Chapter 553

Chapter 553 Joseph Notices Something Is Amiss

Chloe’s heart melted.

“Turn off the lights,” she said.

“Okay,” Joseph got up and flipped the switch, throwing the room into darkness.

As he advanced on her, Chloe whimpered softly, “Be gentle…”

Droplets of sweat trickled down Joseph’s forehead, sliding down his face, and finally landing on Chloe’s

collarbone. His voice was hoarse and filled with desire as he replied, “Okay.”

Men were creatures of desire in bed, driven only by their instincts, especially after consuming

alcohol.

Joseph failed to notice anything unusual. He did try to be gentle, but even a light touch kindled a

passionate flame within him, not to mention that they had been separated for nearly a month. They

indulged in their desire for a long time, and it was not until the bed sheets were soaked that they were

finally depleted of their strength and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Chloe woke up feeling drained. Joseph felt distressed upon seeing her and insisted she

took a few days off to rest, and she wholeheartedly agreed. There was not much happening at the

Johnson Group that required her attention, so she decided to take a short

break from work.

Initially, Joseph had planned to finish work early and take Chloe to watch a horror movie. Since he had

no interest in romantic films, a horror movie seemed like a good choice. However, his plan was

thwarted when the police informed him that Preston had been severely beaten by other inmates and

was in a state of shock.

Joseph showed no concern for the matter, so the police had no choice but to inform Octavia and

Jonathan.

Upon seeing Preston’s battered and bruised state and the drastic weight loss he had experienced in

just a few days, Octavia rushed to Harold, hoping that he would get Preston out of prison. Unaware of

the misdeeds Preston had orchestrated, Harold fainted when Octavia exposed everything upon her

visit.

Joseph had no choice but to return to the family home.

Harold resolutely announced that he would be disowning Preston. Joseph had no objections and began

drafting agreements with a lawyer while taking care of Harold.

Joseph was occupied with these matters for three consecutive days. On the fourth evening, he finally

returned home. Chloe was already asleep, and not wanting to disturb her, he went to the guest room.

The next day, Chloe woke up and glanced in the mirror. To her dismay, the hickey marks on

her neck from a few days ago had not faded as she had hoped. With her fair skin, it was particularly

noticeable in bright light.

“Joseph Whitman!” Chloe roared angrily as she pointed at her neck. “Look at what you’ve done. This

isn’t a good look.”

“If it bothers you so much, you can do it to me as well,” Joseph said nonchalantly as he leisurely did up

his tie, his eyes brimming with a playful glint.

Chloe huffed in annoyance. “Forget it. Don’t try to take advantage of me in every possible way.

Joseph finished dressing and walked toward her, embracing her from behind. But in the next moment,

his brows furrowed as he focused on her waist. He noticed that something was amiss.

Over the past few nights, she had been preventing him from touching her belly, even demanding that

he be gentle.

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat, and she pushed him away before running into the bathroom. “I need to

wash up. You should get to work. Don’t wait for me. I’ll get a cab.”

Joseph’s gaze deepened, and he reached out to open the bathroom door. At this moment, Lucas

arrived and asked, “Are you ready, sir? We should leave now. The meeting starts in half an hour.”

Glancing at the time and contemplating for a few seconds, Joseph said through the closed bathroom

door, “Don’t wander off today. I’ll find you after work.”