Hendrix was in a bad mood, so he didn't speak to Noelle throughout the whole journey.But Noelle had gotten used to this kind of interaction with him. She didn't take the initiative to talk to him, either, and the two of them remained in silence all the way to Mondivera.After an 11-hour flight, it was still daytime when they landed.Hendrix had work, so as soon as they landed, someone came to pick him up, while another person took Noelle to the hotel.Back when they were married, Noelle had accompanied him on business trips before, usually when there were public events requiring their joint appearance. But those were always in the country, lasting just one or two days.During the day, she would stay in the hotel and wait for Hendrix, only to join him in the evening for the events. Now, it was just a change in time and location.Noelle had already slept on the plane, so she wasn't feeling particularly tired at the moment.They were now on Mondivera's famous tourist island, and f
Noelle looked at Hendrix and said, "The beach downstairs."She knew that her answer would not satisfy him, as he frowned even deeper and said, "This is not back home. Don't you know it's dangerous to go out alone?"Noelle wanted to say, "Then, why did you bring me here?"Did he want her to wait for him in the room the entire day?But after a moment of hesitation, Noelle did not retort back and just nodded in response.This reaction kind of surprised Hendrix a little."Did you need something? Why are you back?" Noelle asked. Hendrix pulled himself back together and gave her a strange look. "I'm here to bring you to meet someone.""A party?""Yeah, a friend of mine is hosting one."Noelle's gaze darkened, as she didn't know if his friend was one of his fund partners.Previously, she even went to his study room to find evidence. Hendrix did not have to bring her to meet his partners now, right?It seemed impossible when Noelle thought about it. But no matter what, she did not
The location Hendrix mentioned turned out to be a private villa by the seaside. As the car entered the estate, Noelle noticed a warning sign outside the gates indicating that the area was off-limits to outsiders. Clearly, Hendrix wasn't considered one of them.A man dressed in a long-tail tuxedo approached their car as soon as it stopped, his posture respectful as he opened the door for them."This is Robert Pike, the butler here," Hendrix introduced briefly.Noelle nodded politely toward the man, who returned the gesture with a courteous bow before stepping aside to lead the way. "Mr. Freeman, Mr. Lawson is already waiting inside," Robert informed.Hendrix simply hummed in response.As they walked through the front hall, Noelle quickly took in the villa's interior. The space was predominantly white, with soaring ceilings and an expansive layout. The grandeur made her feel as though she had stepped into a palace.Hearing the sound, the man in front quickly turned around. He had
Then, she heard Hendrix's response, "You wouldn't understand. You're not one of us, and you can't grasp how deeply we value marriage and family.""True, I don't. But marriage is a cage. It's something we agreed on before. Have you forgotten? Back then, you missed out on so much fun because of it. Now that you've finally broken free, why did you go back?"Hendrix simply chuckled."Or is it that your wife has something special about her that makes you willing to put up with this so-called cage?""No. She's just an ordinary woman. Nothing special about her.""I don't believe that. If that was true, why did you choose to marry her, of all people?""Because I don't want to waste time on anyone else. You said it yourself that marriage is a cage. It doesn't matter who you're with. I just happened to pick her. That's all."Noelle didn't listen any further. She abandoned her original plan of pushing open the door to confront Hendrix.When she noticed the maid looking at her with curiosi
Erwin sent a car to Hendrix and Noelle back.However, as they neared the hotel, Hendrix instructed the driver to stop. He then turned to Noelle. "Shall we take a walk by the beach?"He had actually had quite a bit to drink tonight. But his self-control was impressive, for his eyes remained sharp and clear. If Noelle hadn't seen him drink earlier, she wouldn't have guessed it.Before she could reply, he just pulled her out of the car.It was nighttime, so it was not so crowded at the beach anymore.During the day, the sea appeared clear and turquoise, but now, it blended with the pitch-black sky. Even the waves that lapped at their feet seemed to carry an eerie undertone.Noelle didn't like it much, but Hendrix seemed to be in the mood and kept pulling her forward."I'll be busy tomorrow, so I will get a tour guide to bring you around. What do you think?""It's fine," Noelle rejected him.Hendrix was upset by this and turned around with a frown on his face.Noelle took a deep
