For the next two days, Quentin was away on a business trip. However, he made sure to send her a message every day and night. However, Noelle didn't respond to any of them. …In the blink of an eye, it was the night of the charity auction. John pulled up right on time in front of Noelle's apartment building. When he spotted her, rocking a sleek blue suit, dark hair pulled back in a sleek bun, and donning a pair of black-rimmed glasses, he couldn't help but tug at the corner of his lips. She genuinely looked like a seasoned secretary. Ignoring his dumbfounded expression, she adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, walked over, and opened the rear car door. "It's my first day on the job, Mr. Xenos. If there's anything you're unsatisfied with, I hope you'll bear with me." Noelle bowed respectfully to the man in the car.Exasperated, John couldn't be bothered to look at her anymore. Noelle giggled and got into his car. The car proceeded at a leisurely pace, and the pair soon arrived at t
The foreigner's pronunciation was very awkward, but Lia understood him. Her expression changed drastically as she couldn't believe that Michael had secretly arranged for someone to win this jeweled hairpin for Emmie.Her beautifully made-up face lost all its color, and her nails almost dug through the leather of her handbag. Fortunately, the woman next to her didn't hear him and was still introducing other collectibles to Lia.Soon, the auction began. Noelle sat on the left side of the venue with John, and she could see the figure in the pristine white suit on the far right. Michael and Lia were seated in the center of the VIP section. From her position, Noelle had a clear view of both sides.The auction was in full swing, but Quentin still hadn't made a move. Noelle figured he must really be waiting for that jeweled hairpin. Things would get complicated fast if he decided to partake in the bidding for that hairpin. With that thought in mind, she pulled out her phone and texted Qu
John stopped bidding as soon as David showed up. He cast a curious glance at David, then at Noelle. "So, she borrowed Grover from me to do this?" he wondered.Even though Grover now had blond hair, blue eyes, and a new name, John recognized him right away. After all, this was someone who had been by his side for many years.John then thought about how Noelle had asked him to recommend her a reliable mortgage company. "She must've mortgaged her property to furnish Grover with the necessary funds for the auction," he surmised. What on earth was this young lady up to? Doubts swirled in his head.The auction was still ongoing, but David was visibly disheartened. He sighed as he gazed at the 400 thousand dollar bid and stopped bidding. In the end, the jeweled hairpin ended up in Lia's hand. Michael would never have spent that much money on a jeweled hairpin for that wretched woman. Yet, he never hesitated to spend lavishly on her. The thought made Lia feel even more triumphant.Davi
"Elle, if you don't want to cause Mr. Xenos trouble, come over here!" A familiar yet stern voice rang out.Noelle flinched. Looking up, she noticed Quentin holding onto someone by their arm. That person was none other than the fake David, Grover. Noelle gasped while John frowned.Quentin let go of him, and Grover stumbled over to John's side. Quentine's expression hardened as he addressed Noelle, "I know you messed with my phone and tarnished my reputation, Elle. I won't hold it against you. But if you want to save this man, come over here!" With that, he turned and walked away.Noelle turned to John and said, "I'm sorry, Johnnie." She had already made a mess of things, and she was aware she'd only be a burden to John if she stayed by his side. So, she walked toward Quentin.Instinctively, John took a step forward and called out, "Elle!" No matter what happened, he wanted to tell her that he'd face it with her. But Noelle had already reached Quentin's side, and as he watched him ta
Quentin was worried Noelle would beat herself up, so he smiled and grasped her arm. "Elle, material wealth is of little consequence. Having you back means more to me than anything else."Noelle was slightly moved. "Is David not going to sue Grover?" she asked after a moment's hesitation, her voice laced with concern.Sure enough, a shadow of gloom flickered in the man's eyes. Grover was John's man. Even though he was doing Noelle's bidding, it still didn't sit right with him."Elle," he called out, caressing her cheek with his finger. "From now on, if you need anything, come to me for help, okay?"A trace of sarcasm surfaced in her gloomy eyes. Was he seriously expecting her to rely on him to look into Xyla?Quentin drew her into his arms. "Let's put Xyla behind us and start over, alright? Promise me.""Are you really not going to concern yourself with her anymore?" Noelle eyed him a little skeptically.He shook his head. "Yeah, she's not worth my concern.""What if she comes t
Michael's imposing presence enveloped Emmie, causing her to hold her breath. She eyed him skeptically. He said apathetically, "Emmie Fox, your daughter set Lia up, humiliated her in public, and even posted my contact number on the Internet. I won't let this slide easily. If you don't want me to sue her, along with that fake David and Quentin, meet me at Belvedere Villa. I'll give you three days!"With that, he smiled sardonically and let her go. He then turned on his heel, walked toward his car, and got in. The black sedan sped off into the night.In the darkness, Emmie's body trembled. Three hours later, her slender figure appeared at Belvedere Villa. As if he was expecting her, the villa's door was left unlocked. There was a man in a black suit on the couch, holding a glass of wine, and projecting an imposing presence. When Emmie walked in, his dark gaze swept over her silently. It was obvious that she had rushed over immediately after he left, as she was still wearing her wo
After what felt like an eternity, Michael finally got off Emmie. He was satisfied. Emmie opened her eyes and sat up. Her body was sore and limp. She put on a shirt and hurried to the bathroom to clean herself. Behind her, Michael frowned. He rolled out of bed, pushed open the bathroom door, and walked in. He leaned against the doorway and watched her scrub her skin vigorously. "Do you want me to find you a brush, hmm?" he asked angrily.Emmie jumped. Instinctively, she raised her arm to cover herself. Her brows drew together, and her lovely face was now tinged with annoyance. "What else do you want, Michael Xanthos?"Ever since she discovered he had another woman over a decade ago, they had been living separately. Therefore, this was the first and only time in over a decade that he had been physically intimate with her. However, she was utterly repulsed.Her glowing, slender body was marred with red welts from her vigorous scrubbing. His eyes were ablaze with rage, and he could fe
Holding the plate of sliced fruit, Noelle was having trouble standing upright. "Quentin's parents must hate me right now," she thought."Here, take this." She handed the plate to Quentin and went downstairs. Confused, he knocked on the door, handed the plate of fruit to Janet, and quickly went downstairs as well. "What's going on?" he asked Noelle in the living room downstairs.Noelle turned around. "Would you hold it against me, Quentin?"Puzzled, Quentin asked, "What would I hold against you?""I made you spend so much money, and now your parents probably hate me too," she responded. Even though Janet didn't voice it, Noelle suspected she was also upset with her. He said, "No way. I spent that amount on my own accord. As for my parents, they wouldn't hold it against you." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead, holding her close as they walked outside.Even though Quentin didn't mind, Noelle couldn't help but think about what Mark had said. She was worr