Noelle had no idea how she managed to get through that day.The two ladies, whom Hendrix had mentioned, showed up to look after her, but they did not have the key to the handcuffs.One of her hands was cuffed to the bed frame. She spent the whole day in bed, feeling like a farmed animal. Her thoughts did not matter. After all, she was just a tool to them."Mrs. Freeman, why don't you have something to eat?" one of the ladies suggested cautiously.Noelle ignored her and did not look up.The maids helplessly exchanged a look before they quietly left the room. Noelle lay in the bed motionlessly.A while later, she heard the familiar sounds of a car engine from the first floor—something she had heard of multiple times.Those sounds once brought her joy, but she had to conceal her emotions from everyone else. Now, all that was left was despair and chill.Soon, she heard Hendrix and the maids talking. The maids seemed to be telling him about the fact that she refused to take any
"You didn't even do it for your family. You did it for personal gains. To me, you will never compare to Dylan. Never!" Noelle stated.Truthfully, Noelle did not have much feelings for Dylan in the beginning. He just happened to show up in her life at a time when she needed someone by her side the most. Since she trusted and depended on him, she took the hand he extended to her.Hendrix's multiple interferences only served to deepen her feelings for Dylan. In other words, she decided firmly that she would love Dylan in that moment, even if it were to spite Hendrix.As expected, Hendrix's expression soured after he heard her words. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on her chin until his knuckles turned white.Suddenly, he let out a laugh. "Is it? Do you trust that I could make Dylan kneel before me and cry for mercy in two days? Hm? Why don't you come and spectate when that happens? I'd like to see if you'll still love him when he—""I will love him regardless. No—I'll love
A car screeched to a brake in the yard. Grant hurried out, and his face changed. "Mr. Freeman, what brings you here at this hour…"Before he was done speaking, Hendrix had walked past him with such a terrifyingly grim face. Grant tried to stop him, but he spat, "Get lost!"As Hendrix had always presented himself as calm and collected, this was Grant's first time seeing him so out of control.Beatrice descended the stairs calmly. "You're here."Staring at her from below, he replied, "Seems like you are anticipating me."He didn't even bother to greet her. She didn't mind it, though.Turning around, she suggested, "Come on. Let's go to the study."Hendrix followed behind her. The door shut behind them, trapping both in the huge study."What have you said to Noelle today?" he asked directly without beating around the bush."Nothing."He sneered and lowered his voice. "I don't understand. Do you hate me so much that you don't want me to live well? I thought a mother's love wa
As she spoke, Beatrice's lips curled up into a small smile. She seemed to see someone else in Hendrix.Hendrix fell silent for a while and nodded. "So, you side with neither Nathan nor me."Beatrice did not reply, which was an answer in itself.Hendrix turned around without hesitation. "If that's the case, it makes things easier for me."He had visited that night in search of an answer, holding onto a sliver of hope. He didn't mind if Beatrice lied, as long as it was a reason that could convince him—that she did it for his own good, or she wanted the couple to be honest with each other.Those reasons would sound ridiculous and hard-pressed to him, but he would force himself to believe in Beatrice if she said so.But she was unwilling to even lie to him.Nothing held him back now. To him, his mother was a distant stranger. It was easy to take her down when she made him her enemy.It didn't bother him because he grew up all alone anyway. He was accustomed to a lonely life.…
Noelle woke up and found herself in the bed, but this time, her right hand was cuffed to the bed instead.Hendrix, perhaps noticing the red marks on her hand due to the struggle, changed the handcuff into a tie. The expensive tie had turned into a tool to subdue her.She reached out to remove the tie, but somehow, she only managed to make it tighter. But she didn't give up. Like crazy, she wouldn't stop pulling and tugging at the tie.When she realized that using her hand was ineffective, she started using her teeth to bite off the tie.Alas, the fabric was of premium quality. It did not give way, even after her skin started to bleed from an accidental bite.She pulled with increasing force until her hand rammed against the bed frame. The maids immediately barged in when they heard the sounds.Noelle demanded, "I need a pair of scissors!"The maids did not answer. They stood there in fear."How much are you paid? I'll double the amount of what Hendrix pays you! Give me the sc
Hendrix did not call Noelle out. Instead, he walked over and loosened the tie a little.Their cold fingers came into contact.Noelle was accustomed to that, but Hendrix flinched, his finger recoiling a little. Soon, he acted as though nothing had happened and adjusted the tie."Didn't you say you'd bring me for a prenatal checkup? When is that?" asked Noelle.He slowly turned toward her. They stared at each other. This time, her eyes were calm and peaceful, devoid of the anger and resentment from yesterday.He broke into a smile and replied, "Let's do that another day. I've been busy these few days.""I could go to the hospital by myself—""No," he cut her off. Bending over, he stared at her with piercing eyes. "Penny, you know I can't set you free right now.""How long are you going to keep me here?""Until you're willing to stay." While speaking, he gently placed a hand on her cheek. "I know you're faking it now, but that's okay. I won't hold it against you."You don't have
Hendrix agreed to hand over the Continental Reach project to Nathan. Moreover, during the board meeting, he affirmed Nathan's capabilities, putting on an act of brotherly affection.Nathan seemed a little surprised but only responded with a shy smile.Once the meeting was over, Hendrix returned to his office.Nathan followed him in."These are all the documents related to the Continental Reach project. Mr. Vance has already taken over. He's very experienced. If you have any questions, just ask him directly.""Alright. Thanks… Hendrix."Hendrix's lips curled up a little. "In the company, you should address me as Mr. Freeman.""Oh, alright." Nathan nodded immediately.Just then, Craig's call came through. Hendrix waved to dismiss Nathan before picking up the call. "Hello?""Hendrix." Craig's voice was warm and friendly. "Have you been busy lately?"Hendrix sneered silently. It was only natural for Craig to be friendly with him.Not long ago, Hendrix had personally covered th
After finishing the call, Hendrix hung up.He tapped his fingers on the desk a few times before dialing another number."It's me, Hendrix. That so-called brother of yours… Is he making a comeback again?"…For the past few days, Noelle had barely left the bed. Her days consisted of nothing but sleeping and eating, to the point where she had lost all sense of time. She had no idea how long she had been in this room.Lately, Hendrix had been leaving early and coming home late. Some days, she wouldn't see him at all.Or maybe… he simply knew she didn't want to see him, so he had stopped showing up in front of her altogether.Noelle had assumed he had completely forgotten about her prenatal checkup. But one morning, when she woke up, she found Hendrix undoing her tie."You're up? Perfect timing. I have time today. I'll take you for your checkup," he said with a bright smile.Noelle felt dazed.Hendrix didn't say anything else. He simply finished untying the knot and carried her d
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