All traces of Jolene were gone, and the bedsheets showed no sign of having been slept in. The housekeeper told him that Jolene had left with her luggage yesterday.

"Then why didn't you tell me?!"

Xavier practically roared, slamming his fist against the wall like a desperate, trapped animal.

The housekeeper couldn't withstand the pressure and sank to her knees. "It was Miss Chloe’s orders, Sir. Miss Chloe wouldn't let us tell you..."

Chloe?

Xavier regained a shred of reason amidst his fury. Why would the housekeeper in his own home follow Chloe’s orders?

But he couldn't think about that now. He immediately contacted his assistant, demanding he find Jolene’s whereabouts. He refused to believe Jolene would leave him; she must be hiding somewhere, waiting for him to come and apologize.

But as soon as the call connected, the assistant’s voice came through, sounding even more frantic than his own: "Mr. Xie, your work email received a video sent by Miss Jiang..."

Because he had been away on leave, Xavier hadn't opened his work email.

Hearing this, Xavier’s eyes lit up. In his desperation, he failed to notice the assistant’s cautious and terrified tone. He asked, "What did she send? Is it her address? Or did she disappear to prepare a surprise for me?"

The assistant said hesitantly, "It... it concerns Miss Chloe. You should probably see it for yourself."

Hearing the name again, Xavier’s heart sank instantly, as if plummeting from heaven into hell. With a heart suspended by a wire, his fingertips turned white as he opened his work email.

Inside were a video and several images.

Xavier clicked the video first. His breathing nearly stopped as it loaded.

The video began—it was clearly surveillance footage. At first, the scene was dimly lit, but Xavier recognized it immediately. It was the bar he had visited—the place where his major confrontation with Jolene had erupted.

Soon, Xavier saw himself leaning against the sofa, drunk. He watched as Chloe, having failed a dare, clung to him like a temptress. At the time, a drunken Xavier hadn't felt much guilt, believing it was just a fleeting, insignificant kiss that certainly didn't count as cheating.

But from a third-party perspective, he realized with a jolt that he and Chloe were kissing passionately, filled with lust and desire. It was not the innocent, accidental brush he had imagined!

Xavier’s heart sank heavily; he felt cold and numb, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He looked toward the doorway at Jolene. She was staring in his direction, not losing control of her emotions, but rather looking like... a pool of stagnant water after total despair.

After the kiss ended, Chloe walked toward Jolene.

Previously, he thought Jolene had provoked Chloe first, intentionally embarrassing her in front of everyone. But because the camera was right above the door, the audio was crystal clear. He heard Chloe’s blatant insults and provocations directed at Jolene.

"The Director used his tongue so hard... Old woman... Stripping in front of your professors..."

Sentence after sentence of foul language acted like daggers, stabbing repeatedly into Xavier’s heart. The pain was so intense he doubled over, gasping for air.

This sight made the servant go cold with fear. Thinking she was the one who had provoked Xavier’s state, she was desperate to distance herself from Chloe and blurted out everything. "Mr. Xie, it was Miss Chloe who ordered me not to tell you! It had nothing to do with me!"

"For these past three years, she’s been acting like the mistress of the house in front of us, demanding we report your every move to her."

"Especially after Miss Jiang returned, she became even worse, making us give her a hard time... That time you locked Miss Jiang in the basement, it was her who told us to slap Miss Jiang and feed her those special allergy pills."

"It was supposed to be a lethal dose, but Miss Jiang was lucky and only fainted. Afterward, Miss Chloe even punished us by docking our wages."

Hearing this, Xavier’s hands were already clenched into fists of rage. His face was as dark as a thundercloud before a storm, creating an suffocating pressure. The image of Jolene’s pale face in the hospital kept flashing before him, along with the memory of how he had foolishly defended Chloe while being kept in the dark.

Xavier felt as if he were undergoing an execution. The disappointment and mockery in Jolene’s eyes turned into blades slicing every inch of his skin. He finally couldn't hold back, sweeping everything off the table onto the floor, hissing through gritted teeth, "Jolene is my love! Are you all fucking blind?!"

