"The Utopia States branch needs you more than we do," Quentin stated unequivocally, leaving no room for discussion. "Alright, please make the necessary arrangements. The new finance director will be taking over your position shortly."Quinn stormed out of the CEO's office. Mark had told her to make the most of the opportunity, yet Quentin was transferring her! In the heat of the moment, she went straight to see Mark.Soon, Quentin received a call from an angry Mark. "Why are you transferring Quinn?" He assumed Quentin was going to take his advice and express his feelings to Quinn. To his dismay, Quentin was transferring Quinn to another country. Quentin responded casually, "This is a routine personnel transfer within our company. As an employee, Ms. Walsh has the option of either accepting the transfer or submitting her resignation."Mark was at a loss for words. In the end, he snapped, "You're such a fool!"After hanging up the phone, he had no choice but to reassure Quinn. "Why
After hearing what Quentin said, Ava told Xyla, "Mr. Lowe said he's coming right over! He even canceled a business meeting for you. Ms. Cadwell, you're so lucky to have someone like him looking out for you!"Basically, she wanted those well-to-do women to hear her, so they could see just how important Xyla is to Quentin. After hearing that, the women felt even more relieved that they hadn't wasted their efforts on the wrong person.Quentin arrived shortly after, his demeanor cold and stern. He strode straight to the woman in the bed and asked, "Are you okay, Xy?"Due to her frailty, Xyla couldn't get up from the ground after the fall. Even though she wasn't injured, her eyes were brimming with tears as she said, "I thought I'd never see you again, Quint."With trembling hands, she reached out to him. In reality, she was just putting on a show for those well-to-do women; she wanted to see just how much Quentin cared about her. Quentin forced himself to hold her thin hand. He sat o
Lorraine was at a loss for words. "I can't tell you; all I can say is that he's not Quentin, so stop overthinking!"Lorraine had no idea why Noelle would think that person was Quentin, but she wasn't about to tell her that the man was her father-in-law, Mark."Are you sure it's not him?" Noelle choked out. Heaven knew how miserable she had been these past few days; she felt like her world was falling apart after being betrayed by her husband and best friend."Of course!" Lorraine reiterated, exasperated. Looking into her tearful eyes, she could tell that Noelle had been stewing over her thoughts these past few days. However, she couldn't figure out why Noelle would think that person was Quentin. Noelle forced a smile. "So, I got it all wrong?""Yes, of course! As low as I might be, I'd never go after my best friend's husband!" Lorraine chuckled.Noelle wiped away her tears and chuckled. "I didn't think you would either." Lorraine rolled her eyes at her. "Why'd you jump to that
As soon as Noelle left, Janet picked up the bag and swung it at Quentin with all her might. "You're unbelievable; you had such a wonderful wife, yet you just had to neglect her! If you even think about marrying Xyla Cadwell, I'll tear you apart! You little shit!"Quentin simply shielded his head with his arm, making no attempt to evade his mother's blows as she took her frustration out on him. When she exhausted herself and was catching her breath, he straightened up and asked, "What's wrong with Xyla? At least she won't let your jewelry collect dust in the cabinet.""Why are you still pushing my buttons, you little shit?" Janet's temper flared again, and she raised her tattered bag to hit him again. But he was already out of reach.…Meanwhile, Gabriel rushed into the bidding site for the Southport project with the revised bid that had been hastily drafted by his team based on the bid price provided by Xyla. However, when the winning bid was announced, he was dumbfounded, as the
Noelle had come to get some study materials from Zion. She'd texted him yesterday asking if he had any pertinent materials for that book, and he'd said he did. As soon as she arrived on the floor where the hematology department was located, she found Zion, dressed in a white lab coat, standing at the entrance of a ward. He looked like he was about to do his rounds, but for some reason, he hadn't gone in. Noelle walked over and called out, "Professor Jenkins?" When she reached the door of the ward, she took a look inside and froze. Xyla buried her face in Quentin's chest as he held her close, and the two of them seemed lost in their own world. Noelle just stood there, staring, not sure how she felt.Zion cleared his throat. "Let me get you those materials first!" It was such a touching moment that he didn't dare to interrupt.Quentin heard Zion's voice and took the opportunity to push Xyla away. "Dr. Jenkin's here." He rose to his feet and stiffened when his eyes landed on the w
"Just so you know, this was on my mind the whole time I was in the Utopia States. But their take on it just doesn't compare to the real thing back home," Zion said with gravitas.Noelle's eyes crinkled. "Even the one I had in Collinview couldn't compare to this."He smiled. "It looks like we really do have similar tastes!" She fell silent. The pizzeria was hosting a lottery to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Neither Noelle nor Zion had been paying much attention to it. However, all of a sudden, they heard an announcement. "Congratulations to the customers at table number six! You're the lucky winners of our draw! Could the couple at table number six please come forward to claim your prize?"Both Noelle and Zion were caught off guard. Noelle hadn't paid attention to the host's choice of words; she was just very surprised to have somehow won the prize. Zion, on the other hand, was overjoyed. He smiled and said, "I'll go!" He stood up and walked over to the stage, his dark blue
After all the commotion, there was no way Zion and Noelle could go back into the pizzeria. So, he drove her back to the hospital. When she got out of the car, she asked, "Are you really okay, Professor Jenkins?"He was glad she cared so much about him. "I'm fine. Don't worry!"Noelle then turned and headed toward her own car.Zion watched as she slid into her car. His mind couldn't stop replaying the sharp remarks she had made to Quentin. He found it extremely satisfying. On her way home, Noelle received a call from Lorraine and answered it through Bluetooth. Lorraine said, "I noticed you were with a guy earlier. So, who is he? Is he a blind date someone set you up with?"Even though she was at the pizzeria as well, she was on her way out when Noelle and Zion arrived. Lorraine had something pressing to attend to, so she didn't greet Noelle. Now that she had taken care of her business, she called her right away. "Oh, you mean Professor Jenkins? He's a doctor at Dragfort Hosp
Lydia stomped her foot. "She should be the one to pay for the repairs!"Chance frowned. "She's my cousin's wife!"Lydia froze. Then, she pouted and fell silent. The driver drove her car away, and Chance gave Noelle a curt nod before leaving with Lydia. Just then, Lorraine arrived. "Is it over?" she asked, glancing at the two retreating figures.Noelle responded offhandedly, "That's Quentin's cousin and his mistress."Lorraine tugged at the corner of her lips. Then, it curled into a derisive smile. All the men in the Lowe family were indeed cut from the same cloth. With a smile, she said, "Well, all that matters is that you're okay. I'll have to be careful not to talk to you while you're driving from now on."Lorraine turned to inspect Noelle's car, noting a small dent in the front but nothing too serious. "Do you want to take it in for repairs?" she asked, looking back at her.Noelle looked puzzled as she asked, "Say, why do they always seem to go after married men? Is it rea
"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