Noelle stood outside the restaurant, calling for a designated driver.Just then, someone greeted Christian. "Mr. Blackwood, that trending topic has reached the top of the charts! It's clearly working its magic. Ms. Xanthos is now the talk of the town!"Noelle tensed up and glanced at Christian. Chrisitan thanked the man and turned around, meeting Noelle's questioning gaze. He arched his brow and inquired. "Why are you looking at me like that?""So, you were the one who paid someone to write that post and buy your way into the trending list?" Noelle asked. Christian's driver pulled up. He opened the car door and explained, "I'm helping you, or else those people would've made up all sorts of things about you!""Wait a second…" He was about to close the car door when Noelle seized it and climbed in after him. "Explain yourself! What did you mean by that?"Christian elaborated, "I'm talking about those people at the hospital; they were saying that you only got to go to the Utopia
"You want to talk to me about manners?" Quentin held his cigarette between his fingers, his dark eyes glaring through the swirling smoke. "I'm afraid you'll have to show me some manners first, Ms. Xanthos!" He paused before fuming, "How long has it been since we split? It's only been half a year! Yet, you're already with another man in that short time? Is that what you call class? What happened to your morals? Did you think of our marriage while you were cheating on me with that guy?"Noelle was so angry that her breathing was ragged. "What are you on about, Quentin Lowe? I never had anything to do with him while we were married! I barely even know him! Also, like you said, we've been divorced for six months! Even if I fall for someone else right after our divorce, it's none of your damn business!" "Are you telling me you've really fallen for him?" Quentin's temper flared. Unable to control himself, he yanked her by the collar, bringing her face to face with him. "How far have you
It was Saturday morning. When Noelle opened the door, the door across the hallway swung open, as if the person had been waiting for her.Dressed in a cream-colored trench coat, Quentin looked dashing. Initially, he wanted to join her in the elevator, but he held himself back. He stood in front of another elevator and looked into her eyes. "I'm truly sorry about what happened yesterday. I promise I'll keep my emotions under control in the future. So, please don't be mad at me, okay?"Noelle couldn't care less if he could control his emotions or not. All she wanted was for him to leave her alone. She hoped that what happened last night would never repeat itself. "Feel free to do whatever you want, Mr. Lowe," she said calmly, stepping into the elevator as the doors slid open.Quentin felt a dull ache in his chest. Did she really not care about him anymore? He wanted to confront her, to ask how she could be so cruel, but his feet stayed planted. He'd promised to keep his emotions under
"Don't forget about us when that time comes, Lia!" Just then, a white sedan pulled up right in front of the three women, narrowly missing them. "Hey, watch where you're going!" one of Lia's friends yelled. The sedan's window rolled down, revealing a young woman's cold face. Noelle's voice was icy as she threatened, "Stay away from Gentle Glades, Lia Woodworth! If you ever insult my mother again, I can't promise I won't break your legs!""Who do you think you are? Do you even know who you're talking to?" Lia's friend shot back. Lia stopped her and smiled. "Lola, this is Michael's daughter!" Her smile was so warm and friendly. "Elle, I'm afraid you've got the wrong idea. I would never insult your mother. I simply wanted to have a friendly conversation with her. After all, we're both your father's women, remember? In a way, we could even be sisters!""Shut your trap!" Every word Lia said was an insult to Emmie. Noelle could barely contain her boiling anger. "No one considers y
Emmie tried to ignore Michael and walk away, but he grabbed her arm, yanking her back. "Where do you think you're going? Is Elijah waiting outside for you?" He said it to get a rise out of her, knowing full well Elijah was bedridden and scheduled for surgery the next day.Emmie couldn't take it anymore. "Let go of me! I'm meeting Elle for lunch!" she yelled, thrashing about.Michael smirked. "Tell her you're too busy and eat with me instead! Or else, she can bid her trip to the Utopia States farewell!"She felt suffocated. "Michael Xanthos!"He cocked his brow. "You should know that there was never a rotation program in the Utopia States!" It was obvious he'd pulled some strings to get Noelle a chance to go to the Utopia States.Her anger subsided a little. "I'm glad you haven't forgotten she's your daughter!"Right then, her phone rang. Emmie was aware it was Noelle calling. She answered it and said, "Elle, I was just notified that I needed to go to the museum right away. I won'
Michael had only wanted to be a little closer to Emmie. When did he ever ask for anything else? How did it turn into him forcing her to trade her body? Was he truly that inhumane? In the end, he got up and left with a heavy heart. …The next day, Noelle couldn't meet Emmie, as Fred's condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. When Quentin called her, she burst into tears. Despite having a flight booked to the Utopia States the following day, she immediately booked the most expensive flight to Dragfort. Unfortunately, she was too late; when she arrived, Fred had already passed away. Overwhelmed by grief, she wept uncontrollably.Quentin handed her a letter. "This is from Grandpa." He appeared calm and collected, just like always, but his eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was grave.Noelle unfolded the letter and felt as if she could see Fred's kind and loving face right in front of her. "Elle, I want to apologize for everything our family has put you through over the y
On the way to Collinview City, Noelle's head pounded, and her stomach churned with nausea, though she couldn't bring herself to throw up. She reclined in her seat as the flight attendant, assigned to accompany her, checked on her frequently, concern etched on her face."Are you sure you don't need anything?" the attendant asked again, her worry apparent.Noelle shook her head, but then caught a whisper from the attendant to someone nearby, "Mr. Lowe instructed us to take good care of Ms. Xanthos. Should we inform him about her condition?""Don't tell him!"Noelle abruptly sat up. "I'll be fine after some rest."She didn't want to cause any more trouble, nor did she want to endure Quentin's concern and care.A breakup is a breakup. There's no need to keep dragging things out.Noelle's reaction took aback the flight attendant but quickly composed herself. "Alright, Ms. Xanthos," she replied, refraining from contacting the ground as instructed.Over two hours later, the plane touc
After Michael finished speaking, he walked away, his tall figure showing no trace of emotion.Noelle stared blankly at his departing silhouette, thinking, "Yeah, she really had missed out on so much before. But… did this mean he was actually trying to mentor her?"When Noelle returned to her place, she collapsed onto the bed, not wanting to get up. Even though she had only assisted in the surgery, the constant tension had left her utterly exhausted.Her phone rang—it was Christian. She answered."Hello?""Hey, little widow, did you finish knitting that scarf?"Noelle replied, "Halfway done."Then, through gritted teeth, she added, "Call me 'little widow' again, and I'll marry you just to spite you!"Christian chuckled, his voice sounding especially nice even over the distance. "Sure! Go ahead and try. Let's see if you can manage to outlive me!"Noelle suddenly found herself at a loss for words."You're so annoying!"She hung up the phone and walked over to the window, hoping
"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