.


    Thus, she always introduced herself as Maria Gray because she was basically married to her job and the Graypany. She dedicated her life to that family, so she was already part of it, right? She was proud to hold Gray''s surname as Mr. Vaughn Gray''s favored employee.


    So, for Diamond to know about her maiden name, this bimbo must''ve done her research far earlier than her. She was truly someone that Maria couldn''t mess around with.


    "N¡ªNo need," Maria said nervously. "I have nothing to say to you."


    "Oh good, now you should turn around and walk away. Oh, don''t run though, I''m afraid you might get a sudden heart attack, you dying old bitch," Diamond sneered.


    Maria clenched her fist, she had never been so humiliated in her life, and she couldn''t believe she''d be humiliated by a bimbo like Diamond.


    Unfortunately, all she could do now was to leave because she couldn''t fight a cop and a district attorney.


    Thus, Maria turned around and walked away from Diamond. Her two henchmen quickly scurried behind her like two big rats. It was a funny scene for Diamond because she had been itchy to do something against this old bitch who dared to hurt her best friend.


    "Don''t forget to report this to Vincent! I''m sure he will be happy to know that he''s going to go bankrupt soon!" Diamond yelled.

 Chapter 662 662

    ?


    "Don''t forget to report this to Vincent! I''m sure he will be happy to know that he''s going to go bankrupt soon!" Diamond yelled and thenughed, full of mockery.


    Maria gritted her teeth. She hastened her steps and entered the elevator with her henchmen, finally admitting defeat.


    There was nothing but silence in the elevator as they went down. The two henchmen looked at each other nervously until one of them opened their mouth, "Ma''am, how about our payment?"


    Ding!


    Maria waited until the elevator door was opened. She looked over her shoulder and replied, "You two are fired. Don''t you dare to show your faces in front of me again, or I will make sure to make your life a living hell."


    The two henchmen were shocked by the old woman''s words but couldn''t do anything against her because she had Vincent Gray as backing.


    Maria stomped her heels as she walked out of the lobby towards the parking lot. She entered her car and then sat silently, letting everything sink in before she scoffed, full of contempt, "Then, my only bet is to find Chloe forcefully and bring her in front of Vincent. Let him do whatever he wants with that stupid woman until he has returned to his old self, and thepany will return to normal. That is my only hope at this point."


    Knowing that Vernon or Diamond wasn''t her match without proper preparation, Maria decided to focus on herst option. Thus she called the Informant that handled the hospital and CPS and asked.


    -


    "Did you get any information regarding Chloe Gray''s visit to the hospital?" Maria asked.


    "Yes," the Informant replied, much to Maria''s delight. "I just got a report that there will be a visit to see Judith Carlson''s corpse in the morgue, and the visitor''s name is Chloe Carlson."


    "Good, I will make sure to prepare a trap for her. This is ourst hope, don''t mess this up," Maria said.


    "Understood, Ma''am."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Maria was relieved that at least something was going in her direction. At least she still had control over the situation.


    "The Gray family will never fall as long as I''m around. I will continue supporting Mr. Vaughn Gray and his family for the rest of my life," Maria promised as she had to prepare for the ambush in the hospital.


    **


    Diamond made sure that Maria and her henchmen already entered the elevator. She then shut her door and locked it before facing her brother again.


    Both Derek and Desmond had that questioning face. They were confused by the whole situation.


    "What just happened, Diamond?" Desmond asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yeah, what just happened?" Derek added. "You suddenly called us to visit your apartment this evening for an urgent matter, but you won''t tell us the reason."


    "Are you in debt?" Desmond asked. "I mean, just by the look of that greedy old woman and her two henchmen, they look like they''re searching for you because you''ve borrowed money from a loan shark."


    Derek argued, "Eh, that''s impossible, bro. Don''t you know that her Boss paid her one million dors per year for her job? Howe she could get herself in debt?"


    "ONE MILLION?!" Desmond''s eyes widened. "Holy shit, I''d love to get paid that much by being a secretary. Your Boss is so generous, Diamond."


    "I know, right, I want to be paid that much too," Derekmented because his sry as a police officer was barely enough to cover living costs in New York.


    "Ugh, can you two shut up? I''ve just survived a life and death situation!" Diamond yelled frustratedly.


    Desmond and Derek looked at each other in confusion, "Life and death situation?"


    Diamond rolled her eyes, "That old hag just now is Vincent Gray''s secretary, Maria Orien. She is a ruthless old bitch that just cannot die out of a heart attack. She''s the one that has been helping Vincent with all of his crazy antics."


    "You can say that Maria is even more dangerous than Vincent, because she is far more scheming and has no weakness, unlike Vincent whose weakness is obviously Chloe," Diamond said. "I had a feeling that she would target me today, after I fired her mole that had been spying on thepany for a while. That''s why I called both of you toe. It seems that my guess is right."


    "What will they do if we''re not here, Sis?" Derek asked.


    Diamond went silent for a while and replied, "I''ll be tortured, killed, anything unpleasant you could think of. That woman is evil."


    "Then I will try to find a way to persecute her. If she can be that evil to you, then she must''vemitted other crimes before," Desmond said. "Derek will help to arrest her, right?"


    "Yep, I can help with that as long as there is an arrest warrant," Derek added.


    "Not now, Vincent and Maria are still too powerful for us to fight, we''re still nothingpared to them right now. I will tell you the right moment when we should strike," Diamond said. "It''s better for me to inform my boss first, so he will be on guard."


    Desmond and Derek nodded, "Then we''ll be waiting. Don''t worry, we will always help as long as it''s for you or Chloe."


    Diamond chuckled, "Are you guys still obsessed with my homegirl?"


    Derek and Desmond became bashful when they were talking about Chloe. Derek was the first to admit it, "I can''t lie. I saw a trending video on twitter. I saw her face. She has gotten healthier, and looks so beautiful. I think I fell in love."


    "Same, I saw that video, she looks like a goddesspared to that ugly female joker," Desmond added. "I''d be happy if you could give me her phone number."


    "Hahah, I can''t," Diamond refused. "I know you like Chloe, but there is a man that deserves her much more than any other man in this world. He devoted his life for her, and honestly, I''m afraid he will kill both of you if you guys dare to make a move on Chloe."


    "So, for the good of everyone, let''s just watch her happiness from the side."

 Chapter 663 663

    ?


    Mackie woke up early the next morning. She was the one who knocked on her Mommy''s door and woke her up, "Mommy, wake up! We will visit Gran in the hospital today!"


    Chloe woke up after hearing her daughter''s voice early in the morning. She had a terrible dreamst night, which made her restless for the rest of the night.


    She dreamed she was in a morgue, visiting her mother''s corpse. She stood right beside a corpse inside a body bag.


    She thought it was herte mother inside, but when she unzipped the body bag, it was actually Secretary Maria hiding inside the bag.


    The old hag opened her eyes and red at Chloe with red eyes as if she couldn''t wait to kill Chloe and stuff her inside the body bag instead.


    It was a terrible dream that Chloe didn''t wish to revisit, so she stayed upte at night until she only had three hours of sleep until dawn.


    Chloe stretched her limbs before she got up from the bed. She washed her face and opened the door to see Mackie''s door wide open, and the little girl was busy checking her closet because she wanted to look good in front of her Gran.


    Chloe leaned on the door frame, staring at her daughter from behind. She was sad that Mackie was too excited to see a dead person.


    ''Is it too early to tell her that her Gran has already passed away?'' Chloe wondered. ''I don''t want to make her cry so early in the morning.''


    Mackie made a little twirl while holding her dress and asked, "Mommy, should I wear this one?"


    Chloe sighed and replied, "Dear, it''s really cold outside, and we''re going to visit the hospital. You don''t need to dress up. Besides¡­ your Gran won''t be able to see your dress anyway."


    Mackie tilted her head. She didn''t understand what her Mommy was saying but obeyed her suggestion and stopped searching through her dresses.


    Chloe decided to pick a simple long-sleeved shirt, warm jeans, and winter jacket and boots for Mackie, "You can wear this, dear. Don''t worry, it won''t be long for us to visit the hospital."


    "Um!" Mackie nodded excitedly. She couldn''t help to meet her Gran in the hospital. She still thought that Gran was just really ill, so she had to get hospitalized.


    Meanwhile, Chloe dreaded the whole hospital visit.


    She didn''t know if she could calm Mackie once the little girl realized her Gran was dead.


    She also didn''t know if she could calm herself down. She feared she''d break down in tears upon seeing her mother''s cold corpse.


    But she had to face the truth that her mother was dead, and it was because of Chelsea and Vincent. No amount of denial could change that fact.


    Chloe went upstairs to prepare breakfast. It was still early in the morning, but she already saw Vernon sitting on the stool near the kitchen countertop, staring emptily and yawning a few times.


    Vernon could barely sleepst night because he got a call from Diamond around ten. She informed him that Maria had brought two henchmen and tried to kidnap her in her apartment.


    Her motivation was obvious, that mole Diamond just fired must''ve told Maria about the whole thing, and Maria wanted to do something to Diamond as revenge and a way to weaken Vernon''s position.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was fortunate that Diamond had a bad hunch since the moment she fired that mole, so she called her brothers toe to her apartment. Maria was intimidated by a cop and an attorney and left without doing anything.


    -


    ''Sir, you need to be careful. I have a bad feeling about the hospital visit today,'' Diamond told herst night. That sentence had been lingering in Vernon''s head for the whole night.


    Though everything had been prepared ording to n, he was still worried that something out of the equation might happen in the hospital.


    ''That old bitch, I should''ve killed her sooner. She is far more troublesome than Vincent,'' Vernon thought. ''She already guessed that I was up to something since long ago, it was thanks to Vincent''s favoritism that he didn''t suspect a thing until it was toote for him.''


    -


    Chloe approached him, who was still in a daze, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to wake him up, "Good morning, Vernon."


    "Oh¡ª!" Vernon snapped out of his daze and stared at Chloe, who smiled at him for a second before taking the apron. He decided to put his worry aside because, at this point, there was nothing he could do other than make sure everything was safe for Mackie and Chloe. Thus he asked, "Are you sure you want to visit the hospital today?"


    Chloe paused for a while and nodded, "I have to. I already promised Mackie, and I have to prepare cremation for my mother as well."


    Chloe noticed that Vernon looked concerned and assured him, "It''s okay, Vernon. I will be fine. I also don''t need to worry about Mackie and my safety because I have you, right?"


    Vernon nodded, "Don''t worry, I will make sure you are well protected until you''re done with the visit. You have my word."


    **


    Chloe, Mackie, and Vernon ate their breakfast at dawn. She prepared themselves for the hospital until they were ready around seven.


    Vernon used an old car with a fake te number to avoid detection from Vincent or Maria. The atmosphere in the car fell still as he drove through the snowy morning.


    Vernon and Chloe were tense, but Mackie seemed to be enjoying the snowy trip to visit Gran. She wondered why Mommy and Uncle were so nervous and asked, "Mommy, Uncle, is everything okay?"


    "Ah¡ªeverything is okay, dear," Chloe replied.


    "But if everything is fine, why are you so nervous, Mommy? I thought we''re visiting Gran," Mackiemented. "I think Gran will be happy with us visiting."


    Vernon, who had been silent the whole time, finally opened his mouth, "Just sit still, Mackie. Don''t worry, we''re going to reach the hospital as soon as possible¡­"


    "¡­ and get this over with," he said in a very low, almost inaudible voice.

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    ?


    Vernon''s car entered the parking lot. He was driving around the mostly empty parking lot for a while until he noticed one ck car with four guys in suits standing outside. They didn''t seem to be bothered by the cold.


    He parked his car right next to them and slid the window down. One of the men in ck approached Vernon and reported, "Sir, everything is clear. The hospital is quiet and mostly empty right now because it''s snowing and it''s early in the morning."


    "Good," Vernon nodded. "I will be waiting here, escorting my wife and daughter, surrounding them and making sure that nobody is able to touch them."


    "Understood, Sir."


    Vernon turned his head towards Chloe and Mackie and said, "These four men will escort you to meet Judith. They are highly trained professionals, so you don''t need to worry about your safety, alright?"


    Mackie was still clueless about this whole thing, and she asked, "How about you, Uncle? Are youing with us?"


    "I will be waiting here, don''t worry, I''ll keep myself updated," Vernon said. "I am always ready to save you two."


    "Okay then, we won''t take long," Chloe said. She left the car first and then opened the door on the backseat. "Come on, Dear. We''re going to visit Gran now."


    Mackie was still confused about the whole setup. Why did they need to be surrounded by four big men when they were just visiting Gran?


    But she swallowed that question and obediently hopped out of the car. She held Mommy''s hand. As soon as they walked through the snowy parking lot, those four burly men quickly surrounded them, forming a barrier so nobody could touch Chloe and Mackie.


    As they entered the hospital entrance, Chloe tightened her grip on her daughter''s hand. Chloe registered herself at the front desk and said, "My name is Chloe, I''m here to see my mother''s body."


    The front desk naturally understood the identity of this woman. She was the hidden wife of Vernon Phoenix Gray, the popr young CEO, as it had been confirmed by Mr. Phoenix Gray''s secretary yesterday. She nodded and said, "You can turn right, exit the corridor, and continue straight, the morgue is at the end, Ma''am."


    "Thank you," Chloe and Mackie walked through the corridor surrounded by four bodyguards. The hospital was especially empty right now. No nurse other than the one in the front office walked around the corridor, it could be because of the heavy snow outside, and it was still very early in the morning.


    The little girl sensed her Mommy''s tenseness based on how strongly she gripped Mackie''s hand. She looked up and asked, "Mommy, are you okay?"


    "Ah¡ªmhm, Mommy is okay, dear," Chloe forced a smile. "I''m just a bit¡­ scared."


    "Don''t be scared, Mommy. I''m here to protect you," Mackie said. "You are safe with me."


    Chloe couldn''t force a smile anymore. She couldn''t imagine the sadness that would hit Mackie when she knew the truth.


    But they were already here, and there was no turning back.


    As they walked through the open corridor, Chloe noticed a sign on top of a door at the end of the corridor.


    ''Morgue.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe''s feet began to get heavy as she approached the morgue. Her body began to tremble when one of the bodyguards opened the morgue door, giving an entrance to Chloe and Mackie.


    Mackie peeked at the inside of the room. She thought she''d be greeted by the sight of her Gran on a hospital bed.


    But all she saw were metal boxes stacked on top of one another.


    The bodyguard talked to the olddy inside for a while and then returned to Chloe, "All clear, Ma''am, we can go in."


    Chloe and Mackie stepped inside the morgue. The four bodyguards were lining behind her as she talked to an olddy inside.


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "My name is Meredith, Ma''am," an olddy with a very hoarse voice introduced herself. She was wearing all white, a sterile bouffant cap covering her hair, and a mask covering half of her face, so Chloe couldn''t identify the woman. "I''m in charge of cleaning the morgue everyday. My supervisor told me that you will be visiting early in the morning."


    Chloe was a bit disturbed by this olddy. Somehow, she had a bad feeling about her, but Chloe simply wanted to make things fast right now, so she asked, "Where is myte mother?"


    The old woman nced at a corpse inside a ck body bag on top of a long body tray, "I''ve cleaned her, but it''s best not to check more than half of her body, especially now that you brought your little girl here. It might traumatize her,'' Meredith said.


    Chloe stared at the body tray. She had no intention of showing Mackie the corpse of her Gran. She just wanted to tell Mackie that they were in a morgue, and that meant her Gran already passed away.


    Chloe also noticed six body bags lined on the floor near her mother''s body tray. She asked Meredith about it first, "What happened to them?"


    "Oh, don''t mind them, Ma''am. Those are deceased men, they''re unrted to yours," Meredith replied. "You can check your mother''s body first, Ma''am. I will be waiting at the corner."


    Chloe saw Meredith slowly walking to the corner of the morgue, giving Chloe a way to approach Judith''s corpse.


    She took a deep breath and clenched Mackie''s hand tighter than before.


    She walked towards the body tray and slowly unzipped the body bag.


    She gasped when she unzipped until neck length. Just the sight of her mother''s cold and pale face was enough to make her weak. Her face paled instantly, her knees gave up on her, and she almost fainted on the spot.


    "Ma''am!"


    One of the bodyguards helped to prop Chloe before she fainted. Chloe''s consciousness was floating away. She thought she was ready to see her mother''s cold corpse.


    However, her consciousness returned to her body when she could feel a pair of small hands holding her arm and asked worriedly, "Mommy, are you okay? What''s wrong with Gran?"

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    Chloe found strength once she realized she wasn''t alone in this morgue. She had her daughter, who was still questioning about the whole thing. So she had to look strong in front of Mackie despite her heart shattering into pieces.


    "I¡ªI''m okay now. You can release me, thank you," Chloe said as she gently pushed the bodyguard away.


    The bodyguard stepped back, silently watching Mrs. Phoenix Gray as she collected herself.


    Chloe gently patted her daughter''s head and asked, "Dear, you know that Gran is very old, right? She is sickly and has a frail body."


    "Um, I know," Mackie nodded. Naturally, she knew that Gran was very old. She often got sick and bedridden, so she couldn''t apany Mackie and the boys to y around.


    She would cough often. Sometimes she couldn''t even get up by herself and needed the support of a cane.


    Mackie always told Gran to eat more because Mommy always said that eating good food, exercising, and sleeping well were all you needed to be healthy.


    But Gran said she was too old to do any of that, much to Mackie''s gloom.


    "And you know, when someone is very old and sickly, they will¡­." Chloe stopped speaking once she realized that her lips were trembling. She felt weak again but knew she had to be strong. She needed to be the support system that her daughter needed once she got the bad news. "¡­they will die."


    "Die?!" Mackie''s eyes widened. She looked at her mother and then at the body on the tray simultaneously. "M¡ªMommy, Gran¡­ she is¡­."


    Chloe pulled her daughter closer for aforting hug, "Yes, dear. Gran has passed away. She died because¡­ because of old age."


    Chloe didn''t want to traumatize Mackie with the harsh truth that her Gran died because she was murdered. Today must''ve been saddening enough for her, so this was for the best.


    Mackie started sobbing in her Mommy''s embrace. Though she had never had a rtive who passed away before, she watched a few cartoons that talked about death, and they said that when someone died, that meant she wouldn''t be able to meet them for a long time, but they would be able to meet again in heaven.


    "Mommy, does that mean I can meet with Gran in heaventer?" Mackie asked.


    "Yes, dear. You can meet her in heaven¡­." Chloeforted me. This was also her method offorting herself. Though she wasn''t religious, she believed that as long as you did good, you''d go to heaven.


    Her mother might have had a falling out with Chloe in herter years, but Judith was a good mother who took the responsibility of raising two daughters all by herself. Chloe admired her mother so much, so seeing her mother''s corpse was devastating for her.


    It was also a reminder that Vincent was an absolute monster that deserved no pity or forgiveness.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel ''That man must rot in hell for all his sins!'' Chloe said in her heart.


    Meanwhile, the old woman Meredith had been watching the sad scene in front of her for a while. She rolled her eyes, thinking this whole thing was pretentious and stupid.


    ''Why are they crying over a useless old woman like that? She is just a minimum-wage worker her entire life,'' she thought. ''You shouldn''t cry for insignificant trash. But you should cry if a powerful man like Mr. Vaughn Gray died, because that would be a loss for the entire world.''


    She had had enough of listening to useless cries over an insignificant woman. Meredith cleared her throat to get the attention of Mackie and the four bodyguards and said, "I think we have enough of the tear jerking reunion for that useless woman. It''s time for you two to meet the most important person in your world, Mrs. Chloe Gray, and you two, Mackenzie Rose Gray."


    Chloe darted her eyes at the olddy standing at the corner of the room. She was on guard, and the bodyguards surrounded her immediately.


    Chloe red at the olddy and asked, "How did you know our name?"


    "Tsk, this is why a stupid woman like you needs to be locked forever, so you can help your husband simply by existing. You''re really that clueless of what''s happening around you, huh?" The olddy sneered. She pulled her bouffant cap and mask so that Chloe could identify her.


    Chloe''s eyes widened when she saw Vincent''s senior secretary, Maria. She still had the same tired and wrinkly looks, but her eyes were very vicious as if she couldn''t wait to catch Chloe and shove her back to Vincent.


    Chloe naturally sensed the dangering from the olddy. She quickly lifted Mackie and carried her. She already knew that Maria wanted to bring her back to Vincent, so she didn''t need to ask for the old woman''s intention.


    "I don''t know how you got the information about me visiting the morgue today, but you should know that Mackie and I are well protected," Chloe said, trying to intimidate Dorothea. "I have four bodyguards around me. So if you want to keep your life, then you should leave now!"


    Maria smirked. She walked towards the door, but instead of leaving, she closed the door instead. She locked them all inside the morgue and then dropped the key.


    "Ie well prepared, Mrs. Gray. You should know that I am very capable and efficient at what I''m doing," Maria said before she kicked the key across the room until it slipped right under one of the body bags on the floor. "I expected that you''d bring bodyguards with you today, so I brought mine as well."


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean?" Chloe looked around. She noticed nobody in this morgue other than them and these corpses.


    Maria scoffed as she darted her eyes at the lines of corpses across the room, "You guys should get up now."


    Everyone except Maria was shocked when the six body bags lining the floor suddenly moved, and six burly men unzipped themselves out of those body bags.


    He cracked their fingers as they were ready to throw some punches.

 Chapter 666 666

    ?


    [Warning: Violence.]


    Maria was satisfied when she saw the horror on Chloe''s face. Whenever she saw a stupid bitch like Chloe in fear or shock, it was like a cathartic feeling that gave Maria joy.


    ''Hmm, maybe I can slowly understand the feeling that Vincent has,'' Maria thought. ''It''s actually fun to bully a woman like Chloe. The more you see her cry, the funnier she gets. It makes you want to crush her to pieces.''


    Chloe hugged her daughter tighter in her arm. She subconsciously took a step back when she realized she was screwed because there was no way these four bodyguards that Vernon prepared were enough to beat those six men that Maria brought.


    Chloe started to find any way out she could find. But the morgue was a very closed space, with no window, and the door was made out of metal, so it was definitely unbreakable for Chloe.


    She saw one of the burly men pocket the key, so they were definitely trapped until they could beat those six men.


    Chloe darted at Maria, who had been eyeing her for a while. As their eyes met, Maria showed his malicious smirk that sent chills down Chloe''s spine.


    She looked at her daughter, who was terrified in her arms, so she pushed the back of Mackie''s head until her face was buried in Chloe''s chest. She didn''t want Mackie to see any violence that was about to happen soon.


    Knowing she was trapped, Chloe quickly took her phone out and called Vernon.


    Maria realized that Chloe was calling for reinforcement, so she gave an order before it was toote, "Seize Mrs. Gray and her daughter, don''t hurt them, but you can kill her four bodyguards."


    The six men surrounded the bodyguards. They didn''t waste any chance and quickly tried to break the barrier surrounding Chloe and Mackie.


    The four bodyguards tried their best to protect Mrs. Phoenix Gray and her daughter, but it was six versus four, and they got overwhelmed.


    Chloe''s hand started trembling as she heard the bodyguards'' grunts as they fought their ambushers. She kept calling Vernon until the line was connected.


    The moment it was connected, she screamed on the phone, "HELP! HELP US! WE GOT AMBUSHED!!"


    However, before she could speak more, one of the ambushers broke through the barrier and snatched the phone away from Chloe. He smashed the phone and stomped on it to ensure that Chloe wouldn''t receive reinforcement.


    The ambusher then tried to separate Mackie from Chloe. He tried to take Mackie away from her mother, and Chloe yelled, "NOT MY DAUGHTER!"


    "Let her go, you bitch! Ugh, why are they so sticky anyway?" The ambusherined as he tried pulling Mackie away from her Mommy.


    "Ahh! Mommy! Mommy, it hurts!" Mackie screamed in pain when she was being pulled away forcefully by the ambusher. Chloe used all her strength to keep Mackie safe in her arms. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But realizing that she was no match in strength against a burly man, she threw her weight at the ambusher''s body and elbowed his stomach until he lost his bnce.


    Chloe and Mackie fell right on top of the ambusher''s body, and before the man could recover, Chloe quickly wed the man''s eyes until his scream of agony shocked everyone in the morgue.


    They looked in horror as they saw the sweet-lookingdy suddenly digging her nail into the man''s eyes until it bled. She was like a vicious madwoman that would stop at nothing.


    After ensuring the ambusher who dared to hurt her daughter wouldn''t move for a while, she shifted her target to Maria, who was astonished by what she saw just now because she truly didn''t expect Chloe to be so crazy.


    She always thought Chloe would cry in the corner while protecting her daughter. She could only cry and scream like a weak little bitch.


    Chloe picked up her sobbing daughter and carried her in her arm again. She red at Maria as if she couldn''t wait to w her eyes out, just like what she did to that poor ambusher writhing in pain on the floor.


    Maria flinched when Chloe suddenly walked towards her. She stepped back and hurriedly yelled at one of her men, "What are you waiting for? Get this bitch away from me¡ªURK!"


    Maria almost got a heart attack when Chloe suddenly pushed her to the wall and strangled her. The ambusher was about to help, but Chloe looked over her shoulder and yelled, "Don''t move, or I will kill her!"


    The ambusher who was about to reach Chloe hesitated because Maria struggled hard to breathe. The situation was suddenly reversed after Chloe strangled Maria.


    Chloe''s four bodyguards seized one person each, one of the ambushers was still writhing in pain on the floor, and the other didn''t know what to do because he was afraid that Chloe would kill the old woman.


    Each time the ambusher took a step forward, Chloe would strangle Maria harder until the olddy''s face turned pale.


    Maria tried to break free by trying to reach Chloe''s face to w her. But Chloe red at her and snapped, "DON''T MOVE, YOU OLD BITCH! YOU DARE TO HURT MY DAUGHTER! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HER TIME WITH HER GRANDMOTHER!"


    Maria stopped struggling as her body froze in fear. She never knew that Chloe could do something as vicious as this. All she wanted to do right now was to survive because she still had to protect the Graypany.


    They were stuck in this position for a while until the door was unlocked from the outside, and the door was mmed open loudly, which snapped everyone out of their daze.


    Everyone''s eyes widened when they saw the sight of Vernon with a red face, like a devil ready to kill anyone in front of him.


    Vernon assessed the situation for a split second and then shouted with a voice that could kill anyone, "I WILL FUCKING KILL ALL OF YOU!"

 Chapter 667 667

    ?


    [Warning: Violence.]


    "I WILL FUCKING KILL ALL OF YOU!"


    Vernon''s voice was like thunder that struck everyone on the spot. They were all scared to move, whether they were an ally or enemies of Vernon.


    Vernon charged in, and his first target was the ambusher who was about to reach Chloe. He jumped and gave that man a flying kick to the head until the ambusher was sent flying and hit the wall behind him.


    He turned his head to check on Chloe, and after ensuring his beloved was safe, he asked her, "Can you hold that old woman just like that for a while?"


    "Yes, I can," Chloe replied without hesitation. She had had enough of Maria''s maliciousness towards her. Maria already crossed the lines so many times, but Chloe always forgave her because she never wanted to hurt others.


    But now Maria dared to involve her daughter in this problem and traumatized Mackie, who was supposed to have a heart-wrenching reunion with her dead Gran.


    She even dared to try kidnapping Mackie!


    Chloe red at Maria, who had stopped struggling. Maria''s eyes were glued to Vernon, who suddenly showed up like a hero to save Chloe.


    All of her suspicion towards Vernon was proven to be true. He was the man who had been protecting Chloe and Mackie the whole time.


    He was the traitor in the Gray family!


    Vernon smirked when he saw the ghastly expression that Maria had made. It looked like she had seen a ghost in front of her.


    He had been itching to show his Big bro of his identity as Chloe''s benefactor and also showed that he had him the whole time.


    All this time, the little brother that Vincent adored turned out to be a snake who had been hiding his wife!


    Just imagining the shock that Vincent would get was enough to make Vernon grin in satisfaction.


    "Hold that old woman tight, love. I will handle the rest first," Vernon said as he cracked his fingers and arms to make sure his punch would hurt really bad.


    "I will make sure all of you will pay for hurting my wife and daughter," Vernon said with a creepy smile as if he couldn''t wait to break their necks one by one. "Don''t worry, I will make this quick, but very painful."


    Chloe didn''t want to see even more violence, so she just red at Maria the whole time while she heard the sound of bones cracking and men grunting in pain behind her. She also whispered to her daughter, "Bury your face on my chest, dear. Don''t look, your Uncle is cleaning up bad guys."


    "Um, okay, Mommy¡­."


    It took at least fifteen minutes until Vernon finished all of the henchmen that Maria brought with her. Vernon told his men to ''clean these up, but don''t let them die.''


    Vernon''s henchmen dragged the bloodied bodies of all the men Maria hired, and now there were only Chloe, Mackie, Maria, and Vernon inside the morgue.


    Vernon approached Chloe first and whispered in a very low voice to ensure that Mackie wouldn''t overhear his words.


    ''I don''t want you to stain your hand, love. You can say all the things you want to say to this old bitch, and then let me handle the rest, okay?''


    Chloe''s heart sank as she knew Vernon indicated something heinous that he would do to Maria.


    Usually, she would try to plead with Vernon to save Maria''s life. After all, she never liked violence in the first ce.


    But something happened today, something inside her that snapped after realizing that Maria could''ve taken her daughter away from her, and Chloe would NEVER allow that to happen.


    She did everything for Mackie in the first ce. What was the point of all of her pain so far if Maria could''ve easily taken her daughter?


    So she had decided upon something.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe strangled Maria harder until her face turned blue, and she started iling. She had to make sure Maria understood the danger she was in right now.


    "Listen to me, you old bitch," Chloe said ruthlessly. "I''m usually not the type to hurt someone. I don''t like hurting others. But you''ve crossed the line because you want to snatch my daughter."


    "You ruined her life because she had to see this bloody scene on top of her grief after losing her Gran. You ruined everything for us just because of your stupid obsession with that bastard," Chloe said. "Whatever happens next, you deserve it, and I hope you rot in hell, you filth."


    "URK!"


    Chloe finally released her grip around Maria''s neck, and the olddy slumped on the floor like a puppet whose string had been cut.


    Chloe took a step back and turned around to look at Vernon.


    She was so ruthless just now, but once she saw her man again, Chloe couldn''t help to expose some of her fragile nature.


    Her eyes started zing with tears, and her body trembled as she hugged her daughter tighter in her arms, "Why are you sote? What if they took our daughter away?" Chloe asked with a shaky voice.


    Vernon felt that question had crushed his heart. He had been on guard the whole time, and everything seemed ording to his expectation. But he didn''t expect that Maria would do something as crazy as ambushing Chloe and Mackie inside the morgue with six men.


    After getting the call from Chloe, Vernon shouted like a madman to the front desk, so she would give him a spare key to open the morgue, knowing that Maria must''ve locked themselves in the morgue to ensure that Chloe couldn''t escape.


    He was d that he made it on time before something bad happened to Chloe and Mackie, but seeing the man writhing in pain on the floor and Chloe who was strangling Maria at the corner of the room while carrying Mackie with one arm, Maria must''ve triggered Chloe''s protective nature and made Chloe went wild for a while.


    Vernon truly regretted that his beloved had to dirty her hand to fight against this trash.


    Vernon gently caressed Chloe''s hair and kissed her on the forehead, "I''m so sorry, love. You should leave now. Those four bodyguards will protect you back to the car, and I will handle the rest. okay?"


    Vernon nced at Mackie, who was trembling while burying her face in her mother''s chest. He also patted Mackie''s back and murmured, "You did a great job holding yourself, little wolf. You two can go now."


    Chloe nodded and finally left with Mackie in her arms. The four bodyguards were wounded, but they stood their ground and escorted Mrs. Phoenix Gray and her daughter back to the car while their boss handled the olddy all by himself.


    Vernon closed the door and locked it from the inside. He also put the spare key into his pocket, ensuring Maria couldn''t escape.


    Though, with her current condition, he doubted that Maria could even stand up.


    Chloe was really ruthless to this old woman. Her face was really pale, and Maria''s neck was bruised after being strangled for too long. She was breathing weakly, but her life was still hanging in there.


    Vernon crouched in front of Maria and grabbed a handful of her hair. She pulled her like a ragdoll and saw that Maria still had some will to live in her eyes.


    Maria red at her with eyes that could kill, which was funny for Vernon, because she should''ve pleaded for her life at this point.


    "I thought that I would never be able to catch you so easily, because you have the entire Gray family''s connection in your hand," Vernon said. "But who would''ve thought that I would catch you in here, in this morgue where you just made a terrible mistake by trying to kidnap my wife and daughter."


    "You really screwed up, Maria," Vernon said. "You thought that Chloe wouldn''t fight back, right? Well, she usually wouldn''t do anything, but you''ve triggered her motherly instinct. Of course she will go crazy when her daughter''s life is in danger."


    Maria knew that she screwed up. She also knew that her life wouldn''t be long because there was no way Vernon would let her live after she discovered the truth.


    Vernon smirked maliciously, "You''re right, I won''t let you live, Maria. You''ve known too much, and my n is only 70% on the way. I need to topple Vincent first before I can reveal the truth that I''m the one who has been hiding his wife for so long."


    Maria gritted her teeth. She tried her best to let out some words to curse this son of a bitch in front of her, "You¡­ fucking¡­ bastard¡­" she cursed in her weak voice. "Vincent¡­ will¡­ kill¡­ you¡­"


    "Kill me? HAHAHAHAH!" Vernonughed mockinglya because he thought it was so ridiculous. He shook his head helplessly. "Vincent can''t do anything like that to me anymore. He can''t even save hispany at this point, how''d an ipetent ass like him kill me?"

 Chapter 668 668

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    [Warning: Violence.]


    Maria could only grit her teeth even harder. She knew that Vernon was right. Vincent was very ipetent right now. He could barely manage to keep his sanity without Chloe around. He couldn''t even run his ownpany, let alone fight a monster like Vernon.


    Vernon naturally knew that he was right. Vincent was unstable and ipetent without Chloe around. He needed Chloe to be able to function properly, just like Vernon. But that bitch Chloe actually dared to run away, and without her presence, Vincent began to act erratic in front of everyone instead of unleashing it all on Chloe. He began to show his degeneracy, and that affected his decision-making. Thus, making him very prone to make stupid mistakes.


    Chloe was like the cogs in their machine. Once lost, the machine would malfunction or turn useless until the cogs were put back in ce.


    "You know what, my big brother and I aren''t so different, really, the difference between us is just how we treat our beloved woman," Vernon said. "We have both been obsessed with Chloe since we were young. I''ve been obsessed with her since I was only seven years old, and that feeling never changed for years, even after she married Vincent."


    "Of course, I, a man who has been in love with Chloe for years, will not waste the chance to make her mine once I saw her running away from her abusive husband," Vernon said, revealing everything that he had nned so far. "I forced her into a contract as long as she can be by my side. But who would''ve expected that she would melt my cold heart, and reciprocate my feelings as well? It''s like a dreame true."


    "And I will never allow anyone to ruin my dream, even if that means I have to kill everyone in my family," Vernon showed his true nature in front of Maria. He never showed his ruthless and cruel side in front of Chloe because he didn''t want to scare his beloved.


    But this old bitch was a different case. She deserved every bit of cruelty she''d get. It was a payment for all the wrongdoings she had so far.


    Maria could only re at Vernon with hatred because she was too weak even to open her mouth, let alone struggle.


    Vernon chuckled, "How does it feel to be beaten by the woman you looked down upon the most? I know you see Chloe as a weakling that can''t do anything, right? Now you see how much you''ve miscalcted by touching her daughter."


    Vernon looked around the morgue, and his eyes darted at the body bag with Judith''s corpse inside. He smirked as he already got the idea of how to get rid of this old bitch without leaving any trace.


    "You know, I can just leave you here for a night or two, and you will die naturally, because your old body can''t hold on for much longer," Vernon said. "However, if I do that, that means you will die because of my beloved''s hand, and I don''t want to dirty her hand with filthy blood like you."


    "I also have no intention to kill you. I don''t want to touch my beloved with a bloodstained hand, so I have a n for you," Vernon said. He pointed at Judith''s corpse inside the body bag. "You know the identity of that body, right? Last night, Chloe already agreed to give Judith a cremation so she could keep the ash of her mother. Because holding a funeral might be too dangerous right now, at least we can bury her ashester after I can topple Vincent."


    "But how about you? Do you think I will give you a proper burial? Pfft¡ªHAHAHAHA!" Vernonughed maniacally for a good minute before he suddenly stoppedughing and red back at Maria. "I will cremate your body, and dump your ashes in the toilet. That''s where you belong."


    Maria''s eyes widened. She lost all her fierceness when Vernon said she''d be cremated and dumped into the toilet. Though she didn''t believe in God, she still wanted to be buried in the Gray family cemetery, where she truly belonged with all the powerful men and women.


    She opened her mouth as if she wanted to beg for forgiveness. But no voice came out. It seemed that Chloe strangled her too hard to the point that she had lost her voice.


    Vernon was satisfied seeing the horror and fear in Maria''s eyes. She was a ruthless olddy who never spared any of her targets, and Vernon would do the same.


    He would spare her no pity. She didn''t deserve it.


    Vernon finally released Maria''s head, and she slumped to the floor without any strength left.


    "I don''t want to dirty my beloved''s hand, and I don''t want to dirty mine as well. I will send one of my men to kill you here, and stuff you inside a body bag. You will be cremated with Judith."


    Maria''s body started to tremble once she knew this was her demise. She didn''t want to die like this, not when she knew that Vincent and Vernon would eventually ruin thepany that Mr. Vaughn Gray had worked so hard to expand.


    ''No! Not like this! I need to save Vaughn''spany!'' Maria said in her heart. She tried to muster some of the strength left in her. But when she was about to raise her head, Vernon suddenly pressed her head to the floor and said;


    "Stay down, I don''t want to listen to your begging. Just wait for your execution, you old bitch."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Maria could onlyment as she realized her death was near. The only thing in her mind was Mr. Vaughn Gray, the man who changed her life and saved her from a life of poverty and themon people and made her a powerful woman of her own.


    Maria, who didn''t believe in God, took Vaughn Gray as the highest man to deserve honor, so she saw him as her God instead.


    ''I''m sorry, Master Vaughn. I tried my best to help. I tried my best to serve your son, but Vincent is too ipetent. He cannot do anything against Vernon,'' Mariamented. ''I''m sorry that I cannot fulfill my promise to keep thepany afloat, but at least, you should be happy because your second son, Vernon Phoenix Gray, is morepetent than Vincent would ever be, and he is an even bigger monster than his big brother.''


    ''Yes, your second son is a scary monster, Master Vaughn, he has your blood after all. It doesn''t matter how much he loved Chloe right now. Vernon will soon turn into the second Vincent who will abuse her. So I consider this as an honor to die under the hand of your son''s order,'' Maria thought. She had a thin smile before she closed her eyes, ''This is better than dying a natural death. Thank you so much for giving me life, and ending my life like this, Master Vaughn.''


    **


    Vernon finally left the morgue. He called one of his henchmen, and once the man walked to him, Vernon ordered, "Kill that old woman inside, stuff her inside one body bag, and report back to me."


    "Yes, Sir," the henchman nodded without hesitation. He was a mercenary, a paid killer, to be exact. It wasn''t difficult for him to carry out such a heartless task.


    "Good, my secretary will help you cover up for this woman. But this shouldn''t be difficult, that old woman has no family of her own. So nobody will search for her."


    The executor entered the morgue and closed the door. Vernon leaned on the morgue door while waiting for the execution. He called Diamond.


    ¡ª


    "Good morning, Sir," Diamond greeted as she picked up the call. "This is still early in the morning, do you want me to do something?"


    "Yes," Vernon replied. "That old bitch is done for. But I need you to handle a few things for me."


    Diamond took a deep breath as she prepared herself, "Are you still in that hospital, Sir?"


    "Yes," Vernon confirmed. "Come here as soon as possible, and clean the mess. Cremate the body of Judith Carlson and Maria. Don''t forget to send the urns to the penthouse."


    "Certainly, Sir. I''ll be there soon."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Right after Vernon finished the call, the executor exited the morgue and reported, "It''s all done, Sir, that woman has been stuffed inside a body bag."


    "Good, you should wait here, my secretary will help you handle the rest," Vernon said. "She will also do the payment."


    "Thank you, Sir. I''m sorry that we failed to protect your wife and daughter," the executor said.


    Vernon was still pissed with the fact that the bodyguards he hired weren''t able to protect his woman. But at the same time, he also had himself to me because he only sent four bodyguards for Chloe instead of at least ten or even fifteen.


    "You should be thankful that my wife and daughter are unharmed. If something happens to them, you guys will be next," Vernon said coldly. "I''ll leave now, wait for my secretary toe here."

 Chapter 669 669

    ?


    Chloe and Mackie were escorted back to Vernon''s car. They sat in the back seat, and Mackie hugged her Mommy tight and buried her face in Mommy''s chest.


    Chloe slowly released her arm around Mackie and said, "We''re safe now in your Uncle''s car. You can release me now, dear."


    "Don''t want to¡­" Mackie said. "I''m sorry, Mommy. I thought I was brave enough to protect you. But I was so scared when that scary olddy looked at us. I''m also scared when those big mene out, they are like zombies¡­."


    Chloe sighed.


    She gently patted the back of her daughter''s head,menting the trauma Mackie must''ve felt.


    First, she had to face the death of her Gran, and then she got ambushed by Maria and her henchmen. She had to see and hear so many gruesome things this morning, and Chloe could only me herself for being ipetent.


    ''I''m so sorry, Dear. It''s all my fault,'' Chloe said with a shaky voice. ''I shouldn''t have brought you here.''


    "It''s not Mommy''s fault!" Mackie finally lifted her head, staring at her Mommy while pouting. "Don''t me yourself, Mommy! Those people just hurt us for no reason!"


    "Besides, Mommy was very cool when you fought against those scary men too! I want to be strong like you in the future, Mommy, then I will protect you! I promise!"


    Chloe was relieved that Mackie didn''t seem too traumatized by this whole thing. She didn''t know if it was a good thing because that might be a sign of mental fortitude or because Mackie had been exposed to violence too many times at such a young age, so she was unfazed.


    ''Maybe I should bring her to the child psychologist alongside Aaron. They endured too much at such a young age."


    **


    Vernon should''ve waited for Diamond toe and take control of the situation. But he couldn''t wait anymore.


    He just texted Diamond toe to the morgue, and then he hurriedly returned to the parking lot where his beloved woman and daughter were staying.


    He clenched his hands so hard that his fists turned blue. He couldn''t imagine the pain that Chloe had to go through today, and it was all his fault.


    It was always his fault because he failed to protect his beloved again.


    ''You''re a fucking idiot, Vernon Phoenix Gray,'' Vernon cursed himself. ''You''re too weak. Your weakness is what caused Chloe and Mackie to get hurt, you should know how much of a fucking embarrassment you are.''


    Vernon saw the bodyguards surrounding his car. They were also battered, and most had their faces either bloodied, bruised, or both. Vernon knew that it was mostly his fault for being underprepared, so he couldn''t me anyone except himself right now.


    Vernon entered his car and saw his wife and daughter sitting in the backseat. They stared at each other for a long time before Vernon silently turned on the engine and drove the car out of the hospital.


    Mackie saw that her Uncle was so tense as if he was holding a lot of rage. She was scared Uncle would be angry at Mommy for fighting back against those scary men and making a mess.


    So she took the initiative to ask, "Uncle, please don''t get angry at Mommy. She is just trying to protect me. You can punish me instead if you want."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vernon clenched the steering wheel even tighter than before. He was fighting the excruciating pain in his heart as he drove faster through the snowfall. His veins almost burst out, and Vernon''s red face scared Mackie enough that she would bury her face in her Mommy''s chest again.


    Chloe was also tense.


    Though she knew Vernon would never beat her, she was afraid he would snap and yell at him for being stubborn. Had they followed his initial n of escorting Chloe with at least dozens of guards, things like this wouldn''t happen.


    Vernon drove back to the Phoenix Tower. He parked his car in the basement and opened the door for Chloe and Mackie.


    "Let''s go up," Vernon said, but his stern tone made it sound more like an order.


    Chloe carefully put herself down and helped Mackie since the little girl still needed to feel secure around her Mommy.


    "Let me carry Mackie," Vernon offered.


    Chloe looked at her daughter, who hugged her even tighter than before. It was clear that Mackie didn''t want to get touched by her Uncle, probably because her Uncle looked so scary right now.


    "You don''t need to, Vernon. I think Mackie is still too shaken up by the whole thing," Chloe refused.


    Vernon''s lips thinned. He just stood still while eyeing Mackie and Chloe standing beside him.


    When they entered the penthouse, Vernon suddenly locked the door behind him and said, "Let her down, Chloe. It must be tiring having to carry Mackie for so long."


    Chloe gulped.


    She patted Mackie''s back and whispered, "You can go back to your room, dear. Let me talk with Uncle first."


    Thus, Chloe slowly put Mackie down and then gently nudged her to go downstairs.


    However, instead of running away, Mackie gathered her courage to stand between her Mommy and Uncle and yelled loudly, "Uncle! Don''t hurt Mommy! She''s doing her best to protect me!"


    "Ah¡ª!" Chloe panicked. She feared that Mackie might see her Uncle shout and yell at her like a madman, and that might give Mackie an even worse trauma. "D¡ªDear, you need to go down. This is adult talk only!"


    "It''s not adult talk only! And I don''t want to go until Uncle promises not to hurt or shout at Mommy!" Mackie insisted despite her fear. "Mommy has done so much to protect me! I want to protect you too!"


    Vernon, who kept his straight face the whole time, slowly broke down in tears as he saw the mother-daughter bond.


    His tears began to fall, and his body shook greatly until his knees gave up.


    He fell on his knees right in front of his wife and daughter and muttered, "I''m a failed man."

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    ?


    Chloe and Mackie were shocked when they heard Vernon muttering that word. Never in their life had they ever seen him as a failed man.


    Vernon was a powerful man that always protected them at all costs. He always prioritized Chloe and Mackie over his safety and did everything he could to keep them safe.


    Mackie wondered why Uncle suddenly cried because he hadn''t done anything wrong.


    She looked up to ask for an exnation from Mommy.


    But Mackie was even more surprised when she saw her Mommy, who also cried.


    "Mommy?" Mackie asked. "What''s wrong? Why are you crying too?"


    Chloe tried to wipe her tears as she stared at Vernon, who looked so disheartened. This scene greatly affected her because she thought this whole mess was her fault.


    If only she listened to Vernon bring at least a dozen bodyguards.


    If only she had told him it was too early to visit Judith''s body in the morgue because Maria and Vincent were still hunting her.


    It was all her fault.


    "I¡ªIt''s not your fault, Vernon," Chloe muttered weakly, trying to lift some burden off his shoulder. "It''s me who''s at fault. It''s me who insisted on going even though it''s dangerous. It''s also me who insisted on bringing as few bodyguards as possible."


    The more Chloe tried to lift the burden off his shoulder, the sadder he got. Vernon couldn''t stop his tears anymore. He began to sob like a child, "I failed to protect my wife and daughter twice. I don''t know how can I look at you and Mackie with pride anymore."


    Chloe didn''t expect this whole thing to affect Vernon greatly, "Vernon, it''s okay. Look, we left unscathed."


    Vernon looked up, and he couldn''t believe that Chloe still had the audacity to say she was unscathed when her face had been scratched somehow, and there was a bruise on her wrist, probably from one of those bastards who dared to catch her.


    "Do you not understand, Chloe?" Vernon asked. "The more you try to hide everything from me, the more pain I get. Please stop trying to look strong and let me put all of your me on me instead. I deserve it all."


    Mackie looked at her Mommy and then her Uncle consecutively. She didn''t know why they were crying when they weren''t even arguing or fighting.


    So she stepped forward and stood right in front of her Uncle and asked, "Uncle, you''re not mad at us, right?"


    Vernon hurriedly opened his arms and hugged his daughter tight. So tight that he basically buried Mackie inside his chest.


    "My Little Wolf, it''s you who needs to get mad at me," Vernon said with a trembling voice. "I failed you. I''m sorry that I failed you."


    Mackie didn''t know why Uncle was so sad. She might have been in danger with Mommy before, but at least she was still alive and well!


    She struggled a bit, trying to break free from Uncle''s bear hug, but before she could break free, Chloe suddenly opened her arm and joined in.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vernon and Chloe buried Mackie in their arms as they embraced each other. The little girl felt stuffy as Uncle and Mommy hugged her, but she soon enjoyed it because of one thing.


    She never had both her parents embracing her like this. It was usually only Mommy who hugged her, so this was a new experience for the little girl, and she loved being hugged like this!


    She was also relieved to see Mommy truly happy with Uncle Vernon, unlike when she was with Daddy.


    ''Um¡­ Mommy should''ve stayed with Uncle. I want her to be happy, just like how she wants me to be happy¡­'' Mackie thought.


    ¡­


    Chloe and Vernon released their embrace after a while. Vernon gently wiped the tears from Chloe''s eyes and muttered, "I''m sorry, my love. I''ve failed you twice. I don''t know how to face you after this."


    "Mm, it''s not your fault," Chloe said as she also did the same by wiping Vernon''s tears with her hand. "I''m sorry for not listening to you. You are right, I was too rash, and impatient. If only¡­ if only we can turn back time."


    Chloe regretted every decision she made leading to the ambush today. But she was more worried about Mackie as she had to experience a traumatizing day.


    Mackie was squeezed between her Mommy and Uncle. She waved her hand as he was trying to take some breath, "Mommy! Uncle! I can''t breathe!"


    "Ah, sorry, dear!" Chloe stepped back, and Vernon released his arms that hugged his beloved daughter.


    Mackie panted as she finally got some air and then yelled, "How could Mommy and Uncle forget about me? I''m buried between your bodies!"


    Vernon chuckled, patted Mackie''s head, and said, "Well, that hug is an apology from Uncle, because Uncle failed to protect you."


    "Uncle doesn''t need to apologize!" Mackie insisted. "It''s not your fault, so you should stop crying because my Uncle is a Big Bad Wolf! The Wolf is very strong and not a crybaby!"


    Mackie looked at her right after that, "And it''s also not your fault, Mommy! You''re just trying to make me happy by bringing me to Gran! You also protected me when we were in danger! You are the best!"


    Chloe and Vernon stared at each other and nodded in unison. They smiled and then kissed Mackie on the cheek.


    Chloe and Vernon upied each side of Mackie''s cheek. Mackie was dazed. Again, this was a new experience for her to be kissed by her Mommy and Uncle, something that would never happen when they were with Daddy.


    Mackie looked at her Mommy and Uncle after she got kissed, "Umm, why did you two kiss me just now?"


    "It''s a kiss of gratitude from Mommy. I''m so grateful that you''ve be such a strong little girl," Chloe said.


    "Well, I just don''t want to let your other cheek dry while your Mommy kisses you," Vernon teased. But he patted Mackie''s head and said, "I''m so proud of you, Little Wolf."

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    "Alright, you two should go downstairs to take a bath and rest first," Vernon said to Mackie and Chloe. "I will go back to my room to take a bath and change my clothes as well."


    "Um, okay, Uncle!" Mackie nodded.


    Chloe smiled and nodded, "Then you should rest first, I will cook lunch in about an hour."


    Vernon wanted to say that Chloe didn''t need to do a thing today because she had just done something incredible by defending herself and her daughter against Maria and her men.


    But Vernon knew that Chloe needed to busy herself so she wouldn''t be reminded of what happened just now, so he just nodded and allowed her to do whatever.


    Vernon''s smile vanished as he entered his bedroom. Though Chloe and Mackie didn''t me him, he was still very angry at what Maria did to them.


    Honestly, he wanted to do the worst for that old bitch. He wanted to personally snap her neck and cut her into pieces, then feed her mutted corpse to the pigs. It was the most appropriate punishment for Maria because she was truly a madwoman who treated everyone except Vaughn and Vincent as pigs. Vernon could feel Maria''s contempt for everyone around her, as if everyone was lower than a subhuman in her eyes.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t want to stain his hand with blood, not when he would use the same hand to hug his beloved woman and daughter.


    "Now that she is dead, all that is left is Vincent," Vernon muttered. "I cannot rest until Vincent is dead or suffers fate worse than death. He deserved the worst pain imaginable for hurting my beloved woman for the past ten years."


    He knew he might sound cruel, but he felt very dissatisfied after ending Maria''s life in the tamest way possible.


    So he decided to n a fate worse than death for his one and only Big brother.


    Vernon grinned as he had an idea in mind.


    "Thankfully, his ex-slut contacted me a few days ago. I know she must''ve been triggered seeing the news online about Vincent and Chelsea."


    Usually, Vernon wouldn''t even bother talking to any woman other than Chloe unless necessary. But he knew one thing about Vincent''s ex-slut;


    She was batshit insane and was hopelessly obsessed to be the next Mrs. Gray.


    She contacted Vernon a few days ago to ask for his assistance to get back on her feet and return to Vincent''s side.


    Fortunately, Vernon had a better idea instead because he wanted to make sure that Vincent would suffer for the rest of his life.


    "Let''s see, Big bro. You abused my woman for ten years, so you deserved to be abused for the rest of your life."


    **


    Chloe and Mackie finished cleaning themselves after about an hour. Chloe told her daughter to y in her room while she cooked lunch for them.


    As she went up, she saw Vernon with a pink apron that looked mini for his big body. He was chopping vegetables and also preparing the hot oil in the pan.


    Chloe approached him and patted his muscly arm, "You''re not supposed to cook, Vernon. It''s my job."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''s fine," Vernon replied. "I want to help you cook something for lunch, then I''ll go to handle something."


    "Something?"


    "¡­ it''s not something nice to hear, Chloe. It''s better for you not to know," Vernon said.


    Chloe went silent after that. She connected the dot easily and decided to help Vernon without saying anything.


    As they finished cooking the food for lunch, Chloe went down to call her daughter and then ate together as three.


    Mackie ate lunch happily, though it didn''t taste as good as usual, so she knew that Uncle must''ve been the one who cooked lunch today.


    She nced at her Mommy and asked, "Mommy, can I meet with Gran and the boys today?"


    Chloe stopped eating her food once Mackie dropped that question. She nced at Vernon, who didn''t seem to be bothered by the question, either because he had tolerated their existence after Maria''s death or because he was just too distraught by the whole thing right now.


    Nevertheless, Chloe thought Mackie had seen way too much anyway, so meeting with her cousins shouldn''t be a problem. She should probably watch over them and listen to the kids'' conversation in case one of the boys brought up Chelsea.


    ''I should probably tell Dorothea about this as well, so she can help in case I''m not around.''


    "You should ask your Uncle first. He''s the one who allowed the boys to live with us," Chloe said.


    Mackie shifted her attention to her Uncle and asked, "Uncle, can I meet with my cousins? I miss them so much."


    Vernon smiled at Mackie and nodded, "You can. It must be lonely for you to y all by yourself."


    Mackie''s doe eyes brightened instantly, "Thank you so much, Uncle! I want to y with them! I will bring all of my toys so they won''t get bored too!"


    Chloe was slightly worried about the whole thing, and Vernon immediately noticed it.


    Honestly, he understood Chloe''s worry. She was very protective of Mackie, so she didn''t want to expose Mackie to the harsh truth because she was too young.


    But Chloe underestimated the mental fortitude that the little girl had.


    Mackie was a very strong little girl. She also went through a lot in school as Vincent turned everyone in the school against her.


    She was also strong enough not to cry when Maria ambushed them and was brave enough to stand against Vernon because she didn''t want Vernon to yell at Chloe.


    She was a strong little wolf that reminded Vernon so much of himself when he was young. They were both feisty, had a strong will, and never broke down, even if they faced harsh realities in their respective families.


    And with Chloe around her daughter, Vernon knew that Mackie would grow up to be a great woman in the future.

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    So Vernon gently patted the back of Chloe''s hand, gave her an assuring smile, and said in a low voice, "She will be fine, trust me. Our Little Wolf is a strong littledy."


    Chloe still didn''t understand why Vernon would approve it so easily, but his assuring smile surely calmed her heart a little.


    Since she couldn''t back down now, she finally agreed to bring Mackie to her cousins, "We can go in an hour, okay?"


    "Whoo! Thanks, Mommy!"


    Mackie rejoiced as she finally didn''t have to spend the whole day alone in her room anymore. She didn''t have too many toys for the boys, but she had books, so she already nned to bring some of her books for the boys today.


    Vernon chuckled when he saw Mackie''s excitement. Mackie was truly a happy virus that every family needed. She turned the somber mood into a fun one as if she hadn''t faced a difficult day today.


    ''My little wolf¡­'' Vernon thought. ''I will protect you.''


    **


    Vernon went out somewhere after lunch, and Chloe didn''t dare to ask, knowing it must''ve involved cleaning up Maria''s mess.


    Instead, she helped her daughter pack some of her books into her bag so that she could bring them to her cousins.


    Mackie checked at her Mommy, who didn''t look too happy, "Mommy, why are you sad?"


    "Ah, it''s nothing, dear," Chloe tried to force a smile. Of course, she couldn''t simply say that she didn''t want Mackie to go and meet her cousins because she was worried.


    "Do you not want me to go?" Mackie asked innocently. "If you don''t want me to go, then I can wait until I can meet my cousins."


    "¡­" Chloe sighed. "I still want you to go, Mackie. I''m just worried the boys might say something that will make you cry."


    Mackie connected the dot instantly. Since her experience today, she realized that Daddy must''ve been so mean since he allowed that old woman to hurt them.


    "Mommy, may I ask something?"


    "Yes."


    "Did Daddy do something to Gran?"


    Chloe''s heart jumped when that question came out of the blue. She looked at her daughter, who stared at her with her doe eyes.


    She didn''t know how Mackie connected the dots, especially when Chloe hadn''t told her daughter about Vincent before.


    "W¡ªWhy would you say that, dear? Gran died because of her age. People usually pass away when they are too old¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Um, okay then¡­." Mackie lowered her head. She wasn''t satisfied with the answer because her little heart felt something was amiss. But it seemed that Mommy simply didn''t want to talk about it.


    "How did you get that idea anyway?" Chloe asked. "Did your Uncle tell you something?"


    Mackie shook her head, "It''s because of that scary old woman, Mommy. She is Daddy''s assistant, right?" Mackie mentioned Maria. "She was also in the school during Autumn Festival. She was sitting on the bench in front of the Principal''s office when you got beaten by Daddy that day."


    "So I thought, Daddy must''ve done something to Gran too, since that olddy is also in the hospital with us."


    Chloe was astonished by her daughter''s intellect.


    She knew that Mackie was very smart, but she didn''t expect one small misstep on her part would cause a chain reaction in Mackie''s brain, making it easier for the little girl to connect the dots even without any kind of hints.


    "It''s okay if you don''t want to talk about it, Mommy," Mackie assured. "You don''t need to tell me anything until you are ready. I know you have your own reason to hide it from me."


    "Oh dear¡­" Chloe hugged her daughter and patted the back of her head gently. She knew that she couldn''t hide things forever from her daughter. But she tried her hardest to keep her innocence because Chloe didn''t want Mackie to have a bad childhood. She didn''t want Mackie to have the same experience as Chloe growing up. "I''m so sorry, dear. I really don''t know what to say to you. But trust me, I did everything because I love you, and I promise you will know about the whole truth once you''re old enough, okay?"


    Naturally, Mackie knew that her Mommy loved her so much. Though she always questioned why Mommy hid so many things from her.


    Mackie always wondered why Mommy always cried when she was alone or why she was so thin and frail when they lived in the mansion.


    Mommy always said it was natural for Mommy to be thin and frail. It was also natural for her to puke in the bathroom and cry alone.


    But once they lived with Uncle, she realized that Mommy was lying.


    Mommy wasn''t supposed to be frail and thin, and she wasn''t supposed to cry every day because she was always happy and healthy with Uncle, but not with Daddy.


    Mommy always told her that Daddy wasn''t around because he was busy with work. But Uncle Vernon was also very busy with work but still had time to y with her. He even had time to take Mackie to the restaurant, and watch movies.


    He even had time to watch Spongebob Squarepants together on the weekend, so Daddy had no reason not to be around.


    Mackie began to pick up weird things happening around her Mommy and Daddy after that, such as how Daddy beat Mommy up in the Principal''s office, yet Mommy still tried to defend Daddy.


    And the most recent was the presence of that old woman, Maria. Mackie knew that she was Daddy''s Assistant and that the old woman always looked down on them when they lived in the mansion with Daddy.


    Lastly, she was never hugged by Mommy and Daddy together in one big, warm hug. But Uncle and Mommy hugged her together and even kissed her cheeks, which she liked a lot!


    ''Uncle is definitely better than Daddy in every way,'' Mackie thought. ''Maybe we should live with Uncle forever if that makes Mommy happy. I don''t want to live with Daddy if it only makes Mommy sad...''

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    Mackie carried a bag full of books for her cousins. They went to the thirteenth floor, where the two suites with connecting doors were located.


    Mackie held Mommy''s hand tightly as they stood in front of the door. The little girl was nervous and excited because it had been a long while since shest met with her cousins. She wondered if her cousins still remembered her or if they had already forgotten about her.


    Chloe smiled at her daughter and said, "Don''t worry, your cousins are excited to meet you again. They''ve been asking to meet you many times."


    Chloe pressed the bell twice until someone opened the door from the inside. As the door was opened, Mackie was met with the sight of her older cousin. They looked at each other in shock before Mackie''s eyes brightened, and she jumped to hug him.


    "AARON!"


    Aaron was stunned. He didn''t react for a while until he heard his little brother''s voice chirping behind him.


    "Is that Boss Mackie?"


    "Hey, it''s Boss Mackie!"


    "Boss Mackie! Boss Mackie!"


    The other boys rushed to circle their only cousin and hugged her tight. Aaron finally realized this was the real Boss Mackie, the female cousin they could lean on because Mackie was strong yet also loving at the same time. She has the same warmth as Aunt Chloe but is more rtable because they were around the same age.


    Thus, Aaron opened his hand and hugged Mackie back. He feltfort and safety as he hugged Mackie, as if things would be fine as long as she was with them. He looked up at Aunt Chloe, who stood right behind Mackie, and Chloe smiled at him.


    She put her index over her lips, signaling Aaron to keep the murder a secret because Mackie didn''t know about that yet.


    Aaron nodded. Of course, he didn''t want to make his cousin sad because of what his mother did to their Gran.


    Chloe was a little sad seeing how easily Aaron could understand her instruction. He was far too mature for his age, but she could do nothing right now except send all of the kids to the child psychologistter.


    "Now, now, you guys can y inside," Dorothea said as she approached them. "It''s not good to be noisy outside."


    "Granny!" Mackie smiled at Granny Dorothea, who looked healthy as always. She was so happy that at least one of her grandmothers was still alive and well.


    Mackie and Aaron finally stopped hugging, and Mackie said, "I bring my books with me, let''s read together!"


    "Whoo! Reading!"


    "I want to read by myself!"


    "Boss, can you read it for me?"


    Mackie led the pack as they entered the room. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe told them that they could go to the next room to y all by themselves, which they did. Thus, Chloe and Dorothea had time to be alone.


    Dorothea served tea to Chloe as they sat on the long sofa. She looked at Chloe worriedly and asked, "What''s wrong with you today, Chloe?"


    "Hm? There is nothing wrong with me," Chloe said as she sipped the tea. "I just asked for Vernon''s permission to bring Mackie here, so she can y with her cousins. She''s on a long winter break, so she''s very lonely in her room."


    "Besides, I think the boys want to y with Mackie. She is like the leader of the group," Chloe said.


    Dorothea knew that Chloe was trying to hide something nefarious, but the exhaustion in her eyes was too obvious to fool Dorothea.


    "Just be honest with me, Chloe. Did something happen? Did Vernon hurt you?"


    Chloe was surprised by Dorothea''s usation. She shook her head immediately, "No, no! It''s not about Vernon!"


    "Then something really happened, right?"


    Chloe zipped her mouth. She didn''t want to tell Dorothea about what happened in the hospital because she didn''t want to rey the moment when she had to be violent just to fight against those ambushers who tried to take her daughter away from her.


    But looking at Dorothea''s seriousness, Chloe knew that she wouldn''t let her off until Chloe told her something.


    Chloe sighed deeply, "We got ambushed today in the hospital."


    "We?"


    "Yes, Mackie and I visited the hospital where my mother''s corpse was stored in the morgue. I want to show Mackie because I know that eventually she has to know about the death of her Gran," Chloe said. "Vernon sent four bodyguards for us, but when we entered that morgue, we got ambushed by Maria and six men."


    "Maria?!" Dorothea''s eyes widened before they turned sharp. There was a hint of hostility in her eyes as Chloe mentioned that name. "That bitch is still trying to ruin my family after so long, huh?"


    Chloe didn''t really know the rtionship between Maria and Dorothea. She thought everything was alright between them because Maria had been Vaughn''s assistant for decades until his death.


    "What''s wrong? Do you have bad blood against her?" Chloe asked.


    "Hah, bad blood is an understatement," Dorothea said coldly. "That which has a weird obsession with my trashy dead husband. She is a regr woman hired by Vaughn when she was young, then Vaughn simply brainwashed her with his crazy way, just like how he tried to brainwash Vincent and Vernon to be a degenerate bastard just like him."


    "She treated Vaughn like God, and validated every degeneracy he did. I tried to get rid of her from the Gray family, but Vaughn always kept her around," Dorothea said. "After Vaughn''s death, I tried to kick her again, but by that time, Vincent already took her in and I have no more power against her. She has be a thorn in my eyes."


    "Where is she now?" Dorothea asked. "Since you came back with Mackie, does that mean she failed to do anything to you? Did she run away after that?"


    "No, she didn''t run away," Chloe replied. She paused for a moment and continued, "She''s dead now."

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    "She''s dead now."


    "Dead?!" Dorothea''s eyes widened. "Did Vernon kill her? Or was it one of his henchmen?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know, it might be me who caused her death," Chloe lowered her voice as she also felt heavy in her heart. She gently held Dorothea''s hand, asking for emotional support as she continued, "When I was ambushed, I immediately carried Mackie in my arm so she wouldn''t get hurt by those men who were fighting against each other. But Maria actually told one of the men to separate Mackie from me. He forcefully tried to yank Mackie away, and I can''t let that happen."


    "Mackie''s cry was like a trigger to me, when I heard her crying in pain while hugging me even tighter, I realized that I have to do something or my daughter will get hurt. So I attacked that man and w his eyes until he was writhing in pain on the floor, then I strangled Maria until she could barely breathe."


    "Vernon joined soon after that and cleaned everything up. He told me to leave Maria with him, so I released her," Chloe said. "But I don''t know if she is actually dead because of Vernon, one of his henchmen, or because of me. But I know that she is dead, because there is no way Vernon would allow her to live. She''s too dangerous and she knows too much about us."


    "Honestly, good riddance," Dorothea said. "It doesn''t matter who killed her. She deserved all the pain in this world. She has been nothing but a female hyena that lurks around Vaughn and Vincent!"


    Chloe smiled bitterly. She knew that Maria deserved all the pain in this world for all the shitty things she did. But she still disliked the idea of violence.


    She didn''t want to remember how she attacked that man and Maria before and definitely regretted showing that side to Mackie.


    "I just hope that bad things will end soon," Chloe said. "I''m just so tired having to deal with people like Maria all the time."


    Dorothea sighed, "Well, you know that you won''t be free until Vincent is defeated, right? Someone needs to kick him out of his high horse so he will realize he has been a fool the whole time."


    Chloe stared at Dorothea, who had sipped her tea just now, and asked, "You''re not mad that the Gray family will be destroyed after this? Vincent is the life of thatpany, without him, the family war will definitely happen and everyone wants a slice of that cake."


    Dorothea calmly sipped her tea again and replied, "I''ve spent my entire life trying to maintain my family. I tried my best to make up for my absence from Vincent as a mother, but he never appreciates anything that I do for him."


    "I realize that everything I did in the Gray family won''t stop that family from ending anyway," Dorothea said. "They don''t care about my well being. They just want me dead, so they can split my inheritance."


    "That''s why I realized that I have to leave. Nobody in that family wants me, not my son, and definitely none of those branch families," Dorothea said. She looked down ashamedly. "I know it sounds shameless. I don''t want anything from you for Vernon. I''m already happy to have a life like this. I''ve always wanted to take care of many children properly to make up for what I did wrong to Vincent and Vernon."


    Chloe listened to her reasoning and thought it was a fair reason.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dorothea made many mistakes when she was young, so living here and helping Chloe take care of the boys was the least she could do to gain her approval and, hopefully, Vernon''s approval as well.


    "Anyway, don''t think too much of her death, Chloe," Dorothea assured. "I know that you''re nervous because you''re usually a very lovelydy who won''t hurt a fly. But this is a different case, your daughter almost got taken away from you."


    Chloe nodded slowly, "I guess so too," Chloe said. "I just can''t imagine being separated from my daughter. She is the reason that I''m still standing until now. There are times when I want to give up under Vincent''s abuse, when I thought that death would be better than living with a monster like him."


    "But I can''t kill myself, not when I still have a daughter to protect, and I definitely don''t want to hurt, let alone kill my daughter," Chloe confessed. "She is the reason for everything, Dorothea."


    Dorothea nodded and then hugged Chloe. She patted her on the back and said, "I know, Chloe. I know that you''re a great mother. I should thank you for raising Mackie to be a good little girl, because without you, she might turn into another Vincent. I will never forgive myself for spoiling him to the point that he turns into a megalomaniac."


    Chloe and Dorothea spent the next hour talking from one simple topic to another. She didn''t want to brush off any more topics about the ambush and Maria.


    Dorothea was also very happy today because she got good news about Maria''s death, that witch was seriously unbearable. So they decided to celebrate Maria''s death by baking an apple pie while the kids were having fun in the next room.


    While Chloe and Dorothea were busy making the dough, the connecting door suddenly burst open, and the three younger boys rushed towards Granny Dorothea and Aunt Chloe.


    "Granny, Aunty, there is an emergency!" Mike said as the oldest of the three boys.


    Chloe and Dorothea stopped their activity and asked the boys instead, "What happened? Did you have a fight?"


    "N¡ªNo! It''s Boss Mackie and Big bro Aaron! They are crying!"


    Mackie''s eyes widened. There had never been an instance where they fought before, "Did they fight?"


    "No, they are just whispering to each other, and then they cry!" Mike reported. "Aunty, Granny, please help them, they look so sad!"

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    Chloe looked at Dorothea, and Dorothea gave her a sign to go, "You should check on them, I''ll keep the boys here for now."


    "Okay," Chloe nodded. She told the other boys to stay with Granny as she went to the other room through the connecting door.


    Chloe saw Mackie and Aaron hugging while crying together, though she didn''t know what had happened yet. Looking at them hugging so tightly, she already guessed in her mind.


    Chloe took a deep breath and approached Mackie and Aaron.


    She stood right before them and patted their heads, "Can you two tell me what happened? Why are you crying?"


    Mackie and Aaron sobbed, but they stopped hugging each other and faced Chloe in front of them. Mackie wiped her tears and replied between her sobs, "Mommy, why didn''t you tell me that Aunt Chelsea hurt Gran?"


    Chloe nced at Aaron, and Aaron lowered his head ashamedly, "I''m sorry, Aunty. I can''t help it. Boss Mackie asked about my mom, and I just¡­ I''m too sad to lie¡­"


    Chloe sighed. She couldn''t me Aaron either. He was just a child with a traumatic experience. Instead of scolding him, she should''veforted him instead.


    She looked at Mackie, who continued sobbing. Her heart got heavy as she knew that Mackie went through a lot today, from one bad news to another. It was surprising that Mackie still had the energy to meet with her cousins.


    Chloe opened her arms and wrapped her hands behind Mackie and Aaron''s heads. She pushed their heads to her chest tofort them and said in her gentlest voice possible.


    "We can''t reverse time, and we can''t stop her from hurting Gran. But you two should know that I will never abandon you. You might lose Aunt Chelsea and Gran, but you still have me, Granny Dorothea, and also Uncle Vernon," Chloe said. She knew that, at this point, there was no use in keeping secrets anymore. Mackie already knew everything, and Aaron was too damaged to hide things for his age. All they needed wasfort and safety, and those were the only things Chloe could give them.


    "You don''t need to remember about bad dreams. You have me, just lean on me and everything will be just fine," Chloe said.


    Aaron was the first one to react. He began to sob again. He gritted his teeth, trying to endure the pain in his heart.


    The nightmare after that night never disappeared. Every time he closed his eyes, he''d be haunted by the image of Gran telling him to go as she tried to hold their crazed mother was forever engraved in his mind.


    He didn''t know if Aunt Chloe truly understood his pain or not, but one thing was for sure, he didn''t want to remember that bad dream.


    He''d rather dream of Aunt Chloe hugging him like this or dreaming of ying with his brothers and Boss Mackie. He wanted to dream of good things.


    Mackie was no better. She was actually scared when that evil woman attacked them. She wanted to protect her mother but was too scared to even look. She couldn''t erase the image of those big mening out of the body bags.


    But both of them were in thefort of Chloe right now, wishing they had dreamed nothing but good dreams.


    Chloe patted their heads lovingly. She knew it''d be hard for them to recover from this trauma. But she had decided to take care of them aside from sending them to a child psychologist.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Don''t worry about anything, as long as you''re with me, Uncle, and Granny, everything will be just fine," Chloeforted again. She repeatedly repeated that sentence to assure Aaron and Mackie of their safety.


    It took a while until both of them stopped crying. They got sleepy after so many tears that they began to get drowsy and fall asleep not long after.


    Chloe smiled and carefully lined them to sleep side by side on the bed so they could rest.


    She kissed their foreheads and muttered, "Don''t worry, Mommy will do everything to give all of you a good life. That''s my promise."


    Chloe tiptoed out of the room so she wouldn''t make a noise. She closed the door carefully and then returned to the kitchen.


    Dorothea had just finished baking two apple pies, so Mackie and Aaron must''ve cried for over an hour.


    Dorothea served the hot pie on the kitchen countertop and let it cool down for a while before the boys could eat it.


    She looked at Chloe, who had juste out, and asked, "Is everything alright?"


    The boys quickly surrounded their Aunty and asked the same thing, to which Chloe replied with a nod, "Everything is alright. They are sleeping right now, so it''s better not to disturb them, okay?"


    "Yes, Aunty!"


    "Yes!"


    "Okay!"


    Thus, Chloe spent herte afternoon eating apple pie with Dorothea and the three boys. Since Mackie was still sleeping, she decided to just cook the dinner with Dorothea and heated it once Vernon returned from whatever he was doing outside.


    Dorothea checked on Chloe, who was busy dicing vegetables right next to her, and whispered, "Mackie and Aaron, did they cry because of Chelsea and Judith?"


    "Yeah¡­" Chloe nodded. "Aaron identally told Mackie about the truth, and they are crying together because of it. I can''t me them though, they''ve been through a lot. So all I can do is to give themfort and assurance of their safety. They finally fell asleep after crying for over an hour."


    Dorothea stared at Chloe with sympathy. She knew that Chloe also went through a lot. She also suffered but still stayed strong for her daughter and nephews.


    So Dorothea gently patted her palm and said, "You also suffered, Chloe. You''re a strong woman on your own."


    Chloe paused for a moment and smiled thin, "It''s fine. My suffering will be all worth it once I get a good ending for all of us. I just want to be happy with everyone that I love."

 Chapter 676 676

    ?


    "Are you done with everything?" Diamond asked one of the henchmen who had spent a long time in the morgue. She leaned on the wall, writing a memo on her phone while waiting for the report.


    "Everything has been taken care of, Miss. We''ve stuffed that old woman''s body into a body bag, and also cleaned those six men she brought."


    "What kind of clean up?"


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray told me not to kill them as it was unnecessary and it''d be a pain to handle their bodies, so he told me to keep them locked in an abandoned house and intimidate them."


    "Yes, intimidate and threaten them, break them enough so they won''t dare to talk about their experience in this morgue," Diamond said coldly. "You can go now, I will handle the cremation. The payment for all of you will be sent in a week."


    "Thank you so much, Miss."


    The man excused himself and left Diamond alone. Diamond stared at the snowfall that would turn into a snowstorm soon, it was a very cold day, and nobody was around the hospital corridor. So it was a perfect time to execute something like kidnapping¡­ or murder.


    Diamond entered the morgue and saw two bodies on the body trays. One was zipped until Diamond couldn''t see her face, but she had already guessed the identity.


    While the other one was Maria''s corpse. She looked pale, and the strangtion caused by Chloe created an obvious wound on her neck. Diamond unzipped her body bag to check her chest and noticed a big wound right under her chest. It seemed the man executed her by punching her liver until it burst inside.


    "Look at you, old bitch. Died because of your own stupid mistake. Bet you didn''t expect that Chloe could fight back," Diamond scoffed. "Well, that''s understandable. You literally abandoned your family, your husband, son, daughter to devote yourself to Vaughn. You don''t know the concept of motherly love, because no mother would abandon her children like that."


    "But it''s okay, everyone has something they''recking, and for you, Maria, youcked something called conscience," Diamond said coldly. "Have fun in hell, I hope you rot inside that ce forever. Though, before you can enter hell, you will enter the sewer first, hahahahah!"


    After having a goodugh, Diamond zipped the body bag until it covered Maria''s facepletely and then left the morgue.


    She strutted towards the hospital front desk. The woman on the desk was so pale that she was no different from the bodies inside the morgue.


    She flinched when she saw Diamond standing in front of her. Of course, she knew the identity of this beautiful woman. She was Mr. Phoenix Gray''s secretary and equally dangerous, "M¡ªMay I help you with something, Miss?"


    "First of all, I want to know how there could be someone waiting to ambush Mrs. Phoenix Gray in the Morgue," Diamond said. Her eyes peered at the front desk. "Did you receive a payment from her?"


    "N¡ªNot me, Miss! I don''t know who''s the one who gave them permission to enter the morgue. There are so many people in this hospital, they might as well havee disguised as a patient visitor and sneaked to the morgue."


    Though Diamond wasn''t satisfied, she knew she wouldn''t find the culprit like this. There were so many possibilities as to how Maria could enter this hospital, so Diamond decided to drop the question instead.


    "Fine, it''s indeed difficult to track everyone here," Diamond said. "Anyway, I''m here to sign the documents to cremate the body of Judith Carlson and that old woman, her name is Maria."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray already told me about the cremation of both of them before," the front desk said. She leaned forward to whisper because she didn''t want to get caught, even though they were literally in the hospital with nobody around since there was a snowstorm outside.


    "But Miss, what about that old woman? Would there be anyone who might search for her?"


    "No," Diamond replied without hesitation. "That old woman has no family. She is a crazy olddy who wants to hurt Mrs. Phoenix Gray. Don''t worry about it, you can always call me if there''s someone searching for her, though it''s very unlikely."


    After getting Diamond''s number, the woman was assured, "Alright, Miss. I will handle the cremation documents and process them. The process takes about ten hours for two bodies, so we can send the urn in about ten days. The process of sending the urn takes that long because we''ll have a few breaks during Christmas and New Year."


    Diamond nodded, "Don''t forget to send both of them, and name them properly. Give them different kinds of urn."


    "Different kind of urn?"


    "Yes, give a proper urn for Judith Carlson''s ashes," Diamond said. "And for the other one¡­ put it in a dor store bottle or something, I don''t really care as long as the ashes are contained inside."


    "Y¡ªYes, Miss, I understand."


    Diamond signed a few documents before finishing the process and rushed to her car because the snowstorm was getting heavier.


    "Phew, this is an exhausting morning. I want to just go back to my apartment and rewatch Legally Blonde with a bag of popcorn and cot cocoa," Diamondined. "But still, I''m very happy for my homegirl. She has the strength to fight back when her daughter is threatened. She is truly a mother who will do everything for her daughter."


    "And now that old bitch is dead, we''re getting close to ending it all," Diamond muttered with a big smile. "I can''t wait to attend their wedding and wear my purple dress as Chloe''s bridesmaid. I hope they''re doing a private wedding though, I don''t want to waste my time meeting with unknown people."


    Diamond texted her boss right after she started the engine to heat her car first.


    ¡ª


    To: Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    Sir, I''ve handled everything. It''ll take ten days for you to get those urns and don''t worry about the Paparazzi and news outlets. They will gather around the NYC police department tomorrow morning.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 677 677

    ?


    Diamond got a text back from her boss not long after;


    ¡ª


    From: Mr. Phoenix Gray


    Good, I''m going to have a conversation with Vincent''s ex-slut. Don''t worry. I got it all covered from now.


    You can go back to your home and rest, Diamond.


    ¡ª


    "Vincent''s ex-slut?" Diamond''s eyes peered suspiciously. She tried to remember all of Vincent''s ex-slut, since she had gathered that information before.


    None of them had an important background. Most of them were just a bunch of beautiful, young, white girls around Diamond''s age that came to New York with a big dream of bing something.


    But they ended up broke and desperate after a while.


    Of course, the idea of bing Vincent Gray''s woman was a dreame true. Who wouldn''t want a rich and handsome sugar daddy, after all?


    "Hmm, none of them are important enough, but Prisci is the longest to stay with him. She''s been with Vincent for seven years. He picked her up since she was a freshman in university and basically banged her for seven years, giving all the promises that everything would be alright and he would divorce Chloe and marry Prisci," Diamond recalled. "Well, who would''ve expected that you cannot take a man''s word for granted, and she got ditched instead?"


    "But, I don''t think Mr. Phoenix Gray will meet her, no way, right?" Diamond asked herself. "What''s the point of meeting Prisci? Vincent ditched her already, and Vincent will never take something that he already ditched."


    Diamond didn''t know what was going on in her Boss'' mind, but all she could do was trust that he made the best judgment, "Oh well, I''ll just pray that he doesn''t screw things up. We''re so close to getting Chloe''s freedom, I will do my best for her."


    **


    Meanwhile, Vernon parked his car in the parking lot of a Walmart. He already promised to meet that woman in person and private while on her lunch break.


    Vernon was surprised when she told him about her new workce. It was quite funny because she actually believed that she would be the next Mrs. Gray, while in actuality, she was just one of Vincent''s used condoms. She might stay the longest, but she could stay that long as his main condom because Vincent was too happy screwing over Chloe''s life, so he didn''t care which woman was on his side as long as Chloe was locked inside the house forever.


    Vernon leaned his head on the car window, staring at the snowstorm in front of him and wondering, "She¡ªand many other young women, don''t realize there is a big reason why Vincent hasn''t divorced Chloe yet despite his constant bullying and cold behavior towards her."


    "Vincent is very simr to ourte Dad. He likes seeing women he love bing hysterical and acting mad, so he would always be the one in control," Vernon said. Naturally, he also knew what Vaughn did to Dorothea when he was just a kid.


    Vaughn beat Dorothea many times andughed at her each time she turned hysterical. Vaughn would taunt Dorothea until she became half crazy, just to make sure that Dorothea was in check.


    So Dorothea fought all of her husband''s torment by drinking excessively and taking drugs when she was young. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    How did Vernon know all of this?


    Well, because he witnessed everything right in front of his eyes. Though Vaughn was decent enough not to exhibit his sex scene with other women in front of Dorothea, he didn''t even hesitate to beat Dorothea in front of Vernon before.


    Of course, Vernon did nothing back then. He didn''t even try defending Dorothea back then because he hated his mother.


    Dorothea unleashed her fury and frustration at him, beating him with whatever bottle of alcohol she had in her hand. So Vernon thought this was a little revenge for what she did to him. It was a punishment for his bad mother because now she was beaten by the devil, aka his Dad.


    That was why he had a hard time epting Dorothea despite the old woman''s efforts.


    Because in Vernon''s childhood memory, Dorothea was an even bigger monster than Vaughn. Vaughn tormented him as well, but he never hit him, unlike Dorothea, who unleashed everything on him.


    As he grew older, he knew that Dorothea was in too much depression because of Vaughn.


    He also knew that he was the product of a rape.


    Vaughn raped Dorothea despite her refusal and cry for help, and Dorothea ended up hating him once he was born.


    It was alling together like pieces of a puzzle.


    But it was still too hard to erase his resentment towards his mother.


    "It was hell," Vernon murmured. "I was living in hell for so long. I can''t believe I turned all right after that. Thanks to Chloe, of course."


    Vernon knew that he kept reminiscing about the past. But that past was what shaped him now.


    Before meeting with Chloe, he thought he was destined to live in hell. His heart was so cold and dead. No matter how many smiles he threw at every party the Gray family held, the Young Master of the Gray family never saw them as family. He saw everyone in those parties as pigs he could ughter once he got older because everyone in his family deserved to rot in hell for all the bad things they did.


    Until he met Chloe.


    Everything about her was beautiful. Not only her face but her heart was truly a beauty that you would never find anywhere else.


    Thus, Vernon wanted her. He wanted her so badly that he didn''t care if he had overstepped his boundary because Chloe was already Vincent''s fianc¨¦. All he cared about was that he had to obtain Chloe''s love, so they would be together.


    He knew he''d go insane without Chloe by his side.


    ''Which I did,'' Vernon admitted. ''I did go insane for ten years of her absence. So I will do absolutely everything for her to stay with me.

 Chapter 678 678

    ?


    Knock. Knock.


    Vernon snapped out of his daze once he heard a knock on his car window.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Hello? Can Ie in now? It''s literally freezing here!"


    Vernon unlocked the door, and the woman he was supposed to meet sat on the passenger seat,ining as she tried to wipe the snow off her coat, "Geez, what took you so long to unlock the door? This winter coat is so expensive, I can''t afford to rece it if it''s ruined!"


    Vernon stared at the woman sitting next to him for a while. A lot changed after she got ditched by Vincent.


    First, she looked unkempt now.


    She still had the beauty Vincent would love but looked haggard and old. She was probably under too much stress, and working in Walmart to make ends meet wasn''t the mostfortable job either.


    ''Hm... I''ll have to send her money for a treatment. She needs to be absolutely stunning in front of Vincent,'' Vernon thought.


    Second, she was wearing shabby apparel from head to toe. She called an old Versace coat ''expensive,'' which was ridiculous for Vernon because he knew how much money Vincent spent on her.


    She would never be this broke if she was smart with her money. She could invest that money and live off of the dividend.


    But Vernon knew she was so hellbent on bing the next Mrs. Gray, recing Chloe, because she thought that Vincent was ready to ditch Chloe for this woman.


    Third, she was desperate enough to ept contact from her former lover''s brother just to get in touch with Vincent again, even though Vincent already hated her guts.


    So this proves one thing.


    ''This woman wants Vincent more than the status. She might want the status at first to cement their rtionship, but it was obvious that she was obsessed with Vincent.


    ''I don''t know what she sees in him. But that''s all I need to know, so I can exploit her for my n to weaken my big bro even more,'' Vernon thought.


    "Long time no see, Prisci," Vernon initiated the conversation between them.


    Prisci smiled at Vernon with a perverted gaze. She was ogling his strong body and handsome face and couldn''t help but get awed, "Good afternoon, handsome. It''s been a long time since thest time I saw you, and you''ve be even more handsome than before, Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    "Do you know why I contacted you before?" Vernon asked.


    "No clue, but if I may guess, could it be that you''re interested in me?" Prisci asked back with a seductive smile that didn''t even work at Vernon. She leaned closer and ran her finger on his strong chest. "I mean, I love your Big brother more, but since he doesn''t want me anymore, then you could. You have a bit of simrity to him and you have a stronger body too, that''s a plus!"


    Vernon wasn''t all that offended by her words. It just proved his theory that Prisci was actually obsessed with Vincent.


    "I''m here to give you a very tempting offer, Prisci," Vernon said. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "A tempting offer? Like a job?" Prisci asked.


    "Yes."


    "Oh, yes! Please give me a job!" Prisci said happily. She nced at the Walmart building across the parking lot and rolled her eyes, "Working with those sad people is not good for my skin. It makes me look ugly, just like them."


    "Hahah, you will be quite happy with the job that I''m about to give you," Vernon said. "And this involves Vincent."


    "Vincent?!" Prisci''s eyes widened. There was excitement and sadness mixed together in her heart. "D¡ªDid Vincent tell you that he will take me back? Oh My God! I can finally have him back!"


    "Well, my Big brother hasn''t said a thing about you after you left. But I can help you get a job as his secretary, just like your time when you were his personal secretary for seven years straight," Vernon said. "Not only that, I will give you that job as his personal assistant permanently."


    "Permanently? Does that mean he won''t be able to kick me out just like before?"


    "Yes, even better than that, you can finally be Mrs. Gray," Vernon said. "But you need to do what I told you to do. We have the same method that will help to achieve our different goal."


    Prisci waspletely engrossed with the idea of bing Mrs. Prisci Gray.


    After the viral video of that uglydy calling herself Vincent''s future wife and the video of Chloe''s new morous look, Prisci was determined to get what she wanted.


    No more waiting.


    She had to do something, or else Vincent would never be hers.


    "Tell me what should I do then, as long as I can get Vincent in the end, then I will do anything!" Prisci said without hesitation.


    ''And just like that, the rat king enters my trap,'' Vernon said in his heart, trying his best not tough joyfully.


    "Come here, let me whisper the idea to you," Vernon instructed.


    Prisci leaned forward and tilted her ear towards him, waiting for the instruction that would change her life forever.


    She listened attentively. Her expression changed from curiosity to shock, understanding, and eagerness. She nodded repeatedly as Vernon kept on whispering the n he had in mind.


    After he told her everything, he said, "That''s my n. Isn''t that beneficial for both of us? You get what you want, and I get what I want."


    "Yes, it''s a perfect n!" Prisci said. "But you have to help fund me first! I don''t want to go back to the Graypany looking so shabby like this. I don''t think Vincent will like me if I''m not beautiful enough."


