"Um… I was there with Em. I didn't go alone," Chloe blurted out, throwing all caution to the wind.
After all, given Joseph's sharpness, any slight hesitation on her part would surely give away her deceit.
"You were there with Emily?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Yeah. Em’s been experiencing irregular menstruation and asked me to accompany her to the hospital," she explained, touching her nose as a hint of guilt crept into her voice. "She was right beside me when you called, and you know how girls can be shy when it comes to private matters like this. I couldn't talk about it with you."
Joseph frowned. "Irregular menstruation?"
"Yeah…"
‘Sorry, Em. But as my good friend, I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping me out, right?' Chloe thought.
A moment of heavy silence enveloped them as the last rays of the evening sun started to vanish, throwing the room into darkness. Joseph seemed to merge with the darkness, emanating a chilling aura that sent shivers down Chloe's spine. Her heart thumped rapidly like a fluttering bird in a cage.
She avoided his gaze and said, "I'm going to take a shower." With that, she hastily fled.
Chloe thought that Joseph would not let her go so easily, but this time, he did not say a word. It was highly unusual and left her feeling inexplicably anxious. Halfway through her shower, she suddenly remembered that she had left her phone at the entrance. She hurriedly dried herself and rushed outside.
However, she was one step too late. Joseph was already at the entrance, holding her phone in his hand. Nervously, she snatched it back from him. On the screen was the call log showing a call from Noah five minutes ago, and Joseph had answered it.
'What bad luck! Why is everything so coincidental?!'
Chloe immediately started to explain, "Noah called me to discuss the details of the customized jewelry. We didn't talk about anything else."
"He said he was with you this afternoon," Joseph interjected coldly.
"That’s impossible. He wouldn't say that." Chloe thought of Noah as a gentle and refined man. She could not imagine him doing such a thing. Perhaps Joseph was just trying to deceive her.
Joseph waited for a long while, yet Chloe offered no explanation. He laughed bitterly. "Are you figuring out how to continue your evasions?"
"It's not like that..." she tried to explain.
"Chloe, have I spoiled you too much? There are limits to lying, and how many times have you done it already? When will this end?" Joseph's frustration grew evident. "If you don't want me to care about you, just tell me. There's no need for all these twists and turns."
Chloe felt wronged and could not bear such injustice. Why should Xavia's pregnancy be openly accepted while hers had to be kept a secret? She was the one who always felt disgusted, and she did not want to live in secrecy anymore.
Overwhelmed by emotions, she started to say, "I'm preg—"
"Stop. Enough with your lies. Take some time to reflect on yourself." Joseph grabbed his car keys and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
With Joseph gone, the villa fell silent.
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