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
Rosie's transfer procedures were quickly completed.When the plane landed in Coppersville, Noelle felt a wave of disorientation. After all, when she had left this city, she had thought she would never return.Now, as she looked at the city again, it seemed as if nothing had changed. It was still as bustling as ever, with towering skyscrapers and people rushing along the streets.For Noelle, this was a city filled with painful memories, a place she had ultimately chosen to escape from.But for Rosie, it was a hometown she had never set foot in before. She was in good spirits today, leaning against the car window and curiously observing everything outside.The driver was from the Swift family, and Seline sat in the passenger seat.After glancing ahead, she turned to Noelle and asked, "So… did you call Hendrix?"Earlier, Noelle hadn't outright rejected Seline's suggestion, only softly saying she would notify Hendrix. But it was clear she hadn't found the resolve to do that. So, the
"No!" Seline said.Frustrated at getting interrupted repeatedly, Marla simply reached out and covered Seline's mouth to finish what she had to say."This time, the person they introduced is Mr. Freeman from Amity Group."Seline had been about to yank Marla's hand away, but upon hearing those words, she froze mid-motion. Then, she slowly turned to look at her.It took a long while—long enough for Marla to remove her hand from Seline's mouth—before Seline finally reacted."Who did you say it was? Which Mr. Freeman from Amity Group are we talking about?" she asked in disbelief."Come on! How many Mr. Freemans do you know are working in Amity Group right now?" countered Marla with a roll of her eyes. "Nathan was sent abroad by Hendrix a few years ago. They said it was for training, but let's be honest, it was practically an exile."So, you see, he's truly ruthless. Even his own brother wasn't spared. No wonder your father said—""Stop!" Seline cut her off before the conversation co
After a night to cool down, Seline felt much calmer. She began to suspect that this whole thing might have been orchestrated by Hendrix.Even if he was serious about getting married, why would he choose her out of all the eligible socialites in Coppersville? He knew full well about her relationship with Noelle.So, was he doing this on purpose? Was he intentionally setting up this blind date to send a message to Noelle to make her jealous and upset?The more Seline thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. And it was precisely because of this that she found her anger toward Hendrix vanished all of a sudden.…The next morning, Seline took her time getting ready before heading to the café.But the moment her eyes met Hendrix's, she realized she had overestimated him, as he looked genuinely surprised to see her. Clearly, he hadn't expected to run into her here and had no idea that Seline was the one he was supposed to meet.In that instant, all of Seline's theories from the
In the hospital room, Noelle's gentle voice filled the air. "Look. This is Bobby, and he's playing soccer with Carrie."Despite the obvious exhaustion on her face, her eyes remained soft as she looked at Rosie. There was even a faint smile lingering on her lips.Rosie was engrossed in a picture book. She had lost some weight, making her large eyes appear even bigger. Coupled with her pale skin, she looked almost like a porcelain doll.She quickly looked up when she heard a sound. The moment she saw Seline, she greeted her excitedly, "Seline!"If this were before, Seline would have responded with equal enthusiasm. But today, Hendrix's reaction had left her deeply unsettled.Noelle had shared bits and pieces of what had happened back then with her. When she left Hendrix, everyone had assumed she saw him as a sinking ship and jumped at the chance to escape.Thus, Seline found it understandable that Hendrix would resent Noelle. But no matter what, Rosie was his child—his own flesh an
Seline didn't answer, but from this, Noelle instantly knew the truth.After a moment of silence, she let out a soft laugh and said, "Well, that's good.""What is?" Seline asked.She had initially planned to keep quiet about the meeting with Hendrix. After all, it wasn't a very kind thing to bring up other's painful memories, and it was also clear that Noelle didn't want to dwell on Hendrix. But she couldn't hold back after seeing Noelle act so "unbothered"."Do you know where I ran into him? He was going on a blind date! And he had the nerve to tell me he's moving on with his life! How can he be so heartless?"Seline struggled to find the right word, but "heartless" was the best she could come up with in the end.Noelle froze for a moment, then slowly lowered her eyes."There, now." Seline quickly waved her hand dismissively. "He's a piece of trash, so let's just toss him out. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll meet better men in the future."Seline simply smiled and reached out to g
"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
Dylan took Noelle out of the hospital. She truly wasn't feeling well. After Dylan drove for a while, her complexion turned even paler.In the end, Dylan had no choice but to take her to another hospital. While the doctor reported her condition to him, Dylan's gaze slowly fell on the person lying in the hospital bed.Noelle had fallen into a sleep. Her face was still pale, and her brows were tightly furrowed. She looked so fragile and delicate. But at that moment, Dylan couldn't be sure if she was scheming something.Ultimately, he didn't do anything. He just quietly sat by her side. He didn't know how much time had passed before Noelle finally woke up.When she saw him, she seemed momentarily startled. Then, a flicker of disappointment passed clearly through her eyes.Noticing this, Dylan narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing."Thank you," Noelle said softly.Dylan looked at her without responding."Can I see my phone?" she asked.He handed it to her in silence.Noelle
Dylan's gaze darkened. Just as he was about to step forward, someone else beat him to it.Hendrix crouched down in front of Noelle. "What happened?"Seeing this, Dylan almost laughed. He knew things wouldn't be that simple. With how devoted Hendrix had been to Noelle before, how could he possibly fall out of love so quickly?As expected, this was just a show the two of them had put on for Dylan. With that though, he didn't linger. He turned and was about to leave when he heard Noelle's voice."Let go of me!"Her voice wasn't loud in the noisy hospital, but Dylan heard it clearly. He immediately turned his head.Hendrix was holding onto her other hand, seemingly trying to take her away.But Noelle kept struggling. "Let go of me!""Noelle Swanson!""You already have another woman, so why do you still care about me?" Noelle gritted her teeth and glared at him. "Let me tell you—I don't want anything you gave me! And I don't want to see you right now, either!"As she spoke, she tr