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. I will give you all the funding you need so you will look stunning," Vernon said. "Just remember that my Big bro is in a bad shape right now. He might not like you at first, but if you keep being around him, then he will eventually get used to your presence. Remember, don''t be swayed by that, that''s just the first step of our n."


    "Yes, Boss. I understand!"

 Chapter 679 679

    ?


    "Good, you need to look perfect in front of him, I will give you the money to help yourself for now," Vernon said. He took a big and thick envelope from his dashboard and handed it to Prisci. "This envelope has fifty thousand dors. This should be enough to give you a proper treatment so you''d look amazing, and should be enough for you tost a month. I want you to quit your job in Walmart, make yourself morous, and I''ll pick you up again in mid January and you should be ready by then."


    "Sure thing, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Prisci nodded. She snatched that envelope from Vernon''s hand and checked the inside, ensuring that Vernon didn''t lie when he said fifty thousand dors were inside.


    Prisci''s eyes brightened when she saw the money. It had been a while since she had so much. She couldn''t wait to waste it all to buy some good Christian Louboutin or at least a new Prada and Gi bag. She also wanted to use it to get proper facial and body treatments.


    "Oh my god, thank you so much, Mr. Phoenix Gray! I will make sure to look fantastic by mid January!" Prisci eximed as she couldn''t wait to rub her face with all of these dor bills!


    Seeing Prisci''s eyes glimmering with excitement, Vernon couldn''t help to sneer, ''What a gold digger. She''s the true definition of a gold digger, and her obsession with Vincent plus his money is a great way to exploit her.''


    "You can leave now, don''t forget not to get swayed by fifty thousand dors. By the time the mission ends, I can give you millions of dors," Vernon warned.


    "Sure thing, Sir! I will try my best!"


    Prisci finally left the car. She stuffed the envelope full of money inside her winter coat and went home immediately.


    Vernon let out a relieved sigh and stared at the snowstorm again. He felt at ease knowing he was about to destroy his Big Brother and make Chloe officially his.


    "I will marry her by the time she gets her official divorce paper, I will make sure that Vincent won''t be able to destroy my happy ending," Vernon murmured.


    He couldn''t help to show a malicious grin as he thought of how that wretched family will burn down to ashes.


    "Whatever, Gray family and all of the branch families should be burned in hell. Everyone in that family is degenerate, and I refused to be one of those bastards."


    **


    Vincent grunted as he slowly opened his eyes the next day. He woke up feeling groggy, and his mind was still in chaos, even after trying his best to ignore the anxiety in his heart.


    He had a sleepless night because he kept calling Maria from the evening untilte at night. He didn''t remember how many missed calls he had madest night as he began to get desperate, wanting to ask Maria if there was any progress regarding Chloe or Vernon. He couldn''t wait to crush them both for their betrayal.


    "Where is that old witch anyway?" Vincent asked as he sat on his bed.


    As usual, he was greeted by the wedding photo of Chloe and himself. Chloe was still smiling in that photo. She looked so gorgeous, which infuriated Vincent even more.


    "Why are you smiling like that? Are you happy that I''m suffering because of you right now?" Vincent asked Chloe in the picture. "You should be ashamed that you''ve made me like this. Why are you running away when we''re already a husband and wife? Do you not realize that you are my property the moment we exchanged our vows? You fucking bitch, you only run away because you think I''m not good enough, right?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¡­


    Of course, there was no answer, but Vincent was at least a little satisfied having to curse at his whore wife every morning. Cursing, beating, and humiliating Chloe was his favorite thing to do back then. He didn''t know what happened to him that made him weak to the point that he couldn''t even catch one stupid woman who could only cry and beg for her life.


    "I need to focus," Vincent said. "I can''t wait any longer. I have to contact Maria and find Chloe as soon as possible, alongside teaching my little brother to be obedient. Everything has gotten out of control."


    Vernon checked his phone to see if he got any text back from Maria. That old woman was usually very responsive, so it was weird not to get any news from her for 24 hours.


    "Damn, still no news from her," Vincent cursed. He called Maria, and again, there was no answer. It seemed that her phone was inactive for some reason.


    "Where is she right now? In myst conversation with her, she told me that she would handle Chloe, so she should''ve returned with that bitch tied up or at least with a clue about the identity of Chloe''s benefactor.


    But nope.


    Zero.


    There was nothing in his phone except many pesky shareholders demanding an exnation of the stock going downhill and crisis everywhere within thepany and its remaining partners.


    He didn''t care about those, at least not now. Because he knew that everything would be solved, and he''d return to his normal self the moment he got his Chloe back.


    "Maybe I should find her in her apartment," Vincent wondered. "But I doubt she''ll be in the same apartment. She always switches around to avoid detection from her enemy in and outside of Graypany."


    "Argh, this is frustrating. I''ll just have my breakfast first before thinking about this," Vincent grumbled. He used his home telephone to call one maid to bring him his breakfast.


    The maid entered his bedroom with a tray full of breakfast and served it on the bed.


    Vincent nodded and told the maid to leave, but the maid stood still for a moment, hesitating as if she was holding back not telling something.


    "Say it," Vincent ordered as he sipped his morning coffee.


    "Um, Master Gray, the head maid told me that you should check the TV, any channel with morning news in it."

 Chapter 680 680

    ?


    "Um, Master Gray, the head maid told me that you should check the TV, any channel with morning news in it," the maid said. "She said that you are the main topic of today''s news, and people on the inte are talking about you again."


    "Is it about the news from the inte again? The video of my wife and her ugly sister fighting? Or is it about the lipstick advertisement that bes the butt of a joke in social media?" Vincent guessed. "I know both of them already, stop bothering me with useless stuff. Now scream!"


    "N¡ªNo, Master. There is other news from you, and this is bad news," the maid said. "As in, a terrible one that might destroy yourpany''s reputationpletely."


    Vincent frowned. He told the maid to leave and grabbed the tv remote.


    He turned on a random channel with the morning news, and the first thing he heard from the news anchor was.


    -


    "Do you think there is a corrtion between this crazydy and Vincent Gray?She is a crueldy who has murdered her old, frail mother and threatened to kill her four sons, and she said it was because Vincent promised her a hand-in marriage in exchange for murdering her entire family."


    The other news anchor beside her nodded, "There is not enough proof about that. Thisdy has been diagnosed as mentally unstable, she might be having a delusion that Vincent Gray is going to marry her, maybe she never met him in real life, right?"


    "I found that to be quite impossible, Harold," thedy replied. "There is an investigation going on, and it is reported that the woman is actually rted to Vincent Gray. She happens to be Vincent Gray''s sister-inw. So there is a possibility that Chelsea Davis might be in love or obsessed with Vincent Gray for so long, and Vincent used her obsession to kill Chelsea''s family."


    "But why would he do that? There is no reason for a kind man like Vincent Gray to kill an entire family consisting of an old woman and four little boys, right?"


    "Oh, there is a reason," thedy said. "The police report said that Chelsea Davis'' kids are now safe with Vincent Gray''s wife, Chloe. She took the kids with her based on the request from the oldest boy, it seems that she is the only one whom the boys trust."


    "Oh, does that mean those poor boys are with Vincent Gray and his wife now?"


    "No, apparently, Miss Chloe told the police officer that she is already separating from Vincent. But they''re not divorced yet, so there is a possibility that Vincent must''ve been so angry at his wife who left him, that''s why he targeted his wife''s family as revenge."


    "How could that be? Vincent Gray is a kind man that¡ª"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "ARGGHH!! SHUT UP!!!" Vincent threw the remote to the screen as hard as he could until the screen cracked in the middle. He was astonished for a while by the talk on the TV just now, and his shock turned into fury after knowing that someone had already spilled the news to the news reporters.


    Of course, those hungry hyenas wouldn''t miss a chance to get the story of the month. The murder that Chelsea Davismitted became an instant hot topic everywhere because it involved a crazy woman who killed her mother and almost killed her four children and her connection with the powerful billionaire Vincent Gray and his wife.


    He also didn''t expect that Chloe was the one who took the boys. He really thought that she would be in hiding for a long time because she was too scared to get caught by Vincent or Maria.


    "THAT BITCH MUST''VE TOLD EVERYTHING TO THE POLICE!" Vincent yelled. He darted his red eyes at the wedding picture of Chloe on the wall. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YOUR OWN HUSBAND? YOU TRAITOR! YOU CHEATING WHORE!"


    Vincent grabbed the wedding picture hanging on top of the TV and threw it to the wall until the frame was broken and the ss shattered. His chest rose up and down as he tried to calm himself to no avail.


    He was so angry at Chloe for stepping up and tried to send Vincent to jail. It was obvious that Chloe wanted revenge against Vincent.


    "After everything I did for you, this is how you repay me?! YOU UNGRATEFUL LOWLIFE!" Vincent screamed at the top of his lungs. His mind went nk, and he thrashed everything in his bedroom to vent his anger at Chloe.


    After he raged for a while, his phone suddenly rang again. He rushed to grab his phone and check the caller, hoping that it might be Maria who had a good n to handle this bad press. But after seeing the caller was actually one of his most important shareholders, Vincent decided to smash his phone as hard as he could to the ground, and the phone''s screen was destroyed in the process.


    Thus, Vincent wasted the whole morning exhausting his energy by destroying everything he could see, and after he was too tired to rage out, he decided to sit on the toilet for a long time, thinking of a way out.


    But his mind was too chaotic right now. He kept thinking of Chloe and how that sweet woman he knew when he was young turned out to be a snake that would hurt him like this.


    "Why are you betraying me like this, Chloe?" Vincent asked. His voice was trembling as he tried to control his sadness and disappointment. "Why are you hurting me? You should be by my side with no questions. You''re supposed to ept me for who I am, why are you running away and ruining my name in public? Do you not know how important my reputation is?"


    Vincent lowered his head defeatedly.


    Since there was no way out of this problem, he could only calm those shareholders first so they wouldn''t leave thepany because their investment was very valuable.

 Chapter 681 681

    ?


    Vincent knew that thepany''s stock would plummet anytime soon because this case would be a huge hit to thepany.


    Thepany had been going on a slope because of Chelsea and Chloe''s video and also the failed advertisement caused by Vernon. Many of the shareholders had already inquired and protested about this, but Vincent ignored them all because he thought he could handle this. Everything would return to normal when he got his hands on Chloe again.


    But now that things hade this far, there was no way he could avoid those packs of wolves.


    "Fuck! Why do I have to meet them right now? I''m seriously not in a good shape to meet anyone!" Vincentined. But in the end, he had to bathe and prepare himself as he would be fresh meat in the middle of hungry wolves.


    **


    Meanwhile, Chloe and Vernon were watching the news after they had their breakfast.


    She sent Mackie to the thirteenth floor to meet with her cousins because she wanted to y Snake & Ladder with them, so Vernon and Chloe had the morning all for themselves.


    Chloe rested her head on Vernon''s shoulder as they snuggled together on the bed, watching the news about Chelsea''s murder case that was being broadcasted on almost all TV channels, sparking debate everywhere.


    Just like what they''re watching right now. Four female presenters were talking about this case and every rumor that those Paparazzi and News reporters got from the police department.


    ¡ª


    "I heard that Miss Chloe is trying to cut ties with her husband, because she has been abused, but that might be a baseless rumor."


    "Yes, that might be a baseless rumor. BUT, there is always a case of a man who is good with everyone, but is actually very different behind closed doors. Maybe Vincent Gray is actually apletely different person with his wife."


    "Nevertheless, there must be a reason why those poor boys decided to go with their Aunt, they must''ve trusted her a lot."


    "They must be. They went through a lot, so it''s no wonder they want to be with someone that could give them safety. Miss Chloe must''ve been a very kind person in order to gain the boys'' trust."


    "Despite the rumor though, there is no way Vincent Gray is not tied with this case somehow. Chelsea Davis and Vincent Gray are inws, and with his wife leaving him, there might be another woman in the rtionship."


    "And that woman is Chelsea Davis?"


    "Could be, though I find it a bit ridiculous, because you know¡­."


    The four presenters were exchanging looks of understanding, confirming that everyone in the room had the same idea. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¡ª


    Vernon was awed by the rumors circting on the TV. He didn''t expect the effect to be this amazing. He really thought that people in the police department wouldn''t say this much to the Paparazzi and news reporters.


    He looked at Chloe, who was snuggling in his arm, pulling the nket as the weather was chilly outside. Her eyes were still on the TV, and he noticed a little smirk as she listened to the hot news.


    At first, he only listened to Chloe send those hyenas to the Police Department early in the morning, so they could get good news coverage about Chelsea''s case. He thought the impact of the news wouldn''t be this crazy, because the police usually tried to stop the media from getting too much information regarding a brutal case.


    So he believed that Chloe must''ve done something when she visited the Police department to retrieve the boys.


    "What did you do when you''re in the police department, my love?" Vernon asked calmly.


    Chloe''s eyes were still on the TV as she replied, "I met with the head of the police department, or at least an office with a high ranking position that leads the investigation. He''s the one keeping the boys in his office when I retrieve them."


    "He asked me about many things to help with the investigation, and I did not hide anything from him. I let him know everything that Vincent did, every crime that hemitted to me and his highly possible connection to Chelsea''s case. I also told him about Chelsea''s obsession towards Vincent, and how Vincent has been trying to get his revenge on me."


    "I asked him about the date where they would announce the murder case to the public, since they''ve been dying it because it involves Vincent Gray, a highly respected billionaire. But it seems that they have already finished their investigation and know the truth in my words despite being unable to pull Vincent into the case due tock of evidence."


    "I think the Officer knows that I am the one who''s pulling the strings behind the crowded Paparazzi and news reporters. The reason why the police department gives so much information to those hyenas is because they can at least drag Vincent into this case to smear his public reputation despite being unable to drag him to the court as a possible suspect."


    Chloe bit her lower lip as she got annoyed, "I wish they do a better job finding evidence though. I believe Vincent left his track somewhere."


    Vernon was in awe with the development of his n.


    He underestimated Chloe too much. It seemed she also had some vicious bone in her, though it was only for one person.


    He never thought she had the idea of smearing Vincent publicly like this. She really saw the opportunity and took it without hesitation.


    Chloe looked up at him and smiled, "I''m sorry, Vernon. This is the best I can do to smear him in public. Maybe if I have another chance, I will do more."


    Vernon wrapped his arm around Chloe''s waist and pulled her deeper. He kissed her on the lips and replied, "What are you talking about, love? You''ve done something incredible! You did something that I could''ve never thought of."


    "You''re an amazing woman, Chloe."

 Chapter 682 682

    ?


    Chloe giggled as she got praised by Vernon. She wouldn''t lie. She was happy with thepliments because she finally did something that made him happy.


    "I''m sorry for being useless for so long, Vernon. I will always try to support you no matter what," Chloe said. "I''ve always wanted to be useful to you because you''ve done so much for me."


    "You''re never useless¡ªYou know what, let''s just ignore that," Vernon said, knowing there was no use in convincing Chloe no matter how hard he tried. Maybe it was her self-confidence that made her feel worthless asionally. So it was Vernon''s job to assure her that she mattered the most in his life.


    Without her, he would go crazy.


    "Let''s just get into the business. Because I need my reward for yesterday," Vernon said as he kissed Chloe and went down to kiss her even further.


    Chloe giggled shyly, "Say no more, I''m more than willing, Vernon."


    **


    Diamond arrived in the office around ten, knowing well that her boss must''ve been sleeping or snuggling with her homegirl in his apartment right now.,


    Diamond was excited after seeing that Chloe''s n to smear Vincent in public hade to fruition. Who would''ve guessed that her sweet homegirl was able toe up with an absolutely devious n by using rumors to ruin Vincent''s public reputation?


    Even Diamond couldn''te up with a better one!


    "I always know they are meant for each other," Diamond said. "Chloe is a sweet woman with a strong sense of protection for her loved ones. She might look weak, but she can be vicious when her loved ones are threatened. She is a perfect match for a cold man like Vernon who was vicious and cruel, but had a soft spot for his family."


    Diamond enjoyed reading thements on many Social Media tforms. The topic of Vincent resurfaced again, and at this point, it would be the topic of the month or even the year because of how big the case was and how it involved a highly respected billionaire.


    Vernon came to the office about an hourter. He had a perverted grin on his face, indicating that he had done something with Chloest night or this morning.


    Nevertheless, Diamond was also happy with the mood change because handling her boss when he was agitated was a nightmare.


    "Come to my office, Diamond," Vernon said, and Diamond quickly tailed her boss to the CEO''s office.


    Vernon sat in his usual executive chair, facing Diamond with a grin, "Did you see the news today?"


    "Of course, Sir!" Diamond replied joyfully. "It''s so fun to see a bastard like Vincent get his reputation smeared in public by his own ex-wife!"


    Vernon''s grin widened, "But we shouldn''t let ourselves be swayed by this quick victory. Remember our main goal against Vincent?"


    "Yes, to get him in the rock bottom until he can''t recover anymore, so he won''t be able to touch Chloe once she is forced for the divorce to get processed in court," Diamond said.


    "Yes, we need to make him in absolute ruin so Chloe would be able to leave himpletely, and he won''t be able to destroy her happiness at all," Vernon said. "So, how''s the cremation process?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Just like what I told you before, Sir. I''ve handled it all, it will take ten days because of holidays though," Diamond reported. "Don''t worry about Maria''s henchmen, our men are currently torturing them enough so they wouldn''t dare to say a thing."


    "Good, I''m at peace knowing that old bitch is done for," Vernon nodded. "I''ve always hated her guts. Her ruthlessness knows no end. Now that she''s dead, Vincent won''t have anypetent subordinate, at least not aspetent as Maria."


    Diamond remembered something when her boss mentioned a subordinate, "But Sir, what about the woman you mentioned yesterday? Vincent''s ex-slut, don''t tell me she is¡ª"


    "Yes, it''s Prisci," Vernon confirmed without hesitation. "I''ve already met her yesterday. I gave her fifty grand to get herself treated, she needs to look morous in front of Vincent."


    Diamond''s eyes widened, "Are you sure about this, Sir?"


    "Why shouldn''t I?"


    "Because it''s Prisci! That hoe is for the street!" Diamondined. "She is obviously a gold digger, what if she got swayed by Vincent and turned her back on us?"


    "Don''t worry, Diamond. She won''t betray us this time," Vernon said firmly. "Because I know that she wants Vincent more than his wealth."


    "She wants Vincent? Like¡­ that man?"


    "Yes, it''s weird, I know. But it''s obvious that Prisci has an obsession with Vincent when I met her yesterday, so we can use that to our advantage," Vernon said. "I will have her infiltrate Vincent''s office and be his secretary once more."


    "I don''t think that Vincent will ept her back, Sir. I mean, it''s obvious that Vincent is over that woman already."


    "Don''t worry, I know just the way to force him to ept Prisci as his secretary. I have everything nned, and in the end, Vincent will have nowhere to go."


    Honestly, Diamond was still unsure about her boss'' n. She felt there was a high chance of Prisci going to betray them. After all, she was just a gold digger who wanted money more than anything in this world.


    But her boss seemed so sure about his n, so she could just yield and follow instructions, "Well, you''re the boss. Just so you know, you need a n B in case this fails, which it probably will anyway."


    Vernon chuckled, "Put some trust in me, Diamond. I know Prisci more than you expect."


    "Really? Did you ever¡­"


    "No, not at all," Vernon''s smile dissipated when he imagined himself with Prisci. The image was so disgusting that it ruined his mood immediately. "I just know because Prisci''s obsession is simr to mine for Chloe, though probably more shallow."


    "I know that Prisci wants to have that title as Mrs. Prisci Gray more than anything in this world, so let''s make sure that she gets what she wants, shall we?"

 Chapter 683 683

    ?


    Vincent took a deep breath as he exited the elevator and entered his office.


    The secretary''s seat was empty, which was weird for Vincent. Usually, Maria would sit there, working on something or greeting him in the morning.


    She was truly a hard worker, loyal, and dedicated. Maria never skipped work, even when she was really ill.


    She got hospitalized for her old body once or twice, but after she recovered, she would return to work. She was a remnant that his father left as well.


    Vaughn told him before that Maria was their dog. She was obedient, loyal, defensive, and suspicious of people around her. She was the perfect secretary that had been helping Vincent for so long.


    So Vincent was visibly distraught when Maria was absent without any notification like this.


    "What if something happened to her?" Vincent wondered. "Last time I heard from her, she was trying to find and catch Chloe. What if Chloe''s benefactor is actually that powerful? Maybe that man sniffed through Maria''s n and had her killed before she could do anything.


    Vincent shuddered as he began to theorize the identity of Chloe''s benefactor. He knew that man was really powerful because no poor or weak man would be able to forge Mackie''s document from the previous school, so she would enroll in another school without notice.


    He also knew that the man must''ve been well connected because he was able to hide Chloe in a very private ce that Vincent couldn''t reach.


    Lastly, he also knew that man must''ve treated Chloe quite well because she became fatter, and her skin was glowing in the video where she fought with Chelsea in public.


    Vincent''s lips thinned as he was trying to hold his rage, "That man is an idiot. How could he allow Chloe to be happy like that? Does he not know that a woman like Chloe deserved to live in misery, or else she would leave him once she got bored?"


    Vincent still vividly remembered how Chloe was so talkative and cheery, talking with so many men whenever they had a party. Even on their wedding day, Chloe was the source of attention for almost all the men in the venue, married or single.


    "Tsk, I don''t know how that bitch is able to hook this powerful man. I thought I suppress her enough, but she has always been a slut in her life, that''s why she can seduce any man she wants."


    Vincent was convinced that a powerful man must''ve done something to Maria. He hoped that Maria was still in hiding rather than dead, but he had to be prepared for the worst.


    Thus, he called the head of the HR department and told them to interview some candidates for a female secretary.


    He didn''t have that many requirements, but he told them one thing, "She has to be beautiful. No matter how smart she is, if she''s not a beauty with a nice body, then reject her."


    "Understood, Sir. But it will take at least a month for us to get a recement, because Christmas and New Year are near," the head of the HR department said.


    "Then assign someone to be a secretary immediately."


    "But Sir, how about Mrs. Maria Orien? I don''t think she''ll be happy if you find another assistant."


    "She''s not around," Vincent replied curtly, not wanting to talk about Maria because he had a bad feeling about her fate. "Just do what I say, I need a secretary to rece her. Now."


    "Yes, Sir. I will assign someone as temporary secretary until we hire a new one."


    Beep.


    "Damn it, why is everything not going my way? What went wrong with all of my ns? Vincent got frustrated knowing that Chloe must be enjoying her day with that bastard while he was suffering right now. "Is this what you want, Chloe? Do you want to see me suffering? You ungrateful bitch!"


    **


    Vincent went to the meeting room an hourter. He had an emergency meeting with five major shareholders of the Graypany.


    Two of them were part of the Gray family''s branch family, while the rest were fellow billionaires with more than seven percent of thepany''s share.


    In total, they had at least forty-five percent of the share, while Vincent had the rest, so he was technically still the De Facto owner of thispany.


    But that didn''t mean he could ignore these people.


    Forty-five percent was huge, and they had the strength to influence thepany''s internal decisions.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Usually, they were very tame. They would obey whatever Vincent had in mind for thepany because the Graypany was really powerful and always generated massive profits.


    Now that Vincent''s scandal had smeared his clean public image, thepany''s stock dropped drastically, and these hungry wolves were ready to eat him for his failure.


    Vincent ignored their eyes as he walked to his chair in the meeting room. He sat and put his hands on the desk as he opened the meeting.


    "Since everyone is already here, then we should start with this meeting," Vincent said. "I know that everyone is worried about the news, but everything is under control, and I will fix it."


    "And how would you do that, Mr. Gray?" One of the shareholders asked. "We saw the news this morning. You''ve been implicated with murder. That''s not something you could fix easily."


    "And don''t forget about the scandal of that crazy jokerdy that was trending in social media a week ago."


    "And the failedunch for our cosmetics, because everyone on the inteughed at you for it. This series of failures is not something you can fix easily, Sir."


    Vincent was annoyed by these people who had zero faith in him.


    Of course, he knew it wasn''t an easy mistake. Without Maria, he had nobody to help him micromanage this stuff.


    But it was a way to calm these wolves down


    "I will take measures by deleting all kinds of posts in social media about me, and about the murder case, I will make a statement in public. I will do a press conference to clear my name, and things will go back to normal," Vincent said.


    Well, he said that things would go back to normal, but he doubted he''d ever recover from this.


    He knew things were spiraling out of control because Chloe wasn''t here. Vincent wasn''t in control of himself without Chloe around because she needed to take the me.


    The major shareholders were looking at each other, seemingly discussing with their eyes. They really thought they could force Vincent Gray to step down from his position as CEO.


    But seeing how calm he was at handling this, they realized it wouldn''t be easy.


    Thus, they finally drew a decision after a long silence.


    "We will give you a chance, Mr. Gray. You should make a press conference to address the rumor about your involvement with the murder. That is the only way to clear your name," one of the shareholders said. "But if we find that you arecking, then please forgive us, but we will have to force you to step down from the CEO''s position and let someone else handle the work."


    "Yeah, we don''t want to lose even more money, Mr. Gray. Your scandal is really dangerous. Surely, you don''t want yourpany to be destroyed because of this stupid rumor, right?"


    Vincent clenched his jaw silently. He was so angry at these people who dared to dictate whether he should step down or not.


    He felt humiliated because the ever-powerful Vincent Gray shouldn''t be dictated to by someone else other than himself.


    But he had a bit of rity after destroying everything in his master bedroom, including smashing the frame of his wedding picture with Chloe.


    He ought to rip the picture, but he hesitated and then decided to keep the picture, though the frame was already broken.


    Thus, Vincent nodded calmly and assured, "This press conference will clear everything, and our stock will go up again. Don''t worry about it."


    "We hope so, Mr. Gray. But I''m wondering whether this is all just a nder, or if you''re actually involved with that crime. No offense, Mr. Gray, we just want to make sure that things will be okay for our business."


    Vincent scoffed, "Do you really think that I will settle with that crazy woman? She''s indeed my sister-inw. She has always been obsessed with me and has always been insane. That''s why she used me as her reason to do something as nefarious as killing her own family."


    "Do you really think that I''m as crazy as her? Why would I kill my own inws when I''m still happily married to my wife?" Vincent said confidently.


    But the others in the room weren''t convinced, "But, Mr. Gray, the news said that your wife left you."


    Vincent''s grin vanished instantly. He looked at the shareholders with eyes that could kill, then replied, "My wife is in my house. She''s a shy woman, that''s why she never shows up in public."

 Chapter 684 684

    ?


    "But the news said that she''s the one who took those poor boys. Are they in your house now?"


    "Oh, if those boys are in your house, we should use them during the press conference," one shareholder said. "If those boys are with you, then your name will be cleared immediately, Mr. Gray."


    "Yeah, we can use your wife and those boys to gain the public''s trust once more. Because at this point, the public is rooting for the boys, and everyone is in love with your wife because she''s an angelic beauty with a good heart."


    "But the rumor said that your wife left you, that rumor is not true, right?"


    Vincent''s body trembled as he tried his best to hold his fury. He was angry at these bastards and their nonstop chatters and useless questions.


    He was even more annoyed knowing that Chloe and those four useless boys weren''t in his grasp right now and were nowhere to be found. So he couldn''t drag them to a press conference to clear up his name.


    ''I will have to think of a way to handle this bullshit without Maria,'' Vincent thought. ''Everything is a mess right now.''


    "I will handle everything, don''t worry," Vincent said. After having enough of these shareholders'' bullshit, he stood and added, "The meeting is adjourned. I will contact all of you once I''ve done the press conference. You will see the result after that."


    "And when will you do that press conference, Sir?" The shareholder asked.


    "Mid January. I still need a bit of preparation and I still have things to do," Vincent replied. "Besides, Christmas and New Year is around the corner, the public will soon forget about this and business will be good as always."


    "We hope so, Mr. Gray," the shareholders said simultaneously. They were skeptical that Vincent could recover from this.


    True, the public would soon forget about the scandal because of Christmas and New Year, but the holiday season was also a very risky situation to have.


    During holidays, many people stay in their homes, which means they have a lot of free time. They could use that free time to start gossiping about Vincent, and the rumors would spread like wildfire.


    They were very skeptical but couldn''t do anything other than wait for Vincent to do something.


    Vincent returned to the CEO''s office after the meeting. He got a new secretary, a man who was actually the manager''s secretary.


    The young male secretary bowed politely at Vincent, who just entered the office, "Good afternoon, Sir. The documents that you need are on your desk."


    Vincent eyed the young man from head to toe. He frowned, and his frown turned into displeasure as the male secretary stood before him, waiting for an order.


    "Why are you here?" He asked.


    "The HR department said that you need a temporary secretary to rece Mrs. Maria, Sir. I happen to be the mostpetent for now, so I will be here until we get a recement."


    Vincent rolled his eyes, "Tell them to give me a female secretary. I don''t care if she''s worse than you, but my secretary needs to be a woman."


    The male secretary was shocked, "B¡ªBut, Sir, you are the CEO, and I happen to be the only one that knows about your line of work currently. It''ll be a mess if someone else takes this position."


    "Then you can do the work outside while that female secretary will be working here in my office," Vincent said. "What do you want to do here inside my office anyway? Stripping naked? You fucking disgusting homo! GET OUT!"


    The male secretary flinched. He quickly left Vincent''s office and headed to the HR department to get another woman as Mr. Gray''s secretary because that was what Vincent wanted right now.


    Vincent sat on his chair. He leaned and stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking of all the mess he had to deal without Maria''s presence right now.


    "This is all because of Chloe," Vincent muttered. "If that bitch didn''t leave me, then I can use her as my punching bag, so my mind will be cleared each time I go to the office."


    Without Maria working for him, Vincent had zero ideas how to find Chloe right now.


    Of course, he could always do a massive manhunt to find her, but that would definitely alert the man she was with right now. He still didn''t know the identity of this man, so he couldn''t make a rash move.


    He just knew that man must be powerful, or at least at the same level as him.


    "Vernon was so fucking useless for giving me list of millionaires in New York before," Vincent sneered. "Obviously, that man must be a multi millionaire, or even a billionaire on par with me, but also with political connections."


    "It should''ve been easier to filter the list of billionaires in New York, but most of them are very secretive, just like myte father."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vincent''ste father, Vaughn, was also a billionaire before him. He was the one who did all the work before, developing the business from a mid-sizedpany to a billion-dorpany.


    Meanwhile, Vincent''s task was to maintain the position, making sure that thepany would stay powerful after Vaughn''s death.


    Vincent still remembered histe dad''s message for him.


    -


    ''My son, if you want to be a sessful man, you have to make sure to keep everything under your control, including your woman.''


    ''In fact, your woman is the property that is likely to rebel. You have to beat her if she dares to fight back, and you have to make her desperate enough, so she won''t even think about running away.''


    ''You have to know that we are above them. We are basically their God, while they are our pets. Remember, we''re the one who feeds them and gives them shelter, we deserve to train their obedience like a dog.''


    -


    Vincent gritted his teeth as he got frustrated, knowing he had failed his father.


    He failed to maintain thepany''s sess, and he also failed to keep his wife in check.


    Heck, he also failed to make his little brother obey him. Vernon acted like a wild mutt in front of him, thinking that he could stand on his own without his help, and even dared to fight back.


    "That bastard dares to fight back against me, his own Big brother. I should teach him a lesson," Vincent said. He asked Maria about Vernon''spany report before, but since Maria was missing, that meant he had to do it all by himself.


    He wanted to destroy his little brother''spany, so Vernon would return to him, begging to be saved.


    Thus, Vincent called his most loyal dog Gregory Maxwell.


    That old man would do anything for him as long as he could be on his good side, "Well, it''s time for you to be useful, you dirty old bag."


    Vincent called Gregory Maxwell and waited for him to pick up.


    That fat old man usually picked up on the first second of the call. He was so desperate to survive with the Graypany because hispany was under Vincent''s mercy.


    But it took more than five seconds for this fat old man to pick up now, much to Vincent''s annoyance.


    ¡ª


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Gray," Gregory Maxwell greeted perfunctorily. "May I know if you need something?"


    Vincent also disliked the way this man talked so coldly to him. Usually, Gregory Maxwell sounded very sweet, as he would always try to please Vincent in any way possible.


    But he had to put his displeasure aside and get straight to the point.


    "I need you to do something for me, Mr. Maxwell," Vincent said.


    "And what kind of task do you have for me, Mr. Gray?" Gregory Maxwell asked. His voice got even more strange and alienating, as if he didn''t want to get a call from Vincent, which was just ridiculous.


    Who wouldn''t want to get a call from a powerful man like Vincent Gray? Everyone wanted the chance to get on his good side, so Vincent would give them a project or any work.


    "I want you to work with my little brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray. Get on his good side, and make a contract with him. After you''re done with it, you should report to me about the contract and all the systems hispany has," Vincent said. "Don''t worry, I will give you a good reward for your hard workter."


    Gregory Maxwell went silent for a moment. Then he scoffed as he found that ridiculous.


    "Then I should tell you something, Mr. Gray," Mr. Maxwell said. "First, I don''t need your instruction, because I am currently working with Mr. Phoenix Gray right now. I already signed a contract with him months ago, around the same time you humiliated me in your office."


    "Oh, that''s good," Vincent approved. "That means you''re halfway done. Come here and give me all the information about your contract and the project that he has. I give you two hours to reach my office."

 Chapter 685 685

    ?


    ¡ª


    "Two hours to reach your office?"


    "Yes, exactly two hours," Vincent said. "Or else, I will cut yourpany offpletely. I know that you don''t want that to happen, right, Mr. Maxwell?"


    Vincent was very confident with himself. He knew that Gregory Maxwell''spany wouldn''t be able to survive without his aid. So he could do whatever to boss that fat old man around.


    He thought Gregory Maxwell would beg to be spared, as he usually did.


    However, this time was different.


    "Oh no, two hours before you cut off our cooperation, what should I do?" Gregory Maxwell sneered. He had that mocking tone that Vincent disliked. "I think I know what I should do, Mr. Gray. You may as well cut any cooperation we have right now, because I''m not going to meet you and be your dog."


    Vincent''s eyes widened. He had never been disrespected by this old bastard, no matter how much Vincent abused him.


    "How dare you, you fat, crooked, old man! Do you really want me to cut yourpanypletely? Do you know what kind of mistake you just made?!"


    "Oh, I do not make any mistake, Mr. Gray. Yes, I don''t care if you cut off any remaining cooperation between us," Gregory Maxwell said.


    "You¡ªYourpany will fucking fall if not because of me! You should be here, kissing my feet right now!" Vincent yelled, but the old man only sneered in response.


    "Not anymore, Mr. Gray. Your little brother already got me a much better contract and longevity of the cooperation. He''s also much better at treating me, I don''t need to cut corners because he makes sure that I get my share fair and square. He also made sure that I get to save mypany as long as I work without trying to hide things from him," Gregory Maxwell said. "He might be scarier than you, but he''s a far better businessman than you will ever be, Mr. Gray."


    "So I don''t give a flying fuck if you want to cut me out of yourpany. It''s better that way, so you will stop bothering me."


    "Good bye, and good day, Mr. Gray."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vincent was absolutely stunned by the audacity of that old bastard. He didn''t even have time to react before Gregory Maxwell ended the call abruptly.


    He tried to call that old man again, but the call did not connect this time.


    It seemed that Gregory Maxwell actually blocked him.


    Vincent gritted his teeth, "THAT BASTARD! HOW DARE HE BETRAY ME AFTER ALL I DID TO SAVE HIS COMPANY?!"


    Vincent was so angry at Gregory Maxwell for his betrayal, but at the same time, this became a wake up p for him. If a man like Mr. Maxwell, who was so hellbent on saving his dyingpany with the help of Vincent Gray, actually turned his back on him and went to Vernon instead, that meant Vernon must''ve done something great for that old man. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Damn it, am I underestimating him this whole time?" Vincent wondered. "I helped her by sparing hispany. I didn''t try to monopolize his business because I thought he''s just my cute little dog brother who won''t do anything against me."


    "Who would''ve thought that I''ve been raising a wild mutt that bites his owner''s leg instead?"


    Vincent wanted to know how big of a problem Vernon could be. Gregory Maxwell was the most desperate of his underlings, so he thought it''d be easy for him to use that old man to gather information.


    But, of course, he still had plenty of other business partners who would be more than willing to do things for him.


    "It''s fine if that old bastard left. I still have lots of people who want to work with me," Vincent smirked as he felt assured. "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you wild mutt. I wanted you to work under me for the rest of your life. You''re my little brother, you should respect and obey your big brother."


    "But now that you''re burning the bridge between us, then let me show you what kind of mistake you made."


    Thus, Vincent began to search through his contact to find a willing business partner.


    **


    Vernon was sitting in the office, reading through some documents he had to deal with today, mostly about product shipping from and to otherpanies because the holiday season was the best time to earn huge cash.


    As he was busy reading, he got a call from none other than Gregory Maxwell, that old man he used to get in contact with Vincent''s other business partners as well.


    Thus, he picked it up without hesitation.


    ¡ª


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Maxwell, is there anything you need?" Vernon asked.


    "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray!" Gregory Maxwell had apletely different tone when speaking with Vernonpared to Vincent.


    He had a lot of gratitude for Vernon because this man was able to save hispany and only needed him to ount for their expenditure also and adequately take responsibility for his orders.


    He also gave Gregory Maxwell a lot of lenience without humiliating him, as Vincent did.


    Let''s say Vernon was a much better boss and businessman than his Big brother.


    So Mr. Maxwell spread the news about Vernon Phoenix Gray in his circle, so those businessmen who have been desperately trying to hang tight to the Graypany could finally move to a better boss who wouldn''t try to kill them.


    Vernon also learned a lot from his own Big brother. He noticed that his Big bro was truly not a good boss. He was abusive to his business partners and was generally a megalomaniac that nobody really liked in person.


    Though Vernon knew that some of those businessmen could be unbearable, most of them chased the same thing as him. They all wanted profit for their respective businesses, so Vernon realized that he just had to be a better leader to appease those businessmen, and it wasn''t so hard for him to make them obey his rules.

 Chapter 686 686

    ?


    ¡ª


    "Why are you calling me, Mr. Maxwell?" Vernon asked. "Surely you don''t call me just to say good afternoon, right?"


    "Not at all, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I''m here to report to you about something, but I''m not sure if you''d be happy with my report," Gregory Maxwell said.


    "Is there any problem with the shipping of those metals to Europe?" Vernon guessed.


    Gregory Maxwell was responsible for sending the metals needed to produce cans for his beverage. So far, all he got was quality products, and there was never a problem with the shipping.


    But it was winter, and everything in winter was prone to idents.


    "N¡ªNot at all! Everything went well!" Mr. Maxwell replied quickly. He got nervous because he didn''t want to disappoint his boss. "This is about your brother, Mr. Gray."


    "My brother?" Vernon frowned. He guessed that his Big bro finally made a move against him because Vincent had had enough of acting weak in front of Vincent. He daringly dered war against Vincent, not caring if that bastard wanted to attack him because Vernon knew he was more influential than Vincent.


    "Do tell me more," Vernon requested.


    "Uhh¡­ Mr. Gray called me about fifteen minutes ago, Sir," Mr. Maxwell reported. "He told me to get a contract with you, and once I''ve done that, he told me to go to his office and report about the contract and the system that you apply to me and all of the business partners you have."


    "And what do you say to him?" Vernon asked.


    Naturally, he already knew the result. It''d be stupid for Gregory Maxwell to jump ship right now. Vernon was a much better boss and gave him even better profit without having to kiss his shoes, unlike Vincent.


    But Vernon also wanted to hear what this old man was about to say.


    "He threatened to cut off our cooperation. He said if I don''t obey him, he will make me suffer by stopping all the remaining cooperation the Graypany and mine have," Gregory Maxwell cleared his throat as he wanted to boast in front of his new boss. "But I refused everything, Sir. I told him that he can cut off all of the ties between ourpany, because you offer me a much better business and you don''t humiliate me like what he did!"


    Vernon''s lips perked up. That was definitely the answer he was expecting from this old man.


    "Good, you made a wise choice of choosing mypany over his," Vernon said. "Don''t worry, I won''t disappoint you and the rest of my new business partners."


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir! You don''t need to assure yourself. You already showed us that you''re a great businessman, that''s why we''re following you without hesitation!" Gregory Maxwell praised. "Don''t worry about the rest of my friends as well, we don''t really care about the Gray family. Vincent is too overbearing, he''s like a monster that wants to kill us over the smallest mistake!"


    "We will focus our businesses with you instead, Sir! Our businesses are more lucrative, and we are willing to invest in any of your new businesses too if you want!"


    Vernon knew that Gregory Maxwell liked to do some bootlicking. But it seemed he was genuinely excited to make money, which Vernon also wanted. He wanted to make money and business connections, not mingle with these old men.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After reuniting with Chloe, he didn''t want to mix with some businessmen circle who''d bring women to their table just for a show. He just felt gross, thinking he had to touch another woman other than Chloe.


    So he was well known in Gregory Maxwell''s circle as the rich young man who was henpecked by his secret wife.


    ''And I actually like that title. I guess I am kind of henpecked,'' Vernon thought.


    "I will call you once I want to branch out," Vernon said. "For now, just focus on your work shipping those metals to my factory."


    "Yes, Sir! Understood!"


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    "Pfft¡ªHahaha!" Vernon couldn''t help butugh freely, knowing that his Big brother was in trouble right now.


    He was attacked by countless rumors on the inte. Everyone was ndering him because of his case with Chelsea Davis and because everyone was rooting for the poor boys and Mrs. Gray, aka Chloe.


    His major shareholders must''ve attacked him as well. So now, since he couldn''t find Chloe and Maria was also nowhere to be found, he wanted to get a release by bullying Vernon.


    "Well, too bad, Maria is dead. She''ll be nothing but ashes soon, hahahah!" Vernonughed heartily. "I know that you never have that kind of brotherly feeling to me, Big bro. You treat me well because I obey your words, like an obedient dog that will never fight back."


    "That''s why I never felt anything when you tried to treat me well when I was a child," Vernon said. He reminisced about his Big brother when he was a child.


    Despite showing care to Vernon, Vincent never actually stopped their mother for beating him.


    He''d watch Dorothea beat Vincent from aside in silence. But Vernon noticed that in his eyes, there was satisfaction, as if he couldn''t wait for Vernon to get beaten even harder.


    He also noticed that Vincent sometimes deliberately tried to stress Dorothea out, knowing he was the golden child. Thus, whenever Dorothea was stressed out by Vincent and got physically abused by Vaughn at the same time, she''d unleash her frustration at Vernon at night.


    "You just treat me like a dog¡­" Vernon murmured. "It was only her. All this time, only Chloe ever showed me genuine care. She knows she can''t fight Dorothea, so to lessen my beating, Chloe would try to stay in the Gray family mansion as much as possible, even going as far as having a sleepover in my room, just to make sure that I won''t get beaten while she''s not there."


    Vernon leaned on his executive chair, staring at the ceiling as he reminisced, "Maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ if you treat me like a human being, things won''t end this badly, Big bro."

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    ?


    It waste in the evening. Diamond was still busy checking emails before forwarding them to her Boss. She checked her watch and grumbled as she guessed it''d take at least two more hours before she finished her tasks.


    "Damn, today is Christmas Eve, and I''m yet to finish my work," sheined. "Why do I still have to do this when my brothers are already taking a break, probably watching cheesy Christmas movies with Mom and Dad?"


    Vernon happened to overhear everything as he opened the door. He stared at Diamond, who was still busy checking emails. She seemed in such a bad mood that she kept cursing her Boss while working.


    Thus, Vernon waited for a while until he opened his mouth.


    "You can go home now, Diamond," Vernon said.


    Diamond looked over her shoulder and jolted when she saw her Boss. She wasining about many things, including how her Boss was a crazy workaholic that forced everyone to work everyday nonstop.


    Diamond remembered how Vernon forced her to work during Christmas and New Yearst year. She was so miserable that she couldn''t wait to resign. She knew the pay as Vernon''s secretary was amazing, but she also had a big, warm family. So Diamond didn''t want to miss any kind of family gathering, be it only for a small party or a big feast, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.


    In the end, she stopped herself from putting that resignation letter on Mr. Phoenix Gray''s desk because she knew she had to return to Modeling again after she resigned.


    Modeling was fun, but it wasn''t paying as much, and she wasn''t keen on the drama as well.


    Knowing that she might''ve offended her Boss, Diamond apologized, "I''m so sorry, Boss. I''m just a little stressed out with the tasks. I''ll finish it quickly and give it to you."


    "¡­ Go home now," Vernon said. "Why are you still in the office during Christmas Eve? Don''t you have a big family?"


    "I¡ªI do," Diamond nodded reluctantly. Then she remembered her brothers and parents, who were probably eating her Momma''s special fried chicken and potato wedges while watching a random Christmas movie. Then she got sad again, "But I care about my job too. I''ll try to finish this quickly and go to my parents'' house after this."


    "You won''t have enough time," Vernon said. "There is too much to do, just do it on the 26th."


    "But Sir, I can''t leave you alone in the office!" Diamond insisted. She remembered how Vernon spent his Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Year in the office. He looked so lonely, yet he''d busy himself in his office, trying to work his ass off.


    Vernon was also usually very prone to anger during the holiday season. He''d snap at anyone or anything that irritated him. He was basically a ball of unpleasantness.


    He also never brought any women during the holiday season, which was weird, because many women wanted to have sex with him during Christmas, bing his Christmas ''gift.''


    "Huh? What are you saying?" Vernon frowned. "I''m going home soon, that''s why I told you to go home now."


    Vernon lifted his left hand, showing his briefcase, indicating that he didn''t want to spend Christmas Eve here. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Diamond''s jaw dropped. This was the first time her Boss left so early on Christmas Eve.


    Noticing her shock, Vernon finally exined, "Chloe told me to go home early for Christmas Eve, because she cooks a lot of food for all of us. She''s been cooking since noon, so it''s a feast I can''t miss."


    Vernon had a big smile on his face as he talked about Chloe. His eyes also brightened, anxiously wanting to see his beloved in person once more. It was so obvious that he was antsy. He couldn''t wait to return home to meet with his family. Which was something that Diamond never saw him doing during the holiday season.


    She was actually so busy with work that she had briefly forgotten that her Boss wasn''t a single dog anymore.


    He had a future wife, a daughter, and other family members waiting for him in his house. He was apletely different man once he met the love of his life.


    "So, you should go home now, Diamond. I''m serious," Vernon insisted. "I know how depressing it was to spend this night without your family. Don''t worry about work, I already managed the rest, making sure that we won''t get any disturbance for two days."


    Diamond was still astonished by her boss'' initiative to help her. It was something that had never happened before.


    ''I really should thank my homegirl for turning my boss into one hell of a great man,'' Diamond thought. ''I don''t think she knows what kind of wondrous effect she has on Vernon. She basically turns him into a much better person, simply by existing on his side.''


    ''Though, it''s also relieving to know that Chloe is a good person. So she actually does her best to support Vernon,'' Diamond thought. Honestly, she was skeptical about Chloe before.


    She already knew that her Boss had been obsessed with Chloe for a long time, though he never admitted it. She thought that Chloe was a bad woman because everyone who was emotionally connected with Vernon seemed to be a bad person, or at least a person you wouldn''t try to befriend genuinely.


    They were either cunning foxes that wanted nothing but money or power.


    Or just genuinely evil, like Vincent Gray.


    So she thought that Chloe must''ve been an evil person too. After all, she married a bastard like Vincent.


    Until Diamond met with Chloe in person.


    From one look, Diamond already knew that woman truly had a good heart.


    She didn''t know how a good woman could marry an evil bastard like him, but it was obvious that she was desperately trying to run away and cut ties with Vincent.


    ''I never thought that Vernon and Chloe would actually fit together as a couple. They are seriously two different kinds of people,'' Diamond thought. ''But I guess they doplete each other.''

 Chapter 688 688

    ?


    "Anyway, I''m leaving now. I don''t want to get stuck in traffic. I don''t want to let my family wait for too long," Vernon said. "Mackie must''ve been grumbling right now, since she can''t wait to eat the food without waiting for me."


    "Merry Christmas, Diamond."


    Thus, Vernon hummed happily as he walked to the elevator and went down. It took Diamond a while to process, then she said, "Merry Christmas, Boss."


    Naturally, Diamond also didn''t want to stay in this empty office. She wanted to go home to spend time with her family!


    So she quickly packed her things and used another elevator to go down to the parking lot in the basement.


    Vernon drove his car to the Phoenix Apartment. He couldn''t wait to meet with Chloe and Mackie. He was thinking of preparing a surprise for Mackie as well. Since this would be the first time he spent Christmas with a kind and a (future) wife, he wanted to make it special.


    For Mackie, he wanted to give her a memorable Christmas present, and for Chloe¡­


    "I''ll think about thatter. I want to make it special for her as well," Vernon thought.


    Vernon parked his car in the basement and went up to the penthouse.


    He quickly unlocked the door with his fingerprint, and the moment he opened the door, the first thing he saw was a Christmas tree.


    The Christmas tree was already beautifully decorated, with colorfulmps, cute baubles and ornaments, and a shining star on top. It was a medium-sized one since the ceiling of the penthouse wasn''t that high, and Chloe didn''t want to make a huge mess around.


    But it was still beautiful, extremely beautiful that Vernon was dazed as he stared at the Christmas tree for a while.


    Mackie was the first one to see her Uncle, "Wee back, Uncle!"


    She rushed to Vernon and hugged his thigh before pulling her hand to see the Christmas tree closer.


    "Uncle, I want to show you the Christmas tree we decorated all day!" Mackie said. Vernon followed Mackie as the little girl tried to drag him. He stood in front of the Christmas tree and looked up, staring at the beautiful Christmas tree closely. He inspected everymp, ornament, bauble, et cetera.


    This was the first time in more than a decade since thest time he ever saw a real house-decorated Christmas tree. Thest time he saw it was when he was very young. Back then, Chloe brought a box full of Christmas ornaments and asked Little Vernon to decorate the Christmas tree in the Gray mansion for the whole day.


    He was so happy about it. Even after Big Sis Chloe left the mansion, he sat in front of the Christmas tree to stare at it all night, even going as far as sleeping near the tree because that was the first time he had ever decorated a tree.


    Unfortunately, all the decorations he did with Big Sis Chloe were stripped off by the morning. His Big bro said that it was ugly and screamed ''peasant.''


    Their Christmas tree had to be decorated withvish things to show their power and money, and after that, Vernon always refused if Big Sis Chloe wanted to decorate a Christmas tree again.


    Because his family would always strip everything and rece it withvish things that meant nothing to Vernon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Instead, those expensive decorations only gave him heartbreak because he felt nothing but bitterness when staring at the expensive Christmas tree.


    ''Finally, after more than a decade, I can finally see a Christmas tree decorated by my Chloe,'' Vernon thought. ''I never expected this day woulde¡­''


    "What do you think, Uncle? I spent all day with Mommy, Granny, and my cousins to decorate this!" Mackie said. She pointed at one ornament right in front of Vernon''s face and mentioned, "That one is a wolf ornament. I buy that one because it reminds me of you, Uncle! You''re my Big Bad Wolf!"


    Vernon stared at the ornament of a wolf howling to the moon. He touched it and then rubbed it for a while. He smiled as he patted Mackie''s head, "It''s really cute. Thank you, Little Wolf."


    "Un! You should thank Mommy more! She''s been busy decorating the tree, and then cooking our food with Granny since noon! She''s very tired!"


    "Where''s your Mommy?" Vernon asked.


    Mackie pointed at Vernon''s bedroom and said, "Mommy is in your room, Uncle!"


    "In my room?"


    "Yup, she''s busy cleaning your room! Ugh, Uncle''s room is so smelly!" Mackie protested while scrunching her nose. "Uncle, why is your room so smelly?"


    Vernon chuckled, "That''s because Uncle is an adult man."


    Mackie tried to process that answer, but she didn''t get it. So Vernon added, "You will understand when you''re at my age."


    Vernon patted Mackie''s head again before he went to his bedroom to check on Chloe.


    "Chloe?" Vernon called as he stuck his head into the room.


    He heard an audible gasp in the dark room and something getting knocked before Chloe walked towards him. She looked nervous and a little embarrassed for some reason.


    Chloe turned on the light and smiled nervously at Vernon, "G¡ªGood evening, Vernon. I''m d that you''re home early. I just finished cooking everything, let''s eat now, alright?"


    Vernon stared at Chloe for a while, then asked, "What are you doing in my room? Why is it dark, and why do you look nervous?"


    "A¡ªAh, i¡ªit''s nothing, really," Chloe replied nervously. "I just finished cleaning your room. I don''t have time to do that in the morning."


    "L¡ªLet''s just eat now. I''m sure you''re hungry as well, right?" Chloe tried to push Vernon''s chest to get away from his room. Vernon was confused about what his beloved was hiding from him, though he had no suspicion whatsoever because he knew that Chloe wouldn''t hurt him.


    ''Is it a gift? A Christmas gift for me?'' Vernon wondered. ''I guess that makes sense why she tries to hide it from me. But damn, this gives me expectation.''

 Chapter 689 689

    Vernon and Chloe walked to the dining table and saw that Mackie was ready for dinner with a fork and spoon in her hands. She smiled wide until her teeth were showing when her Uncle and Mommy walked in.


    "Let''s eat, Uncle, Mommy! I''m starving!"


    Vernon looked at the food on the table. He noticed there was plenty of food that Chloe had never cooked before. He didn''t know if Chloe was just trying out new things by using inte recipes or did she get any tips from Dorothea.


    He nced at the kitchen, which was aplete mess with so many dirty dishes stacked in the corner. The kitchen made it look like Chloe cooked A LOT of food, but the food on the table seemed to be only enough for three of them.


    ''Did she send the food to Dorothea and those boys?'' Vernon wondered.


    "It seems that you cook a lot for dinner," Vernonmented as he sat on the chair beside Mackie. "Did you send the rest of the food to those boys and Dorothea?"


    Before Chloe opened her mouth, Mackie replied first, "Yes, Uncle! They are eating downstairs! Mommy said that our table is too small for all to fit, so we have to eat separately!"


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She panicked because Vernon already gave her an ultimatum that Dorothea and those boys were not allowed to enter their penthouse area when Vernon came home. He said that he only wanted to see Mackie and Chloe after work and definitely didn''t want to see Dorothea, or else he would ''lose his appetite.''


    Chloe looked at Vernon worriedly, afraid that he''d get angry because Chloe kept the boys and Dorothea in their ce even though he already said no.


    "T¡ªThey helped a lot," Chloe tried to reason with Vernon, whose mood turned sour instantly. "Mackie and the boys are the ones who decorated the tree, while Dorothea and I are the ones who cook. I¡ªI''m sorry, Vernon, but I can''t do everything all by myself."


    Vernon''s mood turned bitter instantly when he heard that Dorothea and those boys were downstairs.


    Though he didn''t hate Dorothea anymore, his resentment lingered, and he didn''t want to spend too much time with her unless necessary.


    While he didn''t hate Chelsea''s sons, he still carried a heavy responsibility to take care of them. So whenever he saw those boys, he''d be reminded of all he had to do to help them, which put weight on his shoulders.


    Thebination of Dorothea and the boys in his personal space ruined his mood.


    He wanted to be free of responsibility and trauma once he returned home. So that meant there should only be him, Chloe, Mackie, and their future children in his personal space, no more, no less.


    He was disappointed in Chloe, but he wasn''t mad.


    He knew that Chloe had a good heart. She was naturally nice, and of course, the sight of four boys and an elderlydy would melt her heart.


    Vernon could only sigh, "That''s right, Mackie. They can''t eat here with us because the table is too small, it won''t fit all of us."


    "Yup, I understand, Uncle!" Mackie understood that the tables were only fit for six people at most, so it wasn''t fair if they left out someone. But still, she wanted to celebrate Christmas with Granny and her cousins, so she said, "Don''t worry, Uncle! We can gather together tomorrow morning in front of the Christmas Tree! Mommy said she will make a cake and hot chocte for all of us!"


    Vernon paused. He nced at Chloe, who was panicking.


    He already had everything nned for their Christmas but didn''t include Dorothea and those boys.


    Now that Mackie seemed to have that idea, he wondered if Chloe said something to her.


    Chloe''s face paled, she didn''t want to see Vernon getting angry, and she definitely didn''t want their Christmas ruined.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, she also didn''t want to exclude Dorothea and the boys. They deserved to have a happy Christmas as a family. They were all starving for the warmth and the love of a family, but it all still depended on whether Vernon wanted them in.


    Vernon sighed again and then shifted the topic, "The food looks good. Let''s eat them before they get too cold."


    "Yes!"


    **


    Chloe finished her meal first and then got up from the chair.


    "I''ll check downstairs to see if they are eating well or not, you two should eat more, okay?" Chloe said before she went down.


    Vernon and Mackie stared at Chloe, who seemed to be in a hurry. Mackie tilted her head, confused about why Mommy was panicked.


    "I''m sure that my cousins and Granny must be eating well right now," Mackiemented. She looked at her Uncle and asked, "Uncle, did you scare Mommy?"


    "I didn''t," Vernon denied. Though he probably looked pretty unpleasant before, and that sent her to panic mode


    "Umm, then why''s Mommy panicking?" Mackie wondered.


    "¡­ just eat your food, Mackie," Vernon said. "Your Mommy cooks a lot for us, she''d be sad if you don''t eat her food."


    "Of course! I''m nning to eat everything!"


    **


    Chloe checked downstairs and saw that Dorothea and the boys ate well. They didn''t seem unhappy because they were eating in a separate area from Chloe, Mackie, and Vernon.


    Dorothea was the first one to notice Chloe, and she was surprised, "Chloe? Why are you here?"


    "I¡ªI''m just checking," Chloe said. She looked at the boys, who looked back at her with curiosity. "Are you guys eating well? Do you need something?"


    "Um, not at all, Aunty."


    "Yes, your food is delicious!"


    "Yes!"


    "I want to eat more!"


    Dorothea smiled at Chloe and replied, "We''re fine down here, Chloe. We''re eating well, and the boys are happy with the food. You should go up to have fun with Mackie and Vernon."


    "Chloe, we are happy," Dorothea assured. "You should take care of your little family as well, they need you."

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    ?


    Dorothea''s words were like an assurance that everything was under control and Chloe shouldn''t worry about them too much.


    In fact, she should be focusing on her little family¡ªVernon and Mackie, because they were also very important to her.


    Chloe bit her lower lip.


    She hated this gap between them. But she also understood that Vernon had a lot of resentment for Dorothea that he couldn''t simply ignore. Dorothea abused him throughout his childhood, and he was already kind enough to let her stay with them.


    She understood Vernon well.


    But she wished that Vernon could eventually forgive Dorothea for her sins. So they could gather together like a real family.


    "Alright then," Chloe nodded. "Do tell me if any of you need something. I''ll be upstairs with Mackie and Vernon."


    Dorothea nodded, "Now go, I know he needs you around, especially after a long day at work."


    Chloe nodded, and she went up to return to her small family again.


    Mackie smiled when she saw her Mommy had returned, "How''s my cousins and Granny doing downstairs, Mommy?"


    Chloe nced at Vernon, who seemed to be ignoring her. She was saddened but then faked a smile in front of her daughter and replied, "They''re also having a good meal, dear, just like the three of us."


    "Un! Okay!"


    **


    It took them another hour to finally finish everything. Mackie went downstairs on her initiative since she wanted to y with her cousins before brushing her teeth and went to bed, thus leaving Chloe and Vernon alone.


    Vernon finished drinking a ss of water and then went to the minibar and opened a bottle of wine before sitting on the long sofa, watching whatever movie was ying on the TV.


    Chloe got worried when she saw that bottle of wine.


    It was the sign that Vernon was really in a bad mood because he never touched booze unless he was stressed out or angry.


    It saddened her to think that she was the one who ruined his Christmas.


    So she carefully walked towards the sofa and joined Vernon.


    She sneakily snuggled right next to him. She waited for Vernon to say something, but he only gave her a quick look before ignoring herpletely. He busied himself drinking from that wine bottle while pressing the remote to switch the TV channel.


    Not wanting to have a cold war with her man during Christmas, Chloe hugged her man''s strong arm and said, "Vernon, are you mad?"


    Vernon stopped switching channels. He gave Chloe a second nce and replied, "No."


    "So you are mad."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m not mad."


    "But you''re drinking wine. You don''t drink alcohol when you''re not angry or stressed out."


    "I''m just in the mood for wine," Vernon insisted.


    "But you''re ignoring me¡­."


    "I''m not ignoring you. We''re talking right now."


    Chloe pouted.


    She hated this kind of cold banter between them. So she hugged his arm tighter and said, "Forgive me for letting them in, Vernon. But I¡­ honestly, I''m not sorry for what I did."


    "I don''t want to ruin their Christmas, they deserve to have a joyful Christmas as a family," Chloe said. "But I¡­ I also don''t want to ruin your Christmas. So, I will do anything as long as you forgive me!"


    "I''m not in the mood for that, Chloe."


    Chloe''s heart was aching when Vernon called him ''Chloe'' instead of the usual ''Love, dear, or wife,'' when they were being intimate like this.


    It made her feel alienated and unloved.


    "T¡ªThen, what should I do to make it up so you won''t be mad anymore?" Chloe asked. "I''ll seriously do anything except for stopping them froming here tomorrow. I already promised Mackie that she can spend Christmas with her cousins and Granny¡­."


    Vernon let out a deep sigh. He dropped his bottle and finally shifted all his attention to Chloe instead, "I''m not mad at you, I mean it. I''m just¡­ disappointed."


    "I wonder where you put me in your priority scale," Vernon said. "I don''t mind that you put Mackie above me as priority, as that is something you should do as a mother."


    "But do you put me under Dorothea and those boys as well?" Vernon asked. "Naturally, I put you as my priority above all else. You are my number one. But seeing what you did to me, I wonder if you ever care for me."


    "Chloe, do you think that I''ll tolerate everything just because I love you? I also have pride, and I can''t help being disappointed knowing that you don''t seem to love me as much as I love you."


    "But that''s not true!" Chloe insisted. Her voice began to tremble as his usation hurt her. "I just¡­I just think this is the best for you¡­"


    "The best for me?"


    "I just thought that you need a family," Chloe admitted. She looked down, disheartened, knowing that her effort to make him happy was in vain and even made things worse. "You need a family that will make you happy. That''s why I''m telling the boys to decorate the tree with Mackie, and Dorothea to cook with me."


    "To have a big family in your house, at least during holiday season, is a blessing," Chloe said. "I just thought that you must''ve been lonely all these years. I know that you didn''t like Christmas with the Gray family when you were a kid, and I doubt you enjoyed the Christmas you spent before we reunited, because you don''t seem to be in a long term rtionship with anyone."


    Chloe took the initiative to kiss Vernon and stared at him earnestly, "You are the only reason I went so far to create this atmosphere of a big family. You''re the reason that I epted Dorothea so you could make peace with your past, and you''re the reason why I insist on fixing my appearance, so I can look beautiful for you."


    "Vernon, I did everything because I want you to have a real home!"

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    [Song Rmendation: BTS - Home.]


    "Vernon, I did everything because I want you to have a real home!"


    "Home¡­" Vernon murmured that word, and it instantly filled a space in his brain. He stared at Chloe, who looked emotional. She looked earnest and sincere, which made him unable to argue with her at all.


    Sometimes, Vernon wondered if he was just too weak against Chloe. He truly couldn''t fight her in any situation, especially if she began to shed tears. He''d feel like a failure as a man and, in the end, had to nod to everything she said.


    But Vernon didn''t want Chloe to keep pushing this.


    He knew that she meant well. She wanted to give him a home, a family that could love him.


    But he didn''t need this much in his family. All he needed was Chloe, Mackie, and their future children¡ªno more, no less.


    His heart was aching, knowing that he would probably make her cry, but he had to fight her, or else she''dpletely dominate their rtionship without giving him a chance to voice his disagreement.


    Vernon gently caressed his beloved''s cheek and said, "You are my home, Chloe. I don''t need anyone else in this life other than you. The moment we reunited, I know that you will be the first andst ce I will harbor my heart."


    "So you don''t need to do so much just to give me home, Chloe," Vernon said. "Besides, don''t you feel pity for me?"


    "Pity?"


    Vernon sighed, "Chloe, it took me a great deal of self restraint just to ept Dorothea into our life. I''ve done so much, but that doesn''t mean I can ept her easily."


    "You''re forcing me to ept my abuser, Chloe," Vernon said. "You''re rushing things. You''re hurting me, because I keep being reminded of my bad childhood whenever I see Dorothea."


    Vernon kept his eyes on Chloe as he said all those things. And just like he expected, Chloe''s eyes were zed with tears. She looked hurt, and usually, by this time, Vernon would''ve admitted defeat and let her have her way.


    Thus, Vernon toughened his heart and assured himself, ''This is for the best of us. She needs to know that what she did makes me sad as well.''


    "How about this, I will tolerate Dorothea and those boys to join our Christmas, but only on Christmas. You''re not allowed to let them stay in here when I''m home, deal?"


    Chloe wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.


    She actually felt so guilty.


    She hoped that Vernon would be happy with all the arrangements she made because she thought that was the best for Vernon, but it seemed that she was rushing it to the point that it hurt Vernon.


    Thus, she nodded to seal the deal and added, "I''m sorry, Vernon. I just¡­ I just want to make you happy¡­"


    "But I am already happy, much more than I deserve to have," Vernon said. "I have you, we have our daughter Mackie and our future childrenter, and you will be separated from that bastard Vincent soon. What more do I need?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I just thought that you won''t be happy unless you have everything solved, including your trauma¡­." Chloe admitted.


    "Look, I''ve talked with Dorothea before, and I told her that I can''t just ept her easily after what she did to me back then," Vernon said. "And she understood what I meant. She knew that she couldn''t obtain my forgiveness easily. She has to work for it, that''s why I told her that I might give her a second chance once I see her treating those boys kindly until they grow up."


    "Forgiving an abuser to your life is already a huge effort, Chloe, let alone epting them into your already perfect life."


    Chloe nodded.


    She was definitely pushing things.


    She acted upon her idea of what was good for Vernon, but she didn''t listen to the main person involved. She thought that Vernon had to be pushed a little so he would ept everything she idealized.


    "Yes, I understand, Vernon," Chloe said. "I''m sorry for forcing you to ept things quickly. I finally realized that you need time as well. Just like how you give me time to heal from Vincent."


    Vernon saw the teardrop from the corner of her eyes. He was holding it for so long but couldn''t help it in the end.


    He embraced her gently and pushed her face on his chest, allowing her to hear his heart that only beat for her.


    "My beloved, you''re hurting me if you cry. Please don''t shed those tears, or I might go crazy,"


    The more Vernon tried tofort her, the sadder Chloe felt.


    "I just want to be useful," Chloe admitted. "I don''t know what I should do to make myself useful to you. You''ve done so much for me, and all I did is make trouble for you."


    "How am I supposed to hold my head high and stand beside you when I feel like a parasite to you?"


    Vernon sighed.


    Sometimes he wondered what he should do to convince Chloe that she did more than enough for him. In fact, Vernon was the one who felt that he hadn''tpensated her enough for all the usations and grudges he had against her for the past ten years.


    Vernon patted the back of Chloe''s head andforted her more, "Stay by my side forever, Chloe. That''s the best way if you want to repay me."


    "That''s now the way for me to repay you, because that''s given!" Chloe argued. "I will stay by your side no matter what, because you show me what love truly is. You''re asking me for a bare minimum, Vernon!"


    Vernon had never seen Chloe this desperate to please him. Could this be the reason for all the excessive things she did?


    She really thought that she was doing the bare minimum.


    Vernon bit his lower lip and uttered the sentence he had wanted to say for a long time, "You already did everything to help me, Chloe."

 Chapter 692 692

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    "You already did everything to help me, Chloe," Vernon said. "When you came into the mansion and noticed me, the little boy that nobody wanted to take care of. You gave me everything that I needed, and you taught me love and care."


    "You protected me from my mother, brother, and father. You gave me security, love, and warmth. You did everything already. It''s my turn to do everything for you."


    Vernon''s words shocked Chloe. She could hear Vernon''s heartbeat elerate after he said those words.


    Back then, she didn''t think much about getting recognition or love from this man.


    She had always been the caring type since she was a kid.


    She was the one who took care of her single-mother family. She also became a paid babysitter around her area in middle school because she needed money.


    So when she visited the Gray family mansion, her attention was quickly stolen by a scrawny boy hiding behind a pir while watching her talking with Vincent.


    The boy looked so pale and weak as if he''d die if he got beaten.


    He red at everyone around him, and nobody dared to approach him. They simply ignored him either out of fear or anger.


    Vincent told her that kid was his little brother, Vernon, and advised Chloe not to get too close to him because he was like a rabid dog that would bite at anything and anyone who dared to get too close.


    He was uncontroble, and everyone in the house treated him like air until he made a big mess.


    Unfortunately, Chloe wasn''t the type of person who''d stand and watch.


    She had dealt with so many kids before and quickly noticed that Vernon wasn''t rabid or uncontroble. He was just hurt and craving attention.


    So she treated her carefully, and they gradually became so close. She treated him genuinely like a little brother she had never had before, and Vernon became very sticky to her.


    She filled him with love that he never received before, but she never asked for anything in return. She was naturally a caregiver, and seeing Little Vernon as a happy kid was the best feeling ever.


    Thus, Chloe shook her head to deny it, "I¡ªI never wanted anything from you back then, Vernon. Trust me. All I wanted was to see you happy and grow up to be a good man!"


    "I know," Vernon said without hesitation. "I can feel your sincerity when you took care of me when I was a kid. I know that you treat me like a little brother. But I don''t want to be your little brother, I want to be more than that."


    "I want to be the man for you, Chloe, it has always been like that," Vernon confessed. "I''ve loved you for years, and you don''t need to do anything to pay me back. You already paid for my love in advance."


    Chloe feltplicated.


    She felt so guilty because she had taken advantage of a little boy''s vulnerability for her gain. Thus, she tried to separate herself from Vernon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But Vernon quickly wrapped his arms around her tightly and whispered, "This is your chance Chloe. If you feel like you haven''t done enough for me, then this is your chance to pay me back."


    "Don''t try to push me away," Vernon said with his voice half begging. "Don''t leave me because I told you the truth. It''s not your fault that I fell in love with you since I was just a kid."


    "I know that you''re sincere. I''m not an idiot who can be manipted easily, Chloe," Vernon said. "There were so many people back then that wanted to take advantage of me, but I can sense their true nature easily. You are the only one that is sincere to me."


    "Chloe Phoenix Gray, you will break me if you push me away right now."


    ¡­


    There was a long silence between them for a while until Chloe stopped struggling.


    She murmured ''I''m sorry'' many times, and Vernon kissed her head to assure her, "It''s never your fault. It''s me who feels these things. I know that you''re a good woman, Chloe."


    "And thank you for not pushing me away after I tell you the truth. You don''t need to do too much for me anymore. You should just let me pamper you, because you deserved it after all the things you went through."


    Thus, Chloe and Vernon spent the night embracing each other in the living room. Chloe was the first one to fall asleep because she cried, so Vernon carried her to the bedroom and embraced her to sleep.


    He caressed her cheek while gazing at her softly, "You are the only gift from God for me, Chloe. I love you."


    **


    Chloe woke up in the morning after she heard Mackie''s loud voice in the living room. Judging by the heat around her body, she must''ve been spooned by the one and only the big bear, Vernon, throughout the night.


    She turned around and saw that Vernon was still in a deep sleep.


    He has always been a heavy sleeper who would not wake up to noises since childhood.


    Chloe stared at the sleeping Vernon for a while, then took the initiative to kiss him on the lips.


    "I''m so sorry, Vernon. I had no romantic feelings for you when you were a kid. I genuinely took care of you as a little brother," Chloe said. "But now that we''re both adults, you showed me what love should''ve been. You showed me that I deserve so much more than Vincent. You make me fall in love, and I¡­ I refuse to let you go as well."


    Chloe took a deep breath and asked, "Can I be honest to you for once?"


    Chloe checked on Vernon again, and once she ensured he was still sleeping, she whispered, "Back then, when you were only fifteen years old, I had a little wish that you''d be ten years older than your actual age. Because I thought you''d be the better choice."

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    Chloe''s cheeks reddened as she confessed. She was embarrassed, but at least she could utter this secret while Vernon was still sleeping, so he wouldn''t know what kind of idea Chloe had when he was only fifteen.


    Truthfully, Chloe already had a bad feeling about Vincent when they were about to marry back then. She just felt that Vincent wasn''t as good as he portrayed himself to be.


    He often acted so cold to Chloe, even going as far as snapping at her for the smallest problem. He looked like he had a lot of repressed anger.


    Her rtionship cooled before they married, and Chloe wanted to leave, but Vincent already proposed to her, so she couldn''t say no when the peer pressure was enormous.


    She then began to notice the fifteen-year-old Vernon. He was strong, smart, almost as tall as his Big bro, and was just a ball of sunshine.


    Chloe would lie if she said she wasn''t attracted to Vernon back then.


    But she wasn''t a predator and a cheater. She admired him, hoping Vernon would find the right woman that could treat him well.


    Unfortunately, her rtionship with Vernon around that time seemed to be worsening.


    She didn''t know what happened, but afterte Vaughn Gray forced her to say those mean words about Vernon in front of him, Vernon began to alienate himself from her.


    He refused any invitation to go and hang out and even refused to eat anything that Chloe cooked, which was something very strange.


    To top it all off, Vernon suddenly went to Europe only a few days after her wedding reception and simply disappeared from the earth until about a year ago when he showed up during Dorothea''s birthday party, and his hostility to her was so obvious.


    ''Did he hear what I said to Vaughn back then? No, right?'' Chloe began to get anxious. ''I remember that Vernon was supposed to be in school around that time, and he shouldn''t be able to roam around histe father''s office. He''s actually forbidden to go there.''


    ''I didn''t even want to say those mean words. I have a strong connection with Vernon. He''s a good young man and I want nothing but the best for him.''


    ''It''s just¡­ back then¡­ Vaughn threatened to call the whole wedding off unless I said those cruel stuff about Vernon¡­.''


    Her mind wandered back to when Vaughn Gray, the real Master of the Gray family, was still alive.


    ¡ª


    "Truth to be told, Chloe. You are not my first choice for Vincent," Vaughn said as he puffed the smoke on Chloe''s face as they were in his home office. "I admit that you''re a good caretaker, you''re beautiful, smart, and have been trained to be a gooddy for Vincent."


    "But you are also a low born. You''re just a young woman from a single-mother family. You have no credibility or backing, and I just know that your family will only drag my son down."


    Chloe could feel her heartbeat elerating as Vaughn judged her.


    "So I will call the wedding off," Vaughn said coldly.


    Chloe lifted her head immediately. She stared at Vaughn with eyes zed with tears, "M¡ªMaster Gray, please don''t call off the wedding. Vincent and I are both in love, and I''ve been waiting for this for a long time! Besides, what would happen if Vincent knows this? He will get heartbroken!"


    "I don''t really care about you. But I do care about my son," Vaughn said. "So you''re right. I don''t want him to be angry at me. But I have to test your loyalty to him first."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Y¡ªYou can test me, Sir! I''ve been loyal to Vincent for years!"


    Vaughn smirked maliciously, "Good, then say it to my face that you hate my second son, Vernon. Tell me that he is a good for nothing trash that has no future. Tell me that you would stay with Vincent rather than Vernon because Vincent is the better option."


    Chloe was astonished by his instruction, "B¡ªBut, Sir, t¡ªthere is no connection between this and Vernon¡ª"


    "Say it or I will call off the wedding," Vaughn threatened.


    "B¡ªBut I have no such feeling for Vernon¡ª"


    "Say it now or you can leave, Chloe."


    Chloe gritted her teeth. Her heart ached as she had to say those cruel words about Vernon, even though she adored him so much.


    ''I''m sorry, Vernon. I hope you won''t listen to these cruel words,'' Chloe thought. ''I never mean these things, and never will. You are a boy I raised. I love and adore you so much.''


    ¡ª


    Chloe bit her lower lip as she stared at the handsome sleeping man who embraced her. The guilt was eating her from the inside. She knew Vernon didn''t know what she said, but that still didn''t make her less guilty for selling him out just to marry Vincent.


    Thus, Chloe kissed Vernon for the second time and said, "I''m sorry, Vernon. I never meant any of those words. I was forced back then. I hope you can forgive me."


    Chloe finally wiggled her way out of Vernon''s embrace and went out to check on her daughter. She wanted to tell Mackie to keep her voice down because her Uncle was very tired.


    Chloe closed the door and gave Vernon time to rest.


    But Vernon quickly opened his eyes after the door was closed.


    He stared at the empty space next to him on the bed and wondered.


    "If only I could turn back time. I would never leave you with Vincent. I will fight as hard as I could so we could be together, so you didn''t need to suffer," Vernon murmured, regretting all the rash things he did back then because he was just too heartbroken to face Chloe.


    He also wondered about thest sentence, "I don''t understand what she was apologizing for. Was it about all the cruel things she told to Vaughn about me?"


    If that were true, Vernon would be more than happy to know that Chloe never meant any of those cruel words to him and that she was just forced to say it.


    But what for? Why did she have to be forced to be mean?


    What was the use of histe father, Vaughn Gray, to force Chloe to mock him?


    "What was the point of her saying those words except to trash me in front of my father?"

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    "Christmas! Christmas! Whoo!" Mackie was excited. She ran around the living room, circling every piece of furniture and the Christmas tree. She LOVED the Christmas tree because this would be the first time she ever had one that she decorated herself.


    Back when she lived with Daddy, they would have the huge one in front of the mansion, decorated with so many expensive golden things that looked awesome.


    But Mackie didn''t feel connected with that huge tree because it wasn''t her who decorated it.


    So, usually, Mommy would buy that mini Christmas tree and also boughtmps and a few ornaments so they could decorate it together in Mackie''s room.


    Mommy said she couldn''t buy the bigger one because she didn''t have money, which was weird now that Mackie had more time to think.


    Because her Daddy was supposed to be very rich, but why didn''t Mommy have money?


    When she was with Uncle right now, she always brought her to the restaurant and even bought the toys she wanted.


    She dressed better and even wore sparkly things such as bracelets and nes, which had never happened before with Daddy.


    Chloe went out of Vernon''s bedroom and carefully closed the door behind her. She looked at Mackie, who was yelling excitedly while circling the tree, "Dear, keep your voice down, Uncle is very tired. He''s still sleeping."


    Mackie stopped running around after getting a warning from her mother. But she still had a big smile on her.


    The little girl rushed to her Mommy and hugged her, "Shhh¡­ Mommy¡­ Merry Christmas¡­" Mackie said, half-whispering.


    Chloe chuckled, "Merry Christmas, dear. Can you sit on the sofa first? I have to make the hot choco and reheat the food from yesterday for breakfast."


    Mackie nodded as she watched her Mommy going to the kitchen.


    Chloe already prepared their breakfastst night, so she had to reheat them and add some more to the menu to make it a small feast for them.


    It took her at least an hour to prepare everything before she told Mackie, who was watching cartoons on the TV.


    "Dear, you can eat breakfast now. I''ll go downstairs to pick your cousins so we can celebrate together," Chloe said.


    "Un! Okay, Mommy! I can''t wait to meet them!" Mackie said excitedly. This would be the first time they ever spent Christmas together.


    Chloe entered the elevator to the thirteenth floor.


    She was nervous because she knew she''d break Dorothea''s heart today.


    Dorothea was actually excited to spend Christmas with them. She usually spent Christmas and New Year at a formal party, surrounded by people who felt nothing but contempt for her, and she also felt the same towards her guests.


    But after talking with Vernon yesterday, she realized she was pushing it too far. It''d take Vernon a while to ept Dorothea into his life because even though it wasn''tpletely Dorothea''s fault, she was still the one hitting Vernon.


    Chloe was thinking for a while and finally decided to take Vernon''s side.


    Chloe pressed the bell, and Aaron was the one who opened the door. He smiled at Aunty Chloe and greeted, "Merry Christmas, Aunty. My brothers have been waiting for you."


    Aaron called his brothers, and they gathered in front of Chloe with big smiles on their faces.


    "Where is Grandma Dorothea?" Chloe asked.


    "Uhm, Grandma said that she''s not feeling well¡­" Aaron said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe frowned, "Really? Let me check on her first."


    Chloe entered the bedroom and saw Dorothea lying on her bed, watching a youtube video whileughing because it was funny.


    She definitely didn''t look sick, but Chloe had to make sure.


    "Dorothea?"


    "Hm, yes?" Dorothea put down her phone and stared at Chloe.


    "Are you alright?" Chloe asked. She sat at the corner of the bed, checking on Dorothea''s condition. "The boys told me that you''re not feeling well."


    Dorothea giggled, "Thank you for checking on me. But I''m alright, I''mpletely healthy," she replied. "I just need a reason to avoid the Christmas party in the penthouse."


    "I know my ce, Chloe," Dorothea said. "I know that Vernon still resents me so much to the point that seeing my face will only upset him. I understand, and it is a sin I''m willing to bear for the rest of my life."


    Chloe lowered her head.


    She felt so guilty for Dorothea but also had to prioritize Vernon''s wish, "I''m sorry, Dorothea. It will take time¡­"


    Dorothea smiled, "You''ve done your best, Chloe. I know that you mean well, but you need to focus on Vernon instead of me. You''ve done so much for me, and you deserve to be happy too."


    Dorothea gave Chloe a hug and a pat on the back, "You should go now, they are waiting for you."


    Chloe nodded. She was saddened, but she was also d that Dorothea wasn''t an unreasonable person.


    She knew her ce.


    She knew that Vernon hated him, so to avoid ruining the party, she decided to act sick instead.


    Chloe got up from the bed and said, "Merry Christmas, Dorothea."


    "Merry Christmas, Chloe," Dorothea replied with a smile.


    Dorothea watched Chloe as she left her room. Her smile turned bitter as she was alone once again.


    She''d lie if she said she didn''t want to join them.


    She was so excited with the idea of spending Christmas with family. It was something she hadn''t felt for so long.


    But she also realized that she was unwee by Vernon. He hated her, and it was justified.


    Dorothea didn''t want to put a burden on Chloe. Chloe had done so much for her, so Dorothea didn''t want to put her in a spot where she had to choose between her or Vernon.


    "I don''t want them to fight because of me. Naturally, she should choose Vernon over anyone else except her daughter," Dorothea said. "It''s fine if I can''t join them, maybe next year or a year after that¡­"


    "Maybe one day Vernon would be able to ept me."

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    Chloe put on a gentle smile as she left Dorothea''s room. She grabbed Mike and Tony''s hand and said, "Okay, boys, let''s go up and celebrate Christmas together, your Boss Mackie has been waiting for you under the Christmas tree."


    "Whoo!"


    "Christmas tree!"


    "Christmas with Boss Mackie!"


    Aaron stared at his Aunt in silence and then asked, "Is it really okay, Aunty?"


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    "I mean, is it really okay for us toe? What if Uncle doesn''t want us there?" Aaron asked. He looked at his little brothers, who were excited to go but knew Uncle Vernon didn''t like them.


    He tolerated them all, including Grandma. But he was far from weing.


    Though Aaron wanted to spend Christmas with Aunt Chloe and Boss Mackie under a real Christmas tree, he wouldn''t want to make Uncle Vernon ufortable because he had done so much to let them live here, with afortable bed, good food, and running hot water. And most importantly, they didn''t get hit for small mistakes or red at every day.


    Uncle Vernon even went as far as helping them to go to schoolter.


    So Aaron knew that he couldn''t ask for more.


    Chloe''s lips thinned. She nodded assuringly, "Don''t worry, Uncle already told me that you boys cane."


    ''I understand if he doesn''t like Dorothea to be around, and I don''t want to argue with that because his hatred for Dorothea is justified,'' Chloe thought. ''But these boys are pitiful, they did nothing wrong to him, and they are very close to Mackie. Besides, this is only a one year thing, it''s Christmas.''


    ''If he still wants to kick these boys out, then I''ll argue with him this time.''


    Determined with her decision to bring the boys into their small Christmas party, Chloe brought them all to the penthouse.


    She unlocked the door and walked in with the boys tailing her from behind like ducklings following their momma duck.


    Mackie was busy eating a cake while drinking hot chocte on the carpet in front of the TV as she just finished her breakfast. Her eyes brightened instantly when she saw her cousinse in.


    She got up instantly and rushed to the boys, "Merry Christmas everyone!"


    "Boss!"


    "Merry Christmas, Boss Mackie!"


    "Christmas!"


    "Christmas with Boss!"


    Chloe smiled as she watched the kids snuggling in a big hug. The room was filled with chatter of Mackie and the boys. It was indeed a lively Christmas morning that made Chloe happy.


    Because this was the first time in ten years she had ever had an easy, non-stressful Christmas, surrounded by a family she loved, and she didn''t need to hide in Mackie''s room.


    When she still lived with Vincent, he would yell at her for showing up at every Christmas Party in their mansion. So he would lock her in their master bedroom or in Mackie''s room, which she preferred because that meant she at least could spend Christmas with Mackie, decorating the same mini Christmas tree she bought a few years back as Vincent didn''t allow her to buy something like that because it was ''wasteful.''


    Meanwhile, he gifted all of his mistressesvish gifts that Chloe could ever dream of in her life. It was unfair, but Chloe could only stay silent because Vincent would beat her if she dared to protest.


    ''Ah, why am I thinking about that bastard? This is Christmas, I should be thinking about joyful things instead.''


    Thus, Chloe warded off the thought about Vincent and asked the boys, "So, who''s hungry?"


    "Ah, um¡­ we already ate breakfast, Aunty," Aaron replied. "Grandma Dorothea prepared us early breakfast, so we don''t need to eat more here."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I see¡­" Chloe nodded. She understood that Dorothea must''ve been well prepared for the worst. She thought none of them would be weed anyway, so she didn''t want the boys to starve.


    "Then, which one of you wants cake and hot chocte just like your Boss Mackie?" She asked again."


    The boys'' eyes brightened, and they nodded in unison.


    "I want cake¡­"


    "Me! I want cake and hot chocte!"


    "I want it too!"


    "Hot choco! Cake!"


    Their voices were so loud that they identally woke the sleeping wolf in his den.


    SLAM!


    The door mmed open, and everyone immediately focused on Vernon.


    Vernon yawned, then grunted. He peered his eyes at everyone around him, and the moment he shifted his scary gaze at the boys, they quickly rushed to hide right behind their Aunt.


    Vernon scoffed and returned to the bedroom to wear a shirt before walking leisurely to the kitchen. He ignored the eyes who were checking his every movement and sat at the dining chair to begin eating his full breakfast.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a long silence in the room until Chloe opened her mouth, "Okay, you boys sit with Boss Mackie, I will bring out the cake and hot choco."


    "Thank you, Aunty."


    "Okay, Aunty."


    "Un¡­"


    "Okay¡­"


    All the joyful mood disappeared instantly when Vernon appeared. They were too scared to make a noise, afraid they might anger the wolf and get eaten.


    Chloe sighed and went to the kitchen to bring out the cake.


    She put the cake on the kitchen counter and divided it into five for the boys and the Big Bad Wolf, who was still eating breakfast.


    She gave each of the boys a cake and a cup of hot chocte before returning to the dining table and giving one to Vernon, who had just finished his breakfast.


    Chloe put the cake on the table right in front of him and kissed him at the corner of his lips, "Merry Christmas, handsome."


    Vernon was stunned by the kiss. He already nned to ignore everyone at Christmas because Chloe still brought those boys. But that kiss was like a wake-up call that ruined his n.


    Of course, he couldn''t ignore his beloved''s kiss.


    So he turned to the right and kissed Chloe on the lips, "Merry Christmas, love."

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    Chloe was relieved that Vernon didn''t seem mad, at least not as bad asst night. She didn''t want to fight with Vernon, it was mentally exhausting, and it hurt her heart so much whenever she saw him looking so distressed.


    So she began to speak gently, "Why don''t you go there and kiss your daughter first? I bet Mackie would be happy if you give her a morning kiss and say Merry Christmas to her."


    "I will do thatter," Vernon replied. He grabbed the hot chocte cup and sipped it. "She''s still busy with her cousins."


    "And when will that ter'' happen?" Chloe asked. "You know those boys will be apanying Chloe for the whole day, right?"


    Vernon''s body stiffened. He couldn''t get mad at Chloe when she was being so gentle like this. So he was forced to reply civilly, "I feel awkward around them. They''re not exactly in my family list. My family list consists of you, Mackie, and I."


    "Well, you don''t need to put them in your family list, just let them enjoy Christmas with Mackie, okay?" Chloe said.


    "I did. I allow them to stay with Mackie right now," Vernon said. He nced at Mackie and the boys, who were busy watching a movie, and they began to rx as they ate the cake. "For your information, I don''t hate them. I just don''t know what to do around them."


    "Chloe, you should know that I''m not exactly the loving type, and I''m not good with kids. I tend to scare them," Vernon admitted. "Mackie is the only little girl I can get close to because she''s basically the mini version of me."


    ''Ah, so he''s not hostile to the boys. He''s just awkward,'' Chloe was so relieved because she thought she''d have to fight Vernon over the boys. She truly didn''t want to argue with her beloved man.


    ''I guess, it''s understandable. We can''t really change how people act. Vernon is just not good with kids,'' Chloe pondered. ''Or maybe he just thought he''s not good with kids because he looks very intimidating.''


    ''Anyway, as long as he is fine with the boys, I guess that''s okay.''


    Vernon began to eat his cake and then said, "Thank you for not allowing Dorothea toe. I just can''t stand her."


    Chloe sighed.


    She wanted Vernon to know the truth about his mother, whether he liked it or not.


    "Well, I''ve already nned to stop her froming. After all, I know that you''ve suffered a lot under her hand when you were young. Your dislike towards her is justified," Chloe said truthfully.


