Noelle slept soundly, undisturbed by the thunder and lightning in the middle of the night, because the warm presence behind her made her feel safe and secure.She woke up feeling refreshed and stretched her arms. When she bumped into the person lying next to her, she was startled. Turning her head to the side, she was surprised to see someone else in her bed. Noelle was a little upset as Quentin had climbed into her bed yet again!Quentin was startled awake. He sat up and stared at her with his dark eyes. Because Quentin was around, she had deliberately worn a conservative nightgown. Yet, in the soft morning light, her flushed cheeks, supple skin, and her enticing curves faintly visible beneath the fabric made him gulp. How long had it been since they last made love? All of a sudden, he felt an overwhelming urge to plunge into her, craving that mind-numbing sensation. He grasped her arm and yanked her down, then flipped over and pinned her beneath him. Noelle hadn't expected
Quentin was well aware that Noelle was testing him. If he said he was going to see Xyla, she would undoubtedly bring up getting a divorce again. However, he was genuinely worried about Xyla.In light of this, he told Xyla, "I'll have Martin take you to the hospital." With that, he hung up on Xyla and called Martin. "Could you take Ms. Cadwell to the hospital for a checkup? She's not feeling well, so be quick about it." He paused for a moment before adding, "If anything happens, call me!"After hanging up, he felt a shiver run down his spine. Looking up, he met Noelle's bright eyes. She was staring at him meaningfully. He flashed her a smile. "I'll go make breakfast for you." Right now, all he could do was appease Noelle. His words successfully diverted her attention. Noelle was surprised that he could make breakfast. Skeptically, she followed him downstairs. Quentin put on the pajamas he had worn the previous night, opened the fridge, and took out a loaf of bread, two eggs, a
However, she was currently in her safe period, so it shouldn't be a problem. Noelle took another bite of the sandwich. Quentin inquired, "Do you want to continue your studies? Dragfort Medical School is quite good. If you're interested, you could apply for a graduate program there."As his words sank in, she stiffened. Should she continue her studies? It had been her dream since she was little, and it had also been that person's dream, to go through bachelor's, master's, and doctoral studies, eventually donning a white coat and becoming a doctor who saves lives and heals the wounded. But she had caused him to lose his son, and in the end, he had driven her out of the house, leaving her no choice but to abandon her studies. He was a renowned hematologist in the country and a visiting professor at Collinview University who held great authority in the medical field. Back then, he had inspired her to study medicine. Yet, it was also because of him that she had to drop out. Noelle to
With such a reassuring presence in the car, Noelle felt much more at ease. The car ride went without a hitch, and she drove Quentin all the way to Stille Industries. Before getting out of the car, he leaned over and pecked her cheek. With a smile, he got out of the car and walked toward the building. The spot where he had kissed her felt scorching hot, and her heart swelled with a sweet, tender feeling. Noelle couldn't help but turn her head to look out the window. Through the car window, she watched as his tall and imposing figure stride into Stille Industries with a steady gait. Pressing her lips together, she restarted the car and drove away. While waiting at a red light, Noelle sent Ella a message: "Let's hold off on the lawsuit for now!"Ella: "Why?"Noelle: "I want to give him a chance."Ella sent her a surprised emoji. "Alright, just let me know when you want to proceed later."Noelle: "I will."…Meanwhile, Martin called Quentin before he could step into the eleva
"Alright, that's enough! You're still injured, so you should get some rest." Right now, he couldn't bring up Noelle because it would only make him feel worse. Xyla obediently closed her eyes.Quentin got up and walked to the window to check his messages. He had just asked someone to contact the principal of Dragfort Medical School to inquire about Noelle's graduate program. But now, he didn't have time to go. He postponed his meeting with the principal and his work for that afternoon, planning to stay here and watch over Xyla that night. At 3:00 pm, Noelle sent him a photo. "Should we have this for dinner tonight?" The photo showed a plate of salad and braised salmon.Quentin hesitated for a moment as he realized it would be cruel of him to tell Noelle that he wasn't going home that night. But he was so concerned about Xyla that he steeled himself and replied, "I have a business gathering tonight, and I won't be home until late. I won't be going over to your place today."After
Noelle stayed with Yvette at the hospital for the entire night. The next morning, Yvette had passed the observation period and was ready to leave. Noelle went to handle the discharge procedures and spotted a tall and slender figure at the payment counter.The man was engrossed in the prescription in his hand. After reading it, he made a phone call, presumably to verify something, and only left after confirming everything was correct. Noelle looked at his retreating figure, stunned. "That must be the husband of the woman in bed 15! He's so handsome!""Are you crushing on a patient's family member again? He's so devoted to his wife. His wife got injured, and he's been by her side for an entire day and night, taking care of her every need." There were two women next to her, gossiping about the handsome and tall figure before them. Noelle's breath hitched in her throat, and her heart began to ache. Who was the "wife" they were talking about? Was it Xyla?"The only person who could h
