"What would you like to eat?" Quentin asked as he walked out. Noelle answered, "Spaghetti!" He responded, "I'll make some for you."The couple arrived at the kitchen. He took a pot and filled it halfway with water under the faucet. Then, he poured flour onto the kitchen counter to make pasta dough. The flour was dusted all over the man. Quentin glanced at his now-flour-covered, brand-new loungewear and frowned. Her lips twitched. Noelle couldn't believe that he had made such a mess in the short time it took her to answer a phone call. Moreover, with that much flour, how many eggs would they need to make the pasta dough, and how much spaghetti were they planning to make? How long would this take them?Quentin, on the other hand, was still enthusiastically pouring flour onto the kitchen counter. He accidentally poured too much flour, so he started cracking open more eggs. Then, he added too many egg yolks, so he added more flour again.His fingers were now stuck in the dough,
Quentin frowned, feeling uncomfortable. He raised his hand to loosen his tie, but it did nothing to alleviate the guilt and unease that had welled up within him.If Xyla really suffered from depression, then his actions would only make things worse for her. Moreover, he'd be letting down the spirit of his fallen hero. As he was tormented by anguish, a warm hand slipped into his palm and intertwined their fingers. Startled, he looked up and noticed a lovely young lady standing beside him. "What are you doing here?" His dark eyes lit up. Noelle smiled and said sarcastically, "I'm here to keep an eye on you, Mr. Lowe. If Xyla's EEG turns out fine, I bet you'd go soft on her."His eyes flickered. "I'd just feel a little guilty," he admitted. "After all, she is my hero's younger sister."Exasperated, she responded, "Being your hero's younger sister doesn't give her the right to lie."Quentin gazed at her in silence. If Xyla had truly lied, he couldn't bring himself to be harsh on he
"But your seniors haven't seen Xyla with their own eyes, have they?" Quentin's forehead creased. "I'm sure you're aware that we can't jump to conclusions about things we haven't witnessed with our own eyes!"Noelle looked at him and suddenly clammed up. She was afraid that his next words would be, "Do you have to brand Xy as a liar to feel better?" Much like the day he asked her, "Why are you so dead set on pushing Xy to the brink?""Alright." She spun around and left in disappointment. Quentin felt conflicted as he watched her get into a cab. When did she become so stubborn?Just then, his phone rang. He noticed the caller ID was Ava and answered it. Her voice was frantic. "This is bad, Mr. Lowe. Ms. Cadwell slit her wrist!"Quentin felt a jolt course through his body. Without a moment's hesitation, he sprinted toward the ward. Xyla was lying on the bed, her slender arm hanging over the edge. Blood was dripping from a gash on her wrist.His mind went blank, and he almost fell to
"Did he bully you again?" John asked lowly, narrowing his eyes. A heavy, almost palpable tension filled the air around him.Gazing at him, Yvette suddenly thought John was such a loving man. If she were to have a man like him in her life, she'd be the happiest woman alive.While she was daydreaming about a life with John, Noelle composed herself and smiled. "No, he didn't. Let's eat!"Even though she was clearly smiling, it didn't reach her eyes. His heart ached. Without saying another word, John lowered his head and ate. But the food tasted like sawdust.After their late-night snack, John headed off on his own. On the way home, he called a friend. "Find out what's been going on between Quentin Lowe, his wife, and Xyla Cadwell over the past few days!"He wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs, but Noelle was his Achilles' heel. He couldn't watch her suffer from the sidelines forever.…As Yvette drove Noelle home, she couldn't help but think that her lousy cousin couldn't hold
As he pressed his forehead against hers, their breaths intertwined, sending ripples through their hearts. Noelle took a deep breath. "Mr. Lowe, you should sort things out with Xyla before you come to me." Or else, even if she didn't bring up Xyla, the two of them would still end up arguing. Xyla had always been a ticking time bomb, threatening their relationship. She pushed him away and stormed off. Quentin stood frozen in place. It took him a while to compose himself. Then, he called Dennis. "Let's meet up for a drink!"…At the club, Quentin had a lot on his mind, and his bottle was already drained. He reached for another bottle, but Dennis stopped him. "That's enough, man. If you keep drinking, you'll drink yourself into an early grave! Look, if you ask me, you should just listen to Noelle and do another EEG on Xyla. Also, both you and Noelle should be there to ensure it's authentic and untampered with.""Honestly, I wouldn't put it past that woman to fake an EEG," Dennis tho
"You can't do this to me, John Xenos! Quentin won't let you get away with treating me like this!" Xyla yelled, her heart pounding with fear and panic. Gone was her usual gentle and demure demeanor. Once the EEG was done, her lie would be exposed. Noticing had John remained as steady as a rock, she was livid. "Quint will make you pay for this, John Xenos!""That's fine. I'd like to see him try," John responded indifferently, gesturing for them to start. Throughout the test, John stayed in the room. This hospital was one of Dragfort's best private hospitals, and the doctors were his own men. The results were accurate. Half an hour later, John held up the report in his hands. It confirmed that Xyla's EEG was normal. A sardonic smile played on his lips as he took in the results. "Send Ms. Cadwell back," he instructed the people inside the room with a meaningful smile.As soon as the results were out, Xyla's heart sank. She collapsed on the ground and was dragged away by John's men.
In the dead of the night, Xyla had sent Mitchell a message, demanding that he come to the hospital immediately to deal with the surveillance footage. She also threatened him, claiming that if he didn't show up, she'd report the incident to the Department of Public Health. Terrified, Mitchell wasted no time and drove over as fast as he could. Xyla breathed a sigh of relief. She had to keep whatever happened last night a secret at all costs. As long as she claimed that she hadn't set foot out of her ward, no one could prove the EEG report was hers. But then she clenched her fists, and her face contorted in anger. She had spent the whole night in fear, unable to say a word to Quentin, yet that woman got to be with him. How dare she?…Quentin had a bad night's sleep last night. He drank too much, and now he had a headache and an upset stomach. As soon as he got into the car, he didn't want to move. Noelle felt both concerned and helpless. Martin drove them to Windsor Villa. Noelle
Mark's expression changed slightly when his gaze landed on Lorraine. Janet picked up her shoes, surprised to see Noelle walking over. "What a coincidence, Elle!"Noelle linked her arm with Janet's affectionately. "Mom, this is my friend, Lorraine Summer." Lorrain's eyes crinkled into a playful smile as she greeted, "Hello, Mrs. Lowe."Across from them, Mark's eyes flickered. Lorraine pretended not to notice and turned her attention to Janet. "You carry yourself so well, Mrs. Lowe! You don't look your age at all."Janet responded, "You're too kind, Ms. Summer. I'm getting old; aging is inevitable."Mark gently said to Janet, "Alright, I think it's time we leave these youngins to their own devices. It's time for us 'ol timers' to head home."Janet smiled. "You're right!" She turned to Noelle and said, "Elle, if you see something you like, just get it; don't hesitate to treat yourself!"Noelle responded, "Got it, Mom."As she watched Mark and Janet disappear around the corner of th
"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