[80]
The first thing Peni did was check Chloe’s whereabouts. Although she was sure the woman hadn’t returned yet, she had to make sure herself. And she was right. Chloe wasn’t in her room. A smile of satisfaction appeared on Peni’s face. At least Chloe was out there doing something with someone.
In Peni’s eyes, although Josh’s cold and stiff demeanor was somewhat concerning, both Chloe and Adrianna seemed to know him well. So for Peni, it should be fine if they went out together. Maybe… a date?
She carefully closed Chloe’s room door until…
CRASH!!!
Peni jumped in surprise. The frame fell suddenly. The glass hit the floor and shattered into pieces. Peni’s hand trembled from the suddenness of it all. She stood there, stunned, until Tia patted her shoulder, making her realize what had happened.
“Why, miss?”
Peni’s eyes widened. “I don’t know.” But her hand pointed towards the deformed frame. “It just fell suddenly, Tia.” Suddenly, her heart felt a pang of pain. Her heartbeat raced for no apparent reason. Her thoughts immediately focused on Chloe.
“Has she not come back yet?”
“She went out with Miss Peni and Mr. Brad earlier. Did you forget?” Tia chuckled slightly but stopped when she saw Peni’s different expression. The woman looked pale, with a deep worry etched on her face.
“Try calling her again, Tia. I suddenly don’t feel well.” Peni quickly left. “Call Brad to clean up. I’m afraid you might get hurt by the glass shards.”
Tia furrowed her brow but quickly obeyed Peni’s request. Her face couldn’t hide the sense that something was off. Using the house phone, she tried to contact Chloe but to no avail. Her employer has yet to respond to her calls. Neither did her cell phone.
Everything was the same.
No answers.
Meanwhile, Chloe held onto her seatbelt tightly. Her eyes kept glancing at Josh, who seemed relaxed as he drove the car. She didn’t dare ask anymore, not because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t want to get into more trouble.
Her eyes focused on the unfamiliar road ahead. She prayed that nothing wrong would happen to her.
“Here we are,” Josh said, surveying the surroundings. “We’ve arrived.”
Chloe immediately became alert. The car entered a residential area. They had passed through a gate, and the vehicle was parked in a not-too-spacious yard. She could see that the garden was well-maintained from the glimmer of light.
“Welcome to my home, dear,” Josh said with a friendly smile. “I hope you don’t mind stopping by.”
“What is your purpose in bringing me here?” Chloe asked, mustering whatever courage she had left. “I have no business here.”
“Of course you do,” Josh answered with a chuckle. “How could you not have any business here?” Josh unbuckled his seatbelt. “I’m not ready to talk about what you heard at the restaurant, although I want to. But there’s something more important for you to know, dear.”
“Did you plan all of this?”
Josh paused. His eyes stared at Chloe without hesitation, and the nod he gave was filled with absolute conviction. “Yes.”
“Why?” Chloe asked, trembling slightly.
Would Josh answer? He only laughed briefly and got out of the car. The atmosphere felt silent since they arrived at this rather large house. Chloe felt that if she ran away now, it might make things even more dangerous. She needed to assess the situation first.
But what could Chloe do if Josh do something sinister inside? What options did she have?
God! Protect me!
“Don’t you want to get out?” Josh had already opened the passenger door, startling Chloe. She quickly got out. Despite trembling, Chloe imitated Josh’s steps as he led the way. She brushed off Josh’s hand that tried to hold hers.
Josh responded with a playful grin and a joking expression. No, Josh had no ill intentions toward Chloe, not even in the slightest. Instead, he felt that now might be the time for her to find out what he had planned for her.
Although earlier he was afraid of Chloe’s reaction, this was Josh. He couldn’t hide his efforts anymore. He couldn’t conceal what he was going to reveal. He should apologize to Chloe specifically for scaring her.
He had to do this. He would give Chloe a slight threat to make her comply.
Chloe moved slowly, considering how to escape from there. This two-story building looked tall, and jumping from the second floor would be difficult. She might break her legs or arms upon landing on the ground she now walked on. The gate they passed through earlier was tall and large, just like her former residence. She had not noticed the guard post; there might be security personnel.
“Chloe,” Josh called, causing Chloe to bump into his back because he abruptly stopped. It also made Chloe grunt in surprise as she hadn’t realized that Josh had stopped.
“I thought you were left behind,” Josh joked.
“I still don’t understand, Josh. One moment, you’re frightening, and the next, you seem like someone I know.”
“Why do you worry about that?” Josh turned around, gazing into Chloe’s eyes without hesitation. The fear that was in her eyes earlier was starting to diminish. After all, what was there to fear? Ah… He had indeed gone a bit overboard.
