"You're going to have to get in line, mister," Clark said as he turned around with a grin on his face. Hendrix responded calmly, "I beg to differ. I think the lady gets to choose who she's dancing with."What he said had Clark stumped. Hendrix no longer looked at Clark. Instead, his gaze was fixed on Noelle. His eyes had always displayed calmness, but it seemed like there were some repressed feelings underneath them.Noelle's hands hung by her side, and she couldn't help but clench her fists. After a brief moment, she suddenly giggled and rested her hand on Clark's palm. She agreed to dance with him. Hendrix's expression instantly darkened, and he clenched his palm. He intended to look at Noelle again, but she had already turned around with Clark. He gnashed his teeth as he looked at their retreating figures.At that moment, Brandon stepped forward and said, "Hi, Mr. Freeman."Hendrix looked at him with a blank face. Brandon continued with a smile on his face, "I didn't thi
Noelle and Clark's negotiation went smoothly. In fact, they went ahead with their second dance instead of leaving the dance floor even when the first song had ended."I don't think I've got your name yet," Clark couldn't resist asking her.Raising an eyebrow, she replied, "It's a masquerade ball. I don't see a need for us to exchange names.""But you already know who I am. Isn't that a little unfair for me?""There are plenty of people who are aware of your identity here. There's nothing I can do about it when you're so famous." There was a tinge of resignation in her tone.However, Clark didn't appear the slightest bit angry. Instead, he simply asked, "Does that mean that I won't get the chance to take you out for a meal after tonight?""Oh, you can still take me out." Noelle nodded earnestly as she continued, "When the time comes, you can bring your father along, and I'll come with Mr. Quinlan. Wouldn't it be nice if we had a meal together?""So, it turns out you're Brandon's
Only then did Noelle realize that something was amiss. She slowly drew back her foot, which was just about to give Hendrix another kick in the crotch.His gaze was piercingly cold, even with the mask in place. It felt as if he couldn't wait to tear her apart piece by piece.Noelle met his gaze for a long while. In the end, she still broke the silence as she spoke up, "Why… Why did you bring me here?""What's the matter? Are you upset that I've ruined your plans?" He sneered.Hendrix's face grew stormier as his grip around her chin became tighter. It was clear that he was holding a grudge because she'd rejected his dance invitation earlier. The kick she'd just given him only added fuel to the fire.Right now, his grip was so strong that it felt as if he was about to crush her bones.Noelle couldn't help but furrow her brows in pain. She was just about to push his hand away when Hendrix pinned her hands down. Then, he pushed his knee up and got right between her legs."You're cert
"What are you doing?" Noelle froze for a moment before she began struggling to break free from Hendrix's grasp. "Let me go! I said, let go of me!"Her legs thrashed around incessantly, and she even knocked off one of her high heels in the struggle.However, the hotel's corridor was carpeted. Not a single sound was heard when her heels dropped to the ground.Hendrix let Noelle down when they were in the elevator before trapping her in the corner. She was just about to leave when he grabbed her by the chin and pulled her into a kiss.But Hendrix didn't give her the chance to hesitate, let alone struggle. He pried her mouth open roughly with his tongue the moment his lips met hers.His relentless advance instantly left Noelle feeling suffocated. She couldn't even push him away when he'd pinned both of her hands down. Thrusting his knee up, it quickly found its way between her dress.He was clearly more familiar with her body than anyone else could ever be. But his rough-like actions
Noelle's tears started to fall uncontrollably."Jerk," she muttered through clenched teeth, her voice trembling.Hendrix, who had been ready to bite her neck just moments ago, froze when he heard her words. Then, he lifted his gaze.Noelle's lipstick was smudged, her eyeliner smeared from the tears that rolled down her cheeks, and her hair was a mess. She looked utterly disheveled.Yet, Hendrix's heart skipped a beat when he saw the tears glistening on her lashes.His movements slowed. Instead of continuing, he cupped the back of her head gently and kissed her.This kiss was much softer and tender. Noelle didn't resist the way she had earlier.In reality, Hendrix couldn't bear to see her in pain, either. But now, as her resistance eased, Hendrix found himself regaining his composure.Just as he was about to speak, hoping to reason with her, Noelle suddenly bit down hard on his lip.…"Mr. Freeman."It had been a day, yet Dan still couldn't stop glancing at Hendrix's lips whe
Night had fallen. The city outside was aglow, a kaleidoscope of neon lights merging with the red sea of taillights from rush-hour traffic. Together, they formed the quintessential scene of a bustling city.Amity Tower was located in the heart of the city. Its massive floor-to-ceiling windows made the view outside look like a framed picture.Hendrix stood before the window, staring outside blankly. He fiddled with a lighter in his hands, flicking it on and off.His memories of his father, Gerald Freeman, were fragmented, almost nonexistent. When he thought back now, all he could recall was the stern face of a man who held him to high standards. And later, the image of a frail, bedridden man who could no longer care for himself.Hendrix had been just 12 years old when Gerald passed.There hadn't been much of a bond between them, but at least, he seemed like an ordinary father in his memories. Hendrix felt that his parents had a loving relationship. Otherwise, why would she have re
As a powerful man, Hendrix was no stranger to temptation.However, the woman standing in front of him was the crudest kind.He didn't even spare her a glance. Instead, he pulled out his phone and called Noelle.The line connected, but no one answered. His expression darkened.The woman, still lingering behind him, felt the sting of being ignored. But her gaze kept flicking to his car parked outside and the clearly expensive clothes he wore. Summoning her courage, she stepped closer."What's your relationship with Noelle? Are you friends?" she asked with a coy smile."She's probably too busy to answer, you know. At this hour, she's probably on a date with some guy," she added, her voice laced with faux concern. "Let me tell you. She's not as innocent as she seems. Behind closed doors, she's pretty wild. Just this morning, I saw—"Before she could finish, Hendrix's cold, piercing gaze snapped to her. His look was sharp enough to feel like a physical chokehold, cutting off her word
Hendrix glanced at the screen of her phone before asking, "Where were you?"Noelle pressed her lips together. "Who gave you the right to change my lock?""Answer my question!" Hendrix demanded with a stormy expression. Noelle had every intention of arguing with him, but after locking eyes with him for a few tense moments, she finally relented. "The hospital."Hendrix's expression shifted slightly as his eyes swept over her.Noelle didn't notice his gaze. She continued, "They told me this afternoon that my mom woke up, but by the time I got there, she'd fallen asleep again. I stayed, hoping she might wake up again."Her voice was soft, laced with quiet sadness.The icy edge in Hendrix's face melted slightly, but his frown returned just as quickly. "Then, why didn't you answer your phone?""It was on silent. I didn't see it," Noelle replied, her tone flat. "Can I go inside now?"Hendrix stepped aside without a word, giving her space to pass.Noelle bent down to change her shoe
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