Quentin couldn't stand the look she was giving him, as it made his heart ache. He held her hand and said, "I can explain, Elle!"Before she could respond, he led her all the way to the courtyard behind the hospital building. standing tall before her, his eyes were clouded with unease. "Xy got into a car accident yesterday, so I came here to keep her company. She doesn't have any family left, and her only brother is also dead. If I don't look after her, she won't even have the courage to live on!"Noelle scoffed inwardly. "A car accident? Xyla probably staged it herself!" She seemed pretty smug to her; she didn't look like someone who had lost the will to live. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why did you lie to me, then?" For the first time, she'd felt a glimmer of hope for him and eagerly counted down the hours until evening. She had prepared a lavish meal and waited for him to come home so they could have dinner together. But he told her that he had a business gathering that w
Noelle tried to envision a family of four, having a son and a daughter, a loving husband, and a blissful life. Yet, she felt that it was all so elusive and unreal.There was a woman's silhouette behind a large tree nearby. Noelle caught sight of it. she raised her head from his embrace and looked at him expectantly. "It's my birthday today."When he heard that, Quentin froze. He hadn't realized it was her birthday that day. "I'm sorry, I forgot." His heart was filled with guilt. In the past, Janet would always call them early in the morning and invite them to celebrate her birthday at Lowe Mansion in the evening. He'd also give her a gift, even though he hadn't put much thought into preparing it. Now that he wanted to build a life with her, it was time for him to show her how much he cared, but he had forgotten her birthday."I'm so sorry," he said, filled with regret. "Happy birthday!""I'll be waiting for you." Noelle gazed deeply into his eyes before getting up and leaving.
"Sorry, but if I ever get married, it definitely won't be to either of you."Noelle had originally come to visit Christian, but now she didn't feel like staying anymore. She was beyond frustrated.Christian's sharp, dangerous eyes narrowed in an instant, brimming with hostility as he locked his gaze on Noelle. Quentin's handsome face darkened as well, his mood turning stormy.Noelle spun around and walked out."We'll see about that," Quentin muttered, getting up to leave as well.As he passed by the clinic where Noelle worked, he cast a glance in that direction before heading out.Near the end of the workday, Russ called. "Ms. Xanthos, Mr. Xanthos has arranged for you to meet a boxing champion. Are you free now? I can take you to meet him."Noelle couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and bitterness. She had lived 24 years, and only now did he care about whether she had any self-defense skills. Isn't it a little late for that?Still, she went.After one session, she was dr
Noelle quietly closed the door behind her. Leonard glanced over, saw it was her, and put away his phone. "He just fell asleep. Ms. Xanthos, you should head home and rest. I'll keep watch tonight," he said softly.Noelle shook her head. "He took the knife for me. How could I go home? I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I'd rather stay here and keep an eye on him."She sat down on the couch, her gaze heavy with concern as she looked at Christian sleeping.Leonard nodded. "Alright, you stay here. I'll step out for a bit," he said before leaving the room.Noelle nodded.Christian's phone, sitting on the nightstand, pinged with a WhatsApp notification.Noelle walked over, picked up the phone, and saw a message from someone with the nickname "The Blomming Fifties.""What a flashy name," she thought with a faint smirk.But for some reason, curiosity tugged at her—she suddenly felt a strong urge to peek into Christian's private world as if she might uncover something hidden beneath t
Noelle remained silent.In Dragfort, ever since Quentin had learned early that morning about Christian taking a knife for Noelle, he had locked himself in his office. It had been three hours now.The morning executive meeting was canceled, and his client appointments were rescheduled. Senior staff members who needed his signature on documents stood hesitating at the door, feeling the oppressive atmosphere even from outside the office.Department heads waiting to give their reports also lingered at the door, too intimidated to enter.In the end, they all turned their pleading eyes toward Martin.But even Martin was hesitant to go in.After all, he had witnessed the weight of Quentin's emotions—shock, frustration, and a deep sense of defeat—that had cast a heavy, oppressive mood over the office.Martin made a call to Dennis, knowing only he could possibly get through to Quentin now."Mr. Jackman, you need to come over," Martin said quietly, making sure to step into a quieter co
