Chapter 491

Chapter 492 Joseph’s Mother Is Alive

A wicked grin adorned Joseph’s handsome face as he said, “I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase.”

“What phrase?”

“Being too clever can be your own undoing,” he replied.

Chloe was still unsure about this and asked, “Are you absolutely certain about this?”

Such matters seemed simple on the surface, but in reality, they required a profound understanding of

human nature and the ability to discern the other person’s mind.

Joseph proudly lifted his chin and said, “Just watch.”

Seeing his confidence, Chloe began to wait quietly.

“Any other bids?” the emcee asked the audience, “In that case, 150 million going once! 150 million

going twice! 150 million going-”

“160 million!” Otto interrupted the host as he looked at Joseph challengingly.

Joseph smiled gracefully. “Very well. It’s yours then.”

Otto gritted his teeth, his fingers clenching tightly and his joints cracking audibly, showing signs of

nervousness. His assistant tried to reassure him, “It’s all right, Mr. Otto. We’ve already secured the land

we planned to buy. We can treat this one as practice.”

The emcee’s gavel came down with a thud, and he announced loudly, “The deal is sealed at 160

million dollars!”

Otto felt a little displeased, but soon, a sinister smile crossed his face. ‘Just wait, Joseph. The real

show will begin after the auction.’

Finally, Joseph made his move and acquired the last piece of land near a school. His previous move

had merely been bait.

As the crowd gradually left the venue, Otto approached Joseph and casually said, “Want to find a place

to sit and chat?”

“No,” Joseph replied coldly.

Otto’s smile turned malicious. “I recently stumbled upon a photo that seems oddly familiar. Care to take

a look? Perhaps you might recognize the person in it.”

From behind, his assistant retrieved the photo and handed it to Joseph. The moment Joseph’s eyes fell

upon it, his pupils dilated, and his face turned pale with shock. The woman in the picture was

undoubtedly his mother, but she looked completely different from the image etched in his memory.

Instead of appearing to be in her thirties, she now seemed to be in her forties.

This could not possibly be a photoshopped image. Did this mean that his mother was still

alive?!

In a fit of desperation, Joseph seized Otto by the collar and shouted, “Where’s my mother?!”

Chloe was standing beside Joseph, so she saw the photo. The woman in it had an elegant and regal

demeanor, but her appearance looked worn, indicating that she had suffered from prolonged mental

distress.

The revelation that Joseph’s mother was alive shocked her to the core, and the fact that someone had

kept it hidden for over a decade only intensified the intrigue. She firmly believed that no mother in the

world would willingly ignore or abandon their child for so many years. There had to be someone holding

her captive or restricting her freedom.

With a sinister smile on his face, Otto admired Joseph’s hysterical state and shamelessly taunted, “If

you get your wife to spend a night with me, I’ll tell you.”

Joseph’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he landed a heavy punch on Otto’s face. “Do you wish to die?!”

A red welt appeared on Otto’s cheek from the punch. However, he seemed unfazed and said

nonchalantly, “Go ahead. Keep hitting me. If you kill me, you’ll never see Fleurette Gomez

ever again.”

Frustration creased Joseph’s forehead as he clenched and unclenched his fists, struggling to control

his anger.

Chloe could not help but feel heartbroken, sharing in his distress. She held his hand and confronted

Otto, “A single photograph isn’t enough to convince us. You have to present other

evidence.”

Otto shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s up to you to believe me or not. I’m not forcing you. But I’ll tell you that

based on what I know, Fleurette once sent a letter to your family after your father’s death. Harold

probably never gave you that letter, did he?”

Joseph froze, his eyes betraying a mix of anxiety and pain. “Don’t try to sow discord between

us.”

With a pitiful gaze, Otto looked at him and said, “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you go and ask

Harold yourself? Why didn’t he give you the letter? Maybe he’s worried that if you find out Fleurette is

still alive, you’d go searching for her, and then you wouldn’t have enough time and energy to manage

the Whitman Group. After all, Jonathan is nothing but a useless piece of trash, and you’re the only one

he can trust to handle the company.”