Hendrix frowned at the sound. When he looked up, the man casually removed the baseball cap from his head.Everyone in the room was stunned. Because the man's features were almost identical to Hendrix's.But years of exposure to the elements and life's hardships had left his skin rough and tanned, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.While everyone else was staring at Nathan's face, Hendrix's gaze slowly drifted downward to his feet. As if knowing what Hendrix was thinking, Nathan smiled and pulled up his pant legs. There, attached to his knees, were prosthetic legs.Realization finally dawned on Hendrix. "So, you're not dead, after all," he said softly.Nathan continued to smile. "Yeah, I'm not dead. Are you disappointed?"Hendrix didn't respond. Instead, he glanced at the man still pinned under his foot. "Is he the one you've been working with? Probably not, right? You don't seem to recognize him, either."Then, he turned his attention back to Nathan. "And you should still be abroa
"There's no other way, Tony," Nathan said. "Look around you. These are all men who've worked alongside you for years. Can you really bear to see them all go to prison?"And let's not forget—you're responsible for your own brother's death. Did you honestly think you'd walk away unscathed? If you die now, at least May might have a chance at a better life."As Nathan spoke, he glanced at the woman beside him. May's face was filled with terror, and her eyes were bloodshot. As if realizing what he was about to do, she shook her head frantically.Tony gritted his teeth and finally said, "Don't worry about me! Kill Hendrix first!"At his words, those who had been hesitating immediately charged forward.Hendrix's expression darkened. He first kicked Tony away, then grabbed a wooden chair nearby. Next, he pulled a lighter from his pocket.He had actually quit smoking a long time ago, but he still kept the lighter Noelle gave him on him at all times. The switch was still responsive, and wi
The fire spread quickly.The houses in this area were all connected, so when one caught fire, the neighboring ones were soon engulfed as well. The surrounding residents had already been evacuated, but from the house at the heart of the fire, no one had yet emerged.Noelle knew Hendrix was inside. For some reason, memories of the past few days flashed through her mind. The last time they had seen each other was when they were on their way to the equestrian club.Hendrix had tried hard to lighten the mood, but she had cut him off. Because at that time, she had still been angry with him, so she hadn't wanted to hear him speak. He wasn't someone who liked to talk much in the first place. But at that moment, she had told him to be quiet.Later, in the video call, he had invited her to join him in Tilwick. She had understood his hint and clearly seen the hope in his eyes, but she had still refused him. She hadn't even said a single kind word to him.And now? Even if she wanted to say so
As her words fell, Noelle began to tremble uncontrollably.The firefighter in front of her stared at her for a moment, then silently removed his gas mask.Noelle understood what he meant, but she didn't take it. Instead, she shook her head and said, "I don't want it. If Hendrix is really dead inside, then I'll just stay with him."The firefighter frowned at her words. He was about to say something when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her, "Noelle."A jolt immediately shot through Noelle. Afraid that it might be her imagination playing tricks on her, she didn't dare to turn around. Not until he called her name again. Only then did she turn her head.Hendrix was standing behind her. He was wearing only a shirt, the white fabric stained with soot and what looked like blood. His hair was disheveled, his appearance a far cry from his usual composed self.Noelle stared at him for a long time. Only after confirming that she wasn't seeing things did she snap out of her daze. T
Noelle paused for a moment. It took her a few seconds to process what was happening, and then she started pushing him away. "What are you doing here? Go back to your bed! Where's your IV? Are you crazy? You're still injured!"Her voice was filled with urgency.Hendrix looked at her and smiled softly. Then, he reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks.Noelle pressed her lips together and gently pushed him again. "Go back now! Where's the nurse?"As she spoke, she reached for the call button. But Hendrix grabbed her hand instead. In one swift motion, he pulled her back into his arms."What's the hurry?" he said. "It's not like I'm going to die if I don't have the IV drip for a few minutes. Besides, don't you know you're actually in worse shape than I am?"Then, he frowned and continued in a low voice, "Right when everyone else was evacuating, you just charged toward the fire without a second thought. Even the firefighters had gas masks on. Were you trying to get yourself kil
Hendrix's tone was light. In just a few sentences, he had explained everything to Noelle.Of course, he didn't tell her that when he circled back to the house, he wasn't just facing Dylan alone. The others had also wanted him dead.If he hadn't held May hostage and the fire hadn't grown so intense, Tony and the others would never have let him go. But Noelle didn't need to know these details.While it was true he had come out of this alive, there was no guarantee he would be that lucky if the same situation were to happen again.However, even with his abbreviated version of events, Noelle's expression remained grim. She suddenly let go of his hand and glared at him."You asked if I were trying to get myself killed, but what about you?" she asked through gritted teeth."I didn't have a choice at the time," Hendrix said. "If I didn't bring Nathan out, the situation wouldn't have been resolved. Besides—""Has it ever crossed your mind that you might actually die there? What am I sup
The doctor quickly arrived to examine Noelle. Luckily, she hadn't made it into the burning building, so she hadn't inhaled too much smoke.After listening to the doctor's update, Hendrix finally let out a breath of relief and was willing to return to his own hospital bed.But Dan soon brought him another piece of news—Nathan didn't make it.When Hendrix dragged him out, Nathan was barely breathing. Yet, even in that state, he had mustered the last of his strength to stab Hendrix in the abdomen. Which only proved just how much he hated Hendrix.But no matter how deep that hatred ran, it didn't matter anymore. In the end, he was foolish enough to throw away his own life, just to be a pawn in someone else's game. And now that he was dead, whatever deal he had with Dylan died with him—no one else knew the details.Hendrix had risked everything to drag him out for nothing.Tony and the others, however, readily admitted to detaining Hendrix. But they insisted they were only following N
Hendrix had originally planned to let her sleep. But suddenly, a flicker of petty irritation sparked in him. Without another thought, he got out of bed. He stood there, watching her for a moment. Then, he reached out and pinched her nose shut.Deprived of air, Noelle frowned and opened her eyes groggily.Hendrix was leaning over her."What the hell are you doing?" Noelle, still half-asleep, immediately swatted his hand away.After watching her for a moment, Hendrix asked, "Noelle, have you ever thought about what you would have done if I had really died this time?Noelle lay there, meeting his gaze head-on. She was fully wide awake now. She stared at Hendrix for a moment before answering bluntly, "I'd find someone else to remarry right away."The words had barely left her lips when Hendrix's eyes widened slightly. He looked at her in disbelief, as if questioning whether he had just heard her wrong.But Noelle didn't spare him another glance. She turned over, about to go back to
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