When Michael opened the door and saw the blade in Emmie's hand, his face turned serious. He grabbed her wrist and asked, "Since you can't run away from me, are you trying to kill yourself now?"His face looked extremely upset, and the veins on his forehead throbbed angrily.Then, his grip tightened on her wrist. Meanwhile, Emmie dropped the blade from the pain. Though she struggled with all her might, she still couldn't break free from his grasp. "Michael, how could you do this to Lia? She lived with you for decades and is pregnant with your son!" Emmie said angrily. She wanted to remind him that Lia was his lover who was pregnant with his child. Michael sneered and pushed her away. After that, he picked up the blade on the ground and placed it back in the shaving razor. He threw the razor out of the room. When he came back, he looked at Emmie disdainfully. "Emmie, were you always that magnanimous? Have you ever loved me?"Emmie's breath hitched. Hadn't she loved h
Michael led Lia out of the room while he spoke. After closing the door, he said, "I'm hungry. Eat with me."He was as handsome as before. Michael always smiled at Lia lovingly. So, she loved observing his affectionate behavior.Besides, when she looked into the room, she realized that Emmie wasn't there. It seemed that the latter was trying to trick her.She replied sweetly, "Okay!"Meanwhile, when Lia left, Emmie leaned against the wall and felt very conflicted. She left the hotel a while later. Then, she called Noelle once she was in a taxi. The latter picked up quickly and asked anxiously, "Mom, are you there?" Emmie replied, "Yes, Elle. My phone ran out of battery just now. Don't worry, I'm fine."On the other hand, Noelle was so anxious that she almost cried. She kept calling Emmie for the entire hour, but no one picked up her calls and the line had been disconnected. So, Noelle thought that Lia did something to the latter. Meanwhile, Quentin had the contact number
Noelle asked, "Did their materials really exceed the legal limits?"Quentin replied, "Sort of."Though his response wasn't very clear, Noelle understood what he meant. There were some problems with Janel's materials. Even though it wasn't a big issue, Quentin exacerbated the problem and made it serious. Since that happened, Noelle believed that Janel Corporation was going to shut down soon. After all, no one would take a gamble with their lives. Suddenly, Noelle felt that Quentin was a bit too vicious. Meanwhile, Quentin frowned because Noelle fell silent. "Do you pity them?"The latter replied, "A little bit."Then, Quentin was a little speechless. "Silly Elle. Though you pity them, they weren't merciful to you at all. That day, Janel Corporation wanted to cause trouble for you. Think about it. If things worsened that day, your company would have closed down!"Noelle frowned in frustration. "You're right."After that, Quentin replied, "Okay, be a good girl and stop thi
After Ava opened the door for Martin, he saw Xyla, who was sitting on the couch. She wore a sexy nightgown that was made of silk. Her figure could be seen, and her shoulders and breasts were largely exposed. Martin could even see her white legs inside her nightgown. Xyla had let down her hair and was playing with her freshly painted fingernails. She didn't look like an innocent girl at all. Then, Martin thought, "Was Ms. Cadwell a prostitute in her past life? She doesn't behave like a proper woman, and doesn't even look like someone with depression.""Ava, don't let him in. He'll make my floor dirty."Meanwhile, Xyla was playing with her fingernails and didn't look at Martin. However, the disdain in her voice was obvious. Then, Martin cursed to himself, "Damn, who'd want to go in? If I enter her house, her bitchiness might contaminate me!"So, he left immediately after handing Ava the tickets. Ava closed the door and went inside the house. She scolded Xyla. "Why are you dr
The biggest problem was the huge difference between the two seats. It made it impossible for Quentin to face Noelle. He abruptly pulled her over and pressed her against the wall outside the concert hall. His forehead was pressed against hers as he called out, "Elle…"He held her arm, breathing heavily. His profound guilt made him want her even more. At that moment, he couldn't think of anything he wanted more than to hold her close. "Let's not go inside, please? I'd rather be alone with you right now, in our own little world."Her heart melted, as he had never acted like this before. Even though she had agreed to his request in her mind, she asked, "What brought this on all of a sudden?"Quentin abruptly cupped her face and kissed her deeply. Her soft lips brought him peace. Noelle melted under his kiss, and she could feel her body burning up. Worried that someone might see them, she murmured, "Please don't do this here, Quentin. Someone might see us!"He reluctantly let go of he
"Noelle, Quentin wouldn't kill me, right? By the way, why did you give your tickets to Xyla?" Yvette continued to wail on the other end of the line.Clutching her phone, Noelle stood frozen in place. So, he had given their tickets to Xyla? So, all that talk about not wanting to go to the concert and wanting to spend time alone with her, was all a lie? She was a fool to think he cared. Noelle bit her lip hard, and her face lost all its color. "Elle?" Quentin called out when he emerged from the bathroom, dressed in clean pajamas. He buttoned his shirt as he descended the stairs.Looking up, he noticed the woman's pallid complexion, and he froze. "What's wrong?" His heart leaped into his throat as he walked up to her.Noelle felt a dull ache in her chest, but she plastered a smile on her face. "You gave our tickets to Xyla, didn't you? So, all your talk about wanting to spend some quality time together was a lie, because you didn't have the tickets anymore!"His eyes flickered for
Zion worked in a private hospital located in the Utopia States. He pondered for a moment before answering. "Well, it depends on how they usually behave. For instance, are they perpetually in a somber mood? Are their minds clouded with negative thoughts? Are they unable to muster interest in anything? Did they give up on all their old hobbies? Do they spend their days doing nothing, staying inside, and just lying in bed?"Why are you asking? Are you depressed?"Quentin snapped, "Yeah, right!"Zion was rendered speechless. "How rude!" Quentin inquired, "What if that person still has all their hobbies, goes out a lot, and occasionally acts provocatively? Also, they only occasionally have suicidal tendencies. Could they be depressed?"Exasperated, Zion adjusted his glasses. "I believe you might've misunderstood me, Mr. Lowe. Let me put it this way; depression steals the light from a person's eyes. Their minds are filled with sadness and negative thoughts, and they prefer to be alone
Lorraine called a designated driver to take Noelle's car and drive her back to her apartment. Noelle was in a hazy, drunken state. One minute she'd feel like she was going to throw up, and the next she'd be mumbling incoherently. She constantly shifted around and looked very uncomfortable.Lorraine held onto her to prevent her from falling to the ground. She was also afraid that Noelle would throw up on her. "Please don't throw up, Elle! If you really have to, do it on Quentin!"Lorraine thought about using a tissue to cover her mouth, but she felt that it would be too much. She regretted allowing her to drink so much in the first place. Eventually, they arrived at Noelle's apartment. Lorraine helped her out of the car. "Alright, alright, we're home now. If you want to throw up, now's the time."Quentin looked up in his Bentley and noticed Noelle's car approaching. He immediately opened the door and strode over. "Elle?" His deep, concerned voice made Lorraine stiffen.For some re
"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