Christian suddenly decided that things were going too smoothly, so he pressed his fingertip against a piece of broken dishware. In an instant, blood started to flow."Be careful not to cut yourself—oh no..." Noelle had just finished warning him when she saw the blood trickling from Christian's finger, cut by the sharp edge of the broken dish.Her heart skipped a beat."Wait here, I'll get the first aid kit!" Noelle dashed upstairs.Emily, who had been watching from the doorway, glanced at Christian's finger, shook her head, and, not sure whether to praise him or not, said, "Nice move, young man!"With that, she turned and left, giving the two young people some space.Noelle returned with the first aid kit and carefully took Christian's hand, starting to disinfect and bandage the wound.As she worked, Christian kept his eyes on her, his long dark lashes fluttering as he blinked. "Weren't you planning to keep my hand as a specimen?"Noelle shot him a glance. "I've changed my mind
Noelle was momentarily stunned.Yvette gently placed her hand over her rounded belly, resting it softly on the fabric of her dress. She lowered her eyes and said quietly, "Ask me anything you want."Noelle's stiff legs finally moved, and she stepped into the house, sitting down on the couch, still finding it hard to believe. "Whose child is it? Where is he? Why didn't you ever tell me?"Suddenly, it all made sense to Noelle—Yvette hadn't gone back because she was pregnant out of wedlock.Yvette's hand gently caressed her belly as she sat down next to Noelle."He's mine. I'm going to raise him on my own!"She had no intention of telling John that she was carrying his child.This child was something she had chosen for herself, and she didn't believe John should bear the responsibility.Besides, if John married her just because of the baby, it wouldn't feel right to her.Seeing Yvette like this, Noelle realized she wasn't going to get any more answers.For a moment, Noelle didn'
When Quentin saw Noelle standing in the doorway, his eyes softened, and warmth spread across his face."It's you!"Noelle's expression turned cold. As she headed upstairs, she asked, "What are you doing here?"She hoped her indifference might make him leave.But from downstairs, his eyes followed her tall figure as she ascended."I happened to have some work nearby, so I came over. Thought I'd stop by to see you."Something he'd planned deliberately, he called a casual visit.Noelle responded coolly, "Oh, well, you've seen me now. You can leave. I won't be seeing you out."Her graceful figure disappeared onto the second floor.Quentin's chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. She was so indifferent to him, that she wouldn't even spare him a glance, let alone say more than a few words.But he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet. Quentin followed her upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door on the second floor "Elle, can you open the door? I just want to say a few word
About an hour later, Emily came knocking on Noelle's door.Noelle got up, and Emily walked in, holding a large bouquet of flowers.Emily was full of amazement. "That's a lot of money!"When Noelle saw what the bouquet was made of, the corners of her mouth twitched."This… who sent this?" she asked, taking the bouquet made of pink bills from Emily.Emily pointed towards the building across the street with her blue eyes.Noelle immediately understood.Only someone like Christian could come up with such an idea.Her phone rang, and she saw that it was Christian calling. She answered it.Christian asked, "Are you happy?"Noelle was speechless. "Thanks, Mr. Blackwood!"Christian chuckled. "You little money-grubber! If you're happy, how about calling me 'hubby'?"Click. The call was abruptly ended.Christian was instantly left in silence.Noelle counted the bills—99 in total. Although it was a bit tacky, she was still impressed by the bouquet made of money. She placed it on her
Quentin headed toward the bathroom.Quinn watched his tall, well-built figure as he unsteadily made his way inside, and a strong thought crossed her mind.Tonight, she would become his woman.Quinn began undressing, piece by piece.Quentin took a cold shower, which cleared his head a little. When he stepped out, wrapped in a bathrobe, he was suddenly confronted with the sight of a naked body in front of him.Quinn stood there, her expression a mix of shyness and seduction, her eyes full of desire. She took a few steps toward Quentin, raising herself on her tiptoes as her slender arms wrapped around his neck. She leaned in, offering her red lips to him."Get out!" Quentin grabbed her arm and shoved her away with force.Quinn lost her balance and fell to the floor, her bare skin hitting the ground. At that moment, she felt a mix of shame and fury, hating Quentin with every fiber of her being.She scrambled to her feet, hastily put her clothes back on, and stormed out, seething wi
Quentin closed his eyes, thinking to himself, "This is karma!"As soon as Noelle stepped out of the hospital room, she was stunned.Christian was standing right there in the hallway, looking perfectly fine. His tall frame and handsome features made him look like a god descended from the sun, his eyes full of energy—nothing like someone who was supposedly sick.And when had he even gotten here?"You..." Noelle began in surprise.Christian furrowed his brows like a child, his expression serious. "Babe, when you're with him, I get jealous. You spent hours with him, and I've been jealous for hours. I'm feeling awful right now—what are you going to do about it?"Noelle was beyond frustrated, her cheeks puffing in anger. "Who cares!"She started to walk away, but Christian grabbed her arm, pulling her back until she was standing right in front of him again. In the next moment, he pressed her against the hallway wall."You…" Noelle was about to ask what he was doing, but Christian qui
"Hmm. Now that sounds more like it!" Quentin said as he walked over to the couch and sat down, picking up a glass of plain water."I'll win her back with my sincerity!"Martin breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to see that Quentin had resolved to take this approach."Mr. Lowe, you really should be in the hospital right now," Martin said, still concerned.Quentin let out a silent sigh, his lowered eyes hiding a trace of sadness. "There's no point in staying there if she's not around."He had thought that his injury would make her worry about him, that she would stay by his side in the hospital. But as soon as Christian called, she left—without a second thought.Just like he used to leave her.Back then, when he abandoned her time and time again, she must have felt the same pain he was feeling now.Quentin's expression suddenly grew more despondent.Around the same time, Scott had arrived, bringing Quinn along to face Quentin. At the hotel, he pushed Quinn in front of Quenti
Michael remained as focused and composed as ever, easily performing one of the most complex surgeries in the world.The surgery was a success, and as he exited the operating room, the patient's family gathered to thank him. He simply waved them off and walked away with the team of doctors.For a moment, that figure in white seemed especially grand in Noelle's eyes.After work, Noelle went to visit Yvette. She bought some nutritional supplements for her, knowing she would return to her home country the next day.She wasn't sure when they'd meet again—perhaps when Yvette gave birth, though Noelle wasn't certain she'd be able to come then.This time, there was a new addition in Yvette's home—an Eastlandian maid named Raven Skinner.Raven mentioned that Yvette had taken a fall a few days ago, but fortunately, nothing serious had happened.When Raven mentioned Yvette's fall, Noelle's heart skipped a beat."I really think you should tell your family. You can't hide this from them for
"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