A family of scholars—that was how people described Dylan's family.Dylan had grown up hearing such words. Because of this reputation, he had been raised with strict self-discipline, honesty, and grace.At one point, he had even taken pride in his family. Even though he carried a lot of pressure, he still believed it was worth it. After all, from childhood, he had enjoyed privileges others didn't.Until the day he discovered his father's and grandfather's dealings. Only then did he realize it was all a facade for outsiders. Beneath that refined, respectable exterior lay something utterly rotten.Of course, he couldn't accept it. He had even had a big fight with his family over it—and was slapped for it. Then, they called him rigid and stupid.But they were the ones who had taught him to be upright and honest in the first place. If they thought those values were outdated and foolish, then what was the point of teaching him all that?Later, they not only silenced his desire to expos
After a pause, Leah suddenly realized something. "Right. If it had really been Noelle, you wouldn't have hurt her to the point of needing to go to the hospital."Dylan didn't respond. Clearly, he wasn't interested in what she had to say."But that makes it even worse! If it wasn't here, why cause such trouble? If this gets out, do you know how people will ta—"Dylan cut her off impatiently, "So, you dragged me here just to say all this?"His tone made Leah freeze. After a moment, she stammered, "I-I'm just worried about you. You've worked so hard to get to where you are, and if the others used this to bring you down, then—""You're overthinking it," Dylan interrupted her again with a cold smirk. "No one would dare to make a fuss over something this small. What you're really upset about is that I refused to go on the blind dates you've arranged for me, isn't it?"Leah fell silent. Seeing her stunned expression, Dylan knew he'd guessed right."Sorry, but I won't be meeting those w
Night fell, and the city lights flickered to life.The banquet was being held at Anton's private vineyard. By the time Dylan arrived, it was already in full swing.The front courtyard was packed with luxury cars, and the moment he stepped into the hall, the crisp scent of champagne hit him.The room was filled with men and women in lavish attire, a scene of pure indulgence and decadence."Mr. Pritchett, you made it!"A year ago, Dylan would've been ignored at an event like this. But now, the second he appeared, someone was already slinging an arm around his shoulders, striking up a conversation."These spineless hypocrites," thought Dylan with disdain. But on the surface, he effortlessly slipped into a practiced smile as he exchanged pleasantries with the other guests, making his way toward Anton."Good evening, Mr. Sherman."Anton turned at the sound of his voice, eyes skimming over Dylan before recognition flickered. "Oh, it's you, Mr. Pritchett."A few older men stood aroun
Anton was the first to frown. At first, he thought someone had come to cause trouble.He was about to signal his bodyguards to check on the situation when he saw someone walking straight toward him.The man was dressed in a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath. There seemed to be an injury on his arm, so his jacket was draped over his jacket instead.His hair was neatly combed back, revealing a strikingly handsome and chiseled face. His perfect features and commanding presence instantly overshadowed everything else in the banquet.And along with the fading colors of the scene, Dylan's face also paled. Everyone else was shocked, but he was the only one who was truly panicked.What was going on? Hendrix was still alive? No, that was impossible. If he were still alive, why hadn't the people Dylan sent out reported back at all?No, that didn't make sense. If Hendrix had really been alive all this time, how could he have remained completely silent while Dylan made all those
The banquet continued.Once the crowd confirmed the man before them was indeed Hendrix, they swarmed him with questions and concern."Where have you been all this time?""Why was there no news of you at all?""I knew those reporters were unreliable! But it's such a relief you're safe.""What are your plans now, Mr. Freeman?"In reality, Amity Group's current situation wasn't optimistic. But some people were simply born with a presence—no matter what circumstances they were in or what challenges they faced, they remained composed. And in doing so, they inspired confidence in everyone around them.Dylan stood there, watching him coldly. Then, something occurred to him. He turned away and dialed a number."When did Hendrix return? And did he come back alone?"If Hendrix was back, what about Noelle? Something about Hendrix's demeanor felt off to Dylan. Before his disappearance, Hendrix had been outright hostile toward him. Yet tonight, he'd greeted him willingly, and he hadn't men
Hendrix had rushed back because Rosie was crying—loudly and heartbreakingly so. Since the day he first met her, this was the first time he had ever seen her cry like this.Earlier, Rosie had been overjoyed to see Noelle, clinging to her and refusing to let go.But now, Noelle stood beside her, completely at a loss.Hendrix took one look and immediately knew what was going on. He crouched in front of Rosie. "Don't cry."Rosie glanced at him, only to wail even harder.Hendrix frowned and turned to Noelle. "Did you say something to her?""Not much." Noelle twisted the hem of her shirt. "She mentioned her birthday is coming up, and I said I forgot."Of course. Hendrix wasn't surprised. He grabbed a tissue, wiped Rosie's tears, and picked her up.Noelle moved to follow, but Hendrix quickly turned his head around and said, "Go back to your room first. I'll come find you later."Noelle stopped in her tracks, her eyes lingering on them until Hendrix shut Rosie's bedroom door behind hi
"Rosie's fine. I already calmed her down," Hendrix replied.But Noelle didn't relax at his words. She continued to peek worriedly into Rosie's room."Don't worry. She's already asleep," Hendrix assured her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You've had a long day too. Go get some sleep."Noelle didn't say anything, but the disappointment in her downcast eyes was unmistakable. "There's an event at her kindergarten this Friday," Hendrix suddenly said. "You should go."Her head snapped up in surprise."You were the one who always attended before. And if you go, Rosie will definitely be happy."After a brief hesitation, Noelle nodded."Come on. Let's get some sleep."As Hendrix led her to bed, Noelle suddenly asked him, "Can you tell me about my past?"The question caught Hendrix off guard. "What?""Anything that happened in the past," Noelle said. "About Rosie or anything from before her."Hendrix went quiet. His mind raced through their shared history. Then, he realized
"You go ahead and sleep. I'll take a shower first," Hendrix said."Okay," Noelle replied, turning away immediately.Though she had accepted her identity, she was still clearly uncomfortable being close to Hendrix. The tips of her ears burned red as she faced the other direction.Hendrix was about to tease her when his phone rang. The name on the screen wiped the smile from his face.After glancing at Noelle, he stepped out to answer."We just got word—the Swift family has pulled their funds together," the person on the other end reported. "Seems they've heard you're back and decided to pause their plans."Amity Group was too massive to target. It would take months to fully dismantle it.Dylan had gotten this far as he did not because Hendrix's absence left the company in chaos but also because of the Swift family's backing. Now that Hendrix had returned, they knew things wouldn't be so simple.And without a swift victory, prolonged financial strain would become a problem—even f
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