The housekeeper lowered her head, her voice full of bitterness. "But Mr. Xie, every time you came home, you fought with Miss Jiang. Yet when you faced Miss Chloe, you were always smiling and so indulgent... it's hard to describe."

With such a stark contrast in Xavier's attitude, who could have known that Jolene was the one he loved? It didn't look like it at all!

Xavier was momentarily silenced. Yes, it was his fault. If he hadn't favored Chloe so many times, how would the servants have dared to be so bold?

...It was he who had destroyed Jolene!

The moment this thought surfaced, Xavier began to tremble uncontrollably, his teeth clenching until he tasted blood. He was about to turn and leave when he heard Chloe’s voice outside the door.

The voice that once sounded tender and soft now felt hypocritical and disgusting.

Chloe said, "Director, I suddenly remembered something I need to tell you. Is it convenient to open the door? It won't take long; I just wanted to say thank you..."

Perhaps to emphasize her vulnerability, she didn't enter the house directly.

At the same time, the servant whispered, "Mr. Xie... she’s here to... to drug you."

Meeting Xavier’s lethal, predatory gaze, the servant feared for her life and blurted out Chloe’s pre-arranged plan: "She knew Miss Jiang left with her luggage and told me to let her know when you returned. She pretends to be coming to thank you, but she’s brought wine spiked with an aphrodisiac..."

Xavier laughed. The only sound was the terrifying cracking of his knuckles.

He had been blind. Chloe was just a small intern, yet she had managed to keep him in the dark and even dared to try and coerce him with a one-night stand?!

The servant asked tremblingly, "Should I kick her out now?"

Xavier said, "No. Let her in."

As the servant went to open the door with shaking hands, Xavier turned to his assistant. "Find me a few foreign men."

Just then, Chloe walked in. She had specifically applied "no-makeup" style makeup, with dewy lips and shimmering powder under her eyes, looking both piteous and radiant.

"Director..." Chloe didn't notice the atmosphere was off.

Thinking of her plan about to succeed, her heart raced with excitement, but she maintained a sobbing facade. "Director, after being rejected by you last night, I reflected for a long time."

"How could I possibly interfere with the many years of feelings between you and Sister Jolene? It was my wishful thinking. I shouldn't have disturbed you. I truly wish you two eternal happiness."

"So..." she raised the red wine in her hand. "My last wish is to offer you a toast."

"If it weren't for your appreciation, I wouldn't have had the honor of being your intern... Director, thank you."

These words were spoken with such emotion that if Xavier hadn't already seen her true face, he would have been fooled. The man was as cold as ice as he tilted his chin up, his voice terrifyingly deep. "Bring it here, then."

Chloe was overjoyed. She filled a glass from the table and walked toward Xavier with excitement. "Director, this glass is for you, to thank you for your mentorship in my career and emotions. I will never forget you..."

Two meters away from Xavier, a massive force suddenly seized Chloe by the throat. Her face changed instantly, and she screamed in pain, "Ah!!!"

"Chloe. Tong."

Rage made Xavier spit out her name through gritted teeth. Heaven knew how much he wanted to tear this woman into pieces.

But the woman was still playing the victim, her eyes welling with tears as usual. "Director, what’s wrong? Did Sister Jolene make you angry again?"

"Shut up!" Xavier roared. "You aren't fit to mention her name!"

With that, amidst Chloe’s utter disbelief, he grabbed her jaw and forced it open. He heard the faint crack of a dislocation. Even as the woman turned pale from the pain, Xavier showed no mercy, pouring the drugged wine down her throat without hesitation.

The harsh sting of the alcohol flooded her throat. Chloe nearly choked to death, coughing frantically, but she was pinned in place by Xavier until her face turned a deep red.

When Xavier let go, Chloe no longer looked like the refined girl who had entered. She knelt on the floor, coughing violently, even spitting up bile. She was frantic; she knew exactly how potent the drug was and had to get to a hospital to have her stomach pumped immediately, or Xavier would find out!