It was pure torture for John, though. He took a deep breath and found it hard to accept his new nickname. But he didn't want the woman he loved to be unhappy, so he could only convince himself to accept it. "Alright then, but be warned; I'm extremely picky!"Noelle burst out laughing. "I'll cook for you. I'll make you whatever you want, Johnnie."His heart skipped a beat. "It's a deal, then?" The thought of his beloved cooking for him was enough to make him look forward to it for days. "Yep!" she responded. After hanging up, Yvette came to pick her up from the hospital. On the way home, the girls went to a restaurant to grab a bite to eat.After they walked in, Yvette went straight to the restroom while Noelle waited for their meal to be served and thought about her next steps in suing Quentin and Xyla. When she looked up, she noticed a young man with gold-rimmed glasses and a beautiful woman at a nearby table rise and leave. Chance? Noelle was dumbfounded. Wasn't he supposed to
Noelle couldn't help but brood. When she walked in, Quentin glanced at her coldly and said nothing. Noelle felt as if someone had just dumped a bucket of ice over her heart. She shifted her gaze to Fred and greeted him, "Grandpa."Without raising his head, Fred cheerfully said, "Elle, you should teach Quentin how to play chess someday. This rascal's skills aren't even half as good as yours!"Quentin shot her another look before slamming his chess piece down. "I'm not playing anymore!" He stood up and walked away.Fred chided, "That little rascal can't take even a bit of criticism. Come and play with me, Elle!"After playing two rounds of chess with Fred, Noelle got up to go to the bathroom. When she passed by the guest bedroom on the first floor, she heard a man's gentle voice from inside. "What would you like to eat? I'll ask Ava to make it for you. By the way, I'll be receiving some fresh, imported strawberries tomorrow. I'll ask Martin to deliver them to you."Noelle came to
Madison worked as a teacher at a piano training center. She was dressed in a misty blue dress, and her shoulder-length black hair framed her delicate features. Her eyes were filled with concern as she looked at Noelle. Madison had come out to see her student's parents off when she witnessed Noelle being ridiculed by Xyla. "Madison." Noelle tried to maintain her composure. She had just realized that Madison's training center was right next to the law firm.Madison concealed her concern and smiled. "Why don't you join me for a cup of coffee, Noelle?" The student in her next class had called in sick, so she had an hour of free time. Noelle smiled. "Sure!"Hence, the ladies went to the nearby café. Noelle was about to order a cup of coffee when Madison pursed her lips and pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Hot chocolate would make you feel better, Noelle."Madison appeared calm and composed as she sat across from Noelle, a far cry from the timid and downtrodden demeanor she h
Madison responded, "It's okay. I can swing by your studio tomorrow morning to pick it up."She had only realized that her phone charm was missing after she got home from work. She had bought it during her trip to Ocean City the year she graduated from college, and she was quite fond of it.Noelle responded, "That works too."Madison hung up the phone and was about to change her shoes and head inside when she noticed a tall and handsome figure walk through the door. She looked the stranger, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, up and down and asked in confusion, "Excuse me, sir. Who are you looking for?"Chance was at a loss for words. He took a deep breath before saying, "This is my home." Then, he walked past her, pulling his suitcase upstairs. Madison was dumbstruck. Monica fumed, "Are you serious? Don't you recognize Chance?" Madison's mind went blank. Did she just fail to recognize her own husband? Monica continued, "No wonder Chance hasn't returned in a year. Who would w
The thought of Noelle being turned away and leaving the law firm made Quentin feel a little better. He snorted. "Let's go to Bellagio Bistro."After filling their stomachs at Bellagio Bistro, Martin went to get the car. Quentin noticed a blurry figure crouching beside a white sedan, fiddling with something. He squinted and walked over. Noelle had just had dinner with her subordinates. After they left, she noticed that her car tire was flat, so she quickly got out of her car to check.When the pungent smell of alcohol suddenly surrounded her, she crinkled her nose in disgust. She looked up and froze. Quentin crouched down halfway and grasped her chin with his slender fingers. "Beg me, and I'll help you."It had been days, and yet her apology never came. The boiling anger within him continued to torment him, and he had no way to vent. Perhaps fate had taken pity on him, giving him this opportunity to make her apologize.Noelle pried his hand away. "Get away from me, Quentin Lowe!
"It's none of my business!" Quentin snapped, yanking at his tie. He strode over to his Bentley, opened the door, and got in.Martin was tongue-tied. Quentin must have had too much to drink, he surmised. Otherwise, no man, especially one as prominent as Quentin, would ever harass a woman on the street, let alone his wife.After getting into the car, Martin thought about the news he had just heard, and he pondered how to break it to Quentin. "Mr. Lowe, I have a friend who works at the police station. He said the officers arrested two thugs a few days ago, and those thugs…" He glanced at Quentin's expression and hesitated. "Well, what are you waiting for? Spit it out!" Quentin found his hesitation annoying and felt even more irritated.Martin's heart skipped a beat. He raised his voice and blabbered, "On the night of the 8th, there was a robbery at a studio called Luminary Studios. T-The thugs also tried to assault the studio's female owner! The owner managed to escape by smashing
Quentin figured Noelle must still be mad at him. After all, it was his failure to show up that almost led her to be assaulted. Plus, he had treated her so coldly earlier.All of a sudden, Quentin realized that he could be quite a jerk sometimes. Ultimately, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.Noelle assumed it was the property management personnel, who were here to collect fees. They had called her during the day while she was at the studio to remind her about the outstanding fees, and she asked them to stop by in the evening. She opened the door and frowned when she discovered it was Quentin. "Why are you here?"He could still see the faint traces of her tears, and it made his heart ache. "Elle…" He was about to walk in, but she didn't give him the chance and slammed the door shut.The security door crashed against his shoulder. Quentin hissed in pain, and his face contorted in agony.Noelle merely tugged at the corner of her lips. Her expression remained stoic as she s
Noelle was surprised when he took her to the club's basement, where she found the two thugs who had hurt her tied to pillars.Quentin let go of her hand. "I just got these two out of the police station. I'm going to make them pay for hurting you." Handing them over to the police for a few years in prison was far too lenient.Noelle was surprised that he would punish the thugs outside of the official legal system. Moreover, he seemed to be well-acquainted with the club's menacing-looking owner. Suddenly, she realized how dangerous this man was. "What are you going to do?"His tender gaze landed on her. "Whatever you want.""Castrate them!" she said before walking out. She didn't want to listen to the screams that were about to come.Quentin smirked and instructed one of the men in black, "You heard her; castrate them. Then, hack off their hands and toss 'em into the sea!" Whenever he thought about how they had tried to rape his woman, a dark, murderous rage flared in his eyes.
"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