“Let’s go inside first.”
“No,” Chloe firmly refused. “I need to know why I’m here. What is your purpose? If you intend to harm me, what is the reason? Have I done something wrong to you all this time? Considering your conversation with Ester that I overheard, you’re working together. Is that true?” Chloe gripped the edge of her bag tightly, trying to prepare herself for the worst-case scenario if it turned out that Josh was collaborating with Ester, although she couldn’t definitively conclude that based on what she heard.
“That’s why we’ll talk inside.” As Josh said, the white-painted door swung open wide, and two middle-aged female servants welcomed them. “Please take good care of Miss Chloe. Don’t hesitate to make yourself at home in this house.”
“Yes, Sir,” they replied in unison.
“Go with them for now, Chloe. There are a few things I need to take care of. And one thing I ask of you, prepare yourself because what I’m about to say might shock you.”
“Just being here is already shocking enough, Josh,” Chloe quickly retorted. In response, Josh gave a wry smile, not saying anything as he urgently needed Emir.
The gate opened once again Without reaching for his phone to contact his assistant. A maroon sedan entered the premises and stopped behind Josh’s parked car on the right side. Shortly after, Emir emerged from the vehicle and strode confidently toward Josh.
Still hesitant to move, Chloe observed Emir’s calm yet slightly intimidating expression. When their eyes accidentally met, Emir politely smiled and greeted, “Good evening, Miss Chloe,” while giving a slight nod.
“You’re still here?” Josh furrowed his brow slightly. His gaze fixed sharply on the two servants who should have escorted Chloe inside instead of leaving her standing at the doorway.
“Come, Miss,” one of the servants had been urging Tia to follow her since earlier. But it seemed that Tia insisted on staying there. Now Chloe finally showed a sign of compliance. She nodded and followed the servant into the rather large house.
Chloe couldn’t help but be amazed by everything that met her eyes. The elegant and luxurious interior design made her imagine that Josh must have worked hard to acquire everything in this house. It was similar to Leonel’s hard work and the wealth he accumulated. This house was a testament to his efforts.
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“Miss Chloe, we have prepared dinner. I’m sure Sir would be delighted to dine with you.” One of the servants chirped.
Alya smiled faintly, unsure of how to respond or what to say.
“We are fortunate to meet you in person.”
Those words puzzled Chloe. “What do you mean?” She was also invited to sit on one of the large, plush sofas, where a tray of snacks and drinks had already been prepared.
“Sir often talks about you, Miss, especially during discussions with Mr. Emir. Please forgive us for unintentionally overhearing their conversations. But Sir’s face looks different when he talks about you.”
Was this the right time for Chloe to find out?
“What were they talking about? Just about me?” Chloe needed to be more confident. She just needed to confirm her suspicions.
“Yes, only about you.” One of them excused herself. “I’ll prepare dinner first, alright? My colleague, Alya, is getting your room ready.”
“I’m not staying overnight.” Chloe looked surprised. “I’ll go home after dinner.”
Neither of them responded. They just nodded obediently and left. Josh was going to Chloe to take a long breath. Her phone, which she had been wanting to use, seemed to have been left in Josh’s car. Should she retrieve it? But what if Josh gets angry?
But why should she be afraid of Josh’s anger? It was her phone. She needed to inform her family so they wouldn’t worry about her. She hurriedly headed back toward Josh, but her steps halted as Josh and Emir approached.
“What’s wrong?” Josh asked casually. “Do you need something?”
“I need my phone.”
Josh chuckled. “I think I forgot to bring it.”
“Josh!”
Josh approached Chloe and embraced her, just as he did earlier. Slightly trapping her as he whispered, “You don’t need it, Chloe. I’ve already informed your family about your whereabouts. And you don’t have to be afraid. Really. Erase those negative thoughts about me. Because what I’m going to tell you will change your perception later on.”
Chloe struggled to free herself with all her might. Her eyes stared angrily at Josh. “Then say it. Make my head remove the negative thoughts about you, who holds power now.”
“Don’t you want to have dinner first?” Josh offered with a playful tone. Surprisingly, it made Chloe even angrier and more frustrated. He seemed satisfied with her anger and fear and his mischievous gaze.
As if he had control over Chloe’s life.
“No.” Chloe stood her ground, glaring sharply at the irritating man. Josh shrugged his shoulders and snapped his fingers.
“Prepare to be amazed, Chloe.”
He signaled to Emir what his assistant should do. As if understanding his employer’s wishes, Emir took out the work laptop from his bag.
“I hope you can comprehend it well.”