    "But she already knows her ce. She told the boys that she''s not feeling well, and when I visited her room, she told me that she knows you don''t like her because of what she did back then, and she doesn''t want to ruin your Christmas."


    Vernon went silent after that. He didn''t know how he should take this news.


    Should he be happy that Chloe understood her priority and Dorothea knew her ce?


    Or should he feel guilty because he stopped an old woman to have a normal Christmas?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nevertheless, he just couldn''t imagine himself in the same room as Dorothea while celebrating something like Christmas. Dorothea literally beat him during Christmas, everything about her was like a nightmare for Vernon.


    Chloe noticed the change in Vernon''s expression, so she assured, "Don''t worry. I''m not forcing you to ept her back into your life. You are my number one, Vernon," she said. "I just want you to know that Dorothea knows her ce, so from now on, you won''t see her around unless you''re the one who called her."


    "Hm, thank you, Love," Vernon nodded reluctantly.


    Right when Chloe was about to return to the boys, Mackie suddenly walked towards the dining table and greeted her Uncle first. She jumped and hugged her Uncle''s arm, "Merry Christmas, Uncle! You are the best Big Bad Wolf in the world!"


    Vernonughed. He picked Mackie up and sat her on his thigh. He kissed her forehead and said, "Merry Christmas, Mackie. You are also the best Little Wolf I have. Don''t worry, I have prepared a present for you."


    "Really?!" Mackie was surprised. She had never got a proper Christmas present from her Daddy before, so she got excited. "Where is it Uncle? I want to see!"


    Vernon smiled, "We will go to your gift at noon."


    Mackie tilted her head. She didn''t know what that meant. She thought that her gift would be nicely wrapped under the Christmas tree, but apparently not.


    Nevertheless, she was excited about it, "Okay, Uncle! I want to see itter!"


    Vernon patted her head and nced at the boys, who were still eating their cakes while watching a TV show. He knew those boys weren''t exactly lucky in their lives as well.


    Chelsea was a monster, and they lived in poor conditions because Chelsea usually hoarded all the money for herself or gave some to her useless husband.


    Besides, Vernon was also partly guilty of those boys. He was the one who ordered someone to carve that ugly scar on Chelsea''s face. He liked seeing her in pain, sweet revenge for what she did to Chloe.


    But at the same time, his action also indirectly caused Chelsea to go insane and almost murdered those boys.


    Thus, swallowing his pride, Vernon added, "You can also take your cousins with us. I also have a gift for them."


    "Whos! Uncle is the best! They will be happy!" Mackie hugged her Uncle and kissed his cheek, "This will be the first gift they ever get during Christmas! This will be my first too!"


    Mackie then looked at her Mommy, who was sitting right next to Uncle, "Mommy, do we still have a slice of cake in the fridge?"


    "We do, dear. I saved it for you. Do you want it now?"


    Mackie shook her head, "Um, Aaron told me that Grandma Dorothea can''te because she''s not feeling well. Can I bring the cake to her instead? At least she can eat the cake, it will make her feel better!"

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    ?


    Chloe smiled at her daughter and nodded, "Sure, dear. I''ll pack the cake for you, and we can deliver it to your Grandma Dorothea."


    Chloe gave Vernon a quick nce and then walked to the fridge to retrieve the cake.


    Vernon went silent instantly. His heart felt heavy knowing that a little girl like Mackie was so kind and caring to her sick Grandma while he still couldn''t let go of the past.


    But at the same time, his mind kept telling him not to forgive Dorothea so easily. She had to suffer for what she did to him back then. Since he couldn''t hurt Dorothea physically, at least he should hurt her mentally.


    She had to suffer in loneliness, knowing that her only capable son wouldn''t ever ept her, and she would die with heartbreak!


    Vernon didn''t know what to do because his logic and conscience were fighting against each other, trying to dominate Vernon until he made a decision that he thought was right.


    But in the end, he just sat there in silence, not knowing what to do.


    "This is the cake, dear. Why don''t we bring this together with your Grandma?" Chloe offered.


    "Un! I want to visit Grandma!" Mackie jumped off Vernon''s thigh and said to her Uncle, "We''re going to check on Grandma first, Uncle! Go take a bath, you smell awful!"


    Chloe and Mackie went to tell the boys to sit there and enjoy their cakes while they delivered the cake to Grandma. Thus, after they left, the room was filled with silence.


    Because there were only Vernon and those little boys busied themselves watching TV and tried to ignore Uncle Vernon, who was still dazed at the dining table.


    Vernon stared at those boys from the dining table.


    Chloe was right. Those boys had no fault against him. It was just himself that disliked kids in general. He just thought that they were noisy, annoying, and deadweight.


    Well, things changed after Chloe and Mackie entered his life, of course.


    But still, he just disliked kids and wanted nothing to do with them.


    So he simply ignored them and went to his bathroom to take a bath.


    It took him a while to finish his bath and get ready to drive Mackie to her gift. Hebed his hair and went out of the bedroom only to see Mackie joining the boys to circle around the Christmas tree, singing jingle bells with their scratchy voices.


    Chloe looked at them with joy. She even pped her hand and sang along.


    Honestly, Vernon didn''t understand how Chloe liked this kind of thing. Rather than cute, those kids looked like they were doing a ritual to summon Satan instead of Santa.


    Vernon walked towards Chloe and stood right next to her. He waited for Chloe to say something, but she seemed to enjoy entertaining the kids so much that he got ignored.


    So he cleared his throat, and the jingle bell ritual to summon Santa was interrupted.


    Chloe and the other kids were looking at him, waiting for him to say something.


    "Let''s go down to the basement parking lot. We''re going to get your gift," Vernon said.


    "Whoo! Gift!" Mackie was excited. She didn''t know what her Uncle had for a surprise, but she knew it would be great!


    "Alright, let me find a jacket for Mackie first," Chloe said as she went downstairs with Mackie to find a jacket to wear since they were going out.


    Thus, Vernon was left with the boys again. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The previously happy mood turned awkward instantly, and the younger boys quickly hid behind their oldest brother for protection.


    Aaron stood still and stared at the scary Uncle Vernon without fear since he was the oldest, and he had to assure his little brothers that things would be fine.


    "Thank you for allowing us toe in, Uncle," Aaron said. "It''s really fun to spend Christmas with Boss Mackie and Aunt Chloe. This is our first time having a real Christmas tree in the house as well."


    "Um¡­ we like decorating with Boss Mackie!"


    "Yes! Cake is good too!"


    "Hot chocte!"


    The boys behind Aaron also added to give moral support for their oldest brother.


    Vernon kept his mouth shut as he listened to these boys. He didn''t know what to say other than give the nod to confirm that everything was fine and those boys didn''t need to worry about anything.


    But it seemed that the boys were too intimidated by Vernon, who looked down on them with his scary eyes, intimidating height, big muscles, and silence.


    He was like a giant that could eat them anytime soon.


    Knowing that his brothers were too scared to talk, Aaron said, "Um, since Boss Mackie and Aunt Chloe are going outside, then we will return to our room. Grandma Dorothea must be waiting for us."


    "Stay," Vernon said. "You boys are going with us. I also have a gift for you."


    "A gift?"


    "I got a gift?"


    "Um, what''s a gift?"


    Aaron was unsure of what Uncle Vernon meant. So he asked, "Uncle, are you going to get us a gift?"


    "Yes."


    "Um¡­ but we don''t have money," Aaron said. "Gran told us that we can''t get a gift unless we have money, so we never get a gift. Please just let us return to our room."


    "¡­"


    The more he talked with these boys, the more pitiful they got. He wanted to pat their heads and said everything would be alright as long as they were under Vernon''s protection.


    But all he said was, "You guys can''t leave until we''re finished."


    The boys'' faces paled instantly. The way Uncle Vernon said it, it sounded like he was trying to imprison those boys forever. He was like a giant, scary troll!


    The boys'' eyes, except Aaron, became teary, which shocked Vernon because he didn''t know how to help a crying child, ''Shit, did I say something wrong?'' he wondered.


    "Stay right here and don''t leave," Vernon said before turning around and going downstairs to find Chloe and Mackie for help.

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    ?


    Vernon identally bumped into Mackie and Chloe as they just finished finding the right jacket for Mackie.


    Chloe was surprised when she saw Vernon looking like he was panicking internally, "What''s wrong, Vernon?"


    "The boys upstairs," Vernon said. "I think I identally made them cry."


    "You make them cry?!"


    "identally," Vernon tried to defend himself. "You know, this is why I don''t really like kids. They would throw tantrums over the smallest thing ever."


    Chloe was speechless. But she tried to think positively about this. There must be some misunderstanding here, or maybe Vernon identally red at them. Diamond told her once that Vernon was so infamous for his scary look that they stopped any event in the orphanage because Vernon created mass hysteria by looking down at the orphans with his scary eyes.


    "Let me check then. I''m sure there must be some misunderstanding," Chloe said. She went up with Mackie, followed by Vernon, who tailed from behind, because he didn''t want to make the situation even worse than before.


    Chloe walked into the living room and saw the boys hiding behind Aaron. They were all so scared that they began to sob, and Aaron was trying to calm them down to no avail.


    "Oh no, what happened?" Chloe asked as she approached them.


    Aaron sighed helplessly, "I''m sorry Aunty, but my brothers are so scared of Uncle Vernon. But, he did nothing, really."


    "B¡ªBut, Uncle told us that we can''t leave."


    "Um, Uncle is going to eat us!"


    "Uncle scary!"


    Chloe looked over her shoulder at Vernon, and thetter could only scratch his head, "I just want them to stay with us since they''re going to get a gift as well."


    Chloe could only sigh after Vernon exined it.


    Of course, the boys were scared when he didn''t show any kind of gentleness to them.


    So she patted their heads one by one and said, "Don''t worry, Uncle Vernon won''t eat you. He just wants you to stay with us because you boys will get a gift too."


    "Yes, just like me!" Mackie said cheerfully. "We will get our Christmas gifts from Uncle!"


    "Eh, is that true?"


    "Gift?"


    "We don''t need to pay?"


    "Why would you need to pay for a gift?" Chloe said. "Of course all you need to do is toe with us! Now let''s go to the basement lot, I''m sure your Uncle doesn''t want us to bete!"


    Vernon could only nod and led the way to the basement parking lot, where he decided to use the six-seater car instead of the regr four because he brought a lot of kids today.


    He stared at Chloe, who was busy taking care of the kids. She was truly a talented child caretaker. She could tell those kids what to do, and they all followed her instructions without question.


    ''As expected, she is just so good at taking care of kids. It''s her talent,'' Vernon thought. He was amazed by this talent because not everyone was good with kids, including him. ''I guess there should be no problem if we get another child together after we get marriedter.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe was the one who assigned where the boys and Mackie should sit in the car.


    Vernon and Chloe were at the front, Aaron and Mackie were in the middle with Tony, the smallest boy sitting between them because he needed a guardian, and Nathan and Mike were at the back.


    "Okay, everyone''s ready?" Chloe asked.


    "READY!"


    Chloe smiled at the kids and gently touched Vernon''s hand, "Please drive slower than usual. We have kids at the back."


    Vernon paused for a moment and nodded, "Okay."


    As soon as Vernon drove the car, he heard the chatter from behind. The kids were chatting, giggling, andughing, which infuriated Vernon.


    He didn''t like loud voices while he was driving. He wanted to snap at them and tell them to shut the hell up.


    But before he did something he''d regret, Chloe quickly ced her hand on his shoulder, "Rx, Love. They are kids, all they do right now is just chatting to one another, they are not doing any harm."


    "Ugh¡­" Vernon could only grunt to show his annoyance, but Chloe was right. It was Vernon who simply couldn''t tolerate kids. He wasn''t good with them, but Mackie was an exception because she was basically mini-Vernon.


    Thus, he could only endure his annoyance until the car stopped in front of a store, "We''re here," Vernon announced.


    Mackie and the boys darted their eyes to the left and saw a big sign on top of the entrance.


    TOYS KINGDOM.


    "Toys Kingdom? Do you have a toy for me Uncle?" Mackie asked excitedly. "I want Barbie! I want the one with the horse!"


    Vernon smiled. He nced at Chloe, who was stunned by the gift he had prepared for Mackie and the boys.


    "Let''s go grab the gifts," Vernon said.


    Vernon led the way as they entered the building. A staff that had been waiting greeted him. The staff then opened the door for Vernon and his kids toe in.


    Vernon finally stopped as they entered the shop. He turned around and smiled at Mackie, "This is what I''ve prepared for you, and your cousins, Mackie."


    Mackie was excited. She thought that her Uncle already bought something here, "Which one is my gift, Uncle?"


    "Which one? You mean everything?" Vernon chuckled. "All of you are free to choose whatever toys you want, but each of you can only bring five kinds of toys home, and the rest will be sent to the orphanage so the other kids could also get toys for themselves, got it?"


    "WHOAAA!" Mackie and the boys were amazed by their Uncle. Mackie was the first to hug Vernon''s thigh, "Uncle is the best! I love you so much, Uncle!"


    Vernon chuckled. He picked Mackie up and carried her on his arm, "Anything for my little Princess. You deserve it for being a good girl."


    The boys were staring at Uncle Vernon and Mackie. They also wanted to hug Uncle Vernon but dared not, afraid Uncle might get angry at them.


    Chloe sighed when she saw this. She walked behind the boys and gently pushed their backs to approach Uncle Vernon more, "Go hug your Uncle, boys. He''s also waiting for your hug as well."

 Chapter 699 699

    ?


    [Song Rmendation - Jungkook BTS - Still With You, slowed.]


    "Go hug your Uncle, boys. He''s also waiting for your hug as well," Chloe said.


    The boys were hesitant at first. They looked at their Aunty, who smiled at them and then looked at their Uncle, who stood still like a tall mountain, looking down at them before smiling back at Mackie, kissing her cheek and forehead lovingly like a good father.


    The boys, especially Aaron, couldn''t help but get a little jealous. They also wanted to have a father figure, a real one. Because none of them really saw Tommy as their father, even though he was the biological one.


    Because Tommy did exactly nothing to them, he never treated them lovingly. Most of the time, he ignored the boys and did whatever he wanted to do. It also didn''t help that Tommy also never protected them every time they got beaten by their abusive mother.


    So when they saw how Uncle Vernon loved Mackie, they also wanted the same.


    Aaron was the first one to gather the courage to draw near the tall Uncle Vernon and then hugged his thigh, "Thank you so much for the Christmas gift, Uncle."


    After seeing their oldest brother hugging Uncle Vernon''s thigh, the rest of the boys quickly joined in and hugged their Uncle''s legs because he was so tallpared to them.


    "Thank you so much, Uncle Vernon!"


    "Thank you so much!"


    "Thank youuu!"


    Vernon stiffened instantly. He didn''t know what to do when surrounded by kids like this. He looked at Chloe, who smiled at him but gave no instruction, which got him even more confused than before.


    He then looked at Mackie, who smiled wide at him, "My cousins like you, Uncle!"


    Vernon sighed. In the end, he patted their heads one by one and then told them, "Now go and find your toys. Remember, you can only bring five kinds of toys each. The rest will be given to the orphans, understand?


    "YES, UNCLE!"


    Thus, Mackie and the boys rushed in and began their search. They split into different sections to find the toys they liked.


    Chloe approached Vernon and gently hugged his arm, "You''ve done great, Vernon. I never know that you''re nning to give such a wonderful gift for Mackie and the boys, and yet still teach them the limit of what they can get and to share with others in need."


    Vernon looked at the kids who were busy searching for what they wanted to bring home, then he gazed down at Chloe, who rested her head on his bicep, "I''m not the best father in the world, Chloe. I''m not good at taking care of children."


    "But I learned from you," Vernon said. "You told me many things about Mackie and I observed how you raised her to be a good kid. I realized that you need to teach her many things in life so she wouldn''t grow up to be an awful little girl."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You observed me?" Chloe was surprised. Honestly, she never really paid attention to the method she used to raise Mackie. She just did what she usually does to raise a child. It was also the same method she did when raising Vernon back then.


    "Yes," Vernon nodded. "And even though you don''t seem to realize it, you are the reason why I didn''t turn into the second Vincent. You taught me how to be human."


    Chloe looked up, staring at Vernon, who smiled at her with his gentle gaze. She didn''t know that she meant a lot to Vernon.


    Because back then, all she did was raise Vernon right, so he had a normal childhood despite being surrounded by rich yet deranged people.


    "Back then, I truly just wanted to raise you, Vernon. I have no other idea, I swear," Chloe said. She felt guilty whenever she remembered that they had a ten-year gap, and she took care of him when he was young.


    It made her feel like a groomer.


    "I know," Vernon nodded. "I told youst night. I can feel your sincerity, that''s why I fell in love with you, Chloe."


    "I''m just simply admiring your talent to raise a kid," Vernon said. "You''re the woman I need, Chloe. You''re the only woman who can raise me right. You did great raising Mackie despite Vincent''s situation, and I know you will do well raising our children in the future."


    Vernon leaned down and kissed Chloe on the lips. Chloe was stunned at first, but she soon circled her arms around Vernon''s neck and reciprocated the deep kiss, ignoring the kids, who were still busy finding the toys they wanted.


    **


    It took the kids at least an hour until they found five toys they wanted to bring home each. Thus, Vernon told the staff to put their toys in five separate bags and asked, "Okay, the rest of the toys in that shop will be donated to the orphanage. Let''s go home now."


    "Okay!" The kids said in unison. They were so happy with their toys, especially the boys, since they rarely had toys to y with. Chloe checked on Mackie and Aaron specifically because those two were the ones who suffered the most during the series of traumatic and tragic events surrounding them.


    She was relieved to see Mackie and Aaron looking so happy. She liked seeing them acting like a real kid rather than trying to be an adult because it reminded her so much of herself.


    She never had a chance to be a child. She was robbed of a childhood she should have, so she tried so hard to raise Vernon, Mackie, the boys, and her future children with Vernon.


    Seeing them acting like a child made her happy. It made her feel aplished.


    They drove back to the apartment and then returned to the penthouse, where Vernon told Chloe not to cook again and then ordered pizza for everyone for dinner.


    They spent their time together like a big family until it was eight in the evening, and Chloe brought the boys back into their room.

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    ?


    Dorothea opened the door and saw the boys with their bright faces, carrying a bag full of toys each, "Oh my, where did you boys get the toys?" She asked. Though she already guessed where they got those.


    Aaron was the first one to reply, "It''s Uncle! Uncle brought us to a toy shop, and we''re free to take five toys! He is the best!"


    "Yes! I like my toys!"


    "Toys! Toys!"


    "I want to y with my robot!"


    Dorotheaughed heartily, "Alright,e inside and wash yourself, boys, then you can y with your toys, okay?"


    "Okay, Grandma!" The boys replied in unison. They entered their room through the connecting door and began to wash themselves with a hot shower.


    Dorothea and Chloe were still at the door, staring at each other with a smile on their faces, "Thank you for persuading Vernon to bring them as well, Chloe. I know it''s supposed to be Mackie''s only, right?"


    "Initially, yes," Chloe replied. "But it''s not me who persuaded Vernon to bring the boys with us. It''s on Vernon''s own initiative. He''s not good with kids, but he''s trying to be better at it."


    "As he should! He''ll be a father of your child after Mackie, of course he has to be good at it!" Dorothea crossed her arms. "I will scold him if he turns out just like Vincent or Vaughn!"


    Chloe chuckled, "I think he''ll be the most amazing father. He just needs time to learn how to be one."


    "That''s good, at least I have one son that''s actually a decent human," Dorothea said. "Though, he grows up normal because of you, not because of me, hahah!"


    Dorothea tried to mask her sadness with augh, but Chloe knew that she must''ve been heartbroken, "Oh Dorothea, you did great as well."


    "It''s fine, Chloe, no need to sugarcoat it," Dorothea replied. "I know my fault, that''s why I''m actually d that at least one of my sons doesn''t turn out evil. That''s why I''m thankful for you, Chloe."


    Dorothea hugged Chloe and then released it before Chloe could say anything, "Anyway, I will take care of the boys in the shower, making sure they don''t make a mess. You should return to your penthouse."


    Chloe''s smile faded, but she nodded and tried to y it off, "See you tomorrow, Dorothea."


    "See you tomorrow, Chloe."


    Dorothea closed the door and stood in silence for a while.


    She felt terrible about herself because she actually felt jealous of Chloe just now.


    ''I know it''s all my fault, and I''m paying for my mistake in the past,'' Dorothea thought. ''But I can''t lie. I''m so jealous of Chloe. Everything about her seems so perfect, and everyone around her loves her so much.''


    ''Why can''t I be loved? Do I actually matter to anyone in this world?''


    That horrible question popped into Dorothea''s mind, and she quickly shook her head to snap it out.


    ''No, I can''t be jealous of Chloe,'' Dorothea told herself. ''We''re different. I made a lot of mistakes in the past. I beat my own son to unleash my frustration, that''s why he doesn''t want to meet me.''


    ''I could be a better person back then. Just look at Chloe who, doesn''t get angry at Mackie and beat her just because she was frustrated with Vincent,'' Dorothea began toment stuff that happened in the past. She tried hard to get better each day, but today was depressing because she spent Christmas Day alone. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dorothea went to check on the kids, and after making sure they were doing well, she prepared their clothes and returned to the bedroom.


    She sighed and sat at the corner of her bed. The loneliness was eating her from the inside. She was unsure what to do to stop feeling lonely right now.


    Dorothea wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes, then told herself, "I don''t know what to do. Why am I like this? Why can''t I be happy to see Vernon, Chloe, Mackie, and the boys being happy?"


    Deep down, Dorothea knew what could make her happy. She would be more than happy if she was included in their small family. She''d be d even if everybody ignored her.


    She was old, and she wanted nothing but to be happy with a family.


    "I get it, it''s my fault, and nothing will change the fact that I fucked up really bad, especially how horrible I was to Vernon," Dorothea said while wiping her tears. "But how am I supposed to get forgiveness if he doesn''t even want to see my face?"


    Despite all the sadness in her, Dorothea refused to return to that life full of drugs and alcohol just to numb herself. She had gotten all the things she wanted thanks to Chloe''s effort.


    She wasn''t this sad usually.


    It was just because it was Christmas, and she spent it alone. So she felt like the loneliest person on earth.


    Dorothea sobbed alone in her room when she suddenly heard a message notification from her phone.


    She thought it was from Chloe, but then she saw a number that hadn''t been registered in her contact.


    Thus, Dorothea read it because she got curious.


    ¡ª


    Merry Christmas, Dorothea.


    - Vernon.


    ¡ª


    Dorothea''s eyes widened. She thought she read it wrong. She quickly grabbed her reading sses to ensure she didn''t make a mistake, even though it was just three words with a name at the bottom.


    But she wasn''t mistaken.


    It was Vernon who texted him!


    Dorothea''s hands trembled. She almost lost her grip because she didn''t know how to react upon knowing that her son, the son she abused, was kind enough to text her.


    Dorothea''s eyes began to pool with tears again until she couldn''t hold her cries anymore.


    She was crying, but it was a cry of joy.


    "I''m notpletely hopeless. At least, there is still a chance for me to get Vernon''s forgiveness and have my own happiness before I die."

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    ?


    "Done," Vernon said as he sent the text. He looked at Chloe, who continued to shed tears nonstop even though he already did what she had asked. "I''ve done what you want, though I don''t think something as simple as this would change a thing about Dorothea."


    Chloe continued to shed tears. She quickly jumped to hug Vernon after he said that he had done sending a text to Dorothea.


    "Thank you so much, Vernon," Chloe murmured in her hoarse voice. "I''m sorry for forcing you to send a text to Dorothea. But I see a deep sadness in her. I know it''s her fault, and she deserves everything she experienced right now, but this is the least I could do so her Christmas wouldn''t be so tragic.


    Vernon patted Chloe''s head gently. He didn''t know what image she had about him in her head, but¡­


    "I''m not that vile, Chloe," Vernon said. "I don''t n to integrate her into our small family anytime soon, but that doesn''t mean I won''t be able to send a single text to her."


    "But you didn''t n to text her until I beg you like this¡­" Chloe said. She felt extremely guilty for forcing Vernon again but couldn''t let Dorothea cry on Christmas night.


    Vernon sighed. He patted Chloe''s shoulder silently.


    Truthfully, he didn''t n to say Merry Christmas to Dorothea. That old woman was simply out of his mind right after he took the kids to the toy store.


    He was filled with so much joy that he simply forgot about Dorothea until Chloe returned with tears on his face, crying, saying that she felt so guilty because Dorothea was so lonely.


    ''Chloe is so soft hearted¡­'' Vernon thought while patting Chloe''s back. ''She can sense someone else''s pain, and even though it''s not her responsibility to do anything, she''d still find a way to help that person.''


    ''What should I do with you, Chloe? You''re so vulnerable, you''re too kind to a fault,'' Vernon thought. ''But I don''t think I would fall in love with you if you don''t have that trait. I''ve been a damaged man since I was young, I wouldn''t be able to grow up normal if you hadn''te into my life.''


    "It''s fine, Chloe," Vernon said as he tried to pacify the woman in his embrace. "I know that you mean well. I won''t get hurt just because of a single chat."


    Chloe nodded. She buried her face in Vernon''s chest, "You''re an amazing man, Vernon. You did so much just to make me happy, even for something you don''t like to do."


    Vernon smiled. He knew he might''ve tolerated her plenty of times and wouldn''t lie that he sometimes got too annoyed because Chloe could get extremely stubborn.


    She could be rash and pushy, but s, Vernon knew that she did it with good intentions for him. She wanted the best for Vernon, for their small family.


    Vernon embraced Chloe in silence for a while until she pushed herself out of his embrace and looked up at him, "Um, I think this should be the right moment for me to show you the gift I''ve prepared."


    "A gift?" Vernon raised his brow. Though he already guessed that Chloe must''ve been hiding his gift somewhere in his room, he still acted surprised. After all, it was part of the fun, "What kind of gift do you have for me?"


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened. She looked to her left and right, ensuring Mackie wasn''t lurking around. She then asked, "Mackie is already downstairs, right?"


    "Well¡­" Vernon checked the clock on the wall. "It''s alreadyte at night, and Mackie is pretty exhausted after a long Christmas day, so yes, she is currently sleeping in her bed downstairs and probably wouldn''t wake up until tomorrow morning."


    Chloe swallowed her saliva and nodded, "Okay, I''ll get ready then," Chloe said. "You stay in here and wait until I tell you toe to your room, alright?"


    Vernon raised his brow. He actually got intrigued¡ªexcited even, to see what kind of gift Chloe had for him.


    "Okay then, I''ll be waiting in here, just text me whenever the gift is ready," Vernon said.


    Chloe nodded. She dashed into Vernon''s room and locked it inside. She then began to undress and went to his bathroom for a hot shower because she knew she''d have a long, sweaty night.


    Vernon sat in the living room, waiting for Chloe to be done with whatever she was doing in his room. He couldn''t lie that he was excited to see the ''gift'' he''d receive.


    Of course, he had something in mind, but he dared not to wish.


    He''d be happy with whatever Chloe had for him. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vernon waited for thirty minutes until he got a text from Chloe.


    ¡ª


    From: Wife.


    Turn off the living room''s light, and walk into your room, your gift is ready.


    ¡ª


    Vernon raised his brow. He got excited as he already had plenty of perverted imagery of what Chloe was doing right now in his room. He sprung up from the sofa and turned off the light in the living room. He walked to the bedroom and opened it slowly.


    Vernon could barely see anything as it was pitch dark everywhere.


    But he noticed a beautiful figure on his bed. Sheid sideways, with her hand on her curvy waist. He took a deep breath, his imagination was running wild right now, and his blood instantly rushed to one spot in his body.


    "My handsome man¡­." Chloe''s voice was soft yet seductive. Her voice was a little shaky because she was also very nervous, but that didn''t stop her from delivering her ''gift'' to him. "Would you mind turning the lights on for me? I want you to see the gift I''ve prepared for you," Chloe said.


    Vernon quickly flipped the switch, and in a split second, he got a full view of ''the gift'' Chloe had mentioned just now.


    His breath was taken the moment he saw the woman on his bed. Chloe was wearing nothing but a red ribbon that wrapped around her body nicely, it barely covered her freshly-shaven pussy, and the red ribbon ended on the chest area with a big butterfly ribbon that covered her nipples.


    She was wearing red lipstick matching the red ribbon.


    Her chestnut hair was let loose. It was a bit damp after the bath, giving thatzy yet sexy look on her.


    On top of that, Chloe had sprayed a perfume with a strongvender scent, enhancing that warm, sweet, yetzy scent on her.


    Chloe was like a Christmas gift that fell from the sky andnded on Vernon''s bed, waiting for Vernon to unwrap her so he could get the first taste of the gift he had been waiting for a long time.


    Vernon took a deep breath as he felt he was about to lose control of himself. If he had followed his instinct right now, he''d be pouncing on her and began to ravage Chloe without thinking twice.


    But he knew that Chloe still wanted to go for a little roley, so he grinned and said, "Wow, what do we have here?" Vernon sat at the corner of the bed. He grabbed Chloe''s feet, gently tracing his finger on her smooth ankle, and added, "It seems that I do get my Christmas gift, after all. I thought I''d get coal this year."


    Chloe giggled, "You''ve been a good boy, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Of course you deserve to get your Christmas gift."


    "Really? Then I must be a veeery good boy, because this gift is something that no other boy can get, right?" Vernon asked. He gently lifted her feet a little and kissed the ankle while his hawk-like eyes were still eyeing Chloe''s face.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened instantly as Vernon began tracing his lips from her ankle, leg, and thigh until he stopped on her waist area, where Vernon kept kissing the side of her supple ass cheek and giving it a light bite.


    Chloe''s body trembled with excitement. She tried her best to keep herposure and replied, "Y¡ªYes, no other boy can get this gift. This gift is special only for you, Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    Vernon stopped nibbling on her ass cheeks and replied, "That''s good. I will continue being a good boy every year, so no other boy will be able to taste this gift of mine."


    Vernon gently flipped Chloe until shey on her back. She instinctively mped her thighs because she was embarrassed, but Vernon grabbed her inner thighs and then slowly split her thighs open, giving him a full view of Chloe.


    Her pussy was already wet, proven by the damp red ribbon barely covering the lips. Her chest heaved up and down as Chloe got stimted by his touch.


    Vernon licked his lips as he savored the view of her body, "I wonder which part of you should I taste first, my love."

 Chapter 702 702

    ?


    [Warning: Mature Content]


    [Song Rmendation: Rosenfeld - Do It For Me.]


    "I wonder which part of you I should taste first, my love," Vernon asked.


    Chloe was already feeling the heat all over her body. She carefully held the end of the butterfly ribbon wrapping around her breasts and said, "You can start by unwrapping me. Pull this ribbon, Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    Vernon grinned as he knew what would happen if he did that.


    He reached the end of the ribbon and held it, "You should know Chloe, if I pull this ribbon, you will be minepletely, body and soul."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, "But I''ve been yours all this time, Vernon. What we are waiting for is for you to mark yourself into me. Fuck me until I can only remember the shape of your dick inside me."


    Chloe was so embarrassed as she said those dirty words. She didn''t really like to do dirty talking, but she knew that Vernon LOVED it.


    He was so weak to it, in fact, that any kind of seduction Chloe did to Vernon would be ten times more potent.


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He was at his wit''s end, "I won''t let you take back your words. You are mine, Chloe Phoenix Gray."


    Thus, he pulled the ribbon, and the red ribbon wrapped around Chloe''s body was let loose instantly, ''unwrapping'' the gift he deserved.


    Chloe quickly covered her breasts with one arm out of reflex. Vernon was eyeing her body lecherously as if he couldn''t wait to get a taste of her.


    Chloe couldn''t help but gasp, thinking that she must''ve looked so lewd right now, "S¡ªStop staring at me like that¡­." Chloe murmured.


    "Hm? I''m just enjoying the view of my beautiful woman," Vernon said. He gently caressed Chloe''s stomach, hips, and waist andmented, "You''re healthy now. Look at these nice curves, plump butt, and thighs. I can''t wait to taste, "You''ve got everything I want, Chloe, and I don''t need to be worried about your body anymore, and I think you can finally take my dick inside of you. What do you think?"


    Vernon leaned and kissed Chloe on the lips a few times, "Ah¡ªahh¡ª"


    Chloe moaned sweetly when Vernon fiddled with her nipples while kissing her neck. His hand went down and began to fiddle with her clitoris.


    Vernon used his index and middle finger to pinch her clit, and then began fingering her with two fingers at once.


    "Ah¡ªUhh, I¡ªIt''s hot inside, Vernon¡­." Chloe said. She could feel that her pussy got wetter, which made it even easier for Vernon to thrust his fingers in and out of her pussy.


    Vernon licked his lips. He pulled his fingers out of her pussy and licked it, "Should we go with four fingers now?" Vernon asked.


    Chloe covered her face with her hand as she got too embarrassed, but she gathered her courage to tell him the truth, "C¡ªCan you just hurry up and fuck me instead?"


    "Hm? Why are you so eager today?" Vernon asked.


    "Because I''ve prepared everything," Chloe replied, her voice bing hoarse as she added another sweet seduction for him. "y¡ªyou don''t need to do anything else, just put it inside and fuck me hard. I can''t wait anymore¡­"


    "¡­ fuck, you''re going to turn me insane, Chloe," Vernon was already impatient. Chloe was seriously testing his patience right now.


    He quickly removed his shirt and pulled his jeans until both were naked. His cock was already rock hard, leaking precum from the tip. He stroked it to smear the precum evenly and then rubbed Chloe''s wet pussy lips with his tip a few times.


    Chloe was already at her limit as well. She squirmed ufortably, impatiently waiting for Vernon to insert it.


    But before he did it, he suddenly remembered, "Wait, I need to find a condom," he said.


    He was about to reach the drawer next to the bed, but before he could get up, Chloe suddenly wrapped her legs around his waist, forbidding him to leave.


    Vernon frowned, "Let me use the condom first, love, or else you will get pregnant. I don''t trust my own pull-out game when I''m with you."


    Chloe shook her head, "Y¡ªYou don''t need any condom, and you don''t need to pull out."


    Vernon''s eyes widened, he leaned onto her until their faces were so close to each other, and the tip of his dick was ready to enter her pussy, "You¡ªYou know that you will get pregnant if we did it without a condom, right?"


    "Mhm¡­" Chloe nodded weakly. "I¡ªI want you, Vernon. I want everything about you, and I¡­ I want to bear your child as well. Please knock me up with your baby."


    Vernon''s heartbeat skipped for a second. He slowly entered Chloe''s pussy until his bulbous tip was inside her warm passage.


    "Ah! Ahnn!" Chloe moaned involuntarily as his bulbous tip entered her. She longed for his dick for a long time, and now that the tip was inside her, she felt slight pain but also crazy arousal. She wanted him to fuck her deeper.


    There were veins popping on his temples as Vernon was holding back so much, "Are you sure about this?" He asked for thest time.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "If I bear your baby, can you¡­ marry me before the baby is born?" Chloe requested.


    "Nine months from now?" Vernon asked, and Chloe nodded. Vernon chuckled as he found that funny, "Do you think I can wait for nine months? I will marry you as soon as I can kick that bastard Vincent out of your lifepletely."


    "Three months," Vernon imed. "I will marry you in three months, and I won''t take no as an answer once I propose."


    Chloe opened her arms and hugged Vernon''s back. She then whispered, "Then make me pregnant, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I can''t wait to be your wife."


    Thatst sentence was thest straw for Vernon. He finally lost all of his self-control and slowly thrust his hard dick inside Chloe''s pussy until she swallowed everything.


    "Mmh¡ªAhhhhh!" Chloe''s eyes widened as she screamed. She felt Vernon''s thick and long dick fill her inside until there was no gap and pierced her stomach.


    She had never experienced such strange yet addicting pleasure as his dickpletely filled her. In a way, Vernon was her first time because Vincent''s dick was only the size of Vernon''s two fingers.


    "Urgh! You''re so fucking tight!" Vernon cursed as he felt his dick was squeezed inside her. He checked on her and waited until Chloe had recovered from the shock of the first thrust.


    Then he made a slow thrust in and out of her pussy while they made eye contact. Never had he expected that his only wet dream since he was young would finallye true.


    He was fucking Chloe, his Chloe Phoenix Gray.


    The woman he had always loved and obsessed with.


    "Ah! Ahh! Ahhh! V¡ªVernon¡ªVernon!" Chloe looked at him urgently, scratching Vernon''s back with her nails.


    Vernon stared at her unblinkingly. he began to sweat as he continued making that slow thrust inside her, "You want me to get slower?"


    "No, ummhh! F¡ªfaster, fuck me harder!"


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He was trying to be gentle because his size wasn''t something a woman could easily amodate. But it seemed that both of them were already consumed by lust to the point that they didn''t even care anymore.


    So he quickened his thrust, in and out of her pussy.


    Chloe moaned so loud that her voice echoed inside his room.


    "Ah! Ahh! Hnggghhh!"


    Squirt! Squirt! Squirt!


    Chloe squirted as Vernon was still fucking her mercilessly. Her juice spattered and wetted his hips and thighs. She dug her nails into Vernon''s back as she was on cloud nine.


    She thought that Vernon would cum anytime soon, but she was wrong.


    Hested so long that she was already on her third orgasm, yet he was still fucking her nonstop.


    "V¡ªVernon, please¡ªI can''t hold it anymore! Please cum already!" Chloe yelled desperately as she felt she might die if Vernon didn''t stop anytime soon.


    Vernon was also at his limit. He kissed Chloe''s lips and then hastened his thrust even more, "Fuck! Cumming! I''m cumming! ARGH!"


    Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!


    Chloe''s mouth opened, but no sound came out of her voice as she already screamed and moaned too much. She could feel his hot cum hitting her inside, washing her vagina with hot semen.


    Vernon''s dick twitched and shot his thick cum at least eight times inside her before he dropped his body on top of Chloe. He used his arm to support himself, so he wouldn''t put his weight on Chloe and identally suffocate her.


    His dick was still inside, and he was still rock hard.


    "Uh¡­ uhh¡­" Chloe whimpered. "V¡ªVernon, you should pull out."


    "No, I don''t want to," Vernon refused. "You feel so hot inside, Chloe."


    "B¡ªBut¡­"


    "Don''t worry, I know you''re exhausted. I wont do anything," Vernon assured. "I just want to make sure that you''re pregnant, that''s why I''ll stuff it inside you for the rest of the night."

 Chapter 703 703

    ?


    Vincent was sitting in his home office, drinking bourbon as he spent Christmas Eve watching the garden that had been lit with brightmps all around for that spirit of Christmas.


    He sighed and drank a big gulp of the bourbon straight from the bottle before throwing the nearly empty bottle to the floor.


    His face had gotten reddish as he drank the whole bottle all by himself.


    He wanted to warm himself on this cold and lonely night, but the drunker he got, the lonelier he felt.


    And as he got lonelier, only one person was lingering in his mind right now.


    "Chloe¡­" Vincent murmured his wife''s name, the official one he married ten years ago.


    He had a lot of memories of Chloe. They dated since high school.


    Chloe was admitted through a schrship because of her brilliance. His school was filled with the elites, yet Chloe wasn''t intimidated at all.


    She just showed her most genuine self, admitting that she got a schrship and she wasn''t as well-off as the other high school students. So she couldn''t hang out with the rest of them outside of school or do extracurricr activities because she had part-time to do.


    She was naturally beautiful and popr. She hung out with even the mean girls without a problem at all. She was just THAT likable and charming.


    Vincent was one of the most popr guys in high school. He wasn''t the one who would sway over beauty since he had seen so many beauties in his life.


    Yet, Chloe was different.


    He was interested in her the moment he saw her smile as she chatted with her friends on the school grounds, and the more he learned about her, the more interested he got.


    He knew he had a lot ofpetition since Chloe was very popr, but he was a man who liked the thrill of the chase, and the moment he got her, he felt that he was the luckiest man on earth.


    They became a school couple, and they were really popr.


    Vincent had to admit back then. He really thought that they would stay together forever.


    But as they graduated from high school and got to the same university, Vincent realized that Chloe''s charm was just too much.


    She was very popr, and if she wanted to cheat on Vincent, she''d be able to find a man in less than a minute since she got so many admirers. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He feared that Chloe would leave him as she began to feel like Vincent was inadequate for someone as beautiful and brilliant as him. That insecurity led him to marry Chloe when they were 25 years old, a young age to marry for a man like Vincent.


    But he did it because he wanted to trap Chloe into a marriage, so she wouldn''t dare to cheat on him.


    But on that day during their wedding ceremony, Chloe looked absolutely stunning. She was so beautiful that she didn''t only captivate Vincent but also every man in the venue.


    From then on, he realized he had to knock the bright light out of her. He knew that Chloe leaving him was inevitable. She would find a better man out there because she''d continue to seduce men even if she didn''t mean to.


    "Chloe¡­ don''t you realize that the humiliation, pain, physical abuse, and gaslighting were all because I love you?" Vincent murmured. "I love you so much, that''s why I don''t want you to leave. I know that a woman like you must be unfaithful because you''ll think that you''re too good for me. That''s why I want to make you an obedient woman."


    "But in the end, my father was right," Vincent gritted his teeth. "No matter how hard I try to stop you from leaving, you''ll still leave me. Once a bitch, always a bitch."


    Vincent clenched his fists. The more he imagined Chloe under a man other than him, the more pissed off he got.


    "See what happened when I gave you enough time. You started being ungrateful and attacked me with rumors. You''re truly a cruel woman, Chloe," Vincent said.


    Vincent walked out of his home office and went to his master bedroom. He sat on the same bed where he usually saw Chloe curled up, with her trembling body as she had experienced plenty of shocks from physical and emotional abuse, sometimes even both.


    Vincent didn''t like hurting his wife, but each time he saw a bit of hope in Chloe''s eyes, he''d turn paranoid instantly.


    He began to imagine if Chloe was secretly fucking anyone without him knowing. His paranoia turned awful to the point that he reced all of the workers in their mansion to be female-only so that Chloe would have no chance of an affair.


    He made sure to track Chloe''s activity every day, ensuring she didn''t run off with another man. He also tracked Chloe''s spending, ensuring she stayed poor despite being married to him, so she would know her ce as a woman taken from a poor living condition by a generous man like Vincent.


    Vincent scoffed, "Even all that still doesn''t stop you from running away and cheating on me. You called me a cheater, evil bastard, jerk, asshole. Yet you''re the bitch who cheated on her own husband, you have no loyalty, Chloe Gray."


    Vincent got up and stared out the window.


    The huge pine tree had been erected in the garden and decorated with Christmas ornaments and colorful lights. It looked beautiful, but Vincent felt nothing but numbness.


    Usually, he would be celebrating Christmas today with many of his business partners. They would surround him and fawn him over all of his achievements. Sometimes he''d engage with a kiss or even more with a few of the female guests. Christmas would be a lively party for him, but not for Chloe and Mackie.


    He kept them locked in either the Master bedroom or in Mackie''s room, making sure that the public didn''t see them because he just knew that 90% of the men in his party would be coveting his wife.

 Chapter 704 704

    ?


    "I did everything to protect them, especially to protect you, Chloe. I don''t want you to get stolen away from me. But after all of my hard work, you just decide to ditch our ten years of marriage just because of what¡ªbecause I missed Mackie''s birthday?"


    "Ohe on, Chloe, you know that child is not that important. She''s a girl, she won''t even be as good as me," Vincentined. "Why are you leaving me because of a kid that I don''t even want?"


    Honestly, Vincent was also unsure of his feelings for Mackie.


    He didn''t hate her daughter. In fact, he would admit that he was a bit fond of her because her eyes reminded him of Chloe.


    But he also had no familial feelings for Mackie simply because he was a girl, and no girl would be as good as him.


    "Maybe I can call myself indifferent," Vincent murmured. "I don''t really care about that little girl, but I still treat her well because I don''t need to be harsh on her like I was harsh on Chloe."


    "Well, for now. Maybe I would be harsh on Mackie as she grew older, because she''s a woman that came out of a whore''s belly. Mackie might be a whore just like her mother."


    Vincent felt no way Chloe would leave him because of Mackie.


    "She must''ve been in contact with that man for a while, then used Mackie as a reason to leave me and go with her new boyfriend instead," Vincent used. "As expected, I''m still the better one in our rtionship. At least I don''t cheat behind her back."


    Vincent returned to the bed, thinking of Chloe, that probably spent the night fucking whoever man she stayed with right now. His heart ached whenever he imagined, "Look at what you did to me, Chloe. You made me feel lonely because of your cheating. Do you not have any conscience for your own husband? Why would you hurt me like this?"


    He felt so lonely tonight.


    He couldn''t throw a Christmas party because of the bad press about him. Everyone ndered him on national television and on the inte. Many of his then-loyal business partners turned their backs on him because they were a bunch of ungrateful shits who couldn''t stay loyal just because he had a little problem.


    "You caused my pain, Chloe. After everything I''ve done for you. You returned my kindness and love with pain."


    **


    Chloe woke up the next morning feeling hammered all over her body. She was being embraced by none other than Vernon after they had an amazing night together.


    She looked down and noticed that Vernon wasn''t kidding when he said he would stuff his dick inside of her for the whole night to ensure that Chloe would be pregnant with her baby.


    Chloe tried to wiggle her way to escape Vernon''s big and thick cock, but it was useless.


    The more she wiggled her way out, the deeper his dick went in.


    In fact, her action only seduced Vernon even further.


    The man woke up and peered suspiciously at Chloe. He feltfortable as his morning wood was warmly squeezed inside her pussy, "Good morning, Love," Vernon greeted as if it was just a normal morning. "Yesterday was amazing, do you want to do it again?"


    "N¡ªNo, I''m too tired," Chloe refused. She tried to wiggle her way out again, but it incited Vernon even more. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Then why are you moving your hips? Hmm?" Vernon made a few light thrusts inside her pussy, wanting to do more. "Don''t worry, I still have plenty of semen in me after a good night''s rest."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, and she weakly hit Vernon''s chest, though for the man, it felt like a tickle instead, "R¡ªRelease me now, Vernon. I don''t want to do it anymore. You''re going to break my hips. Howe you couldst so long?"


    Vernon raised his brow, "Do you think I won''tst that long?"


    "W¡ªWell, you didn''tst that long when I gave you a head in your office that time," Chloe said, recalling their first time together.


    Vernon chuckled, "I can hold much longer, but I don''t feel like it because I know your mouth will be sore if I take too long."


    "And you think my hips won''t get disced after you did me crazilyst night?"


    "Well, it seems that you''re perfectly healthy today, maybe just a little exhausted, but you should be well rested enough, right?" Vernon asked. "After all, you''re the one who fell asleep firstst night."


    "So, how about it? Do you want to do it again this morning?"


    Chloe gulped.


    She had to admit that she felt so good down there. Vernon''s throbbing cock made it even better. It helped her recall the crazy pleasure as Vernon pounded her mercilesslyst night.


    But before she could say yes, they suddenly heard a little girl''s voice outside, "MOMMY, CAN WE EAT BREAKFAST NOW? I''M STARVING!"


    Chloe quickly checked the clock, and her eyes widened. Both of them woke up at nine. Her daughter must''ve been very hungry by now.


    "Okay, release me now, Vernon. I need to take care of our daughter."


    Vernon clicked his tongue. He helplessly pulled his dick out, and it was still wet from the mix of Chloe''s juice and his precum, "You can go out first, I''m going to rest."


    Chloe nodded. She covered Vernon''s half body with a nket, ensuring Mackie wouldn''t identally see something that''d taint her eyes forever, and then wore her pajama.


    She went to the bathroom to wash her face and met with her daughter.


    Chloe slowly opened the door and peeked at Mackie, who was standing in front of the door while holding her stomach, "Mommy, can we eat breakfast now? I''m so hungry¡­"


    "O¡ªOkay, dear, just go to the kitchen first, I''ll go out and follow you."


    Mackie nodded, but before she went to the kitchen, she asked, "Mommy, what were you doing with Unclest night?"

 Chapter 705 705

    ?


    "Mommy, what were you doing with Unclest night?" Mackie asked innocently.


    "Ah¡ªuh¡­ we did nothing, dear," Chloe replied as she lied through her teeth. "We fell asleep immediately. We are both exhausted."


    "Then why were you screamingst night, Mommy?" Mackie asked.


    "Screaming?" Chloe''s eyes widened. She wondered how Mackie could hear her scream when she was supposed to be sleepingst night. There was no way that Mackie would wake up because of her because she was in Vernon''s room while Mackie was sleeping peacefully in her room downstairs.


    "Un," Mackie nodded. "I got thirstyst night, so I went to the kitchen to get some water. But when I went upstairs, I heard that you were screaming, and then calling Uncle''s name so many times, and then screamed again."


    "I got worried. I thought Uncle is hurting you, Mommy," Mackie said. "But then I believe that Uncle will never hurt you, right? He''s not like Daddy¡­."


    Chloe gulped. It seemed that Vernon had closed the doorpletely before they did itst night. Could it be that she screamed too loudlyst night?


    ''I will make sure to hold my voice next time,'' Chloe told herself. "Or maybe I will ask Vernon to set up soundproofing in his room, so we can scream all night without the kids knowingter."


    "W¡ªWell, he doesn''t hurt me at all," Chloe confirmed that one, ensuring her daughter wouldn''t get a wrong view of her Uncle and soon-to-be father. "It''s uh¡­ Mommy identally tripped and fell on my knee. I screamed because it hurt so much, so I called your Uncle''s name so he would wake up to help me."


    "Is that so?" Mackie tilted her head.


    "Y¡ªYeah, but Mommy is fine, dear. Your Uncle uh¡­ he helped mest night."


    "Okay then!" Mackie quickly let go of her worries. Honestly, Mommy often lied to her to cover up for all the wounds her Daddy had inflicted back when they still lived in the mansion.


    But Mackie was convinced that Mommy was alright because there was no wound on her body, and her eyes weren''t red and puffy because of crying too!


    ''Mmm¡­ but why does Mommy''s face always look so red when she''s sleeping with Uncle?'' Mackie wondered. But her mind was soon distracted when Chloe left the bedroom and went to the kitchen to cook breakfast. She was so hungry and couldn''t wait to eat breakfast with Mommy and Uncle!


    Vernon finally walked out of his bedroom, only wearing boxers, about thirty minutester, right after Chloe finished making breakfast for them.


    She made a full English breakfast for them and added twice the portion for Vernon because he needed to replenish his energy after their vigorous activityst night.


    Vernon sat beside Mackie, ruffling the little girl''s hair, and said, "Morning, Little Wolf."


    Mackie looked up at her Uncle and asked, "Uncle, thank you for taking care of Mommyst night."


    Vernon nced at Chloe. His brow raised as he didn''t want to identally say the wrong thing to his daughter, "Oh yeah? Do you know what I did to your Mommyst night?"


    "Un! I heard Mommy''s scream, and then called your name many times before screaming again," Mackie said innocently. "Mommy told me that you helped herst night because she tripped and hurt her knee. So she called your name because she needed help."


    Vernon grinned when he heard the exnation from Mackie. He stared at Chloe, and his grin grew even wider, "I definitely patched her up real goodst night."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, and she tried to busy herself by eating her fill so that she could ignore these two.


    Vernon sat while drinking a hot morning coffee right after finishing his breakfast. He sat right next to Mackie on the sofa in the living room, watching Spongebob Squarepants together just like usual.


    Theyughed each time there was a funny scene, and after the show ended, Mackie asked, "Uncle, do you know that my cafeteria is all yellow? The table, chair, and even the food tray is yellow! It''s so cute!"


    "Oh? So that makes you happy?"


    "Of course!" Mackie nodded. "If only Aaron was in the same school as me, I''d be happy to show him the cafeteria. Because he also loves yellow!"


    Vernon smiled and patted Mackie''s head, "Sure, let me enroll him in your schoolter. But you must promise that you will keep your grade, or else I will send Aaron to another school instead."


    Mackie''s face changed from excited to terrified instantly. She shook her head as she didn''t want Aaron to be enrolled in another school and would get himself bullied again, "I promise that I will be good! I will be the best in the ss, don''t worry!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe chuckled.


    Mackie was exceptionally smart because Chloe was basically her private tutor ever since she was in kindergarten.


    So Mackie was already at least one step smarter than the rest of the ss. Even at such a young age, she already knew how to multiply up to one hundred because Chloe taught her patiently.


    And also, because Mackie had a good gene.


    Chloe remembered about Vernon when she first helped Vernon to do his homework when he was Mackie''s age.


    Vincent and everyone in the mansionined, saying that Vernon was too stupid. He couldn''t even do simple addition and subtraction.


    But when Chloe tried to help him, she soon realized Vernon was not stupid.


    In fact, he was very smart for his age despite not being taught by any tutor.


    He could do addition, subtraction, and even multiply up to one hundred.


    He could also read and write well and could spell many difficult words, which is everything that Mackie could do right now.


    The only reason why he didn''t do any of his homework was because he didn''t feel like it. Though, based on his words back then, it seemed that it was more because of Vincent.


    Chloe realized that Vincent had a sense of hostility and rivalry with his little brother, so whenever Vernon did well in school, Vincent''s mood would turn sour.


    ''I guess he doesn''t want to be seen as a threat by his big brother, that''s why he doesn''t try to look excellent,'' Chloe theorized.


    Vernon looked at Chloe, who brought them a cake from yesterday as a dessert, and then asked, "The rest of the boys should be of age for kindergarten and preschool, right?"


    "Mhm," Chloe nodded. "But they weren''t put in any of those. You know¡ª" Chloe nced at Mackie, not wanting her daughter to know about Chelsea''s horrible behavior.


    Chelsea had the money to put her kids to preschool and kindergarten because Chloe always said that she would definitely help if it were for the children''s education.


    Chelsea took the money from her, yet she didn''t enroll any of her sons in kindergarten or preschool.


    "Then I will enroll them as well, they need a proper education, so they won''t be left behind when they enter primary school."


    Chloe couldn''t believe that Vernon would be so kind to take the initiative to enroll the boys without her begging. It seemed that he was in such a good mood today, and she had a guess of what made him so happy.


    ''Don''t tell me he is in such a crazy good mood just because we had sexst night?'' Chloe wondered. I mean, I allowed him to fuck mest night because he deserved it, and I''m not satisfied getting fingered each time. I want the real thing too.''


    ''But if simple sex actually puts him in such an amazing mood, then I guess I should let him do it often,'' Chloe thought. ''Men are such simple creatures. But howe Vincent and Vernon are so different?''


    Vernon got up from the sofa and said, "Alright, I''ll have to get up and prepare myself to work. I have a lot to do today."


    "Ah? You''re working today?" Chloe asked. "But it''s just a day after Christmas, you should get more rest!"


    "Well, there are lots to do," Vernon replied. "I have a lot of trade deals, mostly export and import. The advertisement branch is also busy because there are a lot of ad deals during Christmas and New Year."


    "Then let me pack your lunch. I will ask the¡ªthe driver to send it to you," Chloe almost mentioned Meyer, the driver''s name. But she remembered how strict Vernon was with the man around her and how easily he got jealous.


    He wouldn''t do anything to her, but he would probably give Meyer a hell or even fire him because Meyer dared to give his name to her.


    Chloe didn''t want to fire a hard-working, honest man. So she had learned how not to press Vernon''s red button and what to do tofort him in case she identally made him jealous or mad so that they could live in peace and harmony.

 Chapter 706 706

    ?


    To some extent, Chloe realized that Vernon and Vincent were simr.


    They got jealous easily, and they were both extremely controlling and possessive.


    They wouldn''t rest until they made sure they knew whatever Chloe was doing, even if it was something as simple as grocery shopping.


    Chloe tried to stop this habit on Vernon at first. She wanted to teach Vernon how to be less possessive.


    In fact, Chloe talked about it many times, and even though Vernon always said yes to everything he said, he''d return to his old habit of getting jealous over the smallest thing.


    ''I guess it''s a family trait at this point,'' Chloe thought. ''But it''s okay. At least I''m assured that no matter how jealous or angry Vernon was, he would never hurt me.''


    It was the real difference between Vernon and Vincent.


    Vincent unleashed everything on her, tormenting, taunting, humiliating, and abusing Chloe to no end whenever he was angry or annoyed.


    But Vernon usually unleashed it at the other party involved with Chloe, or as Diamond usually said.


    ¡ª


    ''Whenever Mr. Phoenix Gray got so jealous or angry of whatever you''re doing. He would work ten times harder, and would turn into an iron fist tyrant that would tell me to do so many things at once. He bes a crazy workaholic.''


    ''So please, Girl. Why don''t you try to make him less angry, so I won''t suffer in the office, okay?''


    ¡ª


    Chloe chuckled, ''Well, I guess I can do that much. It''s not like I''m going to abandon this good life that I have with Mackie and Vernon.''


    Mackie already went downstairs because she still had a few winter break assignments she had to do. Meanwhile, Chloe sat patiently in the living room, waiting for Vernon to get ready for work.


    "I''m going to the office now, darling," Vernon said as he fixed his tie. "Don''t worry, I will be home before dinner, so we can eat together today."


    Chloe got up from the sofa and approached Vernon. She handed him a box for lunch and said, "It''s almost noon already, I can''t cook so much for such a short time, so this lunch box is the only one I cane up with for you."


    Vernon smiled. He took the lunch box from Chloe''s hand and leaned down to kiss her cheek, "Everything that you make will always taste good. I can''t wait to meet you again after my work''s done."


    Chloe giggled. She tiptoed and kissed Vernon on the lips, "I can''t wait to meet you too. Please don''t overwork yourself, and you should take a quick rest if you''re too exhausted, okay?"


    "Mhm," Vernon nodded. "I will return before dinner."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Thus, Chloe followed Vernon until he entered the elevator and went down. She was happy with her current life with him and wished to spend the rest of her life with Vernon.


    "But I can''t do that," Chloe murmured. "I won''t be able to have a happy life with Vernon, not until we can take down that bastard Vincent."


    Chloe''s doe eyes turned sharp as she thought of a way to help Vernon kick Vincent out of their livespletely. She knew she couldn''t go to a divorce court right now and demand her right. Vincent would just suppress her by bribing the judges.


    She had to make sure he had no more power to do anything, and all he could do was ept the divorce.


    "And after that, I will truly gain my freedom," Chloe muttered. "I can live a normal life with the man I truly love and the daughter that I treasure."


    **


    Vernon entered the office in a good mood today. Diamond arrived about an hour earlier, and once she saw the permanent smile on her Boss''s face, she realized he must''ve hit itst night.


    "You seem to be very happy, Sir. Did something happen?" Diamond asked, teasing Vernon.


    "Yeah, something amazing happenedst night," Vernon replied truthfully. "You might see the little version of me soon, running around in the office, probably making a mess as well."


    Diamond was surprised by the fact that her Boss had already talked about having a child, "Boss, don''t you use¡­ you know¡­ condom, or at least did you pull it out before that?"


    "No," Vernon replied. "I was about to use a condom, but Chloe said that she wants to bear my baby. How could I refuse that invitation?"


    Vernon told his story proudly in front of Diamond, whom he already saw as a good friend at this point, "So we went all in, and since both of us are still very fertile, I think it won''t be long for her to get pregnant with my baby."


    "But, what if she got pregnant too early, Sir?" Diamond asked. "Surely, you don''t want the baby to be born before you two get married, right?"


    "I already told Chloe that I will marry her in at least three months from now," Vernon said. "That''s why, we should work hard, Diamond. We have to make sure that everything is perfect so we can take down Vincent as soon as possible, and Chloe would get the divorce without any meaningful struggle from Vincent."


    Diamond nodded, "Sure thing, Sir. I can''t wait to attend your wedding with Chloe as well. I already brought the purple dress for the wedding, I can''t wait to wear it!"


    Vernon chuckled, "Okay, is there any update about the cremation?" Vernon asked. He couldn''t wait to get his hands on Maria''s ashes.


    He believed that old bitch deserved a worse death than just getting strangled, probably a torture thatsted for days until she couldn''t endure it anymore and died a slow and painful death.


    He wasn''t this cruel usually, but Maria was simply a monster in human clothing. She was cruel and unfeeling, with a twisted faith in Vaughn and Vincent.


    But at least he could get revenge on her by getting her ash. That bitch didn''t deserve a proper funeral for all the heinous things she did.

 Chapter 707 707

    ?


    "I''ve negotiated about the cremation process, Sir," Diamond said. "We should be able to get the urn of Judith and Maria right after New Year. Though, I won''t call Maria''s urn as ''urn'' because I specifically told the staff to put her ashes in a bottle brought from a dor store."


    "But Judith will get a proper urn, right?" Vernon asked. He was worried that Diamond had forgotten about Judith. Though Judith and Chloe''s rtionship was estranged after Chloe left Vincent, her death was devastating enough to almost put Chloe in a spiral of depression.


    "Don''t worry, Sir. I already made sure that Judith got a proper urn and also a death certificate, so Chloe wouldn''t feel so sad about her mother." Diamond said. "By the way, I put her death certificate as a heart attack instead of bleeding to death. I just want to make it less gruesome, who knows Mackie might want to see itter."


    Vernon nodded and thanked Diamond, "What about Vincent''s meeting with his shareholders? What did he say to all of them?"


    Diamond grinned, "He told his major shareholders that he will hold a press conference to clear up misunderstandings, but he will do it around January 10th to see if the rumor will die down before he has to do a press conference or not."


    "Then we should do something to sabotage that," Vernon said. "Though the rumors that are currently circting in the inte are all enough to destabilize hispany, we also have to make sure that Vincent has no way to recover from the damage."


    "Understood, Sir. I will find a way to sabotage the press conference," Diamond said. "Now we only have two more things to handle. First is the problem with Chelsea."


    "Chelsea?"


    "Yes, her trial will start in February. Do you want me to do something to make it even more difficult for her to get out of the heaviest verdict?" Diamond said. "I mean, the lightest verdict she can get is a mental asylum, since the judge might rule the murder that shemitted as insanity."


    "Don''t let her have that," Vernon said. "I don''t really care about her, but don''t let her enter the mental asylum. That would be unsatisfying for Chloe, it will disappoint her knowing that the woman who killed her mother and almost killed her four nephews is still able to livefortably."


    "Understood, Sir," Diamond nodded. "I can''t do something as risky as a bribe. But I can make sure that she gets the worst defense attorney possible so she will rot in jail. Don''t worry, I will make sure that she will never be able to get out of that jail."


    Diamond implied something heinous, and Vernon understood what she meant. Diamond might be young, but she had a lot of connections by herself, so he didn''t need to do much except by giving her instruction.


    "Do that, make sure that Chelsea will never be able to get out of prison," Vernon instructed.


    "Okay, for thest one," Diamond checked her phone again to make sure that she wasn''t mistaken. "It''s about Chelsea''s husband, Sir. Thomas Davis. He''s currently living afortable life with the easy job that you gave to him. He doesn''t seem to be bothered by what happened with his family. Do you want me to do something to him, Sir?"


    "Hmm, what about the woman he had groomed before? The woman who told you about the case, is she still with Tommy?"


    "Tommy already cut contact with that woman, Sir. I don''t know the whereabouts of that woman," Diamond reported. "But based on the surveince that we put on him, I got a report that he is currently dating a sixteen years old girl."


    "Sixteen?" Vernon frowned. "I guess old habits die hard. He''s a pedophile, of course he will stay as a pedophile for a long time."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You can''t really change someone''s sexual preference, Sir," Diamond said. "So maybe we should do something to this bastard before he finds another minor."


    "True, I also want to see him suffering," Vernon agreed. "How about we finish him off as soon as possible. He''s already feelingfortable with the easy job with high payment that I gave him. It''s time to drag him down to hell."


    Vernon and Diamond shared the same malicious idea as they were thinking of a way to destroy Tommy.


    With this, they would weed out the trash that ruined Chloe''s life one by one.


    ****


    "Ah, this job is really easy," Tommy said as he had just finished his work today. A startuppany hired him as a second admin, but really, all he had to do was to copy the documents given by the first admin and hand them back to her.


    The HR department told him that if anyone in thepany asked him about his sry, he should say he got paid half, around 450 dors a week or 1800 dors a month.


    But he got paid roughly fifteen thousand dors a month, and all he had to do was copy documents.


    It was fantastic indeed, he didn''t need to stress out about finding work, and now that he had left his family, he didn''t need to be burdened by his sons.


    ''Well, I deserve a fresh start,'' Tommy thought. ''I''ve been enduring Chelsea''s bullshit for more than eight years. She often yelled at me for being unemployed for a long time.''


    ''But look at me now, I have a great job, and I don''t need to worry about Chelsea and those four little shits anymore,'' Tommy thought.


    Of course, he already knew about the news that Chelsea murdered her old mother because of her mad love for Vincent Gray. Many people were discussing that rumor but Tommy?


    ''Hah, do you think I will actually believe that bullshit?'' Tommy sneered. ''I know that Chelsea has always been obsessed with Vincent Gray even before we got married. But that man is too high for her to reach.''


    Thus, he came up with his own idea.


    ''She probably went insane after I left her and murdered her mother out of an argument,'' Tommy thought. Luckily, I left my family before that crazy bitch turned against me. Good grief.''

 Chapter 708 708

    ?


    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    Tommy also heard that Chelsea almost murdered their sons. Her crime was so heinous that everyone on the inte condemned her, and also Vincent Gray, because the rumors about him grew until they became somewhat of nder.


    ''Hmm, from what I remember about Vincent Gray. That man is a great man,'' Tommy recalled. ''He is too good for Chloe, let alone Chelsea.''


    He recalled seeing a few bruises on Chloe''s body that she desperately tried to cover up every time she visited his family. So he already knew that Vincent must''ve been abusing Chloe nonstop.


    Sometimes he also noticed that she was wearing thick makeup to cover up the bruise on her face.


    ''Eh, that''s not really my problem,'' Tommy shrugged. ''I mean, for a poor bitch like Chloe, she should be grateful that Mr. Vincent Gray wants to take her in. She should''ve endured through that beating, so she will be able to keep that title as Mrs. Gray.''


    Tommy leaned on his chair, putting his hand behind his head, and looked to the ceiling. He had nothing to do right now, so he usually yed games or watched movies on his phone.


    But after doing those many times, he also grew bored.


    ''Ah, I want to do something more fun,'' Tommyined. ''My life is so easy these days. So I need something to spice it up a bit.''


    Tommy scrolled through his phone and realized he had broken up with his current girlfriend.


    She was reaching the age of seventeen, an age that Tommy would usually lose his interest in whoever girl he was dating.


    He liked them young, fresh, and preferably hairless. You could say he preferred a lolita, a cute teenage girl, to a fully grown adult woman.b


    ''Well, I broke up with two of them already. I need to find another girl,'' Tommy thought. ''Maybe I should be dating a fourteen year old girl instead. At least she has a shelf life of three to four years before she grows to be another ugly adult woman.''


    Tommy usually found those women on social media, either Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.


    He''d usually do a cover-up as a young, handsome high school boy, wanting to find a girlfriend. He''d usually prey on emotionally vulnerable teenage girls, those that had been bullied awfully, or a girl living in a dysfunctional family.


    Then he would be the sweetest man on earth, making that girl feel special and well cared for.


    He would also send money for the girl to buy something she liked, and after she fell in lovepletely with him, he would reveal his identity. He gave the girl a choice to leave him or stay with him.


    However, there was no way the girl would leave him at that point.


    He had already manipted the emotionally fragile girl to be his girlfriend, submitting to all of his wills. Sometimes they even left their homes and schools just to be with him.


    Of course, he also left them after he grew bored of them. After all, it''d be hard to track him when he had plenty of fake names and addresses, so he could always dump them and leave without repercussions.


    ''Maybe I should look on Twitter this time. They are usually filled with emotionally unstable teenage girls,'' Tommy sneered as he opened Twitter.


    He already made a fake ount with a handsome boy as a profile. He then began to text plenty of girls on Twitter and a few more on Instagram, thinking he would eventually find a perfect girl as his next target.


    He put his phone down as he waited. Usually, it''d take a while for him to start warming up with a girl or two.


    But not this time.


    He suddenly heard a notification from his phone. He checked on it, and his brow raised immediately.


    There was a reply from one of the girls he texted on Instagram, ''Huh, that''s so fast. It usually took me at least the whole day to get any kind of reply. I guess I just got lucky.''


    Tommy checked on the reply, and it was from an ount named Jessica Miller.


    Tommy usually texted so many young girls without looking too much since he didn''t really need to see her appearance.


    He didn''t care if the girl was ugly or not. As long as she was young, it was good enough for him.


    ''Jessica Miller, hmm¡­.'' Tommy scrolled through her Instagram. She had neen posts, mostly about her school life and friends. She was following a hundred ounts and followed by four hundred.


    Tommy checked her profile and was smitten by her appearance.


    "Holy shit¡­" Tommy murmured.


    He knew he told himself that appearance didn''t matter as long as the girl had that youthful teenage look on her.


    But this girl¡ªJessica Miller. She was absolutely gorgeous.


    She had that youthful and cute Lolita beautybined with her blue eyes, blonde eyes, and pearly white skin. She was the true definition of Lolita!


    Tommy swallowed his saliva. He got thirsty just imagining this girl. It looked like she was around thirteen to fourteen years old, probably living in an average middle-ss house.


    She had a sweet smile and big doe eyes that made Tommy excited!


    ''Fuck, I have to get this girl! She looks so young, I bet I can be her first time!'' Tommy hurriedly checked the text from Jessica.


    -


    Troy: Hi.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Jessica: Hello, who are you?


    -


    Tommy grinned. He used the fake name Troy, a handsome teenage boy, a quarterback, and the most popr boy in his school.


    -


    Troy: I''m Troy. I just checked your ount, and¡­ you look cute.


    -


    It wasn''t long before Jessica texted him back, which was a good sign, because that meant she was also into him, and it should be a smooth sailing situation from now on.


    -


    Jessica: LOL! Thank you so much!


    Jessica: My name''s Jessica. I mean, it''s obvious since I put it in my profile. But You can call me Jess.


    Troy: Cool, nice to meet you, Jess.


    Troy: Hey, I know it''s a bit sudden. But I want to ask if I can get your number.


    Jessica: My number?


    Troy: Yeah, it''s more fun to text rather than use Instagram like this, right?


    Troy: Unless you already have a boyfriend.


    Jessica: I mean, sure! I can give you my phone number. It''s xxxxxx


    Jessica: And don''t worry, I don''t have a boyfriend. I just recently broke up with him because he cheated on me. What an asshole.


    -


    Tommy almost screamed out of joy once he got Jessica''s phone number. He was also happy to know that Jessica had recently had a bad breakup with her boyfriend. She should be vulnerable enough so Tommy canfort her and be the new man for her.


    It wasn''t hard for him to make those girls fall in love with himpletely. After all, he could always y it safe, making sure that she feltfortable enough to tell about her family problems with him.


    And once she waspletely vulnerable, he would be the hero who saved the day.


    ''If Jessica stays youthful and cute like this, I might be able to keep her until she is at least twenty years old. Damn, I can''t wait to get my hands on her.''


    Thus, Tommy moved from Instagram to his phone, and he began texting Jessica while free at work.


    -


    Troy: Hi Jess, it''s me, Troy.


    Jessica: Hi! I didn''t know that you''d text me so fast. You sure are eager, huh?


    -


    Tommy frowned. He felt that something was strange with Jessica''sst sentence. It sounded like a mockery to him for being so eager, which was something that most teenage girls wouldn''t do when they got texted by a handsome boy.


    "Ah, it''s probably just my imagination," Tommy tried to ward off his suspicion. He knew that the chance of hitting a girl as cute as Jessica was one in a million, and he didn''t want to fuck this up!


    -


    Troy: Haha, of course. I can''t wait to text you. I mean, you look so cute. I can''t help it.


    Jessica: That''s so sweet. Where do you live, Troy?


    Troy: New York. How about you? Though I don''t mind if you live far away, we can always meet as long as it''s still in the US!


    Jessica: What a coincidence. I live in New York too!


    -


    "Goddamn! What kind of luck do I get in here?" Tommy was so excited that he couldn''t help squealing a little. He thought he needed to take a flight just to meet Jessica.


    But who knew that he was so goddamn lucky because Jessica actually lived in New York!


    ''Damn, I have an easy job with amazing pay, I don''t need to take care of those four little devils, and now I will find a girl I can keep for at least six to seven years! With this kind of luck, I should be pulling for the lottery!''

 Chapter 709 709

    ?


    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    Tommy had been chatting for at least a week since thest time he got Jessica''s number. They had been chatting intensely, and they clicked very easily!


    Tommy felt like he had truly hit the jackpot as he got to know her better.


    Jessica Miller was a thirteen years old girl living in New York. She came from a low-ie family and went to a public school. She had a terrible childhood and grew up problematic as well.


    Her brother hanged himself when he was in middle to high school because of a phony psychologist that told the boy to kill himself, and he did.


    Her Dad was raging at that time, so he went out with a gun to the psychologist''s home and shot him right in the head, killing him instantly.


    Her Dad then turned himself to the nearest police station, leaving Jessica with her two brothers and a mother who could barely function anymore after losing her son and husband.


    Jessica often worked part-time to survive, but she also began searching for a better job. She was naturally beautiful, so she already auditioned to be a model at a young age.


    Though that also meant she''d be robbed of her teenage years.


    She was so pitiful and had a hard life, which made Tommy very happy.


    "Heheh, that''s good. I''m d that she is suffering. That means it''s easier for me to influence her," Tommyughed. The more they talked on the phone, the more he realized that Jessica was truly the perfect girl for him.


    She came from a broken family with no father and a mentally damaged mother. She also had two busy brothers trying their best to survive alongside her.


    He could be the father figure she missed during her childhood and also the provider of her family. He would give her money so she didn''t need to be a teenage model. She would eventually sumb to thefort that he gave her until that point when she couldn''t live without him anymore.


    She would be entirely devoted to him until he got bored of her and ditched her after she became too old for him.


    "Well, with that kind of face, it shouldn''t be hard for her to stay by my side until she is twenty or twenty-one," Tommy said.


    He continued texting with Jessica until she asked for a voice call.


    He didn''t hesitate as well since it wasn''t their first call.


    Tommy quickly opened his voice changer app, and his phone magically changed from that of a forty-something man into a teenage boy with a sweet voice. After all, it was easier to fool them like this so those girls wouldn''t run away when they had a call.


    ¡ª


    "H¡ªHello?" Jessica said. Her voice was the typical sweet, adolescent girl, Tommy''s favorite before they became an adult.


    "Hi, Jess, I didn''t expect you to call me in the middle of the night. Did something happen?" Tommy asked as he pretended to be a kind and caring boyfriend.


    "Uhm, not really," Jess replied. "I just want to hear your voice, Troy. I can''t get enough of you."


    "Really? Well, I''m d because I can''t get enough of you too," Tommy replied. He licked his lower lip, which got dry as he imagined taking this girl''s virginity.


    It must''ve felt fantastic!


    Jessica giggled. She sounded so shy, "Uhm, well, I don''t know if it''s just me. But you''re obviously a good man, Troy. Thank you for listening to all of my stories. I don''t have anyone to talk to here. So I can''t vent out all of my frustrations!"


    "You can and should always vent it with me. Don''t worry, Jess. I''m always here for you," Tommy said.


    "Troy¡­" Jess sighed. "I don''t know if it''s too sudden. But talking with you for the past week. I just realized that I don''t want an online rtionship. We''re in the same city, right? So¡­ I hope that you want to¡­ you know¡­ meet?"


    Tommy was shocked when Jessica asked him to meet. They had only known each other for a week, but she was eager to meet him.


    He was afraid that Jess wasn''t ready to ept that he was almost in his forties and wasn''t the hot teenage boy she knew.


    He was just a typical forty-something man that barely took care of himself.


    He was fat, bald, and barely took a shower, even when he went to the office.


    He simply thought that none of them were important when all his targets were underage and could barely differentiate between a high-value man and those who weren''t.


    ''Fuck! This is not ording to my n! I have to say no or I''ll lose my chance to be with her!'' Tommy panicked.


    "Uh, Jess, I don''t think I¡ª"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Honestly, Troy, I have a confession to make," Jessica said.


    "What confession?"


    "It''s about my ex-boyfriend, his name is Andrew, and he has been trying to win me back," Jessica said. "He said that if we date again, he will be the one who takes my virginity, and I''ve been itching to get my v-card taken. I''m the only one who hasn''t lost it. I''m the only virgin in my friend circle."


    "When Andrew said that he will do it with me, I got hesitant, because I keep thinking about you," Jessica said. "So please, please meet with me in my house. I want my v-card to get taken by someone I truly love. You''re the only boy I want to do it with right now."


    Tommy gulped.


    He got nervous as he began to imagine how wonderful it''d be for him to take Jessica''s virginity. She was so young, so she must''ve been tight, perfect for a man that wasn''t blessed with a big dick like him.


    It felt like he found his home whenever he fucked a young girl.


    ''And I definitely don''t want this precious chance to pass! I won''t let anyone else take her virginity!'' Tommy thought.


    He knew he was taking a gamble here. But his luck had been amazing for a while, and he believed that he''d continue to get lucky.


    Thus he took a deep breath and said, "Jess, I also have something to confess."


    "Y¡ªYeah, what is it?"


    "I¡­ I''m not really a high school boy. I''m a bit older than that," Tommy said. "I don''t know if you''ll like me or not when we meet."


    "Why would you say that? Age is just a number!" Jess insisted. "I will always love you! I don''t care if you are twenty, thirty, even forty years old! I don''t care if you''re thin or fat, or even bald! I love you, Troy!"


    "¡­"


    Tommy was astonished. Of course, that was just teenage girls being emotional. They were very easy to manipte, and a girl like Jess was also very vulnerable.


    ''Fuck, my luck is amazing! I found the perfect girl¡­ for the next five years!'' Tommy almost broke his character because he was overjoyed.


    But he quickly calmed himself down and said, "Okay then, when and where do you want to meet?"


    "Um, about three days from now, that''s when my brothers and mother will be leaving for my Grandma''s house for two nights. We can have the apartment all for ourselves!" Jessica replied. "I will send you the address, and I will be waiting in my apartment, okay?"


    "Okay, three days from now, I will be in front of your door. Please prepare yourself," Tommy said. "Don''t worry, I will be your one and only. I''ll be the one who takes your virginity. After all, you love me, right?"


    "Yes! I love you, Troy!"


    Tommy smirked, "Good, I can''t wait to meet you."


    "Me too! I can''t wait to meet you!"


    "Talk to youter, Jess."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Tommy took a deep breath, and then he yelled, "FUCK YES!"


    "Holy shit! I can''t believe that I actually scored such a cute girl and she''s already smitten to me in only a week!" Tommy was so excited. "What kind of luck do I have here? Goddamn, I must be blessed by some kind of fortune god or something. What''s next? Maybe I can score three more teenage girls, and I can make a harem of four young girls all for myself!"


    "I''m probably the luckiest man on earth! YES!"


    **


    Beep.


    Diamond turned off the voice changer once she ended the call with Tommy. She scoffed as she stared at the caller ID that she named ''Pedo Bastard.''


    "Do you think you''re the only one who can use a voice changer? Oh Troy baby, you should know that your ''Jessica'' is far more dangerous than you expect," Diamond sneered. "I can''t believe that I have to deal with a bastard like you. But it''s okay, I can''t wait to make you chew your bald head. You will be shamed for the rest of your life and I''ll make sure you''ll join your wife to rot in jail."

 Chapter 710 710

    ?


    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    "So, how''s the bait going, sis?" Derek asked as he returned from the kitchen with a bottle of coke. "Did he fall for it?"


    "Naturally," Diamond replied with a grin. "I mean, what kind of pedo bastard wouldn''t fall into the trap of a naive and emotionally vulnerable thirteen-year-old girl. She just had a bad breakup with her boyfriend, and had a terrible family life. It''s the perfect victim for someone like Tommy, right?"


    "Right," Derek nodded. "I mean, it''s surprising that you''re able to endure our hardship back then. You''re the one who had it the worstpared to Desmond and I. You''re also the one who sent Mom for a mental rehab until she has returned to her happier self."


    Diamond chuckled, "Well, that doesn''t matter. The most important thing is that we''re back together as a family. This is not the first time I''ve encountered a bastard pedophile like this one, and certainly not thest."


    Derek went silent after that.


    He knew that his sister was a teenage model before she got recruited by Vernon Phoenix Gray as his secretary. She survived a teenage model''s difficult and dangerous life without any protection or backup. She was all alone, and yet she survived.


    A teenage model was very prone to pedophiles with power, and Diamond was smart enough to stay away from any of them without having her only source of ie taken away.


    "Someone like Tommy is an easy bait for me," Diamond said arrogantly. "I''ve dealt with old pedo bastards who can literally turn my life upside down. But that doesn''t mean we can take him lightly. It''s best for us to end Tommy''s life as soon as possible to prevent another victim."


    "Alright, should we bring Desmond into this too?" Derek asked.


    "Obviously, we have all the records of his pedophilic action. We have interviewed plenty of the girls'' parents whose daughters he manipted as well. All the proof is in our hand, and Desmond will definitely rejoice if he can get to handle a case like this in the court."


    "Okay, I''ll do what you say, sis," Derek said. "Are you the one who''s going to call the TV station?"


    "Yes, you should just call your brother, and also your coworkers because we definitely need police right in the scene," Diamond said.


    **


    Chloe was busy cooking lunch, as always. It was the weekend, but Vernon was still busy in the living room with hisptop, dealing with his stock and also some calls he had to make regarding the shipping.


    Chloe had just finished cooking a small lunch for them because Mackie was ying with the boys downstairs. She walked to the sofa and patted Vernon on the shoulder, "Lunch is ready, handsome. Do you want to eat now?"


    "Not yet," Vernon replied. He closed hisptop and put it on the coffee table.


    "Are you sure? It''s rare for you to skip your lunch," Chloe asked as she got worried. She sat right next to Vernon and leaned on his arm.


    Vernon chuckled, "Well, we can eatter, because I want to show you something very special. It''s a live show on national TV!"


    "Live show? What kind?" Chloe asked.


    She wasn''t particrly fond of watching TV. She usually spent her days caring for her kids, cooking as it was also one of her hobbies, and driving around New York as a part of her recreation.


    So she didn''t know much about whatever happened on the news.


    "You''ll see, Diamond told me that she had prepared an amazing show for us."


    Chloe got even more confused, "Since when did Diamond be a TV star? I mean, she fits to be one, but I thought she said she wants a normal job as your secretary instead of returning to modeling."


    Vernon smiled mysteriously. He said nothing but grabbed the remote and searched the TV station that Diamond mentioned in her text. She said it would be a great watch as it would be broadcast live.


    "You will see the face of a bastard who hurt your nephews, Chloe," Vernon said. "Let''s watch him getting exposed to the whole country."


    **


    Tommy was feeling good these days. He had a fantastic job, no responsibility whatsoever, and he was about to meet with the girl he''d have sex with.


    She was only thirteen years old, which is perfect for someone like him because she wanted them to be youthful, cute, and virgin.


    Tommy stood in front of a full-body mirror, checking his appearance as he tried to fit into the jeans.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He wore a t-shirt with a game character and jeans to make himself look younger. He was clean-shaven for today, and he looked handsome. At least by his standard, he did look better than before.


    "Well, the only unfortunate thing about me is my hair," Tommy said as he rubbed his bald hair. "But I''ve been so lucky these days, I think it''s fine."


    "Besides, Jess is already madly in love with me. It doesn''t matter whether I''m bald or not. She loves me and is ready to ept me even though I''m not Troy, her teenage boyfriend.


    "Man, I can''t wait to fuck her today," Tommy said.


    Jess had already sent him the apartment address, so he used a Taxi to reach her apartment. He checked the door number, and after making sure he didn''t make a mistake, he knocked on the door and waited for Jess to open it.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Who?"


    Tommy''s heartbeat elerated instantly the moment he heard that sweet voice. He thought that he got catfished by an old bitch because there was no way someone would be as perfect as Jess.


    Who would''ve expected that it was a real person?


    "It''s me, Troy," Tommy replied.


    "O¡ªokay, let me open the door for you, Troy," Jessica replied nervously.


    She opened the door slowly, and Tommy was breath taken once he saw the real girl in front of him.


    She was the real Jessica.


    She looked stunning, youthful, cute, and definitely a virgin just by looking at how young she was. Her voice was a little bit different, but Tommy thought it must be because they were talking through the phone, not in person like this.


    Jessica smiled sheepishly at Tommy. She was wearing jeans and a tee, just like him. She looked nervous as she greeted him, "H¡ªHi, Troy. I didn''t know that you''d be earlier than I expected."


    Tommy snapped out of his daze once Jessica started talking, "I can''t wait to see you," he replied. "You look gorgeous, and cute, Jess."


    Jessica''s lips twitched. She was a teenage model that got told to do this job to catch a child predator because it''d be broadcasted on national television, it was a good way for her to get a publication, and Miss Diamond Johnson, her senior, said that she would put a rmendation for Jess to get a better modeling agency if Jess was willing to help her.


    But looking at this ugly bastard in front of her, Jess felt nothing but disgust.


    She could sense that Tommy was thirsty. He couldn''t wait to jump on and ravage her, so Jess was scared because she didn''t want to get touched by this child predator.


    "S¡ªSame, you also look¡­ handsome, Troy," Jess replied.


    "You really think so?" Tommy asked just to make sure. Usually, it''d take a while for his girlfriends to get used to his look before they submitpletely.


    But Jessica seemed very eager to meet him to the point that she didn''t even care how ugly he looked.


    ''Or maybe, just maybe¡­ she''s just so in love with me that she can''t even see any w. I guess I''m just that good looking for her,'' Tommy thought. ''Judging from her look, she will have a shelf life of five years. I can definitely fuck her for five years straight without losing interest, because she obviously looks so youthful and cute.''


    "May Ie in?" Tommy asked.


    Jessica nodded reluctantly. She took a step back each time Tommy advanced one step until he stepped into the apartment. He closed the door behind him and locked it because he didn''t want his fun time with Jessica to get disturbed.


    ''She might scream though, since I''m taking her virginity. Should I tie her mouth or cover it with my hand?'' Tommy wondered. "Thanks for inviting me in, Jess. Do you have something prepared for me?"


    Tommy had a perverted smile on his face as he kept thinking about many things he would do with Jessica.


    "Uhh¡­" Jessica looked around the apartment. She didn''t leave her as Miss Diamond only told her to act on it. There were cameras everywhere, and this was broadcasted for everyone to see. "I think I prepared you something in the fridge. You can sit on the sofa first, Troy. Maybe watch TV."


    "Watch TV? You mean Netflix and Chill?" Tommy grinned as he got aroused.

 Chapter 711 711

    ?


    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    [Song Rmendation - SteLouse ft Bryce Fox - Sociopath.]


    "Watch TV? You mean Netflix and Chill?" Tommy teased.


    Tommy''s perverted tone sent shivers down Jessica''s spine. She was scared of this pervert. As a teenage model herself, she also faced many perverts, be it fellow older models, photographers, and even the staff.


    But none of them dared to touch her because she had her father, who always guarded her most of the time.


    But this was a different case.


    The apartment was filled with CCTV in almost every corner, and there were many people in this apartment, from the reporter and the TV crew in the bedroom to the cops in the bathroom, but Jessica still felt insecure. She was scared this bastard would jump on her and touch her.


    ''I hope the cops and the TV reportere at the right moment, so I don''t need to be touched by that ugly child predator,'' Jessica wished in her heart.


    Thus, Jessica decided not to answer Tommy''s question. She grabbed two cans of Coke from the fridge and walked to the sofa.


    She handed Tommy the Coke and thetter asked, "Coke? Do you not have alcohol? Beer, at least?"


    "¡­ I''m still underage," Jessica replied.


    Tommy chuckled, "Well, age is just a number, right? You''re thirteen and I''m uh¡­ twenty-three, but we can still be together and we''re about to ''that'' right? So you don''t need to worry. Even if you get drunk, I will take care of you."


    ''Twenty-three? Are you kidding me? You''re pushing forty at this point! Even a baby wouldn''t believe that!'' Jessica yelled in her heart, unable to believe this kind of man exists in real life.


    She already had many encounters with child predators, but Tommy was one of the worst.


    "I¡ªI don''t have any beer as well. M¡ªMy mom is not an alcoholic," Jessica dodged. She did find a few cans of beer in the fridge, but she didn''t want this bastard to do something to her, and she was still a minor, she didn''t want to drink or else she''d get scolded by her parents.


    "Ah, that''s too bad," Tommy sighed. "Oh well, I can always bring you some beer, or even something stronger like wine for you. I know that you want to try it as well, right?"


    "Umm¡­"Jessica seemed hesitant, which only made her ten times even cuter than before. "I¡ªI guess you can do that," she replied, though it was mostly just to make him happy. After all, they wouldn''t be seeing each other again after this since he would go to jail for a long time.


    Jessica sat at the end of the long sofa. She tried to avoid getting touched by Tommy, but this only ignited Tommy''s lust even more.


    He found what she did adorable, like a scared kitten that couldn''t escape his grasp.


    So he patted the spot right next to him and said, "Why don''t youe here, Jess. You said you want to do so many things with me, but why are you getting shy now?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Jessica was creeped out and refused, "I¡ªI''m too embarrassed. I''m sorry, Troy."


    "Oh, don''t be," Troy chuckled. He slid his butt closer toward Jessica and draped his arm around her shoulder. "You will feel real good once we have sex. You''re thirteen years old, you must''ve been fantasizing about sex so many times, right? This is the best time to experience it."


    Jessica was petrified from head to toe. She was so scared that she couldn''t handle this any longer.


    The moment Tommy put his hand on her thigh, Jessica screamed, "HELP ME!"


