Quentin didn't say a word. He would never marry Xyla, as he'd never had feelings for her. But he was determined to get to the bottom of the kidnapping incident. …Several days later, in a rundown apartment building, the driver who had been behind the wheel that day fell to his knees before Quentin. He was the one who had held a knife to Noelle's throat that day, forcing the bodyguards to disarm. He was also the one who'd handed her over to Mark's men."I had no choice, Mr. Lowe! Those people had taken my wife and two kids hostage! If I hadn't done as they said, they would've killed them!" The driver slapped himself repeatedly on both cheeks.Quentin's face was pale, his tall figure imposing and intimidating. "Leave Dragfort with your family. I don't know if I'll be able to control myself if I see you again!"If it hadn't been for this driver, Noelle wouldn't have been abducted by Mark's men. Then, she wouldn't have been dumped at sea, and their marriage wouldn't have ended in div
Yvette sent her a blushing emoji. After chatting a bit more, Noelle went to school. Now, she was officially a graduate student at Collinview University School of Medicine. The three years in Dragfort felt like a dream, and when it ended, all that was left was emptiness. Noelle rarely thought about her time in Dragfort.Noelle arrived at the lab slightly ahead of schedule. Planning to get a head start, she noticed a figure in a white coat outside the lab, hand over their mouth, attempting to stifle their sobs. "What's wrong, Zara?"Zara Patel was a close friend of hers, and the two of them were students under the same professor. "He said he didn't want to be with me anymore. He promised we'd get married after I graduated, but now he's breaking up with me…" Zara sobbed uncontrollably.Noelle had never met Zara's boyfriend, but she'd heard so much about him from her. He sounded like a dreamboat; he was handsome, came from a good family, and treated Zara incredibly well. Zara's eyes
Christian Blackwood's face was etched with disdain as he asked lowly, "You're that eager to get into bed with me, huh?" However, his perfectly shaped lips twitched when his eyes landed on Noelle's face. Noelle had no idea the man had mistaken her for someone else. She was completely caught off guard by the man's aggressive behavior. "Zachary doesn't seem like a nice guy at all," she thought.Noelle stammered, "I-I'm Zara's best friend, Mr. Zachary. I came to ask if you could please not break up with her. She really loves you!"His amber eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at her delicate, round face. Her eyes sparkled like gemstones, her long lashes fluttered, and her cherry-red lips were parted in surprise. He reached out and patted her face. "Who's Zachary? How dare you call me by such a common name?" His hand was large and pale. When he dropped his harsh demeanor, his laid-back tone and nonchalant gaze gave him the air of a spoiled scion.After saying that, he walked away.
"That woman is quite pretty!" a young man said from the stairs, clicking his tongue.Behind him, a noble-looking man was descending the stairs. Christian glanced over and saw a young, beautiful woman performing the Heimlich maneuver on a small child."Oh, it's here." He arched his brow. "Who is she?" Leonard asked, surprised.Christian leaned against the stair railing and took a puff from his cigarette. "I don't know her."Leonard was at a loss for words. The child eventually coughed up the peanut and was able to breathe on their own. Noelle breathed a sigh of relief and told the child's mother, "Infants shouldn't eat things like this. You should be more careful in the future."The woman nodded vigorously, took her crying child from Noelle, and thanked her repeatedly. "Thank you so much, young lady!""Don't mention it!" Noelle silently wiped the sweat from her forehead."Miss, there’s a gentleman in the private dining room over there who’s gotten a fishbone stuck in his thro
Noelle really regretted coming here; it seemed like no one in this room was worth interacting with. She picked up the keychain that had fallen to the floor and left.Christian wanted to slap himself for his big mouth. When Noelle returned to the private dining room, Zara, with red and puffy eyes, asked, "How's that person? Did you get the fishbone out?"Noelle was exasperated. "There was no fishbone. They're all nuts!"With all this commotion, Zara temporarily forgot about Zachary and started eating her meal with gusto.After dinner, Noelle dropped Zara off at her place and spent some time comforting her before heading back to her own apartment. Her apartment, situated on the 30th floor of a towering building near Collinview University, offered breathtaking views.Noelle stayed up all night baking a birthday cake for Emmie. Emmie's birthday was tomorrow, but she had to do her hospital rounds and might even work the night shift. She wouldn't be able to celebrate it with her, so she
Emmie's expression was the same as usual as she returned to the private dining room. "Everyone, please enjoy yourselves! Don't be shy!" she said warmly to her students.After the celebration, her students drove Emmie back to her dormitory at Collinview University. The building was a five-story walk-up, and Emmie found it unusually strenuous to climb up the stairs that night. Emmie was completely drained by the time she reached the landing between the fourth and fifth floors. Leaning against the wall of the stairwell, she tried to catch her breath. But when she looked up, her breath caught in her throat as she noticed the figure standing at the entrance to her apartment. Michael, dressed head-to-toe in black, leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He looked just like the rebellious young man he once was. "What, you can see Elijah but not me?" he asked coldly. Her breath caught as she clenched her fists. She forced herself up the last few steps, but when she tried to scan
Noelle was startled when she heard that familiar voice. Her brows knitted as she pushed the hot chocolate away. "Thanks, but I don't drink this stuff; it makes me gain weight!" With that, she stood up and left.Quentin watched as the person he had been longing for walked away and felt his heart sinking. He picked up the pen she had used, scribbled a few words on a blank piece of paper, and left.Noelle stayed in her dorm for a while before calling the nurse on duty to see if Quentin had left. when the nurse told her that he had left a while ago, she came out. However, the nurse was very nosy. "Dr. Xanthos, who was that guy? He was quite handsome. Does he have a thing for you?" Noelle didn't want to talk about Quentin, so she just smiled and went to the doctor's office. Before she could sit down, she noticed the note on the desk. "Elle, I'm sorry." The bold handwriting was clearly Quentin's.However, there was no point in apologizing now. It was over between them, so his apology
Noelle helped Eleanor pick out a few outfits and then Eleanor chose a few more on her own while Christian paid for everything. Eleanor glanced at Noelle, then at her eldest grandson, wondering if the young woman would be interested in him. With a smile, she asked, "Elle, do you have a boyfriend?"Since she was divorced, it was safe to say she didn't have one. Noelle shook her head and smiled. "No, I don't."Eleanor continued, "What do you think of Chris?"Christian was at a loss for words. Couldn't she give him a heads-up before she tried to play matchmaker?Noelle glanced at the man, who was standing there awkwardly, and thought of what he'd said in the private dining room. With a smile, she responded, "He's great, but a fortune-teller told me I'm destined to be a widow, so I wouldn't want to waste Mr. Blackwood's time."Christian was dumbfounded. Eleanor was taken aback as well. At her age, she couldn't help but believe in things like fate. "Oh dear, we need to find a way to c
"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