In the two years and four mouths, Noelle had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet Hendrix again.But each time she thought about it, she would instinctively deny it.Because she knew the world was vast, and they now lived in completely different social circles.His life was filled with luxury, while she was just an ordinary person trying to get by.Their paths were completely separate, with no reason to cross again.But now, his sudden appearance shattered that belief."Mommy, do you know that man?" Rosie, who was still in Noelle's arms, asked when she noticed her staring at Hendrix.At the sound of her voice, Noelle snapped out of her daze."No, I don't," she replied quickly.Hendrix had already subconsciously walked toward her, but he abruptly froze in his place when he heard Noelle say that.His heart, which had been tightening, seemed to slowly sink at that moment. Even the boiling blood in his veins cooled in that instant.He simply stood there, lips p
This was also the first time Hendrix had seen his daughter, Rosie, not from a blurry photo or from a tricky angle.Rosie stared back at him with wide eyes, full of appraisal and curiosity.But before Hendrix could look at her a little longer, someone next to him cautiously called out to him.Immediately after, Rosie and Noelle disappeared into the crowd around them, so Hendrix was unable to catch a glimpse of them anymore.After a while, he turned his head and asked, "Yes? What is it?"His emotions switched quickly, though his voice still carried a hint of tension.That night, he unsurprisingly suffered from insomnia again. It wasn't until dawn that he reluctantly got up to take some sleeping pills.After that, he managed to fall asleep, but it was a restless one. He even had a dream.Hendrix vaguely remembered having a similar dream before. It was a warm and happy scene where Noelle and a little girl were playing together. Then, a strange man approached them.Hendrix's eyes s
As the year's major production, the adaptation naturally had its set tightly secured during filming. However, sometimes, it was impossible to avoid people sneaking photos.As soon as Hendrix got out of the car, he noticed a woman crouching by the blue canopy with her camera trained on the people inside, snapping pictures.He frowned.Initially, he had intended to walk straight into the set.Though the entertainment industry wasn't Amity Group's primary focus for development, he himself had invested in various film and television projects over the years. Thus, given his status, no one would dare to stop him from going into the set.Yet, Hendrix halted abruptly in his tracks because he suddenly realized something—he didn't actually have the authority to enter.When someone eventually asked him what he was doing here, he couldn't simply say he was bored and came over to take a look, could he? So, he remained rooted to the spot.Soon after, he noticed that the woman taking the unaut
The woman immediately caught on to what Hendrix was saying. "I see. You're that bitch's friend, aren't you?"Hendrix was still on the phone with his lawyer, but he immediately fell silent when he heard what she said.He turned to look at her.The woman chuckled coldly before saying, "Wait, no. I should say you're her backup, right? She's really something, alright. Managing to string along so many men at once. "I knew it! All that talk about her being some sort of talented female comic artist is all just a hype! I bet she's got plenty of men like you propping her up in secret, doesn't she?"As she spoke, she glanced up and down at Hendrix.She came somewhat from a well-off family, and over the years, her experience as a dedicated fan had naturally exposed her to plenty of high-end items. So, with just one glance, she could tell the clothes and watch on Hendrix were worth a fortune.That only reinforced her earlier assumption."You must be Noelle's sugar daddy, right? Do you kno
"Ms. Swanson, bad news!"The call came in while Noelle was packing up her things at the hotel. The script had been mostly revised, and Noelle was preparing to go home with Rosie.Although they had only stayed at the hotel for two months, they had accumulated quite a lot of stuff. Noelle was even planning to hire a moving truck to help transport everything.Thus, Noelle was a little confused when she received the call. "What happened?""Didn't you see the news?""What news?""Do you know a woman called Summer Vega?"Noelle was still as confused as ever.The person on the other end didn't give her any more time and went straight to the point."Check the news right away! She said she used to be under the same company as you. According to her, 'Morning Mist' was originally her work, but the editor passed her outline to you to promote you before terminating her contract. "This news has already blown up, so hurry and check it online!" the caller spoke quickly, barely giving Noelle
After speaking, the caller hung up.Noelle gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white.Rosie sat quietly beside her, still waiting for Noelle to notice her."I—" Noelle took a deep breath before finding her voice. "Rosie, we can't leave for now.""Why? Won't we go home anymore?" Rosie's face fell, clearly upset. "But Mommy, you promised me we'd go home today. I want to go back and play with Gabby.""I'm sorry, Rosie. This is all Mommy's fault." Noelle stroked Rosie's hair. "Something came up, so we need to stay here for a few more days, okay? I promise that as soon as it's resolved, we'll go home right away."Rosie quieted down.Noelle could see her disappointment, but she didn't have the luxury to comfort her further.Her phone rang again, and this time, it was from the film company, which also happened to be Ebony's agency.Someone had leaked photos of Noelle and Ebony on set, claiming that they were always like this—flirting under the guise of discussing the scri
Noelle returned to her apartment in the early hours of the morning.Rosie was already asleep, slumped over her shoulder. She must have been exhausted, as her breathing was heavy.With one hand supporting Rosie, Noelle struggled to open the door with the other.Once inside, she didn't have time to do anything else except carefully lay Rosie down on the bed.After tucking her in and closing the bedroom door, Noelle finally made her way back to the living room.The floor lamp beside her was still on, and across from it stood the bookshelf she hadn't had time to tidy up before leaving. Inside were countless hand-drawn sketches, even some storyboard ideas she had come up with herself.But now, they all seemed to mock her.Noelle knew all too well that in this industry, authors like her were often put on a pedestal, but in reality, they were at the bottom of the food chain.Marketing was handled by the company, and even negotiations with collaborators were done by them. All she could
Noelle hated hospitals. The place always reeked of disinfectant, and everywhere she looked, she saw faces filled with sorrow and despair.The nurse had just left.Rosie's veins were still very thin, and it had taken several attempts before the nurse finally succeeded in inserting the IV.At first, Rosie endured the pain in silence. But eventually, she couldn't hold back her tears and told Noelle how much it hurt.Noelle didn't say anything, only tightly held Rosie's other hand.Now that the IV was finally in place, Rosie sniffled and closed her eyes."Go to sleep," Noelle whispered softly while gently stroking her hair. "Mommy's here."Rosie hummed faintly, but after a moment, she opened her eyes again.Noelle quickly forced a smile. "What's the matter?""Mommy, you won't cry, right?" she asked.The question stumped Noelle.Rosie explained, "It hurt a little earlier, but I'm feeling better now. So, don't be sad, okay?"Noelle had been maintaining a smile all this time, but
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
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