"So, is this why you've been so obedient tonight?" Hendrix asked.Noelle fell silent.But Hendrix suddenly chuckled. He thought as much. Since when had she become so compliant?Agreeing to have dinner with him when he asked, changing her clothes without a word of protest, and even those sweet, placating words and that hug from earlier.Hendrix slowly clenched his teeth. At that moment, everything felt unbearably ironic and ridiculous to him—truly ridiculous.How foolish of him to think Noelle had finally recognized his sincerity and believe that their relationship could finally begin to thaw.And yet?She did it all for Dylan!Hendrix felt something spreading rapidly with him—jealousy, rage, and pain. All these emotions intertwined, coursing through his veins and flooding his entire body, making his hands and feet tremble uncontrollably.And in that instant, a singular, piercing thought took root in his mind—Dylan had to die.It was no longer enough for Dylan to simply step a
Hendrix had already dialed the number, and the voice on the other end had already answered with a "hello". But Hendrix couldn't bring himself to say a word."Mr. Freeman?"The person on the other end kept speaking, but Hendrix slowly turned his head, his eyes locking onto Noelle. She stood there, meeting his gaze."What did you just say?" he asked."If you really kill Dylan, then I'll kill myself, too," Noelle said, her voice unmistakably clear.Hendrix suddenly burst into laughter. It was as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world, laughing so hard that he was trembling all over.But his eyes slowly turned red, and there was the taste of blood lingering on his tongue. Even so, his voice remained calm as he asked, staring at Noelle, "You would die for Dylan?""Yes.""And what about Elm Group? You don't care about it anymore? And the one lying in the hospital—""Is threatening me the only thing you know how to do?" Noelle interrupted him. "I've already done w
"So, no matter what it takes, you have to try for him. Even if it means stabbing me in the heart. Noelle, you're truly ruthless," Hendrix concluded.With that, Hendrix walked past her without another word.The white waves continued to roll in, and on the vast stretch of beach, only Noelle was left standing alone.…That night, Noelle and Hendrix lay back-to-back. By now, she had grown accustomed to having someone else in bed with her. Previously, when they slept together, they would usually do something before sleep. If not, Hendrix would at least hold her as they drifted off.But tonight, he did nothing. His back toward her seemed to carve a deep chasm between them. Noelle didn't turn around, either.Before long, the night passed.When Noelle woke up, daylight had already filled the room.Hendrix was gone. Noelle had no idea whether he had gone to work or to the party Erwin had mentioned, nor did she have any interest in finding out.The surrounding scenery held little appeal
The moment Hendrix fixed his eyes on Noelle, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words. As their eyes met, even the tips of her ears began to flush red without her realizing it."Why are you looking at me like that?" Noelle couldn't help but ask."So, have you remembered everything?" Hendrix asked instead. "Everything about us?""No," Noelle replied, turning her head away. "My head hurts. Didn't you say you were going to get the doctor? You can go—"But before she could finish, Hendrix suddenly grabbed her hand. His grip wasn't strong, but the way his fingers gently moved across hers felt like an intimate caress.Noelle couldn't help but tremble, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.But then Hendrix suddenly said, "Actually, even before we got married, I'd seen you many times."Noelle hadn't expected him to bring this up. She froze for a second. Then, she quickly said, "I know. Back then at college—""Not just at college. After I graduated, I went to see you,
"Who are you?"That was the first thing Noelle said when she opened her eyes.Hendrix had still been basking in the relief of her waking up, but the moment he heard those words, the expression on his face vanished completely."What did you say?" he asked, his voice slightly strained.Noelle didn't answer. She simply stared at him, confusion clear in her eyes.Hendrix clenched his fists tightly. Maybe it was because he had gone through something like this before that he was able to calm himself down quickly this time."I'm your husband. My name is Hendrix Freeman. Do you still remember your own name?" he asked."Husband?" Noelle frowned slightly. "As in—we're married?""Yes. And we have a daughter. Her name is Rosie. She's three years old. This is her picture."As he spoke, Hendrix started to pull up a photo on his phone.But Noelle quickly asked, "Then why don't I remember you?""You were injured. But don't worry. I'll get the doctor to take a look at you."As Hendrix moved
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