Chapter 304
Chapter 304
“Chloe? What’s wrong with you?” Jerome could clearly see that there was something wrong with Chloe’s expression, so he asked in a serious tone. “I remember that I didn’t blacklist Joseph. Why is he on my blacklist?”
As she spoke, Chloe’s sharp gaze shifted inch by inch to Jerome’s innocent face.
“Chloe…”
“Did you do it?”
“I haven’t had any private contact with anyone except you tonight. Joseph told me that he didn’t get through to me even after calling me all night. It was because he was blacklisted.”
Jerome clenched his ten fingers on his knees, and his gentle and deep gold-rimmed glasses flashed with a cold light.
“I thought about it carefully. Only at the Japanese restaurant, I only left my phone when I went to the bathroom. So, you blocked him at that time, right?” Chloe narrowed her almond eyes.
“Chloe, are you… suspecting me?” Jerome’s eyes were still innocent and clear.
“I’m not doubting you. I’m just stating a fact.”
Really, she didn’t even leave him a trace of love.
Jerome felt a huge sense of loss pressing against his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe. “Chloe, I admit that I shouldn’t have touched your phone. But I don’t want Joseph to disturb my date with you. Do you know how much suffering I have been waiting for today?”
“I’m too selfish. No matter how I explain it, it’s my fault. I’m sorry…”
“For the last time, don’t do it again.”
Too many things had happened tonight. Chloe really did not have the strength to argue with him about this. “The matter between me and Joseph is our private matter. I don’t like others to intervene.”
“I didn’t blacklist him when we divorced. Now I don’t want to bid him farewell in such a low and boring way. After all, there might be a time when we can cooperate in business.”
“As long as he dies in my heart, it’s fine. Other unnecessary things can
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only prove that I haven’t let him go.”
“Chloe, are you really going to let him go?” Jerome asked, his eyes suddenly brightening.
Chloe collected her red eyes and nodded slowly.
“Great… Chloe.”
“Chloe, since you’ve already let go of Joseph, can you… give me a chance to pursue you?”
“I want to be the man standing beside you. I want to shield you from the wind and rain. I can’t participate in your past, but I want to be with you in your future.”
“Jerome, I am not in the mood to be in love now. I have said it before.”
“I am too tired. I don’t want to touch things like love again. Sorry.”
“You don’t need to do anything when you are with me. You just need to enjoy the feeling of being loved.”
“Chloe, let’s give it a try. Try to be with me and give me a chance. Let me treat you well, okay?” Jerome asked, her eyes burning.
“Love is not online shopping. There’s not seven days for refund.” Chloe pursed her lips, feeling a little speechless.
“You don’t have to do anything. Let me love you and protect you.”
Jerome rested his uncasted arm on the car window, subtly shielding Chloe with his form. His slightly lifted, phoenix-like eyes were brimming with fondness so deep that she felt completely engulfed. “You’ll always find me at your back. If you ever decide I’m worth it, rest assured I’ll always be there, any time you glance over your shoulder.”
“Jerome, thank you for saving me tonight. But don’t do such a dangerous thing again in the future.”
“I’m not someone worthy of your life. It’s not too late to stop the damage now.” Chloe frowned.
Stop the damage in time?
Jerome slowly clenched his pale hand that was pressed against the cold. window, his eyes turning red.
These words were far more lethal than “I don’t like you”, which made him feel even more humiliated.
“Everyone’s love is precious. I don’t want you to be like me.”
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All the love became wrong love.
*
When Joseph returned to the car, it was already the latter half of the night.
Max bought a bottle of hot coffee from the supermarket that was open twenty-four hours away from the park. When he handed it to Joseph, he found that his hands were completely frozen. He couldn’t even take a mere bottle of coffee.
His heart throbbed with relentless ache. He cranked up the car’s heater to its maximum, fanning warm wind within. Peeling off his coat, he draped it around Joseph, a shield against the biting cold wind. He then handed a steaming cup of coffee to the man’s trembling hands.
“Mr. Sawle, there is a hospital nearby. Let’s go and take a look. Your hands are frozen and cracked…”
“How did they do it?” Joseph stared straight at the phone, his tone as cold as a machine.
“Mr. Sawle, what did you say?” Max was stunned.
“It was clearly a photo in my phone. No one touched my phone, and I didn’t touch it myself. How did the photo get deleted?” Joseph said word by word, every word coming out from between his teeth.
“Could, could it be that the phone was hit by a wooden horse and was infected with a virus?”
Max’s brain worked hard. “When you sent me to learn computer technology before, I remember learning, but never practically applying it. I recall that advanced hackers just need to know your phone number and phone model to invade your phone and delete content that is not placed in encrypted email.”
“So you usually burn after reading, or put important documents in the encrypted email and never put them in the mobile phone. So… could it be that someone invaded your mobile phone?”
Joseph took a deep breath and supported his forehead that was covered in sweat.
