Hendrix seemed to have calmed down. He placed both his hands on the desk while his body hunched over. His head was lowered as well, and he looked miserable.Dan wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know what to say.Just when he was hesitating, Hendrix suddenly asked, "Do you have cigarettes?"This stunned Dan for a moment. After a while, he reacted and recalled that Hendrix had stopped smoking a while ago. He didn't hesitate and quickly gave him his cigarettes. "It's not from your previous brand. Do you need me to get another for you?""No need," Hendrix said while taking out a cigarette.Dan quickly handed him the lighter.Hendrix lowered his head, but the cigarette between his fingers remained unlit for quite a while.It was because his hand kept… trembling. Dan couldn't help but tremble as well. Fortunately, in the next moment, Hendrix finally lit his cigarette.Dan let out a sigh of relief.Hendrix sat back down in the chair, stared at the smoke ring in the air for a wh
When Hendrix was a child, he once came across a stray cat at his school. The kitten seemed to have just been born and had no mother by its side. It lay weakly in the grass, meowing softly. Hendrix merely glanced at it, but he didn't have much sympathy. So, he quickly continued walking. What he didn't expect was for the kitten to follow him. Though his pace wasn't slow, and the kitten could barely stand, it still stumbled along after him. When Hendrix was about to reach the school gates, he finally stopped. Then, he went to a nearby snack shop and bought a sausage to give it to the kitten. The kitten ate happily.From that day on, every time Hendrix finished school, he would see it. It would approach him on its own, rub against his palm, and then obediently wait to be fed.One day, Hendrix began carrying snacks in his school bag. On the weekend, he even made a special trip to the supermarket to buy a bag of cat food. He had even made up his mind. After feeding the kitten on
For some unknown reason, Hendrix's palm felt itchy. It was as if the cat's fur irritated him, but it also felt as if his palm had touched Noelle's head.Just when Hendrix was thinking about this, a voice sounded, "Sorry for making you wait, Mr. Freeman."Hearing the voice, Hendrix looked up with a smile. "Long time no see, Mr. Garcia."…Noelle was the last to know about the Continental Reach project being paused. She and Dylan were chatting with Zavier when she received the news over the phone. She was stunned at first. "What?""Amity Group took the initiative to stop it. They said there's some problem in the construction department, so they need to investigate it first.""What problem?""I am not sure. This is what they informed us for now.""Even if there's a problem within the construction department, the other departments can operate as usual, right? If not, since it is the starting phase of the project, they can just change the entire team, right?"When Noelle finished s
Perhaps because Noelle looked so bewildered, Dylan couldn't help but chuckle. Then, he lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her lips, like a dragonfly skimming water, fleeting and brief. Afterward, he reached out and ruffled her hair. "Alright. Go on in."Noelle was still a bit dazed, but she didn't say anything. She simply glanced at him before turning and getting out of the car.Craig was already waiting for her in the office. As soon as Noelle entered, the first thing he asked about was the Continental Reach project."I'm not entirely sure what went wrong, as I've only received a one-sided notification. But rest assured, Mr. Swanson. I will investigate thoroughly and provide you with a satisfactory answer," Noelle replied in a very official tone.After Craig stared at her, he said, "Did you not contact those from Amity Group?""Not for now, but I will…""This is the email I received just now. Have a look," Craig cut her off and handed her the documents.Noelle found
Noelle noticed Craig's calm demeanor and suddenly chuckled. "I see how it is. Did you work with Hendrix to do this?""Of course not." Craig frowned and continued, "Noelle, you've been in the company for some time now, so you should know that the company's interest is above yours, right?"Noelle didn't answer this time, but she was gritting her teeth hard.That person… Well, he was no stranger to Noelle—he was the general manager of the subsidiary company in Vinton City, Julio.Julio's network was primarily based in Vinton City, so when he was transferred back to headquarters, it was essentially a form of marginalization. But even so, it didn't stop him from creating trouble in the company.Amity Group had also arranged for him to take over for this project.Noelle knew that Hendrix wanted to target her."Ms. Swanson, long time no see!" Julio beamed happily as he walked toward Noelle and extended out his hand.Yet, Noelle ignored him and just gave him a cold glance before turn
Hendrix was seriously asking her the question, but there were no emotions in his eyes, which were staring right at Noelle. There was only coldness in them.That was the gaze of a wild beast eyeing its prey—a contempt of someone in a higher position looking down on those below. Noelle's body involuntarily shuddered. He had disguised himself in front of her for so long. It wasn't until this moment that Noelle realized that Hendrix wasn't some docile dog but a bloodthirsty wolf. But Noelle quickly regained her composure. "Hendrix, as the general manager of Amity Group, don't you fear others will laugh at you for making decisions based on emotions while constantly changing your mind?""It doesn't matter," Hendrix slowly replied. "After all, no one in the company can control me now. Besides, the Continental Reach project is too big and risky for you. I have every reason to convince them." Noelle couldn't find the words, but the hand resting on her lap slowly tightened. "And th
