Chapter 320


    Chapter 320 A Foreboding Sense of Dread.


    Chloe gently pushed open the door and entered the study. Joseph remained with his back. turned, his


    gaze fixed on theputer screen. His handsome face was dark and brooding, fueled by his intense


    frustration over the Whitman Group’s recent months of losses. He had an irresistible urge to grab


    Jonathan and give him a good beating.


    He picked up his phone and called Jonathan, his voice carrying an obvious tone of frustration.


    Terminate all the projects you invested inst quarter immediately. Also, I want you to voluntarily step


    down from the board of directors. Focus on your role as the administrative. director and refrain from


    meddling in any senior-level projects.”


    Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. She could not help but wonder just how much damage Jonathan. had


    caused the Whitman Group to provoke such anger from someone as influential and formidable as


    Joseph. The extent of the losses must have been significant for Joseph to be seething with such


    frustration.


    “No! You can’t do this to me, Joe! As a Whitman, it’s only natural for me to be on the board unless


    Grandpa says otherwise!” Jonathan protested.


    Joseph sneered, “Just wait for the notice.”


    Without waiting for Jonathan to spew any more nonsense, Joseph promptly ended the call, unwilling to


    listen to any further exnation from the other end. After all the talking, he felt at bit thirsty and turned


    around to reach for a ss of water on the coffee table.


    Chloe noticed his action and handed it to him.


    He looked up, and their gaze met.


    Chloe stood there, radiating with beauty. She donned a knee-length dress in a serene shade of sky


    blue, enhancing her appearance with a subtle touch of makeup. Her delicate features exuded an aura


    of grace, gentleness, and refinement, captivating all those whoid eyes upon.


    her.


    She met Joseph’s deep, enigmatic gaze, her eyes shimmering. “Patrick hurt his back, so he told me to


    bring this to you.”


    “Did Grandpa say anything to you?” he asked.


    “No… He didn’t say anything.”


    “Hmm? Really?” Joseph raised his eyebrows.


    “Grandpa told me to live my own life, and that I shouldn’t care about how others think of me.”


    She chose not to tell Joseph everything that Harold told her.


    Joseph furrowed his brow slightly and said, “Don’t listen to him.”


    ??


    Chloe refused to back down. “Then I guess I shouldn’t listen to you either.”


    A malicious smirk tugged at Joseph’s thin lips. “Well, let’s see.”


    “What do you really want?” Chloe stared at him incredulously.


    “Nothing. Since Grandpa loves you so much, you should stay and continue to be his granddaughter-in-


    law.”


    Joseph believed he had made his intentions clear and had given her enough reputation. He had made


    numerous concessions on her behalf. This was her final opportunity, and if she failed to seize it, the


    consequences would be solely her responsibility.


    Chloe could not believe what she had heard as she stared at him. “Am I some kind of object? Just


    because Grandpa likes me, I’m supposed to stay and be your wife? Joseph, you have a lot of nerve!”


    “Watch your words when you’re talking to me!” Joseph rose to his feet, his thin lips pressed into a


    straight line, his countenance cold and merciless.


    Chloe immediately covered her mouth, realizing her mistake. This was his territory, and she should not


    have been so reckless.


    Joseph moved closer to her, his tone dripping with condescension. “Isn’t it beneficial to be my wife?


    Here, you can have everything at your fingertips. Endless wealth, glory, and others can only dream of.


    Aren’t these the very things women desire the most?”


    power that


    “Yes! It’s true that women, and not just women, but people all over the world, are drawn to such a


    lifestyle. But if lifecks love and is only filled with materialism, I’d rather remain in poverty forever!”


    She had experienced that feeling of being needed without being loved when she was with the


    Johnsons and refused to go through it again.


    Chloe’s wordsnded like a heavy blow on Joseph, piercing deep into his heart and causing an intense


    ache. The realization that she did not love him stirred a tumult of emotions within him. Did this mean


    that her affections belonged to Icarus instead?Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Joseph’s prating gaze fixed upon the woman standing inches away, his eyes carrying hidden


    anguish. He briefly closed his eyes, erasing any trace of lingering tenderness he had for her. When his


    eyes reopened, his demeanor turned cold and merciless.


    “You’lle to regret your decision.”


    An unexinable chill raced down Chloe’s spine, apanied by a foreboding sense of dread in her


    stomach.