    Tommy was caught off guard by her scream. He quickly covered Jessica''s mouth with his hand, but Jessica bit his finger as hard as possible, making Tommy scream in agony.


    Jessica quickly got up and then ran to the bedroom.


    "Wait, Jess!" Tommy got up from the sofa. He tried to follow Jessica to the bedroom, but as he took one step forward, a TV reporter and crew cameras suddenly stormed out of the bedroom and aimed the camera to his face, so he would be exposed on the national TV station.


    "Wha¡ªwhat is this?!" Tommy asked as he got caught off guard.


    The TV reporter quickly shoved his mic on Tommy''s face and asked, "Tommy Davis, do you know what girl is thirteen years old? And if you do, do you not realize that you are basically a child predator, since you are almost forty years old."


    "I¡ª" Tommy was astonished. He looked straight at the camera and realized he was caught in that show where they trapped a predator with a fake child actor or actress.


    The TV station didn''t blur the predator''s face because it was a live broadcast. They also didn''t shy away from showing the predator''s identity, from his name, address, age, job, and also whether he had been registered as a sex offender or not.


    "You are also used of grooming at least five more minors, Tommy Davis. Do you not realize what you''re doing is wrong?" The reportermented. "Aren''t you afraid of all the charges against you? Mr. Davis, you are going to jail for hefty crime of a lot of statutory rape. There is no way for you to escape the convict."


    Tommy kept on listening as he was still trying to process what just happened, and the moment he heard ''escape,'' he realized that he had to get the hell out or else he''d be arrested.


    Thus, without thinking twice. He quickly turned around and dashed to the front door.


    But before he could reach the front door, the bathroom door was suddenly mmed open, and three burly cops blocked his only exit.


    Thus, Tommy was trapped between the three cops and the TV crew.


    He looked back and forth at the cops and the TV crew. He panicked as he didn''t expect that he would be trapped like this.


    "W¡ªWait, this is wrong. I didn''t do anything to that girl!" Tommy tried to defend himself, knowing there was no way he could break through three strong cops blocking the door.

 Chapter 712 712

    ?


    He looked at the window and then remembered this was the tenth floor. He would die if he jumped out.


    "We already get all of the evidence of your doing, Mr. Davis. Resistance is futile," one of the officers said. He walked towards Tommy and took out his handcuff. "You''re under arrest for statutory rape and other charges against minor," the officer added.


    "W¡ªWait, there is a misunderstanding! I''m not a pedophile! I didn''t do anything to that girl!" Tommy tried to resist arrest. He struggled as he was about to get handcuffed. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO!!!"


    The officer clicked his tongue and then pushed him to the ground. Tommy fell face-first to the ground, and he could feel two of his front teeth were broken.


    "ARGH! LET ME FUCKING GO! ARGHHH!" Tommy screamed as he began to thrash around to escape.


    The officer didn''t n to treat him nicely since he was a child predator. So he just held Tommy using his knee, stopping the man from thrashing altogether as he struggled to breathe.


    Click.


    The officer finally handcuffed Tommy''s wrists and pulled him up, "We''re going to the police station. Stop struggling or we will have to add this to your charges for resisting arrest."


    Tommy felt dizzy and nauseous after being mmed to the ground and almost choked himself to death. He couldn''t even stand still, so he had to be supported by two officers as they escorted him out of the room.


    Everything was recorded and broadcast live on national television, there was no censorship, and everything was true, so it became an instant hit that everyone watched on their weekend.


    **


    Chloe sat still, staring at the TV with her jaw dropped as she couldn''t believe what she saw just now.


    "I¡ªIs that real?" Chloe asked. "That person, that is Tommy, right? Chelsea''s husband."


    "Yes," Vernon confirmed. "That''s Tommy Davis, and yes, he is a child predator that got his face revealed on national television, so he won''t be able to escape. Those are also real cops, the one who mmed that bastard to the ground is Diamond''s brother, actually."


    "Diamond''s brother? Does that mean this whole thing is nned by Diamond?" Chloe asked again. She already knew that Diamond had a lot of connections. There was no way she''d be Vernon''s right-hand woman without the talent and skill to do so.


    "Mhm, Diamond nned everything just to catch that bastard," Vernon replied. "She did this for you, because she knows that man is just as terrible as Chelsea. But she also did it out of personal grudge."


    "Personal grudge?"


    "Well, let''s just say that Diamond doesn''t have the easiest life in the world," Vernon replied.


    Vernon watched Chloe''s shocked expression and worried that Chloe might not like the cruel thing he did to Tommy. After all, Chloe had such a soft heart that she wouldn''t even try to hurt her enemies. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But she had to know that Vernon was very protective of his family. He wouldn''t let his family suffer, and he didn''t hesitate to weed out some trash that wanted to hurt his family.


    "I just want to let you know that I won''t let anyone who dares to hurt you to roam freely in this world, my love," Vernon said. He kissed her hand and then added. "Do you like what I''m doing?"


    Chloe went silent for a while, and Vernon thought that Chloe would scold him for being too cruel.


    However, to his surprise, Chloe actually leaned towards him and kissed him on the lips. She smiled at Vernon and said, "I''m happy. Thank you so much for weeding out that man. He hurt me, and he also hurt his sons."


    "Now that I know he''s a child predator with a record, then he definitely deserves to rot in jail," Chloe said.


    Vernon was so relieved that Chloe had the same idea as him. He thought they''d be arguing again. Truthfully, he disliked arguing with Chloe, it was mentally draining, and sometimes he just wanted to give up and say yes to everything she said so they''d stop fighting.


    But it felt so rewarding whenever Chloe was happy because of something he did. It made him want to do more for him.


    "Well, now that Chelsea and his husband are out of the picture, why don''t we start kicking the worst of them all?" Vernon said.


    Chloe''s lips curled up as she tried to hide her excitement. She''d be lying if she said that she wasn''t happy with the idea of taking down Vincent. That man had been a nightmare for her for the past ten years. It was only right to kick him out of his high horse and let him suffer.


    Vernon noticed that Chloe was trying to hide her excitement. She must be happy with the idea but didn''t want him to see her as a cruel woman.


    So he assured her, "You''re not cruel or evil just because you want to take that bastard down, my love. You deserve to get your revenge, and I will help you as long as it''s within my interest."


    "Are you interested?" Chloe was surprised. "Do you have something you want to do?"


    "Obviously, I want to ruin my brother''s life, so I can marry you after you get your official divorce paper. That''s my interest, and officially having you as my wife is the best reward I will ever get."


    Chloe blushed, "W¡ªWell, then I don''t mind to fulfill that interest of yours once I get my official divorce paper. You also promised that you''d marry me as soon as possible because of¡­ you know."


    Chloe looked down and gently caressed her stomach, "I might get pregnant anytime soon with the amount of raw sex we did."


    Vernon swallowed his saliva. Chloe might not realize it, but her words, action, and everything about her were enough to arouse Vernon.


    "Then, should we do it again? I want to keep doing it until you''re pregnant," Vernon said.


    Chloe''s cheeks got even redder, and she nodded shyly.

 Chapter 713 713

    ?


    [Song Rmendation: Kailee Morgue - Siren.]


    [A very fitting song for Diamond.]


    Diamond parked her car in front of the police station where her little brother, Derek, worked as an officer. This was the ce where they brought that bastard Tommy Davis after he got arrested during the broadcast.


    Of course, she had no intention of meeting with Tommy. They had zero connection whatsoever, and she was already disgusted thinking about that man anyway.


    She came here to meet with her brothers, Desmond and Derek.


    Thus, she texted them both;


    -


    From: Diamond.


    Meet me in the parking lot after you''re done with that bastard. I want to hear the progressing out of your mouth.


    -


    "And now we wait," Diamond said as she put her phone on the dashboard and picked up her Starbucks drink.


    She sipped her drink while staring at the police station in front of her. She scoffed as she murmured, "If I have the power to do it, I''d probably put at least thirty people in jail so they will be registered as sex offenders. My life as a teenage model without a guardian or any backing is just so hard."


    Diamond was blessed with beauty. She had that Naomi Campbell-esque unique look that made her stand outpared to the other models.


    But beauty wasn''t the only important thing in fashion. You needed connections, people who would help you get the job or protect you against those crooked old men.


    But she wasn''t lucky.


    After the death of her brother, Diamond''s family plunged into poverty.


    They spent way too much for that faux psychologist, and when her Dad was jailed for killing that psychologist, she became the backbone of the family when she went into modeling.


    "I was robbed out of my teenage years," Diamond murmured. "I have to struggle so much just so I can get enough money for my family, and now that our lives are great, I can''t help to think about what I''m going to do in the future."


    Surely, Diamond wanted to continue to be Mr. Phoenix Gray''s secretary. It was her calling, she preferred to work in an office, and she also liked this job when she could get so busy and active without worrying about anything other than for her to do her job well.


    But what concerned her more was her love life.


    She went on plenty of blind dates, but none fit her.


    They were either an asshole who wanted her because of her beauty or a broke man who would probably leech onto her.


    She needed a man who would be able to match her perfectly.


    "Just like Vernon and Chloe, they match each other perfectly. Vernon is very impatient, rash, emotional, and basically a grumpy man who wouldn''t be good as a father," Diamondmented as she assessed Chloe and Vernon''s personalities.


    "Meanwhile, my homegirl is weak-willed and easily bullied. She is too kind for her own good sometimes, but she is a natural caretaker. She has a strong motherly feeling, and she''s very soft. And that''s where theypliment each other. Vernon acts as a guardian for her, and Chloe as his caretaker."


    Diamond sighed, "Maybe there will be one day I can find someone that canplete me."


    It took at least thirty minutes until Desmond and Derek left the police station. They went to Diamond''s car and entered the car.


    Diamond handed them their burgers as lunch and then asked, "So, is everything ording to our n?"


    Desmond replied, "Yeah, Tommy is inside right now, and with so many charges stacked against him, I will make sure that he will not escape jail time."


    "But how long would he serve his jail time? Four years? Five years?" Diamond asked.


    "Unfortunately, yes," Desmond sighed. "His biggest crime is statutory rape, and that would put him into two to a hundred years jail time. Unfortunately, I can probably charge him from up to five years in prison, because he didn''t impregnate any of his victims, and none of them were below the age of twelve."


    "But I can assure you that he WILL serve that five years without parole," Desmond said confidently.


    "That''s unfortunate," Diamond said. "I actually expect him to spend at least fifty years in jail. But it seems that he''s smarter than he looks. He knows not to impregnate the woman he slept with, and also made sure that his girlfriends are at least thirteen years old."


    "Or maybe he just happened tond on those thirteen to sixteen years old," Desmond added. "It''s very unlikely for him to pick those girls because they are more than twelve. He just probably had luck by not identally sleeping with a literal child."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Diamond sighed. She looked over her shoulder and saw that her brother was still eating his burger, "Derek, you know what to do, right?"


    Derek nodded. He swallowed the food in his mouth and replied, "It''s fine if he only got five years to serve. In fact, I can probably put him out of his misery in one year."


    Desmond frowned.


    It seemed that his siblings already had another n in mind, and he wasn''t included.


    So he asked, "What''s with this arrangement that I don''t know of?"


    Derek chuckled, "It''s not a big deal, Bro. Diamond told me that she wants Tommy to suffer in jail."


    "Suffer?"


    Diamond nodded, "I told Derek to throw him to the wolves. Make sure that every inmate knows Tommy is a child predator. It''s even better if you fabricate some lies about him, making sure to incite the anger of those inmates."


    "Because from what I know, most of those criminals might be cruel, but they aren''t heartless. Most of them have a soft spot for children, and now imagine how angry they would be knowing there''s a child predator who hurt so many innocent girls," Diamond said. She already imagined the bloodbath that would happen in the prison. "You don''t need to kill him, Derek, just make sure that he suffers long enough until he decides to end his own life. That''s the fitting end for a bastard like him."


    Derek nodded, "I can do that, sis. Don''t worry."


    Desmond wasn''t shocked at Diamond''s n. She was always the smartest out of them all. She was also the most adept but also the most cruel.


    "You know, I think you''re supposed to end up with Mr. Phoenix Gray," Desmondmented.


    Diamond frowned, "And why so?"


    "Because you two are both smart, efficient, yet cruel at the same time. You two will fit just fine," Desmond said. "And Chloe¡­ uhh¡­ I¡ªI can marry her instead."


    Diamondughed when she heard that. Of course, her brothers weren''t giving up Chloe. She was gorgeous, and she was also a good mother.


    "First of all, I don''t have any romantic feelings with my boss. We''re pretty simr, perhaps, but that''s what makes us a great partner-in-crime, NOT lovers. We''re supposed to work together."


    "But a man like Vernon only fits with a woman like Chloe. A woman who would calm his heart, giving him the true sense of ''home,'' and also supporting him through thick and thin," Diamond added.


    "But me? No, I don''t like a hot blooded man who naturally intimidates everyone. Who will yell at anything and getting grumpy for the smallest thing possible, plus, I''m also not that good with kids,"


    Diamond recalled her boss, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    She admitted that she was charmed by him when they first worked together.


    Vernon was undoubtedly handsome, and he was rich. Twobinations that were deadly enough to charm her.


    ''But I prefer my sanity more than his handsome face,'' Diamond thought. Thus, she quickly dropped her feelings and decided to work professionally.


    "Second, the moment I saw Chloe and Vernon together, I just knew that they''re meant to be together," Diamondmented. "You''ll see it in your own eyester, their chemistry together, it''s obvious that nobody can fit Vernon more than Chloe and vice versa."


    Desmond sighed.


    He had to admit that Chloe was just absolutely stunning to the point that he wished he''d meet her sooner.


    Derek looked at his brother and patted his shoulder, "I think we should just give up on her and be happy, Bro," Derekforted. "After all, even our ever-sopetent sister is on Chloe and Vernon''s side, not us."


    "Hahah, you''re right," Desmondughed dryly. "Anyway, I will take this case of Tommy, and make sure that he will get his heaviest sentencing possible. I''ll talk to you twoter."


    Desmond exited the car, leaving Diamond and Derek alone.


    Derek finished his burger and said, "I also have to leave now. I still have things to do, talk to youter, sis."


    "Wait, Derek¡ª"


    "Yes?"


    "Before you leave, I want to ask you about Chelsea Davis," Diamond said. "Do you know any info regarding that woman''s trial?"


    "Well, the trial will be set in early February. She is currently detained in the nearest prison, but there''s a talk about putting her in the mental hospital instead, at least until her trial, because she already exhibits signs of insanity."

 Chapter 714 714

    ?


    "Mental hospital, hmm¡­." Diamond hummed for a while, then said, "Make sure she''ll go to jail. I don''t want her to live afortable life in the mental hospital. If it''s possible, I want them¡ªTommy and Chelsea, to be jailed in the same prison."


    "Unfortunately, we cannot put them in the same jail because the men and women jail are in different sections," Derek said. "But I can make sure that they will meet just for a while in the same heavily supervised room, because they are still a registered married couple after all."


    "That''s good enough, I bet they will start fighting over who is the more terrible one between them," Diamond chuckled. "Well, that''s all for now. I can''t wait for you to give me an update. I want to see what will happen next."


    "Okay, Sis. I''ll be going now, talk to youter!" Derek left her car, and now Diamond was all alone again.


    Now that Tommy and Chelsea''s problem had been solved, she sipped her drink again and put her car in reverse before leaving the parking lot.


    She had to go to the crematorium where they already burned Judith and Maria''s ashes. It finished just in time, and Diamond was excited with the idea that she''d be able to hold Maria''s ashes.


    Honestly, she couldn''t wait to dump her ashes in the sewer, but she knew that her homegirl would be even more satisfied to do that because Maria used to torment Chloe to insanity.


    Diamond walked into the crematorium office and then retrieved the ashes, "I''m here upon the request of Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray. I want to retrieve the ashes of Judith Carlson and Maria Orien."


    "Yes, Miss. Please wait for a while."


    The staff returned with two boxes that Diamond had to carry in two hands. They had named the box Judith Carlson and Maria Orien on the top to avoid confusion.


    "We''ve put their ashes into their respective urn, though I''m not sure if we can call the urn for Mrs.Maria Orien proper. But please don''t me us because it is what you specifically requested."


    Diamond nodded. She signed a few documents and was good to go with two boxes of urns in her hands.


    Diamond returned to her car. She carefully put Judith''s urn box on the seat beside her and then tossed Maria''s urn at the back. She couldn''t care less to give respect to the dead, especially if the dead one is like Maria. She was probably burning in hell right now, anyway¡ªno need to be so careful with her urn.


    She then called her boss so she could hand these boxes. But his boss didn''t pick up.


    No matter how many times she called him, he was simply uncontactable, "Eh, where is he anyway?" Diamond rolled her eyes.


    She decided to call Chloe instead, and as expected, her homegirl was her true best friend because she picked it up quickly.


    ¡ª


    "H¡ªHello, Diamond? Hwa¡ªuhm¡­ What''s wrong?" Chloe asked.


    Diamond frowned, judging by the suspicious sound of pping on the phone alongside Chloe, who tried her best to hold her voice. It seemed that she had called at the wrong time.


    ''No wonder Vernon is uncontactable. He''s probably enjoying pounding Chloe right now,'' Diamond thought. "It''s nothing, Chloe. By the way, I have a package for you, I''ll just put it in front of the penthouse doorter and I''ll text you again, okay?"


    "Mmh! O¡ªOkay, S¡ªSorry, Diamond. I''m in the middle of something here."


    ¡ª


    Diamond chuckled and hung up the call.


    She then drove to the penthouse and put it in front of the door.


    She texted her best friend about the package before leaving, letting her homegirl get the time of her life with her beloved one. After all, she truly deserved to be happy in this world.


    "Ah, I can''t wait to attend her wedding, that purple dress is still in my wardrobe. I won''t wear it unless it''s for Chloe''s wedding!"


    Diamond was excited because this was the first time she''d attended a wedding where she actually knew the bride and the groom. She had almost no friends in real life because she was busy with work, though it didn''t matter too much for her since Diamond preferred peace over crazy stuff such as friends'' drama.


    **


    "Vernon! Ah Nnn!" Chloe couldn''t hold her voice when Vernon hit her so deeply. Her eyes widened, and she squirted a lot.


    Chloe''s body trembled. She twitched as she kept squirting nonstop.


    Meanwhile, Vernon kept pounding her pussy, in and out, in a rush as he was also close to cumming.


    "Ugh, FUCK! MMPH!!" Vernon thrust his cock deep inside her pussy and ejacted all the semen he had stored for a while.


    Vernonnded on Chloe''s body, hugging her tightly before he rested right next to her. Chloe was also catching her breath. She felt the tingle as he pulled out, and his cum slowly leaked out of her pussy.


    "Oh no, we can''t waste it," Vernon said. He quickly closed Chloe''s thighs together to ensure none of his semen would go to waste. "I want you to get pregnant as soon as possible."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe chuckled, "You already did me so many times, I think I''ll get pregnant before I even realized it at this point."


    "That''s even better," Vernon said. "Anyway, why did Diamond call you before? Damn, she broke the immersion of our hot night."


    "She said that she had a surprise for us. She put it in front of the penthouse door," Chloe replied. "You should rest first, Vernon. I''ll get my towel first before picking up the gift she has."


    Vernon shook his head, "You should just wash yourself first. We did it without AC, we sweat like crazy, and I know you don''t like to feel grimy," Vernon said. "Let me pick whatever gift Diamond has for us. I call it after sex service."


    Chloe giggled, "Alright then."


    Vernon got up from the bed and wore his boxers before walking out to retrieve the package at the front door.


    Meanwhile, Chloe went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and dried herself up before she walked out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe that barely covered her intimate area.


    "Chloe. Love! You have to see this! This is a great gift from Diamond!" Vernon stormed into his bedroom with two big boxes.


    He put the boxes on the ground and then darted his eyes at Chloe, "Guess what kind of gift Diamond has for us?"


    Chloe shrugged. She was busy drying her long chestnut hair to notice. But she guessed randomly, "A new year gift? I mean, we nned to spend the new year with her, but that n failed because she''s too busy helping you with paperwork in the office."


    "Well, yeah, I''m sorry for that one," Vernon winced. "But this gift is something else. Come here and take a look!"


    It was rare for Vernon to be this excited. He was a man loaded with money since he was born into this world, so no gift should be able to excite him that much.


    Thus, taken by curiosity, Chloe put on the hairdryer and walked towards Vernon. Vernon then pointed at the boxes on the floor and said, "This is the gift she has for us, the urns of two old women."


    Chloe''s eyes widened when she saw two boxes with names on them to avoid confusion.


    One was Judith Carlson,


    The other was Maria Orien.


    Chloe gasped, and she sat on the floor as she couldn''t wait to open the boxes.


    She opened her mother''s box first. She missed her mother a lot, and the fact that they weren''t on good terms the moment Judith died actually broke Chloe''s heart.


    She had many nightmares, regretting not reaching out to Judith faster, so Chloe could help her, or at least they would be on good terms before her sudden passing.


    But with her urn, at least Chloe has something to remember about her mother.


    After all, despite their falling out, Chloe still respected her so much. She was the mother who taught her how to be independent. She raised her right with all her difficulties when she had to be a single mother of two.


    Chloe opened the box, and her body paused instantly when she saw the turn. It was made out of silver, it was beautiful, and there was an emboss of her name and title.


    -


    Judith R. Carlson.


    May 17th, 1952


    -


    December 5th, 2022.


    An independent woman and a great mother of two.


    Died protecting her grandsons.


    -


    Chloe''s body trembled, and she started sobbing as she read it over and over.


    Indeed, Judith was an independent woman. It was amazing that she could stand her ground to work many jobs just to feed her daughters.


    And in the end, she died a hero by stopping Chelsea from reaching the boys at the cost of her own life.

 Chapter 715 715

    ?


    Vernon was worried when Chloe started crying. He requested those words to be embossed in the silver urn as a reminder that Judith didn''t die in vain.


    She died protecting her grandsons, and Mackie also told him that sometimes her Mommy would cry alone in her room as she was thinking about Judith.


    So Vernon knew that Chloe respected her mother a lot, and he thought that giving her the title of an independent woman wasn''t wrong.


    After all, despite all her problems with Chloe in herter years, Judith was still sessful enough to raise two daughters without any help. Vernon also knew that his Big sis Chloe never asked for anything when she was still dating Vincent.


    "C¡ªChloe, love, do you like it?" Vernon asked. He sat right behind Chloe on the floor and hugged her from behind. "I just thought that the title I requested suits your mother. You treasured her so much, right? She was indeed an independent woman, and she died protecting her grandsons. I didn''t write anything wrong there, right?"


    "Vernon¡­" Chloe wiped her tears and then stretched her hand to the back until she could feel Vernon''s jawline. She caressed his jaw and said, "I can''t ask for something better from you. Thank you so much for honoring myte mother."


    Vernon was relieved that Chloe liked his gift.


    "I will keep my mother''s urn for now. I don''t know if I will hold a funeral or not for her, but at least I will keep her urn safe with me for the time being," Chloe said. She carefully closed the box and shifted her attention to the other box, which had ''Maria Orien'' written on top. "And now, let''s check that old witch''s urn."


    Chloe was excited as she couldn''t wait to finally grab the urn of the olddy who had made her and her daughter''s life miserable for years, and for this old woman, Chloe had zero pity for her.


    Chloe slowly opened the box, and her eyes glimmered with joy when she saw the ''urn'' that contained Maria''s ashes.


    It wasn''t a beautifully decorated silver urn like what they got for Judith.


    In fact, it wasn''t even a metal or ss container.


    They actually put Maria''s urn in a stic bag. A small note was written on a piece of paper on top of the stic bag.


    -


    Maria Orien.


    Born trash, died trash.


    -


    "Pfft¡ªHahaha!" Vernon was the first one tough over the message. "They actually do what I told them to do!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What did you tell them?" Chloe asked curiously. She had a light giggle as she found it funny.


    "Well, I just think that a woman like Maria doesn''t deserve to have a proper urn, not even a regr dor-store ss bottle. So I just told them to store her urn in a stic bag and write that note," Vernon said. "Damn, this is funnier than I thought, ahahaha!"


    Chloe and Vernonughed happily, and they couldn''t stopughing, especially when Chloe lifted the stic bag as if she was about to throw the trash out.


    It took them at least ten minutes ofughing nonstop until their stomachs were so cramped that they finally stoppedughing. Vernon then asked, "So, what do you want to do with that old bitch''s ashes, surely you don''t want to keep it, right? I refuse to let her ashes stay anywhere in my house."


    "Well, she acted like trash when she was still alive, so I think she deserves to be treated like one," Chloe said. She got up and then walked to the bathroom.


    Vernon followed her from behind, staring at his beloved with great interest as he saw her opening the toilet lid.


    Chloe carefully opened the stic bag and stared at the ashes inside the stic bag and then at the toilet.


    She smiled maliciously, a smile that Vernon never sawing from Chloe before.


    She then stared at Vernon and smiled at him, "Is it okay if I dump her in this toilet?"


    "Sure, her ashes are yours. You can do whatever with that," Vernon replied. "In fact, I''m very entertained right now."


    Chloe giggled and heartlessly dumped half of the ashes into the toilet. Chloe ensured she didn''t spill any because she didn''t want her ashes to dirty the bathroom floor.


    And after she made sure she dumped half of it, Chloe closed, tied the stic bag, and put it on the bathroom floor. She smiled as she stared at the puddle of ashes floating in the toilet.


    "I hope that you don''t mind me dumping you in the toilet, Maria. But this is what you did to me back then, right?" Chloe said. "Do you think I don''t know that you''re the one who gave Vincent the idea to dip my face into the toilet like a bully just because I hid in the bathroom to avoid him? Do you think I don''t know that you influenced Vincent of various way to torture me for no reason at all? You vile bitch, this is your end."


    Chloe''s smile vanished right after she ''talked'' to the ashes. She then pressed the flush, and the ashes spun with the water and were sucked in until the water was clear again.


    Chloe then closed the toilet lid and washed her hand on the sink before picking up the stic bag containing half of Maria''s ashes.


    She smiled at Vernon, who had been dazed as he kept his eyes on her the whole time, "Vernon, I''m sorry that you have to see me like that. But I just can''t help feeling so bitter and angry at Maria. She''s the one who kept on telling Vincent on what to do to make me submissive. She''s the one who told Vincent methods to torture me."


    "No, not at all, love," Vernon said. "I like you this way more. You''re so sexy when you have that evil smile. It gets me horny in fact."

 Chapter 716 716

    ?


    Chloe''s cheeks blushed instantly, "P¡ªPervert!"


    Vernon chuckled. She nced at the stic bag in Chloe''s hand and asked, "So, what do you want to do with half of her ashes? Throw it to the trash can?"


    Chloe shook her head, "I have another idea in mind."


    "Oh?" Vernon raised his brow. "And what kind of idea is that? Tell me."


    "You told me before that Vincent wants to do a press conference to clear him out of the malicious rumors, right?" Chloe asked, and Vernon nodded. Indeed, he told Chloe that Vincent was about to clear his name using a formal press conference and was doing something to stop it.


    "Do you know when Vincent will hold that press conference?" Chloe asked more.


    "Three days from now," Vernon replied. He sighed. He was ashamed because he was yet to find a good way to ruin Vincent''s press conference. "Look, I''m sorry that I haven''t found a good way to ruin it. I was thinking about bribing the reporters, so they will begin to give him many ufortable questions until he snaps. It''s the best way to publicly shame him, because I know that he doesn''t have the patience to handle harsh questions."


    "Hmm, I think you underestimate him a bit, Vernon," Chloe said. "He doesn''t have patience most of the time. But he cares a lot about his public image. He will do everything to keep his image good in front of the people."


    "There have been times where he''s very unstable, yet he''s still able to pull off that perfect man image when he was doing an interview for a business magazine," Chloe said. "So I''vee up with a n."


    "And what''s the n?" Vernon anticipated eagerly.


    "Since I know that he''ll be able to pull off that perfect gentleman image in the public, then let''s shock his mind the night before the press conference, so he will be too distracted, frustrated, and angry at the questions given by the reporters. It will be a good scene since the press conference will probably be broadcasted live in the morning news and on the inte."


    "And we happen to have the best thing to give him the shock of his life," Chloe raised the stic bag in her hand and then said, "Maria has been his anchor in life. He can survive so far because Maria is on his side. She''s the loyal dog of the Gray family, and once she''s gone, Vincent will grow weary and unstable. Because he''s so used to getting help from Maria in almost everything."


    "Vernon, I need you to send this stic bag to Vincent''s mansion. Make sure that he will open it right on the night before the press conference," Chloe instructed. "And give me a paper and pen now. I will be the one who writes a note for him."


    **


    Vincent sighed as he had to enter his office again this morning. He knew he''d have a difficult day at work since the Gray Company was in crisis right now because the rumors didn''t die after Christmas and New Year.


    In fact, it got even worse.


    People had so much time on their hands, and the case of Chelsea Davis and the involvement of Vincent Gray was like a hot topic in various social media.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chelsea Davis'' crime was so severe, and the fact that it involved a billionaire was too crazy for everyone to miss.


    The lipstick advertisement in the New York Times Square only made it even worse because now everyone has begun to craft some crazy theory.


    Nevertheless, that cosmetic release was a total failure that cost millions of dors for thepany.


    And the nail in the coffin was the case with the boys and his wife.


    Since the poor boys were with Vincent''s wife right now, that meant Vincent and his wife weren''t on good terms, and they were most likely already going their own way.


    It was a big sensation because the public had always seen Vincent Gray as a perfect man who loved his wife and daughter so much that he didn''t even want to show their faces in public.


    With all this pressure, thepany''s stock went downhill to a critical level, sending panic through the wholepany. In fact, it was so bad that almost 80% of his long-term business partners already cut their contracts or decided not to renew them with the Graypany, making it impossible for Vincent to recover unless he did something to restore his public image.


    Meanwhile, Vincent could only ignore them all as he didn''t want to listen to the sameints over and over.


    "Things will get solved tomorrow," he told himself. "I will do a press conference, and answer everything, so people''s opinion will be on my side again after this."


    Vincent was busy in his office, reading document after document that he had to do all by himself because hecked a secretary.


    Usually, these were things that Maria did. It was Maria who read the documents and passed the important ones to him, but now that old woman was nowhere to be found, and she was also uncontactable, which was weird because she''d usually told Vincent again if some people were after her.


    After all, Maria had a lot of enemies, so she also needed constant protection from Vincent''s men.


    "Did something happen to her?" Vincent wondered. But then he warded off the idea. "No, no, that''s impossible. She''s smart and sly. She will find a way to get out of a difficult situation no matter what. Maybe she''s in hiding right now, all I need to do is to wait for her to return and try to endure this."


    However, no matter how hard he tried to endure, he realized that he wouldn''t be able to work like a dog. He simply wasn''t used to working so hard at all.


    So he had already told the HR department to find him a new secretary as a ceholder until Maria returned.


    Right when he was thinking about the new secretary, there was a knock on the door, and the man outside said, "Excuse me, Sir, I''m here with your new Secretary that will start working today."

 Chapter 717 717

    ?


    "Excuse me, Sir, I''m here with your new Secretary that will start working today."


    "Oh, let her in!" Vincent shouted. He was actually excited to see what kind of woman would be his secretary. He hadn''t hired a new young and beautiful secretary after Prisci left, mostly because he was too busy searching for Chloe and swamped with work.


    Maria also told him not to find another woman for a while because he wasn''t in the best mental state after Chloe left.


    Which was, unfortunately, true.


    He hated to admit it, but Vincent felt that his sanity slowly deteriorated as Chloe was missing in his life.


    He didn''t know that Chloe could make such a huge impact on him. He thought that Chloe was a deadweight, a useless woman he cared for because he was a generous man.


    After all, Chloe hadn''t done anything significant in life. She was just a housewife who could cook and spread her legs. She had no more use!


    ''But why do I feel so empty?'' Vincent asked himself over and over each time he remembered about Chloe. ''She''s just a receable woman that hadn''t contributed a thing in my life. I shouldn''t think about her, right?''


    At first, he was sure he could move on quickly.


    But reality hit him hard once he realized he couldn''t take her off his mind. Chloe was like a parasite thattched into his mind and heart, refusing to leave, and it only got Vincent even angrier than before.


    The door was slowly opened from outside, and the long-awaited secretary finally came in, and her appearance shocked Vincent so much.


    "What in the¡ª"


    The male secretary introduced the new secretary, "Mr. Gray, this is Miss Khloe Carpenter. She is twenty-five years old and she''s a fresh graduate from Yale."


    The young woman bowed politely and added, "You can call me Khloe, Mr. Gray. I''ll start working from today. The HR department already told me everything that I need to do here."


    Vincent wasn''t sure if he was crazy, but this woman was Prisci. Yes, that bitch Prisci he kicked a while ago.


    Her face was the same. The only difference was her eye and hair color.


    Prisci was a blonde with blue eyes.


    But this woman had long and wavy chestnut hair alongside hazel eyes.


    In Vincent''s eyes, this woman was trying to copy Chloe''s signature chestnut hair and hazel eyes alongside her meek demeanor, but of course, she couldn''t fool him.


    She was Prisci! Not Chloe or Khloe!


    Vincent looked at the male secretary while holding his anger, "Why did you bring this bitch into my office?"


    "P¡ªPardon, Sir?" The male secretary was shocked, but Khloe didn''t seem to be surprised at all.


    "This bitch is Prisci, my old secretary. Do you really think that I''m fucking blind?!"


    The Male secretary trembled in fear instantly. His face paled, but he stood still and tried to defend himself, "N¡ªNo, Sir. They might look simr, but we have all the proof that this woman is NOT Prisci. We hired her because she has the qualification, she''s gorgeous, young, and smart. She''s everything you need, Sir!"


    Vincent was so angry at this bastard who dared to y him like this.


    He was about to snap again, but the youngdy, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up, "Mr. Gray, my name is Khloe Carpenter. I don''t know who this Prisci is, but having a simr facial feature doesn''t mean we''re the same people."


    "Besides, I really want to work in this office, Mr. Gray! You have been my inspiration to work hard. I always think about you whenever I feel sad, because I know there''s someone as great as you in this world, so I have to at least try to be just like you!"


    Vincent was stunned by this young woman''s words. She had the face and voice of Prisci, but the way she spoke was very different from that bitch.


    This youngdy was soft-spoken, and it seemed genuine when she said she wanted to be just like him.


    So he began to doubt himself whether this person was Prisci or not.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He darted his eyes to the male secretary and asked, "Are you sure her name is Khloe, not Prisci?"


    "I''m 100% sure, Sir!" The male secretary replied eagerly. "The head of the HR department has checked all the data and he said that her name is indeed Khloe Carpenter, not Prisci. They just have a very simr facial feature."


    Vincent peered suspiciously at this woman and asked, "Do you have any siblings?"


    "No, Sir. I''m an only child," Khloe replied. She lowered her head ashamedly and said, "I''m sorry if my appearance doesn''t suit your taste, Sir. I''m just here to work, I have no intention to make you ufortable."


    "¡­" Vincent sighed. He didn''t know if his eyes had been tricking him or whatsoever. Nevertheless, he couldn''t simply throw this woman out since she seemed genuinely inexperienced and just wanted to work.


    ''Usually I''d be excited to have this kind of secretary. They''re usually very naive and would give their body to me with only a few sweet wordsing out of my mouth,'' Vincent thought. ''But why do I feel wary about this woman? This woman is not Prisci, right?''


    "Alright, you''ll start working with me from now on," Vincent said.


    Khloe''s face brightened instantly, and she nodded happily, "Thank you so much, Sir!"


    Vincent sighed and told the male secretary to leave now while Khloe could stay with him and did the paper.


    "You can take all of these documents and read them on your desk outside. Just give me the documents thate from our business partners and ignore the rest, there is a stamp that shows the document is from a partner, understand?" Vincent said.


    "Yes, Sir, I will work hard!"


    Khloe hurriedly grabbed a thick stack of documents on the CEO''s desk and tried her best to carry them all at once as she excused herself.


    Vincent watched Khloe from the back. He still couldn''t ignore this eerie feeling in his heart telling him that woman was Prisci.


    But the way they spoke was very different.


    Prisci had that bitchy aura in her, she spoke like she was the queen, and she didn''t care about whatever people said about her as long as she was with Vincent.


    He merely saw her as a fun pet. She was bitchy, funny, and loud because she was very different from Chloe, who was meek and submissive. She was also wild in bed, which spiced up his sex lifepared to when he was with Chloe.


    Though, he already forgot when was thest time he did it with Chloe. He got used to beating her up while having sex with another woman for the past ten years, to the point that he had forgotten what it felt like to be with her.


    Vincent sighed. He tried not to think about Chloe.


    But the more he tried to ward her off his thoughts, the harder it was to escape her.


    "Argh, let''s just forget about her for now. I still have a lot to do. I don''t want thepany that my dad has worked for his entire life to crumble just because of a stupid rumor!"


    Vincent gritted his teeth as he felt wronged by the world. He was obviously very powerful to the point that he was almost untouchable. How could everything have turned into a mess after Chloe left him? It didn''t make sense at all!


    "Just you wait, Chloe Gray. I will bring you back, and you will beg after making me aughing stock like this!"


    Thus, Vincent worked the whole day with only one goal in mind, and that was to make sure that everything would return to normal and that the public would be back worshiping him again.


    He walked out of his office after a long day, passed the secretary''s desk, and realized that Khloe was still working on the documents.


    After all, there was so much for her to read because Maria had been absent for a while, and thus she had to do everything.


    "Why are you still working at this hour?" Vincent asked.


    "Ah, Mr. Gray!" Khloe got up from the desk and bowed politely. "I just finished half of the documents. I''m so sorry that I cannot finish it all on time."


    "It''s fine," Vincent said. He wanted to snap at this youngdy for being slow, but the way she acted so meek and pitiful reminded him of Chloe, and somehow he lost his will to get angry. "Just resume it tomorrow."


    "I¡ªI will try to finish it tonight, Sir. I will bring this to my apartment, or I''ll just work overtime!" Khloe said with sincerity, which made Vincent ufortable because she reminded him so much of Chloe, who always showed that sincere look no matter how often he abused her.

 Chapter 718 718

    ?


    Vincent got so distracted by the idea that Chloe worked as his secretary because this woman''s demeanor was very simr to his wife''s.


    They both had that sincerity and meekness that gave him a sense of control. It also gave him the sense that she could do everything to her without repercussions.


    He then began to recall when Chloe asked if she could be the secretary in his office.


    She wanted to help him and said she would work hard to support him as the CEO. She insisted on this for at least three years of their marriage, to which Vincent always replied with a big no.


    No matter what, he would never allow Chloe to be his secretary because of two reasons.


    First, he would feel that he was being watched over by her since he''d spent a lot of time fucking so many women in his office.


    Second, he knew that Chloe was a slut. She was born as a lowly woman from a poor family. She was, at best, a maid if she wasn''t pretty. Vincent knew that she would turn into a prostitute every time she saw another rich man, and he didn''t want to cheat because a woman who cheats is disgusting.


    What about him? Of course, not! He is a man! He had the right to cheat with so many women as long as he had the money!


    "Mr. Gray? Sir? Are you alright?"


    Vincent snapped out of his daze when Khloe called his name. He stared at the young woman and said, "You don''t need to finish everything tonight, just do it tomorrow."


    "Ah¡ªuhm, o¡ªokay, Sir," Khloe said meekly. "Then I''ll prepare myself to go home."


    Vincent nodded and then walked into the elevator.


    He didn''t know what was wrong with him. Usually, he''d take advantage of women who were so meek and naive like this.


    But this woman reminded him so much of Chloe, and somehow he didn''t want to hurt her.


    "Maybe I''ve grown too soft. If only Chloe is here, I''d just beat her up so I can feel powerful again, then I don''t need to worry about fucking a woman who looks and acts simr to her," Vincent reasoned.


    He drove his car through the busy street of New York and reached his mansion in a gated area. The mansion''s garden was still well-maintained. Everything still looked perfect from the outside.


    But the inside was a mess.


    Since Vincent had so many outbursts, many maids were too scared to go near him. They were afraid that they''d get beaten up by him, and there was no more Mrs. Gray, who would soak all the damage, acting like their shield whenever the maids made a mistake, and Mr. Gray would beat his wife instead.


    It was truly hell when Mrs. Gray wasn''t around.


    ''If only Mrs. Gray is still in the mansion, we don''t need to face such a scary man as our Boss¡­'' the maids grieved in unison.


    Vincent ignored all the maids and went straight to the master bedroom. He had gottenzier to do anything these days. All he wanted to do was to sleep, so he could at least forget about Chloe, even for a few hours.


    Though, it didn''t seem to work that well because he was still dreaming about Chloe every time he closed his eyes. This was like a mental torture that he hated so much.


    Vincent entered the master bedroom. He took off his shirt and threw himself onto the bed, trying to rest after such a long, stressful day.


    He wanted to sleep early because he''d have to wake up early tomorrow morning for his press conference.


    He had invited many news reporters from various media toe and interview him. He has prepared for everything and already told himself that he needed to endure whatever bullshit those reporters asked as long as his reputation would be restored after the press conference.


    "I have to be careful. This is a matter of life and death," Vincent murmured. "I can''t allow myself to make a mistake at this point, or mypany is done for."


    As he was still busy with his n for tomorrow, he noticed a suspicious box in the corner of his bedroom.


    He frowned, "What''s inside that box? And why is it in my bedroom?"


    Thus, Vincent called the head maid and asked;


    -


    "There is a suspicious box inside my room, what is this and who''s the one who sent this?" He asked.


    "Pardon me, Master Gray. But I cannot rify what is inside the box, because it''s from Secretary Maria," the head maid replied on the phone.


    "Someone delivered it to our front door, and it has the code that Secretary Maria usually uses to signify that it''s a very important and discreet thing, and I''m not allowed to open it."


    Vincent''s eyes widened, and his face brightened the moment he heard it was from Secretary Maria.


    He had been worrying about that old woman because she disappeared without any news. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Usually, she''d text Vincent or even send something to the mansion to signify that she was in hiding or she was still dealing with something since that old woman had a lot of enemies out there.


    Vincent thought that maybe one of her enemies finally caught up to her and killed her in cold blood. So Vincent vowed to at least send five more bodyguards around Maria if something dangerous happened to her.


    Vincent had to admit that Maria was his lifeline. She contributed a lot when working as histe father''s secretary and his secretary.


    She was the mostpetent, cold-blooded, smart, and always knew what to do in a dire situation.


    In the end, she was almost like a mother to Vincent, more than his real mother, who had betrayed him.


    His real mother was just a drunkard who could barely control herself. She was on so many medications due to depression, and she was even put in rehab for a few months because she was addicted to heroin back then.


    She was also stupid. She still had a lot of ''heart'' for the people who worked for her.


    "Hah, so stupid," Vincent sneered. "What a hypocrite. She''s stupid enough to listen to everything I said back then so she''d beat Vernon to death. And now she dares to betray me? I shouldn''t have put her in the rehab center. She''s far more useful when she''s intoxicated."


    Back then, Vincent could feel her mother''s hatred towards the little boy. So, naturally, Vincent wanted to take advantage of it.


    He realized that Dorothea always locked herself in her room whenever she was intoxicated, so Vincent began to persuade her to beat up the source of her misery.


    It took him a while, but the intoxicated woman finally snapped when Little Vernon began to make trouble around the mansion, so she beat him up when he was only six years old with her whiskey bottle.


    Of course, Vincent did this for a reason.


    His father taught him that he needed to control his little brother. That boy was still a Gray in the end, and he would start to have big ambitions as he grew older and might actually try to challenge Vincent''s position.


    So Vincent had to make sure that Vernon became his obedient dog. Though in the end, he still failed because Vernon dared to turn his back on him right now.


    "Everyone left me except for Maria," Vincent thought. "Honestly, she did way more than my real mother. I should give her a reward by the time of her return."


    Vincent was ready to give Maria at least a share of hispany to appreciate her. This was the first time he realized that he needed someone during a dire time.


    So he got up and walked towards the box.


    He picked it up and put it on his bed.


    He frowned when he read the name on top, "Maria Orien? Isn''t that her real name? Why did she write her own name like this? Wouldn''t it be too suspicious?"


    Vincent didn''t know what Maria nned to do this time, but he knew it would always be in the best of his interest.


    So he opened it without worry and saw a stic bag with something that seemed to be a pile of sand inside.


    Vincent didn''t know what this was until he noticed a small note neatly folded inside the box.


    So he picked it up and read it.


    ¡ª


    My dear ex-husband, I''m sorry I disappeared for too long. I sent this to make it up to you since you must''ve missed me so much.


    What you see inside this box are the remains of Maria Orien, your secretary.


    Yes, I killed that old bitch by strangling her when she tried to take my daughter away.


    Then I told my new man to cremate her body, and once she''s nothing but ashes, I dumped half of her into the toilet and flushed it since I bet she''ll love swimming with all the shits in the sewer. I think it''s a fair ending for her.


    I hope you don''t mind that I can only send half of her remains. I hope you can make good use of her ashes. Maybe you should put her ashes to rece the sugar in your breakfast, so you will always have her inside you.


    Don''t grief for too long, you will join her soon.


    With heart full of hatred,


    Chloe xxx xxxx.


    PS: Sorry, I can''t tell you my new surname, but you will know since I''m getting married soon.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 719 719

    ?


    Vincent read the note over and over. He couldn''t believe his own eyes and surely didn''t want to believe this was true.


    He knew this handwriting. It was Chloe''s signature, beautiful cursive handwriting. There was no mistake in it.


    And that made it even scarier.


    Vincent looked simultaneously at the bag of ashes in the box and at the note.


    His face turned pale instantly, and his body trembled as he was trying to battle the shock in his heart.


    He didn''t know if this was true or not. Nevertheless, it was enough topletely crush his mind, making him unable to take action as he kept staring at the note and the ashes.


    "No way¡­" Vincent murmured. "There is no way that bitch can kill Maria! She''s just a weakling! She can''t do anything against me, how could she suddenly fight back?!"


    Vincent tried to deny the truth. He knew the note and the stic bag were most likely true.


    But he didn''t want to¡ªno, he refused to believe it!


    There was no way Maria would end up like this. She was supposed to be smart, just like him, and for her to die in Chloe''s hand?


    "DO YOU THINK I''M SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT?!"


    Vincent gritted his teeth. He tore up the note and opened the stic bag. He still refused to believe that Maria would end up dead. She might be old, but she was very smart and sly.


    This was too tragic, and Vincent believed Chloe must be tricking him right now.


    But the moment he opened the stic bag, he saw real cremation ashes. There was no doubt this was the ashes of a dead person, judging by the color and consistency.


    After all, he also cremated his father''s body, and the ashes were just like this.


    "No way," Vincent shook his head vehemently. "NO FUCKING WAY!"


    Vincent''s mind was in chaos soon after. He refused to believe that was the ashes of Maria, but deep down, he knew that Maria was dead, and he was all alone now.


    He was like a small boat in the middle of an ocean, swayed left and right by the storm, afraid that he was about to get swept by a big wave and drowned.


    Vincent didn''t know what to do with these ashes. He wanted to throw it away because he refused to believe it was Maria''s ashes.


    But at the same time, he was afraid that it might be her ashes, and he''d regret it if he did something awful to it.


    Vincent was holding his tears. He carefully tied the stic bag and put the lid back.


    He put the box in the corner of his room and then screamed, "CHLOE GRAY, YOU WILL PAY FOR MESSING ME LIKE THIS! I WILL FUCKING STRANGLE YOU TO DEATH! ARRRGHHH!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Vincent began another round of rage in his room. The master bedroom was mostly empty since he had destroyed at least half of the things in there from his previous rampage.


    But that didn''t stop him from finding something to destroy. He left the master bedroom and began to scream as he rushed to the living room, where every decoration was done by Chloe.


    He began smashing every piece of furniture he saw, kicking and punching everything since he found no way to release his anger.


    "FUCK YOU, CHLOE GRAY! YOU DARE TO DO THIS TO ME, AFTER EVERYTHING I DID FOR YOU!" Vincent''s scream echoed in the mansion, and the maids got terrified instantly.


    They quickly hid inside their room, locking the door because they didn''t want to be the next victim. They had been enduring all the craziness inside this ce just because the sry was amazing. But at this point, they''d prefer to work a normal job as long as they felt safe.


    "S¡ªShould we call for 911?" One maid asked the other while hiding in their bedroom.


    "Don''t! He will kill us if we dare to call the cops!" the other maid warned. "Let''s just resign as soon as possible, so we don''t need to face that monster."


    "Yeah, I can''t wait to resign. He looks perfect from the outside, but by the time Mrs. Gray leaves him, he bes a monster that everyone fears."


    "Mrs. Gray is the one who keeps him in check. Now that she''s gone, his sanity is also gone."


    Vincent''s rage was unstoppable. He spent hours destroying everything in the mansion until at least 80% of the furniture in the huge living room was destroyed.


    Vincent was consumed by blind rage, and by the time he regained some of his sanity, the realization that he waspletely alone dawned on him, making him unable to stand straight.


    He fell on his knees, staring at the debris of ceramics and ss around him.


    He then looked around him and realized that he had lost so many things that Chloe had personally decorated.


    Back then, he didn''t care much about it, thinking that Chloe was being stupid with her low-ss hobby of decorating the mansion with cheap stuff she personally selected from a local store.


    She wasn''t particrly fond of expensive stuff they could get to decorate, and Vincent always covered all of this embarrassing cheap stuff when he had a party in the mansion.


    But now that everything had been destroyed, he noticed the aching in his heart.


    Something was missing, and he didn''t know what.


    All he knew was that he made a huge mistake by letting Chloe go back then.


    "I should''ve tied her up, making sure that she will never be able to escape me," Vincent murmured. "Now look what happens when she''s not under my control? She bes an absolute bitch who dares to turn against me, her own husband who took care of her for ten years."


    Unfortunately, no matter how many times Vincent groveled over this, he knew he would never be able to retrieve what had already gone.


    "Chloe¡­ Chloe Gray¡­" he murmured her name as he felt empty inside.

 Chapter 720 720

    ?


    Vincent couldn''t sleep for the whole night.


    After he destroyed everything, he returned to the master bedroom in a daze. His mind was upied with Chloe, who had ruined everything for him.


    He hated her so much that he couldn''t wait to kill her.


    But at the same time, he also missed her so much. He felt so empty. He was also scared of everything right now. He was scared of the future, of the press conference that would happen soon, and also scared of the idea that his downfall was near.


    He knew that in order for him to feel safe, he needed the presence of the only woman that filled his heart.


    He might have fucked so many women in the past, but he knew that he never put his heart to any of them. They were all just past flings, a sex toy he used to vent his frustration, while his true woman was the one at home.


    He thought there was nothing wrong with the setup, but it seemed that Chloe had a different idea in her head.


    "What should I do now?" Vincent wondered as he stared at the ceiling. "Chloe is gone, Maria is not here to help me, and my dad is not here to protect me in times of need. I am all alone now."


    Vincentmented over his fate, "Why can''t I have a happy life like my dad? He beat up my mom pretty often, and abused her so many times, but he still has a fulfilling life. But why can''t I have the same thing? WHY?!"


    Vincent was left with a question he couldn''t answer, and he stayed in the same position for a while, staring at the ceiling like an idiot because he didn''t know what to do.


    Until he snapped out of his daze when he heard his phone ring.


    It took him a while to gather enough strength to pick up the phone, and then asked, "Who''s this?"


    "Sir, this is Tom, the head of the PR team," Tom said. "We''ve prepared everything for the press conference. It will be held in an hour, please get ready ande here as soon as possible, there are so many reporters waiting for your arrival, Sir."


    ¡­


    Vincent went silent for a long time.


    If he could be honest, he didn''t want to partake in any kind of activity right now.


    All he wanted was to hide himself in his room. He didn''t want to take care of thepany or anything right now.


    But he knew that thepany''s lifeline was in his hand. As much as he hated it, he had to attend that press conference to save thepany.


    Vincent''s mind was still in chaos even after he explodedst night. Chloe had sessfully broken him from the inside.


    He scoffed as he walked and saw the photo of them in a small frame, "Are you happy now, Chloe? You ruined me, you, our family. We had a perfect family that is well loved by the people, but you decide to run away and cheat on me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will try my best to keep thepany afloat. I know that your threat of getting married with that new man of yours is just an empty threat," Vincent said. "Do you think I will believe that you are going to marry him? HAH! You are just a kept woman at best, he will get bored of you soon and kick you away."


    "And when that timees, you will return to me, begging to be saved because you don''t have anyone to protect you," Vincent said. "I just have to persevere and stay afloat until that time."


    **


    Vincent stood behind the wall that separated him from the rest of the reporters. There were so many, way too manypared to what he expected.


    He didn''t know if it was good or bad, but he knew the show must go on, and he had to face them to restore his reputation.


    Unfortunately, he kept being dazed, thinking about Maria and Chloe.


    ''Maria would''ve done something better than this. She wille up with a brilliant n to salvage me from a difficult situation,'' Vincent thought. ''I wouldn''t have to worry about something like this if Chloe is still in the mansion. I can beat her up real good, probably punch her a few times in the face and dip her head into the toilet to feel good about myself, and then I can go to work like a normal person.''


    ''Why is everything stacked against me now?'' He wondered.


    "Mr. Gray, Mr. Gray!"


    Vincent snapped out of his daze when he heard someone calling him.


    "Everyone is waiting for you, Mr. Gray. You maye in," Tom, the head of the PR team, said.


    Vincent took a deep breath and then walked into the small podium where he sat with a mic on the desk.


    The blitz from the camera blinded him. He usually liked the attention. He liked the blitz because it showed he was an important businessman nobody could touch.


    But now, the shes made him ufortable because he knew he was like a littlemb surrounded by hungry wolves. They were ready to attack him with various questions that might or might not trigger him.


    But in the end, he had to endure everything for the sake of his reputation.


    "Good morning, everyone," Vincent opened the press conference. "My name is Vincent Gray, the owner of Graypany, and I''m here to rify a few rumors that have been circting wildly in public."


    "I understand that I have been under a lot of bad exposure because of my sister-inw, Mrs. Chelsea Davis, who has been proven guilty for murdering her own mother and almost murdering her sons."


    "But you need to understand that I have no connection whatsoever with the murder. I''m not close to Mrs. Chelsea Davis and I haven''t been in contact with her for a while," Vincent said. "The news about the murder also shocked me, and it shocked me even more when I realized that I have been unjustly ndered in public."

 Chapter 721 721

    ?


    "At first, I prefer to ignore the rumors and nder about me, because I have a lot of projects to do. But once I realize that the rumors have gotten out of control, I realize that I have to do something or else my reputation will be ruined," Vincent said.


    He clenched his fist under the desk, trying his best to hold this ufortable feeling in his heart. The blitzes from the camera made it even worse.


    He felt nauseous as if he could throw up anytime soon.


    He didn''t know what was wrong with him, but he was definitely not in a good condition right now.


    Nevertheless, the show must continue, and he had to endure this ufortable feeling until the press conference ended.


    "I implore all the news outlets to rify to me if they want to know the truth. I''ve been watching the news and my face is stered everywhere without my consent. This is clearly the vition of privacy and also defamation," Vincent said. "Therefore, I''m nning to take any nder that I got to the court, I will sue any media who dares to defame me without concrete evidence."


    The reporters were shocked by that.


    Mr. Vincent Gray was usually a very kind yet busy man who wouldn''t even care to gossip about him.


    But it seemed that it was just a public image he presented to look good, or the rumors already pissed him off.


    After all, the rumors were enough to bring hispany''s stock down to a horrendous level.


    The moderator then allowed the reporters to ask questions one by one. There was a bit of noise from the reporters as they were busy discussing what questions would be good for Mr. Gray.


    They knew they were threading on a thin line right now, but they also knew they''d get paid handsomely as long as they could get some sensational, scandalous, and shocking answers out of Vincent''s mouth.


    Little did Vincent know that most of the reporters here were already fed by Vernon a lot of ''small facts'' about Vincent Gray.


    These reporters knew more than Vincent expected.


    Thus, the first reporter asked, "Sir, I want to ask if you''re truly innocent in this case of Chelsea Davis. After all, Mrs. Davis keeps on mentioning you in her testimony, saying that you are the one who promised her a hand-in marriage in exchange for murdering her own family."


    "And would you believe that?" Vincent raised his brow. "The idea is already outrageous. Chelsea Davis is obsessed with me, and she is insane. She''s probably hallucinating about me before murdering my mother-inw."


    The first reporter went silent and backed off, and the second reporter came with another question that was as revolting as the first one.


    "But Sir, based on the police report for her mental health screening, Chelsea Davis is not insane. She is in so much shock right now, but she is not mentally damaged and therefore, there is still a possibility that she''s not lying," the second reporter said. "What is your opinion on that, Sir?"


    Vincent''s body stiffened. He was actually surprised by that statement.


    There was no doubt that Chelsea was insane. One look into her eyes was enough to show that she wasn''t right in the head.


    But how could the police release a statement that Chelsea wasn''t insane? What kind of bullshit was that?


    ''Did the police conspire with my enemy to take me down? After they could bribe the police to release a false statement about Chelsea, Vincent began to panic as he realized he wasn''tpletely in control of the situation.


    ''Could it be that Chloe is the one who manipted the result, so Chelsea wouldn''t escape the verdict because she was clinically insane?'' Vincent wondered. ''No, there is no way that Chloe has that much power. She is just a stupid housewife that is barely able to think. How could she prepare that kind of borate trap for me?''


    "A¡ªAnyone could lie," Vincent replied nervously. "Chelsea Davis is lying so she wouldn''t get a harsh sentence. After all, if she throws the me on me, she wouldn''t be the only perpetrator."


    The second reporter backed off, seemingly satisfied with her answer.


    Vincent''s palm began to sweat as he got nervous. That was only the second question, and he almost shat himself out of panic.


    The third question came soon after, "Mr. Gray, the police department already released the statement that Chelsea Davis'' four sons are taken by their only living rtive, which is Mrs. Chloe Gray, your wife. Does that mean the boys are in your home now?"


    Vincent had expected the question about Chloe and the boys to pop out anytime soon, and he calmed down a bit after knowing he was finally in control of the situation again.


    Maria would''ve handled these questions easily with tons of reasonable lies, but he didn''t have that skill because he was so used to reading or remembering a script that had been prepared beforehand by Maria, so his public image would always be perfect.


    "My four nephews have been taken by my wife, indeed. They are in our custody, currently living in our mansion," Vincent replied. "Unfortunately, I refused to show their faces in public because they are under so much trauma. They deserve to heal first."


    Vincent thought that answer would be enough to satisfy the reporter. He also expected everyone to p their hands, or at least nod in agreement and satisfaction, as Vincent Gray was still the same good-hearted person the public knew,


    But the third reporter didn''t back down. Instead, he asked again, "But Sir, we already got a report from the child protection service. They said that the boys are currently living in an apartment with Mrs. Chloe Gray and her daughter. She is a single mother that is currently working as a secretary in apany."


    "How do you exin this, Sir? Why do the Child Protection Service have a different reportpared to your statement just now? And what about the fact that Mrs. Chloe Gray is now currently living in an apartment as a single mother?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mr. Vincent Gray, are you two already separated?"


    Vincent was caught off guard by that statement.


    Again, he had no information about the Child protection service, and he didn''t expect Chloe to report her living condition, work, and even her life with Mackie.


    As if everything about her was legit, and he was the one who lied.


    Vincent tried so hard to find an answer to this question. Of course, he couldn''t just say that the CPS lied. Child Protection Service was a highly respected institution. People would just call him nuts for iming that CPS made a false statement.


    "Mr. Gray?" The reporter called his name because he was yet to get an answer to his question.


    Vincent''s face gradually paled, and he began to sweat from head to toe as he didn''t know how to answer that question.


    The moderator immediately noticed Mr. Gray''s nervousness, so he said, "Next question, please?"


    The third reporter backed off, and the fourth came. Vincent hoped the question wouldn''t be about Chloe anymore because he couldn''t answer them.


    But this wasn''t his lucky day.


    Because the reporters in the room¡ªand everyone watching this press conference live¡ªmust''ve noticed the nervousness on Vincent Gray''s face. They must be wondering about the truth as well.


    "Mr. Gray, what do you think about the rumors that you abused your wife until she left you? Is that true?"


    "I¡ªI never abused her," Vincent answered. His gaze began to blur as he tried to stabilize himself. "I never hurt her. We''re not in any fight whatsoever. We''re not separated either."


    "Then howe the Child Protection Service found your wife, daughter, and four nephews in a two bedroom apartment, and your wife is currently working as a secretary in anotherpany? Pardon me, Mr. Gray, but you just contradicted yourself," the reporter said ruthlessly. "Are you saying that the CPS lied about the report?"


    "Yes, Mr. Gray, please answer this."


    "We want to know about your rtionship with Mrs. Chloe Gray!"


    "Mr. Gray, everyone is waiting for your answer!"


    The reporters began to attack Vincent with questions that he couldn''t answer.


    Of course, he couldn''t answer any of them because Chloe had already left her almost a year ago, and he had no idea where she was and what she was doing right now.


    He began to get nauseous, dizzy, and his heartbeat elerated as he got a panic attack.


    He began to imagine everything crumbling in front of him.


    His career.


    His family.


    His public reputation.


    And he realized that his end might be near, and he would be a disgraced man who wouldn''t have power anymore.


    "Mr. Gray!"


    "Mr. Gray!"


    "Mr. Gray!"


    "Mr. Gray!"


    He could hear the voices of the people who demanded an answer he couldn''t give. In the end, his body trembled and¡­


    Everything turned ck.

 Chapter 722 722

    ?


    Everything turned ck for Vincent. He thought he was hallucinating because his body felt too light, so light that he felt numb all over.


    His mind got blurred because of the endless parroting in the room.


    People called him nonstop and asked the same questions he couldn''t answer because of Chloe.


    She was the problem of everything in his life. If only he didn''t fall in love with her back in high school, he would be an amazing man with a submissive wife who would do everything for him by now.


    Chloe was the one who changed him and also the one who ruined him.


    ''This is all because of you¡­ Chloe Gray¡­''


    That was Vincent''sst thought before he lost consciousnesspletely.


    "MR. GRAY!!"


    Everyone in the room, and people who watched this broadcast, was shocked when they saw Mr. Vincent Gray faint after being bombarded with questions.


    The moderator panicked and yelled, "Medic! Call the ambnce, hurry!"


    The staff quickly surrounded Mr. Gray to stop people from filming him, and the broadcast went wild when plenty of bodyguards yelled, "BACK OFF! MR. GRAY NEEDS SPACE TO BREATHE!"


    The live broadcast was cut short when there was a little scuffle between the bodyguard and a cameraman.


    Everyone who watched the live broadcast on the TV was still trying to process what was happening, and Chloe was also one of them.


    She was actually surprised by the result of Vincent''s press conference. She watched the live broadcasting with Vernon by her side, waiting for Vincent to explode angrily and yell at everyone. So everyone will know his true color.


    But fainting was out of her calction.


    Vernon observed Chloe''s expression and asked, "Are you surprised by the result?"


    "Of course! I didn''t expect him to faint," Chloe replied. "I just expected him to scream and yell, probably going violent towards the reporters as well."


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. What''s important is that Vincent already embarrassed himself in public," Vernon said. "The fact that he cannot answer the question, and got a panic attack to the point of fainting, already proves that he is guilty. I''m sure that the public also has the same opinion as us."


    Vernon kept on staring at Chloe and noticed that Chloe didn''t seem to be too happy about this.


    He frowned.


    He thought that Chloe would rejoice after seeing such an embarrassing condition Vincent had right now. He was aughing stock in the public, and this would just worsen as people would see him as an abusive bastard and a good liar since he could fool the public with his perfect gentleman persona.


    "Love, do you not like it?" Vernon asked. "I feed those reporters with a few information about you and Vincent, just enough to make them start questioning many things during the press conference."


    ¡­


    Chloe stayed silent while staring at the static TV.


    "I am happy, Vernon," she replied. "I just¡­ didn''t expect him to faint like that. It reminds me of myself. When I was with him, I fainted a lot because he often abused me physically and mentally. He''d shock me with his outrageous behavior and I often fainted out of despair."


    "This is the first time I saw him in the receiving end, and I feel guilty to admit that I actually feel happy when I saw him like that," Chloe bit her lower lip and then turned her head to look at Vernon. "Do you think I''m evil because I like seeing him in that condition? Should I be sad about it? Should I pity him?"


    "Wha¡ªof course not! You shouldn''t pity him at all! Do you not remember what kind of horrible shits he did to you?" Vernon snapped back. He grabbed Chloe''s hand and wrapped it tightly as if he didn''t want to let go. "Don''t ever think about pitying that bastard, Chloe. He deserves to suffer!"


    "O¡ªOkay," Chloe was surprised by Vernon''s sudden overreaction. "I didn''t feel bad nor do I pity him. I''m just unsure, how can I be so cold to someone? I''ve never been this mean before, and it makes me a little ufortable."


    Vernon sighed.


    Of course, Chloe would feel ufortable doing all this cold-hearted stuff to take someone down. Vernon felt joy when he saw Vincent fainting during a live broadcast just because of a question he couldn''t answer.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After all, Vernon was used to fighting with other businessmen through callous methods. He wasn''t a stranger to the difficult life of scheming and ruthlessly taking down a business rival.


    Unlike Chloe, she was just a normal housewife who longed for a normal happy life, which she couldn''t get for the past ten years.


    But she had to get used to this. The revenge against Vincent was still ongoing, and Vernon would not stop until he found that bastard under the bridge, begging for spare change.


    "You''re not mean or cruel, Chloe," Vernon assured. "Just because you feel vengeful towards one person, doesn''t mean that you are evil, especially when that person is the one who abused you for ten years straight."


    "So please¡­" Vernon slowly loosened his grip on her hand and put her palm on his chest, "Please stop feeling guilty about Vincent. Let him suffer, he deserves all the misfortunate that happened to him. Remember that his downfall is the only way for us to be together."


    ¡­


    Chloe nodded.


    "I''m sorry for being a little hesitant," Chloe said. "You''re right. He deserves to get all the misfortune in his life. He has done enough damage to us and everyone around him."


    Vernon was relieved that Chloe seemed to have been certain about this. Though the chance was close to impossible, he was still worried that Chloe would think about returning to Vincent if that bastard begged in front of her.


    After all, Chloe had a very soft heart. She might forgive Vincent after all the horrible abuses she got from him.


    ''I won''t let them meet again,'' Vernon thought. ''I have to make sure that Vincent will never be able to contact Chloe anymore.''


    "So, what will you do after this, Vernon?" Chloe asked as she decided to throw this small guilt in her heart for revenge. "The public opinion is already stacked against his favor, and now that he fainted because of a simple question he can''t answer, there is no doubt that his reputation would plummet, alongside his stock, right?"


    "You''re right. It won''t take long for the Graypany to crumble," Vernon confirmed. "The stock has plummeted, and he has almost zero business partners because I''ve snatched them all. But of course we need to watch our back. We can wait for about a month to see everything unfold."


    "One month?" Chloe frowned. "But isn''t it good to file for divorce right now? After all, everyone''s opinion is already against him."


    "No, it''s not enough," Vernon said. "He still hasn''t lost everything. He may lose thepany, but he also inherited tons of inheritance from myte father. We need to destroy that too, so he will end up in the street."


    "Then how are we supposed to do that?" Chloe asked. She knew that Vincent would still live a luxurious andfortable lifestyle because Vincent inherited all the umted wealth of the Gray family.


    Vernon smirked, "I have. My own way, of course. I have a perfect person to turn himpletely insane. Just trust me, okay?"


    "Okay then¡­" Chloe nodded. She was unsure what was in Vernon''s mind and what kind of n he brewed after this.


    She had done all the things she had in mind. Chloe basically destroyed Vincent''s reputation and also hispany. It would be difficult for him to recover after this.


    But it seemed that Vernon''s wouldn''t stop until Vincent was six feet under.


    Vernon wanted Vincent to truly suffer for the rest of his life, mainly because he already knew that Vincent treated him as a dog instead of a brother. Vincent was just as horrible¡ªif not even more horrible¡ªthan Dorothea.


    However, that wasn''t his strongest reason.


    His greatest reason had always been Chloe.


    He wanted to have Chloe all for himself, including marrying her to make it official.


    ''And I will stop at nothing as long as I can have her,'' Vernon vowed in his heart. ''I don''t care how many lives I have to destroy. How many schemes I have to go through. I have to make sure that Chloe is mine, and that''s all that matters for me.''


    Meanwhile, Chloe was also thinking about something;


    ''Is it wrong that I''m actually happy with Vincent''s suffering? I felt nothing but joy when I saw him faint, and I certainly want him to suffer even more,'' Chloe thought. ''I hope I won''t have to do this kind of thing to someone else. I don''t like this malicious feeling in my heart.''


    ''The revenge against Vincent has to be the first and thest cruel action I did against someone, then after that, I can finally obtain myplete freedom,'' Chloe looked up to stare at Vernon and added, ''And stay with the man that I love and loved me back.''

 Chapter 723 723

    ?


    Vincent didn''t know what happened to him after he cked out during the press conference.


    But as he regained some of his consciousness, he found himself floating in the middle of an empty space.


    He opened his eyes and looked around to see if there was something he could do in this space.


    But he was floating helplessly. His body was numb from top to bottom. All he could do was move his eyes left and right.


    "Where am I?" He asked himself. But of course, he didn''t get any answer because his voice echoed inside this empty space. He was all alone, and this actually felt excruciating.


    Being alone was so excruciating for him.


    "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Vincent asked.


    Again, no answer.


    He waspletely alone, and he was so scared about it.


    "Hello? HELLO!? SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER ME!" Vincent started screaming as he began to get desperate.


    This silence was painful. Vincent didn''t care if he had to see the face of his enemies at this point, as long as there was someone that could apany him in this vast emptiness.


    "I can hear you, brother,"


    Vincent frowned. He could hear the familiar voice of his little brother. He looked straight and asked, "Vernon? Where are you?"


    "I''m right here."


    Vincent frowned as a man suddenly appeared in front of him.


    It was Vernon, who looked tall and handsome.


    Vincent was once very proud of his little brother. He didn''t even care if he had to split hispany with Vernon as long as Vernon continued to admire him and do everything he said like a good big dog.


    But even an obedient dog would eventually bite his master.


    Vernon dared to go against him, secretly plotting to take over many of his business partners during a dire time, and by the time Vincent realized it, it was toote for him.


    Vernon had gotten everything.


    Vincent didn''t even need to split thepany in half for his big dog because Vernon already stole half of it anyway.


    Vernon stood in front of him with a malicious smile, "What''s wrong, Big bro? Are you feeling lonely because there''s nobody around you right now? What do you expect? Do you think that they will keep kissing your ass after you''ve fallen off your high horse?"


    Vincent gritted his teeth, "It''s all because of you! Everyone left me because of you. You stole everything from me!"


    "Ohe on, you know that you''re doomed to fail sooner orter anyway," Vernon chuckled. "After all, you''re the one who destroyed the jewel of your life. You abused Chloe nonstop, beating, humiliating, and imprisoning her for ten years, thinking that she will not be able to escape nor have the courage to do so."


    Vincent''s heart ached when Vernon mentioned Chloe.


    As much as he tried to deny it, he knew that Chloe was a big part of why everything crumbled down at this point.


    Chloe was indeed the jewel in his life. She was the one he actually fell in love with and the only one who could fill this empty void in his heart.


    And right after she left, he began to act crazy.


    He didn''t know what was wrong with him, but he began feeling agitated. He began to make so many careless mistakes to the point that he lost many things, including his most prized big dog, Vernon, and his most useful maid, Maria.


    From the very start, he knew that Chloe was the source of his pain.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But he was too prideful to admit that he needed Chloe''s present, and now he was reaping the result of his conceitedness.


    Vernon observed his big brother andughed, "Why are you making that sad face, Big bro. You know that you can''t take her back anymore, right? She left you and has no intention to return to you."


    "I¡ªI just need to find her," Vincent said. "I need to find her and beg for her forgiveness. She is a kind-hearted woman. She''s very soft, and she will definitely forgive me if I beg."


    "And how do you find her? Do you know how?" Vernon raised his brow. "You can''t even find her with the help of Maria. You let her go so many times even though you have the chance, because you think that Chloe would eventuallye crawling back to you."


    Again, Vincent was left speechless.


    It was true.


    He couldn''t find a way to find Chloe anymore now, and there was no way that Chloe would return to him, especially when she was happy with her new man.


    "She¡­ she won''t be able to marry that bastard. We''re still married, and that bastard would get bored of her anytime soon," Vincent reasoned. "And when that timees, she will have no choice but to return to me if she doesn''t want to die hungry."


    "Hm, I''m not sure about that, Big bro. I don''t think I''ll get bored of her anytime soon," Vernon grinned. "It''d take a lifetime for me to get bored, and even in my death, I''d definitely still long for her to be by my side. So there''s no chance that I will let her go."


    Vincent''s eyes widened, "W¡ªWhat do you mean?"


    Vernon''s grin widened, and he called, "Come here, my love. Let''s show this ex-husband of yours, who is the man who has been protecting you for so long."


    Vincent''s eyes darted at seeing a glowing figure slowly walking toward Vernon. His heart sank the moment he saw his wife''s beautiful figure stopped beside Vernon and allowed Vernon to wrap his arm around her waist.


    She was much more beautiful now. She wasn''t skin and bone anymore, her eyes were beautifully bright, and her long chestnut hair was luscious.


    She looked so stunning, just like the same woman that Vincent saw that day on the altar when they exchanged their vows.


    "Chloe!" Vincent tried to move his body, so he could reach his wife, who was with Vernon right now. But no matter how hard he tried to move his body, he couldn''t even move a finger. Thus, he yelled out of frustration, "CHLOE, GET AWAY FROM HIM!"


    Chloe didn''t answer. She was like a mute.


    She looked sad while staring at Vincent but then rested her head on Vernon''s chest lovingly before looking at Vernon with such loving eyes that should''ve been reserved only for Vincent.


    "CHLOE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHY DID YOU GIVE HIM THOSE EYES?! WE''RE MARRIED! WE''RE HUSBAND AND WIFE! ARRRGHHH!" Vincent continued to struggle endlessly, trying to break free from this invisible chain because he HAD to separate Vernon and Chloe.


    This was the worst nightmare he would ever get in his lifetime.


    "Stop struggling, Big bro. You know there''s no use of that," Vernon chuckled. "Besides, why are you so surprised to see me as the one who has been coveting your wife for a long time? Do you not realize that I''ve been in love with Chloe since I was just a kid?"


    Vincent red at Vernon as if he couldn''t wait to tear his brother apart, "YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU STEAL HER FROM ME! YOU TOOK THE JEWEL OF MY LIFE!"


    "Steal?" Vernon frowned. "Do you really think that I steal your wife, when you''re the one who discarded her? You''re the one who abused her for ten years, and once she left, you still haven''t realized how important she is in your life."


    "Naturally, shees to find me, asking for a job to support herself and her daughter. And I, as the man who has been madly in love with her for so long, of course wants to keep her all for myself."


    "In fact, I can''t wait to marry her, hahahah!" Vernonughed heartily and then hugged Chloe deeper into his embrace until there was no gap between them, hurting Vincent''s eyes even more.


    "YOU¡ªI WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, YOU TREACHEROUS BASTARD! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU AND TAKE MY WIFE BACK!!" Vincent was like a mad dog. His veins began to pop out, but he still couldn''t do anything as he saw Vernon caressing his wife''s sexy body, which should''ve been exclusive to Vincent.


    "Oh, you can''t even do anything right now, Big bro. Yourpany will fail anytime soon, and you know that you will be left with nothing," Vernon said. "And don''t worry about those inheritance that our equally shitty father left to you. You''ll run out of it eventually," Vernon said. "And by the time you''ve turned into a beggar in the street, I will marry MY woman, and live a fulfilling life with her."


    "I will treasure her everyday, making sure that she is happy with her new life, so she won''t run away," Vernon said. "Maybe I should give you my gratitude for showing me how not to treat my beloved woman."


    Vincent didn''t want to give up, he shifted his attention at Chloe and begged, "Chloe, my wife! Forgive me for everything I did! I regret it! I regret everything I did to you! Pleasee home, so we can start anew!"

 Chapter 724 724

    ?


    [Song Rmendation: Joji - Glimpse of Us.]


    Chloe stared at Vincent, who begged for her toe back. She looked sad, so sad that she shed tears at the corner of her eyes.


    Her tears gave Vincent hope. He thought that Chloe would forgive him.


    After all, they had been together for ten years. Of course, Chloe wouldn''t ditch him just because of a small fight. She was a loyal woman who never cheated on Vincent before, so she shouldn''t be swayed by Vernon in less than a year.


    "Chloe¡ªWife, you forgive me, right? I regret everything, I swear!" Vincent said. He got desperate that he actually wanted to kneel in front of his wife, begging her to return so they could start anew.


    This would be the first time for Vincent to kneel in front of someone else, but he didn''t even hesitate. He''d do anything as long as Chloe could return to his side.


    Unfortunately, his body was locked in ce. He couldn''t even move a finger, let alone kneel in front of her.


    But he knew there was a hint of hope for him. As long as he begged enough, Chloe would definitely return to him!


    After a long silence, Chloe finally opened her lips, "Why are you regretting it now, Vincent? You know that it''s toote, right?"


    "No, it''s not toote!" Vincent refuted. "Wife, please, I know I have been a horrible man to you. I don''t know what has gotten into me, but you should know that you''re the only woman I love! You''re the only one that can make me feel things!"


    "If I am the woman you love, then why are you abusing me for ten years straight? Why are you hurting me?" Chloe asked. "What does love mean to you, Vincent?"


    "I¡ª" Vincent was tongue-tied after realizing he had been unreasonable. He had been mindlessly following histe father''s words as if they were religious scriptures he had to obey. He thought abusing and imprisoning Chloe would stop her from leaving, "I love you, Chloe. I love you so much that I''m afraid you will leave me. That''s why I thought imprisoning you was the only way so you won''t leave."


    Chloe grew increasingly sadder, "And why do you think I will leave you? Never in my mind have I ever thought about cheating on you, Vincent."


    Chloe then looked at Vernon, who was embracing her and added, "I didn''t have a romantic feeling for Vernon before. But he showed me that I deserve to be treated like a treasure. I deserve to be loved."


    "I will never leave you if you did the same to me¡­"


    Vincent''s face grew even paler than before.


    Chloe was soft, as always. She always had that gentle yet brilliant aura in her, like a polished jewel that shone brightly.


    But her words cut deep into Vincent''s heart.


    "T¡ªThen I will do it for you as long as you return to me," Vincent said earnestly. "I''ve never been affectionate before. But I want to try. I will treasure you, and I will treasure our daughter too. I will attend every birthday party, teacher-parent meeting, and any events that our daughter has. I will make sure you are well protected."


    "I will let you buy anything you want. I will give everything to you, my inheritance, assets, and the money in my bank ount, EVERYTHING!" Vincent said as he grew desperate. "Please, Chloe, give me a second chance!"


    "I give you chances, many of them, for ten years, Vincent. It''s all gone now. I''ve run out of patience. I can''t do it anymore after enduring ten years worth of abuse," Chloe said. "Please stop begging, you know it won''t change a thing between us."


    "NO! I WON''T STOP BEGGING!" Vincent yelled. "We got married because we''re in love, and I don''t want to divorce you! I will never divorce you!"


    "That doesn''t matter whether you want to divorce her or not," Vernon said. "Soon, you will have nothing. You won''t be the powerful Mr. Gray anymore. You will be reduced to being an ordinary man."


    Vernon had an evil smirk as he stared at his Big bro, "And you know that no ordinary man can bribe the court, or pressure them to be in your favor because you have so much influence."


    Vincent felt that blood had been drained out of his body.


    He knew Vernon''s words were true.


    "Why are you doing this to me, Vernon? Did I ever treat you badly? You''re my little brother that I treasured!"


    "Yes, as a dog," Vernon scoffed. "You want me to be obedient to you like a dog who stuck his tongue out, waiting for praise."


    "Just admit it, Vincent. You''re the one who instigated our mother when she was intoxicated. You''re the one who influenced her to beat me up because I was a product of rape. You''re also the one who told our bastard father to force Chloe to say those mean words about me, so I will be heartbroken enough to leave."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You know that deep down, you''ve been insecure," Vernon said straight to the point. "You know that Chloe might leave you because you''re not good enough, that''s why you manipted the situation so we will never be together."


    "But fate has a unique way to string us together. In the end, Chloe and I are fated to be together after ten years."


    Vincent couldn''t refute any of those.


    It was all true.


    He was good at reading someone who had the potential to be bigger and better than him. Since he was a child, he began to suppress anyone, be it from his main family, branch family, and even family friends.


    He wanted to be the best, so he wouldn''t tolerate anyone that might be better than him, and Vernon was one of them.


    Since he was a child, Vincent already knew that Vernon had the potential to be better, and he didn''t want anypetition.


    So he made sure that Vernon turned into his obedient dog. He wanted to be his only source of light, so Vernon would never dare to fight against him.


    Unfortunately, things didn''t go well when he brought Chloe into the mansion.


    Vernon began showing a sign of dependency and a childhood crush. Chloe might not realize it, but Vincent was quick to sense it.


    At first, he simply thought that Vernon would grow out of it.


    But his feelings for Chloe didn''t change.


    In fact, it got even stronger to the point that Little Vernon began showing a sign of obsessiveness toward Chloe.


    And that was when Vincent realized he had to do something, or Vernon might steal his woman.


    He also wanted to kick Vernon out of the family because he began showing signs ofpetence at school.


    "If you''re angry at me, then you can just take all of my money, Vernon," Vincent said helplessly. His eyes were still on Chloe, hoping he would get pity from his wife in exchange for all the money. "You can have everything, including all the money from the Gray family inheritance. Just please, give me my wife back."


    "Do you think I will sell Chloe for inheritance?" Vernon scoffed. "This is why she left you, Big bro. You keep yelling that you love her, but you don''t really understand your own words."


    "You don''t know that Chloe is not a ''thing'' you can own. She is the woman I love, and I know that she has her own free will," Vernon said. "That''s why I''m trying my best to keep her happy and satisfied with our current life, so she will not leave me. That''s how you treat the woman you love."


    Chloe lowered her head, "He''s right, Vincent. You say that you love me, but you don''t know how to love someone. Right now, you feel sad and desperate after you realize that you can''t live without my presence. You don''t love me as a human being."


    "You love me as an item, a piece of furniture that you can put in your house. You feel sad when your item is lost, but you don''t really appreciate your item when she''s around," Chloe said. "I can''t live like that. I''m a human being, I want to be genuinely loved and treasured. That''s all I want."


    Chloe lifted her head to look up at Vernon again, "And Vernon is the one who treats me well, not you."


    "Well, that''s all we want to say to you, Big bro. Enjoy spending the rest of your life with excruciating pain in your heart, I experienced it for ten years straight, so you should feel it too," Vernon said before he smiled lovingly at his woman. "Let''s go, love."


    Chloe nodded and then said, "Good bye, Vincent."


    Thus, Chloe and Vernon turned around and slowly walked into the darkness, much to Vincent''s grief, "Wait¡ªWAIT! NO! DON''T LEAVE! CHLOE, DON''T LEAVE ME! CHLOE! CHLOE!!!!"


    **


    PS: My heart is in a mess after writing this chapter. I don''t know what to feel.


    **

 Chapter 725 725

    Chapter 725 725


    "Wait¡ªWAIT! NO! CHLOE! DON''T LEAVE ME! CHLOE! CHLOE!!!!" Vincent screamed at the top of his lungs. But she didn''t stop no matter how many times he shouted, trying to stop Chloe from leaving with Vernon.


    In fact, she didn''t even look back, signaling that she had moved onpletely from Vincent.


    "No, wife¡­ Chloe¡­ no¡­ don''t leave me¡­" Vincent screamed for too many times that his throat became parched. He could only murmur her name as he realized she was gone.


    Chloe Gray, his wife, was gone with another man.


    And that other man happened to be his little brother.


    This was the betrayal that Vincent never expected. It was like a nightmare that he refused to stay. He''d rather die if this were his truth.


    "Why is everyone leaving me? I know I made a mistake, but I can always be better¡­" Vincent murmured. "I can be a better person, I promise."


    Vincent repeated thatst sentence many times but didn''t understand how to be a better person.


    In his mind, he was always the best in everything.


    He was raised as a Young Master. He was praised, admired, and adored by everyone around him. Even histe father told him that he should not settle for less. He needed to be one of the most powerful men in New York. He needed to bring the Gray family to the public, giving them a good image of a rich but generous family.


    He was always sessful in everything in his life.


    So when things came crumbling down, he panicked and had no idea what to do in this dire situation.


    But he knew that he wasn''t an idiot. Though he might''ve lost thepany histe father worked hard to build, he still had his brain. He could build anotherpany from the ground up, even if it''d take a while.


    So money, power, reputation, and everything else wasn''t that important for him in the end.


    The most important one was his wife.


    He couldn''t live knowing his wife had left him for another man. It made him so angry, yet so hopeless.


    "I will do anything, pleasee back to me, Chloe¡­."


    Vincent was trapped inside this darkness for a long time until he heard the voice of his beloved wife calling his name repeatedly.


    "Vincent¡­ Vincent¡­ Vincent!"


    Vincent lifted his head. He looked around desperately, trying to find the source of the voice.


    "Chloe, where are you? CHLOE!"


    "I''m right here!"


    Vincent then saw the sight of the malnourished version of his wife running towards him. She was so thin, with only skin and bones. She had a very pale face, frail body, and even her hair wasn''t as luscious as the Chloe that Vernon brought just now.


    Vincent''s heart was aching when he saw Chloe in such a state. He didn''t know what had gotten into him, but he finally realized that that it reminded him of their wedding day.


    The day when he fell in love with his wife all over again.


    Chloe was so much better when she was healthy.


    A healthy version of Chloe looked morous, gorgeous, so gorgeous that it reminded him of their wedding day.


    The day when he fell in love with his wife all over again.


    And also the day when he decided to destroy her.


    But that didn''t matter.


    He vowed to make things better. He wanted Chloe to be healthy and spend as much time together as possible with her and their daughter.


    Chloe ran towards him with her frail body. She looked pitiful, and Vincent couldn''t help but call her name, "Chloe! I''m right here! Please hug me and never let go!"


    He began to call her name frantically as she got closer and closer to the point that she was about to hug him.


    "Chloe! CHLOE! CHLOEEEE!!!!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "CHLOE!" Vincent yelled before he opened his eyes after that. His heartbeat was beating restlessly while he stared dazedly at his bedroom ceiling.


    He was unblinking as he tried to process what was happening just now and then realized that it was all just a dream.


    ''It''s just a dream¡­'' Vincent thought. ''Everything is just a dream. Thank God, Vernon and Chloe didn''t end up being together. Thank God, that I still have a chance to make amends with my wife.''


    Vincent bit his lower lip as he stared at the ceiling for a long time. His eyes began to pool with tears as he remembered the content of his dream¡ªor in this case, his nightmare.


    He didn''t know what was worse, to wake up and realize that he had missed the embraceing from his malnourished wife.


    Or to be stuck in a nightmare and realized that Chloe and Vernon ended up together and would get married soon.


    That nightmare was so horrible that Vincent preferred not to live to see that happening. He''d rather die.


    "Chloe¡­"


    Again, he murmured her name while staring at the ceiling. The tears that pooled at the corner of his eyes streamed down and wet the pillow.


    He knew his love for Chloe was doomed when he decided to destroy her.


    But at that time, Chloe was just so stunning on their wedding day. She was so bright and beautiful and became the source of everyone''s attention.


    Every male guest in the venue secretly drooled at her, wanting to strip her naked because she was so damn gorgeous.


    And Vincent got angry instead.


    He was angry at those men who dared to look at his wife as if she was a slut. They couldn''t wait to fuck.


    And he got even angrier since Chloe didn''t seem to mind the attention of those men.


    She kept being her usual cheerful and kind self, greeting and conversing with almost every guest present, whether it was a man or woman.


    And Vincent was so jealous he couldn''t wait to lock Chloe in their bedroom, making sure that nobody could see an inch of her skin.


    She was too beautiful, so Vincent had to ensure that Chloe was too ashamed to show an inch of her skin so that she would stay covered all the time.

 Chapter 726 726

    Chapter 726726


    Even if that meant Vincent had to destroy her self-confidence and reduce her self-worth until she felt more disgusting than a sewer rat every day. He would do anything as long as Chloe stayed by his side.


    "I was cruel," Vincent murmured. "But I did it because I love you, Chloe. I know no better, and I thought that''s the only way for you to stay."


    "Had I known that you would never betray me, then I wouldn''t have done that horrible stuff to you¡­" Vincent said. His lips began to tremble as he tried to hold his sobs. He didn''t want to look absolutely pathetic, but he couldn''t help it.


    He was just so heartbroken, knowing that Chloe must be the one who did everything just to ruin his reputation. She must have advised her new man to manipte public opinion by trapping him in a scenario where he couldn''t escape his fate.


    She wanted to shred his angelic public persona and show his true nature for the people to see.


    And she did it sessfully.


    Because now, nobody would remember Vincent as the perfect gentleman anymore.


    Everyone would remember him as an abuser instead, a man who failed to keep his family intact, and now was under public scrutiny for abandoning his own wife and daughter.


    After all these things happened, Vincent didn''t feel disappointed that his public persona had been shattered.


    After all, he had grown tired of maintaining that persona.


    But he was devastated after knowing that Chloe was the mastermind behind his downfall.


    His wife.


    The woman that he fell in love with and married.


    "Is this what you want? Do you want me to suffer as a revenge for what I did to you for the past ten years?" Vincent murmured. He tried to picture Chloe''s beautiful face in his mind, but somehow the only face he could portray right now was his wife''s haggard face, which he had abused for ten years.