Yes, he also learned hacking skills in the military academy. How could he forget?
Although the content in the short letter could not be tampered with, it could be deleted!
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“Go and check.”
Joseph’s handsome face was as pale as stone. He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, “Go to the hotel where Zoey is tonight. Check the
surveillance camera and check the woman… who looks almost exactly the same as Chloe.”
“Exactly the same! How is that possible!”
Max was shocked and thought that his boss was frozen. “Mrs. Sawle is a beauty that is one in a million. Who can compare to Mrs. Sawle? Not to mention the same, it’s impossible, impossible, impossible…”
“I told you, then go check it out. Cut the crap.” When Joseph thought of the face that resembled Chloe in the photo, he felt a chill run down his spine.
That woman was definitely not Chloe.
But if that woman stared at that face that resembled Chloe and lived in this world, he was very afraid that she would use that face to indirectly hurt Chloe.
He wanted to find that woman not only to expose the conspiracy.
“As for how the text message disappeared, tracing back to the origin, I will do it.”
*
The “private meeting” between Zoey and Joseph continued to fermenton the Internet.
Both the Anderson and Sawle Groups deployed their communication teams to manage the scandal, but the controversy was too significant to be contained – pictorial evidence and videos only fueled it. Eradicating the trending search was not enough, as the juicy rumors simply couldn’t be quelled.
When Madam Anderson saw the hot search, her mobile phone suddenly fell to the ground, and she tumbled down the stairs!
Fortunately, the stairs were like a slow platform, not many steps, but it still sprained her ankle and broke her head.
But it still scared Vincent to the point that his face turned white, and he sent his mother to the hospital overnight.
Inside ward, Madam Anderson was lying on the bed, clutching Vincent’s hand tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
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“Vincent… What should we do? Zoey is only twenty-two years old. If something like this happens to her… What should she do in the future? What face do I have to face your grandfather and your father?”
As she spoke, Madam Anderson burst into tears.
“Mom, I will handle this matter properly.” Vincent sat by the bed, his throat filled with bitterness and sadness.
“How do you deal with this? There are photos and videos. Your sister has not married yet! Now that this scandal has been created… which family will marry her in the future?”
“Zoey is my, Vincent’s, younger sister. If anyone dares to make
irresponsible remarks, I will pull out his tongue!” Vincent gritted his teeth, his phoenix eyes burning with anger.
“Rurmors can destroy the truth! Do you think it is still more than twenty years ago? In the Medo, even the police did not dare to care our family? Now it is a society ruled by law. Can you… control it?” Madam Anderson cried as she pounded the bed with all her might.
Vincent furrowed his brows coldly.
Anderson family had indeed started out from the underworld. His grandfather had even fought with his brothers in the underworld in order to save up his family business in his early years. Only then did he have Anderson Group’s original accumulation. Later on, the times. changed. Old Master did not want his descendants to continue their old ways, so he washed his hands and began to gradually clean up Anderson Group.
When Vincent’s father became Anderson Group’s CEO, Anderson
Group had basically washed up and did a proper business. However, their family style and methods of handling things were more or less like black party. Because of this matter, his father had a lot of conflicts with Old Master and his younger brother.
Vincent had always felt that his father was too soft-hearted and a little self-righteous.
If he was the superior, Anderson Group’s power would already be in his hands. The vicious and merciless Second Uncle would not be able to be arrogant for so long!
“And your so-called good brother!” “Things started because of him. Until now, he has not stood up to say a word! Does he want to be thick-skinned and pretend that nothing happened?” Madam Anderson cried event
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harder and almost fainted.
“Mom, don’t say that about Joseph. Joseph is not such a person!” Vincent tried his best to defend his good brother.
“So many reporters have taken photos. How can he deny it?”
“There must be a reason. Joseph has never been interested in Zoey. He has someone he loves in his heart! He must not touch Zoey!” Vincent was so anxious that her eyes turned red.
Madam Anderson said with tears in her eyes, “Zoey is your only sister! Your sister was bullied by a man… and you still speak to an outsider!”
“Mom! I…”
“Now, there is only one way to go, and that is to let Joseph take responsibility for Zoey!”
“Responsibility? What do you mean?” Vincent’s eyes suddenly darkened.
“I will be discharged as soon as possible, find a day and go to Sawle family to propose marriage!” Madam Anderson’s tone was resolute.
“Don’t mess around! Even if you pointed a gun at Joseph’s head, he wouldn’t marry Zoey!” Vincent bounced up and roared anxiously.
“It’s not up to him to decide.”
Madam Anderson’s eyes were cold and cold. In an instant, she was a completely different person from her usual gentle and weak appearance. “He is a man. If he doesn’t marry Zoey, he will be opposing the entire Anderson Group. At that time, even if I don’t do anything to him, will your grandfather ignore this matter? Watching his eldest granddaughter being bullied?”
“Don’t think that just because he was Jake’s son, Anderson Group
wouldn’t dare to touch him!”