Even though Christian was in obvious pain, he forced himself not to make a sound.Such a stubborn fool.The door knocked twice, and Leonard walked in. Seeing Noelle, he greeted her, "Ms. Xanthos."Noelle's eyes were red, but she didn't respond.Christian opened his eyes slightly and said, "Don't tell anyone I'm injured."Leonard nodded."Tell them I'm on a business trip," Christian added.Leonard raised an eyebrow, "Bro, with a wound like that, how long do you think this 'trip' will last before people catch on?"Christian shot him a cold glare, and Leonard quickly relented, "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll handle it."Christian closed his eyes again, waves of pain crashing over him like a relentless tide.Suddenly, he opened his eyes once more. "Silly girl."Noelle paused, her tear-filled eyes looking at him.A smile tugged at the corner of Christian's mouth. "Get out for a bit. You look terrible."Noelle's lips twitched as her damp lashes fluttered, and a surge of unexplainabl
Just as the man raised the knife for a second strike, the security team arrived and swiftly pinned him down.Noelle heard a low grunt behind her, followed by Christian's pained chuckle. "Good thing it wasn't him."Noelle's heart clenched as she turned to see Christian, clutching his shoulder, slumped against her legs.He was wearing a beige coat, now stained with a large patch of blood around his shoulder.Christian was rushed to emergency surgery, but Noelle remained frozen in her chair, her mind replaying his words, "Good thing it wasn't him."Who wasn't it? Quentin?Why did he say that? Why did he act this way?The image of Christian's blood-soaked coat lingered in her mind. The wound—how deep was it?Noelle sat there, numb and lost in thought for an unknown period, until Michael appeared.He glanced at her through the doorway, but without a word, he continued walking past.A little while later, Kara gently patted her shoulder. "They've moved him to a room. You should go s
Emmie smiled and placed a few more ravioli on Noelle's plate. "Then eat a little more. It's your mom's first time cooking, and once you're in the Utopia States, you won't have this."It wasn't like she had never cooked before—she had made instant noodles when she was alone.Noelle ate a small bowl of ravioli without pausing, her stomach now full and round. Her eyes welled up with tears, though whether it was from happiness or something else, no one could tell.After dinner, Noelle stayed for a bit before leaving.Emmie watched Noelle's car disappear down the driveway before finally going upstairs.Michael, leaning back on the bed, heard her soft footsteps approaching and lifted his eyelids.The bedroom was dark, and when Emmie stepped in, her gaze met Michael's dark, piercing eyes. She paused at the doorway, and he continued watching her."Lia must be blind. She couldn't tell if it was you or the driver," Emmie said coldly, walking straight to the other side of the bed and pulli
Emmie was at a loss for words.Michael said, "Your daughter's leaving for the Utopia States soon. You should take this time to spend with her."Emmie's breath hitched. "Elle agreed?"Michael nodded. "Yes."It was the best way for Noelle to get away from those two men and focus on her own growth.After a night's rest, Noelle felt much better the next morning. Emmie called her, inviting her to Gentle Glades after work.What Noelle didn't expect was to see Michael there as well.He was lounging on the couch in casual clothes, flipping through a medical journal. Emmie, wearing an apron, seemed to be busy in the kitchen. When Noelle walked in, Emmie immediately came out."Elle!" Emmie's gentle face was filled with warmth as she took Noelle's hand.Noelle felt a bit disoriented.In her memory, Emmie's life was filled with books and work, never with the kitchen. And Michael—she hadn't seen him so relaxed and calm, casually reading a magazine on the couch, in over a decade.It felt
Michael couldn't forget the look Elijah had given him that day—a mocking smile, full of meaning. Elijah slowly pulled back, revealing Emmie's curled-up body underneath him.Without a word, Michael opened his phone and pulled up a social media app. He tossed the phone to Emmie. "Take a look for yourself."Emmie looked down and saw a video posted by Elijah just minutes earlier. It was of her feeding him. She watched in disbelief, then replayed it. The account was undeniably Elijah's."Scroll down. There's more," Michael's voice drifted from the couch.Emmie's fingers moved down the screen, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of Michael sitting with his legs crossed, taking a sip of coffee handed to him by the housekeeper.Further down, she found a photo posted by Elijah a month ago, showing her preparing his medicine. The footage seemed to be taken from security cameras.But none of these posts had appeared on her social media feed.She had never seen them on her phone.Mich
Quentin didn't deny it.Noelle's chest tightened as she remembered that day in Ocean City when Christian had said Gillian deserved to be slapped. Now, it all made sense.At the time, she had sarcastically asked him if he would treat her the same way once he got tired of her.His response had been, "Do you think I'm tired of her, and that's why I did it?"Now she understood. Christian had known all along that it was Quentin who had called Gillian to Ocean City.A wave of frustration swelled in Noelle's chest. Her fingers clenched tightly as the memory of Christian's sweet words clashed with the thought of him being with Gillian. Bitterness gnawed at her.Just then, the door opened again, and a strong, steady figure entered. His gaze swept silently over the two men in the room before he walked straight to the bed."Elle?""Clement!" At the sight of him, Noelle's eyes brimmed with tears."Let's go home," Clement said as he turned and carefully lifted her onto his back. Noelle res