Perhaps out of guilt or nerves, Noelle found herself frowning when Hendrix didn't respond for a while. Just as she was about to ask again, he casually gave her the verification code and the password. He didn't even bother to ask what she needed the computer for.She froze for a moment, but she didn't dwell on it. After a curt acknowledgment, she promptly hung up the call. Then, she quickly entered the number he had given her. The password was unfamiliar to her, and she had no idea what it signified, but she didn't ask, either.The computer unlocked quickly. And there, staring back at her from the desktop, was the wallpaper of their wedding photo.Noelle was momentarily stunned, but then, she thought about his dealing with Julio and the way he always presented himself with such calculated tenderness. The contrast struck her as utterly laughable. So, before even attempting to locate the files she was after, she took a moment to replace his wallpaper.Now, staring at one of the system
Noelle fell into a noticeable silence when she heard Hendrix's words. It was only after a long moment that she finally looked at him.But Hendrix didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he casually picked up his phone and began instructing someone to deliver dinner."What do you want to eat?" he asked, turning back to her with a bright smile.But Noelle simply sat there, expressionless, staring at him in silence.Hendrix narrowed his eyes slightly.Noelle suddenly smiled. "Anything's fine, though something light would be good."With that, she stood up and started walking away.Watching her retreating figure, Hendrix spoke again, "If there's something you're looking for, you can just ask me for it."As expected, Noelle had already guessed it from what he said earlier about the surveillance cameras. But when he asked so directly, she couldn't help but stop in her tracks, and she was clenching her hands so hard that even her knuckles began to ache.Then, slowly turning around, she replied
"Yes," Noelle replied without hesitation."But even if you don't trust me, it doesn't change anything. After all, you'll never get the evidence you're looking for.""True." Noelle nodded. "But at the very least, I can make your life a lot less comfortable."With that, she placed the used napkin on the table, then picked up the glass of water in front of her and without a second thought, splashed it right in Hendrix's face.Water dripped down from his hair, trailing off the tips of his strands and clinging to his lashes like tiny droplets.Hendrix remained motionless, sitting there under the light, his face looking almost pale.Noelle didn't spare him a single glance. She turned on her heels and started walking away, but Hendrix quickly grabbed her hand. In one swift motion, he pulled her back and forced her onto his lap, holding her firmly in place."Is that it?" Hendrix smiled and looked at her. "This is your idea of making me uncomfortable? Isn't that a bit childish?"Noelle
When Noelle woke up, Hendrix was already gone. She wasn't surprised. Dragging her stiff body out of bed, she began her morning routine.There was no point in going to the company anymore. It was only now that she realized he had already reached agreements with the other shareholders. The small amount of stock she held didn't even grant her the right to resist.Craig still held some influence, and while it might not be enough to completely stop Hendrix's acquisition, it could at least delay it. If they could use that time wisely to expose Hendrix and Julio's dealings, there was still a chance for them to turn things around.Noelle had already mapped out her plan on the way to the hospital. But when she arrived, she was met with an unexpected scene—Hendrix was already there, sitting inside.When he saw her, he even smiled and casually greeted her.Noelle's hands clenched tightly at her side.Just then, Hendrix spoke up, "It's wonderful that you're here as well, Ms. Swanson. That sa
Noelle didn't want to look at him, so she turned her head away.Hendrix didn't seem to mind. He chuckled softly before turning and walking out.Craig immediately turned to Noelle. "What did he mean just now? Are you two living together now? And what's this about Dylan?"Noelle didn't answer his questions. Instead, she simply said, "I was planning on discussing Elm Group with you, but it seems there's no need anymore. I have other things to take care of, so I'll be leaving now.""Wait! You still haven't explained yourself. Are you really living with him? So, this was all planned between you two, wasn't it? I knew it! He was talking about giving us more time before, and now, he's moving this fast—it must be because you tipped him off—""Enough," Noelle suddenly interrupted exhaustedly."What did you just say?""He knows everything," Noelle said with a faint, bitter laugh. "From the beginning to the end, we've been nothing more than prey in the palm of his hand. We're not even on t
As Hendrix's words fell, the car was suddenly engulfed in silence.Noelle clutched the document tightly, her knuckles turning stark white from the force of her grip.Hendrix sat beside her, watching intently, as if deliberately waiting to see how she would react. If she threw a fit or even tried to bite him, he might actually enjoy it more.In fact, Noelle couldn't help but think that Hendrix truly was hoping for that. After all, he had already gone insane and wanted everyone else to spiral into madness with him.But Noelle refused to give him the satisfaction. Clenching her teeth, she forced her emotions back down and asked, "And what if I refuse to sign?""Hmm, it's not a big deal. I'll just let Elm Group keep rotting, and as for Dylan's little mess, don't expect me to keep it under wraps for him."His tone was calm, but in just a few words, he painted a picture of utter chaos and destruction.Noelle's expression grew darker by the second.The man in front of her didn't seem