    She was frail, with only skin and bones left. She looked hollow as if she could die soon.


    Vincent had sessfully turned a beautiful, promising youngdy into a sickly, traumatized woman with a lot of physical and emotional scars.


    "Then, would you forgive me after all of this? We''re even now, right?" Vincent said. "Or do you need to torture me for ten years more, so you will be happy?"


    Vincent began tough but wasughing at himself as he knew how desperate he was right now, "Then so be it. You can torture me for ten more years, but please forgive me after that, so we can start anew. It''s never toote when I''m with you, Chloe."


    Vincent was staring emptily for a long time until he heard the click from the door. He darted his eyes at the door and saw the door was opened from outside, and a woman with a beautiful smile, chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and a meek appearance entered his bedroom with a bowl of warm soup.


    The girl was shocked when she saw that Vincent had opened his eyes. She quickly put the food on the table and rushed towards him, "Mr. Gray!"


    The girl sat next to the bed and began checking on him. She made sure that Vincent was responsive and breathing normally. And after she made sure that Vincent was alright, she shed some tears.


    She tightly wrapped Vincent''s hand and said, "Thank God, I really thought you won''t wake up anymore!"


    "¡­ what are you doing here?" Vincent asked as he frowned at the young woman. The first thing on his mind was the presence of another woman in his bedroom with Chloe.


    Nobody was supposed to be here except for them, including this woman who had just be his secretary for a day.


    "A¡ªAh, I''m sorry, Mr. Gray," Khloe, his new secretary, quickly released his hand after knowing that she had gone overboard. She lowered her head and replied, "Um, you''ve been unconscious for a whole week, Mr. Gray. You fainted after the press conference. The doctor said that you suffered a mental shock that makes your brain shut down indefinitely. You''re basically in a long slumber, Sir."


    "They want to send you to the hospital for treatment, but the doctor said that all they could do was to feed nutrition into your bloodstream to keep you alive," Khloe exined. "So you''ve been in your house for a while, and since no maid dares to take care of you personally, so I volunteer."


    "I¡ªI''m sorry that I might not be good at taking care of you, Sir," Khloe said sheepishly. "I tried my best, and I made sure to call an older maid to clean your body. B¡ªBecause, you know¡­."


    Khloe''s cheeks reddened as she got shy with the idea of bathing Vincent.


    Meanwhile, Vincent kept staring at Khloe.


    Deep down, he knew this woman was definitely Prisci or at least someone rted to her.


    But he also wanted to live in this illusion for a moment. He wanted to relive the time when he was just a man living with his wife.


    She had the same long, chestnut hair¡ªthe same kind of hazel eyes and a sweet smile that could melt your heart.


    One time, Vincent got very ill at the University, and Chloe juggled between studying, working part-time, and taking care of him. She was tired, but she still had the same sweet smile when she took care of him.


    ''Why did I do it?'' Vincent asked himself. ''Why did I ruin her? Why did I ruin my own wife?''


    He didn''t know either.


    "Yes, Chloe."


    "¡­ Yes, Sir. I¡­ I am Chloe."


    Maybe it was the devil who whispered to his ears, or maybe he was just a cruel man who had gotten enlightened after realizing his beloved woman was out to get revenge on him.


    "I see, thank you for taking care of me, Chloe."


    "Ah¡ªM¡ªMy name is Khloe, Sir," Khloe said. Though they were pronounced the same, she felt Mr. Gray was referring to his wife right now.


    "I know, Chloe."


    "K¡ªKhloe, Sir."


    "Yes, Chloe."


    "¡­ Yes, Sir. I¡­ I am Chloe."

 Chapter 727 727

    ?


    "Chloe, please hug me, I need to feel your warmth," Vincent said as he opened his arm, waiting for Khloe to hug him.


    Khloe hesitated for a second, but seeing how desperate Mr. Gray looked, she thought he must''ve missed his wife so much.


    So she helped Vincent to sit on the bed and then hugged him.


    Vincent responded by hugging her tighter.


    ''This is different,'' he realized in his heart. ''This is not how Chloe is supposed to feel. This woman doesn''t have the same feeling as Chloe, even though they have the same eyes and hair, even the same demeanor. But this feeling cannot be fooled.''


    Vincent wasn''t an idiot. He could fool himself into thinking that he was hugging Chloe right now. But his heart still felt empty. He craved the real person.


    The real Chloe that he couldn''t have right now.


    The Chloe that he wasted for ten years straight.


    "I was stuck in a long nightmare, Chloe¡­." Vincent said.


    "Nightmare? What kind, Mr. Gray?" Khloe asked.


    "¡­ you should call me Vincent instead of Mr. Gray. We''re husband and wife, remember?" Vincent said.


    Khloe went silent again before she murmured softly, "Vincent."


    "Yes, Wife," Vincent responded. "I had a nightmare, and it involves you."


    "Involves me?"


    "Mhm, in that nightmare, I was stuck in a dark ce. I can''t move my body from neck down, and no matter how hard I scream, nobody will be there to respond," Vincent recalled. "I was all alone, and it''s so scary."


    "And then, I saw my little brother. The dog that I raised since he was young. He came to me and tormented me, saying all the stuff that got me angry. But since I couldn''t move my body at all, I can only re at him and yell in retaliation," Vincent said. "But that''s not the worst part."


    "The worst part is you," Vincent''s heart ached when he remembered the content of his dream. "Vernon said that you''re his new woman, and you actually walked in and stood right next to him. You allowed him to hug you tightly, and even let him kiss your head."


    "I was so angry, I became a mad dog out of anger, but again, I was still hopeless because I couldn''t move my body at all," Vincent then hugged Khloe even tighter as he remembered how Vernon embraced his wife as if they had been in love for so long.


    "I kept begging for your forgiveness. I regret everything. I regret cheating on you, I regret hurting and neglecting you, and I regret ever thinking that I can keep you by my side as long as I suppress you enough until you have a mental breakdown," Vincent confessed. "I''m a horrible man, and I know that I don''t deserve your forgiveness. But I still want to. I want to start a new life with you, and I will try to be a good husband and father for you and Mackie."


    Khloe was listening to him the whole time. She zipped her lips but couldn''t hold it as she felt that Vincent was being ridiculous, "And you think by apologizing, it will erase ten years worth of abuse?"


    Vincent''s body stiffened.


    He didn''t know why this fake Chloe was trying to make him feel even guiltier than before. But he still wanted to talk to her, "I know that it won''t erase anything. I''ve put you under so much pain, and I know that you probably don''t want to be with me for the rest of your life. But I still want to try, Chloe. I want to be the good husband that you want."


    "So please, please allow me to be with you. Please give me a second chance."


    Vincent began to hug Khloe so tight that she could barely breathe right now. He was desperate and knew he must''ve looked pathetic right now.


    Khloe waited a while until she tried to push herself away from him. But then Vincent suddenly trembled and begged, "Chloe! Please don''t push me away! I¡ªI will change! I will change for you and our daughter, I promise!"


    ¡­


    Khloe sighed and, in the end, whispered, "Vincent, you''re hugging me too tightly. I feel suffocated. Don''t worry, I will never leave you, unless you''re the one who kicked me away, Vincent."


    "I will never!" Vincent vowed. "Trust me, Chloe. I will never leave you. I will never hurt or ignore you, and I will never cheat!"


    Khloe could sense the desperation in Vincent''s words. She didn''t really understand why this man could be such an asshole.


    How could he ruin a woman''s life, tormenting, taunting, humiliating, and even assaulting her many times for the past ten years, only to beg for forgiveness after he got knocked from his high horse once by the same woman?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He was so overbearing before, iming that nobody in this world could stop him.


    But look at him now, desperately begging a woman who had simr hair and eyes as his wife. It was pathetic beyond belief.


    ''But well, no matter how pathetic he is. I still can''t help falling in love with him,'' Khloe thought. Her smile bloomed as she patted Vincent''s back. ''I don''t care what he did after this, but as long as he won''t kick me away, then it will be more than enough for me.''


    ''After all, I just want to be by your side, Mr. Gray. I want to be Mrs. Gray, even if that means I will be Khloe Gray from now on.''


    **


    A week had passed since the press conference, and there was no news about Vincent after he fainted.


    Vernon worked tirelessly for the past week because of the golden opportunity of destroying Gray''s family businesses.


    Vernon got the insider information that he got hospitalized but ended up discharged and was now resting in his mansion since he was in aa.


    Prisci gave him a daily update, and today''s update seemed a little different.


    Usually, Prisci would text him saying that Vincent was still bedridden. He was sleeping peacefully, as if there was nothing wrong, even though the Graypany was about to crumble soon.


    But she called him today, so he knew this must be important.


    ¡ª


    "What''s with the call?" Vernon asked. "You better bring me good news, Prisci."


    "Oh, sure is, Boss," Prisci giggled. "Vincent woke up about an hour ago. I heard him screaming Chloe''s name, and then he hugged me so tightly just because I look like Chloe with my dyed hair and colored contact."


    Prisci had that sneer, as if she was also angry at Vincent, even though she loved him enough to dress up as Chloe, even dyed her hair, wore colored contact, and changed her name.


    "He told me what kind of nightmare he went through, and he said that he was trapped in a dark ce with no way to break free," Prisci said. "And then you came with Chloe, tormenting him with the fact that you two are going to marry, and all that stuff."


    "In the end, he begged for forgiveness," Prisciughed mockingly. "Can you imagine that? He''s the one who told me to assault Chloe. Telling me that I will be on his good side as long as I can beat her up. I was so blind back then, thinking that Vincent wants to divorce her as soon as possible."


    "But turns out, it''s just his way to express his twisted love and obsession at Chloe," Prisci said. "He wants her to suffer, so she wont run away from him. It''s crazy, yet pathetic at the same time. I can''t believe that I''m obsessed with this man."


    "Hmm," Vernon already expected everything that Prisci said. He knew that Vincent must''ve had an awakening about all this after he knew that Chloe was the one who set up everything to destroy him.


    After all, Vincent and Vernon were blood brothers. They had the same way of thinking.


    Vernon was also destroyed when he realized he had lost his chance to be with Chloe because Chloe epted Vincent''s proposal, and they married soon after.


    That realization was like doomsday for him, and Vincent must''ve felt the same thing right now. This was his doomsday, and he would never recover after this unless Chloe returned to him.


    ''And of course, I won''t let that happen.''


    "So, what will you do next?" Vernon asked. "After realizing how pathetic he is, will you stay with him? The choice is yours, I will support you nheless."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a long silence after that question. Vernon didn''t know whether Prisci was considering it or she was just not in the mood to answer it.


    "So, what''s your answer?" Vernon urged as he wanted to know. Because if Prisci decided to walk away, he had to form a new n for Vincent.


    "I think the answer is clear, Boss," Prisci replied. "I will be Mrs. Khloe Gray from now on. I want to be with him no matter how pathetic he is."

 Chapter 728 728

    ?


    ¡ª


    "I see, so you want to stay with him," Vernon smirked as he got what he wanted. With this, he didn''t need to worry about finding another way to trap his Big Brother permanently. "Then I will support you in your endeavor. You will be Mrs. Khloe Gray soon."


    "Great! I will help you in any way, Boss!" Prisci said. "But what about my future with Vincent? Can you support me financially as well? Because you said that you want to make him poor as dirt."


    "Don''t worry, as long as you can keep him in check, then I will keep supporting your life with him. You will live decently in New York, you won''t be hungry," Vernon replied. "This is a sry for taking care of my useless brother."


    "Then I have no more doubt, Boss!" Prisci said excitedly. "I will livefortably with him, and I will devote my life to taking care of him!"


    "Good, and I will livefortably with Chloe. Isn''t that fair for both of us?" Vernon said. "We get what we want, that''s why we have to work together."


    "Indeed, though it makes me feel so guilty for all the shitty things I did to Chloe back then¡­" Prisci confessed. "I just¡­ I just thought that I could get Vincent''s validation as long as I keep hurting her. But I still got ditched in the end. I should''ve just hurt Vincent instead."


    "You''re right, Boss. In order to get what we want, we have to seize them. A man like Vincent will never be mine if I keep following what he wants," Prisci said.


    "Yes, that''s just the true nature of a man like him. Keep him confused and depressed, so he won''t try to fight back," Vernon instructed.


    "Got it, Sir. Oh, I will hang up now, I still have a schedule to pacify him. He''s been deluding himself by calling me his wife, it''s actually pretty fun and fulfilling to be Khloe Gray."


    "Good, I expect more information from youter."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vernon hung up the call after that. He was satisfied with Prisci''s work.


    "As expected, rather than eliminating that crazy bitch, it''s better to use her to do something she loves," Vernon murmured. "With this, I will keep my brother in check for the rest of his life. He will be my obedient dog, just like what he did to me back when I was young."


    Vernon knew he was very cruel for subjecting his Big brother to this kind of torture, especially when he was heartbroken.


    But Vernon saw this as karma.


    Vincent was controlling him like a dog when he was young, and back then, Vernon thought that his life was unwanted and the only one who tolerated him was his Big Bro.


    Until he met with Big Sis Chloe and realized that Vincent''s love was not right, he didn''t show the same gentleness that Chloe showed, and Little Vernon could sense the sincerity in Chloe, but he couldn''t sense it from his brother.


    "Well, I''m sorry that I can''t be a good dog for you, Big bro. But maybe you can be a good dog for me instead, heheh."


    **


    Chloe told Meyer, her usual driver, and bodyguard, to stop the car as they reached Mackie''s school.


    She was sitting at the front today because two kids were sitting at the back. She turned her neck at them and smiled, "Okay, first day at school after winter break. Are you two ready?"


    "Ready!" Mackie said cheerfully. She was always excited to go to school because she was naturally an extrovert who liked to socialize with other kids.


    But the boy sitting next to her didn''t seem to be excited. He nodded once but then lowered his head.


    "Aaron?" Chloe called his name.


    "R¡ªReady, Aunty¡­" Aaron replied with a low voice as he got hesitant.


    He saw the school and realized this ce must be filled with so many rich kids, and he was scared that he''d be bullied there.


    He went to a public school and a cheap preschool because that was all his mother could afford.


    But even in that ce, he was still bullied because he was too poor to mingle with most of them.


    He didn''t bring his lunch because his Mom was too busy, but he also couldn''t buy anything at the cafeteria because Chelsea didn''t give him money.


    So he had been skipping lunch since he was in preschool, making him scrawny for a kid his age. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe understood his nervousness really well. After all, she came from a simr background to him, though Judith was at least a bit more sensible than Chelsea by leaving her with money if she was too busy at work or preparing an easy peanut butter and jelly lunch.


    So she nced at Mackie and said, "Dear, can you go to your ss first? I need to talk with your cousin for a moment."


    "Un!" Mackie nodded. She patted Aaron''s shoulder and assured him, "Don''t worry, just tell me if someone dares to bully you. I will fight them!"


    "Thanks, Boss¡­"


    Chloe waited until her daughter left the car and headed to the school entrance.


    Aaron was still sitting in the backseat. He lowered his head even deeper as he felt ashamed, "I''m sorry, Aunty. This is my first day at school, and I disappoint you."


    Chloe smiled, "You don''t disappoint me at all, Aaron. What you feel is normal. Back when I was your age, I also had the same fear. Yourte Granny was a single mom working two jobs to support her daughters, so we didn''t have much money back then.


    "I was also a scrawny kid when I was your age, because we couldn''t eat healthy meals regrly. Something like meat was scarce for us because it was too expensive."


    "I didn''t have many toys, a good lunch, and I didn''t have a story overseas, or even a trip to the local attraction to tell. I couldn''t even follow my friends to go to the arcade, or buy a delicious treat for myself because I didn''t have money," Chloe felt a little sad thinking about her past. But that past was also the reason why she could be so strong right now.


    "But that didn''t stop me from befriending my friends back then," Chloe said. "Because as long as you keep your head up with a big smile, they will think that you are confident and strong."


    "Keep my head up¡­" Aaron murmured. All this time, Chelsea taught him to keep his head down because if he dared to rebel just a little, he would be beaten until he was bruised all over.


    "Mhm, sometimes we have to be the one who approaches other kids first, so we can befriend them," Chloe said. "So go inside that school, keep your head up, show a big smile, and be kind to others. Talk to them, and I believe you will have a lot of friends at school."


    ¡­


    Aaron gulped nervously, but he nodded after getting advice from his Aunt.


    Unlike his mother, who always bullied him so he couldn''t even talk to her properly, Aunt Chloe was gentle, and her advice made him feel better.


    "I¡ªI will try," Aaron said. "I won''t disappoint you, Aunty."


    Chloe smiled at Aaron and said, "Then go and make me proud. Remember what I said to you before?"


    "Um, I shouldn''t think about anything else other than studying. I must study hard, so I can make you proud," Aaron recalled what his Aunt had said before when he got the news that he would enroll in the same school as Boss Mackie.


    "Yup, make friends, and study hard. You will be a great person when you get older," Chloe said.


    "And I can take care of my brothers, right?"


    "Yes, if you be a great person in the future, you can take care of your brothers," Chloe said. "So go now, don''t bete on your first day at school."


    Aaron nodded, "Thank you so much, Aunty."


    He then hopped out of the car and walked into the school entrance.


    Chloe sighed as she stared at Aaron''s back.


    Meyer, who had been observing the whole time, finallymented, "You are very good with kids, Ma''am. No wonder Mr. Phoenix Gray loves you."


    Chloe chuckled, "I know you might find this a little too traditional. But I''ve always wanted to be a housewife with a lot of kids. I love taking care of kids in general, and I like to make sure that they grow up happily."


    "I can see that. Miss Mackie is a very energetic and confident girl. You educated her well."


    "Hahah, well, that one is because she inherited Vernon''s gene," Chloe giggled. "Don''t tell this to your coworker, okay? Let me share a little secret."


    Meyer nodded, "I promise, Ma''am."


    Chloe smiled and said, "If you ever wonder about your scary boss'' behavior when he was a kid, then you just see my daughter. Aside from her gender and appearance, Vernon and Mackie are exact copies of each other. They have simr intelligence, taste, hobby, behavior, and even simr ways of throwing tantrums."


    "That''s why I keep thinking about him when I take care of my daughter."

 Chapter 729 729

    ?


    Meyer went silent while listening to his female boss'' story. He didn''t want to react, but curiosity got her when Mrs. Phoenix Gray said his scary boss was cute when he was young.


    "Does that mean he also had a good heart like Miss Mackenzie when he was young, Ma''am?" Meyer asked.


    "Oh, he was a good child!" Chloe replied without hesitation. "He was very cute and had a good heart. He would follow me around, even insisting on staying with me when I was in the bathroom. He would always wait for me to return to that mansion, and he''d be enthusiastic whenever I said that I would cook for him."


    Chloe sighed.


    She loved the current Vernon. He had grown into a handsome and powerful man. But that also made him very different from the cute Little Vernon.


    It was as if they were two different people in one body.


    Meyer listened to Mrs. Phoenix Gray''s story, and the more he listened to it, the more he realized that his boss must''ve developed his obsession when he was very young.


    Chloe recalled her story with Little Vernon as if it was a very sweet memory, and maybe it was for her because Chloe had no malicious or perverted intention towards Vernon when caring for him.


    She simply saw him as a little brother that she needed to take care of, and she seemed to do a great job.


    Too good that the said ''little brother'' had developed an obsession with her.


    ''I feel like, if she doesn''t see things with her rose-colored sses. She would realize that her Little Vernon is a little scary for a kid,'' Meyer thought. ''But it''s not my right to say things like that. I just hope that they can stay together for a very long time. They seem to fit each other very well.''


    "Alright, it''s time to leave now, Meyer," Chloe said. "Can you drive me to the office? I want to visit Vernon today."


    "Sure, Ma''am. But please, sit at the back, Mr. Phoenix Gray will kill me if he sees us sitting side by side like this," Meyer mentioned. He shuddered as he imagined how scary his boss could be when he was enraged.


    Chloeughed, but she followed his request to sit at the back, and they went to Vernon''s office.


    **


    Diamond was busy with her job, as always. Being Vernon''s secretary wasn''t easy, but she still enjoyed it because the pay was amazing, and she was working with her favorite people.


    And one of those favorite people was her homegirl who just walked out of the elevator.


    "CHLOE!" Diamond stood up from her chair and rushed to hug her homegirl. "Oh my God, it''s been a while! How are you doing, Gurl?"


    Chloeughed and hugged back.


    Indeed, it had been a while since thest time they met in person because of the situation revolving Vincent and Maria and the concern of their safety.


    They did plenty of video calls but couldn''t meet in person because Diamond was still busy with so many things to do in the office.


    After all, Vernon didn''t want to miss the golden opportunity of taking control of almost everything when the Graypany was under fire. So many people were boycotting their products, and so many also mocked Vincent for being a liar.


    The public image that Vincent had painstakingly tried to build over the years was destroyed in less than an hour because of that press conference.


    And Chloe felt nothing but joy.


    She was so happy that she could finally go out of the apartment and do things such as grocery shopping, sending her kids to school, assigning the other boys to preschool, and shopping in a mall with Dorothea.


    And the most important one;


    Coming to the office to support her soon-to-be husband.


    It was a freedom that she never knew she needed, and now she was finally a free woman.


    Well, at least halfway. She still needed to get an official divorce from Vincent, which shouldn''t take long since he was in a bad state right now.


    -


    ''We need to make sure that Vincent can''t fight back once you filed for divorce in court. So everything will be smooth sailing, and I can marry you as soon as possible,'' Vernon said as he tried to assure her a few nights ago.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    -


    "How have you been, Diamond? I know that Vernon must''ve given you a lot of work to do. I''m sorry that I can''t be of much help, but you should tell me if you need something. I will try my best to help, okay?"


    "Ah, I''m doing fine, gurl," Diamond giggled. "Well, yes, it''s very hectic in the office. But Mr. Phoenix Gray isn''t that evil anymore. He allows me to leave when it''s time to clock out, and he gives me a bonus, a lot of bonus enough for me to livefortably for decades toe if I decide to retire early."


    Chloe got worried when Diamond mentioned retiring early. She asked, "T¡ªThen, are you going to retire early?"


    "Eh, of course not! I enjoy working in the office despite all the hectic schedule!" Diamond giggled. "Don''t worry, Chloe. Even if I want to retire early, I will make sure that you''re still my best friend."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened. She felt shy because this was the first time someone truly wanted her as a best friend.


    She had plenty of friends before she married Vincent but lost them all once Vincent began restricting almost everything, including her phone, to the point that she had no friends and was estranged from her family.


    Nobody wanted to reach out back then, so she was d Diamond took their friendship seriously.


    They hugged long before Diamond said, "By the way, you should surprise Mr. Phoenix Gray right now. He is exhausted with so many things to do, and your support will be very helpful."


    "O¡ªOkay, I will talk to youter, Diamond," Chloe said. "How about we sit and talk in the Starbucks downstairs?"


    "Sure! Now go and meet with him first. He has been waiting for you," Diamond said.


    Chloe nodded and entered the office without knocking since it was supposed to be a surprise.


    "I don''t need another coffee, Diamond. I''ll call you again if I need one," Vernon said with his eyes still on the document. He was in full focus because he didn''t want to miss anything while dealing with Vincent''spany.


    Chloe said nothing but continued walking to approach Vernon until she stood right next to him.


    Vernon clicked his tongue. He put his document down and said, "You''re too close, Diamond. The only woman who can do that is Chlo¡ª"


    Vernon lifted his head, and his eyes widened when he saw his angel smiling.


    Chloe had her usual gentle and loving smile at Vernon and said, "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Do you want me to make you a coffee?"


    "¡ªCHLOE!" Vernon got up and opened his arm to hug Chloe immediately.


    Chloe giggled, but her giggle soon disappeared when Vernon began to lift her easily like a child and sat her on the desk.


    He put his hands on each side of her thighs and asked, "Are you here to surprise me?"


    Chloe nodded, "I know you''ve been working hard. So I thought that my presence would help. If there is something I can do, just tell me!"


    "Well, since you are here, then let me get my daily dose of vitamin C."


    "Vitamin C? Do you want me to bring you fruits¡ª" Chloe was stunned when Vernon suddenly kissed her. His kiss was gentle at first, but as he began to kiss her lips more and more, Chloe began to feel it, and she closed her eyes in response.


    Vernon wrapped his arms around her waist while Chloe draped her arms on his broad shoulder.


    Their kiss turned hot, but Vernon ended it abruptly when Chloe wanted to do more.


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe was at a loss while staring at Vernon. "You don''t want it now?"


    "I do, but I still have so many things to do. I don''t want to think about anything but you when we do it," Vernon replied. "Besides, I already got my Vitamin C. Vitamin Chloe, hahahah!"


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, and she scolded, "Bad boy, you really know how to talk sweet."


    "Anyway, since you are here, then I also have good news for you," Vernon said. "I just got an update about Vincent. He just woke up from his whole week ofa, and he is currently having trouble making a difference between reality and imagination."


    "It seems that what you did to him during the press conference was a huge blow, huge enough to shock him until he can''t ept reality," Vernon said. "In short, it will take a while for him to truly return to normal, if that''s even possible right now."

 Chapter 730 730 (Fixed)

    ?


    "Oh, that''s good," Chloe smiled. "I wonder what kind of nightmare he has, or has he ever regretted what he did to me. Because frankly, what he did to me is beyond horrible."


    "Vernon, do you have any information about what kind of nightmare he''s having right now?" Chloe asked. "I mean, maybe he starts mumbling about something¡­ or someone, in his nightmare."


    "And what would you do if you know what''s in his mind right now?" Vernon asked. "There is no use of knowing, right?"


    "Um, I just want to know if he ever regrets hurting me. I want to know if maybe¡­ just maybe, he can turn normal," Chloe said. She had no ill intention when he asked that question.


    The only thing in her head right now was to know if Vincent realized how much he had lost, and though she might never soften her heart and reconcile with him anymore, she could at least let him reconnect with their daughter.


    Mackie deserved a chance to spend time with her biological father as long as he wouldn''t hurt or try to manipte their daughter.


    Though, she doubted that Vincent could love. He had been a giant monster for the past ten years, and it was almost unbelievable for him to change just because he lost hispany.


    Vincent had a lot of money sitting as an asset and inheritance, at least for now, before Vernon did something to ruin Vincent''s wealthpletely.


    But somehow, Chloe still wished there was a miracle to turn that bastard into a better man for their daughter.


    Meanwhile, Vernon interpreted her question differently.


    His smile vanished as he made up some scenarios in his head. He knew that Chloe had a soft heart, but he didn''t know she was THIS soft.


    She wanted to forgive the man who abused her for ten years!


    ''You already have me, Chloe. We are already living our dream life right now, and I will not allow you to leave me no matter what,'' Vernon vowed in his heart.


    He was angry right now. He was so angry that he couldn''t wait to kill Vincent, so Chloe would never think about leaving him.


    But he had to calm down and act normal in front of Chloe, or else he might scare her.


    So he took a deep breath and replied, "I actually got the news about what he is murmuring about the whole day. He kept cursing at you, saying that he can''t wait to beat you up for ruining his life. He said that he will not stop until he can kill you with his own hands."


    "R¡ªReally? That''s what he said?" Chloe asked. Somehow, she couldn''t believe that Vincent still had that anger even after he had lost everything.


    She thought he would calm down and realized that his maniacal way of controlling things wouldn''t work on everyone.


    "Chloe, you should understand that he is not a good person. He is born evil," Vernon said. He grabbed Chloe''s hand and gently squeezed it as he tried to assure her. "He can''t be fixed. He is a lost cause. I''m also sad about this whole thing, but what can we do? I don''t want you to get hurt because you keep wishing for him to get better."


    Chloe lowered her head, "I guess, I''m just too naive. I''m sorry for doubting you, Vernon."


    "Yes, you shouldn''t doubt me, Chloe," Vernon said. He felt guilt in his heart as he was trying to trick Chloe.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Because he knew from the report given by Prisci that Vincent was repenting right now, he seemed to be desperate to be forgiven by Chloe.


    And who knew?


    Maybe Vincent would actually turn out to be a better person after this, just like what happened to Vernon after realizing that losing Chloe made him feel things that he had never felt before.


    But he didn''t want to give Vincent a chance.


    There was no way he would allow Chloe to think that she should return to that bastard.


    ''In fact, if things went south, then I will kill Vincent with my own hands. Making sure that he is dead, so Chloe will never think about reuniting with her abusive ex-husband.''


    Vernon''s mind was in chaos right now. He was scared that Chloe might be leaving him for Vincent or another man.


    He was scared that he might not be good enough for Chloe.


    As he began to make crazy scenarios in his head like a madman, he didn''t realize that he began to grip Chloe''s hand tightly, so tight that Chloe began to wince in pain.


    "Aw! Ouch! V¡ªVernon, my hand. You are crushing my hand!"


    "Ah¡ªI¡ªI''m sorry, love," Vernon quickly released Chloe''s hand and checked if he had identally bruised it.


    "I''m fine, Vernon," Chloe said while massaging her aching palm. "But I want to know what''s on your mind. There must be a reason why you would grip me so tightly."


    "I didn''t think of anything," Vernon said.


    "Are you sure?" Chloe tilted her head. "You can''t fool me. I know that you must be imagining something upsetting. Ever since you were only seven, you would grip my arm so tightly whenever you were dazed, and then your eyes would be red as if you were holding your tears."


    "Just like right now, you gripped my hand so tightly, and your eyes are red now, Vernon," Chloe mentioned all of Vernon''s habits that she had learned since he was young. "So tell me if there''s something weighing your mind. I want to help you as much as you want to help me."


    Of course, Vernon didn''t want Chloe to know many of his dark thoughts about her and his brother. He knew it would scare her.


    But there was something he wanted to confess.


    He wanted her to know about his worry, "Chloe, you should know that I am very angry right now."


    "Angry? Why?"


    "Because you''re thinking about returning to him, even though you already know how much I treasure you."

 Chapter 731 731

    ?


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe didn''t realize that something so trivial could have a huge impact on Vernon.


    She was just asking about it because she wanted to see if a father-daughter rtionship for Mackie and Vincent would be possible once they divorced.


    But it seemed that Vernon interpreted it the wrong way.


    Chloe smiled at Vernon and asked, "Do you really think that I will go back to him in case he changes to be a better man?"


    "It''s not impossible," Vernon replied. "You have a soft heart, Chloe. You''re kind, but too kind for your own good. I don''t want you to be soft on him if he begins to beg for your forgiveness."


    "Do I have a soft heart, or am I just stupid enough to stay with a bastard like him for ten years straight?" Chloe ridiculed herself. She chuckled and then gently caressed Vernon''s cheek with her hand. She said, "I don''t think you fully understand me, Vernon. I might be kind, but even the kindest woman has her own limit."


    "I tolerated him for all the abuse, humiliation, and neglect. But that doesn''t mean I will do that for the rest of my life," Chloe said. "I want happiness as well, I want to have a good life with someone who won''t hurt me. I want to be happy with a man whom I love and loves me back."


    Chloe leaned forward and took the initiative to kiss Vernon on the lips to assure him, "So you don''t need to worry. You are still the only one for me, and will be for the rest of our life."


    "Well, at least until you get bored of me and maybe ditch me like what he did," Chloe had a self-ridiculing smile as she said that sentence. "If that happens, then maybe I will just raise Mackie and then live the rest of my life alone."


    "NEVER!" Vernon raised his voice. "I will never get bored of you. You don''t know how much you mean to me, Chloe. Even one lifetime is not enough for me to love you!"


    Chloe giggled, "Then I will hold into that promise. Please love me for the rest of your life, and I will do the same to you, my handsome man."


    Vernon was a bit assured by Chloe''s statement. But that didn''t stop him from feeling suspicious. He then asked, "But why are you asking if Vincent has gotten better or not? What''s the point of asking when you don''t think about going back together with him?"


    "It''s for Mackie," Chloe replied.


    "For Mackie? She''s just a little girl, she doesn''t need to know about this heavy stuff," Vernon said. "All she needs to know is that her biological father is evil and you have your reason to leave."


    ¡¤?¦Èm "Well, I just think there might be a chance for Mackie to reconnect with her father," Chloe argued. "After all, Vincent is still her biological father, and if Vincent turns out to be a better person after this, then I''d want him to at least have a supervised visit to see his daughter once or twice a month."


    "I see," Vernon acted as if he understood Chloe''s intention.


    Truthfully, he also didn''t get why Chloe would give Vincent a chance to be close to Mackie. What if something bad happened, such as him kidnapping Mackie and forcing Chloe to give herself up in exchange for her daughter?


    Vernon understood his brother as much as he understood about himself.


    They were both monsters, and no matter how kind they were on the outside, they might do something crazy as long as they got what they wanted, and it could happen when they were trying to get the woman they loved. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So, let me ask you one more time. What happened to Vincent right now?" Chloe asked, hoping she might get a different answer since this small misunderstanding had been solved.


    But Vernon sighed and replied, "Just like what I told you before. He''s still angry at you. He can''t wait to kill you, and can''t wait to drag you into the pits of hell. He is born evil, Chloe. Nothing can change that."


    ¡­


    "Okay then," Chloe still felt that Vernon wasn''t speaking the truth. Her gut feeling was rarely wrong, but she still believed Vernon because she knew he had good intentions. "I trust you."


    "You should trust me, I want our family to be safe, Love," Vernon said.


    Despite having been assured by Chloe, he still refused to tell the truth because he wasn''t on the same page with Chloe about Mackie.


    He already saw Little Wolf as his daughter. It didn''t matter if he was just an ''uncle'' or ''adoptive father.''


    Mackenzie Phoenix Gray was his daughter. She didn''t need another father because Vernon promised to give the little girl a great life.


    Besides, he already imed Mackie as his, alongside Chloe.


    They did not need another man except him, and he would never allow Vincent to see his daughter anymore.


    Vincent had wasted ten years abusing his ex-wife and also neglecting his ex-daughter. He didn''t deserve redemption after being a piece of shit.


    Chloe might be a forgiving and softdy, but he was not a soft man.


    He knew in order to protect his precious family, he had to be cruel.


    Chloe smiled and gently patted Vernon''s head, "I understand you''re trying your best to keep us safe. So, why don''t we talk about the elephant in the room instead?"


    "The elephant in the room?" Vernon frowned. It seemed that he already made sure everything was smooth sailing and didn''t need to worry about anything.


    "Is there something I missed?" Vernon asked. "Is it about the boys'' school and preschool? Is there something wrong with them?"


    "Not about them. You did great helping me," Chloe giggled. She put her hand on top of Vernon''s and then gently whispered, "I''m wondering when would be the best time for me to file for divorce? A week? A month? A year?"

 Chapter 732 732

    ?


    "I''m wondering when would be the best time for me to file for divorce from now? A week? A month? A year?" Chloe asked.


    ¡¤?¦Èm Vernon went silent after hearing that question. He already had the answer, but he was still considering whether he could actually finish Vincent by the time Chloe filed for divorce to the court.


    Chloe was a bit worried because Vernon went silent, so she asked, "Vernon? Is there something wrong?"


    "No, there is nothing wrong with your question," Vernon replied. "I''m just calcting if I can finish him off in a month. If you want the answer of your question, then you should file for divorce next month, mid march. It should be a good time because Vincent will take time to recover. Since hispany is crumbling right now, there is no way he will be able to fight us. I want it to be a smooth sailing so you don''t need to worry about anything, Chloe."


    Chloe nodded, "Well, I will be following your instruction nheless. Just tell me when you think it''s the right time. I will be patiently waiting, though¡­"


    Chloe lowered her head, looking at her belly, but she said nothing as she hadn''t confirmed it yet. But she began to experience the early symptoms of pregnancy, just like what she felt when pregnant with Mackie.


    Nevertheless, she didn''t want to keep her hopes up. She was already thirty-five and about to hit thirty-six in a month. It grew increasingly difficult for women to get pregnant once they hit a certain age.


    Thus, Chloe had to buy a pregnancy test pack first to see if she was actually pregnant with Vernon''s child after they had sex during Christmas, about two months ago.


    Vernon didn''t understand what Chloe was saying. He thought she looked down because she was sad since Vernon couldn''t make it faster for her to divorce that bastard.


    "Chloe, look at me," Vernon instructed.


    Chloe lifted her head and stared at Vernon, waiting for her to speak his mind.


    He took a deep breath and said, "Don''t be sad, alright? I will try to make it as fast as possible. I also want you to officially leave that bastard as soon as possible. But I have to whittle him down first, making sure that he won''t be able to use his influence or money to do anything."


    "Eh¡ªUhm¡­ alright¡­." Chloe nodded. She knew that Vernon must''ve misunderstood her expression or gesture, but she didn''t want to say anything because she thought her pregnancy should be a surprise.


    Vernon smiled when he saw that Chloe didn''t look sad anymore. He asked, "Do you want to apany me to the office? I''d love to have you sitting on myp while I''m reading documents. It helps me to work in full focus."


    "T¡ªThat''s not possible!" Chloe''s cheeks reddened as she thought that Vernon was being unscrupulous and perverted. "Y¡ªYou won''t be able to focus if I sit on yourp. You''ll keep grinding your uhm¡ªbig thing on my butt!"


    Vernon chuckled. Though they had done it quite often, it seemed that Chloe was still shy whenever she tried to reject Vernon''s advance. But she turned into a horny seductress, even better than a subus when she was in the mood for him.


    "Well, that''s true, I might not be able to hold back. But hey, it''s fine, right? We''re going to marry soon anyway, I''d love to do you here, in my office."


    Chloe shook her head, "I¡ªI have to talk with Diamond. I have a promise to spend time with her once I''m done talking with you!"


    "Really? Ah, that''s a bummer," Vernon chuckled. "Alright, you should go now, Love. I guess I''ll see youter for dinner."


    "Mhm, I will make you a banana pie as a dessert after dinner. I know Mackie will love it as well," Chloe said. She hopped from the table and twirled to dodge Vernon before he could hug her again.


    Vernon had that habit of embracing her in a tight hug until she felt suffocated. He said it was his way to ensure Chloe wouldn''t run away, though there was no point in running away from Vernon when he always treated her like a treasure, which Vincent failed to do.


    Vernon watched as Chloe left his office and sighed, "I have to make it faster. I don''t know how long would it take for Vincent to do something crazy."


    Vernon already had Vincent under his control, but that didn''t mean there was no possibility of Vincent doing something he didn''t expect that might turn the tide.


    After all, they were brothers, and both knew how unpredictable they could be.


    **<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Chloe''s face was so red after she left Vernon''s office. Diamond caught her expression, and thetter grinned mischievously at Chloe, "Oh? What do we have? Why are your face so red, gurl? Did you do something with Mr. Phoenix Gray inside."


    "I¡ªI didn''t do anything, I swear!" Chloe tried to defend herself. But the more she tried to refute it, the more obvious it got. "W¡ªWell, we kissed just a few times. But that''s all!"


    "Mhm, sure," Diamond teased. "By the way, do you want me to apany you to buy a pregnancy test in drug store? I''m sure that you must be feeling it already."


    Chloe gasped, "H¡ªHow do you know?!"


    Diamond rolled her eyes, "Mr. Phoenix Gray told me in detail about what happened with you two during Christmas night. He was so proud when he said you two did it without condom. Since both of you are very fertile, especially him in his prime age right now, I just assumed that you will get pregnant sooner orter."


    Diamond nced at Chloe''s belly andmented, "I guess I''m not wrong, huh?"


    "W¡ªWell, I do experience few early symptoms of pregnancy, just like what I felt when I was pregnant with Mackie eight years ago," Chloe confirmed. "But you''re right, I have to get a pregnancy test pack first."


    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go grab a lunch, and then buy it in drugstore!"


    **


    Chloe and Diamond ate their lunch in peace. They were chatting about many things, but Chloe mostly talked about the boys and how she had enrolled them in primary school and preschool.


    "Luckily, we don''t need to forge their birth certificate and stuff. It''s not hard to transfer them to a new school since they have no more guardian except me, and it''s easy to retrieve their documents in their previous apartment," Chloe said.


    "That''s good," Diamond nodded. "I''m d that everything works out in the end. I can''t imagine the pain those boys went through because of Chelsea, Tommy, and Vincent."


    Chloe already knew that Diamond was the one who nned Tommy''s arrest and his public humiliation on a live broadcast.


    "Thank you for taking him down, Diamond," Chloe said. "You''re truly an amazing woman."


    "Hahah, no need to tter me, gurl. You know that I did it because I have a personal feud against pedophiles," Diamond said. She lowered her gaze and scoffed, "My life as a model was hell because of those pedophiles. They are truly bunch of disgusting bastards."


    "Diamond¡­"


    "It makes me wonder if my view of men has been skewed because of those filthy men I worked with in modeling industry," Diamond murmured. "I keep failing to find love. I can''t seem to find a good man after bunch of blind dates and dates from dating apps."


    "¡­ what kind of man are you looking for, Diamond?" Chloe asked.


    "Uh¡­" Diamond was thinking for a while. "I like a man who''s strong, but not rough. Cool andposed, but not heartless. I want him to work. He doesn''t need to earn the same with me, because I know that Mr. Phoenix Gray basically overpaid me for my current position. But I do want him to work a good job."


    "Lastly, I want him to treat my friends and family as his own," Diamond said. "That means I want him to respect you and Mr. Phoenix Gray as well."


    "I see¡­" Chloe hummed for a moment. She was unsure if it would work but had a candidate in mind. "How about I set you up with a man that I think will fit you?"


    "Huh? You know a man that will fit me?" Diamond frowned. "Are you sure, gurl? I mean, no offense, but you are not the type who''d socialize with men, and I''m pretty sure that Mr. Phoenix Gray will go on a rampage if he ever caught you talking and joking with another man intimately."


    Diamond imagined what kind of rampage Vernon would do if he ever caught Chloe in that position, and then she shuddered as the image was too grotesque for her.


    "I only know one man, and I''m not sure if I can call him a friend. But he is a good man, and I think he will fit your criteria."

 Chapter 733 733

    ?


    "Really? Hmm¡­" Diamond was thinking for a moment and then nodded, "Alright, I trust that the man you want to set me up with is not a bad one."


    "Trust me, he is a good man," Chloe convinced.


    Truthfully, Diamond was NOT convinced at all.


    After all, Chloe was entangled with two terrible men, Vincent and Vernon.


    Vincent was just pure evil, but Vernon was also equally evil.


    Vernon was just very soft and loving towards Chloe and Mackie, but he was still the same demonic boss that everybody feared at work, and his method of getting what he wanted was also questionable at best.


    So Diamond doubted that her best friend would find a good man for her, but still, Diamond didn''t want to make her sad, so she just agreed and prepared herself to reject whoever man woulde based on Chloe''s rmendation.


    Chloe and Diamond chatted a bit more before Diamond drove Chloe to the nearest drugstore to buy a pregnancy test pack.


    "Alright, do you want me to drive you back to the Phoenix tower?" Diamond offered.


    "Ah, no need, just drive me back to Vernon''s office, I will have to pick up the kids first from the school before going home," Chloe refused.


    "I can drive you to the school instead," Diamond offered. Honestly, she just wanted to spend more time with her best friend. Her warm aura gave Diamond the peace she wanted, so staying with Chloe gave her ease of mind.


    Unfortunately, Chloe refused, "You still have things to do. I''ll just go with Meyer."


    "Meyer, huh¡­" Diamond tried to recall the face of Chloe''s driver plus bodyguard. She knew that man was one of Vernon''s bodyguards and hitmen before Vernon realized he needed to protect Chloe all the time.


    So he dispatched Meyer, the most skilled, to be Chloe''s daily driver and bodyguard.


    "Hmm¡­ I guess he can be trusted," Diamond said before she drove Chloe back to the office.


    Diamond stopped the car at the lobby, and Chloe pointed at the man standing near the car that Chloe used daily, "That''s Meyer, my driver and bodyguard," Chloe mentioned. She had an excited smile as if she wanted Diamond to respond.


    Diamond stared at the man.


    He was young, probably around Vernon''s age. He was well built as his job demanded him to be physically strong all the time, and he was indeed quite handsome.


    But the most attractive feature of him was his tan.


    He was tanned, and Diamond liked well-built men, and if he wasn''t ck, he needed to be tanned at least, as she found them sexy.


    "Hmm, he''s not bad," Diamondmented.


    "Right?! He''s handsome!" Chloe said excitedly. "Ah, please don''t report that to Vernon. I don''t want him to get angry at me for calling another man handsome. You know, he can be very jealous."


    Diamond chuckled, "I know, don''t worry, Gurl."


    Chloe giggled before she left Diamond''s car and approached Meyer, who bowed politely at her.


    "It is time to pick the kids at school, Ma''am," Meyer said as he opened the car door.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "I know," Chloe smiled. "Let''s go, Meyer."


    **


    Chloe sat at the back while Meyer drove to Mackie and Aaron''s school. She didn''t need to worry about the rest of the boys because Dorothea and another driver would pick them up.


    As usual, there was a stagnant silence in the car.


    Chloe was a shy type. It would take her a long time to open up to someone, and even if she did, she sometimes still overthink about what she had to say.


    Meanwhile, Meyer was being himself, driving the car, guarding Mrs. Phoenix Gray and her children, and ensuring his safety.


    But now, Meyer was a little disturbed by the excited state that Mrs. Phoenix Gray showed right now as if she had an exciting idea that Meyer didn''t know.


    Meyer didn''t believe that his female boss was interested in him romantically because it was obvious that she was in love with Mr. Phoenix Gray.


    Besides, no matter how beautiful she was, Meyer would NEVER think about dating her. He was scared thinking about the wrath that would fall upon him if his boss knew about it.


    He feared his boss more than he was interested in the beauty in the backseat.


    ''On top of that, I like a woman who is more active and fierce,'' Meyer thought. He was a fan of hiking and mountaineering. He also loved a lot of wild adventures in new ces, so he needed a woman who could match him.


    A woman who was physically fit and able to go with him in many ces he wanted to explore, and Mrs. Phoenix Gray was NOT that type of woman.


    She was more of a traditional housewife based on their conversation after a while.


    She loved gardening, cooking, decorating the house, and caring for her children. She was very feminine and wasn''t Meyer''s type at all.


    He wanted to ignore Mrs. Phoenix Gray''s obvious excitement but couldn''t help it anymore as Chloe kept staring at him with interest. So he confronted her, "Ma''am, do you have anything to say to me?"


    "Ah¡ªuhh¡­ n¡ªnot really," Chloe replied as she got embarrassed.


    "You keep staring at me just now. It''s fine, Ma''am. Just tell me if you have anything you want me to do," Meyer said. "After all, I''m supposed to be your driver and bodyguard."


    "Um¡­ alright then," Chloe was thinking about it for a moment before she asked, "Meyer, are you single right now?"


    Meyer''s heartbeat skipped for a second.


    What he was scared of the most actually happened.


    His female boss was interested in him!


    ''Fuck, fuck, FUCK!'' Meyer cursed in his heart. He began to imagine what kind of hell his boss would give to him after getting the wrong idea that Meyer had ''seduced'' his wife.


    ''Okay, I have to find a way to dodge the bullet or else my life would be miserable. Think, Meyer, THINK!''

 Chapter 734 734

    ?


    Meyer panicked because he thought that his end was near.


    So he was thinking hard before he replied, "M¡ªMy type is a very fiercedy, Ma''am. I like a woman who''s not into being a regr housewife, she has to be a very dedicated woman at her line of work, and I want her to be strong, adventurous, and independent."


    "I also want her to be YOUNGER than me," Meyer emphasized, knowing that Mrs. Phoenix Gray¡ªdespite her evesting beauty¡ªwas still ady in her 30s.


    She should know better, right?


    "Oh, great!" Chloe chirped happily, which sounded like death for Meyer.


    Meyer clenched the steering wheel to ensure he didn''t lose control of the car and then asked, "W¡ªWhat do you mean, Ma''am? Why are you asking me that question?"


    "Oh¡ªhihi, it''s nothing," Chloe said. "I just have a surprise for you. But, are you free this Saturday?"


    ''Oh fuck! Damn it! Why is she not giving up? Does she not realize that I still prefer to have my head attached to my neck?'' Meyer swallowed his saliva out of nervousness.


    "No, Ma''am, I have something to do."


    "Saturday night?"


    "No."


    "Sunday morning?"


    "No."


    "Sunday night?"


    "Ma''am, please just tell me what do you want," Meyer begged as he was so scared. "You''re making me confused right now."


    Thisdy was obviously very gorgeous. It was no wonder that Mr. Phoenix Gray was absolutely whipped for her.


    But Meyer also knew how dangerous thisdy was.


    Because Chloe had Vernon behind her back, ring at everyone who dared to covet his wife. That was why Chloe didn''t have any male friends despite her friendliness and beauty.


    "Oh, hahaha, don''t be so nervous, Meyer," Chloe giggled. "I want to set you up for a blind date."


    "A blind date?"


    "Mhm, I have a friend that is very close to me. She''s almost like a sister to me, in fact," Chloe said. "She''s currently going through plenty of dates and all of them are unsessful. So I thought, maybe you can be her blind date for once and well, you know, try to work it out with her."


    Meyer was relieved that Mrs. Phoenix Gray wasn''t into her. He thought he''d die because of his boss''s wrath just now.


    "Well, I''m currently single, Ma''am. I''d like to have a date, but¡­." Meyer stared at the road for a moment and then added. "But I''m very busy with my job right now. I don''t know if your best friend is willing to date a man who happens to be a workaholic."


    "Oh, don''t worry. She''s a workaholic too, probably even more than you."


    "Really?"


    "Yes!"


    Meyer was intrigued now.


    He thought that Chloe''s best friend was one of the Moms from the school. So he thought he''d be going on a date with a single mom.


    "She is exactly your type too! Beautiful, fierce, dedicated to her job, workaholic, and also independent and adventurous!" Chloe said as she kept boasting about Diamond. "So what do you think? Do you want to try and go on a date with her?"


    Meyer had no intention of dating the said woman. He knew that with his demanding job, his pool was limited.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    But he didn''t want to disappoint his female boss, so he agreed, "Alright, Ma''am. I will go if you insist."


    "Then when are you free? You told me that you''re so busy on the weekend just now," Chloe asked.


    "Uh¡­ S¡ªSaturday night should be alright, Ma''am. I think I can empty the schedule," Meyer said. He was embarrassed to tell Mrs. Phoenix Gray he thought she was interested in him.


    "Great! Saturday night it is!"


    **


    Chloe arrived at the school and waited until Mackie and Aaron walked out of the school entrance together.


    She was afraid Aaron might get alienated or, even worse, bullied by his peers.


    After all, no matter how much she tried to advise Aaron, she still had no control over the real situation at school. All she could do was to keep checking by contacting the principal if there was any issue with Mackie or Aaron.


    Fortunately, both of them had a big smile on their faces.


    "Mommy!"


    "Aunty!"


    Chloe patted their heads simultaneously and then asked, "You two seem to be happy. How''s the first day at school after winter break?"


    "Everything is great! I finished all of my homework on time, and the teachers said that I''m very smart!" Mackie reported.


    "I¡­ um¡­ I make friends in my ss. They are kind, and they even allow me to y with them during recess. It''s fun!" Aaron reported.


    Chloe was d her babies could live normally after enduring many traumatic experiences.


    Truthfully, Chloe still hadn''t forgotten her real reason for leaving Vincent.


    Vincent could beat her until she was dying, but she might stay because of the dependency that Vincent had imnted in her mind.


    But she would NOT tolerate him for ruining their daughter''s life as well. She was a bad father, and Chloe knew her daughter''s future would be bleak if she stayed with Vincent.


    She didn''t want Mackie to grow up to be an awful woman just because she tried to emte what her father did.


    ''But, should I limit Vincent from meeting his own daughter if he has turned over a new leaf?'' Chloe asked herself. ''After all, Mackie might eventually want to see her biological father once more, and I''m not cruel enough to separate my daughter from her father¡­.''


    ''Maybe¡­ there will be a time when Vincent realized how wrong he was to treat Mackie and I awfully,'' Chloe thought. ''But the first question is, can Vincent change his way? He acts like he was born evil, but I¡­ I just think that he can change.''


    Chloe doubted herself because Vernon said that Vincent was still the same sociopathic, narcissist bastard even after he had fallen out of his high horse.


    ''I hope he changes. I still want Mackie to grow up knowing that her father has be a good man,'' Chloe wished.


    "Mommy? Mommy!"


    "Ah¡ª" Chloe snapped out of her daze when Mackie kept calling her. "What is it, dear?"


    "Can we stop for ice cream before we go home?"


    "It''s still cold. I don''t want you two to get sick," Chloe replied. "I''ll just make you two hot choco and warm snacks at home, alright?"


    "Whooo!!"


    "Thank you, Aunty!"

 Chapter 735 735

    Chapter 735 735


    Mackie opened the penthouse door with her fingerprint and then ran to the kitchen for a ss of water.


    Chloe sighed as she saw the trace of dirty shoes on the floor and then said, "Mackie, go change your shoes with the flip flop. Didn''t I tell you that you''re supposed to change your shoes because it''s dirty?"


    "Sorry, Mommy!" Mackie then tiptoed back to the front door and changed her shoes with flip-flops. Chloe smiled as she saw that Mackie was obedient. Truly, she felt a little weak these days, so she had no energy to feel


    She guessed it was because of pregnancy, and despite her weakening body, she was so excited with the idea of bearing Vernon''s baby.


    It might be weird to some, but Chloe loved taking care of children in general, including the process of childbearing.


    She still had the strength to persevere despite Vincent being an absolute scum when she was pregnant with Mackie.


    She knew the baby in her stomach had no fault, so she tried to stay strong, so baby Mackie inside her belly wouldn''t sense anything bad happening to her mother.


    After all, the bond between the mother and her child was so strong, even before the baby was born.


    Chloe rushed to Vernon''s bathroom and then sat on the toilet. She took out the test pack and waited for at least five minutes until her eyes widened out of shock.


    **


    Vernon returned home after a long day at work. He was exhausted, of course. But he was also happy because Chloe visited him again. That was the first time after a while because Vernon banned her from visiting the office, fearing that someone might recognize her as Vincent''s wife, and then their n would be ruined.


    Now that Vincent had no more strength to fight against Vernon, Chloe could finally obtain the freedom that she wished for so long.


    "Honey, I''m home!" Vernon announced as he loosened his tie. He looked around and frowned when he didn''t see Chloe in her usual ce, the living room, where she would usually sit and watch TV, was empty.


    He walked towards the kitchen and saw that dinner was ready, but Chloe was nowhere to be found.


    "Where is she?" Vernon wondered. He began to panic as his mind made up some crazy ideas.


    Could it be that Chloe realized she was still in love with Vincent, left with Mackie, and returned to Vincent''s mansion?


    Could it be that she realized she didn''t love Vernon enough, and that''s why she didn''t want to be with him anymore?


    Vernon''s body began to shake out of fury. He began to create some nefarious n to dismember Vincent''s body in front of Chloe just to make a statement that Chloe had nowhere else to go except to be with him.


    He knew his mind could be dangerous and insane, but he couldn''t control his paranoia, and would rather die if he couldn''t have Chloe.


    "Chloe? Chloe, where are you?!" Vernon began to search around in panic, fearing that the worst had happened.


    He went down and saw Mackie ying with her dolls in the living room downstairs.


    Vernon finally took a deep breath because Mackie''s presence meant that Chloe hadn''t left him.


    He approached Mackie, who was busy with her dolls and lifted the little girl, letting her sit on his arm.


    "Wha! Uncle, you startle me!" Mackie yelled. She pouted but affectionately rested her head on her new Daddy''s shoulder. "Wee home, Uncle! I''m d that you''re early today, so we can have an early dinner!"


    Vernonughed.


    He pinched Mackie''s chubby cheek and asked, "Where''s your Mommy, Little Wolf?"


    "She''s in your room, Uncle! She said that she''s tired after cooking so much!"


    Vernon finally rested his guardpletely.


    Chloe hadn''t left him, and that was the most important thing.


    But now, he felt a little guilty because his mind was making up some crazy scenario while Chloe was probably sleeping on his bed right now.


    "Alright then, why don''t we go up and have our dinner? Aren''t you hungry?"


    "I am! Gee, Uncle, you should return home sooner everyday, so I don''t need to starve while waiting for you!"


    "Hahaha! Okay, okay, I''m sorry."


    Vernon gently put Mackie on the dining chair and said, "Your Mommy is probably sleeping right now. I''ll go wake her up, you should stay here and wait, okay?"


    "Okay! Don''t take too long or I will eat everything myself!"


    Vernon entered his bedroom and saw Chloe sleeping on his bed. It wasn''t rare for Chloe to get exhausted easily, but it was rare for her to fall asleep at this hour.


    Nevertheless, Vernon was d that Chloe had no intention of leaving him.


    Vernon sat at the edge of the bed. He stared at Chloe, sleeping peacefully, and then gently caressed her head, "Please don''t leave me, Chloe. You know how much I treasure you, right? I can''t even breathe thinking that you might disappear from me. It''s a nightmare that I don''t want to relive."


    "Please don''t ever think about Vincent. You keep assuring me that you have no more feelings for him, but I can''t be assured when you keep thinking about giving him a second chance," Vernon said. "No, there is no second chance for him. I won''t allow it. You only need me in your life, and I will make sure to make you happy."


    "So please, don''t leave me. I will die without you."


    Vernon slowly leaned and kissed her on the lips before getting up.


    He was about to wake her up, but Chloe looked exhausted, so he wanted her to sleep more.


    "Uncle, where is Mommy?" Mackie asked as she was already munching her dinner.


    "She''s exhausted. Let''s just let her sleep a bit more, okay?"


    "Un!"


    Thus, Mackie and Vernon ate dinner together.


    Mackie stared at her Uncle for a while, then gathered the courage to ask, "Uncle, are you free on Thursday?"

 Chapter 736 736

    Chapter 736736


    "I have work as always," Vernon replied. "What''s wrong? Do you want something? We can always go to any theme park you like on the weekend, you know."


    "No, no, it''s not about that, Uncle¡­" Mackie was a little embarrassed because she had never asked her Uncle about this.


    Usually, Mommy would attend any teacher-parent meeting, and it had always been like that since she attended preschool.


    Her real Daddy never tried to attend any meeting. He also never attended any performance that Mackie had at school.


    At first, she thought that her Daddy was just too busy to care about her. But now she realized Uncle Vernon was even busier than Daddy, yet he still tried his best to make time for her and her Mommy.


    So this one was a little test that Mackie wanted to do. She wanted to know if Uncle cared enough to attend the teacher-parent meeting even during work days.


    Of course, she took this chance because Mommy wasn''t here. If Mommy was here, she would scold her, telling her Uncle was very busy, and Mommy would always attend the teacher-parent meeting anyway.


    Mackie knew that her Mommy was right.


    Uncle often returned home looking exhausted that he would fall teacher-parent meeting on Thursday, can youe instead of Mommy?" Mackie then got a little hesitant as she didn''t want to get asleep on the sofa even before dinner.


    But still¡­


    She still wanted to check!


    Thus, she gathered her courage and asked, "Uncle, there is a teacher-parent meeting on Thursday, can youe instead of Mommy?" Mackie then got a little hesitant as she didn''t want to get scolded by her Mommy. "Um¡­ I¡ªIt''s usually Mommy whoes, but I want my D¡ªDaddy too¡­"


    "Oh, okay then," Vernon replied without hesitation. "I wille to your school. What time would it be?"


    Mackie was shocked by how easily Uncle Vernon said yes.


    She would beg her Daddy so many times before, even going as far as throwing a tantrum so Daddy woulde to the teacher-parent meeting because her friends thought she didn''t have a dad.


    Unfortunately, Daddy would always say no, and if she began to tantrum, he would yell at Mommy, telling her to bring Mackie out because he was annoyed.


    So Uncle Vernon''s willingness was a huge shock!


    Vernon looked at Mackie''s expression andughed, "Why are you making that expression? Do you really think that I won''te to a teacher-parent meeting with my own daughter?"


    Mackie blushed and snarked, "Uncle is usually very busy! You rarely y house with me anymore!"


    "Ah, I''m sorry about that, Little Wolf," Vernon smiled. "I was very busy at work. How about we go to Disnend next week? We can also go with your cousins too if you want."


    "Woah, really?!"


    "Mhm, I can empty one day for us," Vernon said. "Anyway, back to that teacher-parent meeting, yes, I wille. You don''t need to worry."


    Mackie was amazed by her Uncle. She couldn''t help getting excited. So she hopped off the chair and rushed to hug her Uncle.


    "Thank you so much, Uncle!"


    Vernon hugged Mackie lovingly and then patted her head, "You don''t need to thank me for this. It''s my responsibility, because you''re my daughter."


    Mackie looked up and stared at Uncle Vernon.


    Usually, Uncle had those scary eyes that would make her cousins cry, but he looked very gentle right now.


    Mackie felt her heart quivering. She wanted to cry, but she didn''t know why.


    She just thought that she wanted Uncle Vernon more as her Daddy than her real Daddy.


    "Um¡­ Uncle, it''s a promise, okay? You will go to the teacher-parent meeting instead of Mommy," Mackie said.


    Vernon chuckled, "Yes, I promise. Are you going to show me something during the teacher-parent meeting? You know, like that time you became a big bad wolf for the autumn festival."


    "Of course! We will sing together in front of all teachers and parents!" Mackie said. "Don''t bete for it, Uncle! If you''rete, then I will be very upset!"


    "Yes, I won''t bete, Princess," Vernon said. "I also want to see you singing. I didn''t know you could sing."


    "Hmph! I can sing, Uncle! I''m the loudest!"


    "But being the loudest doesn''t mean you can sing," Vernon kept teasing her. "Why don''t you show me your singing first, then I will tell you if you''re good at it or not."


    Vernon was just teasing Mackie.


    He didn''t expect her to be a good singer because Vernon was a god-awful singer. He was tone deaf, and since Mackie was basically the small, female version of him, then she should be tone deaf as well.


    Mackie nodded full of determination and started singing her favorite song.


    ~


    I love you. You love me


    We are a happy family


    With a great big hug


    And a kiss from me to you


    Won''t you say you love me too?


    ~


    Vernon was stunned after hearing Mackie''s voice.


    He was ready to act like she was good, so he wouldn''t hurt the little girl''s heart.


    But she was actually good!


    Mackie could sing, and she sounded good!


    Mackie was proud upon seeing the shock on her Uncle''s face. Everyone doubted her because she didn''t look like someone who could sing.


    But she was a good singer! Mommy said that she was great!


    "You¡­ who taught you how to sing?" Vernon asked.


    "No one!" Mackie replied. "Mommy often sings for me before I go to sleep. She sometimes sings Disney princess songs too! I just listen to my Mommy, and then sing along!"


    Vernon recalled the time when he was young.


    Big sis Chloe also sang a luby for him, so he would fall asleep easier.


    Sometimes she would hum a few songs, and Vernon would listen to them attentively.


    Though, Vernon was still tone deaf nheless, so he couldn''t sing along with Big Sis Chloe.


    "What do you think, Uncle? Am I a good singer?"


    "Yes," Vernon admitted. His lips twitched as he felt a little petty, knowing that Mackie wasn''t totally deaf like him. "You''re a great singer, Little Wolf."

 Chapter 737 737

    Chapter 737737


    "Of course, I am! I''m Mommy''s daughter, she''s a great singer too!" Mackie chirped.


    "Are you guys done with dinner?" Chloe asked as she walked out of Vernon''s bedroom. She rubbed her eyes and yawned while staring at Vernon and Mackie, who were busy having their bonding time together.


    "Mommy!" Mackie pushed herself away from Uncle Vernon and rushed to hug her Mommy. "Were you sleeping, Mommy? I''m sorry that my singing wakes you up. Uncle wants to prove that I can sing!"


    "Sing?" Chloe looked at Vernon, who shrugged.


    "She just said that she can sing, so I want proof," Vernon said. He nced at Mackie, who put her finger on her lips, indicating her Big bad Uncle not to tell Mommy about the teacher-parent meeting, so Mommy wouldn''t try to stop Uncle from attending school.


    Thus, Vernon decided to change the topic.


    "Anyway, are you alright, honey?" Vernon asked. He grabbed her hand while looking up at her, checking if Chloe looked ill. "I saw you sleeping soundly in my bedroom. Are you sick?"


    "Ah¡ªN¡ªNot at all, I''m not sick," Chloe replied. She quickly dodged Vernon''s eyes so her secret wouldn''t be revealed so soon. "I''m just tired after cooking so much stuff for our dinner."


    Vernon went silent instantly.


    It was painfully obvious that Chloe was hiding something because Chloe wasn''t a good liar. She had many subconscious gestures that she always did whenever she was nervous when she tried to lie.


    He didn''t know what Chloe hid from him, but he never liked it.


    He wanted Chloe to never hide anything from him, so his heart would be at peace and he could help her in a dire situation.


    But he didn''t want to argue with Chloe in front of their daughter, so he nodded and said, "Well, why don''t we continue our dinner? You should eat too, Chloe."


    "Right, I should, I don''t want my¡ªnevermind," Chloe curled her lips as she tried to seal her mouth from speaking the truth and then went to put Mackie on the chair before sitting on a chair next to Mackie''s.


    She began to eat and tried to ignore Vernon''s scrutinizing gaze.


    Chloe knew she wasn''t good at lying or hiding the truth, but she wanted it to be a surprise.


    So they ate in silence for about an hour until they were done.


    "I''m so full! Thank you for the dinner, Mommy. It was good!" Mackie said as she patted her belly. She hopped off the chair and said, "I''ll go to my room! I still have homework to do!"


    Chloe smiled and patted her daughter''s head, "Yes, you should go to sleep after finishing your homework. I''ll go check on you and your homeworkter. Good night, sweetie."


    "Night, Mommy!" Mackie said cheerfully. She then looked at Uncle Vernon and said, "Night, Uncle!"


    "Mm, don''t be scared of monsters under your bed, I always chase them away every night," Vernon said.


    "Hehe, thank you, Uncle!"


    rushed downstairs. She couldn''t believe that her little girl would eventually be a big sis¡ª.


    Chloe and Vernon watched as the little girl went downstairs.


    Chloe smiled as she saw the little girl''s jet-ck hair swaying as she rushed downstairs. She couldn''t believe that her little girl would eventually be a big sis¡ª.


    "Chloe."


    Chloe turned her head towards Vernon when he called her.


    His eyes were peering suspiciously at her, and he crossed his arms to show his displeasure, "Tell me what you have in mind."


    "W¡ªWhat do I have in mind?"


    "Yes, you know that you''re a bad liar, right?" Vernon said straight to the point. "No need to hide something from me, you know that my mind is always in chaos whenever you try to hide things from me."


    Chloe didn''t expect Vernon to be so honest.


    Usually, he would put up that angry face whenever Chloe tried to hide something, which scared her so much.


    But Chloe preferred this honest version of Vernon, and she knew she should also be honest.


    Thus, Chloe got up from the dining chair and walked around the dining table toward Vernon. She tried to reach his arm and pull him, trying to get him to stand up.


    Vernon frowned.


    He didn''t know what Chloe wanted, but he got up anyway.


    He stood in front of Chloe and looked down at her, still with his suspicious gaze, "So, are you ready to tell me what you are hiding?"


    "I''m not trying to hide anything, Vernon. I was just thinking that it''d be better to tell you once it passed the first trimester, since I don''t know if my body can handle this," Chloe sighed. "But since you''re so worried about me hiding something, then I will let you know."


    Chloe grabbed Vernon''s wrist and guided his palm to reach her t belly. Vernon was confused at first but soon realized it when Chloe looked at him meaningfully.


    Vernon''s eyes widened, "Chloe, are you¡ª"


    "Yes," Chloe nodded. "I just checked with a pregnancy test after I picked up the kids, and the result is¡­ well¡­ positive."


    Vernon''s jaw dropped.


    It took a while for him to register the whole thing.


    "D¡ªDoes that mean I''m¡­ I''m going to be¡­."


    Chloe giggled, "Yes, you''re going to be a dad."


    "OH GOD! OH MY GOD!" Vernon got excited as if he had just got a dopamine rush in his brain. He opened his arms and hugged Chloe so tightly.


    He lifted Chloe by her waist and spun her around effortlessly, "I''M GOING TO BE A DAD! I''M GOING TO BE A DAD!"


    Vernon kissed Chloe on the lips. Chloe could sense the excitement from his kiss, and thus they deepened their kiss until both were breathless.


    Chloe and Vernon stared at each other once more, and the joy in their eyes was overflowing. Chloe was even surprised by how Vernon reacted.


    She didn''t expect him to be this excited, "My love, I¡ªI don''t know what to say right now."


    "Just tell me that you want the child, Vernon," Chloe asked, seeking assurance.


    "OF COURSE! I''m so happy that I don''t know what to say!" Vernon said. "I just can''t believe that I''m going to be a father."

 Chapter 738 738

    Chapter 738738


    Chloe giggled, "Just promise me that you will treat Mackie the same. Though she is not your biological daughter, I trust that you will treat her as one, promise?"


    "Of course! She is also my daughter!" Vernon insisted. "In fact, I think she''s more simr to me than to Vincent."


    "Well, that''s true, maybe because I''ve been thinking about you every day when I was pregnant with Mackie back then," Chloe admitted. Her cheeks reddened as she recalled all the nights she wished she didn''t ept Vincent''s proposal. She often remembered Vernon fondly since she didn''t have any other man in her life other than Vincent and Vernon. Wishing that she had married Vernon instead of Vincent, though she knew it would never happen.


    Vernon grinned, "No wonder Mackie looks exactly like me. Turns out you''ve been thinking about me the whole time."


    He caressed Chloe''s cheek and lifted her head a little so their eyes would meet again, "What about now? Since you''re pregnant with my child, would you think about someone else?"


    "Oh yes, I will think about my cute Little Vernon. He was so cute, innocent, and clingy towards me back then," Chloe teased. "Too bad he''s not here anymore."


    "H¡ªHey! I''m still your cute Little Vernon!" Vernon insisted. He didn''t know why, but he got jealous of his younger self.


    "My cute Little Vernon is short and cute. But you''re huge and muscr," Chloemented, infuriating Vernon even more.


    "I¡ªI just want to be big and muscr so I can protect you," Vernon admitted. "But I''m still your cute Little Vernon, I swear!"


    Chloeughed at Vernon''s seriousness. She tiptoed and tried her best to reach Vernon''s head.


    Knowing that Chloe couldn''t reach his hair, he bent his back so Chloe could reach and ruffled his hair, "There, there, I know you''re still my cute Little Vernon inside."


    "Mm," Vernon nodded. "Anyway, since you''re pregnant with my baby, I should tell Diamond about this. Heck, I should tell all of our family members about this! Let''s go downstairs and tell Mackie first that she will be a big sister in nine months!"


    Vernon was about to carry Chloe to go downstairs, but Chloe quickly stopped him, "W¡ªWe shouldn''t be too hasty, Vernon."


    "Huh?" Vernon frowned. "Why not? Aren''t you excited about your pregnancy? Cuz hell yeah I do."


    "I am very excited about it. But it''s only been weeks old probably. Why don''t we keep this to ourselves first and go to the doctor to make sure that I''m really pregnant," Chloe said. "I think we need to wait until I pass the first trimester and then we can announce it to the others."


    "Or¡­ we don''t need to announce it. They''ll be able to tell that you''re pregnant during our wedding anyway," Vernon suggested.


    "You¡­ you''re going to marry me that fast?"


    "Why not? I''m working hard to whittle down all the remaining power that Vincent has, I''m putting myself on a timer, so you will be able to officially file for divorce next month," Vernon said. "I want to marry you as soon as possible, Love."


    "Well, I was just surprised, because I''ve never found a man so in a rush to marry me like you do," Chloe said. "Not that I hate it. But you''re really a man of your words, Vernon¡­"


    "Of course, I am!" Vernon imed. "I already told you on Christmas night that I will marry you as soon as possible. I think between the two of us, I''m the more eager one to marry here."


    Chloe felt the same.


    She didn''t expect Vernon to be very serious about marrying her. She did say that she wanted him to knock her up and then take responsibility by marrying her during their sex on Christmas night.


    But that was all just pillow talk because she was so horny.


    She thought that she wouldn''t get pregnant THIS fast.


    ''But who am I kidding anyway? Of course I will get pregnant so fast, Vernon is literally in his most fertile age,'' Chloe thought.


    Vernon watched Chloe, who was lost in her thoughts. He then remembered his promise to Mackie.


    He promised not to tell Chloe about it, but he thought that he had to be honest because he knew Chloe would appreciate his honesty.


    "Love, I also have to tell you something."


    "Yes? What is it?"


    "It''s about Mackie," Vernon said. "When you were sleeping, she asked me if I coulde to the teacher-parent meeting this Thursday."


    "Oh, you don''t need to worry about that, Vernon," Chloe interrupted. "I will attend. I never miss any teacher-parent meeting in school."


    "But she wants me to attend, not you," Vernon said.


    "You''re busy with work, aren''t you?" Chloe said. "I don''t want this to burden you, Vernon. Don''t worry, I will tell her so she will understand the situation. She is too young to understand¡ª."


    "Chloe!" Vernon raised his voice a little so Chloe would stop denying him. "You want me to be her father, right? You want me to treat Mackie just like how I will treat my biological child in your belly," Vernon said, and Chloe nodded in response. "Then let me get involved in her life. I want to be her father. I want to attend that teacher-parent meeting as her Dad, and I also want to y with her every weekend like a good father usually does."


    "I want to spare my time for her, watching her grow, making sure that she''s doing well at school and happy with everything she has right now," Vernon said. "Chloe, you should understand that I want all of you, including your daughter. I want her to be my daughter as well."


    Chloe was astonished by how determined Vernon was.


    She realized that she might be the problem the whole time.


    She kept undermining Vernon''s seriousness, thinking that he was just impulsive and didn''t think much about what he said; it wasmon for a man his age to be reckless.


    "You''re so determined for a man your age, Vernon. I feel ashamed for constantly underestimating you," Chloe confessed. She lowered her head and got embarrassed, "Well, um¡­ if you really want to attend that teacher-parent meeting, then so be it. You can attend, but with one requirement."


    "What is it?" Vernon asked.


    "You have to bring me with you. We will attend that teacher-parent meeting together as a couple."

 Chapter 739 739

    Chapter 739739


    It was finally Thursday, and Mackie was very nervous during breakfast.


    She kept ncing at Uncle Vernon, hoping that Uncle hadn''t forgotten about his promise to attend the teacher-parent meeting because she was expecting her Uncle toe.


    She was so happy about having a fathere and watch her performance that she couldn''t sleep for the whole night.


    Mackie nced at her Uncle again and then at her Mommy, who was eating beside her. She wanted to remind her Uncle about the teacher-parent meeting, but Mommy was still with them.


    Mommy would scold her if she knew Mackie didn''t tell her about the teacher-parent meeting.


    Mackie also knew that Mommy would stop Uncle froming because she thought that would disturb Uncle''s long and busy days at his office.


    Vernon nced back at Mackie, who was grumbling in silence. She yed with her food as if she had no appetite, so he reminded her, "Little Wolf, go eat your breakfast. You need a lot of energy today, right?"


    Mackie lifted her head immediately and stared at her Uncle, who gave her a thin smile. It was a reassuring smile, telling Mackie he remembered and would attend the teacher-parent meeting.


    "Un! Okay!" Mackie was in a good mood after knowing her Uncle didn''t forget it. She ate her breakfast as if it was the most delicious food in the world, even though she knew today''s breakfast was definitely cooked by Uncle, not Mommy.


    How would she know? Well, Mommy''s food was always ten times tastier than Uncle''s cooking!


    Chloe raised her brow and asked Mackie, "A lot of energy? Is there something you need to do in school, dear?"


    "Um¡­ I¡ªumm¡­ I will have a PE ss, Mommy! I will be the fastest runner today!"


    Chloe chuckled.


    Of course, she knew Mackie was trying to cover up so Chloe wouldn''t scold her.


    Honestly, Chloe was a bit worried about Vernon since he had a lot to do at work.


    But seeing how enthusiastic Vernon got when he said he wanted to be part of Mackie''s life as her new father, Chloe realized that she had to stop being too overprotective of Mackie.


    In the end, Mackie herself epted Vernon into her life as the new father figure. Chloe didn''t need to do anything and let this father-daughter duo develop their rtionship.


    "Alright then, go finish your breakfast first, and then we will go to school with Aaron," Chloe said.


    "Un!"


    Mackie finished her breakfast and then went downstairs to grab her bag. She didn''t bring many books because today was supposed to be a teacher-parent meeting, so there''d be no ss.


    Instead, she put her tiara inside her bag for the special performance!


    "Are you sure that you can go this morning?" Chloe asked. "I mean, I want you toe as well, but if you''re way too busy, then I will tell Mackie about it. I''m sure she will understand."


    "I will empty my schedule until lunch today. I don''t want to miss the performance from my own daughter," Vernon said. "You''reing too, right?"


    Chloe giggled, "Of course, you know that I won''t miss Mackie''s performance as well. She loves attention, especially the ones from her family members."


    **


    Mackie, Chloe, and Aaron left the penthouse first as they headed to the school, followed by Vernon, who was following their car from behind.


    The car stopped at the gate, and Chloe asked, "Dear, are you sure that I don''t need to attend anything at your school today?"


    "Ah, Aunty, there is¡ªUmmph!" Aaron was startled when Boss Mackie suddenly covered his mouth.


    "There is nothing, Mommy! Let''s go, Aaron, we''re going to bete!" Mackie hurriedly opened the door and dragged Aaron with her, so he wouldn''t identally tell Mommy about the teacher-parent meeting.


    Chloe chuckled amusedly as she watched Mackie dragging Aaron into the school hall, "Mackie has her own secret now. I guess it''s inevitable. It''s just part of raising your child."


    "What kind of secret, Ma''am?" Meyer asked, worried that Mackie might be in trouble. "I will help if it''s hurting her, or I can tell Mr. Phoenix Gray about it."


    "No, no, it''s fine. Vernon and I know about this," Chloe said. "It''s just a harmless secret. I will tell youter."


    "Yes, Ma''am," Meyer said. He wanted to chat more with his female boss. But he zipped his mouth, and his face paled instantly when he saw the figure of a man peeking at them from outside of the car. His eyes red at Meyer as if he were about to kill him.


    Meyer hurriedly opened the door for his female boss and then faced Mr. Phoenix Gray, who stood tall while crossing his arms.


    Meyer was not a small guy. He had lean muscles. He was trained as a fighter but was still scared when facing Vernon, "G¡ªGood morning, Sir."


    Vernon didn''t respond at first. He just waited for Chloe to walk toward him and circle her hands around his arm.


    "Let''s go, Vernon. The other parents are already going in."


    "Mm," Vernon nodded. But before they left, he told Meyer, "Your job is to protect and drive my wife around. You''re not allowed to flirt with her, you know the risk if you dare, right?"


    "I dare not, Sir!" Meyer replied.


    Chloe pinched Vernon''s hand to warn her, "Don''t be so harsh on Meyer. He''s respectful, I consider him as my friend, you know."


    Vernon''s eyes widened, his re towards Meyer worsened, and it scared Meyer so much.


    "Since when did I allow you to befriend her, Meyer?" Vernon asked.


    Meyer gulped. He was so scared that he wanted to run away right now, "W¡ªWe just talked sometimes, Sir."


    Chloe sighed. She tiptoed and kissed Vernon on the cheek, much to Vernon''s surprise.


    "Is that enough to assure you? You don''t need to be jealous for no reason at all, handsome," Chloe said. "You know that I will never betray you. You shouldn''t scare an innocent person like that."

 Chapter 740 740

    Chapter 740740


    Vernon couldn''t maintain his re after Chloe kissed him.


    His lips curled up, but he still tried his hardest not to smile. He then said to Meyer, "Don''t get too intimate with my wife, Meyer. You know this is for your own good."


    Meyer nodded vehemently, knowing Mr. Phoenix Gray wasn''t joking.


    Mr. Phoenix Gray was mostly a veryx man who would pay him a lot. He was also apetent boss that ensured Meyer''s identity would remain a secret as long as he worked for Vernon.


    But he was overly jealous and somewhat of a psycho regarding his wife, Mrs. Chloe Phoenix Gray.


    It was fortunate that Chloe was a very kind-hearted woman.


    If she was just a bit bitchy, she would unleash hell on everyone because she could just tell Vernon to do something if her demand wasn''t fulfilled.


    "Sorry for him, Meyer, he''s not serious about his threat," Chloe said as she tried to drag Vernon to the school.


    "I''m serious about my threat, by the way," Vernon insisted as he allowed himself to be dragged by Chloe.


    "Don''t do that, Vernon. Meyer is very loyal to you. He''s also respectful to me."


    "Then you should limit your conversation with him," Vernon said. "He''s still a man, and you''re so unbelievably gorgeous, my wariness is justified."


    ''I think it''s just you who think like that,'' Chloe thought. She didn''t want to argue with Vernon right now because she knew how stubborn Vernon could be.


    They entered the school''s main hall and were greeted by the headmaster, who told them to go straight to the school theater for the choir.


    Chloe and Vernon walked together toward the school theater, and the moment they entered the theater, they saw Mackie lining up with the other choir members on the stage.


    She stood in the middle and was the only one who wore a tiara, making her the main character of the whole choir.


    Mackie was looking around sadly, the other students had their parents attending, and they were already sitting in their seats, waiting for the choir to start.


    But she was yet to find Uncle Vernon anywhere. She wanted her father figure to attend, so it would feel special.


    Of course, her Mommy was also special, but she wanted her father toe instead. It was the only reason she wore the tiara, so Uncle Vernon wouldn''t mistake her for someone else.


    But then, before the choir started, she saw two figures walking side by side as they entered the school theater.


    Mackie''s eyes widened, and she was surprised that Uncle finally came, but she was even more surprised seeing her Mommy beside him.


    They smiled and waved their hands at Mackie before sitting on the nearest empty seat.


    Mackie was initially scared, thinking that her Mommy would scold her for hiding the teacher-parent meeting invitation.


    But Mommy didn''t seem to be upset.


    She looked very harmonious with Uncle. They looked great together!


    Mackie felt like she was about to cry right now.


    She might be young, but she understood the sense of ease and joy in her heart. She was so happy when she saw Mommy and Uncle together because this was the first time her ''father'' came to the school to watch her performance, and it was also the first time Mommy looked so happy toe to school with her spouse.


    One of her friends standing next to Mackie followed Mackie''s line of sight and then asked in a low voice, "Are they your parents?"


    "Un, they are my Mommy and Daddy," Mackie replied. "Theye here to watch my performance."


    "They are so handsome and beautiful! You look like your Daddy so much, you know," her friendmented.


    "Un! That''s because I''m his little wolf!" Mackie imed.


    "Attention, everyone. We''re about to start soon!" The music teacher raised his voice to grab the attention of the choir.


    Meanwhile, Chloe and Vernon watched Mackie, who was standing in the middle as the spotlight of the choir.


    She was so proud of Mackie because there was a trace of her inside her daughter.


    Mackie was confident and bright, just like the young Chloe.


    Chloe was timid and reserved right now because of all the humiliation that forever scarred her self-confidence.


    But she was also bright and confident when she was Mackie''s age.


    Chloe participated in a lot of activities, mostly about arts.


    She was part of the children''s theater and choir, just like Mackie.


    She was also a naturally gifted student in terms of academics. So her studies never suffered despite being popr in school, and she was happy that Mackie also inherited her capability.


    ''Though, her personality is basically a copy paste of Vernon,'' Chloe thought. She nced at Vernon. She saw him taking his phone out and aimed his camera at the stage.


    "Okay, I will record it once the choir starts," Vernon said.


    Chloe smiled when she saw Vernon getting so excited to record his daughter''s choir. It reminded her of when Mackie first sang alone on a stage when she was only five.


    She was watched by all the kindergarten teachers, students, and also parents. She had no stage fear at all.


    She sang Barney''s theme song, and Chloe recorded everything.


    She still had that recording up until now on her oldptop. It was a piece of memory that she often watched alone to remember that she had the responsibility to raise her daughter to be a great person.


    Chloe might''ve been robbed of her childhood''s confidence and brightness.


    She might''ve been robbed of her many dreams.


    But she wanted to ensure that Mackie would never suffer the same.


    Mackie would be a great woman, no matter what.


    "Do you want me to help? Your hand is shaking," Chloe offered.


    "Sorry, I''m just too excited, watching my Little Wolf performing got my heart racing," Vernon said. He then took a deep breath to calm himself and steady his hand, so he wouldn''t mess up the video recording.

 Chapter 741 741

    Chapter 741741


    The event began about fifteen minutes after Chloe and Vernon entered the school theater. The headmaster gave a short speech, and in the end, she said, "This event is for us to celebrate our children and this is the choir performance for all of the parents," the headmaster said before she stepped down from the stage, returning the spotlight to the choir.


    There was a round of apuse by the teachers and parents who attended, and the music teacher acted as the choirmaster, guiding the choir as they began their first song;


    Over the Rainbow.


    ~Somewhere over the rainbow


    Way up high


    There''s and that I heard of


    Once in a luby


    Somewhere over the rainbow


    Skies are blue


    And the dreams that you dare to dream


    Really doe true.~


    Vernon watched how Mackie''s voice was like the lead of the choir. She had that unique voice that set her apart but was still harmonious enough with the other choir members.


    All eyes were on Mackie who was singing confidently, but the little girl''s eyes were glued on her Mommy and Daddy.


    Mommy was staring at her with such pride in her. It was what Mackie loved the most from Mommy.


    No matter what she did, Mommy would always support her activity. Mackie was never told to stop any of the hobbies she had recently discovered.


    She wanted to try ballet? Then Mommy would sign her up to a ballet ss.


    She wanted to try piano? Mommy would find her a music teacher.


    She wanted to try sports? Mommy would sign her up to y certain sports, even if she had to y with the boys.


    The only thing that Mommy was strict about was her study. Mackie could try out many new things as long as she was doing good in her study, and for Mackie, it wasn''t hard at all because she was naturally smart.


    Though she was only seven, she understood that Mommy had gone through a lot with Daddy before. She was constantly crying, and she was so thin, which always got the little girl worried.


    So Mackie was so happy that Mommy looked happy with Uncle Vernon.


    Meanwhile, Uncle Vernon was sitting next to her. He was using his phone to record the performance, and looked like he was about to cry anytime soon.


    It was funny to see Uncle holding his tears because she had never seen her so emotional. Uncle was like a tall fortress. He was tough, scary, and intimidating but also protective.


    He never showed his tears in front of Mackie before, so it made her surprise.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a few more performances from the feel special right now.


    The song after a while, and the headmaster was ready for another surprise.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a few more performances from the students, and the first one is from Mackenzie Phoenix Gray and Daniel Ard!"


    The crowd pped when Mackie and Dan walked to the front as they were the first ones to perform. They were holding hands and then used their other hands to grab the mic. Mackie actually wanted to try doing the slow dance with Dan because they were doing a duet of a ssic Disney song.


    But Dan was a shy boy. He was so shy that his cheeks reddened when he held hands with Mackie. If he really had to dance with her, then he would faint!


    Vernon''s smile dissipated when he saw that shy boy holding hands with his daughter.


    "Look at that boy, trying to get our daughter''s attention," Vernon whispered to Chloe, but his eyes were still on Mackie and Dan. "I think I know about that boy''s father. Should I warn his father about this? I want to make sure that no boy will dare to hurt Mackie."


    Chloe pinched Vernon''s arm to warn him, but Vernon didn''t feel a thing.


    "Don''t do that, Vernon. It''s just some childhood crush. Don''t you have a childhood crush back then?"


    "That''s you," Vernon replied.


    "Oh¡ª" Chloe had just remembered about the circumstances surrounding them. "Anyway, just let them be. Mackie is a cute and bright girl, of course many boys will have a crush on her."


    "¡­ if you say so," Vernon nodded and readied himself to record again.


    Chloe sighed when she realized that Vernon''s possessiveness was basically an innate trait of his.


    She thought he was only overprotective of her, but it seemed he was also overprotective towards Mackie.


    Thus, the performance started and they sang Once Upon A Dream, the original soundtrack of Sleeping Beauty.


    ~


    I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream


    I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam


    And I know it''s true that visions are seldom all they seem


    But if I know you, I know what you''ll do


    You''ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream


    But if I know you, I know what you''ll do


    You''ll love me at once


    The way you did once upon a dream.


    ~


    Mackie''s voice was angelic. She truly had that little princess'' voice in her, which mesmerized the crowd.


    Meanwhile, Dan¡ªdespite his young age, was still able to keep up with Mackie''s voice. His voice was still boyish, but it was enough to give that Little Prince vibes in him.


    The whole crowd went silent as they were enjoying the song, and the moment Mackie and Dan finished the song, everyone got up, including Vernon and Chloe, and they all gave Mackie and Dan a standing ovation.


    Mackie stared at Uncle and Mommy, who also stood up like the rest. Uncle was still holding his phone, recording the whole thing. He couldn''t hide his tears anymore. He let them stream down on his cheek before he finished his recording and then pped the loudest.


    He gave Mackie two thumbs up as he was so proud that his Little Wolf could deliver an amazing performance at such a young age.


    And from this moment on, Mackie felt she finally had a father that would love her forever.

 Chapter 742 742

    Chapter 742742


    Mackie and Dan bowed at the crowd before they went backstage, reced by the second performers.


    Mackie couldn''t wait to go and meet her parents, but she couldn''t because nobody was allowed to meet their parents until they finished all of the performances.


    "Um, Mackie, t¡ªthank you for singing with me," Dan said as he approached Mackie. "I can''t sing as well as you, sorry if I let you down."


    "You''re doing great!" Mackie said while patting Dan''s shoulder. "I will sing with you againter! I promise!"


    Daniel''s eyes widened. He was so happy that he could explode right now. He grabbed Mackie''s hand and stared at her hopefully, "I promise I will only sing with you! We will always sing together, Mackie!"


