Noelle knew Rosie wanted to talk to Hendrix alone, so she didn't say anything. After giving Hendrix a glance, she turned and left the room.There was a convenience store right outside the hospital. Noelle bought milk for Rosie and also picked up a small bag of cakes.She didn't know what Rosie would say to Hendrix, but she wasn't in a hurry to return. After paying, she took a couple of laps around the hospital before heading back upstairs.By the time she returned, the conversation between Rosie and Hendrix was clearly over. The two of them sat quietly, neither speaking.Noelle had always thought Rosie's features resembled her own. But seeing them sitting side by side now, she suddenly realized her facial structure actually resembled Hendrix's more. Especially when they both pursed their lips—they looked like they were carved from the same mold.She stood there for a moment, observing them, before finally walking over."Mommy!" As soon as Rosie saw her, her eyes lit up, and the s
Noelle didn't answer. Instead, she turned her head to look out the car window.Silence settled over the inside of the car.After a moment, Rosie broke the quiet. "Mommy, I still want to hang out with Seline.""I know. I've already made plans to have dinner with her tonight.""Is Mr. Pritchett going, too?" Rosie asked.As soon as she spoke, Noelle glanced at Hendrix. She wasn't worried about anything else—just that Hendrix might suddenly lose his temper. But to her surprise, he didn't say anything, and the car continued to move smoothly forward.Only then did Noelle answer Rosie softly, "Yeah."Rosie nodded happily. "Yay! I like playing with Mr. Pritchett!""Why?""Because he's so good-looking, and I believe he can protect you, Mommy."As soon as Rosie said that, Hendrix couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Then, he shot Noelle a sarcastic look.Noelle simply ignored him and smiled at Rosie.…Noelle had indeed made dinner plans with Dylan that evening. After all, it had
"What time is your flight tomorrow? I'm pretty busy, so I might not be able to give you a ride to the airport," Seline asked Noelle, glancing at Dylan as she spoke.She couldn't make it more obvious what she was hinting at, so Dylan immediately said, "I'll take you and Rosie to the airport, Noelle. What time should I pick you up?"Noelle took a deep breath and said, "It's fine. We can just take a taxi.""Let me do it. After all, who knows when we'll see each other again?" Dylan said with a hint of resentment in his tone.Seline clicked her tongue. "He's right, Noelle. You made this decision so suddenly that we didn't even have time to process it."Noelle could only smile helplessly.Just then, Dylan suddenly remembered something and proceeded to hand over the shopping bag he was holding to Rosie. "This is for you."Rosie glanced at the delicate pink packaging, then looked at Noelle.Noelle immediately recognized the logo on the shopping bag. The gift was clearly too extravagant
Seline couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Then, she asked, "Ms. Rhett, right? I've seen you online before.""Oh, is that so?" Angela finally turned her attention to Seline, smiling. "So, I take it you're actually a fan of mine?"Fan? As if Angela would ever be worthy enough to have Seline as a fan.Seline barely held back the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm not exactly a fan. It just so happened I saw you a few times. But now that I think about it, didn't you have a boyfriend before? Wasn't he your classmate or something?""Yes, but we've broken up," Angela admitted freely. "It's not a crime to date around, right? After all, who here doesn't have a past?"As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Noelle. It was as if she was telling everyone present that Noelle was Hendrix's "past".Seline gritted her teeth, about to retort when Noelle gently tugged her hand. This caused her to frown.Meanwhile, Dylan raised his wine glass and said, "Speaking of which, it's been a while since I've
When Noelle stepped out of the restroom, she happened to hear Seline say, "Please stop drinking. It hurts me to see you like this. Ugh!"Seline was standing in front of the mirror, washing her hands while mimicking what Angela said to Hendrix. She had never liked Angela, but after tonight, her dislike had turned into outright disgust.Noelle glanced at her and said, "She hasn't done anything to you, so why do you hate her so much?""Why do I hate her?" Seline widened her eyes as if Noelle had asked the most bizarre question."Why should I not hate her? Did you see how fake she was acting? And wasn't she subtly taking digs at you? She was basically saying you and Hendrix are ancient history! It's ridiculous! I wasn't even talking about that long ago when she was out shopping and checking into hotels with that other guy."Is Hendrix out of his mind? How can he even stand to be with a woman like her, who has nothing going for her? Do you think he's doing this just to provoke you? Hon
Angela answered with complete composure, staring straight into Seline's eyes.Seline, on the other hand, was shaking with anger, feeling as if Angela was outright insulting her intelligence.So, this was the same excuse she had given Hendrix back then? And more importantly, did he actually believe it?If that was the case, then Seline had truly misjudged Hendrix. It seemed he wasn't a lunatic—he was just a complete fool.Noelle quickly grabbed Seline's hand. Then, she smiled politely at Angela before turning to leave.But Angela called out from behind them. "Ms. Swanson, I have something else I'd like to say to you.""What could you possibly have to say to her?" Seline was the first to turn around. "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to talk to us!""Ms. Swift, I was addressing Ms. Swanson, not you.""You!" Seline was thoroughly enraged and itching to charge up to Angela and grab her by the hair.Noelle quickly held her back. She then turned to Angela and said,
