In the video, Xyla was tearing her clothes apart while flashing a sultry smile and spouting indecent remarks. The male doctors in the office were so terrified that they fled in all directions.Noticing the peculiar look on his face, Noelle leaned over to take a look at his phone. What she saw took her by surprise.Quentin didn't say a word, but his demeanor grew somber and stern. He shoved his phone into his pocket and went downstairs. "It must've been John's doing," Noelle thought. While she couldn't remember much else, she remembered that someone had spiked both her and John's drink last night. That someone was Ava, who, in turn, must've been following Xyla's orders. Hence, Xyla was only getting what she deserved!Descending the stairs, Noelle called John to check on him.…Meanwhile, in the villa in the suburbs, a pale figure stood by the window. Even though only one night had passed, he appeared to have become a shadow of his former self.John couldn't for the life of him r
Quentin carried Xyla back to the ward. Just then, Zion and several medical staff hurried in. "Let's put her to sleep first!" Zion instructed a nurse to give Xyla an injection.Quentin held Xyla's arm as she continued to squirm and spout indecent words. His expression grew colder with each passing second.The nurse administered the injection, and Xyla's body gradually went limp. Quentin's gaze hardened as he confronted Zion. "Is this the way your hospital cares for its patients? How could you allow her to be drugged like this?"Zion elegantly adjusted his glasses with his long fingers. "Now, now, let's calm down a little."Quentin pointed at his nose. "Zion Jenkins, you're her attending physician; you owe me an explanation for what happened today!"Noelle stood outside, her heart sinking as she witnessed everything that happened inside. His concern for Xyla was far greater than she had imagined. Even though she had been drugged as well, she didn't see him fuss over her, nor did s
Noelle gently bit her lip and plastered a smile on her face. "It's okay, Grandpa." Fred had always treated her as if she were his own granddaughter, and she didn't want this to be the reason his condition deteriorated. So, she had to put her own feelings aside.Fred felt a sense of relief wash over him. It was only after his heart calmed that he noticed his body was aching. "Robert, bring me my hypertension medication!"Noelle until his blood pressure was under control before she left. As soon as she stepped out of the ward, she noticed Quentin walking toward her. His entire demeanor was dark and oppressive, his face somber. When he noticed her, he stopped dead in his tracks and asked sharply, "Are you happy now?"Noelle frowned. "What am I supposed to be happy with?"He retorted, "Doesn't it make you happy to see Xyla make a fool of herself in public?"Her chest felt stuffy. Noelle took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and sneered, "Mr. Lowe, your wife almost made a fool of h
When the doorbell rang, Lorraine instinctively tensed up, worried that Mark was here again. Fortunately, when she looked through the peephole, it was Quentin standing outside. She felt a little relieved, though her heart was still on edge.She opened the door and let him in. Lorraine was absolutely terrified of this man. She couldn't help but clench her fists. "What can I do for you, Mr. Lowe?"Quentin placed a five-million-dollar check on the coffee table. "Ms. Summer, I'm sure you know why I'm here." Her heart skipped a beat.His expression remained ice cold. "So, you're the 19-year-old college student my father has been keeping around, right? It must've been tough for you all these years, Ms. Summer."If it weren't for Noelle's sake, Quentin wasn't sure what he might do. This apartment, as well as all of the jewelry and accessories she wore, were probably all given to her by his father. And all of those were supposed to be part of the shared assets belonging to his father and hi
Just then, Mark walked over and sat on the couch across from Quentin. "Your mother's right; women need to be pampered."After hearing that, Quentin felt a storm brewing in his chest. He couldn't wrap his head around how his father had managed to pretend to be so loving in front of his mother while having an affair with another woman all these years."Is that how you treat the women outside as well?" he inquired, fiddling with his cup. Mark froze for a moment, wondering if his son had found out about his affair. His lowered gaze flickered.Janet chided, "What's with you today? I'm talking about Elle; why are you bringing up other women? What, do you want to be with some other woman?"Her expression hardened. "Don't even think about it, or I'll break your legs!" Janet looked around for anything she could use to warn her son but found nothing, so she could only raise her arm threateningly. Quentin rose from his seat. "I didn't mean anything by it." He took a step toward the door a
Mark wasn't done. He grabbed Lorraine's ankle and yanked her toward him before slapping her face repeatedly. Lorraine screamed, thrashing around on the bed in agony. …Meanwhile, the men Noelle had borrowed from John had been keeping watch outside Lorraine's apartment building for 24 hours. When they finally made a major discovery, they immediately called Noelle.Noelle recalled the bodyguard's description. He was a distinguished-looking man. As soon as he got out of the car, his driver immediately drove it into an alley and vanished from sight. She couldn't help but wonder if it was the same man who had been with Lorraine for years and had ordered people to rape her. Noelle immediately drove to Lorraine's place and called her on the way. As soon as Mark noticed Noelle's name flashing on Lorraine's phone, he ordered, "Answer it!" With shaking hands, Lorraine reached for the phone on the bedside table and answered the call. "Lorraine, are you okay?" Noelle's frantic voice crac
Just then, Lorraine's security door swung open. Standing at the doorway, she was initially surprised to see Noelle on the stairs, but then she sighed. With her arms crossed and a wry smile playing on her lips, she leaned against the doorframe and said, "That's right, you guessed it."Noelle, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Lorraine's swollen cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and full of anger and despair as she glared at her.Lorraine continued, "He's been my sugar daddy since I was 19, and the child I aborted was his. He's also the one who ordered people to violate me and torture me. I didn't have any ulterior motives when I befriended you, but I intentionally bought jewelry and had dinner with Madam Burns. I wanted her to notice me, but all she noticed was my phone."She paused before continuing, "Noelle, I've told you to stay out of my business!" With that, she spun around and went inside, slamming the security door shut. "Elle, I can't face you anymore, so please just hate
Quentin was caught off guard. "Does that mean that car belonged to my father?" he wondered, clenching his fists. …Meanwhile, Mark received an update from his subordinate. Things had gone wrong with Noelle, but Lorraine's place was already set on fire. It was highly likely that she was dead.When Mark heard that they had failed to get rid of Noelle, his temper flared, and he spat out, "All of you are useless!"However, his expression softened slightly when he heard the rest of the report. "Did you make sure it was done right?"His subordinate responded, "Don't worry, Mr. Lowe!" Mark breathed a sigh of relief. The car rolled to a halt on the driveway of Lowe Mansion. Mark got out, appearing as if he had just returned from a social gathering. A subtle hint of alcohol clung to his bespoke suit. With a quick adjustment of his coat, he was back to his usual gentle and gentlemanly demeanor. He walked into the house. Janet was curled up on the couch in the living room, watching a te
"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