    **


    Vernon stopped the recording and wiped the tears flowing from the corner of his eyes. Chloe stared at Vernon and then gently wiped the tears, "Why are you crying, Vernon?" She asked. She already knew the answer because Chloe also cried when she first saw Mackie performing like this in front of the crowd.


    "I¡ªI don''t even know why am I crying right now," Vernon said. "I just feel so proud. It''s overwhelming me."


    Vernon wiped his tears and then looked at Chloe, "I hope that you don''t find meme because I cried. I was really engrossed with Mackie''s performance, so I can''t be bothered holding my own tears."


    "Hahaha! Why would I find youme just because you cried? I did the same when I watched Mackie''s performance for the first time as well," Chloe said. She touched Vernon''s cheek and continued to wipe his tears. "It''s a sign that you truly see Mackie as your daughter. It takes a great deal for a man to see his step-daughter as his own blood."


    "What step daughter? Mackie is just my daughter," Vernon insisted.


    Chloe chuckled, "Yes, she is your daughter, no question needed."


    Vernon and Chloe watched the rest of the performances. Everything took about two hours to be done, and the students were allowed to meet with their parents.


    Mackie was looking around for her Mommy and Daddy because the hall was filled with so many people.


    She was worried that Uncle Vernon might be too busy and decided to leave after the performance.


    Mackie knew that she couldn''t keep her Uncle for too long.


    Her Mommy taught her to be sensible because her Uncle had a lot of work that he had to do, and the fact that he spared his time to watch her performance should be more than enough.


    But Mackie wanted more!


    She wanted to take a photo with Uncle at least!


    Mackie got tired after looking around for a while. She lowered her head dejectedly, thinking that she wouldn''t be able to take a photo with Uncle.


    Until a big, strong hand ruffled her head. She looked up and saw her Uncle smiling, "What makes you sad, Little Wolf?"


    "UNCLE!"


    Mackie was so happy that she quickly jumped and hugged his thigh, ensuring Uncle wouldn''t leave her.


    Vernonughed.


    He carried Mackie and let her sit on his strong arm.


    Chloe gently pinched Mackie''s cheek because she found her daughter so cute, "Don''t be sad, dear. We won''t leave without a picture."


    "Mommy!" Mackie was so happy because she felt she had aplete family. "Un! I want a picture! Let''s take a picture together!"


    "Here, use my phone. I want to keep the picture," Vernon said as he handed his phone. Chloe was about to take a picture of Vernon and Mackie, but Mackie stopped her.


    "Mommy, why are you taking pictures of us? You must join us!" Mackie insisted.


    Chloe smiled. She then looked around and asked one of the adults to take a picture of them.


    "Okay,e here, love. I want us to be huddled together for the picture!" Vernon said.


    Thus, Vernon stood tall while carrying Mackie on his left arm and hugged Chloe''s hips with his right arm.


    "Okay¡­ say cheese!"


    Snap!


    They checked the picture after that, and Vernon was the first toment, "Little Wolf, you''re about to have one baby tooth out."


    "Wahh, really?!" Mackie was excited, thinking she would get pocket money from the tooth fairy, just like what happened each time she lost her teeth. "I''m going to ask tooth fairy for more money!"


    "More money?" Vernon raised his brow. "How much do you want?"


    "I want um¡­ umm¡­. A lot!" Mackie said.


    "Hahahah! Okay, okay, I will tell the tooth fairy to give you a lot of money, okay?"


    "Un! Thank you, Daddy!"


    Chloe and Vernon gasped when Mackie called him Daddy for the first time.


    They looked at each other in disbelief and then looked at Mackie simultaneously, "Mackie, can you say that again?"


    Mackie tilted her head, "Say what?"


    "W¡ªWhen you thanked me just now," Vernon said. His voice began to get shaky as he got way too excited.


    "Um, thank you, Daddy," Mackie repeated. She was scared Uncle didn''t like her calling him Daddy, so she asked, "Can I not call you Daddy? But you''re a better Daddy than my real Daddy¡­."


    "No, no, I''m your REAL Daddy! I''m your only Daddy!" Vernon imed hastily, not wanting to miss the chance.


    Mackie''s eyes brightened. She hugged her new Daddy''s neck tightly and said, "I love you, Daddy!"


    "I love you too, my Little Wolf!"


    Chloe stared at how harmonious Vernon and Mackie were and realized that it was meant to be.


    ''In the end, Mackie and Vernon are destined to be a father-daughter duo. I''m just so happy to have this family¡­'' Chloe thought before she hugged Vernon and rested her head on his chest.


    They were like this for a while until Chloe asked, "Mackie, where is your cousin?"


    "Ah, Aaron''s ss will be performing tomorrow, Mommy!" Mackie replied. "Pleasee for him as well!"


    "Alright then, it seems I have to attend another teacher-parent meeting tomorrow," Chloe said, winking at Mackie.

 Chapter 743 743

    Chapter 743743


    Diamond parked her car in front of a fancy restaurant. She used the valet to park her car and then walked into the restaurant wearing a dark blue dress that fit her sexy and tall figure perfectly.


    She was greeted by the head waiter, who smiled at Diamond and asked for a reservation.


    "Diamond Johnson, the reservation is made by Mrs. Chloe Phoenix Gray. I am supposed to have dinner with a man," Diamond said. This whole fancy dinner stuff was arranged by none other than her homegirl.


    Chloe was so excited about this whole matchmaking thing that in the end, Diamond had to fold and continue to follow Chloe''s n.


    Seeing Chloe''s effort on this blind date was enough to put her in a good mood because at least her homegirl was serious about helping her.


    ''What''s important is the intention and effort. Chloe tries her best for me, so the least I can do is to do this blind date,'' Diamond thought. ''Though, I doubt it will work.''


    The head waiter searched through her name and nodded, "This way, Miss. I will escort you to your table."


    Diamond followed the head waiter as he brought her to a special table near the balcony, giving the full view of New York City at night.


    The head pulled the chair for Diamond to sit and asked, "Would you fancy a drink, Miss? Wine? Bourbon? Champagne? Or non-alcoholic beverages?"


    "Pour me the wine, but not the appetizer. I''m still waiting for my date."


    "Understood, Miss."


    Diamond waited for at least ten minutes until she saw a tall and muscr man wearing a ck suit being escorted by the head waiter to her table.


    Diamond stared at the man for a while, and her jaw dropped because she truly didn''t expect her homegirl to set her up with none other than Meyer, Mr. Phoenix Gray''s best hitman and Chloe''s current bodyguard.


    Both of them were staring at each other in shock as they didn''t expect each other to be the blind date set up by Chloe.


    But in the end, Meyer sat at the opposite side of the table, and the head waiter excused herself as he started bringing the appetizer.


    They were still unable to process the whole thing. They just kept staring at each other for a while until the head waiter served the appetizer.


    "I got to be honest, I didn''t expect Mrs. Phoenix Gray to set us up," Meyer said as he opened the conversation. "You''re way out of my league, Miss Diamond Johnson."


    "We''re on the same boat, Mr. Meyer Turner. Out of all people, she chose to set us up," Diamond said. "And please, just call me Diamond, we''re not in the workce right now."


    "Then you should just call me Meyer," Meyer said. He smiled as he remembered how excited Mrs. Phoenix Gray was when she said she had booked a fine dining table for his blind date. "It''s funny, but I think it''s understandable why Mrs. Phoenix Gray would put us on a blind date."


    "Yeah, she doesn''t have many friends outside. We''re literally her only friends and coworkers," Diamond said. She couldn''t help but giggle, thinking that Chloe must''ve thought she was being very sneaky. "But I think it''s her sweetness that makes her special."


    "Indeed, I can see why Mr. Phoenix Gray is in love with her," Meyer added.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    They were in an awkward silence after that. They didn''t know what to discuss because they had the same idea.


    Finish this blind date to appreciate Chloe''s effort.


    "So, uh¡­ let''s just finish our dinner first," Meyer said, and Diamond agreed.


    They ate everything served andpleted their satisfying fine dining experience with a ss of wine.


    Diamond and Meyer eyed each other.


    None of them was the shy type, so they didn''t try to hide their faces.


    In fact, Diamond was the first to speak, "I''m here so I won''t disappoint Chloe. But I think you should know that I''m not a good woman to date. You know how hectic it is working with Vernon, it''s almost impossible for me to get my own free time except during weekends, and that''s usually a deal breaker for most men."


    "Ah¡ª" Meyer was surprised by Diamond''s statement just now because he also had the same idea in mind. "I was about to say the same. I''m so busy juggling between protecting Mrs. Phoenix Gray and running errands for the Big boss, it''s almost impossible for me to find any spare time for my girlfriend. That''s why I''m staying single right now."


    "And you don''t want to sacrifice your job, right?" Diamond asked.


    "Correct, I love this job and everything about it. You can call me a workaholic, but I would ditch a man who would try to stop me from working," Diamond said brazenly, thinking that Meyer would find her undateable because of her attitude.


    She never tried to hide her true self in front of her dates before. She was always upfront about her workaholic nature and wanted to continue working because it was her calling.


    For 99% of the men that she went on a date with, all of them simply backed off, knowing that they wouldn''t live a normal life with Diamond, and Diamond pretty much expected that.


    Though, deep down in her heart, she wished there would be a man who could ept her shoring and attitude.


    "I¡­ I was about to say the same too¡­" Meyer murmured. "I don''t n to resign from my busy job anytime soon, and that cost me many failed dates. I don''t want my girlfriend to be a thorn that would drag me down and I don''t need drama because I don''t have time for her."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was another silence after that, but it wasn''t awkward anymore.


    The more Diamond and Meyer talked, the more they realized they had so much inmon. They were both dedicated workaholics, and both refused to resign just because of a lover who wanted their undivided attention.

 Chapter 744 744

    Chapter 744744


    "So, uh¡­ I guess we''re not so different," Meyer said. "We have the same principle about dedication and work."


    "Mhm," Diamond nodded. "You and I are both workaholics who can''t be bothered by our significant other."


    "Be honest with me, Meyer. Do you think that a woman like me is undateable?" Diamond asked.


    Mayer stared at Diamond for a while and replied, "You''re gorgeous, Diamond. It''s crazy to think that you''re still single right now. Oh, do you know that all of Big boss'' bodyguards said that they want to have a chance to talk to you in private like this."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, all of my subordinates are into you," Meyer confirmed.


    "Does that include you as well, Meyer?" Diamond grinned provocatively, and that caught Meyer off guard.


    "I¡ªAh¡ªuhh¡­ well, I''m still a man, I love seeing a gorgeousdy," Meyer admitted. He got embarrassed and said, "Oh god, please forget what I said just now. That''s so embarrassing."


    Diamond chuckled amusedly, "It''s fine. I don''t find you and your confession repulsive anyway. You''re actually quite cute."


    Meyer was surprised by Diamond''s words, "Y¡ªYou don''t find it repulsive?"


    "Not at all," Diamond said. "Are you surprised because I usually gave every man in the office a death stare?"


    "Yes," Meyer replied. He remembered how Diamond got catcalled by many men in the office, and she would give them all a death stare.


    "No woman likes to get catcalled. But that doesn''t mean we don''t like to be genuinelyplimented," Diamond said. "Anyway, I don''t mind spending more time with you. Do you have anything in mind after we leave this restaurant?"


    Meyer truly had no idea what they should do next.


    He actually didn''t expect the date to go so well. He thought he''d have the free fine dining and then leave.


    Diamond frowned when she got no answer from Meyer, "Is that a no? Do you not want to continue this date? If so, then I will leave now."


    Diamond got up and was about to leave, but Meyer quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her, "Wait! Diamond!"


    Diamond turned her head towards Meyer and raised her brow, "What? I thought you''re not interested in me."


    "I''m very interested in you! I just¡ªI just didn''t expect this date to go so well, so I don''t prepare anything after this," Meyer admitted. He gulped as his brain quickly tried to find a good date idea. "How about we uh¡­ go to the cinema? I mean, it''s not toote right now."


    Diamond smiled, "Sure, let''s go."


    Meyer and Diamond continued their date to the cinema. They watched a random action movie because it was already quitete at night, and few options were avable.


    But they still enjoyed it, not because the movie was good, but because Meyer mustered his courage to hold her hands during the whole movie.


    In fact, he was so engrossed with the idea of holding Diamond''s hand. He couldn''t focus on the movie at all. He felt like he was a teenager again. He was nervous even though holding hands should be casual for his age.


    Diamond was also nervous. It had been a long time since thest time she had a good date with someone, and the fact that she felt nervous just because Meyer held her hand said a lot about her interest right now.


    Once the movie ended, Meyer and Diamond glued themselves to their seats, not wanting to release their hands as they still wanted to spend more time but had no idea where to go next.


    "Diamond, how about we¡ª"


    "Yeah, let''s go to my apartment, Meyer."


    **


    Chloe and Vernon had just finished their visit to the obstetric for a pregnancy check up.


    They were so happy the pregnancy was 100% confirmed, and Chloe was also in good health. She just needed to take care of her physical and mental health.


    Chloe giggled the whole way to the penthouse because she was so happy with the result of her pregnancy, but other than that, she was also happy that Diamond and Meyer must be having a good time right now.


    She didn''t know to what extent they would go tonight, but her gut feeling told her that Diamond and Meyer had hit it off.


    Vernon followed her from behind as they entered the penthouse. He closed the penthouse door and quickly hugged Chloe from behind.


    "My love, I''m so happy with the result," Vernon said. He kissed Chloe''s head a few times as he didn''t know how to express his happiness.


    It was the type of happiness that made him want to explode.


    "I''m going to be a dad, it''s all thanks to you, Love."


    "No, it''s all thanks to you, because you''re the one who let me feel safe and secure. You let me gain weight after I was dangerously thin," Chloe said. "You don''t know how much I feel indebted to you, Vernon."


    "I don''t want you to stay just because you feel indebted to me," Vernon said. He got a little anxious, thinking that Chloe might leave him when she felt the debt had been paid.


    "Of course, I didn''t stay because I feel indebted," Chloe sighed. "If I do, I''d be asking you if there''s a way to pay my debts. Stop being so insecure, Vernon. You know that you''re my man for now and forever. Though, it depends on yourself, do you want me to be your woman?"


    Vernon tightened his arms around Chloe''s waist to deepen his bear hug and replied, "You''re asking the obvious. I want you to be my woman for the rest of my life."


    ¡­


    "You know what, even if I die first, I still won''t allow you to remarry," Vernon insisted. He became jealous, thinking he might die first and Chloe would marry another man. "You''re not allowed to find another man if I die. You''re still mine even if I''m six feet under, and we will be husband and wife again in the after life."

 Chapter 745 Chapter 745

    745 Chapter 745


    [Song Rmendation: Joji - Die for You.]


    It had been a while since Vincent checked on his ownpany.


    Khloe and Nigel spoon-fed him about the situation of the Graypany, but to summarize it, it was fucked.


    Everything was on fire, and it didn''t seem salvageable at this point, which wasn''t surprising. The disastrous press conference left a sour taste to everyone, and Vincent knew that his days as CEO were numbered.


    But he couldn''t care less about that. All in his mind right now was the realization that he would never be able to get Chloe back.


    She was free from his grasp now, free to do whatever she wanted. She could even marry her new man with a forged document, just like how they forged Mackie''s document, so she could transfer schools without having to notify her previous school.


    Vincent sighed. He knew he was at fault because he went too far in disciplining Chloe.


    But he thought that was the only way to keep her by his side. He was just copying what histe Dad did to his Mom since it worked exceptionally well on his mother. He thought that was the right way so Chloe wouldn''t leave him.


    "If only I can turn back time, I want to make things right," Vincent murmured. "I want to show her that I love her, I truly love her¡­."


    Vincent had lost almost all of his power right now. Since Maria was presumed dead, he had nobody to do a manhunt for Chloe, and his reputation was already at rock bottom anyway. There was no point in doing another press conference just to get Chloe back.


    All he had right now was a pile of money he was sitting on, all the generational wealth that the Gray family had, and all of his inheritance.


    He could live afortable life for the rest of his life and for his child and grandchild.


    But Mackie wasn''t with him right now, and it didn''t seem that both Mackie and Chloe didn''t want any of his money anymore.


    "But this is all I have¡­." Vincentmented. "I have money, and that''s it. Unfortunately, Chloe and Mackie wouldn''t be here just because of money."


    It dawned upon him once he realized that Chloe actually left him, the heir of the Gray family, with a multi-billion dor business and huge inheritance and influence in many sectors.


    He was also very handsome and young. He was many women''s dream husband, yet Chloe still left him. So he realized that nothing he could do to stop her from leaving in the end.


    "What should I do now, Chloe? I miss you so much, this feeling in my heart is crushing me," Vincent murmured. "I want to meet you, I want to exin everything and get your forgiveness. I want us to start again, even if it may seem impossible."


    Vincent kept on murmuring about Chloe, staring at the garden she cared for when she was still in the mansion.


    Chloe was indeed a great housewife. She might not be a shy socialite that would impress everyone in the room.


    But she was a sweet beauty, the kind of woman that was stable andforting. She took care of the house seriously, ensuring the mansion they lived in felt like a real home.


    She even went as far as designing the garden, so whenever Vincent opened the master bedroom window, he would see a beautiful garden that would improve his mood.


    Chloe was also a good mistress of the house. She made sure that all of the workers in the mansion were well taken care of. It was apparent after she left, plenty of the good and dedicated workers, mostly cooks and maids, left as they were more loyal to Chloe.


    "Is it toote for me to do something?" Vincent wondered. He stared at the garden from the window and realized that the garden hadn''t been tended for a while.


    The head maid said that the gardener quit because she worked with Chloe for years, and without the mistress, she didn''t know what kind of work she had to do next.


    Though that reason sounded weird, Vincent knew that the gardener simply didn''t want to work with him after Chloe left.


    Vincent sat in silence, staring at the ruined garden, until he heard someone knock on the door.


    He turned his head towards the door and saw Khloe and Nigeling into his room.


    He didn''t react much when he saw them, and he didn''t really care about what they would say because he knew they would always bring bad news.


    ''Thepany wasn''t in a good condition.''


    ''The stock is falling.''


    ''Almost all of the business partners have left, thepany won''t be able to survive without suppliers for the chains.''


    ''Thepany is doomed.''


    Those wordsing out of their mouths felt like nothing for Vincent. He didn''t give a damn if thatpany was destroyed because it was Chloe who wanted to destroy it.


    Chloe knew his weaknesses and decided to go against him just to destroy his career in public.


    And since that was the revenge she wanted, then so be it.


    Let thatpany die and rot because he didn''t need it anymore. He didn''t even know why he had to be so busy taking care of that business when he had no goal whatsoever.


    He just thought that as long as he was powerful and rich, Chloe would stay by his side forever.


    "Good morning, Mr. Gray, I''m here to give you the report of the current situation in ourpany, we are not in a¡ª"


    "Stop talking, Nigel. I already know what you''re about to say," Vincent interrupted, not wanting to go through the same routine every day. "I''ve already given up on my position as CEO, give that role to whoever you think fits it."


    Nigel and Khloe looked at each other and nodded at the same time, "Sir, Graypany¡­ it''s on the verge of copse. There is nothing we can do to stop it."

 Chapter 746 Chapter 746

    746 Chapter 746


    "Nothing you can do?" Vincent had fully expected hispany to go down eventually. But he didn''t expect it to be so fast. He thought thepany could float with negative revenue for at least a year.


    But it was only three months since his very first public scandal, and hispany was already on the brink of copse.


    "This isn''t right," Vincent said. "It shouldn''t take this fast for the Graypany to go down. It has a long history, and we''ve maintained our reputation for ages."


    "It''s because of one rivalpany, Sir," Nigel said. "Golden Star has been extremely aggressive to fight us. They are making alternate products of everything we have, and they cut their prices for at least 30% less from us. On top of your¡­ dwindling reputation, the public opinion shifts and they decide to get brand new and cheaper products."


    "Golden Star¡­" Of course, Vincent knew who was behind this attack.


    It was none other than his little brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    He thought that Vernon was his loyal dog, so Vincent didn''t mind sharing his inheritance with him, knowing that Vernon would be grateful and be even more obedient and fiercely loyal to him.


    Who would''ve expected that dog could bite his own master''s hand?


    "My little brother, huh?" Vincent murmured. "He knows that my reputation has been destroyed right now. He also knows that I am currently dealing with heartbreak after knowing my beloved wife is going against me. What an opportunistic bastard."


    Vincent scoffed.


    While feeling all sorts of regrets towards Chloe, he felt zero ounces of pity or regret towards Vernon.


    It was pure hatred now, especially after knowing Vernon was ready to destroy him and their father''spany.


    Vernon was selfish and destructive. He acted like he had worshiped Vincent, but he was scheming against him behind his back.


    "All of my business partners went to Golden Star as well?" Vincent asked.


    "Yes, Sir, at least 90% of them shifted to Golden Star," Nigel said. "I am sorry, Sir. But thepany will have to file for bankruptcy in about two months if we can''t do anything to salvage this problem."


    "Sir, I''m asking you to take the CEO seat again and start working on this problem. Everyone is waiting for you," Nigel persuaded.


    "Yes, Mr. Gray. Everyone is waiting for you, I am waiting for you¡­" Khloe finally opened her mouth. She looked sincere, and that gave a bit of hope in Vincent''s heart.


    Because he kept seeing her as Chloe, even though he knew it was just an illusion to make himself feel better.


    He sighed and said, "I am a broken man. I don''t have any more fighting spirit knowing that Chloe is not here, and she nned everything just to destroy me. The feeling of getting betrayed by your one and only beloved crushed me until I can''t get up."


    Nigel and Khloe looked helpless. They had guessed that Mr. Gray would refuse to take the CEO role after what happened. He was still shocked, but they had no more time to let him recover because thepany was about to be destroyed.


    Vincent understood their worries and said, "Rather than filing for bankruptcy, try to find someone who is willing to buy and acquire thepany. You can make it cheap, knowing it''s on the brink of copse anyway. It''s better than to let it file for bankruptcy and get destroyed because I can''t be there."


    "Sir, it will take a long time for us to find someone willing to do it. No matter how cheap it can be, there is no way someone would buy a hugepany like this without long consideration," Nigel said. "Though, there is indeed one person who has been offering to buy the wholepany, but I don''t think you''ll like to hear his name, Sir."


    "Vernon?"


    Nigel nodded reluctantly.


    "He is the only one who is willing to buy and merge thepany. At this point, we have no other choice than toply with his request to save thepany," Nigel said. "The choice is in your hand, Sir. Either we let him acquire the Graypany, or let it file for bankruptcy and get destroyed in only months."


    Vincent felt nothing but anger and disgust towards his opportunistic little brother, who kicked him when he was at his lowest.


    But he had to admit his defeat at this point. He didn''t care about thepany anymore, but it was still his father''s legacy.


    If he could save it, then he would. It was the least he could do to repay that bastardte father for teaching him the wrong way to keep your woman.


    Thus, Vincent took a deep breath and ordered, "Send a formal invitation to hispany, tell him that I want to meet him in my office, and we will talk about the acquisition."


    Nigel was relieved that Mr. Gray could admit defeat and allowed Vernon Phoenix Gray to purchase and merge thepany.


    "Certainly, Sir. I will be contacting his secretary as soon as possible. Please excuse me," Nigel bowed respectfully at the now-defeated man and left the room.


    There were only Vincent and Khloe in the Master bedroom right now.


    She sat next to him at the edge of the bed and then gently ced her hand on top of his as afort, "I''m sorry that it ends like this, Mr. Gray. I tried my best to help, but I''m too inexperienced¡­"


    "¡­ you did your job, Chloe," Vincent said. "It''s not your fault. It''s all on me. I am the one who screwed up really badly here."


    Khloe slowly rested her head on Vincent''s arm and said, "Even if thepany has been merged and you lost everything, I will stay by your side, Mr. Gray."


    Vincent''s heart felt warm. He knew it was just an illusion, but in his mind, right now, this was the other ''Chloe'' he needed.


    She was a substitute that he needed since the real Chloe was missing.


    "Thank you for everything, Chloe. Stay by my side, please."


    "I will, Mr. Gray.."

 Chapter 747 Chapter 747

    Chapter 747 Chapter 747


    Diamond was busy with her usual work when she suddenly got an email from none other than the Gray Company.


    "Hm, don''t tell me that they''re finally agreeing with the offer. I mean, it''s obvious that they''re in a difficult situation right now, but this is too early to give up, right?" Diamond murmured. She had a little expectation in her head since their n was going on the right track, so she opened the email.


    She did a quick read, and her eyes widened instantly.


    She then made a second, more-careful read and almost jumped out of her chair excitedly.


    "OH MY GOD!" Diamond''s voice echoed loudly around the floor, shocking Vernon and Chloe, who currently stayed inside the CEO''s office.


    They rushed out to check if Diamond was alright and were greeted with the sight of Diamond doing a little dancey-dancey while staring at herputer monitor.


    Chloe and Vernon looked at each other, and Chloe was the first to snap her out of her little dancey-dancey.


    "Um, Diamond, are you alright?"


    Diamond turned her head towards Chloe and Vernon, and she rushed to hug Chloe.


    "OMG, homegirl! It''s a sess! The whole n to cut all of the way out for the Graypany is a sess!" Diamond said.


    Chloe had very little understanding of what was happening, but she knew that Vernon and Diamond were working to ensure the Graypany was destroyed.


    So she nced at Vernon, asking for an exnation, and he then cleared his throat to warn Diamond, "Stop hugging her too tightly, Diamond. She is pregnant."


    "Oh, sorry, girl. I''m just too excited!" Diamond quickly released her hug and took a step back. "Anyway, Sir, you should read the email on myputer screen right now. It''s great news for all of us!"


    Vernon nodded.


    He bent his back to read the email on the screen, and his eyes widened. He had the same reaction as Diamond, minus the little dancey-dancey, because he still had to keep at least a bit of his dignity.


    "Have you checked if this is from their official email?"


    "Yes, Sir. This is an official email. They also said that they are ready to discuss the acquisition as soon as possible," Diamond said. "I will prepare all the documents today, Sir. You can go tomorrow if that''s what you want."


    Chloe could grasp one thing or two from the tidbits of their conversation, so she asked, "Does Vincent¡­ finally give up on his ownpany? How can it be so quick?"


    Diamond and Vernon turned their heads toward Chloe at the same time. Vernon replied, "The Graypany is on the verge of copse in such a short time because of Vincent''s scandal that broke the media, and also because I''ve been actively making products that are cheaper than the ones produced by the Graypany."


    "I''ve also poached most of his business partners to the point that he basically has almost zero chance to recover," Vernon said. "Without any backing, an overlypetitive rival, and a ruined reputation, Vincent and hispany are doomed to fail."


    Chloe didn''t know how to feel about this.


    She was happy, of course.


    But at the same time, she felt sad for those who worked for the Graypany because there would be a massiveyoff that could affect so many families.


    But Chloe knew the downfall of the Graypany was important for her to finally gain her freedom.


    Chloe stared at Vernon, who looked excited as he was reading the email on theputer screen, and then he said, "Vernon, um¡­ is it absolutely necessary to destroy thepany?"


    Vernon frowned as he stared at Chloe, "Of course it is very important. We need to root Vincent out of his powerpletely so he won''t be able to fight back. Isn''t that the point?"


    "I¡ªI know, but¡­." Chloe began worrying as she imagined all those innocent families that would be ruined due to financial stress.


    "Just spit it out, Chloe," Vernon said. His voice got a bit colder because he thought that Chloe still had some pity for Vincent.


    No matter how often Chloe assured him that he was the love of her life. He still couldn''t believe herpletely.


    Whenever Chloe remembered Vincent, Vernon would get super jealous and irritated.


    "I¡ªI just thought that maybe you shouldn''t go too harsh on thepany¡­" Chloe said meekly. She had to be careful when threading about this sensitive conversation because the subject of Vincent would often turn into an argument between them.


    "We have to do this, Chloe," Vernon insisted. "Don''t be soft on them. This is the ticket to your divorce and our marriage."


    "But I don''t want to hurt so many people¡­"


    Diamond quickly caught the stupid tension between these two.


    She could only sigh, knowing how bad their arguments could be.


    Based on her observation, her boss was very lenient and obedient to whatever Chloe said, but he became hard-headed and prone to anger whenever the topic was about Vincent.


    "Ohe on, why are you two arguing over stupid things," Diamond rolled her eyes. She stared at her boss and said, "Chloe is just worried about those employees at the Graypany. She''s afraid there would be a massivey off that would hurt thousands of people and their families."


    Diamond turned to Chloe, "Girl, be clearer towards your soon-to-be husband. You know how stubborn and sensitive he could be when it''s about Vincent. But you should know that Mr. Phoenix Gray already told me before that you''ll worry about those employees, that''s why he won''t ''destroy'' thepany. He will instead acquire the wholepany and merge it with this one, so there would be no significantyoffs, probably only for a few people at the top to ensure that we will have no saboteur or a mole."


    Chloe was astonished. She then asked Vernon, "Is that true?"


    Vernon nodded.


    He was a little ashamed for acting cold towards his beloved, "Yes, I know you''ll be upset if I destroy so many people''s lives. That''s why I n to buy the Graypany instead."

 Chapter 748 Chapter 748

    Chapter 748 Chapter 748


    Diamond rolled her eyes, "Geez, you two need to work on yourmunication. It''s so ridiculous how a stupid argument could end up bing a huge one because of a misunderstanding."


    "S¡ªSorry, I was just unsure if he will be mad or not¡­." Chloe said.


    "Why would I be mad?" Vernon intercepted. He walked towards Chloe and held her hand tightly. "You know that I did everything for you. I know that you will be distressed knowing there will be thousands of people who''ll lose their job, so I decide to just merge thepany instead of disbanding it."


    "It''s just¡­ sometimes I get irritated thinking that you will leave me for that bastard. I will never allow that to happen, it gets me angry that bastard is still in your mind sometimes," Vernon said.


    "Vernon¡­" Chloe and Vernon stared intimately at each other. They were going for a kiss before Diamond grabbed their shoulders and yelled;


    "Get a room, you two. I have a lot of documents to work on here!"


    Chloe chuckled, "Okay then, thank you so much, Diamond."


    "Don''t mention it, Girl. It''s part of my job and I love doing it," Diamond assured. She looked at her boss and asked, "Sir, do you want me to prepare some documentation for Chloe and Vincent''s divorce?"


    "Yes," Vernon nodded. "Prepare for my meeting with him, and prepare for Chloe''s divorce paper. This is the right time to strike."


    "Got it, Boss."


    **


    Chloe and Vernon returned to the CEO''s office with a strange feeling of embarrassment between them.


    Diamond was right. They really needed to work on theirmunication because they often fought over very small things.


    "So, um¡­ how about Vincent?" Chloe asked. "Will you let him stay as the CEO of the Graypany?"


    "I assure you that I will make sure there won''t be a hugey off. I will still weed out Vincent''s loyal workers, the ones who are on the top of thepany, and that includes Vincent himself," Vernon said. "I will fire him, and rece him with one of my subordinates as the one in charge of the wholepany."


    Chloe sighed in relief. She was d that Vernon wasn''t nning on something malicious.


    "Then, how about the divorce? You told Diamond just now that she should prepare all the divorce papers," Chloe asked.


    "I will go to meet Vincent tomorrow. We will talk about purchasing the Graypany, and I assure you that I WILL have him sign the acquisition documents," Vernon said. "I don''t want to miss the chance, while I''m busy with Vincent, you should go with Diamond to the court and file for the divorce petition."


    Chloe had no more hesitation. She knew Vernon was doing all he could to dissolve her marriage, and she had to take her part.


    "You should bring Meyer with you. You need a bodyguard or two while you''re with Vincent. We don''t know what kind of trap he willy, so it''s better to stay guarded," Chloe said. "I will go with Diamond to the court, and I will tell youter once I''m done with it."


    Honestly, Vernon preferred Chloe to be guarded by Meyer instead of him. Because Meyer had the skill and strength of ten adult males, he should be more than enough to protect Chloe from any harm.


    But at the same time, he also wanted to trust in Chloe''s judgment.


    "Fine then, I will go with Meyer and you will go with Diamond. Don''t forget to tell me everything, and be safe, we don''t know if Vincent still had some witch hunt against you," Vernon said.


    Though he said that Chloe would only go with Diamond, he wouldn''t take any risk. He would still send at least four more men to tail her carter to ensure Chloe was safe.


    How about him?


    ''Hah, I can p my big brother in the face and he won''t even be able to do anything,'' Vernon sneered. ''I doubt he will do anything against me though. He''s a defeated man at this point.''


    **


    "Good morning, Mr. Gray, today is an important day for you. Please have breakfast first."


    Vincent opened his eyes once he heard Khloe''s voice.


    He wished that Khloe had the same voice as Chloe, but she didn''t.


    She might have tried to imitate the way Chloe spoke, but she still couldn''t match her in any way.


    Chloe''s soft voice made him want to snuggle with her in bed for the rest of the morning.


    She had this voice thatforted him whenever Vincent was upset, which was apparent when they were still young adults.


    Chloe was bright and cheerful, but she knew how to calm him down whenever he was angry at anything, which was quitemon, because Vincent took over histe father''s personality, making him prone to outbursts for the slightest reason.


    "Mr. Gray¡­"


    Vincent finally reacted when Khloe walked with a tray of food for his breakfast.


    He had been staying inside his room a lot. He didn''t want to go out unless it was absolutely necessary. His heart had been crushed, and so did his will to live.


    He kept thinking about the real Chloe, and the only reason he allowed Khloe to take care of him was that he could at least get a phony one to serve as a substitute for the real Chloe.


    But he knew¡ªeven Khloe knew¡ªthat his heart was reserved only for the real Chloe for the rest of his life.


    But that didn''t stop Khloe from falling in love with Vincent.


    Khloe put the folded table on the bed and served breakfast for Vincent.


    He also noticed that Khloe had begun to imitate what the real Chloe usually would make, but the taste was absolutely horrendous anymore.


    pared to Chloe''s cooking.


    Unfortunately, rarely tasted Chloe''s cooking anymore after they got married. He just felt that Chloe was too good at making a homemade cook. He thought she would start sharing her delicious home meals with other men when he wasn''t at home, which made him crazy jealous to the point that he discarded his logic.


    So it was better to destroy her confidencepletely by feeding her homemade food to the dogs, so she wouldn''t even dare to cook anymore.

 749 Chapter 749

    749 Chapter 749


    Nevertheless, Vincent still ate breakfast while imagining the taste of the food that the real Chloe usually made.


    "Sir, today is a big day for you. Please be prepared because¡­ because you will sign a lot of legal documents to give the ownership of thepany to Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray," Khloe was a little worried that Vincent might change his mind.


    But Vincent only nodded in silence. He ate his breakfast without much excitement. He was annoyed that no matter how hard he tried to remember the taste of Chloe''s cooking, he seemed to start forgetting about it.


    ''Damn it, it''s been almost a decade since thest time I tasted her homemade food. I can''t remember the taste anymore,'' Vincentined. He was mad because he had forgotten, and he was even madder knowing that he wouldn''t be able to taste it for the rest of his life.


    After an unpleasant breakfast, he got up from the bed and took a hot shower to start the day. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the shower, but he opened it in less than ten seconds.


    He kept imagining Chloe.


    Every time he closed his eyes, Chloe and her gentle smile would appear in his mind, taunting him because he wouldn''t be able to touch her again from now on.


    Vincent gritted his teeth and yelled, "Get out of my mind, Chloe. You left me, so you should leave my mind as well!"


    Of course, there was no answer from anyone. Vincent was alone in the bathroom, and he began to cry as the loneliness in his heart began to eat him up from the inside.


    He sobbed because he knew he would lose everything today. He would lose hispany, his power, and with the loss of his power, he knew that he had no more way to find Chloe.


    "Chloe¡­ my wife¡­" He murmured as he stood under the hot shower for a while, letting the water wash away all of his tears and sadness.


    He walked out of the bathroom and put on the suit that had been prepared by Khloe.


    He frowned when he saw the style that Khloe chose.


    Again, it was a reminiscence of how Chloe would prepare a suit for him to look dapper in a non-shy way, "That woman really learns how to be Chloe''s recement, huh?" Vincent scoffed as he couldn''t help to mock her attempt. "Should I give her an apuse for trying to imitate Chloe? It''s getting ridiculous."


    Nevertheless, he still wore the suit that had been prepared and left the mansion with a car he drove himself.


    It had been a while since he drove the car by himself. It felt somehow liberating knowing today would be thest day as the CEO of the Graypany.


    "I will be a regr man after I sign whatever contract Vernon has for me," Vincent murmured as he drove to thepany.


    He imagined himself as a free man without the responsibility that histe father bestowed on him since he was very young.


    And somehow, that imagination brought a smile to him.


    "I will be free."


    **


    Vernon walked out of the elevator after reaching the top floor of the Graypany, followed by Meyer, who acted as his bodyguard. He followed Prisci into the CEO''s office.


    He expected his Big Brother to look defeated, or maybe he would look so pissed knowing that Vernon had defeated him.


    Nevertheless, those two expressions would be fun for him to see.


    But what he didn''t expect was Vincent, who smiled at him. Vincent stood in the middle of the CEO''s office and said, "Good morning, Vernon. It''s been a while."


    ¡­


    Vernon frowned, "Why are you smiling like an idiot? You know that you''re about to lose yourpany, right?" He asked without hesitation, knowing that Vincent wouldn''t be able to fight back at this point.


    "I know very well this would be the end of my career as a CEO, but at the same time, I am quite happy because I will be able to finally rest from the path that ourte father carved for me," Vincent said. "I can finally leave all of the pressures that he gave me since I was very young."


    Vernon didn''t like how calm he was. He expected Vincent to cry until his tears turned into blood. He wanted Vincent to curse at him, telling Vernon to die and rot in hell.


    ''Well, this is a little disappointing,'' Vernon thought. But he proceeded with what he wanted to do here and said, "I''ve prepared all the documents needed for the acquisition. Of course, we will have to involvewyers, et cetera. But by signing all the documents that I will give you, that means you already transferred the ownership of thispany to me, Big bro."


    Vincent nodded without hesitation. He said, "Why don''t we sit for now, let me read all the documents you brought and see if it fits."


    Vernon and Vincent sat on the sofa face-to-face. Meyer was standing behind Vernon, while Prisci was standing behind Vincent.


    Meyer put the stack of documents on the long table and said, "You should check it first, don''t worry, I have all the time to wait so you can sign them."


    Vincent nodded. He opened the documents one by one and made a quick skim of the whole thing. Prisci¡ªnow Khloe¡ªalso did the same to help her boss.


    Vernon stared at his Big brother for a while and then asked, "Do you not realize the severity of your situation, Big bro? You''re about to lose everything, your career is done for. You will have nothing!"


    "I know," Vincent replied while his eyes were still on the documents. "I know that it''s all over, Vernon."


    "So what''s with you trying to act calm? I thought you''d be devastated knowing that you''ve failed your father," Vernon continued taunting his Big brother, wanting to get a big reaction from him. He had been waiting for more than a decade to get his revenge, and he wouldn''t be satisfied until Vincent turned insane.

 750 Chapter 750

    750 Chapter 750


    Vincent finally stopped reading. He looked up and stared at Vernon, who smirked at him, liking every second of Vincent''s pain.


    Vincent knew that Vernon wanted to humiliate him. He wanted Vincent to re at him with hatred as if he couldn''t wait to kill Vernon, who ruined his life.


    Vernon wanted Vincent to show his suffering, so he couldugh at him.


    Unfortunately, Vincent already felt dead inside. He had already cried so much under the shower because he wouldn''t let Vernon have the satisfaction he had searched for.


    "You really want me to cry and beg?" Vincent asked.


    The edge of Vernon''s lips raised, and he admitted without hesitation, "Indeed, I want you to cry and beg so you can keep your position as the CEO. I know that you must''ve been heartbroken, right, Big bro?"


    "After all, you kicked me out of the Gray family when I was only fifteen because you don''t wantpetition. You also destroyed my rtionship with Big sis Chloe because you thought that I might snatch her from you."


    Vincent finally put the document down. He sat straight while staring at Vernon and then confessed, "Yes, I did kick you out of the family because I don''t wantpetition, and I had a cahoot with Dad to force Chloe into saying things that would hurt you, so you will leave her alone."


    "But you know what? I regret nothing of those, Vernon," Vincent said. His words were still cold and heartless despite his defeat. "What I did is absolutely necessary for the sake of thepany. You know there can''t be two winners at the same time, right? Since I am the winner, then you shouldn''t be mad that I get all the good things in life, not you."


    Vernon''s smirk disappeared instantly, "You''re such an asshole, Big bro. You know what you did is wrong, but you still refused to admit it because of your damn pride."


    "It''s not wrong, what I did is absolute necessity," Vincent insisted.


    Vernon''s lips thinned. He knew it was difficult to break Vincent, but Vernon was still pissed because it didn''t seem any of his intimidation worked.


    "Besides, if you want to see me broken, then you are toote, Vernon," Vincent said. "I''ve already gone through that hysterical heartbreak phase once I realized that Chloe is actively going against me. She actually wants me to be destroyed, she wants me dead."


    "I was so heartbroken once I knew that I''d been betrayed by my wife. I cried in my nightmare for a whole week, and for now¡­." Vincent sighed, and he returned to the documents again. "I have no more will to fight, Vernon. You can say whatever to me. You can tell shit about me, but I won''t fight back, because I know I''ve lost against you, and most importantly, I''ve lost my beloved wife forever."


    Vernon went silent for a while. He was angry because Vincent didn''t seem to be too affected by the whole thing, and he was also angry at him because he dared to im Chloe as his beloved wife, even though all he did was just abuse her.


    for ten years straight. You never did anything good to her, and that leaves her with a physical and mental trauma."


    "That''s funny, Big bro," Vernon said. "You told me that you love her, but you never treat her right. I know that you''ve been abusing her for ten years straight. You never did anything good to her, and that leaves her with a physical and mental trauma."


    Vincent didn''t know how Vernon knew about all this, but he just assumed that Vernon had a private investigator to check. After all, it was obvious that Vernon had been nning to destroy him since the first day he returned to New York.


    "You''re wrong, Vernon," Vincent denied. "I love her, more than anything. But I know that she will go around and cheat when I''m not around, so I have to make sure that she will obey me no matter what, so she won''t cheat."


    "So you beat her up?"


    ¡­


    Vincent''s heart was aching as deep down, he knew he was wrong for beating and humiliating Chloe, but he had never been taught another way to love someone.


    He watched his father beat his mother so badly until her face was all blue. He also watched how histe father humiliated his mother until she became hysterical.


    Ultimately, his mother became a very obedient woman, spending her time drinking, using drugs, and collecting useless gems to fill the void in her heart. It was already a miracle that she survived up until now.


    But at least his mother never cheated on his father. She was his entire body and soul, and he wanted to do the same for Chloe.


    "That is the way I love her," Vincent said. "I want her to be ruined, like a broken doll that wouldn''t fight back no matter what I did topletely loyal to me. That''s what our father taught us."


    "You''re just so soft because you''ve been taught by Chloe on how to her. In the end, she won''t dare to fight back, and she will bepletely loyal to me. That''s what our father taught us."


    "You''re just so soft because you''ve been taught by Chloe on how to be a kind person," Vincent''s eyes showed disgust, knowing that his little bro didn''t have the same idea in mind. "This is what happens when you''re being raised by a lowly woman. You begin to act like a peasant, you don''t have the noble aura in you anymore, Vernon."


    "BASTARD!" Vernon snapped once Vincent dared to call Chloe a peasant. He grabbed Vincent''s cor and got up, forcefully pulling Vincent until he had to stand up as well.


    But there was a gap between their height, so when Vernon pulled his cor even higher, Vincent was left hopeless when his feet couldn''t touch the ground.


    "As expected, a bastard like you doesn''t deserve to live," Vernon said. He remembered all the forgiveness that Chloe still wanted to give to Vincent. Despite being abused for ten years, she still thought Mackie deserved to connect with her biological father once Vincent turned over a new leaf.


    Chloe was so full of love, but this bastard¡­ this bastard deserved NOTHING of it!

 751 Chapter 751

    751 Chapter 751


    Vincent didn''t react much when Vernon pulled him. He had difficulty breathing, but he didn''t fight back.


    It was simply because he had no more will to fight back.


    He had lost his sanity when Chloe decided to walk away with their daughter, and he finally lost everything when he found out that Chloe was going against him to bring him down.


    He was just a defeated man right now, and Vernon understood it very well.


    "Why won''t you fight back, Big bro? Are you that much of a weakling?" Vernon tried to provoke Vincent, hoping that Vincent would eventually fight back. He wanted to beat the shit out of this guy, but he didn''t want to beat someone who barely had the willpower to live.


    "I¡­ am¡­ a broken¡­ man¡­" Vincent replied with difficulty, as it was difficult for him to breathe. "I don''t¡­ care¡­ anymore¡­"


    "S¡ªSir, please drop him! You might strangle him to death!" Prisci¡ªnow Khloe¡ªbegged as she tried to pull Vernon''s hand to release Vincent. But she was so weakpared to Vernon that he didn''t budge. "Just let him sign the documents, isn''t that enough for you?!"


    Vernon gritted his teeth. He was disappointed and also mad that Vincent had no more fighting spirit in him. He could snap this bastard''s head in one try, but it wouldn''t be satisfying.


    The revenge that he had meticulously nned all this time ended up dry because of Vincent''s weak reaction. So, in the end, he just released his clutch on Vincent''s cor, and he dropped like a doll whose strings had been cut.


    "Sir!" Prisci tried to help Vincent onto the floor, but Vincent pushed her away while he was coughing.


    "Get away from me, you goddamn phony Chloe!" Vincent yelled.


    When Vernon strangled him just now, Vincent remembered Chloe and Vernon in his nightmare. They looked so harmonious in that nightmare as if nothing coulde between them, and they would be together forever.


    Vernon was infatuated with Chloe, and Chloe showed the same warmth and love that she showed to him when they were married before.


    Vincent kept on grieving and grieving, and he felt like he might as well kill himself if they saw those two marrying.


    Luckily, it didn''t seem to be the case. Chloe and Vernon weren''t together, and it was all in his imagination. It was the only good thing he had going right now because that meant his effort to separate Chloe and Vernon a decade ago was a sess.


    "Tsk, this is boring," Vernon said. He sat back on the sofa and crossed his legs. He pointed at the documents and ordered arrogantly, "Go sign everything, I get bored with you, Big bro. I lost my interest to beat the shit out of you because you look like a weakling."


    Vincent said nothing. He got up and sat back on the sofa directly facing Vernon.


    He signed everything in silence. He had no more willpower to read it, and he didn''t even care if this was a fraud and Vernon wouldn''t send him a dime as proof of purchase.


    He just wanted to get everything over with. In fact, he''d be d to hand this wholepany to Vernon without getting paid, so at least half of his burden had been lifted off his shoulders.


    Vincent finally signed thest document and put the pen down. He looked at Vernon, who had that malicious smirk, but he didn''t care anymore, "I''ve signed everything. We''re done now."


    "You don''t even want to read the rest of the documents? Maybe you want to rip some of the papers because I might put something disadvantageous for you in there, Big bro."


    "I don''t care, Vernon," Vincent replied. "I just want to get this over with, so I can finally let go of my responsibility. I just want to rest, I want to sleep for a long time, and wake up thinking that things have returned back to normal and I still have my wife and daughter by my side."


    Vernon scoffed, "That''s impossible. Besides, I didn''t expect you to care so much about your daughter. I thought you don''t want her at all. You prefer a son, right?"


    ¡­


    "You''re right, I don''t care about Mackie. I just think that Chloe will stay as long as I have Mackie with me," Vincent admitted. "Well, it doesn''t matter now. Chloe and Mackie are gone, and there''s nothing I can do right now except to ept everything."


    Vernon was so pissed with the idea of a peaceful life for Vincent. He wanted Vincent to suffer so much that he couldn''t even close his eyes because he''d always be in a nightmare whenever he tried to sleep.


    He had an idea in mind but wasn''t sure if Chloe would be on board, so he had to discuss it with her first.


    "Well, thank you for your business, Big bro," Vernon said. He nced at Meyer, and thetter quickly collected all the documents that had been signed. "I will review all of those documents first, it shouldn''t take long, probably in a week at most, and then you will see the money in your ount¡ª


    well, multiple, if that''s what you need."


    Vernon stretched his arm, waiting for Vincent to shake his hand.


    Vincent stared at his little brother''s hand for a while until he shook it.


    Vernon could feel how weak Vincent was when they did a handshake. It was a contrast to how powerful he was when he abused Chloe with the same hand.


    Vernon was disgusted with how much of a bitch Vincent turned out to be when facing a setback. Vincent wasn''t fit to lead a bigpany whatsoever. He was a weak man, and the only thing supporting him was all the generational wealth he inherited and the huge ego after being worshiped by everyone around him.


    But not anymore.


    ''You ruined my life, Big bro. So I take back what I deserve.''


    Exclusive frames and badge!

 752 Chapter 752

    752 Chapter 752


    "I''ll be leaving now. Enjoy your early retirement in that mansion alone, because I''m sure that no woman wants to be with a defeated man like you, Big bro," Vernon sneered. He then nced at Prisci and added, "Well, except that woman, she is stupid enough to stand by your side after knowing everything that you''ve done to Chloe."


    Vernon turned around, followed by Meyer as he exited the CEO''s office.


    "Good bye, Vincent. You should know I''ve never seen you as a role model. You freak," Vernon said before he left, and Meyer mmed the door shut, leaving only Vincent and Khloe in the office.


    Vincent sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned on the sofa, resting his exhausted body.


    "Sir, a¡ªare you alright? Do you want me to call an ambnce?" Khloe asked worriedly.


    Vincent opened his eyes and stared at Prisci, who tried to mimic Chloe in everything as if it''d fool anyone.


    But he had to appreciate her for sticking up with him. Even after everyone left him, Prisci stayed by his side and still supported him.


    He would never love her. That love was reserved only for Chloe, his first and only love.


    ''But this woman can stay. She can be the recement and help me for my daily needs,'' Vincent thought. "Khloe, do you like me? Do you want to stay with me?"


    Khloe''s cheeks reddened instantly, and she shook her head, "I¡ªI don''t dare, Sir. I''m just a nobody."


    "But I am nobody now," Vincent said. "So you can openly admit it if you like me."


    Khloe gasped. She was afraid that Vincent would hate her if she told him the truth, but now that she was armed with Vincent''s assurance, she finally admitted, "I know it''s not right for me to feel this, Mr. Gray. But I¡­ I have been in love with you for so long. I don''t care if you''ve lost everything, I don''t care if I have to support you. As long as I can stay with you, then I will be happy!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Vincent said nothing after Khloe confessed. He couldn''t feel a thing, not even a sliver of joy.


    Usually, he''d be happy if a young woman professed her love to him and even went as far as worshiping him.


    He liked getting all the attention from those women even though he didn''t love any of them because they were¡ªjust like what histe father said¡ªhis validation.


    Those useless bitches were proof that Vincent was a rich and powerful man. That''s why he could fuck those useless women without a problem.


    Vaughn locked him in his room whenever he fucked many women, forcing Vincent to watch how many women he could fuck, and his mother wouldn''t dare to say a thing because he ruled. He was all-powerful.


    That was what it meant to be a sessful man.


    Not because he had a loving and beautiful wife and also a smart child.


    Not because he was ''responsible'' and ''loyal'' to his wife.


    To be a man was to fuck any woman you want without thinking about repercussions.


    To be a man was to beat your wife without her fighting back, so she wouldn''t dare to cheat on you.


    Vincent took his father''s advice to heart, and even after he realized that his father was wrong, he still couldn''t let go because all this time in his life, he knew nothing about how to be a good man except by following the guideline that his father carved in his mind.


    "S¡ªSir? C¡ªCan I stay with you?" Khloe asked, full of hope.


    Vincent sighed and nodded before closing his eyes, "You can do whatever you want. If you want to stay with me, then so be it. But you should know that I can''t give you much and I can''t fuck or marry you. My true love is solely reserved for Chloe."


    "I¡ªIt''s fine, Sir!" Khloe insisted. "I just want to stay by your side no matter what! You''re my idol, Sir! I love you!"


    ¡­


    Again, Vincent tried to feel that feeling of superiority and joy when a woman was madly in love with him.


    But he felt nothing.


    He was so empty that he couldn''t feel joy, anger, or resentment.


    But again, this woman would be a good maid for him, so what was wrong about taking advantage of her stupid idea of love?


    "You can stay," Vincent said.


    "I¡ªI can? Oh my god! This is the best day in my life! Thank you so much, Sir!" Khloe wanted to hug Vincent, but Vincent pushed her away until she fell on her back.


    She didn''t feel pain at all, though.


    Her mind was filled with joy, and Prisci knew his reluctance to have sex or marry her could be solvedter.


    ''Heh, he thinks that I will devote myself to himpletely without any pay. Too bad, Vincent Gray, I love you as much as I love your dick. I want to fuck you everyday, even if that means I will have to drug you,'' Prisci sneered. ''I will give you poison everyday, making sure that you sleep often so I can use your dick in your sleep. I will give myself your baby, and I will raise it as a Gray just like you. So with that, I will officially be Mrs. Gray.''


    ''And about marriage? Well, I can always force you once you get old, so old that you can''t barely move your body after taking too many drugs. We will be a perfect couple, Vincent Gray and Khloe Gray. I don''t even need to use my real name anymore since you don''t like it. If you want me to be an imitation of Chloe, then I will make sure to do some stic surgery. I will be a perfect copy of her.''


    Prisci had a malicious thought, but she kept her smile as she didn''t want Vincent to catch on to her evil intention.


    Vincent was absolutely clueless about her evil intention and simply thought she was just the same Prisci, a stupid bitch who loved him because he was handsome and powerful.


    It was meant to be, after all.

 Chapter 753 753

    753 Chapter 753


    Vernon went out with this bitter feeling in his heart.


    He disliked the fact that his Big bro was a loser now. He wanted him to struggle and fight back. Now Vincent was just a regr nobody that wasn''t worth a single punch.


    Meyer sat in the driver''s seat while Vernon sat at the back.


    Meyer checked on his boss from the rearview mirror. He saw that Mr. Gray''s mood wasn''t good, and it was understandable.


    Vernon was so excited, thinking that he could finally get the revenge he wanted, only to see that sorry excuse of a man.


    "Sir, do you want me to do something to Vincent Gray?" Meyer offered. "He has no more power now, and I¡­ I can hurt him if that''s what you want."


    "No need, it''s not worth it," Vernon refused. "He''s nothing but a broken man, no use beating a dead horse."


    "Drive me to my apartment, I want to meet with Chloe. She texted me just now, saying that she''s already at home."


    "Yes, Sir."


    **


    Amidst his annoyance and disappointment, he got himself some good news from the text sent by his beloved.


    ¡ª


    From: My beloved.


    "Come home soon, darling. I want to tell you in person.


    ¡ª


    Meyer parked the car in the basement of Phoenix Tower and then asked, "Do you want me to do something else today, Sir?"


    "No, just go home and have a date with Diamond," Vernon said.


    Meyer''s eyes widened, "D¡ªDid Mrs. Phoenix Gray¡ª"


    "Yes, she told me about it," Vernon rified. He chuckled as he found Meyer''s reaction funny, "Why? Do you really think that I won''t know about it? Diamond has been grinning stupidly in the office whenever she texted with someone after you two went on a date, so I assume that person she texted with must be you."


    Meyer gulped.


    Based on his contract with Mr. Phoenix Gray, he was a hitman and, thus, was forbidden to form any intimate rtionship with a woman outside because he might have a slip-up and spill everything to that woman.


    "I¡ªI''m sorry for this, Sir. I¡ªI will break up with Diamond," Meyer said.


    His heart was hurting when he said he''d break up with Diamond.


    Because honestly, they were a match made in heaven, just like Chloe and Vernon.


    Diamond and Meyer were both professional workaholics to a fault and prioritized careers over everything. So they clicked together.


    After a passionate and intimate night, they realized that they were also physically suitable, aka, they had great sex and thus decided to date.


    They had been keeping their professionalism and intimacy in bnce, so their rtionship wouldn''t hinder any task or mission in the office.


    ''But I don''t know what will Mr. Phoenix Gray do to Diamond if I refuse to leave her. He''s not the kindest, and I''ve made a breach of contract,'' Meyer thought.


    Despite his heartache, he knew this was for the best to protect his girlfriend.


    Vernon frowned, "What are you talking about? Why should you break up with Diamond?"


    "¡­ Sir, I''ve breached our contract. I am not supposed to have any intimate rtionship," Meyer said.


    "Oh, hmm¡­" After remembering that use within the contract Meyer signed, Vernon was thinking for a moment. He disliked disobedience, but this was a different case.


    "I will give you an exception, Meyer, just for this one," Vernon said. "I will allow you to date Diamond, and I will also allow you to marry her if you think you two want to step up the rtionship."


    "But this is only because Diamond is my right-hand woman. She is the mostpetent woman I''ve ever met in my life, and she''s the best subordinate I have," Vernon said. He went silent momentarily, adding, "Also¡­ because the matchmaker is my wife. So I will give you an exception."


    "Sir¡ª" Meyer was overjoyed. He didn''t know what to do right now. He wanted to hug Mr. Phoenix Gray but knew he''d only get punched in the face. So he simply bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you so much, Sir. I will make sure to treasure her, and I will keep working for you."


    "Don''t thank me, you should thank Chloe," Vernon deflected. "She sees that you two are a match, and I allow you two because I know Chloe will be mad if she knows that I didn''t give my permission for you to breach the contract."


    Meyer nodded, "I will keep protecting Mrs. Phoenix Gray until myst breath, Sir!"


    "Good, I will leave now. Go spend your time with Diamond," Vernon said before he left the car.


    He went up the elevator to the penthouse and unlocked the door with his fingerprint.


    He opened the door and was greeted by the smell of spices from the kitchen.


    Vernon walked towards the kitchen and watched Chloe, who was busy stir-frying some vegetables, as she prepared lunch for them. She wore a pink apron, and her chestnut hair was tied at the back.


    She was so busy cooking that she didn''t notice Vernon was standing behind her for at least ten minutes.


    "Honey, I''m home."


    "Ah¡ª!"


    Before Chloe could react, Vernon hugged her from behind and kissed her neck.


    Chloe didn''t struggle and rested her head on Vernon''s pecs, "Don''t startle me like that, you''re scaring me!"


    "Hehe, sorry, I keep staring at your nice ass when you''re busy cooking," Vernon said as his hand went down and squeezed Chloe''s ass.


    His heart felt so warm when he realized that Chloe''s body had returned to its original shape when she was still healthy before marrying Vincent.


    She had been eating adequately, which was a relief because Chloe needed so much nutrition during her pregnancy.


    "H¡ªHey, release me, Vernon. The stove, I still need to turn it off."


    "Oh, yeah¡­" Vernon reluctantly drew his hand from Chloe''s ass and released his bear hug.


    Chloe turned off the stove first and then turned around to face Vernon. She tiptoed to kiss him, "Wee home, darling. Do you want to eat, or hear the good news first?"

 Chapter 754 754

    754 Chapter 754


    "How about I eat you first, and we can have the good news while we''re doing it, hmm?" Vernon teased.


    "S¡ªScoundrel!" Chloe hit his chest yfully, much to Vernon''s delight.


    "Anyway, you should tell me about this good news first. I want to know," Vernon asked, though he already had a few expectations.


    Chloe nodded. She sidestepped Vernon and returned with a document in her hand. She handed it to Vernon and said, "I''ve submitted my divorce forms. I followed all of your instructions about the information I need to put in, and I hope it will be an uncontested divorce."


    Vernon opened the document, and he had a big smile after reading it. He was satisfied with the forms because everything had been processed.


    "They said the first summon or notice will be sent to both parties¡ª


    Vincent and I, next week, and he has three months to answer the summon," Chloe exined.


    Vernon''s smile faltered a little, "Why does it take so long? A month?"


    "Yes, they said it will take a month. But Vincent has 120 days to answer the summons," Chloe said. "So¡­"


    Vernon''s gaze darkened, "No way, there is no way we can wait that long. You''ll be uh¡­ five or six months pregnant by that time, and I don''t want to stress you out with a long divorce process. It might endanger our baby!"


    "Well, um¡­ I''m just following the protocol¡­"


    "Screw that protocol, I will make sure that Vincent will have to answer in a week after he receives that summons from the court," Vernon insisted. "Don''t worry, I have more than enough influence to do that. I don''t want you to get hurt just because of the stressful divorce process."


    "Um, are you sure it''s okay?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Vernon asked. "Don''t you want to get the divorce as soon as possible?"


    "I do, I''m just scared that you might get into trouble because of me¡­." Chloe said. "I can wait as long as you''re safe."


    "Chloe¡­" Vernon sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if you still don''t understand the power that your man has. I have a bigger influence than Vincent in his prime right now. Of course, I won''t do illegal stuff, but pressuring the court to hasten the process for your divorce is not hard, and it''s not illegal, especially when I have a solid reason to do that.


    "Also, maybe you should be a bit more arrogant and vain," Vernon said. "You can demand something now. You can demand any jewelry from any named brand or even custom one, and I can give you attendance to any shows, awards, or even celebrity parties. I have way more power than you expect, and I want to pamper you with it."


    Chloe was a bit overwhelmed by the offer.


    She looked down to check the bracelet and ne adorning her body. Vernon had been giving her a lot of jewelry that she didn''t know how expensive they were. She kept rejecting them because she thought it was too much and wasn''t exactly the type who''d use jewelry.


    After all, she spent her time taking care of the house, going grocery shopping, taking care of her daughter and asionally her nephews, had brunch with Diamond or tea time with Dorothea.


    She spent her free time shopping at the mall, though she always looked for discounts because it was her habit, even though Vernon gave her a credit card without limit.


    She asked Diamond about the price of these jewels, and Diamond simply said,


    ¡ª


    ''Gurl, I can''t tell you the exact number. Because I know you''ll get a heart attack. Let''s just say that ne is worth at least my annual sry, and that''s already a low numbering from me.''


    ¡ª


    Chloe knew that Diamond''s sry was about one million dors. It was a crazy amount for a secretary in New York.


    But all of that money is only for a ne? Oh, it would give her a heart attack, seriously!


    "I¡ªI think I''m good with everything you give me right now," Chloe said. "You''re giving me too much, Vernon."


    "Too much? What do you mean?" Vernon genuinely didn''t understand Chloe''s concern and reluctance. "I just want to pamper my wife. I am very¡ªI mean, VERY wealthy. So tell me what do you want? A mansion? Private jet? A box of super luxurious, custom made jewelry?"


    "None of them," Chloe said. "I want to be with my little family. I just want a simple life."


    "¡­ are you serious?"


    "Oh, Vernon¡­" Chloe took a step closer and opened her arm to hug Vernon. "You''re so sweet, but I''m really not the type that wantsvish stuff. I just want peace with my family, I want you and our children to be together."


    ¡­


    Vernon knew that would be the answering out of Chloe''s mouth.


    She wasn''t exactly thevish type, even when she was young. She could''ve asked for anything when she dated Vincent, but she didn''t. She still kept her part-time job.


    But maybe her total aversion towardsvish stuff was because of her traumatizing experience with Vincent, who had done nothing but use his money to control her and treat her like an animal. Vincent always unted how worthless Chloe waspared to all the money and power he had.


    Vernon knew it well, but he still wanted to pamper his beloved.


    He wanted to buy everything expensive for Chloe to make up for the ten years she lost after suffering from all the abuses inflicted by Vincent.


    He wanted to pamper her until she felt truly loved.


    But Chloe disliked them all. She preferred a simple lifestyle, far from all the m and dazzle.


    Vernon sighed, ''What should I do, Chloe? I keep falling deeper with you. I never knew there could be someone as perfect as you in this world. You''re truly an angel sent by God for me.''


    They embraced each other for a while until Chloe opened the conversation about what happened during the signing process with Vincent, "So, is everything under control when Vincent signed everything?"

 Chapter 755

    Chapter 755


    Vernon''s expression worsened when Chloe asked about the signing process with Vincent.


    He still felt unsatisfied with how his Big bro had be. Vernon expected Vincent to fight back at least a bit more so he''d get satisfaction when he crushed him.


    Vernon imagined himself stomping on Vincent''s face with his boots, making sure that bastard knew the feeling of humiliation. Too bad Vernon didn''t get what he wanted.


    "He signed everything, but that''s it," Vernon replied.


    "That''s it?" Chloe tilted her head slightly. "Isn''t that good? That means there''s no problem, right? You''ve acquired the Graypany. You defeated him and saved the lives of thousands of employees by not firing them."


    "Yeah¡­" Vernon replied dejectedly.


    Chloe sensed he still had unfinished business, so she asked, "You should be more honest with me, darling. Tell me what''s on your mind. Don''t worry. I will always be by your side."


    Vernon was thinking about it for a moment. He disliked having to expose some of his dark thoughts to Chloe.


    But with how she tried to calm him down, he realized that Chloe must''ve been concerned.


    "I don''t feel satisfied," Vernon admitted truthfully.


    "You don''t feel satisfied? I thought you did a great job."


    "I know I did a great job," Vernon said. "But maybe I did too much because I expected Vincent to struggle. I want him to look at me with extreme hatred in his eyes. I want to see him trying to hold himself from attacking me."


    "I want him to suffer, but what I saw was just a shell of an empty man," Vernon said. "Vincent bes so meek and weak. He doesn''t have the will to fight back, and he doesn''t even try to question me about many things. He just sits there and signs everything even after I try to provoke him."


    Chloe sighed when she listened to Vernon''s confession.


    She knew they had a difference in this.


    Chloe was angry at Vincent for abusing her for ten years straight. But she wasn''t a vengeful type. She dragged Vincent through the mud and shamed him on a national broadcast to ensure she could be free.


    Her main goal was to break free from Vincent''s chain, not to torture that bastard. So when she finally got the good life that she wanted, she felt this was the end goal, and she didn''t need to do anything else to ruin Vincent''s life.


    But Vernon was different.


    He was cunning, ambitious, and driven by rage and hatred.


    Chloe wanted to tell Vernon to let go of his anger because it wouldn''t benefit him.


    ''But then again, Vincent had done so much to torture Little Vernon. He treated Vernon like a dog, a pet that needs to obey him all the time¡­.''


    Vernon studied Chloe''s face, and his gaze softened, "Don''t be scared of me, love. I''m only this cruel to him. I won''t do anything to hurt you and our little family."


    "I''m not scared. I''m just thinking of a way for you to get your revenge," Chloe said. "Though I''m not exactly vengeful, I know Vincent deserves to take all the pain he inflicted on you. So I want to help you as much as you helped me before."


    Vernon stared at his beloved for a while.


    He already had an idea to break Vincentpletely, which would also be useful during the divorce court.


    "Actually, I have a n that will satisfy me but also would be useful for us in the near future," Vernon said.


    Chloe got excited, thinking that would be a win-win situation. She also wanted to get the divorce paper as soon as possible, "Really? Then tell me, don''t worry, I will help you no matter what. We''re in this together, right?"


    "Right," Vernon nodded after getting his assurance. "We are in this together. I want a happy ending for us after all the pain that Vincent inflicted."


    Thus, Vernon told Chloe about this nefarious n to hit Vincent deep in his pride until he couldn''t recover after this.


    After understanding the n, Chloe''s expression changed from curiosity to shock to joy.


    "It''s a great n. Though, honestly, I pity him a bit," Chloe sighed. "He will be a broken man after this."


    Vernon couldn''t help but feel a little jealous whenever Chloe sympathized with Vincent. In his head, Chloe should always hate Vincent, so there was no chance for that bastard to steal Chloe back.


    Though he knew his fear was unfounded, he didn''t want to take any chance. The idea of Chloe leaving him was enough to drive him insane.


    "Don''t pity him. I won''t let you think about him in a good way," Vernon said. "You''re mine, Chloe Phoenix Gray."


    Chloe chuckled.


    She had gotten used to Vernon and his possessiveness.


    She was initially scared of him, but now that they were about to marry, Chloe realized Vernon was starving for her attention. He wanted to hog on her all the time.


    "I don''t have any good memories with him, Vernon. Whenever I think about Vincent, I can only remember all the pain he inflicted. I remember desperately begging on the floor, because I don''t want to die in his hands, because I know nobody will take care of Mackie if I die," Chloe smiled bitterly. "I pity him because I keep thinking about all the what-ifs in our marriage life."


    "Well, too bad that Vincent has burned all the bridges, and there is no reason for me to stay now," Chloe said. "So, Vernon Phoenix Gray, you don''t need to worry that I will leave you. Besides, I am pregnant with your baby, remember? The baby daddy needs to take responsibility."


    Vernon was satisfied with her answer. He kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her hips tighter, and then asked, "So, are you into this n as well?"


    "Yes, I think your n will help me to get an uncontested divorce," Chloe replied. She giggled as she imagined something sweet, "I can''t wait to marry you, my handsome big wolf."

 Chapter 756

    Chapter 756


    A week passed since the new owner, Vernon Phoenix Gray, acquired the Graypany.


    Nigel had prepared himself to leave thispany, even though he had been dedicating his life for a long time here.


    He had a lot of good memories with his coworkers, though he never had a good memory with Mr. Gray or Secretary Maria. He knew those two were doing terrible things, but he had no power to fight them back, so all he could do was do his intended job.


    After all, the Graypany might be led by an absolute monster, but the thousands of staff were honest people who worked to make ends meet every month.


    Nigel didn''t know the character of Vernon Phoenix Gray. But based on some insider information he gathered, he was a lot more ruthless and efficient than his older brother, so Nigel simply thought he was an even bigger monster than Vincent.''


    ''I can''t imagine having to work with another monster. I''ve had enough,'' Nigel thought as he began to put his belongings on his office desk into a cardboard box, thinking that he had to prepare himself before Mr. Phoenix Gray handed his severance pay.


    Nigel hadn''t heard any of the employees gettingid off, but he just assumed that Vernon would fire the ones at the managerial position, such as him, because he would see those at the managerial positions as Vincent''spdogs.


    And just as he expected, one of the staff suddenly entered his office and said, "Sir, the CEO wants to see you. He''s in his office right now."


    "Okay," Nigel nodded. "I''ll be there soon."


    Nigel used the elevator and stood in front of the CEO''s office.


    He saw Khloe sitting at the secretary''s seat, ying with her phone and checking on some email on theputer. She didn''t seem to be panicking even though she was the prime target of this massiveyoff their new boss would do.


    Khloe looked at Nigel and said, "Mr. Phoenix Gray is waiting for you inside."


    "Do you know what he wants me to do?" Nigel asked. Though he already knew what would happen next, he still wanted to get moral support from his coworkers.


    "No idea," Khloe shrugged. "Maybe he wants to give you a promotion?"


    Nigelughed dryly at that bad joke. He wished Mr. Phoenix Gray would be kind enough to let him stay, but the chance was close to zero anyway.


    So he braced himself and opened the door.


    As expected, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray sat on the CEO seat, recing his older brother as the new CEO through a legal acquisition. But that wasn''t what shocked him.


    He was shocked upon seeing an old woman sitting on the sofa. She looked frail and was wearing a long white dress that made her look like a kind olddy.


    She smiled at Nigel as their eyes met and asked, "It''s been a while since thest time we met, Nigel."


    "M¡ªMadam Gray?" Nigel couldn''t believe that he would be able to see his old boss once again. He thought Madam Gray was dead after her stunt by stopping all the schrships from the Gray Foundation, creating a buzz on Twitter that Vincent stopped the charity foundation erected by Vaughn Gray long ago.


    Dorothea had a kind smile as she saw Nigel. It had been a while since thest time she saw him, and she wouldn''t lie that she missed him.


    Nigel was her direct subordinate who managed the Gray Foundation. He was a good man who had his own ideal. That''s why he preferred to work with Dorothea as the manager of the Gray Foundation before Drotohea suddenly made a crazy move that basically shut down the entire foundation, putting it to sleep.


    And thus, Vincent, who still saw potential in him, put him in a managerial position in the Graypany instead.


    "Long time no see, Nigel. You seem to be doing well. I''m d," Dorothea said.


    Nigel was still too shocked to react. He stared at her with a gaping mouth, which was quite funny that Dorothea chuckled while covering her mouth elegantly, "Are you surprised that I''m still alive? Well, I''ve been hiding for a while without telling you or anyone on Vincent''s side. I guess that''s natural for you to think I''m dead."


    Dorothea nced at Vernon, who was busying himself by reading some documents, but of course, Dorothea knew that Vernon was actually on ears the whole time, listening to what Dorothea was about to say to Nigel.


    "I''ve been hiding under Vernon''s protection all this time. That''s why Vincent can''t find me," Dorothea said. "But as you can see, I''m alive and well. Though I do feel a little old."


    Nigel felt emotional as he saw the sweet smile that Madam Gray had made.


    Many people called Madam Gray an old witch because of her cold demeanor. But Nigel had been working with her for so long. So he knew that Madam Gray hid much of her sadness.


    She was constantly crying, even when she was drunk. She was a kind woman, at least from all the interaction that they had for years, but she was trapped in a family that didn''t appreciate her, hoping that she''d die soon, so they could split the inheritance or at least kiss Vincent''s boots so he''d share some of that money.


    Dorothea had been holding the assets under her name for so long because she knew many useless branch families wanted a piece of the cake. Vaughn''s family was old money that went downhill after their big investment failed, leaving many of his rtives scattered.


    Vaughn sessfully rebuilt a massive business empire that had lost its vigor back then, which came at the cost of those old rtives and their descendants trying to try their luck to be instantly rich.


    Dorothea held the asset for Vincent before because she thought that Vincent was still too rash and immature, even in his 30s, to hold so many assets.


    But now that she had no more motherly feelings for that Vaughn 2.0, she wanted to give the massive inheritance to someone else.

 Chapter 757

    Chapter 757


    "Sit, Nigel. I want to talk to you about a few things," Dorothea said.


    Nigel was hesitant initially, but he obliged in the end and sat directly facing Madam Gray, believing that Madam Gray had no hostile intention towards him.


    He stared at Madam Gray for a while and realized how much had changed after she disappeared.


    She looked older, weaker, and softer, but at the same time, she looked like she was at peace.


    Nigel remembered how cold and indifferent Madam Gray was before. She looked youthful and strong despite her age, but she was miserable. So, Nigel had to admit this old woman in front of him looked more pleasant to the eyespared to the previous Madam Gray.


    Nigel nced at Mr. Phoenix Gray on the CEO''s desk, busy reading some documents, acting as if Nigel and Madam Gray were invisible.


    "There are two topics that I want to talk about with you," Dorothea said. She chuckled as she noticed Nigel''s restlessness, "Don''t worry, you won''t get fired by my son. I''ve requested that you continue to work here, but not within your current position."


    "Nigel, I know that you don''t like working with Vincent before, and I''m sure your calling is not within thispany. That''s why I''m going to hire you as the manager of a new foundation," Dorothea said.


    "A new foundation?"


    "Yes, since the Gray Foundation will disband soon, I n to build a new one, and I want you to manage everything in that new foundation. Of course, I will be watching over your activity there," Dorothea said as a subtle warning, making sure that Nigel was still the same loyal coworker of hers.


    Nigel was still trying to process what was currently happening. The idea of Madam Gray still alive and well was enough to put him into shock, and now Madam Gray asked him to manage a new foundation.


    Of course, he wanted it.


    His true calling had always been about charity work. He liked helping people, and managing a charity foundation was his most favored field.


    "That would be an honor for me, Madam," Nigel said. "And yes, you''re right, I don''t enjoy working in this position. I prefer to work in the charity foundation like before¡­"


    "That''s good. Then I will trust you to manage this new foundation."


    "But what is the name, Ma''am? And which kind of charity work will we work on this time?"


    "Oh, we will continue funding the same charity as the Gray Foundation. On top of that, we will also fund the impoverished, mostly single mothers with children and no child support from their husbands," Dorothea replied. "About the name¡­"


    Dorothea looked at Vernon, who finally opened his mouth, "Clover Foundation," he replied nonchntly. "It''s her idea, not mine, by the way."


    Dorothea smiled, "Yes, it''s Clover Foundation, derived from the name of the two founders, Chloe and Vernon. Right, Vernon?"


    Vernon''s cheeks reddened a little. He always thought the name was a bit tacky. He preferred a cooler name, like hispany''s name, Golden Star, but Clover Foundation was Chloe''s idea, so he didn''t dare to say no.


    "Clover Foundation¡­" Nigel murmured. He was pondering about something for a while.


    As he expected, Vernon Phoenix Gray must be the one who hid Mrs. Chloe Gray the whole time. After all, for someone to evade Vincent Gray''s clutch and stop any manhunt, that man needed to be stronger than Vincent and had a lot more influence than him.


    New York might be filled with plenty of billionaires, but none would be willing to take Chloe, Vincent''s wife. It was too much of a risk.


    So that mysterious man who became her benefactor must be madly in love with her, mad enough to risk everything for that woman, and nobody except Vernon Phoenix Gray could do that.


    Vernon wasn''t worried about someone else finding out about his rtionship with Chloe. He won against Vincent, and there was nothing to hide anymore.


    In fact, Nigel could call Vincent right now and tell him about everything, and Vernon wouldn''t even budge.


    Dorothea trusted Nigel enough for him to be on their side after knowing the truth, that''s why she made it casual, to signify that Vernon and Chloe had been in love for a while now, and it wasn''t a scious scandal.


    "So, what do you think, Nigel? Can you work in this foundation?" Dorothea asked. "Or maybe you''re too shocked after realizing that Chloe is with Vernon now?"


    "Not at all, Madam. I guessed about Mr. Phoenix Gray and Mrs. Gray," Nigel said. "I just think that someone with a very dangerous position as Mrs. Gray needs an equally powerful man to protect her, and I guess it narrows down to Mr. Phoenix Gray."


    "Do not worry, Madam, Sir, I won''t tell this to Mr. Gray," Nigel said. "After all, I''ve dedicated my work to the Graypany and foundation, not him."


    "That''s good. I know you can be trusted, Nigel," Dorothea said. "So? What''s your final answer?"


    "I will dly work there, Madam. It is my greatest pleasure to work with you. Thank you for giving me a second chance," Nigel replied.


    "Oh, you should thank my daughter-inw instead. She''s the one who epts my proposal about building a new charity foundation and persuades my son for it," Dorothea giggled, much to Vernon''s embarrassment.


    "Thank you so much, Sir. I will not disappoint," Nigel bowed respectfully at Vernon.


    Vernon replied with a simple nod but then added, "Your job here is not done yet. Dorothea still has something else to say."


    "That''s right. I also have a favor to ask you, Nigel," Dorothea said.


    "Whatever it is, I will do it, Madam," Nigel said piously towards the olddy. "My loyalty is for you, not for Mr. Gray," he added as he wanted to assure Madam Gray about where he poured his dedication.


    "That''s relieving to hear," Dorothea said. "Well, I want to discuss about the inheritance."

 Chapter 758

    758 Chapter 758


    "Inheritance, Madam?" Nigel asked back to ensure he didn''t identally misheard it.


    "Yes, I want to do something about my inheritance," Dorothea replied. "Do you remember the contents of my inheritance?"


    "Yes, Madam. After you pass away, all of the Gray family assets will be given to Vincent Gray," Nigel replied. Dorothea had no other will because she thought she only had Vincent in her life, and thus it was all fair to give him all the money he deserved.


    "Well, as you can see, I am no longer the mother of Vincent Gray. I''ve disowned him after realizing he is just as terrible as histe father, Vaughn," Dorothea said. She had a bitter smile as she mentioned Vaughn.


    She hated her husband to the bone because that bastard abused her to no end, to the point that she preferred to die.


    But each time she tried to kill herself, Vaughn would save her. He''d treat her well and nicely.


    But once she had recovered from her suicide attempts, he''d treat her coldly again, severely abusing her until she lost her will to live. It was a miracle that Dorothea was still alive at this point.


    So when she realized that Vincent was no different than his father and how horrible he was to Chloe, she decided to disown him because there was no way she''d give billions'' worth of assets to a Vaughn 2.0.


    "That''s why I want to rewrite my inheritance by excluding him from getting even a dime of that money," Dorothea said.


    Nigel knew that things would''vee to this point, and honestly, he always thought that Vincent Gray didn''t deserve those assets because he was careless.


    He did maintain the Gray Company, but maintaining was just the bare minimum.


    Besides, his promiscuity was so well-known in the elite circle and the higher-ups that no young and dignified woman wanted to get close to him.


    Nigel also got a few stories about Vaughn Gray from Dorothea and a few old workers in the Gray mansion, and they all said the same thing.


    -


    ''Master Vaughn was a promiscuous, abusive bastard. He was a madman, but nobody dared to stand up against him because he was too powerful.''


    -


    "Understood, Madam. So how will you deal with your inheritance? Since you will emit Vincent Gray from it, who will be your inheritor?" Nigel asked.


    He was the one who had close contact with the inheritancewyer. Thus Dorothea always consulted him first before doing anything with her wealth.


    Dorothea nced at Vernon, and Vernon quickly noticed it. He sighed and finally put the document down, "No, I don''t want to inherit any of the Gray family''s money. I don''t need them."


    "I know, but I need someone I can trust for all those assets, and you are my only son now¡­"


    Vernon wasn''t used to how Dorothea tried to get close to him. She even dared to call him her only son!


    His beloved always told him to at least give Dorothea a chance to fix all of the mistakes she made in the past, and Vernon had been trying to tolerate her.


    So far, he has done a great job. At least he wasn''t hostile to her anymore.


    But that didn''t mean they were close enough to be a mother and son. That would take a long time to do if that was possible in the first ce.


    "We already have an agreement about this, Dorothea," Vernon said. "You should give all of those assets to Mackie. She is your biological granddaughter from Vincent."


    "I know, but she is too young. She needs someone to manage the assets before she''s old enough to inherit everything. That''s why I want to give it to you first," Dorothea insisted.


    "No, I won''t take it," Vernon kept denying because he saw that money as a form of humiliation from histe father.


    Vernon wanted to show everyone that he could stand on his feet with his effort, and now that he had proven it, he didn''t need all of those assets.


    In fact, if possible, he''d prefer those assets from the Gray family to be burned. Mackenzie didn''t need to care about those inheritances because Vernon could give her a simr amount of assets and probably even more.


    "I told you before, just let Chloe be the manager until Mackie is old enough, and give Vincent 100 dors as his share, so he won''t be able to sue you¡ªor Mackenzie for it," Vernon said.


    Dorothea went silent momentarily when Nigel suddenly supported Vernon''s suggestion, "Mr. Phoenix Gray is right, Madam Gray. If he refuses to take the inheritance, we can give it to Miss Mackenzie and put Mrs. Chloe Gray as the one who will manage it until she is old enough."


    Dorothea was saddened knowing Vernon didn''t want to take even a small percentage of those assets.


    Actually, she was thinking that she might be able to get forgiveness from Vernon by giving him a lot of money.


    ''Ah, I should''ve known better. He isn''tcking in money. He is so rich right now. He doesn''t need some inheritance from a man he hates the most,'' Dorotheamented for a few minutes.


    She took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright, please put that in my will, Nigel. Here''s my phone number. You should call me once I have to sign the inheritance again."


    Nigel picked up the card with a phone number from Dorothea''s hand and pocketed it, "I will set the n in motion immediately, Madam. I will call you soon."


    "How about the Clover Foundation, Madam? When will we start?" Nigel asked. He was eager to work for charity again since it was his true calling.


    "In six months," Vernon replied. "I still have a lot of things to do. So I need six months for that."


    "Understood, Sir," Nigel said.


    "Hm, you may leave now, Nigel. Go handle whatever Dorothea wants you to do, that''s your job now."


    "Yes, Sir, with pleasure."

 Chapter 759

    Chapter 759


    "You heard him. Six months," Dorothea parroted.


    "Understood, Ma''am. Then, please excuse me. I will resume my duty to handle the inheritance will," Nigel bowed before he turned around and left the office.


    Dorothea and Vernon stared at the door in silence until Dorothea asked, "Are you sure you don''t want the inheritance? I can give you everything."


    "I don''t want it. I have way more than that."


    "It''s just my way topensate for all the damage I did, Vernon," Dorothea sighed. "I wronged you so much when you were a child, and I don''t know how to make it up for you."


    "You can''t," Vernon said coldly. "The damage has been done. You can''t undo your sin to me."


    Dorothea smiled bitterly, "I know. Sorry for bringing it up."


    "¡­ I can''t forgive you, Dorothea. You were my mother. You were supposed to be my safe space when I was young. Yet, you break me until I can''t feel an inch of love from you," Vernon said. "I know that Vaughn abused you just like Vincent abused Chloe, but do you ever see Chloe hitting Mackie with a beer bottle? Did you ever see her locking her daughter in a bathroom for hours, leaving him screaming inside while you passed out after heroin use?"


    Again, Dorothea recalled all the painful stuff that happened to her before and all the abuse she had done to Vernon.


    She could''ve entirely shifted the me to Vaughn, but she knew she was also wrong.


    Just because she was abused didn''t mean she could abuse a defenseless boy.


    "I''m sorry¡­" Dorothea murmured sadly, knowing there was no way to gain her son''s forgiveness.


    "¡­ you may never get my love as your son, just like how I never got my mother''s love back then," Vernon said. "But if you want my approval, you can start by treating my wife and daughter right. That''s why I told you to send all those inheritances to Mackie. I don''t need it, and Mackie definitely doesn''t need it either, but it''s a sign that you''re on my side. That''s the way for you to get my approval."


    Vernon''s heart ached when he realized he must''ve hurt this olddy.


    He wasn''t heartless, but he still couldn''t hold this resentment in his heart. He couldn''t forgive her, at least not until the next decade.


    Dorothea had a sliver of hope in her heart.


    Though Vernon couldn''t forgive her now, at least she could get his approval by treating Mackie right.


    Which was already a natural thing to do for Dorothea. He didn''t need to tell her to do so because Dorothea loved her granddaughter so much.


    Vernon tried to busy himself with his documents, but a question hovered in his mind, "How about the boys?" He asked while reading the documents.


    He wasn''t close to those four boys, but that didn''t mean he hated them. He was just a very private man who preferred to be surrounded by his real family, and that small circle only included Chloe, Mackie, and their future children.


    He still wanted to roll them all to a good school, the same as Mackie and made sure they didn''t feel less loved.


    Based on Chloe''s report, Dorothea had been taking good care of them, and they clung onto her just like how they clung to Judith before.


    They were also active in their school, preschool, and kindergarten.


    But Aaron still needed the most care because he was the one who witnessed everything.


    "The three younger boys are doing well," Dorothea sighed, "But Aaron still needs to meet the child therapist. He has opened up a lot, but he still has that distance in his eyes. He also had a lot of nightmares regarding that event."


    "Alright, I will continue his treatment," Vernon said. He stopped reading momentarily and nced at Dorothea, "Aaron depends on you, Dorothea. He has a lot of damage because of abuse at such a young age. He''s no different than the younger me. I was saved because I had Chloe back then, and I hope you can save him."


    "I will try my best," Dorothea said with strong resolve. "I also want to take care of him. Aaron has suffered enough in his life at such a young age."


    Vernon stared deep into his mother''s eyes and lowered his head. He covered his face with the document and said, "If you have nothing else to say, you can leave now."


    Vernon tried to hide his face because he was smiling. He was happy that his mother turned over a new leaf and lived a good and honest life.


    Maybe deep down, he still wanted a bit of that motherly love from her.


    "Oh, before I leave, I''m here to give you the lunch made by Chloe," Dorothea said. She opened her bag and put the lunchbox on the coffee table. "Chloe said she can''te and give it to you because she''s still scared to go to the Graypany. There have been too many bad things happening to her here."


    Vernon put the documents to check on the food that Dorothea delivered.


    Seeing his hesitation, she sighed and assured him, "Don''t worry, I didn''t touch it at all or cook it. It was all Chloe''s, I swear."


    "Hm, you can leave now," Vernon said.


    Dorothea said, "Chloe told me you''re too tired and stressed out these days. She said you should have a power nap at work and make a lunch full of spices and protein to replenish your energy."


    "Vernon, you have a gem in your hand, don''t ruin her or break her trust. She is the best woman you can ever have in your life," Dorothea warned. "You''ll go insane if she leaves you, just like what happened to Vincent right now."


    "Naturally, I know what will happen, so I will treasure her for the rest of my life," Vernon assured. "And you don''t need to remind me of something so obvious. You know why I went through hell and back just to make her mine."

 Chapter 760

    Chapter 760


    Dorothea smiled, "I just don''t want you to make a mistake you will regret for the rest of your life. It happens to Vincent, so there is a possibility there."


    "There is something that differentiates me and Vincent, and that is love," Vernon said. "Vincent was never raised with love. He was raised by a monster we call Vaughn, and thus, he turned out to be the second Vaughn. But I was raised by my Big sis Chloe, and she taught me how to be a good person."


    "You''re right. There is no more hope the moment he bes the second Vaughn," Dorothea sighed. "But that''s life. You have to have the courage to break free from that chain of abuse, and that''s what I did by leaving Vincentpletely."


    "It''s also what Chloe did by leaving Vincent."


    Dorothea finally left the office, leaving Vernon alone, contemting what she said just now.


    "She''s afraid that I''ll be another Vincent? That''s¡­ entirely possible¡­" Vernon murmured. "I was no different than Vincent or Vaughn. I also have dark thoughts about many things. Sometimes that dark thought might be overpowering that I can''t think straight anymore."


    "But I have my anchor, and he doesn''t. Chloe is my anchor. As long as she is around me, I will never turn bad. I just know that" Vernon murmured. He got up from his seat and moved to the sofa.


    He opened the food his beloved had prepared, and there was a small note for him.


    -


    Don''t forget to take a power nap if you need it.


