Noelle was taken aback. "This is way too expensive, Lorraine! There is no way I'm getting this!" She tried to take the necklace Lorraine had placed around her neck off.However, Janet interjected, "We're definitely getting this! Ms. Summer has excellent taste. This jewelry set suits you perfectly!"Janet didn't have a daughter of her own, and Noelle was her one and only daughter-in-law, so she was more than happy to spend on her. Lorraine felt both envious and sad.And just like that, Janet spent almost 200 million dollars in a single morning. As it was already noon, Janet turned to Lorraine and asked, "Why don't you join us for lunch, Ms. Summer?"Lorraine readily agreed. "Sure!" So, the three of them headed to a nearby restaurant. Noelle accompanied Janet to the restroom, leaving Lorraine alone outside the private dining room. As fate would have it, she ran into Mark, who was there to meet a client. Mark frowned, but he couldn't help but stop in his tracks and ask, "You're
Mark walked over and calmly took a seat beside Janet. "What a coincidence!"Under the table, Janet took his hand, and he gently held hers. "I went to pick out some jewelry for Elle this morning and ran into Ms. Summer. So, we decided to grab lunch together. Do you remember Ms. Summer, Mark?" Janet asked."Of course, I remember. You're making it sound as if I'm too old to remember anything," he chuckled."It's good to see you, Mr. Lowe." Suppressing the unease in her heart, Lorraine beamed.Mark met her gaze with a warm smile. "Yes, it's good to see you too, Ms. Summer."Janet suddenly recalled something amusing and said, "Guess what? I noticed that Ms. Summer has the same wallpaper on her phone as Mr. Walsh! Women all over the world are into roses, it seems."Mark's palms were starting to get a little sweaty. Suppressing his murderous intent, he told Janet, "If you like roses as well, I'll send you one every day."He paused before continuing, "I have a client to attend to, so I'
Quentin had no choice but to let go of Noelle. "Then, let me at least touch you."Noelle blushed and slapped him. "You perv!"The sound of a sharp slap pierced through the air. Both Quentin and Noelle froze for a moment. He seized her hand, which had just slapped him, and demanded. "Caress my face, got it? If you don't, you'll see what happens!"Noelle had no choice but to caress his face. "Happy now, big guy?"Quentin grinned before pretending to be annoyed and spitting out, "Fine, you can go."Noelle headed off to study. Just then, his phone rang. It was sitting on the bedside table, and he immediately noticed the familiar name. "Xyla."His forehead creased. At some point, he had developed an inexplicable aversion to her name, though he couldn't quite recall when it had first begun. He didn't want to hear this name, and he didn't want to answer her call either. But his sense of responsibility compelled him to answer his phone. Xyla sounded calm as she said, "I've decided no
"Elle, please don't press any further. I'm doing this for your own good! Now, take your things and go!" Lorraine walked over to the bed and lay down.Noelle couldn't leave her in such a state. She followed her and insisted, "No way! You're coming with me to the hospital!"Noelle had known Lorraine for three years, and she had never seen her this battered and bruised. What's more, there were probably more injuries that she couldn't see. She helped Lorraine up. "Come on, we're going!"Lorraine was also at her limit. It was evident that those men had done serious damage to her body; she was in immense pain, and she was bleeding nonstop. So, she nodded. And so, Noelle took Lorraine to Dragfort Hospital. Lorraine was struggling to walk; she looked like she was about to pass out after taking a couple of steps. Noelle had a tough time helping her into the examination room.It was at that precise moment that she spotted Quentin's tall, slender figure standing outside the emergency room i
Lorraine smiled wryly. "This is my comeuppance, Elle."Lorraine needed to be hospitalized, so Noelle took care of the admission procedures and stayed at the hospital to look after her. Xyla's ward was next door. Quentin had been in there all day. The two of them hadn't seen each other since their meeting at noon. He sent her a message to let her know that Xyla was out of danger and that he would stay a little longer before returning home. He also told her not to worry.Noelle read the message and didn't know how to feel, so she didn't respond. An hour later, she went to get some water and ran into Quentin. Perhaps because he had donated blood to Xyla, his complexion was pallid."Elle…" As soon as he noticed her, he walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "Let's not have children in the future, Elle. Let's be DINKs for life."Xyla's condition had genuinely shaken him up. Even though she was having an abortion, he was still afraid—afraid that something would go wrong when No
Xyla was gasping for breath. "Let go… You old hag…"Ava rushed over and pried Amy's hands off Xyla. "Let her go, you crazy wench!"Amy, being older, was no match for Ava, who managed to pry her hands off and push her out of the hospital room. "Sooner or later, you'll get what's coming to you!" she yelled as she stumbled and fell. When Noelle returned with Lorraine's lunch and noticed Amy sitting on the floor, she went over to help the elderly woman up. "Are you okay, ma'am?"Amy looked at Noelle and sobbed, "How could a woman be so cruel as to harm their own child?"Noelle helped Amy to a chair around the corner of the corridor and asked, "Could you tell me what happened?"Realizing that someone was willing to listen to her, Amy wept, "It's that woman, Xyla Cadwell! She was pregnant with my son Eugene's child, but she chose to have an abortion!"Amy's heart ached when she thought about that. Eugene was her only child, and he was so poor that he couldn't get a wife. When he fina
Amy spotted Quentin and recognized him; he was the wealthy man who had brought her to meet Xyla the other day. She frowned and asked, "Is that young lady your wife or your younger sister?"Quentin responded, "Of course, she's my wife!"Amy shook her head in exasperation. "How could you be so blind as to favor a woman who would kill her own child over your beautiful and kind wife, young man? Xyla was the one who kept climbing into Eugene's bed every night; she enjoyed every minute of it, yet she had the gall to claim she was forced to be with Eugene? Bullshit! Even animals have more shame than she does!"Amy was really worked up when she mentioned Xyla. It was clear that she wasn't putting on an act. A sense of dread began to creep into Quentin's heart. He had a sinking feeling that he'd been deceived by Xyla once again. Dennis, who was standing behind him, burst out laughing. "Would you look at that? Now you know Xyla for who she truly is! And to think you even donated 28 ounces
Like grains of sand slipping through his fingers, Quentin watched as Noelle's tall figure descended the stairs. He felt a vast emptiness engulf his heart at that moment.Noelle didn't let Amy stay at Windsor Villa. She dropped her off at a hotel, paid for a month's lodging and meals, and then headed to the hospital.…Lorraine was drifting in and out of consciousness when she noticed someone standing next to her bed. The man appeared as gentlemanly and refined as ever as he said, "If only you had known then what you know now, Lorraine Summer!"Her voice cracked as she called out, "Mark Lowe!""Lorraine?" Noelle pushed the door open and walked in. As soon as she spotted Lorraine sitting on the bed, her face streaked with tears, she asked with concern, "What's wrong?"It might have been her imagination, but Noelle thought she heard Lorraine calling out for Mark. It didn't make sense to her, though. After all, Mark and Lorraine had no association with each other. "Did you have a n
"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