Chapter 118

Chapter 118 Swollen

Chloe paused, momentarily taken aback. Despite her curiosity about her maternal grandparents, she

remained cautious and asked, “Are you saying you know who they are?”

‘Mom never mentioned anything about her parents, so how does he know?”

“If you want to find them, go talk to Alexander,” he replied.

With a smug expression, Benjamin led Ava away from the convenience store. As they stepped outside,

Ava asked in confusion, “Daddy, do you really know about Coco’s maternal grandparents?”

“When her mother married me, she cut ties with her family, but I know how to find them,” Benjamin said

as he gazed at the diamond necklace she was wearing. “Take this necklace and go to Jade Street in

the southern part of the city. You’ll find them there.”

These were the words Chloe’s late mother had entrusted to Benjamin, who had instructed him to wait

until Chloe reached adulthood before revealing the truth.

Ava was surprised. “Are they in the jewelry business? Wouldn’t that mean they’re quite wealthy?”

“They just run a small shop. It’s nothing great,” Benjamin replied disdainfully.

In the evening, nearing the end of the workday, Joseph glanced at his wristwatch and stood up. He

picked up his suit from the coat stand and headed toward the underground parking

garage.

In the distance, Chloe was crouching in a corner, her head lowered in a daze. She hugged herself

tightly with her chin resting on her knees, assuming a self-protective posture. From the side, her long

and curled eyelashes hung low, veiling the emotions in her eyes.

She resembled an abandoned kitten, licking its wounds while hiding in the corner.

Upon spotting her, Joseph could not help but wonder, ‘Is working in Custodial that exhausting? Perhaps

she’s overwhelmed by the burden of difficult and tiring tasks… Maybe I should transfer her back to

Marketing tomorrow. Otherwise, people might think I’m mistreating her.’

With that thought in mind, he approached Chloe and placed his hand on her head, gently massaging it.

He intended to offer some words of comfort, but what came out carried a teasing tone, “Just one day

and you can’t handle it anymore?”

Chloe froze and slowly lifted her head. One side of her cheek was swollen, and there were clear finger

marks on it.

Joseph’s face sank as he asked, “Who did this?”

“My dad. Well, I’m not sure if I should still call him my dad or not.”

Joseph was stunned and he frowned in disbelief. “He slapped you in the face?”

‘And he claims to be her father?”

“Yeah,” Chloe replied with a shrug, feigning nonchalance. “It’s all right. I’m used to it.”

This was not the first time. She should have gotten used to it a long time ago, right?

Though she realized it a little late, it was not too late now.

“Why did he hit you?” Joseph asked.

“It’s fine, I can handle it myself. But I do have another favor to ask of you,” Chloe said.

Joseph saw through her mask of resilience, his heart throbbing with a pang of pain. His voice softened

slightly as he replied, “What is it?”

“Could you get Mr. Samuel to reschedule the appointments a little earlier please?” Chloe asked with a

hint of hesitation. She knew she had asked too much of him already, but at the moment, she had no

other choice.

She had consulted a law firm, and while it seemed feasible to file a lawsuit, the fact that she had a legal

father-daughter relationship with Benjamin made it incredibly challenging. The chances of winning a

case with an ordinary lawyer were extremely low.

“Sure, I’ll inquire about it when we get home,” Joseph agreed.

“Thank you. I’ll make something delicious for you later,” Chloe said gratefully. “You should apply some

ice to your face. It’s like a swollen pig’s head,” he added.

Leat