"Got it."When Hendrix heard the reply, he hung up and looked outside the window.From the reflection, he could see his red cheek, and he touched it.It was a little painful, but he had experienced something more painful than this. So for him, this was nothing.Thinking of this while staring at the marks on his face, he suddenly laughed.…Amity Group and Elm Group quickly made their decisions, and the news about Julio taking over the Continental Reach project was soon made public within the company. When the news broke, everyone was surprised. Although Noelle was still the general manager of the Vinton City branch, those working in the branch office were all Julio's old subordinates. At that point, what difference was there between Noelle and a lone soldier? Noelle certainly didn't want to just hand over her achievements like that. But Hendrix had made up his mind to make things difficult for her, and as Craig had said, he was the client. Continental Reach was such a l
Noelle's words were soon proven true.The day after the project was handed over to Julio, Amity Group notified them that work would resume.Although Noelle's responsibilities had been transferred to Julio, she was still the general manager of the subsidiary, so some processes still had to go through her.Two days later, Julio claimed that there were still some unclear aspects of the handover. Since Noelle was on leave preparing for her wedding, he decided to take Oliver from her side.Noelle didn't object. After all, this was the company's project, and if anything went wrong, she would be held accountable.Oliver was soon reassigned.A week later, when it was only two more days until Noelle and Dylan's wedding, she received a call from Oliver in the middle of the night. "Ms. Swanson, shit has gone down. I can't get in touch with Mr. Garcia!"Noelle was shocked and was now wide awake from her sleep. Her mind was still in a mess. "What?" "Mr. Garcia is missing!" Oliver's voice
Erwin still showed signs of dissatisfaction. It seemed he was saying something, but Noelle could no longer hear him. She didn't look back either, instead turning her gaze to the other people at the party.The loud music continued, and the excitement and energy of the crowd remained high. But Noelle knew that this wasn't the usual celebration. This, in fact, was just Hendrix's way of making her adapt and accept the situation.Though she had known this for some time, the realization still made Noelle uncomfortable. Then, she suddenly remembered something Dylan had told her a few days ago about her past with Hendrix.Even though she knew Dylan's words weren't necessarily true, that didn't mean everything he said was a lie. How much of the past he mentioned was real, and how much was false?Noelle actually thought her life was fine now. She was willing to accept her past choices and believed in Hendrix's feelings for her. At least, this was what she thought sometimes.But at other tim
Dylan didn't dare to stay there. He immediately drove back to his place.He wanted to take Noelle with him and leave. Even if she didn't have her passport, it didn't matter. After all, there were definitely people looking for him right now.But no matter what, he was going to protect her. Even if they had to roam the world, it didn't matter. As long as they were together, it was fine. Even if it was just a shabby house, as long as there was a light on, that would be their home.However, when Dylan returned to the apartment, he found Noelle nowhere in sight. Gone also were all her things. The desk and floor were spotless, as if nothing had ever existed there.Dylan remained standing where he was. It took him several minutes to finally process what he was seeing. Then, he couldn't help but laugh. It was as if he had just heard the biggest joke—he laughed so hard that his whole body shook.Of course, how could he have thought she would be waiting for him here? How could she possibly
"I'm damned for ever believing your words! Now, just die!" George didn't give Dylan another chance to speak. He pulled the trigger, aiming to shoot a bullet through Dylan's forehead.In that instant, Dylan finally understood. This time, Hendrix didn't intend to leave him alive.If the goal had only been to swallow up Morphy Fund and make Dylan lose everything, the matter would have ended there. However, it seemed that Hendrix must have said something to George, which led him to believe that Dylan and Hendrix were working together—that Dylan had betrayed Morphy Fund.At this point, George had no way out. So, it wouldn't be surprising if he shot Dylan in the head. What Hendrix wanted was for him to die.Dylan didn't know what he was thinking at that moment. By the time he reacted, he had already grabbed the gun's barrel and twisted it violently. The bullet scraped past his head.Without hesitation, George moved to pull the trigger again when Dylan, still holding onto his wrist, forc