Noelle maintained a calm facade, but as she completed the final stroke of her signature, the pen's tip unintentionally tore through the paper. She didn't bother to fix it. Instead, she tossed the signed document at Hendrix.As for Hendrix's reaction? She didn't bother to check. After tossing the document onto his lap, she turned and reached for the door. But before she could step out, Hendrix's voice came from behind, "Where are you going? Let me drive you. Oh, and since the agreement is signed, let's take care of the marriage registration tomorrow. I'll pick you up in the morning, okay?"Noelle didn't respond, nor did she reject him. Instead, she decisively closed the car door with a loud thud. The car fell into silence once more.Hendrix gripped the steering wheel, his eyes lingering on Noelle's retreating figure for a moment before he finally picked up the document she had thrown at him.There were two copies, and Noelle had signed her name on both. Though she hadn't taken the
Ophelia looked as though she might faint from rage.Hendrix, on the other hand, remained utterly composed.He even picked up the glass by his side, taking a slow sip before calmly saying, "Grandma, I'm an adult now. This is a decision about my life, and I've made it with careful consideration.""Your life? Do you think I don't know what you've been up to out there? Let me remind you—so long as you carry the Freeman name and are my grandson, I have every right to control your decisions! "Don't forget. Everything you have now is because of me. If you dare to act recklessly, everything I've given you can just as easily be—"She suddenly stopped, as if realizing she had said too much. Clenching her teeth, she swallowed the rest of her words.Hendrix chuckled. "Are you referring to the one outside? No need to keep it a secret. I already know about him."As his words fell, Ophelia's sharp glare immediately turned to Beatrice.Beatrice, however, merely frowned and said nothing.Hend
Dylan had been wrong all along.Money and power—none of that had ever been what he was truly meant to chase. Because no one could stay at the center of power forever, and no one could possess those things for all time. What he should have been chasing was just that one light. That one light that would stay on for him late into the night. But now, he knew it was all too late.As he closed his eyes, Dylan suddenly thought of his mother, Leah. He remembered how, as a child, he had longed for a new set of paintbrushes. He had asked his parents for them many times. He even wanted to use his own Christmas money to buy them. But they refused.They believed it was wasteful. It didn't align with the frugal and disciplined lifestyle they lived by. So in the end, Dylan stole the set of paintbrushes from the stationery store.Because he came from a prestigious scholarly family and always kept a refined, gentlemanly image in public, the store owner never suspected a thing.But his parents fo
"Are you crazy? Noelle, let go of the wheel!" Dylan struggled to regain control of the car, but Noelle held onto the steering wheel tightly, refusing to let go.The car didn't slow down. On the contrary, it raced forward at an even faster pace.How long did this go on? Maybe it lasted only dozens of seconds. But for Dylan, it felt like the blink of an eye. Because the next moment, he saw the oncoming car.That car was speeding as well.Dylan didn't even have time to grab his gun. Just as he was about to slam on the brakes, the two cars collided at high speed. There was a deafening crash as the cars were thrown into the air, then slammed back down.Dylan's eyes widened. But in that instant, his first instinct was to turn and look at Noelle. Her eyes were already closed. She looked as if she had been prepared to face death all along. She must have known what he intended to do, and she also knew he didn't actually want to die.The only reason he took her away was so he could use her
Erwin was just about to repeat his question when a voice came from behind."Excuse me, but I think I know where your wife is."Hendrix spun around immediately.Standing behind them was a woman with long hair and big eyes. "I saw her just now in the backyard. Someone was taking her away. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was Mr. Pritchett from Morphy Fund?"At the mention of Dylan, Hendrix's expression turned dark as thunder. He charged up to the woman. "Where did they go?""I'm not sure. But I did take down his license plate number. Do you need it?""Where is it?" Hendrix barked.The woman held out her hand. "I'll give it to you for 1,000 dollars."Hendrix didn't carry cash with him. But he shoved his bank card into her hand without hesitation. "The license plate number!"The woman looked at the card, a little dissatisfied. But considering Hendrix's status, she figured he likely wouldn't care about such a small amount of money. Thus, in the end, she still showed Hendrix the phot
"Erwin!"The voice came just as Erwin stood on the terrace, smoking a cigarette in frustration.Although they had technically won the battle and he had earned a great deal from it, he felt, strangely enough, not the slightest trace of satisfaction. Maybe it was because Hendrix had forced him into the game. Or maybe, by now, winning and losing simply didn't stir anything in him anymore.At the beginning, Erwin had been somewhat excited. He had thought Dylan would be a difficult opponent—someone who could cause serious trouble, maybe even defeat them entirely. That would have been interesting. But instead, everything had gone far too smoothly. There had been no twists and no turns. Just a clean finish. It was boring, to say the least.And the current victory party? Equally so.Hendrix had insisted Noelle attend the party, saying she had flawlessly completed her part of the plan and that this victory was also hers. So, the party had turned out very wholesome, or rather, dull.Erwi
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