Chapter 628 Joseph Was an Asshole, but He Was Generous
Chapter 628 Joseph Was an Asshole, but He Was Generous
The following day, the three men left the house one after another until Chloe was the only one left in the spacious house. She had expected to be confined to the room once again, but to her surprise, she was given the freedom to move around so long as she allowed the bodyguards to accompany her.
She could not comprehend Joseph's sudden change in behavior and did not understand why he was acting so differently. Now, she was allowed to use her phone and even had a video chat with Emily for a while.
"How about I come to visit you? I'm on vacation and have nothing to do."
Chloe hesitated, "You want to come to the villa?"
"Yeah. It must be boring for you to be all alone. It’d be kind of awkward to meet outside with all those bodyguards trailing behind us. If we stroll around town with all those guards protecting us, people might think we're the daughters of some mafia boss.”
"Okay, do come over then." Chloe calculated the time, estimating that Joseph would not be back for at least another hour and a half.
Forty minutes later, Emily arrived with an enormous bag of snacks. She had a proud grin on her face as she lifted her chin at Chloe. "I bought a ton of snacks, and I made sure to check if they're safe for pregnant women."
Chloe blinked, her eyes welling up with tears. She embraced Emily tightly and whispered, "You're the one who treats me the best."
"Okay, okay. If you want to get all emotional, at least let me into the house first so I can be part of it. These things are heavy."
"There’s no need for you to carry them. Just put them down." Chloe called over the house helper who was keeping an eye on her. "Take these to my room on the second floor."
The helper refrained from objecting, but muttered softly as she picked up the bag of snacks, "I was hired to clean and cook, not be a laborer."
"Well then, how about you focus on doing your job well and don't try to take over the bodyguard's job? Staring at me all day won't earn you a higher salary."
The nanny fell silent and her eyes narrowed. She glanced at Chloe a few times and made some judgments in her head. She wondered how her employer could be interested in such a confrontational woman. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
With Emily around, Chloe's mood improved greatly. They engaged in lively conversation, discussing various topics—from their former college mates to their bosses—and vented all their frustrations.
"By the way, when I entered earlier, I noticed a stunning statue on display on the first floor. It’s a masterpiece by Master Zaman, right?"
“It is. Joseph and I purchased it at a charity auction and just casually decided to place it in the living room."
Emily tugged at Chloe's sleeve, the excitement in her voice evident. "Can you take me downstairs to see it? I saw photos of it on Twitter. I never expected to see it in person."
"Sure." Chloe paused before continuing, "Actually, if you really like it, you can take it home with you today itself."
The statue was not too expensive, and it was within her means to buy it from Joseph.
Emily's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would I do that? I just want to admire it. I never said anything about taking it. Besides, won't Joseph be upset if I took it?"
Chloe smiled and reassured her friend. "Trust me, he won't be. I don't think he even cares about that statue. He’s probably already forgotten that it's even in the house."
Chloe took the matter into her own hands. She headed downstairs to retrieve the small statue and then stuffed it into Emily's canvas bag.
Emily, in turn, felt anxious and hesitant. "I think it’s best we forget about this. I'm starting to feel a little scared."
"It's fine, just take it!" Chloe insisted, her expression serious. She pushed the small statue back into the bag. "Oh, there are many more of Master Zaman’s works stored in the basement, but some of them are pretty large. You probably won’t be able to move them on your own. When the opportunity arises, I'll arrange for someone to help you transport them."
She was not sure about many things, but the one thing she knew for certain was that although Joseph was an asshole, he was generous when it came to money. He surely would not get angry over this small gesture, and Emily's tooth was worth just as much, if not more, than these statues.
Chloe’s reasoning managed to placate Emily, and realizing it was getting late, she prepared to leave. Downstairs, the helper had informed Joseph of what Chloe had done. Emily averted her gaze from the man who suddenly appeared at the doorway and nervously clutched her canvas bag.
Joseph, with his hands in his pockets, took the initiative to say, "So you're a fan of Master Zaman?"
Emily's face tensed, and she quickly retrieved the small statue from the bag, saying, "Not really. Actually, I don’t like him all that much."
"What I meant was that there are two more of Master Zaman’s statues in the basement. If you're interested, I’ll get Lucas to help you move them."