Hendrix frowned deeply, and this time, his hesitation before declining the call was obvious.Noelle, however, immediately unfastened her seatbelt and reached for the car door. "Forget it. I'll just go back on my own."But Hendrix quickly grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?""You seem busy. I can get a cab home.""It's so late! How are you going to get a cab?""Aren't there plenty of cars on the road? Why wouldn't I be able to?""Come back! I'll—"Before he could finish, a third call came through.Noelle's gaze turned sharp with a hint of mockery. "Look at you—so busy. I won't trouble you any further. I'll go back on my own."With that, she pried his fingers off her wrist.Hendrix reached out to grab her again, but Noelle moved with a swift decisiveness. The moment she stepped out of the car, she headed straight across the street.By the time Hendrix unbuckled his seatbelt and got out, the traffic light had already turned red.Even in the dead of night, Coppersville's s
Noelle had no idea how she ended up in this place. She only remembered getting out of Hendrix's car and crossing the street.Then, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Before she could even turn around, a hand had already covered her mouth and nose.And then, she passed out.When she opened her eyes again, she was in an unfamiliar room. Her hands and feet were tightly bound, and the air was thick with the stench of mold.The only source of light was a faint sliver of moonlight seeping through a small window, while the rest of the room was swallowed in darkness.Noelle had no idea who had brought her here, let alone what their intentions were. Because until now, she hadn't even seen their faces.Just as she was searching the room for something to cut through the ropes, the old, creaking door swung open.She immediately turned her head.The moment she saw the person standing in the doorway, her eyes widened slightly. "It's you!"Jean let out a cold laugh. "You look surprised. Wha
"See how considerate I am? So, can you be considerate of me, too? Stay still and don't move. Got it? Otherwise, I'd feel awful if this knife accidentally cuts your stomach," Jean threatened, pressing down the knife harder on Noelle's cheek.Noelle felt a sharp, spearing pain as the blade sliced across her skin. Blood immediately welled up and dripped down, each drop landing cold and stark against the surface below.Noelle suddenly thought of Hendrix.What was he doing now? Did he think she had stormed off in anger and was searching for her like a madman? Or had he picked up Olivia's call and didn't even notice Noelle was missing?She didn't dare to think about it. The more she thought, the more bitter she felt.The pain became sharper, but she didn't dare move. Because just like Jean said, Noelle was pregnant. Thus, she couldn't risk upsetting Jean for fear of what she would do to her baby.As the knife carved into Noelle's skin, Jean's eyes lit up with a bloodthirsty and maniaca
The ambulance quickly brought Noelle to the hospital. The bleeding on her face had stopped, but the doctor still needed to stitch up her wound.She couldn't feel pain on that part of her face after anesthesia had been administered. She could, however, feel the doctor's movement—the way the needle and thread pierced through her skin, clear and distinct.Since it was a minor procedure, they conducted it in the emergency room.Although the door was closed, Noelle kept her eyes fixed on it. As for what she was waiting for, she wasn't even sure herself.But by the time the doctor finished, Hendrix still hadn't appeared, whereas Dylan had been waiting outside the entire time.The moment he saw Noelle come out, he immediately approached her and asked, "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"Noelle glanced at him and shook her head."That's good. Let me take you home."The moment Dylan said those words, Noelle stopped in her tracks. Then, she slowly lifted her head to look at him.Something in
Noelle's hands immediately clenched.Then, something flashed through her mind, but before she could grasp it, the words had already slipped from her lips."The person who died… Was it Olivia?"…The deceased was indeed Olivia. She had fallen from the 21st-floor balcony of an apartment complex and died on the spot.And more importantly, her clothes were disheveled at the time of her death. Aside from her, the only other person in the apartment was Hendrix.A man and a woman, alone in a high-rise apartment in the dead of the night—that alone was enough to fuel endless speculation. And with Hendrix's status, it only made things worse.Within hours, all sorts of theories had already taken over the headlines.Olivia's close ties with Hendrix had already spread like wildfire in their social circles.Now, with her sudden death—and in that particular state—many speculated that the two had been playing too recklessly, leading to Olivia's accidental fall from the balcony. After all, if
Noelle had forgotten how she had responded to Beatrice at that moment. After hanging up the call, she sat alone in her room, looking out the window in a daze.To avoid being surrounded by the media, she hadn't left the house in days.Even the household staff who came to clean had obviously seen the news, as their gazes toward Noelle were cautious and tinged with pity. So, rather than encountering them, she preferred staying alone in her room.Just as she turned on her tablet, trying to distract herself with work, the doorbell rang.She immediately frowned.Before long, a household staff came in and informed her, "Mrs. Freeman, it's someone claiming to be Mr. Freeman's younger brother. Would you like to see him?"Noelle pressed her lips together.The household staff didn't dare to assume anything from her expression, so she simply stood there, waiting.Finally, Noelle said, "Let him in."As she did, she got up and walked out of her room.The household staff quickly invited Nat
Nthan added, "Olivia once told me that sometimes, Hendrix would stare at her in a daze, as if he was seeing someone else through her. If my guess is correct, that person should be you, Noelle. Or rather, the person you used to be. You're too rational and calm now."Take this situation, for example—any other woman, upon hearing that her husband was in such trouble, would be panicking like crazy. Even if she wasn't desperately trying to scheme on his behalf, at the very least, she'd be furious, wouldn't she?"But you seem completely unaffected. Hendrix surely understands this even better than I do, and he can feel it more directly. So, for him to seek that emotional fulfillment from another woman? That's only natural."Nathan's tone was light and casual. He was speaking from the perspective of a man, drawing a conclusion that seemed perfectly reasonable to him, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.But Noelle couldn't help but laugh at his words.Her unexpected reaction made Nat
Hendrix remained in police custody during the most intense days of public scrutiny.As days passed, the media frenzy gradually began to die down. But when the morning news of his bail broke, the police station entrance was once again flooded with reporters.Microphones and cameras were set up, and everyone was waiting for Hendrix to emerge, eager to capture the latest scoop.Dan was well aware of the situation. Initially, he had planned an alternate time and route for Hendrix's exit.However, Hendrix rejected his proposal without a second thought.The moment he said this, Dan immediately understood that Hendrix had his own plan. So, he didn't insist and simply followed the official procedures as required by the police.Outside, the reporters had been waiting for a long time. They all had their eyes fixed ahead, holding their breath.So, when Hendrix stepped out, they surged forward hungrily without hesitation and had him completely surrounded in an instant."Mr. Freeman, would
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