    You can call me if you''re having recurrent nightmares. I will be on your call until you wake up.


    Love you, darling.


    -


    Vernon winced as he was a little embarrassed.


    Chloe told him that he had recurring nightmares every time he closed his eyes, and Chloe had to hug him so tight every night to ensure the nightmare would go away.


    Vernon had been living in this condition for the past ten years. He always had nightmares every time he closed his eyes, and those bad dreams could only be alleviated if he hugged a woman resembling Chloe.


    That''s why he always found someone with simr features to Chloe before he returned to New York.


    But he knew he didn''t love any of them, so he only dated them briefly before those women fell too deep into this fake love, even though they were a substitute for his real love.


    Back then, his recurring nightmares were about Chloe, who called him a disappointment, dimwitted, and decided to go with Vincent because he had a better future.


    Now that he finally knew the whole story of how Vaughn and Vincent fooled him, that nightmare simply vanished.


    But that didn''t mean he was free from the shackles of his childhood trauma.


    Currently, his recurring nightmares were about Chloe, who might leave him because she would find someone better.


    He knew he reached the height that no young man could ever do, but that didn''t mean it would be forever.


    Because maintaining your power and influence was far more difficult than obtaining it for the first time.


    That was why Vernon felt he could rte to Vincent in some ways.


    Because in his dark thoughts, he nned to lock Chloe forever in their home with their children, making sure they wouldn''t see someone else other than him. It was the exact same thoughts that Vincent had.


    But when Vernon saw Chloe''s note and the food she made, every small thing she did to love him was the remedy for those dark thoughts. It made him feel at ease and feel loved.


    Vernon stared at the food and murmured, "Please don''t leave me, Chloe. I have nothing but you. You''re my life."


    **


    A week had passed since Vincent signed the acquisition documents. He had officially transferred the Graypany''s ownership to Vernon, and thetter already sent him all the money for the acquisition.


    It was a huge sum of money, definitely something that even the billionaires in New York would gawk to.


    But Vincent felt nothing.


    He felt very empty.


    He was currently sitting on his bed, staring at the wilted garden that had turned ugly.


    He hadn''t hired a new gardener because that was the Mistress of the house''s job, not him, and the only house mistress he ever had was Chloe Gray.


    Vincent sighed.


    He got up and walked out of the master bedroom.


    He walked through the corridor and stopped in front of his dressing room, where he stored all his expensive, custom-made suits and others.


    He entered the dressing room and stood in silence as he stared at the suits that had be a bit dusty. It had been a while since thest time he ever used this room, and after so many stylists failed to meet his expectations, he decided not to hire any more stylists.


    "As expected, Chloe is still the best stylist I would ever have," Vincent murmured. "She has a good perception of style despite being born in a peasant family and knows how to dress me well."


    Vincent scoffed, "Too bad she''s not loyal to me. After ten years of strong love between us, she ditched me and left for another man."


    "Didn''t she realize that many women would kill to be the mistress of this mansion, but she ditched it without thinking twice? How heartless, haha¡­"


    Vincent turned around and asked, "What?"


    "Sir, you get a notice from the divorce court."


    Vincent had a bitter smile as he realized he was just trying to mask his sadness about losing the love of his life.


    "I feel so empty without you, Chloe. Why did you do this to me?" Vincent murmured.


    As he was stillmenting his fate, the head maid suddenly entered the dressing room and cleared her throat.


    Vincent turned around and asked, "What?"


    "Sir, you get a notice from the divorce court."


    "Divorce court?!" Vincent''s eyes widened.


    "Yes, Master. Mrs. Chloe Gray filed a divorce against you."


    The head maid said coldly before handing the divorce document to her Master.

 Chapter 761

    Chapter 761


    Vincent snatched the document from the head maid''s hand and quickly opened the seal.


    He thought that he had misheard the head maid, or maybe his head was fucking up with him again. It often happened whenever he had nightmares about Chloe, who left him.


    Unfortunately, when Vincent pulled all the stacks of paper inside the document, his biggest nightmare finally came true.


    It was a summon from the court because Chloe had filed a divorce against him, and he only had a week to respond.


    Vincent couldn''t read further because his hand started trembling, followed by his eyes getting blurry because tears began to pool in his eyes.


    He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.


    He turned around and said, "Get out."


    The head maid was silent momentarily and reminded, "Don''t forget to respond to the divorce court''s summon, Master."


    "GET OUT!!!" Vincent''s voice echoed through the corridor, shocking every maid who was busy doing their activities.


    But the head maid was used to Master Gray''s outburst. She just flinched a bit and bowed respectfully, "Take your time, Master."


    The head maid took a few steps back and closed the door, leaving Vincent alone in the dusty dressing room.


    Vincent tried to hold back his tears, but it was like a damn that burst after a while. He began to cry silently. He didn''t want to look pathetic because he knew those maids outside would hear him.


    But this was a huge blow for him. He always thought that his marriage with Chloe would always stay safe.


    She might run away and cheat on him, but no man would ever want to marry her.


    And thus, Chloe would be stuck to be his official wife for the rest of her life.


    So this divorce paper was a huge blow to him because he never expected the day Chloe would file a divorce to the court would finally happen.


    He always thought this was just something that came out of his nightmare.


    "This can''t be. How could you be this cruel to me, Chloe?" Vincent murmured. "Never once have I ever considered divorcing you, not even when you''re ugly, fat, and disgusting. But now, you left me for another man just because I am not in my prime anymore? What a heartless woman you are!"


    Vincent scoffed, mocking Chloe in his mind because he now felt their sacred marriage vow was a joke, and Chloe never meant all of her vows.


    But for Vincent, he meant it when he said, ''until death do us part.''


    Because he would never divorce her no matter what, even if the situation between them was not ideal.


    "So fucking cruel. How could you hurt me like this¡­" Vincent said before the tears began to drop and wet his hand. "I''ve lost my wife¡­"


    Vincent wanted to scream like a madman right now, but he had done it so much in the past that he had grown weary.


    So, he slumped to the floor, buried his face in his thighs, and began sobbing like a little boy who had lost his precious toy.


    **


    It took almost six hours for Vincent to cry and fall asleep. Again, he was caught in a nightmare that was extremely painful for him.


    He saw that Chloe was being hugged by none other than Vernon, and they looked sopatible together as if they were meant to be.


    They stared at him with mocking smiles, and said;


    -


    ''You''re all alone now, Vincent Gray. Nobody wants you anymore, not even your wife.''


    -


    Vincent gasped when he woke up from that short nightmare.


    He looked around as he was disoriented and realized he was still in the dressing room. He had been sleeping after sobbing for too long, which was pathetic, knowing that he used to beat Chloe in this same dressing room whenever he felt like it.


    He beat her because he thought she showed interest in the finer things in life.


    She would marvel at many of his expensive suits and praise the gems he used to adorn his cufflink and many more.


    Vernon disliked it because his wife might get greedy and began to adorn herself with jewelry.


    That''s why he always beat her whenever she wore a simple ne or earrings. She had to look bad constantly, so she would never attract other men or cheat on him!


    He had good intentions all this time. He wanted to protect their marriage.


    "I don''t get it," Vincent murmured. "I don''t get it at all, Chloe. Why are you hurting me like this when all I''m trying to do is to persevere in our marriage? Is this your way to thank me after all of my efforts?"


    Vincent still didn''t understand what he did wrong. All he did was try to protect his beloved woman, even if his method was extreme, but Chloe turned out to be an obedient and submissive woman who wouldn''t cheat on him for ten years straight.


    That was good, right?


    He did a good job.


    But that good job was unappreciated.


    Vincent bit his lower lip until it bled. He tried to get up from the floor by grabbing a desk and propping himself up.


    He felt so weak, and it took him a while to recover.


    By the time he could stand on his feet, he saw the divorce document still on the table. He didn''t dare to read the divorce paper before. He was still in such a mental shock.


    But now.


    He had to face the reality that Chloe was divorcing him, and he had no more power to do a wide-scale manhunt like before.


    "But that doesn''t mean I can''t find a way to stop the divorce," Vincent muttered. "There must be something. Maybe she demands half of my wealth or wants me to pay ridiculous amounts of child support. I can use those as a ground for marriage counseling, and thus we will never be separated."


    "I will not allow you to leave me, Chloe."

 Chapter 762

    Chapter 762


    Vincent returned to the master bedroom and began to read the summon notice carefully.


    They specified all the things that Chloe demanded, so Vincent didn''t need to go to court as long as he agreed with everything and then prepared his documents to sign up for the divorce.


    Of course, they could make this hassle-free without any divorce court or involving any divorcewyer.


    But of course, Vincent didn''t want that.


    He refused to simply sign the documents and called it a day for the divorce.


    He would do everything as long as Chloe couldn''t divorce him. He wanted them to stay husband and wife until death did them part!


    Unfortunately, that idea was soon defeated when Vincent saw the demands that Chloe wanted from him.


    He expected her to demandpensation in the form of assets, probably wanting half of his money or the mansion, and wanting him to pay child support for a ridiculous amount, so he could use those grounds to contest the divorce.


    But what he saw was¡­ nothing.


    Chloe literally demanded nothing.


    She didn''t demand any assets.


    She also didn''t demand to pay child support.


    She didn''t try to rip him off his money, which frustrated him.


    "What is this?" Vincent asked himself. "Why aren''t you demanding money from me?! How am I supposed to challenge this kind of divorce?!"


    He was frustrated because this was also a direct mockery to him.


    This was a sign that Chloe was happy being pampered by her new man and a direct show off that her new man was far richer than Vincent could ever be.


    Vincent gritted his teeth, "No, there must be a way to challenge this divorce!"


    Thus, Vincent continued reading, trying to find anything that could help him, and there was one that could help.


    -


    The child''splete custody is on the mother''s side, and no visitation is allowed.


    -


    Vincent saw a chance for him. His eyes glimmered with hope as he could challenge this one.


    "I don''t care about Mackenzie. But if this is enough to stop the divorce, I will demand visitation¡ªno, full custody!"


    Vincent quickly called Khloe, as she was the only professional worker he had right now, and she picked it up quickly.


    ¡ª


    "Y¡ªYes, Sir? Can I do something?"


    "Khloe, find the best divorcewyer in New York. My wife had just filed a divorce against me. And I want to contest her appeal," Vincent said coldly. He regained a bit of his vigor, thinking he could save his marriage.


    Khloe went silent for a moment and then replied, "Alright, Sir. I will try to contact as many famous divorcewyers as possible in New York. I will call you back in an hour. I should be able to contact all of them in a short time."


    "Good, I expect a good result, Khloe," Vincent said.


    ¡ª


    Vincent was relieved once he hung up the call, "Don''t ever think about divorcing me, Chloe. I won''t let you, even if I have to go through hell and back!"


    Prisci hung up the call and stared at her real boss, who sat at the CEO desk of the Graypany.


    "You heard everything, Boss," Prisci said as she had already put the phone on the loudspeaker, so Vernon could hear everything they discussed. "What should I do next?"


    "What should you do next? Heh¡­" Vernon sneered. "The best divorcewyer in New York is Graham Hubbard, and he is busy handling a case of a billionaire''s son, Henry Grant, and his new girlfriend who wants to get divorced from her deadbeat husband."


    "How did I know? Well, I called him, and he said he''d be unavable for an indefinite amount of time. That''s why I have to find an alternative," Vernon said.


    "So, what should I do next, Sir? Should I find an alternative divorcewyer for Vincent?" Prisci asked.


    Vernon smirked, "Just y along. Call all of thosewyers you can find. You will all refuse to take Vincent''s case. Because I already told them all andpensated them, they will refuse any request from Vincent Gray if they still value their career as awyer."


    ¡­


    Prisci shuddered when she saw Vernon''s smirk.


    This man was beyond evil. He was no different than Vincent. He was just the lesser evil because he had Chloe as his anchor.


    If he didn''t have Chloe, he would probably be ten times crazier and scarier than Vincent.


    ''I don''t know how she could tame this man, but good for her,'' Prisci thought.


    Though she hadn''t met with Chloe after theirst fight, Prisci had made peace with herself.


    She knew that she couldn''tpete with Chloe Gray inside Vincent''s heart because even she knew that Chloe was Vincent''s true love. He never changed, but how he showed his love was twisted and pathetic.


    Since she couldn''tpete with Chloe, she decided to y along and BE her. She became a fake Chloe, and it worked really well!


    Vincent still didn''t love her, but at least he epted her, which was the most important thing in Prisci''s life.


    Even if she couldn''t obtain his heart, at least she could get his body.


    She would be Mrs. Gray no matter what.


    And how about money?


    Well, she was still working in the Graypany with a crazy high sry, enough to support herself and also Mr. Gray.


    "Just wait for an hour and give him the bad news," Vernon instructed. "If he insists, tell him to call all thosewyers himself. **


    I''m sure he will meet with the same response."


    "I understand, Sir. "


    **


    Vincent walked back and forth as he was anxious about the news from Khloe. He wanted to know if she already got the best divorcewyer for him.


    So when Khloe called him, he picked it up immediately.


    ¡ª


    "How is it? Did you get the best divorcewyer for me?" Vincent asked impatiently.


    "I''ve called roughly thirty famous divorcewyers, and they all refused Sir," Prisci replied. "They said they refused to take your case because it''s a losing game. They prefer to save their career."

 Chapter 763

    Chapter 763


    ¡ª


    "They said they refused to take your case because it''s a losing game, they prefer to save their career."


    "THEY WHAT?!"


    Vincent''s heart was crushed as he got the bad news from Khloe.


    He thought he had misheard it and asked again, "Be clearer Khloe. Because I fucking sure heard you said that everyone refuses to take my case just now."


    ¡­


    "You heard it right, Sir. Nowyer in New York wants to take your case. They are too scared to do so because they know it''s a losing game," Khloe repeated. "They said the backing behind Mrs. Chloe Gray is too powerful. It scares them."


    "THAT''S BULLSHIT!" Vincent snapped. "There is no way that man has so much power to intimidate everywyer in New York! Keep searching! I know you aren''t doing your job right now."


    ¡­


    "Master Grant, I''ve called over fifty differentwyers in New York, from the most renowned to the unknowns, and they have the same answer," Khloe replied. "If you don''t believe me, you can do it yourself."


    "FUCKING USELESS!!" Vincent hung up the call abruptly.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    He was so angry at Khloe and definitely didn''t believe what she said just now.


    "Nowyer wants to take my case? Don''t fucking kid me!" Vincent yelled. He scrolled through his contacts to find any of the famouswyers he knew, and he called them one by one.


    He had an expectation that maybe thosewyers were too scared because Khloe, a meager secretary, called them, not Vincent himself.


    So he had to ditch his pride for this one and ask them personally.


    Unfortunately, he was met with the same answer that Khloe got.


    ¡ª


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Gray. But you''re facing a very powerful man. As much as I value our ¡ª


    "Sir, your enemy is very powerful. He paid me a lot just to refuse your request. So I friendship, I don''t want to risk my career."


    ¡ª


    "Sir, your enemy is very powerful. He paid me a lot just to refuse your request. So I have to refuse yours, I am sorry, but I prefer to keep my promise to him because he is far more powerful than you."


    ¡ª


    "Vincent, you''re facing the big shot. I mean, I know you were a big shot before, but you''re severely outssed. Besides, with all of the rumors outside about you abusing and abandoning your wife, I don''t want to fight a losing game."


    ¡ª


    "Mr. Gray, I suggest you give up. Your reputation is on the ground. You should ept whatever divorce settlement your wife wants and move on. You''re facing a giant and don''t have enough capital and influence to fight him back."


    ¡ª


    "ARGHH!! USELESS!" Vincent shouted as he smashed his phone to the ground. He was so frustrated right now because what Khloe said was right.


    Nobody wanted to take the case because it was a losing game, and he was facing a big shot.


    They acted as if Vincent wasn''t a big shot before he had to sell hispany.


    He was still rich as fuck! He was still THE big shot!


    "Fine! If nobody will stand by my side, then I don''t fucking care!" Vincent yelled. His chest rose up and down as he was holding his rage. "I don''t need awyer for this. I am smart and capable enough to represent myself. I will stop this divorce no matter what!"


    ***


    "Yeah, my secretary will send you the money tomorrow. Just make sure that nobody wants to take his case. It will be way easier," Vernon said before he hung up the call from one of the most poprwyers in New York.


    He was lying on the bed, hugging the waist of his beloved woman sitting on hisp.


    "Who is it, darling?" Chloe asked.


    "One of thewyers. Don''t worry. I have everyone under control. Vincent won''t be able to find anywyer. He will be forced to submit everything without appeal or represent himself," Vernon replied. "Well, he still has the choice of hiring an unknownwyer, probably a novice who is stupid enough to take this losing game for money."


    "But don''t worry, we will win the case. Mackie won''t need to visit Vincent," Vernon''s eyes darkened as he imagined Mackie being fed lies by Vincent so his little wolf would go against her own family. "I will make sure my daughter is safe."


    "Remember our deal, darling¡­" Chloe reminded me. "We will give him that visitation right if I deem Vincent to be stable and normal enough. But if he is still the same crazy man, then Mackie won''t meet her biological father. They are allowed to meet when she is eighteen, and she wants to meet him."


    Vernon''s lips thinned.


    He disagreed with Chloe, who still tried to give Vincent visitation right.


    In his dictionary, Mackie''s father was Vernon Phoenix Gray; there was no Vincent Gray.


    He wanted to forbid Mackie to see Vincent''s face for the rest of her life. She didn''t need another father.


    But he knew that was his possessiveness talking. Vernon admitted that he wasn''t only possessive to Chloe and every member of his small family.


    So his children were HIS, and he would protect them from any harm, including a bastard like Vincent.


    But Chloe was very firm about this, so he had to agree, or they would get into a big fight.


    "Alright, It''s up to you, Love. I don''t want you to make a wrong decision regarding Mackie''s safety," Vernon said.


    Chloe smiled and caressed his cheek, "Don''t worry, I also want the best for our daughter. She deserves to know the full truth once she''s old enough.


    "She already knows that her biological father is an asshole," Vernon said. "And I didn''t even say anything to her. She''s smart, you know that, right? She learns by seeing the change in you."


    Chloe smiled bitterly, "I know I can''t hide anything. She will know the full truth eventually. I just want to ensure she is ready when it''s time."


    Vernon nodded. At least his beloved understood that they couldn''t hide anything from that smart little girl.

 Chapter 764

    Chapter 764


    "Let''s just wait until Vincent responds to the summons from the court. Knowing how unstable Vincent is, we might be summoned to the court next week," Vernon said.


    "Oh, that would be great! It''s early summer by the time I get my divorce paper, and¡­ you know what that means, right?" Chloe winked as she boldly twirled her finger around Vernon''s belly button. "It will be the perfect season for us¡­"


    Vernon''s breath heaved, "Yes, I can''t wait to make you officially mine."


    **


    Vernon had expectations regarding Vincent.


    He knew that his Big brother wasn''t exactly a patient person.


    He was prone to anger and, therefore, also prone to acting rashly out of his stupid pride.


    And as expected, he got the good news about a week after Vincent got the notice from the court.


    Diamond entered his office with a document from the court, "Sir, I''ve read it before, and Vincent is not backing down. He wants to appeal to Chloe''s only request, which is a visitation to Mackie."


    Diamond handed the document to Vernon, and thetter chuckled as he read the paper, "Heh, as expected, he will hang on thest rope he can find just to stop the divorce. I know how obsessed he is with my woman."


    "Are we going to do the n you discussed before, Sir?" Diamond asked as Vernon and Chloe briefed her before.


    "Let''s see his reaction once he knows the full truth. He is going to shit bricks," Vernonughed at his own joke. "Answer to the court that we agree to the summon. We wille at the designated time, which should be three days from now, right?"


    "Yes, Sir. Do I need to tell Chloe too?"


    "No, I will tell her myself after dinner," Vernon said. "I want to make sure she is ready to face Vincent again since I know she must''ve been traumatized by Vincent."


    "What would you do if she said she''s not ready, Sir?" Diamond asked out of curiosity and concern.


    "Then I will be the one who faces him. I will drop the bomb by myself."


    **


    Chloe, Vernon, and Mackie had a peaceful dinner in the penthouse, and Mackie was the first to open the conversation at the dining table.


    "Mommy, how is my baby sister? Is she healthy? Are you okay?" Mackie asked as she stared at Chloe''s slight baby bump.


    Daddy and Mommy had already told her a week ago that Mommy was pregnant with a baby, and Mackie was so excited because she always wanted a little sister.


    Chloe smiled, "Mommy is healthy and happy, and the baby inside Mommy''s belly is also happy. Eat your food, Mackie. Why aren''t you eating much today?"


    Mackie dropped her spoon and stared at her Daddy, "It''s because Daddy is the one who cooked today''s dinner. He doesn''t cook well, Mommy. Not as good as your food¡­"


    "Hey, it''s good!" Vernon insisted as he felt wronged after his daughter told him he wasn''t a good cook.


    He took a spoonful of pasta and frowned a little.


    "Okay, it''s not as good as your Mommy''s food. I admit," Vernon sighed. "But you should understand we can''t push her too much, Little Wolf. Your Mommy is pregnant with your baby brother."


    "Baby sister!" Mackie pouted. "Daddy, I have a baby sister, not a baby brother!"


    "Why do you want a little sister so much? Little brother is also good, right?" Vernon asked. Honestly, they hadn''t done any ultrasound to check on the baby to determine whether it was a boy or a girl because Chloe''s pregnancy was still in the first trimester, so they had to wait a bit longer.


    Vernon didn''t care whether he''d have a son or daughter. He''d love them equally. He wondered why Mackie insisted on having a baby sister instead of a brother.


    "Because I already have four little brothers!" Mackie said. "Aaron, Nathan, Mike, and Tony, I don''t need more!"


    "I want a sister, so I can y house and dress her up with my dress collections too!" Mackie said.


    "Well, we don''t know about the baby yet. But you should promise me that you will treat the baby nicely in case it''s a boy, okay?"


    "Of course, Daddy! I finally have a sibling! I will treat her nicely!" Mackie said, but she looked at her Mommy and said, "But I still want a baby sister more!"


    Mackie hopped off the chair and then rushed downstairs.


    "So cute," Chloe smiled. "Well, I will make sure that she treats her baby brother nicely in case we have a boy."


    "We should. But if it''s a boy, then we will have to make more until Mackie has a little sister," Vernon teased, much to Chloe''s embarrassment.


    He finished his not-so-tasty dinner and then mentioned, "Vincent has responded to the summons from the court. We will meet him in three days, but I know you''re pregnant, and it might be too much of a shock for you to meet him."


    "So, if you think you''re not ready to meet him, I will be dropping the bomb about the whole truth to him," Vernon offered. "Your safety and health are the most important, Love. I don''t want you and our baby to be in danger."


    Chloe put her utensil down and stared at Vernon with determination in her eyes, "Thank you for your support, Vernon. But I will stille and talk to him in private. I want to be the one who dropped the truth to him. I want him to know I havepletely escaped his abuse."


    "But what if he is threatening you? Should I stay in the room with you?" Vernon asked worriedly.


    "You shouldn''t. But if you''re worried about my safety, then you can watch over me through the window, or you can watch it through the open door. Don''t worry, I will scream in case he dares to touch me," Chloe said. Her eyes showed no fear, which was vastly different from the Chloe he met a year ago.


    Chloe had regained her confidence and brilliance that had been lost when Vincent abused him nonstop for ten years.


    And her courage gave Vernon assurance.


    Thus, he nodded, "Alright, but I will interrupt when he tries to touch you."

 Chapter 765

    765 Chapter 765


    Vincent woke up early in the morning.


    He would go to court today to settle this divorce with Chloe.


    He knew there would be a second or even third trial for hearing, but a mysterious but powerful man backed Chloe, so Vincent knew this would be his one and only chance, or else Chloe would leave him forever.


    "Sir, the car is ready," Khloe said as she entered the master bedroom carrying a suit for him.


    Vincent grabbed the suit and wore it by himself. He stared at Khloe, who was obviously just Prisci with dyed hair and color contact, and said, "You shouldn''te."


    "A¡ªAre you sure, Sir? I also want to support you. I would be good if you could be with Mrs. Chloe Gray again," Khloe said, though she sneered in her heart, knowing that Vincent was fighting a losing game right now.


    He had no hope of winning against Vernon because he was just a failed man who had be the butt of many people''s online jokes.


    "Chloe doesn''t need to see someone resembling her standing by my side. She needs to see that I, Vincent Gray, feel very lonely without her," Vincent turned his head to stare at the loving wedding picture of him and Chloe hanging over the TV.


    He smiled as he imagined that beautiful day.


    Chloe was beautiful. She was so bright and beautiful that it made him insecure about himself. He was scared that Chloe would leave him once she grew bored of him.


    ''Because all I have is money. I''m so scared she will leave me for someone younger, richer, and more powerful. That''s why I must beat her to submission¡­'' Vincent thought. ''And now I must defend my crumbling marriage just because Chloe decides I''m not good enough for her.''


    "I will leave now. I am going to stand alone," Vincent said determinedly. "I don''t care if I have to face a giant. I will return with Chloe by my side."


    Khloe watched as Vincent left the master bedroom.


    She stared at his back, and the corner of her lips perked up, "That is so funny, Vincent Gray. Look at you, being all brave and ready to fight a giant. Do you not realize that you have no hope? Or maybe you''re just desperate at this point?"


    "Honestly, I also don''t understand why I love you," Prisci shrugged. "But I know I must be Mrs. Khloe Gray no matter what. I will be your wife, and if you don''t want to have a baby with me, I will force you with some drugs, hihi~."


    **


    "Ready for today, honey?"


    "I¡ªI''m ready," Chloe said as she finished helping Vernon with his tie.


    She twirled in front of the mirror to ensure she looked proper with her cream-colored suit and knee-length skirt. She buttoned the suit to hide her baby bump, as she didn''t want anyone outside of her family to know it, not yet, at least.


    She looked like a proper workingdy, which was funny because she never wanted to be an office worker before.


    Vernon stared at Chloe in the mirror and then put his hands on her shoulders, "You look so good wearing this suit. If you want, I can build you a newpany that you can handle, sort of trying out if you are fit to be an office worker. Maybe you had a dream as a career woman before? Of course, you can do it after you''ve given birth to our child. I don''t want you to get exhausted."


    Vernon tried to remember if Big Sis Chloe had a dream to be a career woman.


    He asked her once about her dream, and she replied;


    -


    ''My dream is to have a family. I want to take care of my family as a housewife, but if I''m yet to reach that simple dream, I''d want to be a kindergarten teacher.''


    -


    Chloe smiled, but she shook her head, "I never intend to be a career woman. My degree is in child education, and I was thinking of bing a kindergarten teacher back then because I like kids and love taking care of them."


    "Well, I don''t need to be a kindergarten teacher now because I''m currently taking care of Mackie, the boys, and¡­" Chloe looked down and rubbed her belly gently. "Our baby and I''m pretty sure you still want more, right?"


    "Heheh, you got me," Vernon was a little embarrassed. He wanted more kids because he thought life would be nicer if surrounded by the fruits of love between him and Chloe.


    "Maybe you think I''m not really a great and shy career woman, and I sometimes think they look amazing¡­" Chloe murmured. She saw those women in power sometimes, and though she had a bit of yearning for them, she knew that being a career woman was not her calling. She preferred to have a happy family and take care of them all.


    "Why are you ashamed of that?" Vernon frowned. "Do you not realize that you saved me?"


    "I¡­ saved you?"


    "If you didn''t teach me how to be a decent human back then, I would''ve turned into a monster like Vincent and Vaughn, probably an even bigger one," Vernon admitted. "You know how to treat me right. You taught me there are still good people, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to keep walking until you reach it."


    Chloe didn''t really remember all the things she taught Vernon back then.


    She just yed with him and taught him manymon decencies, and how to be a good boy, just like how she taught those little boys she cared for when she took the part-time job as a babysitter to her neighbors.


    But maybe that was what Vernon truly needed back then, someone who genuinely treated him like a human being and treasured him a lot as a person.


    "Well, I''m d that I met you back then, Vernon. I don''t want a good man like you to turn evil just like Vincent. You have so much potential to be a great man."

 Chapter 766

    766 Chapter 766


    "So, do I realize that potential now? Do I be a good man for you?" Vernon asked for validation. He wrapped his arms around Chloe''s waist and intertwined his fingers around Chloe''s belly, making sure to embrace her gently and carefully.


    Chloe chuckled, "I will call you a good man once you put a ring on my finger. Coincidentally, I will also call you a good husband by then."


    Vernon felt a surge of joy inside his heart.


    He wouldn''t lie. There was something absolutely mindblowing about finally proposing and marrying his beloved woman, who had upied his dream for over a decade.


    He felt that it was a well-deserved reward for all the hardships he had endured without Chloe by his side for the past ten years. It was like a good ending to a novel full of pain and a great start for a novel full of sweetness.


    Vernon chuckled. He kissed Chloe''s neck and said, "I''m far more eager than you, Love. I can''t wait to have you."


    "You said that many times, by the way," Chloe called out, giggling.


    "And I will say that again," Vernon repeated. "I can''t wait to have you."


    "Mommmyyyy, Daddyyyyyy!"


    Vernon and Chloe''s sweet moment was shattered when Mackie rushed into their room and caught her Mommy and Daddy embracing each other in front of the mirror.


    Chloe quickly pushed Vernon away and asked her daughter, "W¡ªWhat''s wrong, dear?"


    Mackie pouted while ring at her parents, "Stop hugging and let''s go! I will bete, Mommy!"


    **


    They went to the basement, and instead of going with the usual car, Chloe grabbed her daughter''s hand and led her to Vernon''s car.


    Mackie was confused when she entered her Daddy''s car, "Are we not going with today?" She asked.


    "No, dear, Daddy will drive us today," Chloe replied.


    "But how about Aaron?"


    "Well, your Granny drives him to school today."


    "Un, I see¡­" Mackie nodded. She sat in the backseat while Mommy and Daddy were at the front, staring at the road as Daddy drove to her school.


    Mackie looked at her Mommy, wondering why her Mommy dressed up so funnily today.


    Mommy would usually wear a casual dress or a jacket and a skirt. She rarely wore something simr to what Daddy wore daily.


    "Mommy, are you going somewhere today?" She asked.


    "Uhm¡­ yes, Daddy and I will go somewhere after dropping you off," Chloe replied.


    "Where? Can I go too?" Mackie asked again. She got curious but also concerned, afraid that Mommy would try to meet her real Daddy again since her real Daddy wasn''t as kind and caring as her Big Bad Wolf Daddy.


    She still vividly remembered the attack her Mommy suffered from her real Daddy in the Principal''s office during the autumn festival.


    She would never forget how Mommy was beaten so badly, yet still tried to grab Mackie and ran away from evil real Daddy.


    "Mommy, please don''t get hurt¡­" Mackie asked out of concern.


    Chloe looked back to her daughter, and her heart was aching, knowing that Mackie knew many things about her birth father.


    The awful incident in the Principal''s office during the Autumn festival would forever be engraved in the little girl''s mind.


    Honestly, Chloe would be much happier if she could tell Mackie about Vincent''s awful behavior without having her witness the domestic abuse firsthand. At this point, there was no use for damage control.


    "Don''t worry, dear. I won''t get hurt," Chloe said.


    "But you got hurt by my Daddy before¡­" Mackie pouted. "Don''t go, Mommy. I don''t want you to get hurt¡­"


    "Oh, dear¡­" Chloe extended her hand and reached out to wipe her daughter''s tears. "Dear, I will not make the same mistake twice. Don''t worry. I won''t try to hurt myself. Besides, you don''t need to worry when I have your Big bad wolf Daddy with me. He will protect me from any harm, right, Vernon?"


    Vernon stopped the car in front of the school gate. He turned to the backseat and patted Mackie''s head with his big, strong hand.


    "Don''t worry about your Mommy. I will protect her from any harm," Vernon assured.


    Mackie was somewhat assured because she knew that her Big Bad Wolf Daddy wouldn''t hurt Mommy and also would protect her from her real Daddy.


    But she still pouted, "Hmph! I should''vee! I will protect Mommy myself!"


    Chloe chuckled, "You can protect me once you''re older, dear. But for now, you should focus on your study first. Go and make Mommy proud in school by making many friends, listening to the teachers, and always being serious when it''s time to study, okay?"


    "Un, okay!" Mackie nodded vigorously. She stared at her Mommy and Daddy and then offered her pinky finger, "Promise me that you two will return home safely, okay? Please don''t get hurt again, Mommy, and please protect her, Daddy¡­"


    "I promise, dear," Chloe made a pinky promise to her daughter.


    Vernon started the whole time, and he sighed when Mackie stared at her with the same doe eyes as Chloe.


    "I promise," Vernon said before making the same pinky promise gesture to his daughter. "You should leave now, Little Wolf. You''ll bete."


    Mackie quickly kissed her Mommy and Daddy''s cheeks before opening the car door, saying, "I want Mommy to cook dinner today. Daddy''s food is e!"


    "You¡ª"


    Mackie quickly ran away before she got scolded by her Daddy.


    Chloe chuckled. It was so cute to see the dynamic between Vernon and Mackie. Knowing that her daughter cared so much for her was surely a confidence boost for her.


    "It''s great that Mackie is very energetic now. Changing school for her is really the best decision you can make for her," Chloe said while her eyes glued to Mackie''s back as she joined her friends to enter the main gate.


    "Of course, I won''t let my daughter get traumatized by that bastard," Vernon said. He followed Mackie until she disappeared with her friends as she entered the school building.


    Chloe and Vernon stared at each other after that. Silently giving each other encouragement, "Ready to face Vincent today?"


    Chloe stared at Vernon''s eyes and realized he was hopeful. He hoped they could finally get their happy ending, so Chloe knew it was time to end it all, "I am ready. Let''s go, darling."


    Are you ready for the finale? :D

 Chapter 767 767

    ?


    The court wasn''t as crowded as Vernon and Chloe expected, which was great because Vernon tried his best to conceal the court event today so that the public wouldn''t know about Vincent and Chloe''s divorce court.


    He didn''t want the public to think that Chloe was a mere abuseddy who ran away. He wanted her to be morous. He wanted her to be remembered by the public as Vernon Phoenix Gray''s wife instead of Vincent Gray''s abused ex-wife.


    He parked his car and sat in silence for a while, staring at the court. Vernon looked at Chloe, "Don''t worry about anything, my Love. I''m with you. I will make sure everything runs smoothly today."


    Chloe smiled. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and said, "I have no worry. I know that I will be safe when I''m with you."


    **


    Thus, Chloe and Vernon left their car and held hands as they walked into the court building together.


    They were greeted by Meyer and Diamond, who were already waiting inside the main lobby.


    Diamond looked proper as always, so she was surprised when he saw Chloe in a formal suit and skirt.


    "Gurl, you look so good wearing this kind of outfit! Wait, maybe I should call you Mrs. Phoenix Gray for now since you look all prim and proper," Diamond joked while hugging Chloe for a moment. She did this to make things less stressful because she knew that Chloe must''ve been extremely stressed and nervous right now.


    Chloe giggled and replied, "You can call me thatter when I finally get married. Besides, I know you''ve wanted to wear that purple dress for my wedding."


    "Hihi, I can''t wait, Gurl," Diamond giggled with her. "That poor dress has been left untouched for a while. That dress needs its debut!"


    Vernon momentarily allowed Chloe to joke around with Diamond and asked Meyer, "Where is the waiting room that I asked before?"


    "You need to go to the fifth floor, Sir. Diamond and I will show you the way," Meyer replied.


    "How about that bastard? Is he already in that room?" Vernon asked again, to which Meyer replied with a nod.


    "Alright then, let''s go."


    Diamond and Meyer led their bosses to the fifth floor, where the room was located. It was a waiting room but purposely emptied for Vincent because they needed a space where Chloe and Vincent could talk without being disturbed by anyone.


    The room also had a big window facing the corridor, so Vernon could watch what was happening inside.


    It also had a CCTV inside, in case the stronger party made an assault.


    "This is the room, Sir," Meyer said as they stood at the door. "Vincent Gray is already inside."


    Vernon and Chloe peeked from the window and saw Vincent, who was busy reviewing the trial documents.


    Chloe''s eyes widened, and her body trembled when she saw that monster who didn''t seem bothered that they were about to get divorced.


    She grabbed Vernon''s hand tighter to gain support, and Vernon got anxious about her, "Are you sure you want to do this alone? I can stay with you inside if you can''t."


    Chloe swallowed her saliva as she tried to gather her courage. She shook her head and replied, "I will do it. I¡ªI will face him myself. Just make sure to watch over me in case he dares to do something."


    "¡­ I will. Don''t worry. I will always protect you, my love¡­" Vernon assured.


    Thus, they nodded to Meyer simultaneously, and Meyer opened the door for them, so they walked in together.


    **


    Vincent sat in the waiting room provided by the court staff. They said the trial would start in about two hours, so he had plenty of time to review everything before it started.


    Since he didn''t bring anywyer with him, he had to do everything all on his own, and truthfully, the chance of him stopping the divorce was slim to none.


    But he was Vincent Gray, and nobody in the Gray family would give up before the fight, "I just need to make sure that I can exploit this. Chloe is a weak-willed person. I''m sure she will be scared once I press her to admit that she is sleeping with someone else, just like I did."


    "I also need to fight harder for Mackie''s visitation rights. I can''t have her custody, but I want to get a lot more visitation rights at least so I can tell Mackie about many things," Vincent muttered. "I want that little girl to be on my side. I''m sure Chloe would fold once she realized that her daughter doesn''t love her anymore."


    As Vincent was still busy with his n, the door suddenly opened from outside. He looked up, and his jaw dropped instantly when he saw none other than Chloe.


    She looked much healthier than before and looked much more radiant than from the video recording that went viral a few months ago.


    She was wearing a cream-colored suit and knee-length skirt. Her body looked perfect from head to toe, and her chestnut brown hair flowed beautifully. Unlike the previous Chloe, who was impoverished, her body became thin, and her hair fell out.


    She stared at Vincent with her sweet doe eyes and a little smile that made everything in this world blurry for Vincent. He only had his eyes on her, and he got up instantly, wanting to rush and hug her tightly.


    Vincent had a lot on his mind. He wanted to tell Chloe he regretted everything and wished they could start anew as a couple.


    He wanted to tell her how much he missed her when she was gone.


    He realized that he felt so empty without her and was willing to discard any rtionship with other women outside as long as Chloe wanted to return home and be the mistress of his house again.


    But in the end, all he wanted to say was how much he loved her.

 Chapter 768 768

    ?


    Unfortunately, before he could reach her and say any of those, a man suddenly blocked his path and grabbed him by his shoulder.


    Vernon grabbed Vincent by his shoulder and grasped it so tight that Vincent could feel the pain in his shoulder.


    "You''re not allowed to touch her, Big bro," Vernon said. He noticed that Vincent''s eyes dimmed instantly the moment he saw Vernon, and Vernon was actually quite satisfied with the reason. "Why aren''t you surprised? I thought your reaction would be much more explosive than this, Big bro."


    Vincent red at Vernon as if he couldn''t wait to kill his little brother. He was so angry, but simultaneously, he realized that he was no match against Vernon now.


    He had been stripped of his power, and Vernon took almost all of his assets and influence, so he couldn''t crush Vernon like an bug anymore.


    "I have guessed that it must be you, Vernon," Vincent said. "You have been obsessed with Chloe since you were young. You treated her like a goddess, and I know you''re probably the one who can be crazy enough to keep her hidden all this time from me."


    "Hehe, you''re right. I treat her like a goddess, and I am crazy enough to hide her from you for a long time," Vernon sneered. "But it''s your fault because you didn''t try to do anything. If you had tried to suppress me while I was still developing my business, the situation would''ve been very different."


    "You traitor! You dare to go against me after everything I did for you!" Vincent snapped. He tried to punch Vernon, but Vernon swiftly dodged it and grabbed Vincent''s wrist.


    "You keep saying that you''ve done so much for me. Then let me ask you, Big bro. What kind of help did you give to me?" Vernon asked. His gaze deepened as he stared at his Big brother maliciously. "You keep saying I owe you a lot, but I never remember you trying to help me."


    Vincent went silent instantly. He red at Vernon, but he couldn''t find anything that could support his im.


    He simply felt that Vernon owed him a lot, even though Vincent never did anything to help him. Vernon SHOULD be on his knees right now, acting like an obedient dog to him because he was supposed to do that.


    The dynamic between the Gray brothers had always been like that.


    Vincent was supposed to be on top, and Vernon was hisp dog.


    It was the idea that Vaughn had imnted in his mind for years and Vincent desperately tried to maintain that status quo.


    "If you say your tiny contract helps me, you must be mistaken. Your tiny and cheap project is not worth my time. I was just trying to fool you into thinking I am your loyal guard dog," Vernon said. "In fact, the only thing I could remember from you is how you fooled me into thinking that Chloe hated me for over a decade. You bring me endless pain and nightmare, yet you still dare to think I owe you something?!"


    Vincent gritted his teeth.


    "So what if I don''t give you anything? Do you think you deserve any of it? My life was great before you came to New York!" Vincent debated. "I know you must''ve done something to separate me from my wife, you ungrateful bastard!"


    Vernonughed when he was used, "You know what''s funny, Big bro? I didn''t do anything to you or yourpany. Not until Chloe decided to leave you after you kept cheating and abusing her. After that, I realize I must fight back and cut your power and influence, or else Chloe will never get the happiness she deserves."


    "YOU¡ª!" Vincent was speechless after Vernon kept arguing back with a good answer that he couldn''t retort. He had been trying to suppress Vernon for years and still decided to fight back.


    This disobedient dog needs to be punished!


    But before he could yell at him even more, Chloe stepped forward and stood right beside Vernon, "I''m not here to see you fighting against Vernon," she said coldly. "You know that you''re no match to him physically."


    Vincent red at Chloe.


    He expected Chloe to cower like the meek wife she was. But she stood on her ground and stared back at Vincent without fear, "If you want to talk to me, then you need to calm down and be civil, or else this whole meeting is over, and we can meet again during the trial."


    Vincent was so angry that his chest rose up and down. But he knew this was the right time for him to start persuading Chloe to stop the divorce. This was his only chance, so he couldn''t mess it up.


    Vincent took a deep breath to calm himself down, then said, "Alright, I also have many questions for you, Chloe. You''ve been on my mind for so long, yet you hurt me like this."


    Vernon was worried that Chloe would sway because of Vincent''s sweet words. He nced at her and saw nothing but nonchnce in her eyes. She didn''t even take his words seriously.


    So he was assured that Chloe could handle this. All he had to do was to watch over them outside, just in case Vincent would dare to touch his woman.


    "I will talk to you as long as you promise not to touch me or try to get close to me," Chloe said firmly. "If you can''t do that, then we''re not going to talk."


    Vincent gritted his teeth, "FINE! Now let me go, you filthy dog! I need to talk with my wife!"


    Vernon finally released Vincent''s shoulder and whispered to Chloe, ''I will be outside watching over you. Call me if you need my help as well.''


    Chloe smiled and kissed Vernon on the lips for a second, "Thank you, Honey. Don''t worry about me. This conversation between Vincent and I won''t take long."

 Chapter 769 769

    Chapter 769769


    [Song Rmendation: The Weeknd - Call Out My Name.]


    Vincent was so angry when he saw them kissing. But he could only clench his fist because he knew attacking them right now wasn''t the wisest move.


    He allowed them to do whatever lovey-dovey thing they needed before Vernon left the room.


    Only Vincent and Chloe were in the room right now, but he knew he couldn''t do anything extreme because Vernon was watching over them from the window.


    Vincent stared at Chloe, knowing he couldn''t just hug her tight. He stretched his arm, asking for a handshake.


    Chloe stared at his hand and smiled, "Let''s just go and sit, Mr. Gray. I will tell you everything you want to know."


    Vincent pulled his hand at a loss. He felt hurt when Chloe walked past him and sat on the chair directly facing his seat.


    Vincent could only grieve as he joined Chloe and sat on the opposite side. He stared at Chloe, who looked so beautiful. It was as if she returned in time ten years ago when she was the most gorgeous bride Vincent ever saw in his life.


    Her flowing chestnut hair rested on her shoulder, and she swept it to the back to ensure she looked proper. She sat straight and warned, "Just so you know, Vincent Gray, I will not back down this time. No matter how often you try to beg or threaten me, I will not stop the divorce process."


    Vincent said nothing. He was lost in her beauty for a while. It had been a while since he could see her face-to-face, and it looked like she was just descended from heaven.


    "Take this seriously, Vincent," Chloe frowned. "This is thest time we will ever speak to each other, and you will waste it all by saying nothing?"


    "I refuse the divorce," Vincent said slowly but clearly, ensuring Chloe heard what he said. "I will fight my way until the divorce process stops, and you will return to my side again, Chloe."


    Chloe''s eyes darkened. She thought Vincent would yell at her for running away, and she was mentally prepared for it.


    But this reaction from Vincent wasn''t what she expected, and it only angered her even more, knowing that his words were toote.


    "Why are you insisting on something unsalvageable? You know that our marriage is doomed," Chloe said. "It has been doomed since you decided to cheat on me when I was seven months pregnant."


    "That''s because you weren''t this pretty when you were pregnant," Vincent said. "You looked like a beluga whale, and then you got so thin and bony like a living dead. You weren''t this pretty, and I¡­ I can''t seem to like you back then."


    Vincent smiled, not realizing that he had dug his pit deeper, "Now that you''re beautiful and ravishing again, I can''t take my eyes off you, Chloe. I want you back. Please give me a second chance, and let''s start anew. I will be a good husband from now on, and I will not cheat this time."


    Chloe was getting angry at Vincent. She didn''t know if Vincent was just trying to upset him or if he genuinely didn''t see anything wrong with his words just now.


    Though, she believed thetter sounded more believable.


    Vincent had a screwed-up way of seeing things in life, thanks to his bastard father''s teaching.


    "Do you think I will return to you after what you''ve done to me?" Chloe asked. She leaned on the chair and crossed her arms. Her beauty was staggering for Vincent, so he was trying his best not to kiss her now. "Vernon is the one who helps me through all the pain you caused. He gives me a safe space and support so I can get mentally and physically better. He''s the one that helps me to return to this body I once had before I got married to you."


    "Why do you think you''re entitled to enjoy the fruits of other man''sbor?" Chloe taunted, and Vincent''s mood finally soured after he enjoyed the beauty before him.


    "Do you not see Vernon taking advantage of the situation? He doesn''t love you. He loves the money and opportunity thates with you since you''re my wife," Vincent used. "Look at what you did now, Chloe. You give him all my weaknesses, and he exploits them by shaming me on national television. He made our family business go bankrupt. He ruined OUR lives!"


    "And you¡­ this is why I don''t want to be seen as weak in front of a woman. They could easily turn their back on you, and even after ten years of discipline, you are still one of those treacherous bitches," Vincent said. He red at Chloe but didn''t dare to hurt her because he knew that touching her meant the conversation was done for.


    "Vincent¡­ do you not realize everything is stacked against your favor now?" Chloe mentioned. "You''re not making this any better by talking down on me repeatedly. Besides, you should be honest, Vincent. Will you ever give me the divorce I deserve if I didn''t bring you and yourpany down?"


    "I won''t," Vincent replied without hesitation. "You are my rightful wife. You''re the only mistress of my house. Why would I divorce you for no reason? I''m not an idiot."


    "For NO reason? Are you serious!?" Chloe finally got worked up after realizing that Vincent still hadn''t learned from his mistake. After being stripped of his position as CEO and shamed on national television, he lost half of his money and his inheritance too. He was still the same stubborn and unfeeling man who couldn''t understand that he was abusive.


    "I am serious. All I did for the past ten years was discipline you, ensuring you can be a good wife or mine without cheating," Vincent said. "It has always been like that, and I keep the tradition from my father, who also beats my mother. It''s natural when you''re married to the Gray family."

 Chapter 770 770

    Chapter 770770


    Chloe gritted her teeth in silence. Her heart was aching because this was definitely out of her expectation.


    She wanted Vincent to regret it. She wanted him to know what he did was wrong and suffering from all the regrets in his heart. Of course, she didn''t want him to beg, because it might softened her a little.


    But now, she had already lost hope


    Vincent would never regret it because he was simply incapable of doing so.


    "Do you think that you will win this divorce case? I asked nothing from you," Chloe said. "I don''t want your money, nor do I want you to pay child support. I want to get divorced and officially separate from you."


    "And do you think I won''t fight for my visitation?" Vincent challenged. "Mackie is my daughter, and I have the right to meet her at least twice weekly."


    Chloe went silent after that.


    She assessed whether Vincent was sane enough to be granted a visitation right.


    Of course, she didn''t want to deny Mackie''s right to meet with her biological father. After all, blood is thicker than water, and Mackie would eventually want to see Vincent again.


    But she was unsure if Vincent was sane enough, and now she doubted it even more after knowing he felt no regret.


    "Be honest with me, Vincent. Do you really care for Mackie, or do you just want me to return home because you know I''ll never leave Mackie alone with you?"


    "I think you already know the answer, wife," Vincent said. "It''s not like I don''t care about her. But I care more about you. But I will be a good father for her if youe along. After all, you twoe in a bundle. So I will be a good father if that means I can also be a good husband for you."


    "You are unbelievable," Chloe shook her head in disbelief. "I thought things had changed after what happened. But you''re the same bastard who can''t even love your offspring."


    "You''re wrong. I love Mackie as my heir, but I love you more," Vincent said. "I put importance on you more than I do to Mackie. But like I said before, if being a good father is the way to win your heart again, let me do it. I will show you what an incredible father I can be."


    ¡­


    "I don''t understand you, Vincent," Chloe sighed. "I made it clear that I DON''T want to return to you. I don''t want to start anew with you. I don''t understand why you don''t seem to be affected by this whole thing, but my decision is final."


    "Do you think I''m not affected by you leaving the mansion and then going against me?" Vincent was surprised. "Do you think I''m that heartless?"


    "Well, apparently, you are heartless," Chloe used. "Howe I see not an inch of regret in your face?"


    "That''s because I don''t want to beg in front of you, Chloe. I am a man, and my pride tells me not to beg in front of a woman," Vincent replied. He touched his chest and continued, "But my heart aches every time I remember about you. I know I can''t live without you, and I regret releasing you."


    "I thought you were just throwing a tantrum, and you will eventually return to me after realizing you can''t live without me," Vincent bit his lower lip. He tried to endure the aching heart, but it was too much. He lowered his head to hide his face, but his trembling body and muffled sobs had already told him everything Chloe needed to know.


    "I am hurt, Chloe," Vincent said. "I know I''m neither the wisest nor the kindest. I also med my father for turning me into this kind of monster that you hate."


    "I know I''m wrong for treating you like shit, but I simply thought it''s how I could keep you by my side," Vincent said. "I''m not blind, Chloe. I know it''s an unconventional way of disciplining my wife, but I am a product of a terrible father. I don''t know any better."


    Vincent''s voice began to tremble as he could not handle his pain.


    "I shouldn''t cry in front of the woman I love. That''s why I tried to maintain repose in front of you," Vincent said. "But I know I''m wrong. I know I made a huge mistake. That''s why I''m trying my best to win you back."


    "I admit that I can''t feel the fatherly love for Mackie, but that doesn''t mean I will hurt her. I''ve never hurt her this whole time, right?" Vincent asked. "My Dad never loved me the way he should, and in exchange, I also can''t love Mackie the way I should."


    es crashing down because you destroyed mypany as well¡­"


    "But I will still treasure her. I''ve prepared everything for her because I believe she will be the new heir of the Gray family once we get older and I retire from mypany," Vincent said. "It alles crashing down because you destroyed mypany as well¡­"


    "Chloe, I''m willing to forgive everything you did so far, so I''m begging you, please forgive me for everything I did, and¡­" Vincent finally lifted his head. He stared at Chloe with tears that streamed down his cheek. He looked so fragile and heartbroken right now. It was a sight that shocked Chloe so much because she didn''t expect this man to be able to cry.


    She expected him to regret it and said sorry, and that was it.


    "A¡ªAnd then what?" Chloe asked nervously.


    "¡­ and pleasee home with our daughter, Mackie. Please teach me how to be a good husband. I will listen to everything you say. I will be a good husband that you want," Vincent said.


    He stretched his arm again and opened his palm for Chloe, "Please take my hand, Chloe. This is all I need from you. Please hold my hand and say we can start again as a couple."

 Chapter 771

    Chapter 771


    Chloe stared at Vincent''s palm.


    That palm looked so clean and smooth because Vincent never did back-breakingbor in his life. In fact, Vincent''s palm was smoother than Chloe''s because Chloe still had to do house chores despite being married to a literal billionaire.


    Unfortunately, that smooth hand was also the same hand that beat her to a pulp.


    It was the same hand that pulled her hair, and heughed when he saw the strands of brown hair on his hand, saying that she had gotten so ugly she would go bald soon.


    A bald and ugly woman that nobody wanted.


    This was also the same hand that held other women''s bodies when they were on their honeymoon. Vincent always had a history of cheating, but Chloe always tried to close her eyes and acted like everything was okay to lessen the burden in her heart and forget the nightmare.


    But no matter what, she tried to forget the nightmare. All this came crashing down in her head when she saw his palm again.


    She was a very loyaldy. Even to this point, deep down, she still wished there was a bit of love left for Vincent so maybe they wouldn''t have to do this.


    But there was none.


    She felt nothing but fear and hatred towards Vincent, and now that Vincent asked her to forgive him for using the same hand that beat her, Chloe was disgusted.


    On top of that, she already poured all of her love into Vernon, and there was no more space for Vincent in her heart.


    ''All that is left is bitterness¡­'' Chloe thought.


    "Chloe?" Vincent was worried because Chloe didn''t react at all.


    He thought he did a good job by trying to convince her. He wanted her to return, so they could be a good married couple again.


    He thought it was about money and said, "D¡ªDon''t worry about money. I might be at the bottom and lose a lot of my wealth right now, but I''m still technically a millionaire, and I promise you that we will be able to maintain our current life. As long as I can get your support at home, I can function again and open a newpany that will soar high."


    ¡­


    Still no answer from Chloe.


    She kept staring at his palm, and Vincent couldn''t read her expression. He didn''t know what was on her mind right now, and he had grown increasingly desperate to find a way to keep her by his side.


    So he kept on piling more and more tempting offers to pull Chloe to his side once more.


    "How about this. I will buy a new mansion for us. I know that you have a bad memory of our old mansion, and I know I haven''t been the kindest. I don''t want to evoke your trauma, so let''s start anew somewhere with our daughter," Vincent offered.


    ¡­


    "You don''t need to cook or do anything. You just need to stand by my side. I won''t tell you to do this, nor will I try to humiliate you. You can always tell me no if you don''t like something."


    ¡­


    "H¡ªHow about we live somewhere far instead? How about we live as a small family in Europe? I will find a way to set up a business¡ª"


    "Enough, Vincent," Chloe finally opened her mouth. "No matter what you offer, there is no way we can be together."


    "Why?" Vincent asked. That was the only thing he could ask right now.


    "You can''t convince me with all of your sweet promises when you show me that palm," Chloe said. "That palm of yours has beaten me to a pulp many times, yanked my hair, pped me, raped me, and many more. Everything about you traumatized me, so I can''t feel anything but fear and anger when I''m with you."


    "¡­ can you forget and forgive everything I''ve done before?" Vincent asked. "I don''t want to hurt you anymore. I don''t know how to treat someone gently, so I will ask you to guide me on bing a better father for Mackie and a better husband for you."


    Chloe couldn''t handle this anymore.


    The more she talked with Vincent, and the more he tried to patch things up between them, the worse nightmare she got in her head. She is constantly reminded of all the crazy things Vincent has done in the name of ''love.''


    And she was 100% sure that Vincent would still do that after Chloe and Mackie returned to his embrace.


    "Do you want to be a good father and husband for Mackie and me?" Chloe asked.


    "Yes, I want to be better. I want to fix things," Vincent admitted.


    "Then stay away from us," Chloe said.


    "W¡ªWhat?!"


    "Yes, Vincent. The only thing you can do to mend your mistake is to let us go. Mackie and I are happy, and Mackie doesn''t want to see you anymore. She is happy with Vernon, who already reced you as her father."


    "So find your happiness, Vincent. I don''t wish you to die, nor do I wish you to suffer for the rest of your life," Chloe said. Though she already guessed that Vincent must''ve been suffering from loneliness, even now. "I want to have my own peace, and that peace is unattainable as long as I can still see your face."


    Vincent was shocked by Chloe''s words just now. He always thought he had a chance as long as he begged hard enough because Chloe was naturally a soft and forgiving woman. But when Chloe decided to leave him despite all his efforts, Vincent felt like blood had been drained out of his body.


    "No, not like this!" Vincent rose and raised his voice in front of Chloe, "Chloe Gray, you''re making a huge mistake!"


    Chloe was caught off guard, but she tried her best to stay calm in front of him, "The huge mistake I made was marrying you ten years ago, Vincent Gray."

 Chapter 772

    Chapter 772


    "The huge mistake I made was marrying you ten years ago, Vincent Gray."


    That sentence shot Vincent in his heart. He was so angry and sad at the same time that he couldn''t control his own emotion.


    He was trying his best to look good in front of her, but why didn''t she want to go back with him?


    "Oh yeah? Then you should fucking know that I''m marrying you because you''re a stupid peasant who wouldn''t dare to fight back! I fucking detest you since the day I married you!" Vincent yelled, which he regretted immediately.


    Of course, it was all a lie.


    He loved Chloe so much and fell in love even harder on their wedding day. He seriously thought that nobody in this world was prettier than Chloe, and that was the start of his overbearing and controlling behavior.


    But his mouth moved on its own, spouting hurtful lies to get back at Chloe, who dared to hurt his heart like this.


    He gritted his teeth, trying to endure the horrible aching in his heart.


    Chloe stared at Vincent in silence.


    Just like what she expected.


    Vincent would always return to his old method of cursing, yelling, and humiliating her whenever he got angry. He tried to make himself look presentable as if he regretted everything he had done.


    But when there was just a bit of argument between them, Vincent would scream at the top of his lungs, calling her names and even going as far as beating her because she was a disobedient woman.


    He never changed because violence and dominance were part of his innate personality.


    Maybe the young Vincent could be changed by good teaching from his parents, but this old Vincent was far gone. There was no more chance for him to walk in a better path.


    "I think we''re done here," Chloe said. "I just want to talk to you, checking if you''re stable enough so I can grant you visitation rights. But you''re still the same monster I married ten years ago. Nothing can change you."


    Vincent snapped out of his rage, realizing that his anger had again taken control of him.


    He panicked and tried to stop Chloe, "W¡ªWait, don''t leave me! I know I''m wrong. Sometimes I can''t control myself. That''s why I snapped. Besides, it''s also your fault because you''re trying to provoke me!"


    "Provoking you?" Chloe''s eyes widened. "You think everything I said before was to provoke you?"


    "What else?" Vincent insisted. "You keep telling me that I beat you up and then tell me there is no forgiveness. You also told me there is no way I can meet with you and Mackie again! Of course, I would snap! Any sane man would snap!"


    Chloe got up from her seat, facing Vincent head-on. She used her index finger to poke Vincent''s chest, "And no sane man would beat his wife for no reason. No sane man would humiliate his wife, calling him an ugly whale bitch because she got fat after giving birth. No sane man would fuck another woman in front of his pregnant wife!"


    "Get a grip, Vincent. You''re not sane at all! You''re by far the worst man I''ve ever encountered in my life!" Chloe couldn''t hold her rage. She tried her best to be civil, but Vincent''s ignorance was truly grating. "I can''t believe you are still ming me for all your faults! My God, Vincent Gray, you''re truly a monster!"


    Vincent was caught off guard by Chloe, who snapped back at him.


    Chloe finally had enough. She grabbed her small bag and documents on the table and was about to leave.


    "We''re not done yet, Chloe Gray!" Vincent insisted.


    Chloe looked over her shoulder, "Yes, we are. I have nothing to say to you, and I don''t want to cater to your childish tantrum. Don''t worry about the divorce, you won''t lose anything except your status as my husband, and you will never see Mackenzie again. Goodbye, Vincent."


    Vincent stared at the back of the beautiful but arrogant woman.


    He remembered how obedient Chloe was when they first got married. She was sweet, meek, and wouldn''t dare to argue back at him.


    It was because she got freedom and thus recovered her confidence, and now she became a disobedient woman that needed to be taught a lesson again.


    Vincent tried to hold himself, but he couldn''t handle the idea that Chloe would be independent of him, living her best life with Vernon while he would be suffering for the rest of his life.


    "I will tell the media that Vernon stole you away from me! He will be seen as a homewrecker!" Vincent said, thinking it should deter Chloe because Chloe must''ve cared so much about Vernon''s career.


    Chloe shrugged and didn''t even care about looking back at him, "He is far more powerful than you, Vincent. You''re going to lose everything if you dare to go against him. You should thank me because I told him I don''t need your gruesome death as revenge. He is more than willing to end your life."


    Vincent gritted his teeth. He was so angry at Chloe, who dared to talk back to him. Thus, in a fit of anger, he raised his hand and was about to hit Chloe on the head from behind. He guessed it should be enough to knock her out.


    He knew it would onlyplicate things, but he didn''t care anymore.


    All he wanted to do was to release his frustration towards Chloe, who dared to hurt him like this!


    Chloe didn''t know what was about to happen to her, but she suddenly saw Vernon, who mmed the door open and dashed past her.


    Chloe turned her head immediately and saw Vincent getting handled by Vernon. His face was shoved to the ground, and Vernon pulled Vincent''s arm to lock him, ensuring he couldn''t struggle.


    He stepped on Vincent''s back and pressed him deeper into the ground, "ARRGHHH!"


    Vincent''s cry echoed in this small room, and Chloe still tried to process what happened.


    "W¡ªWhat are you doing, Vernon?" She asked.


    Vernon looked at his beloved and replied, "He was about to attack you from behind. I see it all, and you should see the CCTV recording."

 Chapter 773

    Chapter 773


    [Song Rmendation: Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate.]


    [This is the final song of this novel.]


    Chloe stared at her lover, who swiftly disarmed Vincent before he could do anything to hurt her.


    She then looked down to see Vincent growling like a madman, trying to break free from Vernon''s bear-strength restraint. He red at Chloe as if she were the most wretched thing he couldn''t wait to kill.


    That stare was quite familiar to Chloe.


    Sometimes when Vincent was so angry, whenever she tried to fight back, he would give her that deathly stare until she was scared out of her wits and beat her up mercilessly.


    Now this was the Vincent Gray that Chloe knew. This was the monster who filled her nightmare and the monster she had always wanted to escape from.


    It was crazy how Vincent could switch up so fast.


    A few moments ago, he was begging Chloe to ept him back. He even cried to make himself more convincing. But once he was faced with rejection, he suddenly turned violent.


    "YOU BITCH! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR REBELLING AGAINST ME!" Vincent yelled like a wild dog. "I WILL SMASH YOUR HEAD UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND YOU''RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!"


    Chloe''s body shook greatly.


    Her mind shed with the awful memories of when she lived with Vincent.


    Those words were like a bunch of trigger words that made her body shut down instantly.


    "Damn it, MEYER! PROTECT MY WIFE!" Vernon yelled, and Meyer dashed into the room and stood in front of Chloe.


    "You need to leave first, Mrs. Gray. This ce is not safe," Meyer said coldly while being a barrier between Chloe and Vincent.


    Chloe snapped out of her fear when she realized that Meyer and Vernon were actively trying to protect her.


    She knew she wasn''t a powerfuldy who could punch Vincent until he died.


    But was not the same Chloe from a year ago.


    She had broken free from Vincent''s chain, and thus, she should not fear him when he tried to scare her.


    Thus, Chloe took a deep breath and said, "Step aside, Meyer. I want to see my ex-husband''s face."


    "What in the¡ªleave now, honey! Don''t let him scare you!" Vernon yelled, trying to tell Chloe to leave before she got a panic attack.


    "Don''t worry, I am not the same woman from a year ago," Chloe said. "I will face him."


    Meyer was initially worried, but when he turned around and saw the determination in Mrs. Phoenix Gray''s face, he was assured.


    He stepped to the side, allowing Chloe to face Vincent again.


    Vincent was still trying to break free. His face was so red, like a demon, and he gritted his teeth to the point that saliva dropped from the corner of his mouth.


    "Vincent Gray, you can''t touch me anymore now," Chloe said coldly. "I am not alone. I have my soon-to-be husband and friends who will help me. You locked me in your mansion and isted me until I had nobody by my side. But you forget one thing."


    Chloe took another deep breath and stated, "You can''t cage a canary and expect her not to sing once she breaks free. I fear you no more, and I will tell the whole world about everything you did to me, starting from the judge for our divorce trial."


    "This is the end, Vincent Gray."


    Chloe turned around and left Vincent in shock as Chloe had just sealed his fate with her words.


    She would tell everyone about what he did to her.


    And he knew that the public wouldn''t take it nicely. Only his family would ept Vincent''s kind of discipline for his wife. The public would call him an abuser and a monster.


    "No! No!" Vincent tried to break free even harder. He wanted to reach Chloe, who finally walked away from the room. "Chloe! Don''t leave! Don''t tell anyone about us! I don''t want everyone to hate me!"


    Unfortunately, no matter how loud he tried to call Chloe, his soon-to-be ex-wife didn''t budge. Chloe simply left her and proceeded to wait for the trial somewhere else.


    "You should stop struggling, Vincent. It''s getting tiring," Vernonined as he tried to keep Vincent in ce.


    Vincent was dazed as he was in shock, but the rage in his heart hadn''t been appeased. Since he couldn''t do anything to Chloe right now, then the other choice was to scream and curse at his little brother.


    "YOU BASTARD! YOU STOLE MY WIFE FROM ME! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, VERNON!" Vincent yelled.


    Vernon rolled his eyes, "You know there is CCTV in this room, right? I will recover it immediately and put it as proof of your attempt at assault. You''re seriously not making this any better for yourself, but that''s good. Because that would be Chloe''s bullet for the uing trial."


    Vernon darted his eyes at Meyer and ordered, "Hold this guy in ce. I''m going to call the security. We have hard proof of his attempted assault in the CCTV."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Meyer switched with his boss, and it was even easier for Meyer to reprimand Vincent because he was trained to do so.


    Vernon stared at his Big brother, who was in such a sorry state, and said, "See you in court, big bro. I will make sure you have no right to visit Mackie anymore. She is my daughter and doesn''t need a second father."


    Vincent knew that Mackie was his only chance to get Chloe back. So he yelled in hisst attempt to save his marriage, "SHE IS MY DAUGHTER! SHE WILL ALWAYS BE MY DAUGHTER! DON''T YOU FUCKING DARE STEAL HER AWAY FROM ME!"


    "Your daughter? You''re not even trying to take care of her when they are still living with you," Vernon sneered. "Just admit it, big bro. You just want to use Mackie as your ticket to get Chloe''s sympathy again."


    "Unlike you, I truly love Mackie as my daughter. I see myself in her and will do everything to protect her from a monster like you."

 Chapter 774

    Chapter 774


    Vernon had enough talk with Vincent as he knew it was going nowhere anyway. Vincent would continuously curse him for being the homewrecker, even though it was Vincent himself who ruined his family.


    Chloe was a very tolerant person who forgave a lot.


    At the start of his reunion with Chloe, Vernon admitted he was such an asshole. They had many unneeded confrontations and misunderstandings because Vernon thought that Chloe hated him, so he wanted them to burn together in pain.


    But Chloe showed him nothing but gentleness. She was patient and loving, just like before they got separated, and his wrath slowly died down, leaving a bittersweet feeling as he wanted to repair his rtionship with Chloe.


    Now that he was at his best time with Chloe, he would not allow anyone to ruin it.


    Vernon left the room and reported everything to the police officers outside. The officers quickly reprimanded Vincent and put him in a handcuff. He struggled like a madman to no avail.


    He knew that his love life with Chloe would be done for, and this crushing feeling in his heart made him uncontroble.


    Chloe was sitting in another room, it was only thirty minutes before the divorce trial started, and Chloe felt the pressure already.


    Vernon entered the room with an assuring smile, "Love, I''ve sessfully retrieved the CCTV recording just now. I told mywyer to y it during the trial to make sure that the judge knows what kind of character Vincent has."


    Vernon hugged Chloe, who looked worried. He then checked her body, ensuring that she didn''t get hurt anywhere.


    Chloe smiled and patted his chest, "I''m fine. Thanks to you, who swiftly protected me before Vincent could do anything."


    "I hope this can be a wake-up call for you," Vernon said. "Vincent is not stable. He will never be. We shouldn''t let him get close to Mackie, or our daughter might get influenced by his terrible behavior."


    Chloe smiled bitterly, "It''s so sad to see, but you''re right. I don''t want Mackie to get hurt. I won''t allow visitation when he can be so dangerous with his anger issue. I will also file a restraining orderter."


    "She will be able to meet Vincent again once she''s eighteen, and I hope by that time, our daughter can see the true color of her biological father," Chloe said.


    Vernon still disagreed with that.


    He didn''t want Mackie to see Vincent for the rest of her life, but once she was eighteen, none of them could stop her anymore if she wanted to visit Vincent.


    So all he could do was ensure Mackie was safe before she reached adulthood.


    Vincent rubbed Chloe''s baby bump, hidden neatly under her zer.


    They hid Chloe''s pregnancy because Vincent might use this as a bullet to attack them in court. Besides, it would be too scandalous and would be a media highlight.


    Just like he said before, he wanted Chloe to be remembered by the media as a strong woman who went through a lot. He didn''t want any nder to his beloved wife.


    "I will protect you and our children, Chloe. I promise."


    "And I trust you''d do that for me and our children," Chloe smiled. "I will get my divorce today, and I can''t wait to marry you, husband."


    Vernon was so happy when Chloe called him ''husband.'' He wanted to hug her so tight and marry her right here, but he knew he had to prepare a good proposal for her.


    They got called by theirwyer thirty minutester, stating that the trial would start soon, and Chloe had toe with him.


    Vernon was at a loss when he saw Chloe enter the area for the ones involved in the divorce trial, while he could only sit as a public member or audience.


    Chloe walked with a sure step as she entered the court. She sat on the left and saw Vincent standing on the other side. Two police officers guarded him, and his hand was tied in a handcuff.


    She stared at him for a while, and he darted his eyes until their eyes identally met.


    Chloe''s heart jumped as she saw the hatred in Vincent''s eyes. She swallowed her saliva hard, trying her best to stay calm.


    ''You can do this, Chloe. This will be the end of your suffering. You can''t mess this up,'' Chloe warned herself, as she didn''t want to look weak in front of Vincent.


    The bailiff announced the judge''s arrival, and the judge first noticed the eye contact between Chloe and Vincent. She was able to catch the dynamic between this pair of soon-to-be ex-husband and wife, especially after she saw the handcuff and officers guarding Vincent Gray.


    She sighed.


    She had been a judge for more than a decade, and domestic abuse never seemed to stop. No matter how manyws were made to protect women from domestic abuse, it didn''t deter many abusive men.


    ''So this is another domestic abuse case,'' the judge thought. ''I''ve never expected Vincent Gray to be an abuser. He always showed himself as a family man in the media. I guess we can''t trust that kind of public image.''


    "Please be seated," the bailiff said before they started the trial.


    Judge read the document on her table and then cleared her throat to start the trial;


    "Good morning, everyone. My name is Judge Melinda Parr. We''re here to proceed with the divorce between Mrs. Chloe Gray and Mr. Vincent Gray. For the attorney of Mrs. Chloe Gray''s side as the intiff of the divorce, please introduce yourself and your opening statement."


    Chloe''s divorce attorney stood up and began to introduce himself. He opened his statement as the intiff.


    The judge listened to the opening statement and nodded slightly.


    She kept staring at Chloe, who seemed to have much to say, so she said, "Thank you for your statement, Mr. Morris. Now I want Mrs. Chloe Gray toe and borate on all her statements regarding her divorce plea."


    c71241599ffa2342522e9fa0e93245a9b77279a7b89d8342071b2e9f762bbbca34b1c986029b9a9b075c8927057dd

 Chapter 775 775

    ?


    Chloe jolted.


    She didn''t expect to speak up about this because, based on the briefing with thewyer yesterday, she had to sit and let him speak about the whole thing.


    She hadn''t prepared any statement yet, and she subconsciously looked at Vincent first to see him ring at her with hatred.


    She then shifted her gaze towards Vernon, who gave her a thin smile and light nod, indirectly telling her to stand on her ground and tell the judge about everything that had happened to her for the past ten years.


    ''This is my one and only chance. I will never be able to be free if I let my fear control me at this point,'' Chloe told herself.


    Thus, she mustered her courage and stood up. She walked to the podium, facing the judge, who eyed her intensely as if she was judging Chloe''s true character and intention.


    "Thank you for the permission, your honor," Chloe opened her statement. "I am here as a woman who filed for divorce against her own husband, but with solid reasons."


    Chloe looked at Vincent, who zipped his mouth, but she could see that he was still trying to control himself not to lunge at Chloe and punch her in the face.


    "My husband, Vincent Gray, has abused me for ten years. He subjected me to various torture, physically and mentally. He hit me many times until the bruises became part of my skin," Chloe''s voice began to tremble because of her emotional stimtion.


    She remembered all the pain Vincent inflicted on her body, but the physical pain could heal as always, just like how she looked beautiful now. Nobody except her family knew how bad it was for her before.


    She had gone through so many transformations just to look good in front of Vincent, only for him tough at all of her attempts.


    But it didn''t matter now.


    Nothing mattered between Chloe and Vincent anymore because they would be separated soon.


    "He has been mentally abusive as well. He has cheated on me since I was seven months pregnant, and it continues until I decide to leave him," Chloe said. She looked back towards the public member seat, mostly filled with women. "In fact, I''ve brought many of the women he had an affair with. They are ready to give testimony regarding Vincent Gray''s infidelity."


    The judge couldn''t hide her surprise. She darted her eyes towards the public members and saw at least ten women who stood up without fear in their eyes.


    Vincent was also surprised by this statement. He looked over his shoulder, and his heartbeat skipped for a second the moment he saw many familiar faces.


    Chloe actually brought ten of Vincent''s mistresses. There were many more, but ten was enough to shock the entire court.


    "These women¡­ are they Mr. Vincent Gray''s affairs?" The judge asked Chloe.


    "Yes, Your Honor. You can ask them one by one, and they will admit it. They can even specify what is


    Chloe should thank Prisci for wanting to work with her on this.


    They had a talk a few days ago regarding Vincent, and Prisci first asked Chloe''s forgiveness.


    Second, she realized she couldn''t make up for all the damage she had done to Chloe. So she tried topensate by gathering at least ten of Vincent''s mistresses before her. So they could be present during the court to show what kind of man Vincent truly was.


    And it worked.


    -


    ''This is the least I could do to you, Chloe. I know we''re not supposed to be friends, and even now, I don''t think we can be friends knowing how bad our rtionship is,'' Prisci said. ''But this is mypensation, so you can''t say that I don''t try to make up for it.''


    ''One more thing. Please don''t let Mr. Phoenix Gray to fire me, I will always be loyal and put Vincent under control, I promise!''


    -


    ''I should thank her for this,'' Chloe thought. She already knew about the Khloe thing, and though she found it weird, Vernon said putting Prisci with Vincent to keep him in check was necessary.


    The judge stared at the women individually, then told them to sit down.


    She returned her focus to Chloe and ordered, "You may continue, Mrs. Chloe Gray."


    "Thank you, Your Honor."


    "Physical abuse, mental abuse, and affair might be enough for many women to leave, but I stayed for ten years because I thought we could fix this broken marriage," Chloe clenched her fist as she remembered her beloved daughter.


    Mackenzie was her source of strength.


    She was the real reason why Chloe decided to leave, and the judge had to know this no matter what.


    "But I finally decide to end everything after realizing that Vincent Gray will inflict the same thing on my daughter just like what he inflicted on me," Chloe said.


    "¡­ please exin that further, Mrs. Gray."


    "Yes, Your Honor," Chloe took a deep breath and continued, "I decided to leave on my daughter''s seventh birthday because Vincent dares to ignore my daughter''s birthday to sleep with one of his mistresses."


    "I realize the pattern right away. Just like how he ignores me to sleep with other women. He will start beating my daughter once she is old enough, and I¡ªas a mother¡ªwill not let that happen."


    "It took me a while to finally get my life together. But I want my divorce as the justice I deserve," Chloe said. "I do not need his money, nor do I need him to pay for child support. All I ask for is for him not to demand visitation right. I don''t want him to get near and hurt my daughter while I''m not with them."


    The judge nodded. She understood the situation, and would grant the divorce without hesitation.


    But the judge had to be fair, and the father should still be granted visitation right under a heavy watch to ensure the child''s safety.


    But before she could say that, Chloe added, ''I have proof that Vincent Gray was about to hurt me about thirty minutes ago, Your Honor.''

 Chapter 776 776

    <h4>Chapter 776 Chapter 776</h4>


    "A proof?" The judge was yet again caught off guard by Chloe''s statement. "What proof do you have, Mrs. Gray? Did you record your husband beating you?"


    "No, this building''s CCTV recorded everything," Chloe said. She nced at herwyer, and thewyer nodded in response.


    Thewyer handed a sh disk to the bailiff, and thetter used theputer to project the video for everyone to see.


    It was a CCTV recording, and they could see Vincent and Chloe Gray sitting at a table, facing each other.


    Even though the CCTV couldn''t record their conversation, they could see the gesture that Chloe and Vincent made, and they saw that Vincent looked like a rabid dog ready to snap at Chloe at any time.


    After the argument broke out, Chloe Gray decided to leave Vincent alone, and everyone, including the judge, could see Vincent, who took a long step to stand right behind Chloe.


    He raised his fist, ready to punch Chloe in the head. That strong punch would probably knock her out or, even worse, cause an internal injury.


    Thankfully, a man stormed into the room and rushed to catch Vincent before he could hit Chloe.


    The man locked Vincent in ce, and not long after that, another man came in to help the young man who protected Chloe.


    The judge hummed and asked, "Who is this man, Mrs. Gray?"


    "That is my¡ªbrother-inw, Vernon Phoenix Gray," Chloe turned around to point at Vernon. She was about to introduce Vernon as her lover but knew it would only worsen her situation, so she called him her brother-inw.


    Which wasn''t wrong.


    Though, Vernon wouldn''t be her inw anymore after this trial ended.


    "The brother-inw is on your side?" The judge asked.


    Chloe opened her mouth, but before she could reply, Vincent suddenly interrupted.


    "Brother-inw? Heh, she is having an affair with my brother," Vincent sneered.


    Chloe''s lips thinned, and the judge was displeased with the interruption.


    "This is not your time to speak yet, Mr. Vincent Gray."


    Vincent zipped his mouth but red at Chloe, angry at her.


    The judge returned her gaze to Chloe and asked, "Is that true, Mrs. Gray? You''re having an affair with your brother-inw?"


    Chloe looked over her shoulder to get assurance from Vernon, and Vernon replied with a nod.


    Thus, she replied, "You may call it an affair, Your Honor. But I got together with him after I ran away from my husband. Vincent has been abusing me for ten years, isting me until I have no friends, job, and nobody to support me except my brother-inw. And we naturally get together after some time."


    Vincent finally had a smirk after thinking that Chloe had screwed herself up. She shouldn''t have admitted her rtionship with Vernon because that meant the judge would be on his side now.


    He got confident. After so much proof against him, he could finally say Chloe was just as bad as him.


    The judge went silent for a moment, staring at Chloe, who showed no sign of nervousness, and then nodded, "You may sit down, Mrs. Gray."


    Chloe returned to her seat, and it was time for Vincent next.


    "Mr. Vincent Gray, you are not apanied by anywyer, I see," the judge mentioned.


    "I don''t need awyer, Your Honor," Vincent said as he stood before the judge. "I can defend myself, and let me tell you, that woman right there, is the most undisciplined, unbridled woman you''ll ever see on earth."


    "Care to exin that, Mr. Gray?" the judge asked.


    Vincent nodded confidently, "I do admit that I cheated. But she has not been aesthetically pleasing for the past ten years. I tried to tolerate her, but she was just too much for me to like. So I decided to cheat."


    The judge''s lips twitched. She somehow already guessed the true characteristics of this man.


    He might not realize it, but he was about to make the biggest mistake in his life, and the judge wouldn''t stop him from it.


    "But you hit her, Mr. Gray. We even have that CCTV footage yed just now," the judge said.


    "That''s because she taunted me over her rtionship with my brother. They are ying behind my back. They screwed my business over, making me angry, Your Honor."


    "And that allows you to hit her?"


    Vincent knew if he said yes, the judge would call him abusive. So he replied, "It''s in the fit of rage, Your Honor. I would NOT do that regrly. It''s because my wife has been taunting me so much, and I have had enough of her cheating. That''s why I lost control over myself."


    "But it shouldn''t matter, right? My brother stopped me right before I could do anything. They are in this together to make me look bad!" Vincent stated as he tried to clear his name. "Your Honor, you should understand that I''m just a man, and just like a regr man, I will get violent when I''m angry."


    The judge closed her eyes briefly and sucked deep breaths, "Thank you, Mr. Gray. You may return to your seat."


    Vincent was confident. He smirked at Chloe, who had been staring at him during his testimony.


    She didn''t know if the judge''s decision would go ording to her n. But she had tried her best, and she said what needed to be said.


    What was left was the judge''s decision.


    The judge read the pleas from Chloe.


    She didn''t want a divorce settlement.


    She didn''t need child support for their daughter.


    And all she wanted was full custody of her daughter and for the judge to erase visitation rights for Vincent due to his unstable mood and abusive behavior.


    It took her a while to review the documents, and then she nodded after making her own decision.


    She lifted her head and stared at Vincent and Chloe.


    "Mr. Vincent Gray. Mrs. Chloe Gray, pleasee to the front and stand side by side. I havee to my decision regarding this divorce trial."

 Chapter 777 777: The Divorce Verdict

    <h4>Chapter 777 Chapter 777: The Divorce Verdict</h4>


    "Mr. Vincent Gray. Mrs. Chloe Gray, pleasee to the front and stand side by side. I havee to my decision regarding this divorce trial."


    Chloe and Vincent looked at each other silently and then walked to the podium directly facing the judge.


    The judge reviewed her decision for thest time before staring at the soon-to-be-divorced couple.


    She wouldn''t lie that Vincent and Chloe Gray looked good standing side by side. But at the same time, she could also see the hatred emanating from Vincent.


    The judge had been handling so many divorce cases in her career that she could see the craziness in his eyes. Chloe Gray wasn''t lying when she said that he was abusive.


    ''And so I will give them what they want.''


    The judge cleared her throat and dered, "After a thorough review of the divorce case between Vincent Gray and Chloe Gray, motivated by the abuse and neglect from Vincent Gray to his wife, Chloe Gray, and his daughter, Mackenize Gray."


    "On top of that, we have the video evidence of Vincent Gray attempting to assault his wife after getting taunted."


    Vincent smirked when the judge mentioned his attempted assault.


    He nced at Chloe, who looked very serious as she stared at the judge, waiting for the verdict.


    Vincent had to admit that Chloe had be gorgeous after leaving him for a year. She had returned to her healthy weight and regained the same beauty she had ten years ago.


    ''Ah, this only makes me want you more,'' Vincent sighed. ''You are so beautiful, and now I want you in my life. I want you to be my wife once more.''


    ''Just wait and see, Chloe. Even if we get divorced, I will still get visitation right,'' Vincent thought. ''Why? Because the judge recognized that you often taunted me until I lost control. Everything that I did is absolutely justified.''


    ''And once I get visitation right, it''s not hard for me to influence our innocent daughter to hate you for divorcing me,'' Vincent couldn''t hide his malicious smile. He had a long n on how to steal Mackie''s heart until she trusted her Daddypletely.


    He would eventually tell Mackie to run away and live with him, thus forcing Chloe to return home. After all, Mackie was the reason she left.


    ''And Mackie will also be the reason she returns to our mansion.''


    Meanwhile, Chloe rubbed her palms nervously. She silently prayed that the judge could give her the divorce she wanted and also forbade Vincent from visitation rights.


    She knew what was in Vincent''s mind.


    It was too dangerous to let him meet with Mackie when he was still the same monster from one year ago.


    "Therefore, I, Judge Melinda Parr, grant the divorce for Vincent and Chloe Gray. Mr. Vincent Gray does not need to pay for a child''s support, and no divorce settlement is necessary. This is all the request of Mrs. Chloe Gray as the intiff."


    "Mackenzie Rose Gray is eight years old, and thus the full custody is given to Chloe Gray as the mother."


    "On top of that¡­" the judge stared at Vincent, who seemed to have guessed everything. He looked eerily calm and confident. Vincent also had a smile that could only be described as malicious.


    "I also grant Mrs. Chloe Gray''s request to deny visitation rights for Mr. Vincent Gray. Therefore, Mackenzie is not obligated to visit her father. She is free to cut contact with her father as well."


    "This is the final verdict of this divorce case."


    Vincent was still on cloud nine until the judge suddenly denied his visitation right. His eyes widened, but before he could say a thing, the judge raised her gavel and banged on the wooden surface three times.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    Bang.


    Chloe was so relieved and happy that she began to sob.


    She didn''t even know how to express herself right now.


    Meanwhile, Vincent took a while to process everything until he protested, "Wait, this is not fair!" He yelled to the judge.


    The judge wasn''t even surprised by his protest. He wasn''t the first to protest after the divorce verdict, and the judge was willing to debate this crazed maniac who beat his wife.


    "And what do you think is unfair, Mr. Gray?" the judge asked.


    Vincent gritted his teeth. He pointed at Chloe with his elbow and said. "This is not right! Howe this bitch gets all the good things, and I get nothing?"


    "Your ex-wife doesn''t ask for divorce settlement and child support. You are free to walk out of the courtroom without losing a single dime. It is very fair," the judge replied.


    "I''d rather pay those than lose my visitation right! I want to see my daughter!" Vincent insisted. "Why am I not allowed to see my daughter anyway? Is it because this bitch looks pitiful? This is why I don''t agree that a woman like you can be a judge. You whores can''t use your fucking brain!"


    The guards were about to escort Vincent out of the courtroom, but the judge stopped them. She wanted to talk with this man first.


    "Mr. Vincent Gray, you testified that your ex-wife taunted you. That''s why you lost control before the trial started and attempted to assault her. You also said that you would get violent when angry," the judge mentioned. "Do you think a violent and uncontroble man is allowed around children?"


    "But I never hurt my daughter!" Vincent denied. "I''ve never even yelled at her! I only beat and yell at Chloe!"


    "Why? Because she is an adult, and your daughter is a child?" The judge asked. "Then what will happen once your daughter is a teenager? Will you start beating her by then? Vincent Gray, you have a twisted and disturbing way of degrading women. Just like what you told me just now, we are whores that can''t use our brains."


    "Do you think that kind of man will appreciate and love his daughter? I doubt that."


    The judge ended their argument with a small piece of advice;


    "You should be thankful to your ex-wife because she is saving your daughter from a monster like you."

 Chapter 778 778

    <h4>Chapter 778 Chapter 778</h4>


    The judge''sst advice made Vincent feel like thunder had struck down upon him.


    She got up from her seat and walked out of the courtroom as she had no more time to listen to the bullshit spouted by that crazy misogynist.


    "Wait! Your Honor¡ªJudge¡ªWAIT!" Vincent wanted to chase the judge because he still wanted to fight for visitation rights. He had to find a way to trap Chloe back into his arms in any way possible!


    Unfortunately, right before he could reach the judge, the officers quickly caught his arms, and thus the judge left the courtroom, cementing Vincent''s fate as he would never be able to get Chloe back.


    Vincent began to yell out of frustration at the judge who had left, "YOU FUCKING CUNT! HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY LIFE LIKE THIS?! DON''T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Vincent''s voice echoed inside the courtroom, everyone was shocked by his curses, but nobody dared to do anything as they saw Vincent as a dangerous madman right now.


    Vincent realized he was done for, but the rage umted in his heart had yet to die out.


    He turned his head and red at Chloe, still wiping her tears with her sleeve.


    All the pain and suffering she experienced for ten years was finally over. She could finally live a good life without hiding. She was finally free from the monster.


    She raised her head as she felt the re that pierced through her body, then she flinched when she saw the murderous auraing from Vincent.


    She took a step back out of reflex as Vincent red at her, and then his eyes went down to check on her belly.


    He seemed to have guessed that Chloe must''ve been pregnant with that bastard''s child. So if he couldn''t kill Chloe, Vernon, or Mackenzie, the least he could do was avenge his pain to that baby.


    "LET ME GO! UGH! LET ME GO!" Vincent began to struggle like a madman and regained monstrous strength for a while. He struggled so much that the two officers had difficulty handling him.


    "Vincent Gray! Stay still!" One of them yelled to no avail.


    Vincent broke free from the officers'' restraint and rushed towards Chloe. Since his hand was still tied, he rushed like a raging bull, ready to headbutt Chloe''s baby bump.


    "WATCH OUT!"


    Chloe gasped when she heard someone screaming at her. She wasn''t fast enough to dodge, so she turned around instead, dedicated to saving her baby, even if she had to break her back.


    Vincent almost reached Chloe when someone stepped in and punched him in the temple.


    SLAM!


    "ARRGH!"


    The punch was so powerful that Vincent was mmed to the ground until he instantly lost consciousness.


    Everyone in the courtroom fell into deafening silence. They were still trying to process what just happened.


    Vernon''s chest heaved as he dashed, jumped straight to the podium, and punched Vincent''s head before he could touch Chloe.


    He looked at Vincent, who had lost consciousness, and then rushed to hug his beloved, "Chloe!"


    Chloe opened her eyes when she could feel the familiar embrace of her man. She looked up and saw Vernon''s worried face, "Are you alright?"