Dylan still remembered the victory party at the villa a few days ago. At that time, George had pushed him in front of everyone. He had enjoyed all the praise and recognition while sipping glass after glass of champagne.He knew that no matter how much doubt and skepticism there had been about him in the past, it all vanished that night. That was also why George had thrown him a victory party at the very first stage.After all, only by telling everyone about his achievements would they believe in him and entrust him with their funds. But they probably didn't expect the final result to be like this.Actually, when Fuer Fund continued to add to their position after reaching the peak, George had already warned Dylan that there might be some issues. But the market was unpredictable—a moment's decision or a few seconds of hesitation could lead to failure.Thus, Dylan didn't wait. He thought Hendrix was also gambling. So, he disregarded the risk and pushed all the funds in. He wanted Hend
Noelle's expression changed at that moment. It took her a while to find her voice to ask, "Is that what really happened?""Hendrix definitely hasn't told you all these, right?" Dylan smirked. "It's because he's too afraid to mention them. So, tell me. How could someone like him possibly deserve a happy life? "Don't worry. I'll make sure to take him down this time. Once I get your passport, you can go whenever you want."When he finished speaking, there was sincerity and seriousness in his eyes as he looked at Noelle. He really hoped she would stay. Of course, he wanted victory. But if he could have her by his side when he achieved it, that would be even better.Although once he reached the top, anyone could stay by his side. But the person he wanted most was Noelle."Thank you," Noelle said in the end.That wasn't the answer Dylan was most satisfied with. But he knew he couldn't afford to rush things just yet. For now, it was enough that Noelle was on his side."Alright, go to
As Dylan spoke, his teeth clenched tighter. It was unclear whether he was trying to convince Noelle or himself.Noelle remained silent, quietly watching him.After staring at her for a while, Dylan suddenly laughed. "So, do you know why we were celebrating tonight?"Noelle shook her head."Because we stole Fuer Fund's opportunity! It's all thanks to the plan you sent me before. Now, no matter what Fuer Fund does next, we'll know about it. "George is really happy, too. He used to doubt my abilities, worried that I'd drag down his fund, but you should've seen how he treated me tonight."Not just him, but the whole industry now recognizes me. I've finally established myself here!"Dylan's voice grew more excited as he spoke.Noelle, however, remained calm.The only sign of change was when she heard that he succeeded because of the plan she had given him—her brow slightly lifted. But it was just for a moment.She quickly regained her calm and nodded.Her reaction made Dylan fro
George didn't care about being cautious. He was too excited. He had clashed with Fuer Fund a few times before, but when faced with absolute power, he had barely gotten any scraps from the table.Now, to be able to seize such a large slice of the pie from Fuer Fund and force them to back off, how could George not be thrilled?Thus, the drinks kept coming, one after another.Even if Dylan hadn't planned on getting drunk, it was hard to refuse the goodwill of so many people. In the end, he was thoroughly drunk.When he returned to the apartment, his steps were unsteady. Seeing the light still on inside, he paused for a moment. Then, he suddenly remembered he didn't live alone anymore. Noelle also lived with him now.Though Dylan was well aware, and his rational mind reminded him repeatedly that he had essentially kept her here as a hostage. If Hendrix made any further moves, he would have no choice but to kill her.But when he saw the light she had left on for him, Dylan couldn't he
The plan Hendrix had given Dylan was, of course, real. Though he had been tempted to lace it with a trap and watch him walk right into it, he knew better—Dylan wasn't that stupid.More importantly, what Hendrix truly wanted wasn't just to bait Dylan into a trap. Even if Dylan didn't trust the plan, it didn't matter. Their team would still move forward with the plan. But if he did trust it, all the better.Fuer Fund wouldn't tolerate anyone messing with their slice of the pie. And what Hendrix wanted was to drag Erwin and the rest of them into the game.Dylan might have found himself a solid backer, but this wasn't Coppersville. Taking him down alone wouldn't be easy. But what if Fuer Fund collapsed with Hendrix? That would change everything, and that was Hendrix's real goal.Thus, Hendrix didn't even panic when Erwin called him out on it. He simply raised an eyebrow."If this gets out, do you still think you'll have a place in this business?" Erwin slammed his hand on the desk. "O
"Stay at your place?" Noelle asked."Yeah," Dylan said with a smile. "Hendrix already has another woman now, doesn't he? But don't worry. Unless it's something you're willing to do, I'll never touch you.""Alright."Dylan had planned to say more but was caught off guard by how readily Noelle agreed. Her response made even him freeze for a second. Then, he narrowed his eyes slightly."Do you need me to do anything else?" Noelle asked.She looked completely sincere and serious, like they were truly on the same side now.But Dylan still held on to a shred of suspicion. Regardless, Noelle was in his hands for the time being. If all of this really was an act, and she was lying to him, then she shouldn't blame him for what came next.With that thought, Dylan smiled slightly and gently took Noelle's hand. "Alright. I'll have someone make arrangements right away."Just as he finished speaking, his partner George called to inform him that Hendrix's side had already started moving."Tha