Night soon fell. Hendrix had spent the entire day at Nivis Villa. He hadn't expected Noelle to be out for so long, even into the night without returning. The messages he sent went unanswered, disappearing into the void.So, what was this supposed to mean? Was she planning to stay out all night?And this was only their second day of marriage!Hendrix almost called her to demand an explanation, but the thought of himself sounding like some powerless, raging husband stopped him.In the end, he put down his phone. He had a blank expression as he stared at the clock in the corner of his computer screen.Before midnight struck, Noelle finally came home.Hearing the sound of the engine, Hendrix instinctively wanted to get up, but he quickly sat back down, his expression unreadable as he resumed browsing through his emails. He remained in the study, not even bothering to close the door.When Noelle came upstairs, she didn't even glance in his direction. Instead, she walked straight past
In the chaotic bathroom, Noelle slowly lost her energy to fight back.Just when her mind went blank, Hendrix kissed her ears and asked, "Have you done it with Dylan before?"Noelle was still in a trance, so she couldn't answer him, and Hendrix didn't seem to need any answers anymore.Before she could reply, he covered her lips and said, "Forget it. It's not important. All that matters now is you're mine. We're married, Noelle. You're my wife, so I can only be the one in your heart, and you can only like me. Are we clear?"Noelle didn't answer, but her pliant body made Hendrix assume that she was obeying him.Her hand, which was covering her lips, slowly let go. At this moment, Noelle opened her mouth and bit him hard on his hand.…Since Noelle hurt Hendrix, she naturally didn't have it easy that night. He didn't try to hide anything in front of her anymore. The entire night, Noelle almost felt like Hendrix was going to exhaust her to death.It was only when her throat started
Noelle couldn't snap out of it. Maybe it was because of the address, "sister-in-law", or maybe because of his name—Nathan Freeman.So… he was Gerald's illegitimate son? How could he be here?Countless thoughts flooded Noelle's mind until Grant came over and said, "Mr. Nathan, what are you doing here?"Mr. Nathan…Noelle's suspicions were confirmed, but her thoughts became even more jumbled up. At this point, why did the Freeman family bring Nathan back? Was there a change in the internal circle of Amity Group?Before Noelle could find an answer, Grant had already taken Nathan away.Before leaving, Nathan smiled at Noelle.Noelle furrowed her brows even tighter. She stood there for a moment longer before realizing she still hadn't called Hendrix.Hendrix picked up quickly, but as soon as she heard his voice, Noelle suddenly didn't know what to say.He seemed impatient. "What's the matter?""I'm at Freeman Manor."Noelle was familiar with his tone. If things went as usual, he
However, Noelle was not present.Hendrix's eyes scanned the room, but he quickly turned to the person standing behind Ophelia—who was in a white shirt and with deep-set eyes and a sharp nose.It was no wonder that Noelle was stunned, as even Hendrix himself was momentarily taken aback by the person in front of him.But it was only for a brief second before he regained his composure. He turned to the nearby maid. "Where's Noelle?"His voice was crisp and clear, causing the conversation in the living room to come to an abrupt halt as everyone turned to look at him.Yet, Hendrix seemed to ignore it all, not even greeting Ophelia or the others. His attention was solely fixed on the maid."Ms. Swanson went to the restroom. She should be…"Before the maid finished speaking, Hendrix had already walked forward.Right at this moment, Noelle also came out. When she saw Hendrix, she was stunned, then she looked at the people in the living room.Hendrix didn't care. He just grabbed her an
"Identity? What identity?" asked Hendrix.The words made Ophelia pause for a moment, and then she asked, "What identity are you talking about?" "Hm, Gerald's illegitimate child, is it?" Hendrix spoke, even directly mentioning Gerald's name. As soon as he finished speaking, Ophelia's displeasure reached its peak. But Hendrix seemed completely unaware, continuing, "But everyone in Coppersville knows that my parents had a strong relationship. For an illegitimate child to suddenly appear… It's really not something honorable for the Freeman family, is it?""A strong relationship? Have you forgotten what happened last year?" Ophelia said, her eyes briefly scanning Beatrice. The meaning was crystal clear.But Hendrix didn't mind. He smiled slightly and continued, "You're wrong to say that. The two matters are completely different in nature. No matter what, my mother never did anything out of line while they were married. "But Gerald's been dead for so many years, and suddenly, an
Ophelia's mood was already bad, and hearing Noelle's laughter made her expression darken even further. "What are you laughing at?" "It's nothing. I'm just happy for you…" Noelle glanced at Hendrix. He was also looking at her, seemingly waiting to see what kind of explanation she would come up with. When Hendrix heard Noelle's response, his eyebrows lifted slightly, followed by a chuckle. Unlike the earlier mockery and coldness, his smile now seemed more genuine, as though Noelle had really amused him. But Noelle paid him no mind and continued speaking to Ophelia, "After all, you must be quite bored in this house. You should indeed feel happy for having such a filial grandson." Once Noelle finished speaking, Ophelia did not respond.She could certainly tell that Noelle hadn't been genuine in her words, but Noelle's words were crafted so smoothly that there was no obvious flaw. So even though Ophelia was angry, she could only swallow her feelings for the moment. Hendrix didn
Noelle knew she shouldn't have said anything. Hendrix was clearly angry, and as soon as she spoke, it was like she became a target for his frustration. It wasn't even her business to begin with, so when Hendrix said that, Noelle chose to remain quiet. However, her silence still didn't satisfy him. "Why aren't you saying anything?" "What do you want me to say?" Noelle replied flatly. "This is your family's business. It doesn't really concern me." As they spoke, the car had already been driven a good distance, but as soon as Noelle finished speaking, Hendrix slammed on the brakes. Though Noelle had her seatbelt on, the car was moving too fast, and she was jerked forward violently by the sudden stop before bouncing back into her seat. The back of her head hit the leather headrest, but it didn't hurt. Still, Noelle furrowed her brows and turned to look at Hendrix.Hendrix also looked at her. "What do you mean by it's my family's matter? Aren't you my wife?""Okay.""Okay?" Hen
"No," Noelle rejected without hesitation. "Why should I agree to this?" "See? You know it. She doesn't love me," Hendrix replied. "I just don't want to make a pointless bet with you." "If you're really that confident, why not take me up on the bet? After all, in your eyes, you're guaranteed to win. You could get me to do something for you. Doesn't that sound like a pretty good deal for you?" Noelle still wanted to refuse, but when she met his gaze, she suddenly hesitated. Maybe it was because the Hendrix of that night reminded her of her past self.And that was when she thought about what Beatrice would feel—a biological child, whose relationship with her wasn't exactly close, compared to someone with no blood relation to her who appeared so obedient.Noelle bit her lips and asked, "If you win, what will you ask me to do?"Hendrix just chuckled and said, "You don't have any faith in yourself, huh?""Forget it." Noelle regretted her hesitation, turning away. "I don't want to
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