John stared at Noelle for a moment, as he hadn't expected her to think that way. Even though he felt disappointed, he smiled. "It is."He didn't want to pressure her in any way about this. He didn't want her to think that he was only good to her because he wanted her. Though, he did like her.Not long after she accompanied him back to the ward, his test results came out. Aside from one minor indicator showing a slight downward trend, the effects of alcohol were no longer visible.Relieved, Noelle left John's ward and went to visit Lorraine. Lorraine was doing well and seemed more energetic. Noelle stayed with her for a while before leaving the hospital.While she was on the road, she called Gabriel. "Are your test results back yet, Mr. Kingston?" Even though John had advised her to stay away from Gabriel, she couldn't help but feel uneasy because Gabriel's discomfort was caused by Quentin.Gabriel responded, "It's nothing serious. The doctor couldn't find a cause for the pain; it'
Noelle froze.Quentin continued, "I've come to understand how you felt when I looked after Xyla, and you've gotten back at me too. So, let's put that all behind us and make up!"Without saying a word, she gazed at him. "Quentin Lowe, do you even realize how many days I had to endure what you were putting me through?" Ever since Xyla returned from the Utopia States half a year ago, Quentin's over-the-top affection for her had become the talk of the town. Noelle had witnessed it on numerous occasions herself. So, she couldn't believe how he had the gall to say that he'd had enough after just two days.He sighed. "Elle, I can't change the past, but I can make it up to you in the future. After all, we still have a long way ahead of us, don't we?"Noelle fell silent, but the way her brows drew together indicated that she didn't agree with him. "To be honest, you don't have to go through all this trouble, Quentin. We can just get a divorce," she said calmly.Quentin's heart immediatel
Quentin was taken aback. Raising his hand, he exclaimed, "I swear on my life that Xyla has never been in my study! I would never let her into our house!" He paused before continuing, "Xyla did come over once, but she never made it to the second floor! Our home is our private space; I would never let just anyone in!"Noelle's breath caught in her throat.Quentin added, "Why don't you take a break? I'll clear out all my books right now!" He left to fetch an empty box and started taking the books down one by one. "Forget it. There are plenty of rooms in the villa—I'll just use another one," she said. There was no need to go through all this trouble. It was his study, after all.He insisted, "No, I'll use another room!" He couldn't give her any more reasons to say something like that again. The way she said if Xyla was the one using his study, he'd have already redecorated it to her liking really stung.Quentin took all of his books off the bookshelf, placed them in the empty box
Quentin looked at Noelle, who was sitting calmly at the desk, and asked lowly, "Are you really that heartless, Elle?" Noelle's pen hovered in mid-air. He felt a sharp, searing pain in his chest. Everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. Her breath hitched in her throat. Noelle instantly dropped her pen, sprang to her feet, and ran over. "Quentin?"Dennis was dragged out of his house again. He and Noelle worked together to rush Quentin to the hospital.When Quentin regained consciousness and noticed the worried look on the woman beside him, he felt relieved. Grasping her hand, he apologized, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Elle."Even while he was out cold, he could hear her desperate cries. It became clear to him that she still cared about him, but his persistent disregard for her feelings had gradually hardened her heart."Do you get it now? Quentin, I don't care if you put yourself at risk to save Xyla, but leaving yourself in such bad shape for you
Quentin responded, "Listen, Elle. First of all, that man is Lorraine's lover, and she's the one who doesn't want to report him to the cops. The fact that she's willing to put up with this means she's under his thumb."Secondly." He paused before continuing, "You told me she doesn't want you to probe into that guy; that obviously means she doesn't want you to know who he is. So, aren't you being disrespectful to her by insisting on digging into it?"Noelle was stumped. "Forget it." She then buried her head into her plate, though it was obvious that she had lost her appetite. Quentin couldn't bear to see her in such a state. "I can help you look into it, but you can't take any action, okay? I'm only helping you find out who he is."After dinner, he immediately called a man named Sullivan, who had been working as an informant for him. "I need you to look into the guy who has a close relationship with the woman who owns Summer Night Bar. They've been together for ten years."As soon
Noelle felt a little down. "You don't have to worry about Lorraine's bar anymore. She probably doesn't appreciate us getting involved in her affairs."Quentin arched his brow, slightly surprised. After a while, he said, "I'm glad you get it."…Meanwhile, in another part of town, Xyla smashed everything in her apartment to smithereens, her face contorted with rage. Ava looked at the mess on the floor and sighed. "Do you think we're still living in the old days when we had a bottomless bank account and could replace everything you broke? We're down to our last pennies, and we can't afford to replace anything you break!"Sitting on the couch, she couldn't help but grumble, "I told you to lay low for a while, but you wouldn't listen! You just had to go and mess with Noelle; now, look what you've done—Quentin can't even be bothered to talk to you anymore!"Xyla had had enough and yelled at Ava at the top of her lungs, "Will you just shut up already?" Ava's face paled, and fell silen
Xyla ended the call angrily. When she turned around and noticed Eugene sprawled on the floor, she frowned and called Gabriel again. "Help me get rid of Eugene, and I promise that once I return to Quentin's side, I'll make sure you get what you want!"Gabriel had already begun to regret the harsh tone he'd used with Xyla. After all, she was no pushover; she might actually find a way to return to Quentin's side. Hence, he responded lowly, "This is your last chance, Xyla. If I don't see results within a month, you're dead meat!"Xyla was well aware that he meant business. She tightened her grip on her phone. After Gabriel's men took Eugene away, she left her apartment. She watched Quentin emerge from his company building, get into his car, and drive to Restaurant Blanc. There, he got out of his car and walked into the restaurant with a few clients. All the while, Xyla clutched something tightly in her hand. She wanted to spike Quentin's drink with an aphrodisiac and show up when it
Noelle's cheeks turned bright red as she realized what he was talking about. "I don't know! I didn't count!" Truth was, they hadn't done it since she had moved back in. Noelle tried to back away but had nowhere to go, so she sat on the edge of the nightstand, knocking over the vase behind her. Quentin continued, "I know. It's been a month and three days." He placed his hands on the nightstand and bent down to kiss her neck.Noelle felt the temperature in the room rise. While avoiding his kisses, she said, "I still need to study later. If you drain all of my energy now, I'm going to fail my exams!""I'll move; you can just lie there," he murmured. Noelle protested, "I don't want to do it!" Quentin insisted, "Yes, you do!"Despite her protests, he scooped her up and laid her on the bed. After a tempest of passion, Noelle was so exhausted she couldn't even get up. Quentin carried her to the shower, and after a quick wash, she drifted off to sleep. He joined her, wrapping his ar
"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