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
Pain, hatred, humiliation, and terror—all these emotions surged through Noelle in an instant. Even her struggling momentarily faltered under the overwhelming wave of despair. But just after a few seconds, it was as though something snapped inside her, and she began to fight back with renewed ferocity. The man kept his hand clamped tightly over her mouth, but Noelle opened her jaw wide and sank her teeth into the flesh of his hand. She bit down with every ounce of strength she had, nearly tearing into his flesh.The man let out a pained grunt. Seizing the moment, Noelle drove her leg up and kicked him in the stomach with all her might. This time, the man was prepared. He grabbed her leg and forcefully pinned it down. Then, he released her mouth.Noelle immediately screamed, "Let me go! Help—"Before she could finish, the man shoved the loosened tie straight into her mouth. The strong stench of alcohol emanated from him, but it couldn't mask the faint, familiar scent lingering on hi
After all, Noelle already knew.In a way, it was better this way. Everyone else only saw Hendrix's gentle, polished facade, but Noelle was the only one who knew this side of him.And that was how it should be. After all, she was his wife—the only person in the world who had the right to grow old with him.Letting her see this "true self" was only fitting. It was just that Hendrix hadn't anticipated it happening in this way, under these circumstances.After a night that teetered on the edge of madness, Hendrix woke up. He had only slept for two hours, but his energy was surprisingly intact. Noelle was still sound asleep beside him. Her eyelids were slightly swollen, and her body below the neck was covered in mottled marks, with even a bite mark on her shoulder that he had left.As for when he'd bitten her, Hendrix couldn't remember, nor did he care.While getting dressed, he called the hotel front desk to have ointment delivered to the room, then personally applied it to Noelle'
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