    Chloe stared at Vernon''s eyes full for at least a whole minute before she nodded, "Please take me out of here. I can''t even look at him anymore."


    Vernon peeked at Vincent''s condition. After getting hit hard in the head, he was unconscious, and the officers were trying to carry him out of the courtroom.


    Vernon knew he might have to deal with some paperwork for this, but that didn''t matter. Chloe and their baby were more important than just a few hassles.


    "Okay, let''s go home. I will let Diamond handle the rest," Vernon said.


    Chloe tried to walk, but her knees wobbled. She was still so shocked that she had lost her strength, so Vernon quickly helped by carrying her in his arms.


    Everyone watched as Chloe and Vernon walked out of the courtroom.


    Vernon thought he had handled the reporter''s problem, so they wouldn''t bother Chloe after the trial ended. They weren''t allowed to enter the courtroom, but they had been waiting outside the court just to get a slice of the scandalous trial between Chloe and Vincent Gray.


    Chloe was caught off guard when the blitz of the camera blinded her. She quickly buried her face into Vernon''s chest, but Vernon didn''t even seem surprised by the reporters.


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, can you tell us what happened inside the courtroom?"


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray, is it true that you had an affair with Mrs. Chloe when she was still with Vincent Gray?"


    "How about the divorce verdict, Sir? Can you share with us about the final verdict?"


    Vernon had guessed that Vincent must be the one who invited these reporters. He probably thought that he would get the visitation right and thus painted Chloe as an evil woman who tried to stop him from seeing his daughter.


    ''And it backfires,'' Vernon thought. ''Because I will be the one who stirs the public opinion now.''


    "The trial went well. Vincent Gray and Chloe Gray have been granted a divorce. Vincent Gray doesn''t need to pay for child support, and there is no divorce settlement. This is requested by Chloe herself."


    "The custody of their child naturally falls into Chloe''s hand, but the court has denied Vincent visitation rights. He no longer has the right to contact his daughter until she is eighteen."


    The reporters were all shocked by the revtion. Visitation right was mandatory after a divorce, but if someone got denied visitation rights, that meant he or she had a problem that might harm the child.


    Vernon grinned, knowing that the reporters would eventually find their own way to make a sensational gossip about the denied visitation right.


    Thus, they came for their final and most important question, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, what is your rtionship with the woman in your arms? Did you have an affair with Mrs. Chloe Gray beforehand?"

 Chapter 779 779

    <h4>Chapter 779 Chapter 779</h4>


    Vernon was about to answer, but Chloe interrupted, "It''s not an affair."


    The reporter''s attention shifted toward thedy lying in Mr. Phoenix Gray''s arms. Chloe silently clenched Vernon''s suit as she was scared of facing these hyenas.


    But she realized nobody but herself could answer this.


    She was the woman entangled by these brothers, so she had to rify before the misunderstanding became too much and might also affect Vernon''s job.


    She stared at Vernon, silently urging him to put her down.


    Vernon gave her a soft smile and asked, "Just talk. I will carry you until we go home. You''ve suffered too much today."


    Chloe was embarrassed, but Vernon was right.


    She was so shocked to get attacked by Vincent that her knees became weak.


    Thus, she braced herself and looked at the reporters who had shoved their mic to her face.


    "Mrs. Chloe Gray, did you have an affair with Mr. Phoenix Gray before you got a divorce?" One reporter asked.


    "Just like what I said before, it''s not an affair," Chloe rified. "I ran away from my ex-husband after I found out that he was sleeping with another woman during our daughter''s birthday. I can tolerate him betraying me, but I will never tolerate him betraying our daughter."


    "He refused to sign the divorce paper, but I want to run away from him with my daughter because he has been increasingly abusive towards me. I''m afraid he''d do the same to my daughter if we stay."


    "He refused to give us any money after I left and started terrorizing me so I''d give up on the divorce. I struggled to find a job until Vernon gave me one," Chloe said truthfully. She stared at Vernon, wanting his agreement to share it, and he nodded. "He is the most amazing man I''ve ever seen in my life. He is responsible and also loving. We had a rocky start due to some misunderstanding, but we are together now after we understood each other."


    "So if you ask me if we had an affair, my answer is no. Simply because the moment I walked away from Vincent, I realized that I have to be free from his shadow, and I found my light in him."


    The reporters were a bit confused about how they should tackle this problem.


    They couldn''t simply say that Chloe and Vernon had an affair because Chloe said she had already left Vincent before she started a rtionship with Vernon, it was her ex-husband who terrorized her and refused to sign the divorce paper, and knowing what kind of power Vincent held before, it was quite understandable that Vincent would do everything to stop the divorce process.


    The reporters were left speechless, and Vernon took this opportunity to leave, "Please excuse us. We have to go now. My soon-to-be wife is still very shocked because her ex-husband almost assaulted her in the courtroom just now."


    The reporters were shocked when Mr. Phoenix Gray imed Chloe as his ''soon-to-be wife''; it was a direct im that they were about to get married soon.


    They wanted to interview them more, but Vernon pushed himself out of the crowd by carrying Chloe and left the court building.


    "You did well," Vernon praised while he walked to their car. "I was about to say whether it''s an affair or not. It doesn''t matter because I will love you for the rest of my life as your husband and father of our children. But you really know how to stir those reporters."


    "I''m not trying to stir them. I''m just speaking the truth," Chloe said. "The moment I served him the divorce paper, I steeled my will to divorce him. I want nothing but to leave, but we both know how powerful Vincent was. It took us a lot of pain to finally get the divorce."


    "And you finally got yours," Vernon said. "You are free, my love."


    "We. We are free," Chloe corrected.


    Vernon smiled and kissed her forehead before carefully putting her into the passenger seat. He walked around the car to the driver''s seat and said, "Yes, we are free, and you should expect a proposal soon."


    Chloe''s cheeks warmed up. She felt shy whenever Vernon brought up the proposal because she felt their wedding was so close yet far away.


    She didn''t want to wish or ponder about it because it would only make her anxious. She just wished Vernon would propose to her soon because the baby in her belly kept growing, and she couldn''t hide her baby bump anymore.


    Though, she nned not to hide it anyway.


    She wanted her guests to know she was pregnant with Vernon''s child during the wedding. It felt right for her. It was like an announcement to the whole world that she finally had a family that truly treasured her.


    "Well then, Diamond, Meyer, and mywyer will handle the divorce administration. But worry not. It has been settled. Mackie doesn''t need to see Vincent until she is eighteen, and by that time, it''s up to her if she wants to see him or not," Vernon said.


    He checked his watch and said, "Why don''t we have lunch before picking up Mackie from her school? Then I can book the theater we used to watch her stage y together. I''m sure Mackie wants to watch a movie, right? She told me a few days ago that she wants to watch Moana."


    "She does. I actually nned to watch it with her once you got your break," Chloe said. "But it''s an old movie. Let''s just watch it in our house."


    "I can always tell the theater owner to y it for us. Come on, Love, let her enjoy her Moana in the cinema. I''m sure she''d like it," Vernon said, and Chloe couldn''t help to sigh. She honestly admired Vernon and how attentive he was.


    He remembered many small things about his family despite his busy work.


    "Alright, but don''t give her too much soda."


    "Hehe, I won''t. You know Mackie and I are bad with soda."

 Chapter 780 780

    <h4>Chapter 780 Chapter 780</h4>


    A week had passed since the divorce trial between Chloe and Vincent Gray.


    The news, both the formal and informal ones, talked about it because it was such a big shock that the loveable billionaire was actually a monster who repeatedly cheated, mentally and physically abused his wife, neglected his daughter, imprisoning and alienating his wife until she had no friends.


    On top of that, there was video proof showing him attacking Chloe before and after the trial, cementing his reputation as a wife-beater who also happened to be mentally deranged.


    The inte was also flooded with the same news, many YouTubers and Tiktok creators covered the topic, and some memes depicted Vincent Gray as a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    After all, he was once a very sessful and well-loved billionaire for his fun and cool personality.


    But that wasn''t what pissed Vincent the most.


    He sat in the same master bedroom, still in the same mansion, eating the same stale breakfast made by one of the maids or by Khloe. It didn''t matter anyway. All of them tasted the same, nd and soulless.


    It felt like prison food instead of a homemade breakfast.


    He didn''t get arrested after the failed attempt to attack Chloe because it was still a failed attempt, and thus he only had to pay a fine.


    Truthfully, Vincent didn''tck money, even now.


    After Vernon purchased the Graypany, his prosperity was guaranteed for the rest of his life. He didn''t even need to work as long as he didn''t have any ridiculous spending.


    Which wasn''t hard for him because he already lost his willpower to live.


    "What''s the point of having money when I can''t use it to make myself happy?" Vincent told himself. "This doesn''t matter. Everything doesn''t matter when I can''t be happy¡­"


    Vincent had tried many ways for the past week to make himself happy.


    He had liked to dress nicely before, so he bought a new set of custom-made suit.


    But then he remembered Chloe, who always prepared the best suit style to give him the charming edge over other businessmen.


    He liked golfing with his business partners and thedies before, but when he tried to golf alone, the only thing he remembered was Chloe.


    He vividly remembered how Chloe was so skittish when Vincent brought her on a golf date when they were still in high school.


    She never tried golf before, and it was awkward.


    But once she was able to do it, she was so happy that she hugged Vincent tightly to express her joy.


    ''That innocent beauty¡­'' Vincent recalled.


    He liked being surrounded by young women before, so he tried to call five hot girls toe and join him in bed, only to kick them all after five minutes.


    Why? Because he felt this master bedroom wasn''t supposed to be touched by anyone except Vincent and his wife, Chloe.


    "Ex-wife¡­" Vincent murmured. "But I still want to call her MY wife. I can''t let go."


    He tried many things, but each of them had memories of Chloe.


    As if Chloe had be part of his life, and now that she was truly gone, he realized he couldn''t relive any of his moments without thinking about Chloe''s sweet smile.


    Every time he remembered Chloe, he felt that his heart was being stabbed, and he wanted to cry, thinking about the one that got away.


    "Ah, what''s the use of crying now? Chloe is not mine anymore. She is with a bastard who ruined my life," Vincentmented.


    He had been watching the news to spend his day, listening to every news about him. They all called him a monster, a wolf in sheep''s clothing, and an abuser.


    Truthfully, Vincent felt nothing about them. He wasn''t even upset, knowing that he was indeed a monster.


    He had known about his monstrosity for a long time. He just thought that Chloe would be able to endure him, so they could livefortably for the rest of their lives.


    But what actually pissed him off was the coverage of Chloe and Vernon''s rtionship.


    Vincent had set up a few reporters in front of the court. He nned to walk out of the courtroom first and put on a sad face, telling the media that he and Chloe got a divorce, but he still got visitation rights.


    He would show great remorse in front of the camera, showing that he was just a broken man who felt the world crashing down on him.


    But what happened was that Chloe and Vernon used those reporters as their way to announce their rtionship. Chloe even defended her rtionship with Vernon in front of the media, causing a stir and a divide.


    People were divided on whether to call their affair an infidelity or not. But most people, especially women, praised Chloe for her courage to walk out of a toxic marriage and end up with a much better man.


    ¡ª


    "I''ve to say that I like how Miss Chloe Gray dares to walk away after realizing Vincent neglected their children!"


    "I know, right? That''s what a mother does! You must realize your child''s safety is the most important, so you must do anything, even sacrificing your marriage if that''s the cost of saving your child''s innocence!"


    "Besides, Vernon Phoenix Gray sounds like a good man who steps up. Chloe is definitely a woman who prioritizes her daughter the most, so our Mr. Phoenix Gray must''ve stolen the daughter''s heart first before stealing the mother''s."


    ¡ª


    The two female hosts giggled together as it was obvious that they were supporting Chloe and Vernon''s rtionship. It was such a hot topic, but generally, this rtionship only boosted Vernon''s image even more.


    Because now everyone thought that he was a man of virtue. A man who could heal a broken woman until she regained her confidence and was able to love again after leaving her abusive husband.


    Vincent gritted his teeth and cursed, "BULLSHIT! THAT MAN IS A FUCKING MONSTER JUST LIKE ME! WE ARE BROTHERS!"

 Chapter 781 781

    <h4>Chapter 781 Chapter 781</h4>


    Vincent was frustrated because everyone adored Vernon, even though Vernon was obviously a backstabbing bastard who used his vulnerability to ruin the Graypany.


    He was the one that shouldn''t be trusted, but Vincent was the one who got hated in the end.


    He gritted his teeth when he saw Vernon''s face on the screen, smiling as if he was the good man in this story.


    "Heh, there is no way my little brother is not like me. He is just wearing his mask better. There will be a time when he will take off his mask and show his true face," Vincent said.


    He kept his mask for twenty-five years before Chloe until he had enough, and he finally showed his true self after getting married.


    As he was still watching the news, he heard a knock on the door. He said nothing as he knew who it was anyway.


    Khloe opened the door and stared meekly at Vincent, "Um, Vincent, you have a guest."


    Vincent still disliked how Khloe began to call him by his first name without using honorifics. But he also didn''t care enough to correct her.


    "Who is it?" Vincent asked. He knew that his reputation was on the ground, so it was obvious that no sane person wanted to have anything to do with him.


    In fact, all of his business partners who licked his boots before suddenly disappeared after the divorce trial. They even blocked his phone number for an obvious reason.


    So it was a surprise that someone came to his mansion and wanted to meet him.


    "It''s Dorothea Gray, your mother," Khloe said. "She said she wants to have a conversation with you."


    Vincent''s eyes widened.


    His mom practically disappeared right after she made a mess in the Gray Foundation before. He actually thought she was from an overdose, and thus he quickly forgot about her.


    "Alright, I''ll meet her soon. I have to take a bath first," Vincent said.


    He knew that his mother must''ve wanted tough at his condition right now, and he didn''t want to allow her to do that.


    For the first time in the week, he bathed, sprayed his perfume, and wore a suit.


    He walked through the corridor to the guest area and saw Dorothea sitting elegantly on the chair. It was a surprise because this Dorothea looked a lot more toned down than she was before she disappeared.


    Dorothea, whom Vincent knew, always kept her figure. Despite her age, she looked youthful and arrogant, and she looked like a cold woman who wouldn''t dare to crush anyone who dared to go against her.


    But this woman was a little hunched. She wore a simple flower dress instead of the usual shy gown. She looked kinder, like a regr olddy.


    What shocked Vincent more was the two men standing behind her. It was Nigel, and Meyer, Vernon''s bodyguard, who helped reprimand him when he was about to attack Chloe before.


    Vincent''s gaze darkened. He guessed that Dorothea must''ve been conspiring with Vernon this whole time.


    "Good morning, Vincent," Dorothea greeted. "It''s been a while since thest time we met."


    Vincent sat on the opposite side, facing her with obvious hostility, "You don''t need to act nice in front of me, Dorothea. You ruined my life by colluding with Vernon. Had I known you would turn your back on me, I would''ve killed you long ago."


    "Really?" Dorothea kept her smile. She didn''t seem to be affected by Vincent''s words, but her heart was aching.


    Vincent was once her beloved son. She tried her best to raise him right, and even after everything that had happened during the divorce trial, she wished that Vincent had be a new and better man.


    But it seemed that her wish was in vain.


    Vincent was still the same. He was still Vaughn 2.0, and nothing could change that.


    "Well, you are not wrong, Vincent. After I froze the whole Gray foundation, I quicklyy low. But not because I''m scared of you. I don''t mind death, truthfully," Dorothea smiled. "We are both sinners. We deserve to die a painful death. But I get my repentance from Chloe."


    "She forgives me for all of my wrongdoing and tried her hardest to convince Vernon to at least tolerate my presence."


    "Did he think?" Vincent scoffed. "I don''t think Vernon wants you after what you''ve done to him. Do you still remember that you beat him with your wine bottle many times when he was young? You also berated him. I watched everything in joy, by the way."


    "He doesn''t ept me back, but he tolerates me at least," Dorothea said. "It is the best I can get after all the horrible things I did to him before. But it''s okay. At least he trusts me to take care of four boys.


    "Four boys?" Vincent frowned. "Did he have four children before getting with Chloe?"


    "Oh, don''t act dumb, Vincent. We both know that you are the one who made those four boys homeless," Dorothea said.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    "You don''t remember how you influenced Chelsea until she killed her mother and almost ughtered her children? They are under Chloe''s custody and currently under my care," Dorothea replied. "They are doing well now."


    Vincent went silent instantly.


    He forgot about those boys after Chelsea was sentenced to life in prison. He was also busy with so much bad press about him, so the fate of those boys was pushed to the back of his mind.


    But that didn''t matter now. He couldn''t be sentenced for that crime because there was no solid proof anyway.


    "Did you beat those four boys with a beer bottle too? Don''t forget to hit them in the face to make sure you make a mark on them."


    Dorothea closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    There was no use in speaking with this heartless man anyway. It felt just like when she spoke with Vaughn back then.

 Chapter 782 782

    <h4>Chapter 782 Chapter 782</h4>


    "I''m here to inform you about something, Vincent," Dorothea decided to go straight to the point.


    "Oh? And what is it? That you shoved heroin into those children''s mouths?"


    "No, but I wish I could shove it in your ass right now," Dorothea snapped back. But she quickly cleared her throat to calm herself down.


    "It''s about the Gray family inheritance."


    Vincent''s smirk disappeared instantly the moment Dorothea mentioned inheritance.


    He didn''t exactly need the inheritance because he was already filthy rich with the acquisition of the Graypany. But that inheritance was his birthright, and he had to kick Vernon out to ensure he got everything.


    And now, he sensed that Dorothea was about to strip it down.


    "And what do you want to do about it?" Vincent asked. "You know that I am your only heir, right?"


    "Naturally, you are the one dictated by Vaughn as the heir of the Gray family. But I still hold and maintain all the inheritance until I pass away," Dorothea said. "And before I die, I want to make sure that the family inheritance will fall under the hands of the correct person."


    "You''re a fucking idiot if you think Vernon is the right person! That boy hates you, Dorothea!" Vincent snapped. "He will destroy all Gray family assets out of spite!"


    "Calm down, will you? I won''t give it to him. I tried to, but he doesn''t want it, saying that he is already a billionaire without even that inheritance," Dorothea said. "He also told me that I should''ve just given it to your daughter, Mackenzie, because the inheritance was intended to be yours in the first ce."


    "But since you are a crazy man just like your father, I think it''s better to give everything to Mackie," Dorothea nced at Nigel, and thetter quickly put a paper in front of Vincent. "Here is my will, and it is said that Mackenzie Rose Gray will inherit everything. Including the Gray mansion and all of our family''snds."


    Vincent snatched the paper and ripped it in half right in front of Dorothea''s eyes, "And now it''s gone. I am still going to be the one who inherits everything!"


    Dorothea''s eyes grew colder, "Don''t be childish, Vincent. You know it''s just a copy. Besides, even if you rip the real one, I can always make it again."


    "But you need my agreement to do it!"


    "No, I don''t," Dorothea sighed. "Anyway, I don''t need your signature or even an unwritten agreement. All I want to do is to inform you that you are no longer the heir of the Gray family. Mackenzie is. Chloe and Vernon will handle her inheritance in case I die before Mackie reaches the age of twenty-one."


    Vincent gritted his teeth, "You can''t do this to me, Dorothea. I''ve worked hard to get that inheritance, and I will not let anyone take it from me!"


    "What kind of work did you do anyway?" Dorothea mocked. "Is kicking your brother out part of that hard work? Oh, Vincent, we are despicable people. We both know you''re not the one who''d do hard work."


    "Besides, why do you need the inheritance anyway? You got extremely rich after Vernon acquired the Graypany, right?"


    "It''s not about the money. It''s about my pride! I am the heir of the Gray family! I will not give it to anyone, not even my daughter. I will keep it until my death!"


    "Well, you better kill yourself as soon as possible because Mackenzie is the new heir now," Dorothea said coldly. She finally got up from the chair and stared down at her son. "You should know that I have no intention to inflict any more pain on you. You are still my son by blood, after all."


    "But I also want nothing to do with you. I am done with our awful life in the Gray family," Dorothea recalled the life in the Gray mansion. "I hate your father so much that I wish he''d die, so I can get my happiness. But even after he died, I still can''t feel happy."


    "I thought I could forget those things as long as I kept up with my lifestyle. I managed the Gray family''s money and influence, but it was tiring. I am tired, even now," Dorothea said. "I thought I just need to push forward for a few more years until you''re ready to handle everything, but when you showed me the video of you beating Chloe in the Principal''s office, I realized that you are just like your father."


    Dorothea''s lips thinned, her body trembling as she was reminded of the monster she married back then.


    If only she could turn back time, she would never marry the devil and let this devil spawn to live in this world.


    "I thought Chloe was ungrateful to you because sheins a lot about you. It turns out you are the true monster. You are like your father, a devil that shouldn''t exist in this world."


    "This is thest time we will ever see each other again, Vincent. You are no longer my son, and I am no longer your mother. Goodbye."


    Dorothea turned around and left the mansion, followed by Meyer and Nigel.


    Vincent sat silently, staring at his mother''s back for thest time.


    "Well then, so be it! I don''t give a damn about you as well, you fucking hag! I hope you die and rot in hell with Dad!" Vincent yelled at Dorothea, but the olddy didn''t even respond.


    She left him alone, stranded in this expensive mansion that he owned.


    ¡­


    "Who needs her anyway? She''s just an olddy who''ll die in a few years."


    He never liked his mother.


    He always thought that his mother was useless and not as great as his father. So he couldn''t wait to let her die so he''d get full ownership of everything in the Gray family.


    "I should be happy that she finally left me alone, right?" Vincent asked himself. "Then why do I feel sad?"

 Chapter 783 783

    <h4>Chapter 783 Chapter 783</h4>


    It had been a week since Chloe got her divorce paper.


    Things went normal after the big event, though she could see that her face had been quite well-known on the inte and TV. People saw her as a strong woman who went through a lot to finally break free from the cage that her abusive husband created.


    She wasn''t sure about the strong woman part because she felt she hadn''t done anything big except stand up for herself, but she still felt good when someone acknowledged her struggle.


    "Mommy, what are you thinking?" Mackie asked as they had breakfast as two.


    "Hm? Nothing?" Chloe smiled at her daughter. "Why don''t you finish your breakfast, dear? You don''t like it?"


    "I like it, Mommy! It''s just¡­ I miss Daddy¡­" Mackie lowered her head, ying with her scrambled egg with a spoon. "I haven''t seen him in a while."


    Chloe patted Mackie''s head and said, "Don''t sulk like that, Mackie. You know that he is working hard for us."


    "But it''s been three days!"


    Vernon left three days ago. He said he had a business meeting in Europe that he couldn''t miss. He even left without saying goodbye.


    It had only been three days, but Chloe had been sleeping in Vernon''s bedroom every single day, missing the warmth of her man.


    It didn''t help that he left on Thursday, and it was already Sunday without a single text or even call from him.


    Chloe tried calling Vernon a few times, but he always replied with;


    ''Sorry, I''m busy. Talk to youter, love.''


    Or


    ''I''m in a meeting right now. Can''t be with you, bye, love.''


    Chloe didn''t want to be that jealous, irrational wife that would only give her husband a headache. But she remembered this pattern from Vincent.


    At first, Vincent would always say that he was busy with work and could not return home, and Chloe tolerated it for a while until she realized that Vincent was just using that alibi to cheat on her.


    Her heart hurt whenever she remembered her married life with Vincent, and if it was possible, she didn''t want to repeat the same mistake with Vernon.


    ''I have to be ready. I love him so much, but if he cheats on me just like his brother, then I will leave as soon as possible,'' Chloe looked at her daughter, who was still ying with her food. ''I will do whatever to protect Mackie¡­ and our baby,'' she vowed while rubbing her stomach.


    "Don''t y with your food, dear. Eat it before it gets cold," Chloe said.


    "Un¡­" Mackie nodded and began eating her breakfast unenthusiastically.


    Right after they finished their breakfast, Chloe heard a knock on the door.


    She thought it was Vernon but then remembered Vernon wouldn''t need to knock.


    She was about to get up when Mackie stopped her, "Let me do it, Mommy! My baby sister shouldn''t get hurt!" Mackie volunteered.


    She hopped off the chair and rushed to the front door.


    She opened it and was greeted by Diamond, who smiled at her, with Meyer standing right behind her.


    "Morning, Mackie!" Diamond patted Mackie''s head. "Where is your Mommy?"


    Mackie smiled wide, "She just finished eating her breakfast! Why are you here, Diamond, Meyer?" Mackie asked.


    "We have a surprise for your Mom," Meyer replied."


    "A big surprise!" Diamond added.


    "A surprise?" Mackie tilted her head. She was curious, but a surprise meant she and her Mommy shouldn''t know about it.


    "Yes, let''s bring your Mommy somewhere. I promise it is an amazing ce!"


    Mackie didn''t really understand what the surprise was all about since there was nothing special today except celebrating the third day of her Daddy''s absence at home, which was truly not something that Mackie liked to talk about because she would always get upset about it.


    Chloe finally walked to the door after hearing the conversation between Mackie and Diamond.


    "Diamond? Meyer? Why are you here?" Chloe asked.


    "Homegirl!" Diamond hugged Chloe and then opened her palm. Meyer got the signal and handed a blindfold to Diamond''s hand. "We have a big surprise for you and Mackie, but I need to blindfold you first."


    "A surprise?" Chloe was just as confused as her daughter. But she trusted Diamond and Meyer so much, so she had no bad idea about it. "Uh, I don''t know what that is. But if that will make Mackie stop sulking about her Daddy, I''ll go."


    "Hmph! Daddy''s not home for three days!" Mackie sulked again.


    Diamond giggled, "Your Daddy works hard, Mackie. You should be proud of him. Besides, do you not want to see the surprise?"


    "I do!" Mackie nodded. "Do I need to close my eyes too?"


    "No need. Only your Mom needs to do it. But you must promise you won''t speak until your Mom opens your eyes, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    Thus, Diamond covered Chloe''s eyes with a blindfold and held her hand, ensuring she wouldn''t trip.


    "W¡ªWait¡ª"Chloe said. "I''m still in my pajamas. Let me dress up first."


    "Ah, no need, Girl. I''m sure he''ll still be madly in love with you even if you''re wearing a clown costume," Diamondmented.


    Chloe was surprised but said nothing as she didn''t want to get her hopes up.


    She was led to enter the backseat of a car with Mackie by her side, "It''s okay, Mommy. I''m here! I will protect you!" Mackie assured.


    Chloe held her daughter''s hand and felt the car was moving.


    She was quite anxious about what the surprise was all about.


    She hoped the surprise was Vernon proposing to her.


    But she doubted that.


    He had been so busy with work that he didn''t even have enough time to talk with her on the phone, let alone set up a marriage proposal.


    It took almost two hours on Sunday morning until Meyer turned off the engine, so they were definitely out of New York City, probably in the suburbs.


    "And we are here," Diamond said. "Let me guide you to your surprise, best friend."

 Chapter 784 784

    <h4>Chapter 784 Chapter 784</h4>


    Diamond helped Chloe to get out of the car, and Chloe could clearly hear the gasp of her daughter.


    "Mackie?" Chloe asked hurriedly, thinking that her daughter might''ve been hurt. She wanted to remove the blindfold to check on her daughter, but Diamond quickly stopped her.


    "Nu-uh, no peeking until we reach the surprise," Diamond warned.


    "But Mackie¡ª"


    "I''m okay, Mommy!" Mackie announced.


    "Hear that? Is she okay? She''s just surprised with what she saw just now."


    "Un! It''s so amazing!" Mackie cheered even more. "Let''s go, Mommy! Diamond! I want to see what''s inside!"


    "Inside?" Chloe had a lot of questions in her mind. She couldn''t wait to remove the blindfold, but since Mackie didn''t seem to be in danger, she decided to follow Diamond''s lead.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    She could hear Diamond''s heel tapping through the marble floor. She climbed the stairs until she reached the second floor.


    Diamond opened a big door and gently led Chloe and Mackie into a room.a


    "Waaaahhh!" Mackie squealed in awe as she looked around her surroundings. "Mommy, it''s so big! So cool! There is a hanging chandelier!"


    Chloe got incredibly curious about whatever surprise she had. Her expectation was through the roof.


    Diamond finally stopped after she led Chloe for a while. She stepped back and said, "Stay right there, Girl. Your Prince Charming wille soon."


    Diamond looked at Mackie, who was still looking around and whispered to the little girl.


    Mackie''s eyes widened and then glimmered with excitement, "Un! I want to!" She tapped her Mommy''s hand and said, "Stay here, Mommy! I''ll be back!"


    "Huh? Will you be okay? Mackie? Diamond?"


    ¡­


    There was no more answer.


    Chloe began to get anxious. She grabbed the ck satin covering her eyes, ready to remove it.


    But before she could do that, a strong hand gently grabbed her wrist, wrapped his arm around her waist, and hugged her from behind.


    Chloe struggled for a second before identifying this hand and how this man hugged her.


    This was none other than her own man.


    "You should turn around first, love, then you can take off the blindfold," Vernon whispered in her ear.


    Chloe quickly turned around and took off the blindfold. Her gaze blurred for a second before she could see her beloved man''s handsome but a bit tired face.


    Vernon couldn''t hide the eye bags under his eyes, but he still looked and smiled at Chloe, even though Chloe could tell that Vernon was nervous right now.


    "Vernon!" Chloe didn''t wait until Vernon spoke. She hugged him so tightly to release all her worries for the past three days. "Thank god, I thought you''d leave me after you didn''te home for three days!"


    Vernon chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her waist and quickly lifted her slightly until her feet didn''t touch the floor.


    "That''s ridiculous, love. Why would I leave? I''m just busy preparing for¡­ everything."


    "What do you mean?" Chloe asked. She soon noticed her surroundings.


    She was in a ballroom with a beautiful hanging chandelier and a wide white door leading to the balcony with a view of a beautiful flower garden.


    "Wait, where are we?" Chloe asked. "Did you rent this ballroom for a surprise today?"


    "Rent?" Vernon chuckled. He gently put her down and held her hand, "I never rent. I owe¡ªwell, we owe."


    Chloe''s eyes widened, "We owe? You mean¡ª"


    "Yes, let me show you," Vernon led Chloe to the balcony and showed the beautiful flower garden decorated with various flowers, "I set a big flower garden for you. I know you like gardening and how much you like arranging a garden. So this is free for you to decorate further."


    "This mansion is huge, with at least twenty bedrooms," He turned around and stared at the ballroom, "It''s in the New York suburbs. It took about two hours to reach the city. It might be a bit far, but I love it here. It''s less hectic and the perfect ce to raise a big family," Vernon turned his head towards Chloe and asked, "Don''t you think so?"


    Chloe was still stunned by the whole thing, and Vernon didn''t wait for Chloe to respond.


    He went down on one knee and took a small red box from his pocket.


    He looked up with a nervous but wishful face towards Chloe, who was still stunned silly.


    "My love, my muse, my destiny, I am not good with words, and no words can convey my true love to you."


    "But you should know that I love you¡ªmore than myself¡ªmore than anything in this world. I need you as much as I need to breathe, and my life won''t beplete without you."


    "Chloe Carlson¡­" Vernon opened the red box and showed a beautiful diamond ring glimmering under the sun. "Will you marry me?"


    ¡­


    Chloe stared at Vernon and the diamond ring consecutively. Her heart felt tight. So tight that no word coulde out of her mouth just now.


    She didn''t know how to express her joy right now because, truly, though she hoped for a proposal, she never expected herself to get it in such a mature manner.


    Vernon truly showed that he had grown to be a responsible man, preparing a proper house for their family as a proposal. It might not be the most spectacr or shy.


    But it showed that he was ready to be a husband and a father.


    Just as she was about to respond, she heard the music start ying in the ballroom, followed by the sweet voice of their little girl.


    ~


    I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream


    I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam


    And I know it''s true that visions are seldom all they seem


    But if I know you, I know what you''ll do


    You''ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.


    ~


    "Did you ask her to sing?"


    "Hehe, I just thought it''d improve my sess if I let her sing with her sweet voice," Vernon''s cheeks reddened a bit. "So, Chloe Carlson, will you¡ª"


    "Yes," Chloe replied without hesitation. She wiped the tears of joy pooled at the corner of her eyes. "I am all yours, Vernon Phoenix Gray."

 Chapter 785 785

    <h4>Chapter 785 Chapter 785</h4>


    "Okay, now give me a small twirl and¡­ perfect! Girl, You. Look. Gorgeous!" Diamond cheered and gave Chloe a thumbs-up. They were doing the wedding dress fitting because tomorrow was Chloe and Vernon''s wedding day.


    Chloe was already past her first trimester, so her belly had gotten bigger, and she was afraid that the wedding dress might feel too tight around her waist and hips.


    On top of that, she also didn''t want to hide her belly.


    This baby was the fruit of love between them, and she wanted the guests to know that she was pregnant with the groom''s child.


    "Do you feel stuffy around your belly?" Diamond asked as she nced at the bridal dresser. "It looks good, but if it''s too stuffy, it might hurt you since the wedding speeches will take a while."


    "It''s fine," Chloe assured while rubbing her stomach. "I don''t want to hurt my baby as well, so I''ll tell you if I feel ufortable."


    Chloe looked at herself in the mirror.


    She was wearing a simple, in satin dress that reached the floor. There was no ent on the dress or ornaments to make it more interesting.


    When Chloe said it was just a simple white satin dress, Vernon was stressed out. He thought that Chloe should get something more expensive and in-your-face kind of wedding dress because he wanted the best for Chloe.


    But she simply said this in satin bridal dress fit her the most.


    She had always been a simpledy. She had no huge urge for material possessions. She also felt ufortable wearing too many essories. So she''d only wear essories on her hair.


    As she was enjoying the view of how her wedding dress hugged her body perfectly, she got a call from Vernon.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, honey? Do you need anything?" Chloe asked as she picked up the call.


    "I''m at home with Mackie right now. She said that she wanted to see the wedding dress. Can you take a mirror selfie and send it to me?" Vernon asked.


    "No, Mommy! I never ask that¡ªMmff!"


    "She''s the one asking. I swear," Vernon said as he covered Mackie''s mouth.


    Chloe giggled, "Can''t do. This is only for the special day, and that would be tomorrow. Why can''t you be patient?"


    "I am patient, but I''m also curious¡­" Vernon admitted. He released Mackie''s mouth after Chloe refused his request.


    "Don''t show it to Daddy, Mommy! You said it''s a girl''s secret!" Mackie said on the phone.


    "You little¡ªYou''re just a kid! Why would you need to keep a secret from your father?" Vernon argued with Mackie.


    "I''m already eight years old, Daddy! I''m a big girl now!"


    "You''re only as tall as my waist. You''re still my little wolf!" Vernon insisted.


    Chloe chuckled as she heard the bickering between them, "Why don''t you two busy yourself by checking the wedding venue? I''ve checked it myself, and I think it''s perfect. But maybe you want to add something."


    "We did it already, and everything is perfect," Vernon replied. His heart beat faster as he imagined his wedding tomorrow. "I can''t wait to see you tomorrow. I''ve prepared my wedding speech."


    "I''ve yet to prepare it. Maybe I shouldn''t say anything at the altar. What do you think?"


    "But I write a heartfelt wedding speech for us¡­" Vernon sounded dejected, and Chloe couldn''t help but giggle.


    "I''m just messing with you. I have everything ready," Chloe assured. "I''ll talk to youter, okay? I need to talk about the hair essories with Diamond."


    "Alright, tell Diamond to give the best and the most expensive essory she could find. I won''t tolerate it if you''re wearing some cheap stuff," Vernon protested since he had prepared ten million dors and was ready to give more for Chloe''s wedding dress and essories, but she barely used the money.


    Even after he insisted on her wearing the most expensive gown, she wanted the simpler one.


    Sometimes, he felt like Chloe was far too simple.


    This wasn''t bad, but Vernon wished she was more vain because no cheap dress would do justice to her beauty.


    Chloe giggled before she hung up the call.


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Chloe turned to face Diamond again, "So, about the hair essory."


    "I brought the best jeweler in New York," Diamond said.


    A man walked and stood right beside Diamond and opened a big jewelry case.


    "I told him to bring his best, and these are everything he has to offer."


    Chloe stared at the rows of beautiful hair essories, from hairpins, hairb, and ribbons, and all of them were beautifully crafted and embedded with precious gemstones.


    Chloe was more interested in the most in-looking one. But as she was about to reach for it, Diamond reminded her, "Girl, pick that, and Mr. Phoenix Gray will scold me."


    Diamond was also distressed because Chloe and Vernon had different tastes. Vernon wanted Chloe to wear everything expensive and exclusive because he wanted the world to see Chloe''s true beauty that Vernon saw in his eyes.


    But Chloe disliked that kind of extreme expenditure.


    "Well, I guess the essory won''t hurt," Chloe said with Vernon in her mind. She looked at each head essory again and finally picked the one she liked the most other than the in one.


    She shifted her gaze at Diamond, asking for her approval, and Diamond nodded, "That''s good. Why don''t you wear it now and see if itpliments the dress?"


    The jeweler helped Chloe to put on the hairpin she wanted. Chloe asked him to put the hairpin on the right side of her hair above the ear.


    "Oh wow, okay, that hairpinpliments you perfectly!" Diamond praised. "You don''t need a lot of essories. I think you have that rare, serene beauty. That one is enough, and it''s perfect!"


    Chloe gently touched the rose hairpin above her ear. The petal was made out of white gold and embedded with dozens of rubies, so it looked like a beautiful red rose made out of ruby.


    Chloe smiled at herself in the mirror. For the first time after ten years, she finally muttered;


    "I look beautiful."

 Chapter 786 786: Wedding Day

    786 Chapter 786: Wedding Day


    The wedding day finally arrived.


    It was sunny in the morning, and a small crowd of no more than thirty people had gathered in the garden of the newly established Phoenix Mansion in the suburbs of New York.


    Chloe and Vernon had a private wedding because they wanted it to be intimate.


    On top of that, Chloe and Vernon didn''t have many family or friends. So they thought it was better to invite no more than thirty important people in their lives rather than inviting random guests they barely knew.


    Vernon stood at the wedding altar with the officiant. He wore a ck suit with a red rose brooch. It was Chloe who sent the brooch yesterday, telling him to use it today, and he naturally obliged.


    His gaze swept across the guests, ensuring nobody would ruin the important day.


    The day that he had been waiting his whole life.


    He saw Diamond and Meyer sitting together. They had cemented their rtionship, and it seemed to be going strong, mostly because they had a mutual goal and simr habits. They were still a workaholic who had decided to work with Chloe and Vernon until they retired someday.


    Behind them, there were Diamond''s brothers. Vernon already knew about their attraction towards Chloe, but he didn''t mind much as he already felt secure about his rtionship with Chloe.


    Dorothea was sitting at the front alongside the boys. They were sitting in the same row, and they kept on chatting.


    His eyes identally met with Dorothea''s, and she smiled at him.


    Vernon didn''t smile back but nodded.


    He had acknowledged Dorothea''s effort to raise the boys. They were now much better and seemed to have forgotten about the traumatizing event that happened six months ago.


    Aaron was still the same quiet boy from before, but the child psychiatrist said that Aaron had recovered. He was naturally reserved after facing the harsh reality of life since he was young.


    But he was happy now, and as long as he didn''t experience the same abuse he had with Chelsea before, he would be just fine.


    Vernon stared at Aaron for a while until he noticed Vernon''s gaze. He nced at the inside of the mansion, signaling him to go and walk with the bride and flower girl inside because Aaron was tasked to be the ring bearer.


    Thus, Aaron hopped off the chair and rushed inside the house through the side door.


    He looked at the back of the seat and saw Prisci and Nigel sitting together with their phones ready to record the whole thing. Vernon had invited them toe because he wanted to share the good news with none other than his brother.


    After all, his brother must''ve been dying to see the wedding in person.


    Lastly, he saw none other than his first cousin, Henry Grant, who seemed to have a lot on his mind but still came to attend the wedding.


    He was the only cousin Vernon was ever close to and the one who had never schemed against him.


    As Vernon was busy checking everything, the MC finally announced the bridal entrance. The guests stood up, and the pianist and violinist started ying.


    [Music: Piero Pioni - Amore Mio Aiutami.]


    The door was opened, and Vernon felt he could faint out of joy.


    His heart was tight as he stared at Chloe holding a bouquet of white flowers. She was covered in a veil and walked alone as she had no more family members from her side.


    Mackie and Aaron walked as a flower girl and a page boy.


    Aaron stood straight and walked carefully while holding a cushion with the wedding rings on it.


    While Mackie was busy throwing petals around.


    Her pregnant belly had gotten obvious, but Chloe didn''t try to hide it at all. She wanted everyone to know that she was pregnant and Vernon was the father.


    Her beauty was ethereal, and Vernon found himself falling in love all over again for every second he stared at her.


    Yet, she looked lonely as she was walking alone.


    Vernon knew he wasn''t supposed to do this during the wedding, but he could no longer hold it. He didn''t want his beloved soon-to-be wife to look sad and lonely during their special day.


    So he stepped down from the wedding altar and walked towards Chloe instead.


    The guests were surprised, but Vernon ignored their confusion and walked beside Chloe.


    Chloe was also visibly confused and asked with a low voice, "What are you doing? You''re supposed to wait at the altar."


    "And watching you walk alone in the aisle? I don''t care about some tradition. I can''t bear to see you walk alone," Vernon said. "So put your hand on my arm, and let''s walk together to the altar, Love."


    Chloe was astonished, but she smiled as her heart melted into a puddle. She wrapped her hand around Vernon''s hand and said, "Don''t walk too fast. The dress is a bit restrictive around my leg, and I''m wearing heels."


    Thus, Chloe and Vernon walked together towards the altar. Everyone''s eyes were on them, but everything was blurry for them except for the altar.


    Once they reached the altar, they stood facing each other, with the officiant standing in the middle.


    The officiant finally began the official wedding ceremony, and everyone solemnly listened to what he said.


    "¡­ They promise to embrace conflict as well as peace; to work as well as y; to struggle as well as coast; to give as well as receive; and to be with, stay with, and move toward one another."


    After the officiant finished the introduction, the MC asked Diamond, the bride''s best friend, to do her reading.


    Diamond walked to the front, wearing the fuchsia dress she had been dying to wear for Chloe''s wedding, and finally, after almost a year of waiting, she could finally used this dress that had been shelved for so long.


    She stood near the altar and opened the speech she prepared on her phone.

 Chapter 787 787

    787 Chapter 787


    Diamond cleared her throat and began speaking with the microphone in front of the guests.


    ¡ªDiamond¡ª


    "I''d like to start with apliment to my best friend," Diamond said as she turned towards Chloe. "Best friend, you look extra gorgeous today!"


    Chloe chuckled, "Thank you. You too with the fuchsia dress. I like it."


    "Oh, you should! Do you know how long it''s been since I''ve put this dress in my wardrobe? I''m actually relieved that it''s not destroyed by rats when I took it out."


    The crowdughed, and Diamond resumed reading, "When I first met Chloe, she looked timid and sad. She looked like a woman who went through difficulty.


    "She was so timid that she wouldn''t dare raise her head. But as I got to know her better, I discovered that Chloe is not a timiddy. She was stuck in an unfavorable situation and was trying to escape a nightmare."


    Diamond intentionally glossed over Chloe''s life with Vincent and the divorce because there were kids here. But every adult in the crowd knew about it because it had be a headline on the inte and gossip news.


    "Chloe is a sweetdy with a strong motherly instinct. She also prefers a simple life as a traditional housewife, surrounded by her husband and children. She is very understanding and patient, perfect for a man who often yells at work. Yes, I''m talking about you, Boss."


    The crowdughed again. Even Vernon found it funny.


    "So, Boss, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray. I want you to know that my best friend is perfect for you. She is the woman who will love you for who you are, and I hope you will love her the same way."


    "I wish you two all the best and for your love to blossom for eternity."


    ¡ª


    Diamond ended her reading, and everyone pped for her.


    The MC announced the next reading for the groom''s side, and the one who''d do the reading was none other than Dorothea.


    Dorothea got up from her seat. She walked slowly to reach the mic. She looked weak yet peaceful, a big contrast to the Dorothea that most people knew before.


    Dorothea wore her reading sses and began to read the text she had;


    ¡ªDorothea¡ª


    "I may not be the most qualified to speak for my son, knowing that we had a terrible history in the past. That''s why I was surprised when Vernon told me to do the reading for his side."


    "I cannot speak much for him, but if I can describe my son, then I''d say that he is¡­" Dorothea looked at Vernon, who stared back at her.


    There was no hostility in his eyes. Again, he didn''t smile but patiently waited for Dorothea to continue speaking.


    "¡­ he is far different from his brother and father," Dorothea said sincerely. "He is responsible, loving, loyal, and hard-working. He knows what his heart wants and never gives up to convince Chloe that he is the right man to marry."


    Dorothea choked on air as she was holding her tears, remembering Vincent and Vaughn, "Son, I hope you won''t change after you get married."


    "I won''t," Vernon assured.


    Dorothea nodded. She then looked at Chloe and removed her reading sses, "And for my beautiful daughter-inw, Chloe. You are the kindest woman I''ve ever met in my life. My life would have ended differently without your help. You are truly an angel on earth, and I hope you will forever be an angel."


    Chloe wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. She knew what Dorothea went through because she also had the same experience.


    The only difference was that Chloe''s happiness came to her at thirty-six, while Dorothea finally received her peaceter in life.


    "To end this, I have a request," Dorothea said. "Can I please hug the bride and the groom?"


    Vernon didn''t respond, but Chloe nodded without hesitation. Dorothea walked towards Chloe first. Chloe hugged her tightly. They might not be close in the past, but they were no less than a pair of mother and daughter now.


    Vernon stared at his mother, who smiled at him. She didn''t wish to get a hug from her son, knowing what she had done in the past.


    She wanted to return to her seat, but Vernon suddenly hugged her.


    He hugged her tightly but said nothing.


    Dorothea''s body trembled briefly before she hugged her son back, "You deserve to be happy, my dear son. I''m sorry I can''t be a good mother to you."


    ¡ª


    Dorothea returned to her seat, and now it was the officiant''s turn to speak as the wedding ceremony was about to start.


    "The bride and groom gave me their loving words towards each other, so to start with, we will allow the bride to give her speech."


    The officiant handed Chloe her wedding speech, and she started reading while holding the mic.


    Chloe paused for a while, preparing herself for the reading she was about to make.


    She nced at Vernon, whose expression was unreadable because it was mixed between excitement and worry.


    Chloe smiled and finally began her reading;


    ¡ªChloe¡ª


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, I''ve known you since you were a boy. I remember you running around, creating havoc in the mansion."


    "I remember how everyone despises you for your mischievousness, but I see a boy starving to be loved and taken care of. So I tried my best to care for you when you were young."


    "I didn''t think of anything or want any reward for what I did. I just thought that you need it," Chloe said. She stared at Vernon and chuckled, "Well, here we are, about to get married. Who would''ve thought that boy I met twenty years ago has grown to be a handsome and capable man?"


    Vernon chuckled with Chloe because he found it funny.


    Chloe might never expect them to get married, but Vernon had his goal clear since the day he met Chloe for the first time.


    He fell in love and wanted to marry Chloe.


    And that goal never changed.

 Chapter 788 788 [End]

    ?


    ¡ªChloe¡ª


    "Vernon, I''ve never expected you to be the one who would give me happiness. Neither do I expect myself to remarry after I divorced," Chloe said. "But you convinced me to try again. You make me fall in love once more, and I don''t think I will ever love someone more than this."


    "Vernon, you are the man who epts me for who I am," Chloe wiped her tears as she continued. Her heart felt so warm that she became ufortable because this was just too much happiness.


    "I always thought that I''m not good enough, nor am I pretty enough to stand by your side," Chloe said. "But you make me feel beautiful, loved, and wanted. You are the man who helped me through a difficult time."


    "On top of that, you''ve shown yourself to be a good father for Mackie, and I hope you will be a good father for our future babies, too," Chloe said. "I am forever grateful and will forever love you as my husband, soulmate, and the father of our children. You are myst, Vernon Phoenix Gray."


    ¡ª


    The crowd pped as Chloe finished her speech. She had much more to say but decided to keep it simple because she knew she might cry if she let everything out.


    She wanted to say the more intimate thingster when there were only the two of them.


    The Officiant said, "It''s your turn now, Vernon."


    Vernon took the paper from the Officiant, just like Chloe did. He read his wedding speech silently, ncing at Chloe a few times, and his face heated up.


    No matter how often he tried to get used to this feeling, this feeling of extreme joy was too much for him to the point that he was afraid of stuttering.


    He cleared his throat and then began his wedding speech;


    ¡ªVernon¡ª


    "Chloe, my one and only beautifuldy, I have so many things to say. I have so many questions to ask and confessions to make."


    "I am not perfect and will never be. I have a lot of ws that only you can ept. You told me you never expected us to marry, but I''ve expected that since we were young."


    Vernon stared at Chloe deep in the eyes. His warm gaze was filled with love, "Ever since the first time we met when I was just a boy, I knew that my love harbors in you. It was a childhood crush at first, but I know that I will never get rid of that crush for the rest of my life, and this boy has be a man after twenty years, a man who is ready and responsible for you."


    "You told me that I am the one who helped you through difficult times, and I can say the same for you too," Vernon said. He took one step closer to close the gap between them. They stared at each other, lost in their world.


    "Back then, you were the one who helped me through a difficult time. If you never cared for me when I was young, I wouldn''t have any correct moralpass. I will never be a good man, nor will I be responsible."


    "You are the person who helped me through my difficult childhood, so I''m just doing the same for you right now."


    "Chloe, my dream, my muse, my anchor in life. I will be a good husband and father for our children," Vernon said. His voice began to get shaky as emotion started leaking out. "I will forever love you as my wife, soulmate, and mother of my children."


    ¡ª


    Vernon folded the paper and leaned closer, ready to kiss Chloe, but the Officiant gently pushed him away to separate the bride and groom, "Sorry, I know you two are eager, but we have to go through the ceremony before the kiss."


    "Oh, right¡­" Vernon blushed as he allowed his feelings to take control over his body just now.


    The Officiant cleared his throat and began the ceremony.


    "Family and friends, thank you all foring today to share in this wonderful asion. Today, we are here together to unite Vernon Phoenix Gray and Chloe Carlson in marriage."


    "Vernon Phoenix Gray, do you take Chloe Carlson to be your wife, to love her,fort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her, as long as you both shall live?"


    "I do," Vernon replied firmly, his eyes lingered on Chloe.


    "And you," the Officiant turned his head towards Chloe. "Do you take Vernon Phoenix Gray to be your husband, to love him,fort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him, as long as you both shall live?"


    "I do."


    Vernon and Chloe will now exchange rings as a symbol of theirmitment and endless devotion.


    Aaron, the ring bearer, walked in with the pair of rings on a small cushion for the bride and groom.


    "Vernon, you may ce the ring you''ve chosen on Chloe''s hand," the Officiant instructed. Vernon picked the ring he custom-made for Chloe. He gently held Chloe''s hand and put the ring on the ring finger.


    Vernon kissed Chloe''s fingers as he finally let it go. Chloe kept on staring at the ring and then at Vernon, respectively. This was too good to be true that she was scared everything might be just a dream and she''d wake up in that mansion trapped by Vincent.


    "And Chloe, you may ce the ring you''ve chosen on Vernon''s hand."


    Chloe nodded.


    She picked the ring and put it on Vernon''s ring finger, officially sealing their rtionship as a married couple, as husband and wife.


    "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the Officiant dered. "You may seal this magnificent union with a kiss."


    Chloe and Vernon stared at each other. He held her hands and leaned closer.


    In a low but honey-like voice, he said, "This is the happiest day in my life, wife. Thank you for making my lifeplete."


    Chloe smiled at him and said, "Then you should get used to it because we will be a happy married couple until death do us part."


    With that, Chloe and Vernon sealed their marriage with a serene kiss full of longing and love.


    ******


    Vincent sat on his bed, watching random news that bored him to death. He had nothing to do, nor did he have any drive to do anything despite having a lot of money.


    He had lost his vigor and simply passed the days doing nothing, hoping he''d die soon out of random heart attack.


    As he was busy doing nothing, Khloe suddenly sent him a video of a wedding ceremony.


    Vincent''s eyes widened as he had a bad feeling about this.


    He opened the video and watched through the entire ceremony.


    His eyes were glued on Chloe the whole time.


    Chloe had returned to her glorious day eleven years ago. She looked exactly like she was back when she married Vincent. She was bright and beautiful.


    Her serene beauty could make any man fall in love with her. She had the same beauty that made Vincent think he should lock her in a cage for the rest of her life, thinking that she might''ve cheat on him by seducing other men outside.


    Vincent felt like he had been stabbed by a knifetched with poison as he heard Chloe exchange her vows with Vernon.


    He gritted his teeth, trying his best not to cry.


    But he couldn''t do it.


    He repeated the vows part until he lost count on how many times he watched it.


    He didn''t know why he kept torturing himself, but the more he watched the video, the more addicted he got. It was like a bitter drug that he couldn''t get rid off.


    He couldn''t hold back in the end. He began to cry nonstop while watching the video. His tears dropped to the phone screen, right on the face of his beautiful ex-wife, and he finally murmured;


    "She should''ve been mine. How can I be happy without you, Chloe?"


    [The End.]

 Chapter 789 Side Story: Mackie’s Diary (1)

    ?


    "Mackie! Wake up! You''ll bete for school!"


    Mackie grunted as she opened her eyes slowly. She saw the figure of her mother, who opened the huge curtain in her room, basking her with all the morning sun that blinded Mackie''s eyes.


    "Ahh! Mommy! It''s too bright!" Mackieined and quickly pulled her head with the nket and fell asleep again.


    Chloe sighed, pulled the nket away, and scolded her teenage daughter, "Wake up, Mackie. It''s Monday morning. You''ll bete to school. You need at least an hour of drive to reach your school."


    "I''ll tell Meyer to drive faster!" Mackie insisted.


    "Meyer is not a Nascar driver. Get up and get ready!"


    Mackie was annoyed by her mother''s yapping in the morning, but she still got up and stomped her feet to the bathroom.


    Chloe stared at her teenage daughter and sighed again, "That girl, she is no different than her father. Is being a night owl a trait in this family?"


    Mackie brushed her teeth, washed her face, and brushed her hair. She had long, wavy, jet-ck hair. It always looked shiny and healthy, but sometimes the hair was so long and hot during summer, so she had a ponytail for the entire summer.


    Mackie checked on herself in the mirror and clicked her tongue after noticing a pimple on her forehead, "Ugh, another pimple!"


    Mackie always suffered throughout the summer because she always got pimples at least twice a week.


    Mackie quickly applied some sunscreen before rushing out of the bathroom. She changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and joined her family in the living room.


    "Morning everyone!" Mackie announced her arrival cheerfully. She was already a teenager but still hadn''t lost some of her childhood cheerfulness.


    She was still the sunshine everyone loved and the third domineering member in the family¡­ after her mother and then her father.


    Everyone at the dining table turned their heads towards her and smiled. They all greeted her with good morning as she joined the table.


    Mackie looked around the big family she had.


    Six years had passed since her parents'' wedding. She was fourteen years old now and had two more family members.


    Her little sister was born a few months after the wedding and was almost six years old! She had chestnut, wavy hair, just like her mother. Even their facial features were very simr. Valerie was almost like a splitting image of Chloe.


    "Good morning, Val. Did you have a good sleepst night?" Mackie asked as she rubbed her little sister''s head.


    Valerie pouted as she ate her scrambled egg slowly, "Um, not really."


    "Why not?" Mackie asked.


    Valerie looked at her little brother, sitting on his feeding chair, gleefully mming his hands on the small table, "Cedric is crying all night. I can''t sleep¡­"


    "Guu?" The baby Cedric tilted his head as he got started by his big sisters. He was only six months old, but he already had thick hair.


    He had jet ck hair, as well as jet ck eyes. Mackie suspected that Cedric would be just like her father growing up.


    Mackie patted Cedric''s head gently and said, "Why are you crying, baby bro? Did something scare you? Tell me, I will beat that scary stuff!"


    "Uuu! Aaa!" Cedric looked happy after getting patted by his sister, but Valerie was still in a bad mood.


    "Eat your food, dear. It''s not good to y with it," Mackie warned Valerie, and the little girl quickly ate her food because she didn''t want to get scolded by her Mommy.


    "Here''s your food, Mackie."


    "Thanks, Granny!"


    Dorothea smiled at her first grandchild and then continued to help Chloe serve breakfast to all the children in the family.


    "You don''t need to help me, Dorothea. Don''t you remember the doctor said you need a lot of rest," Chloe said as she got worried. But the olddy didn''t seem to mind.


    "Nonsense, I may be old, but I''m not dying yet! I can still handle helping you serve breakfast, at least," Dorothea said.


    Chloe sighed. She served thest te to her nephew, Aaron.


    "Thank you, Auntie."


    "Mhm, don''t forget to eat it all. You are practicing for a national match, right?"


    "Yeah! I promise I will show you my gold medal!" Aaron said confidently.


    Chloe smiled at her nephew. Aaron had regained his confidence after years of therapy. He was still the most mature out of all the boys. He was even more mature than Mackie, but at least he had finally let go of the past trauma regarding his mother.


    He was thirteen years old and went to the same middle school as Mackie while the rest of the boys were still in primary school.


    He was talented at swimming and had been scouted in the middle school swimming team, so Chloe supported him throughout his endeavor.


    Dorothea sat beside Aaron, and they all began eating their food.


    Chloe then busied herself to make baby food for Cedric. She sat right next to her baby and started feeding him slowly.


    Chloe was very patient despite Cedric being a little menace. Sometimes, Mackie observed her Mommy and wondered how her Mommy could have so much patience in taking care of everyone in the family.


    "Mommy, where is Daddy?" Valerie asked as she had just finished her scrambled eggs.


    "He is sleeping. I will wake him upter," Chloe replied. She paused for a moment, and her eyes widened, "Wait¡ªMackie, go wake your father up! He has an important meeting in the morning!"


    "Okay, Mommy!"


    Mackie rushed to the master bedroom on the second floor and knocked on the door nonstop while yelling on top of her, knowing that her father was a deep sleeper.


    "DADDY! WAKE UP! MOMMY WILL KILL YOU!"


    It didn''t take long for the door to open.


    Vernon looked at his daughter with eyes half open. He rubbed his eyes a few times and yawned.


    "Five more minutes, okay?" Vernon tried topromise. "I fell asleep around two in the morning."

 Chapter 790 Side Story: Mackie’s Diary (2)

    Chapter 790 Side Story: Mackie¡¯s Diary (2)


    "Daddy, Mommy said you have a meeting in the morning. She will kill you if you don''t get up now."


    Vernon''s eyes were wide open after hearing the threat.


    "Okay, okay, I will freshen up first," Vernon said. "Please tell her that I''ll be ready soon. You know I can''t see her cry."


    "Got it, Daddy!"


    Mackie understood her father''s distress over her mother''s scolding and lecture. Mackie was lectured by her mother a few times, and it never felt good.


    Chloe wasn''t the type who would scream at the top of her lungs or throw insults.


    She would genuinely scold Mackie for her mistake and then start discussing what they should do to fix the problem.


    The distressing part was Chloe''s expression.


    Chloe always wears her sweet smile every day. Returning to their home, greeted by Chloe''s smile, was almost like a tradition in this family. Everyone saw Chloe as the heart of the family, so when she had to scold anyone who made a mistake, Chloe''s smile would disappear, and she would sometimes look sad or even cry.


    Seeing her sweet mother crying made Mackie feel like she was the worst child in the world.


    Her father, Vernon, was deeply in love with his wife. It was obvious from his gesture and how he looked at her. Mackie painted the ideal of love by observing her parents'' daily interaction and how they made each other happy just by standing side by side.


    Mackie realized that her father was the one who showed so much remorse after having a little fight with his wife. Sometimes, Mackie caught her father sobbing after a little fight with her mother, so he tried his best not to upset her.


    ''Hmm, it''s so weird to see¡­'' Mackie thought. ''Daddy is so scary in the office. I''ve seen him working many times, yet he looks so hopelessly vulnerable in front of Mommy. Is this what they call true love?''


    Mackie returned to the dining table. She saw that the boys had finished their breakfast and went out first with Dorothea to school, leaving Mackie with her mother and siblings.


    "Did you wake your dad up?" Chloe asked.


    "I did. He said he is getting ready," Mackie reported. She sat on the chair and started eating her breakfast again.


    Vernon went down about ten minutester. He was only wearing a ck tee and boxers.


    His eyes brightened as he saw his family gathering for breakfast, "Good morning, my princesses," Vernon said as he kissed Mackie and Valerie on the head.


    "Morning, Daddy!" Val and Mackie said at the same time.


    "Morning, champ," he said while kissing baby Cedric.


    Lastly, he stared at his wife, who was busy feeding the baby with so much love and tenderness. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "Good morning, honey. You look beautiful today."


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened, but she tried to ignore it, "Your breakfast is next to Mackie. I''ll bring you the suit after I''m done feeding Cedric."


    "Thank you, Love."


    Vernon sat next to Mackie and looked around, "Where are Dorothea and the boys?"


    "They''re leaving earlier. I got a report from the primary school principal that the boys werete for about thirty minutesst Thursday. So I make sure they leave earlier."


    "Alright then," Vernon nodded, and he ate his two portions of breakfast as usual.


    Vernon was still the same big eater. Even after he fathered two more children with Chloe, he was still in great shape because of daily exercise.


    After all, he didn''t want his forever-beautiful wife to look at another man after Vernon got out of shape. He wanted to be the best version of himself and always look handsome in front of his wife so Chloe would always have her eyes on him.


    Meanwhile, Chloe had always been the same.


    She was still gorgeous, even after giving birth to two more children. She was in her early forties but didn''t show much sign of aging.


    In fact, she had gotten even more beautiful and bright that Vernon started to worry if she might be looking at another man while he was away.


    Vernon eventually understood some of Vincent''s fear over Chloe''s beauty, but he wasn''t crazy. He knew that hurting Chloe would bring nothing but pain and suffering to his beloved wife.


    So all he did was shower her with gifts, have a private date or family trip on the weekend, and take care of the kids when he was not working to show that he was a good father.


    All to make sure that Chloe would always be by his side.


    So far, it has been working really well.


    Chloe was busy taking care of the family and seemed to enjoy it very much. She spent most of her time making sure each of her family members was cared for, and she tried her best to be fair to all her children.


    Chloe and Vernon have had a good life and counting for the past six years. They had a few small fights, just like every other married couple in history, but their fight didn''tst long.


    On top of that, they had a healthy sex life. They had sex about three times a week.


    Vernon wanted to have more since he had so much energy, but he understood that his wife was tired of housework. Even with maids around, Chloe was still a perfectionist at heart.


    She ensured the mansion always had a warm, fuzzy feeling that made everyonefortable after a long day outside.


    She also liked to spend so much time gardening with Valerie and baby Cedric.


    Vernon felt that everything was perfect. However, he wished that Chloe would rx a bit more. She always looked busy in the morning, preparing for everything.


    Vernon had told Chloe to just let the maids cook for everything, but she refused.


    She simply said;


    ''This is my family. I have the responsibility. Besides, I like doing this. I like having a big family.''

 Chapter 791 Side Story: Mackie’s Diary (3)

    Chapter 791 Side Story: Mackie¡¯s Diary (3)


    Mackie and Vernon finished their breakfast and went to their respective bedroom simultaneously. Vernon wore his suit, and Mackie checked her homework to ensure she didn''t miss any of them.


    They returned to the living room, ready to start the day, "I''m going now, see you at dinner, Mommy!"


    "Don''t forget that you have a theater practice after school, okay?"


    "Yeah!"


    Vernon kissed his wife''s lips and asked, "So, any activity today?"


    "I''m going to meet with Kate and her children in the morning, as usual," Chloe replied. "Then I will bring your lunch at noon. I''ll bring Cedric and Val with me."


    "That''s good. Maybe we can set up a family vacation together with themter," Vernon said.


    "We can think about thatter. You should go now. You have an important meeting today, right?"


    "Yeah, but don''t worry, your husband will be able to handle everything¡­ as long as you give me a kiss," Vernon said.


    Chloe''s cheeks reddened again, but she kissed him on the lips and murmured, "Scoundrel."


    After the kiss, Vernon felt a huge boost of energy and kissed his children before leaving for work.


    "Bye-bye, Daddy!"


    "Uaaa! Ah!" Valerie waved at her father, and baby Cedric did the same.


    Chloe patted Valerie''s head and said, "Alright, you should get ready too. You don''t want Aunt Kate to wait for too long, right? We''re going to the park today."


    "Whoo! Yes!"


    **


    Mackie and Vernon walked out of the main door side by side, and they were greeted by Meyer and Diamond, who stood in front of different cars.


    Meyer, as usual, would drive Mackie to her school before working at Mr. Phoenix Gray''s office.


    Meanwhile, Diamond would be in the same car with her boss, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray.


    Six years had passed, and they were still a couple.


    Diamond and Meyer were truly simr in many ways. They were both professional at work and understood when to rx and to work.


    Unlike Vernon and Chloe, who still had a few little fights sometimes, Meyer and Diamond seemed to understand each other well.


    In fact, they were sopatible that Mackie could see a pair of matching rings on their fingers.


    Meyer and Diamond engagedst year in Spring and nned to marry next year.


    "Good morning, Diamond, Meyer!"


    "Good morning, Miss,"


    "Morning, Mackie!"


    Diamond bent her back towards Mackie as she wore a high heel and then handed her a bar of luxury chocte, "Here''s the Belgian chocte I promised you when I was on a business trip a few days ago."


    "Ohh! Thanks, Diamond!" Mackie epted the chocte and quickly stuffed it in her bag, afraid her Mommy would confiscate it.


    Of course, for the daughter of a billionaire, something like chocte was so menial. But Chloe raised her children strictly regarding food because she had a long history of eating disorders when she lived with Vincent.


    She wanted her children to eat everything in moderation. But Mackie was a sweet tooth, just like her father. So she often sneaks some chocte and candies because eating moderately wasn''t in her dictionary when it was about sweets.


    Vernon said nothing as he saw the illegal transaction between Diamond and Mackie.


    Chloe would scold them for eating too many sweets, but Vernon understood the craving really well, so he said nothing, silently bing the partner-in-crime for his Little Wolf.


    "Let''s go, Diamond. Give me all the topics for today''s meeting," Vernon said.


    "Yes, Sir. I''ve prepared everything," Diamond said as she followed Vernon into his car, and they drove away first.


    Mackie stood in front of Meyer and asked, "Did Aaron go with the other driver today?"


    "Yes, Miss. He said he has a club practice today, so he can''t ck off," Meyer replied. He opened the car door and said, "Come in, Miss. You can''t bete for school."


    Meyer drove the car out of the Phoenix mansion. They were sitting in silence until Mackie broke the silence, "Meyer,tely I have been wondering."


    "About what, Miss?"


    "About my father."


    "Mr. Phoenix Gray?"


    "No, not Daddy," Mackie sighed. "I mean my biological father, Vincent Gray. Where is he right now? Is he still alive?"


    ¡­


    Meyer went silent instantly. He knew that Mackenzie would eventually ask about Vincent Gray.


    "Do you want to meet him, Miss?" Meyer asked.


    "Yeah," Mackie said. She looked out the window, staring at the woods. "I have a few questions for him."


    ¡­


    "Unfortunately, I don''t think you can meet him for now until you are eighteen and ready," Meyer said. "Your father, he is¡ª"


    "¡ªNo need to tell me about it, Meyer. I know what kind of person my father is. After all, I spent my childhood with him. Just because now that I have Daddy doesn''t mean I will forget everything that happened before in my family."


    Meyer didn''t dare to say anything after that, afraid his words might incite an idea in Mackie''s head.


    "But, I understand why I can''t visit him. After all, my father did so many awful things to Mommy¡­"


    Meyer kept his silence until they arrived at the school gate.


    Meyer opened the car door for Mackenzie, and Mackie smiled at Meyer, "Thank you, Meyer! Have a good day at work!"


    Meyer smiled at his little Miss, who had blossomed into a beautiful and cheerful teenage girl, "Thank you, Miss, you should have fun at school as well."


    **


    Mackie spent the whole time at school thinking about her biological father, Vincent Gray.


    Seven years had passed since thest time she saw him, and it was in the worst state possible because she remembered clearly how she saw her father beating the hell out of her mother in the Principal''s office.


    Mackie never asked about Vincent after that, knowing he had be a trauma that her mother didn''t want to repeat.


    But still, Mackie wondered about her real father''s condition right now.


    ''Is he still alive? Or did Daddy do something to him?'' Mackie wondered.

 Chapter 792 Side Story: Mackie’s Diary (4)

    <h4>Chapter 792 Side Story: Mackie¡¯s Diary (4)</h4>


    Mackie spent her time at school being a little absent-minded.


    She kept thinking about her biological father, Vincent Gray and somehow had a big urge to meet him again at least once.


    She wanted to know the full truth since, all this time, she had only listened to her mother''s side.


    But of course, she knew that her biological father was NOT a good man because she witnessed her abuse firsthand.


    ''I guess I just want closure¡­''


    **


    Mackie had a theater club practice after school and texted Meyer after she was done with it.


    She stood at the school gate, waiting for her pickup to arrive, and noticed a ck car parked near her.


    She nced at it a few times, thinking it might be a kidnapper. Mackie had been taught many times about the stranger danger since she was a kid. She understood that she didn''t have a regr family, so she should protect herself in case Meyer hadn''te yet.


    The car door was opened, and Mackie stepped back, ready to run back into the school to find the janitor or security.


    But she halted her step after seeing the man who exited the car.


    The man walked towards Mackie until they were only three feet away from each other.


    They stood facing each other, and thus, for the first time after six years, Mackie could finally see her biological father again.


    He looked haggard and worn.


    He had lost his willpower to live, proven by his unkemptness. He looked more like a hobo than a billionaire, even though Mackie knew by reading the news on the Inte that Daddy Vernon bought the Graypany for billions of dors.


    His hair was unkempt, and he wore washed-up jeans and a jacket, unlike him.


    His previously groomed face had lost its shine. If Mackie didn''t recognize this man, she''d thought this was a hobo who wanted to kidnap her.


    "Dad?"


    "It''s been a while, princess," Vincent smiled. His voice was coarse like sandpaper as if he had been smoking too many times. "I miss you so much."


    Vincent wanted to step forward to hug his daughter, but Mackie took a step back immediately, keeping a safe distance from her father, "Stranger danger, Dad. You can''t hug me."


    Vincent was at a loss.


    "I see. Vernon must''ve ndered me this whole time, making me the bad guy, huh?" Vincent asked bitterly.


    ¡­


    Mackie said nothing.


    She kept staring at her father, and her heart ached, knowing that her biological father had be a waste.


    "Why are you here, Dad?" Mackie asked.


    "I just want to see you. It''s been six years, and I can finally see you once more, Mackie," Vincent said with tears pooling in his eyes. "Your mother¡­ and that bastard Vernon are conspiring against me to take you away from me."


    Mackie stayed silent while staring at her father. She was not the same little girl she was six years ago.


    She understood many things now, especially after she had full ess to the inte, so she could just google everything that happened in the family.


    But she still wanted to hear what her biological Dad wanted to say.


    Vincent thought this was a sign that Mackie would listen, so he continued, "For six years, Vernon has been forbidding me to meet you at your school, and your mother does the same thing. I''ve been missing you a lot, and now that I have the chance, I will tell you the truth."


    "The truth?"


    "Yes, all this time, Vernon has influenced you, so let me tell you the truth," Vincent said. He took a deep breath and continued, "First of all, I have never hurt your mother. Not once. Your mother is a maniptive woman who acts pitiful in front of you, Mackie."


    "But she has always been cruel to me. She might say I''ve beaten her to death every day, but don''t you see, I am always busy at work? Of course, I don''t have time to beat her!"


    "What do you mean she has always been cruel to you, Dad?" Mackie asked.


    "She¡­ she always insults me for every little thing I do. She has never taken care of me as her husband, and on top of that, she cheated on me¡­"


    "Cheated?!" Mackie''s eyes widened.


    Vincent nodded.


    He looked sad and tried to reach for his daughter''s hand, but Mackie took another step back again.


    Each time he tried to reach her, she''d make sure to keep her distance.


    "Mackie?"


    "Answer me, Dad. What do you mean Mom cheated on you?"


    "Mackenzie¡­ don''t you see what is happening before you? Your mother cheated on me with Vernon! They have been nning everything! They nned my downfall, and they had been having an affair way before the divorce!"


    Vincent gritted his teeth.


    He got worked up whenever he remembered how Chloe and Vernon cheated behind his back, "They fooled me, and now they have a good life while I''m suffering alone."


    Vincent stared at his daughter with eyes full of vengeance. He wanted Mackie to feel the same pain he had and worked for him.


    "Mackenzie Rose Gray, if you still think of me as your father, you should help me," Vincent said. "I''ve been suffering for six years straight, but at least I can pin my hope to my daughter, right?"


    ¡­


    "What kind of help do you want, Dad?"


    Vincent lowered his head, trying to hide the smile from Mackie, ''As I expected, this little girl is still the same stupid kid. After six years, she is finally big enough to work for me.''


    ''Just you wait, Vernon. I will ruin your marriage just like how you ruin mine. I will get my wife back,'' Vincent thought. ''Maybe I should also ask Mackie to kill her step-siblings. They are just a bunch of hell spawns.''


    "I want you to help me separate your mother from Vernon. I want them to get divorced so we can be a happy family once more."

 Chapter 793 Side Story: Mackie’s Diary (5)

    <h4>Chapter 793 Side Story: Mackie¡¯s Diary (5)</h4>


    "I want you to help me separate your mother from Vernon. I want them to get divorced so we can be a happy family once more."


    ¡­


    Mackie stared at her father in silence after he said his true intention.


    He thought that her silence meantpliance. Thus, Vincent added, "Vernon and his children are parasites that ruined our family. You''re the closest to them, Mackie. You can ruin their marriage, and we can be together again."


    "Don''t you want to live with me? I am your real father. It would be great if we could live in the old mansion with your mother, right?" Vincent said.


    "So, how about it? Come with me in the car. I will tell you all the ns I have to get them divorced."


    Mackie maintained her silence. She kept staring at her biological dad but did not heed his instructions.


    Vincent began to lose his patience, "Come on, Mackie.


    Vincent stretched his hand, wanting to grab his daughter and drag her into the car, but before he could do that, Mackie pped his hand and took another step back, "I''m not going anywhere with you, Dad."


    Vincent frowned, "Why? Don''t you want to be happy? If we be a big family once more, you will be happy, do you not realize that?"


    "What happiness are you talking about?" Mackie asked back. "You mean when Mom cried every day with bruises all over her body?"


    "Mackenzie-!" Vincent was caught off guard by Mackie''s deduction. He thought that Mackie must''ve forgotten about everything that happened in the past since she was just a kid. "Your mother cried to make you sympathize with her. She is maniptive. She was fake crying!"


    "You may say the crying was fake, but the bruises on her body were real," Mackie replied. "I saw with my own eyes how she tried to cover the bruises by wearing a jacket. But she passed out often because of hunger and abuse that I came to check on her body."


    "She had so many bruises, and I know very well that you liked to grab her arms and shove her around. I saw the blue bruise shaped like a hand on her arms."


    "I also know that you like to insult my Mom for eating. Do you think I will forget how Mom went back and forth to the bathroom to puke everything she ate? She became so thin that she was barely living!"


    "Do you think I didn''t know you beat her and yelled at her every night? I had sleepless nights listening to you cursing at her, calling her cruel insults."


    "I also know you tried to stop her from getting help. Sometimes I asked Mom if she was alright, but she always said everything was fine," Mackie said. "But I knew from her eyes that she was scared of you, and probably telling me the truth would only make you hit her harder."


    ¡­


    Vincent was absolutely speechless by Mackenzie''s words right now.


    He waited for six years until Mackie was fourteen years old, the ripe age of listening to orders, but not old enough to understand everything happening around her.


    Who would''ve expected that Mackenzie would be able to understand everything that happened years ago? Turns out, Mackenzie really inherited the intelligence from her mother.


    "Did your Mom tell you about all this? You''ve been tricked, Mackenzie!"


    "No, she never told me about any of this. I learned it by myself," Mackie replied. "As I grew older and lived with my Daddy right now, I realized that a loving father means you won''t beat Mommy, you will spend time with your children and love everyone in the family equally."


    "You should see what kind of love my real Dad has for Mom," Mackenzie said. "Six years after they got married, they are still in love, and my real Dad always treats Mom gently!"


    "My Mom is also happy living with him. We are a perfect family," Mackie added. "So, if you think I don''t have a happy family now, you are wrong!"


    "I am very happy with my family right now. I have a Mom and Dad who love each other and love me dearly. I have two siblings that see me as their big sister, and I also live with Granny Dorothea and the boys."


    "Do you think I will ruin my family to stay with you? The man who beat my Mom until she was broken and also ignored me as his daughter?!" Mackie shook her head firmly. "I am not the same naive girl anymore, Dad. I am not going to be tricked after knowing everything!"


    "You¡ªHOW COULD YOU?!" Vincent snapped after getting turned down by his own blood. "YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER! YOU HAVE MY BLOOD! YOU SHOULD''VE BEEN ON MY SIDE!"


    All this time, Vincent pinned all of his hopes on Mackenzie, hoping Mackie would eventually take his mantle and destroy Vernon.


    But this wasn''t the oue that he expected.


    "I spent the past six years thinking about you and your mother, and this is what you want to say to me?! You should care more for your father!"


    "I''m not a kid anymore, Dad! I know what''s right and wrong! And I know that you hurt my Mom so much!" Mackie yelled back. "She is happy now, so let her go!"


    "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT, YOU SPOILED A LITTLE SHIT! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Vincent raised his hand, ready to p his teenage daughter for refusing his request. Only a good ol'' beating until she was unrecognizable would be enough to knock some sense in her head.


    But before he could do that, Vincent felt a sharp pain on his left temple and cheek, and it took him a second to realize that someone punched him with a strong fist.


    "URGH!" Vincent''s body flew until he hit the school guard rail.


    Vincent''s eyes got blurry as the sharp pain in his head got even worse. He shook his head, trying to regain some of his consciousness after that powerful punch.


    It took him a while until he could finally see the imposing figure standing tall in front of him, clenching his fists, ready to deliver another painful blow.


    "Don''t you dare touch my daughter, you bastard."

 Chapter 794 Side Story: Mackie’s Diary (6)

    <h4>Chapter 794 Side Story: Mackie¡¯s Diary (6)</h4>


    "Don''t you dare touch my daughter, you bastard."


    Vincent could finally register the man in front of him from his voice. It was none other than Vernon Phoenix Gray, his little brother, the man who ruined his life.


    Vernon''s voice was calm, but it held a lot of rage behind it as if he wouldn''t hesitate to pummel Vincent to death if he dared to touch Mackie again.


    Vincent gritted his teeth, he tried to get up, but Vernon quickly kicked him in the stomach.


    "URK!"


    The sharp pain in his stomach was enough to incapacitate Vincent. Hey on the ground like a sore, cowering while holding his stomach as he was about to puke his lunch.


    Vincent red at his little brother and cursed, "YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I WILL FUCKING REPORT YOU TO THE POLICE!"


    "You can try," Vernon replied coldly. "But you''re the one who''s going to be arrested for attempted kidnapping. Surveince cameras are everywhere, and see what will happen to your already awful reputation."


    Vernon stepped on Vincent''s chest to stop him from struggling. He looked down on his Big brother, who looked so pathetic right now.


    He looked over his shoulder and saw Mackie was still petrified on the spot, so he said calmly butmanding, "Go to the car, Mackie."


    Mackenzie snapped out of her daze and simultaneously looked at Vincent and Vernon, "D¡ªDaddy¡­"


    "I have to clean up this trash first. Go to the car and lock the door, NOW!" Vernon raised his voice to signal his Little Wolf about the urgency.


    Mackie finally turned around and rushed to the car. She locked the car from inside, watching her Daddy, who stepped on her biological father.


    Vernon returned his attention to Vincent and sneered, "Do you really think Mackie will turn around and help you? Vincent, I''m not a crazed idiot like you. I know how to treat my loved ones right. That''s why we have a happy family right now."


    "It''s because of you!" Vincent yelled. "It''s you who influenced my daughter so she wouldn''t believe me! You fucking traitor!"


    "She is MY daughter. She doesn''t need her biological father, especially when he is a scum like you!" Vernon yelled back. "Listen, you bastard, the only reason I haven''t killed you is because of Chloe. She told me not to hurt you as you have enough punishment already," Vernon said. His heart burned every time he remembered how Chloe gently told him to at least ignore Vincent''s existence. He was jealous, thinking that Chloe still had a feeling for Vincent.


    But then, he remembered how she forgave Dorothea. Chloe was simply a woman with a soft heart.


    So Vernon got softened in the end.


    "But I don''t think I will be soft anymore. This is thest time you will ever see Mackenzie, Vincent," Vernon said.


    Vincent''s eyes widened.


    He had an ominous feeling about this, "W¡ªWhat will you do? Chloe will be angry if she knows you''re going to kill me!"


    "Really?" Vernon sneered. "Then let''s hear it from herself."


    Vernon grabbed his phone and called his wife. It didn''t take long for Chloe to pick up the call.


    ¡ª


    "Yes, honey? Did you pick Mackie from her school already?"


    "I did, and you''ll be surprised by what I see," Vernon said. He looked down on Vincent and continued, "Your ex-husband, this bastard Vincent Gray, tried to kidnap Mackie in front of the school gate. It was a close call. I was lucky that I arrived on time."


    "Chloe!" Vincent couldn''t help shouting his beloved ex-wife''s name. "I miss you so much! Pleasee back to me! I will change! I promise I will change!"


    "I didn''t try to kidnap our daughter. I just miss her so much. I miss you and our daughter. I miss our family life!"


    There was a trace of desperation in Vincent''s voice. He began to cry as he imagined the good old times.


    "Please¡­ I''m begging you, Chloe. I want you back, please!"


    ¡­


    There was a long silence on the phone until Chloe asked, "How about Mackie? Is she hurt?"


    "No, she''s safe. I told her to stay in my car and lock the door from inside. I just want you to know what kind of stunt Vincent pulled just now," Vernon said. He trusted his wife to make the best judgment and waited for Chloe tomand him.


    "I see. Pleasee back home with Mackie as soon as possible. I''m worried sick right now," Chloe said. "And about Vincent, can you get rid of him?"


    Vincent''s eyes widened, "C¡ªChloe? How could you¡ª"


    "I don''t want blood on your hand, so get rid of him by locking him out somewhere. Make sure he will never see Mackie again for the rest of his pitiful life," Chloe said coldly. "I believe you can do so much, right?"


    Vernon chuckled, "Sure, I can do much more. But I definitely can if you want me to put him somewhere."


    "C¡ªChloe, I¡ª" Vincent wanted to talk more with Chloe. He believed Chloe''s heart would eventually melt if she knew his pitiful condition.


    Unfortunately, she cut him short.


    "Don''t speak anymore, Vincent Gray. You are dead in my eyes," Chloe said. "You should be grateful I didn''t ask my husband to kill you."


    Beep.


    ¡ª


    Vernon had a wide grin as Chloe hung up the call, leaving Vincent speechless.


    "Chloe has no more feelings for you, Big bro. But she is still the same gentledy. So I will heed her request," Vernon scrolled through his phone to call Meyer. "You will never be able to leave your mansion for the rest of your life. I guarantee it."


    Vernon stomped on Vincent''s chest for thest time, listening to him grimacing in pain until he turned around and gave an order to Meyer on the phone while walking back to the car, "Meyer, go talk to Prisci and Nigel. Break his legs, arms, or whatever. I want Vincent to be locked in his mansion forever."


    Beep.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 795 Side Story: Mackie’s Diary (End)

    <h4>Chapter 795 Side Story: Mackie¡¯s Diary (End)</h4>


    Vernon returned to the car. He knocked on the window, and Mackie opened it from the inside.


    Vernon said nothing but sat in the driver''s seat and drove away as soon as possible. He didn''t want Mackie to see her scum biological father for too long.


    Mackie was HIS daughter, just like Valerie and Cedric were his children. There was no difference in any of them.


    They were silent until Vernon opened the conversation, "Mommy is waiting for us at home. She is worried about you."


    "Mhm, thanks, Daddy," Mackie murmured. She fiddled with her fingers while trying to form a question about her biological Dad. "Daddy, about him¡­"


    "He won''t be able to hurt you anymore," Vernon replied. He clenched the steering wheel, wondering if he should tell the truth. "He will be under confinement for the rest of his life."


    Mackie sighed in relief.


    She really thought that her Daddy would kill her biological father. She wouldn''t be able to see Daddy as a good person if he did that.


    "Do you think I will kill him?"


    "I''m afraid that you will¡­"


    Vernon scoffed, "I want to, but your mother is an angel. She doesn''t want me to hurt anyone. So I can only lock him forever."


    Vernon nced at his Little Wolf, who sat next to him. She was a teenager now, fourteen years old. But in Vernon''s eyes, she was still the same cute little girl who wouldtch on his thigh like a Ko.


    Maybe it was the effect of raising her for six years, but Vernon epted he wouldn''t be able to see Mackie as an adult.


    Vernon patted Mackie''s head and assured her, "Don''t worry, you will be safe now."


    Mackie nodded.


    "Daddy, back then, I thought what he did to my Mommy was normal," Mackie said. "Beating, insulting, yelling¡­"


    "Mommy also said it was normal. I don''t understand why she didn''t tell me it was wrong," Mackie wondered. "I found out about a real family once we lived with you, Daddy."


    "I saw Mommy be the beautiful woman she once was. She smiled a lot and ate healthy food again."


    "But yet, she still hasn''t told me that my biological father is a scum¡­" Mackie lowered her voice, feeling guilty for calling Vincent a scum. "I learned everything myself¡­"


    Vernon nced at his daughter and replied, "It''s because of the circumstances around her."


    "Circumstances?"


    "Yes, your mother was trapped in an abusive marriage with Vincent. She can''t escape, and she tried to make the best out of the suffering for you," Vernon said. "She didn''t want you to see what kind of monster Vincent truly is because you were still too young to understand."


    "But I want to help her too¡­"


    "It''s a mother''s instinct to protect her child''s innocence, Little Wolf," Vernon said. "Your mother is still a human. She made mistakes in life, and she thought keeping your innocence at the cost of her sanity was the right thing to do."


    "Your existence is enough help for her. You are her hope, Mackie," Vernon said. "Without you, she might not survive the suffering inflicted by Vincent for ten years straight."


    Mackie still felt that she should''ve done more for her mother.


    Her mother protected her from her monstrous biological father and tried her best to keep Mackie happy despite the circumstances.


    Vernon nced at his daughter and said, "If you want to repay your mother, then you should study hard and be a good person in life. So your mother will see that her ten-year endeavor is not in vain."


    "But for now, why don''t you hug her when we return home? Your Mommy is worried sick about you."


    "Um! Let''s do that for now!" Mackie finally cheered up.


    **


    Chloe stood at the main door, anxiously staring at the main gate, carrying Cedric in her left hand and Valerie standing on her right side. She was waiting for her husband and daughter toe home.


    She bit her lower lip and muttered, "Did something happen on their way home? Should I call him again?"


    Valerie looked at her mother and asked, "Mommy, are you okay?"


    Chloe smiled at her second daughter and patted her head, "Mommy is alright. I''m just waiting for your sister and father."


    Not long after that, a car pulled into the mansion''s driveway and parked right in front of the main door.


    Mackie and Vernon exited the car, and Chloe rushed to them, "Mackie! Husband!"


    Mackie rushed fast towards her mother and hugged her tight, "Mommy!"


    "Oh, Mackie!" Chloe hugged her back and then checked on her body. "Did he do something to you? Are you hurt?"


    Mackie shook her head, "He tried to bring me to that old mansion, but Daddy saved me."


    "Oh dear, I''m sorry that I can''t be there to protect you¡­"


    Mackie shook her head, "It''s okay, Mommy. I''m okay," she said. Mackie buried her face on her mother''s chest and added, "I''m so d you''re still alive, Mommy. I love you so much."


    "Huh? Why did you say that?" Chloe asked as she was startled.


    Vernon joined and said, "Well, everyone is safe now. Why don''t we go inside and have dinner first? I get hungry after punching someone."


    "Oh! Dinner! I''m so hungry!" Valerie finally responded.


    "Uhh! Aaa!" Cedric was infected by his big sister''s energy as well.


    Chloe giggled, "Alright, let''s have dinner. I''ve cooked a feast for us tonight."


    Mackie walked into the house with Valerie while Cedric still rested on his Mommy''s arm.


    Chloe and Vernon stared at Mackie and Valerie''s back, and she muttered, "Husband, thank you for everything. You bring me happiness I never expected."


    "That should be my line," Vernon chuckled. He wrapped his arm around Chloe''s shoulder and kissed her. "You have brought me so much joy since I was a child and will continue to do so until we grow old together."


    "Chloe Phoenix Gray, you are my only one."


    **__**


    Hello, Pupa here!


    First of all, I''d like to thank all my readers and fans for the love and support in reading this book to the end. I hope you''re satisfied with the ending!


    Want to see more of Chloe and Vernon? Check out my ongoing book, ''He Stole Me from My Deadbeat Husband,'' where they are supporting characters!


    ''Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil Brother'' means a lot to me, as it kickstarted my writing journey. This book helped me realize I have a future as an author.


    Your support means a lot to me, and I hope to see you in my next book.


    PS: I''ll be starting my very first Werewolf romance book in a few months. Follow my Instagram, @foreverpupa, for thetest updates!


    Once again, thank you for reading!


    Pupa, Out!


    **__**


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!