In the end, Noelle accepted the gift Dylan had given to Rosie. However, Rosie didn't like the diamond hairpin. After glancing at it a couple of times, she placed it in a drawer in her room."Aren't you going to take it with you?" Noelle asked her.Rosie shook her head."If you don't like it, should I return it to Mr. Pritchett later?""Okay," Rosie agreed without hesitation.Noelle found this strange. "I thought you liked Mr. Pritchett. So, how could you not like the gift he gave you?"At her words, Rosie's expression shifted slightly. Then, she said, "I do like Mr. Pritchett. I just don't like the gift he got me."Noelle narrowed her eyes.Rosie quickly turned her head to avoid meeting her gaze. "I still prefer plushies. Mom, can you tell Mr. Pritchett to get me a bunny plushie next time?"As Rosie's mother, Noelle could naturally sense that something was off. But she didn't press further, simply agreeing to Rosie's request.It had already been decided that Dylan would take
Noelle felt as though she were some kind of object, being fought over and placed wherever others pleased. After a brief pause, she walked straight up to Hendrix and reached for her suitcase.Hendrix noticed what she was doing and took this as her giving him an answer. He tensed up instantly and gripped the suitcase tighter.Noelle naturally felt the increased pressure from his hold, and she couldn't help but frown. Then, she looked at him and said, "Let go."Hendrix pressed his lips into a thin line, and the veins in his forearm started to bulge from how much force he was exerting.He stared at Noelle in disbelief. So, between him and Dylan, she had actually chosen the latter?Beatrice also witnessed what was happening. She immediately furrowed her brows as she stepped forward. "Noelle, why don't you just let—""Hendrix Freeman, I said let go!" Noelle didn't even wait for Beatrice to finish her sentence. She kept her eyes locked on Hendrix and repeated herself firmly.Hendrix me
The moment Hendrix fixed his eyes on Noelle, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words. As their eyes met, even the tips of her ears began to flush red without her realizing it."Why are you looking at me like that?" Noelle couldn't help but ask."So, have you remembered everything?" Hendrix asked instead. "Everything about us?""No," Noelle replied, turning her head away. "My head hurts. Didn't you say you were going to get the doctor? You can go—"But before she could finish, Hendrix suddenly grabbed her hand. His grip wasn't strong, but the way his fingers gently moved across hers felt like an intimate caress.Noelle couldn't help but tremble, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.But then Hendrix suddenly said, "Actually, even before we got married, I'd seen you many times."Noelle hadn't expected him to bring this up. She froze for a second. Then, she quickly said, "I know. Back then at college—""Not just at college. After I graduated, I went to see you,
"Who are you?"That was the first thing Noelle said when she opened her eyes.Hendrix had still been basking in the relief of her waking up, but the moment he heard those words, the expression on his face vanished completely."What did you say?" he asked, his voice slightly strained.Noelle didn't answer. She simply stared at him, confusion clear in her eyes.Hendrix clenched his fists tightly. Maybe it was because he had gone through something like this before that he was able to calm himself down quickly this time."I'm your husband. My name is Hendrix Freeman. Do you still remember your own name?" he asked."Husband?" Noelle frowned slightly. "As in—we're married?""Yes. And we have a daughter. Her name is Rosie. She's three years old. This is her picture."As he spoke, Hendrix started to pull up a photo on his phone.But Noelle quickly asked, "Then why don't I remember you?""You were injured. But don't worry. I'll get the doctor to take a look at you."As Hendrix moved
Dylan had been wrong all along.Money and power—none of that had ever been what he was truly meant to chase. Because no one could stay at the center of power forever, and no one could possess those things for all time. What he should have been chasing was just that one light. That one light that would stay on for him late into the night. But now, he knew it was all too late.As he closed his eyes, Dylan suddenly thought of his mother, Leah. He remembered how, as a child, he had longed for a new set of paintbrushes. He had asked his parents for them many times. He even wanted to use his own Christmas money to buy them. But they refused.They believed it was wasteful. It didn't align with the frugal and disciplined lifestyle they lived by. So in the end, Dylan stole the set of paintbrushes from the stationery store.Because he came from a prestigious scholarly family and always kept a refined, gentlemanly image in public, the store owner never suspected a thing.But his parents fo
"Are you crazy? Noelle, let go of the wheel!" Dylan struggled to regain control of the car, but Noelle held onto the steering wheel tightly, refusing to let go.The car didn't slow down. On the contrary, it raced forward at an even faster pace.How long did this go on? Maybe it lasted only dozens of seconds. But for Dylan, it felt like the blink of an eye. Because the next moment, he saw the oncoming car.That car was speeding as well.Dylan didn't even have time to grab his gun. Just as he was about to slam on the brakes, the two cars collided at high speed. There was a deafening crash as the cars were thrown into the air, then slammed back down.Dylan's eyes widened. But in that instant, his first instinct was to turn and look at Noelle. Her eyes were already closed. She looked as if she had been prepared to face death all along. She must have known what he intended to do, and she also knew he didn't actually want to die.The only reason he took her away was so he could use her
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