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
Quentin emerged from the bathroom and noticed Noelle staring blankly at her phone. "Did your mom reply?""Yeah, she said she's fine, and she told me not to worry about her." However, her heart felt heavy. Noelle was aware that her mother was probably very sad; she just didn't want to show it.Her usual clear, dark eyes misted over. It made his heart ache. He stroked her hair. "Don't dwell on that anymore. Go get some rest." Noelle went to bed obediently. Quentin stood there for a moment, lost in thought. Was Michael not giving Noelle a hard time because of Emmie?He hastily sent a message to one of Emmie's students. "How has Professor Fox been these past few days?" He had always gotten updates about Emmie through this student.That student promptly responded. "Professor Fox has been out with a friend and hasn't returned." Quentin figured that friend was probably Michael. In the blink of an eye, morning arrived. By the time Noelle got up, Quentin had already left for work. Noe
"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