How silly. Ten months for a pregnancy and birth—it seemed Christian hadn't even considered that.There was no way he'd be welcoming a baby this year.Christian threw out a parting shot before ending the call. "That IQ must come from your wife!"Steven stared at the now silent phone, muttering, "That brat! Blaming me now?"He turned to Beatrice to share the exchange.Noelle couldn't help herself, she burst into laughter but quickly stifled it, worried Christian might get upset.She composed herself and looked out the window, trying to appear serious.Why does she find their father-son banter so endearing?Christian watched her through his sunglasses, and couldn't help but let his lips curve into a smile as if something pleasant had crossed his mind.Then someone tapped him on the shoulder."Mr. Blackwood, it is you!" A sweet, excited voice chirped.Christian removed his sunglasses, his brows arching in annoyance. "Do I know you?"The woman was dressed in a trendy black coat,
Michael's driver pulled the car around, and the two of them got in, heading straight to Lia's place.Michael went to take a shower, while Lia used another bathroom to freshen up.She applied a carefully selected perfume, slipped into a sheer, transparent nightgown, and did her makeup to look alluring and seductive.She positioned herself provocatively on the bed, eager to finally have some intimate time with Michael after so many days apart.But just as she had everything perfectly set up, her phone rang.The caller ID showed it was her mother, Bonnie Neel.Annoyed, Lia answered, "What is it?"Bonnie's voice came through urgently, "Lia, Morton has been arrested. You need to figure something out, fast!"Lia was instantly furious. "Alright, I'll take care of it!"Morton was her father Cyril and Bonnie's adopted son, making him her foster brother—but their relationship wasn't exactly that of pure siblings.All of Lia's earlier excitement vanished.When Michael came out of the s
This time, it was Michael who lost his composure.With a long stride, he closed the distance to Emmie, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to pin her against the wall by the bedroom door."You wouldn't dare," he growled through clenched teeth.Then he cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her hard.Emmie's hand shot up, and she slapped him—hard.It was the first time she had ever hit anyone and the first time Michael had ever been struck.He touched his stinging cheek, stunned. "You're crazy!"He threw her a look of disbelief before turning and storming out. The door slammed shut behind him, sealing him off from her.Emmie slumped against the wall, feeling utterly drained.Meanwhile, at the hospital, Elijah had just taken his medication and was lying down when Michael's imposing figure appeared in the room.Michael's presence was impossible to ignore.Sensing that familiar aura, Elijah looked up and frowned, his voice weak. "What brings you here, Mr. Xanthos?"
Emmie didn't show up—she had sent Lia instead."I'm out of here. You two lovebirds can have a nice, long chat," Adrian said at just the right moment, setting down his drink and getting up to leave. Before going, he couldn't resist taking a jab at Michael.Lia rushed over to Michael. "Michael, why did you drink so much? Are you alright?""Get lost!" Michael spat out, his eyes blazing with anger.Lia looked at him, shocked. "Michael..."She was terrified. Michael had never spoken to her like this before."Don't think I don't know about your dirty little secrets!" Michael stood up and shoved her aside, walking out without another word.Lia's face went pale.Does he know something?Her body trembled as she clenched her fists tightly, haunted by memories of being with Morton—how he had her under his control, twisting her life on that bed of his. Even earlier today, she...By the time Lia ran out of the bar, Michael's car was long gone.In the darkened bedroom at Gentle Glades, Mi
Quentin's eyes lowered slightly, his emotions swirling—sadness, helplessness, pain, guilt, and deep regret all flickered across his face.He clenched his fists, trying to steady himself.His voice was heavy with emotions. "I know I messed up badly before, and I know you hate me for it. But how will you ever know if I can do better if you don't give me a chance?"Noelle was speechless. She was done wasting her breath on him.Without another word, she raised her hand and shut the door in his face.During the years she needed him most, he never bothered to give her a second glance.Later, when he said he wanted to be with her, she believed him, giving him chance after chance.But every time, he chose another woman over her, leaving her with nothing but scars, nearly losing her life at sea.And now, where did he get the nerve to ask for another chance?Noelle went straight to take a shower.Quentin stood outside, his intense gaze fixed on the closed door, his heart throbbing with
Sarah buried herself in her work.When Noelle stepped out of the restroom, she saw Lia leaving the obstetrics and gynecology clinic.Upon seeing Noelle, Lia curved her lips into a smirk."Your dad's set on having a son. I came in for a check-up with Dr. Dawson. Everything looks good, so maybe you'll have a little brother soon.Noelle's response was a cold smile. "Is that so? Well, I hope this pregnancy goes smoothly for you. After all, losing a baby for no reason can't be good for your health, right?"Lia's face twisted with anger.But Noelle had already walked away.Lia had been pregnant twice. Once when she threw herself down the stairs to frame Noelle, resulting in a miscarriage, and the second time her baby mysteriously died in the womb.Noelle couldn't help but think that perhaps Michael wasn't meant to have a son.Or maybe it was just karma.As Noelle walked on, Zara approached her, biting her lip."Elle, are you upset with me because of that social media post? I swear
"Right, right! I helped out with a few of those too!" one friend chimed in."Same here. I even got my siblings to pitch in. There was that mountain bike, an ionizing hair dryer, a garment steamer… Chris, are you really that desperate for this girl?" another friend asked, clearly bewildered.Christian's expression darkened. "That wasn't her. From now on, if you see anything shared by that person, ignore it."The name Serene Vales flashed in Christian's mind. That was Zara's name.He had only shared her link with his friends once, but Zara had clearly taken it further, continuing to share her links with them and even adding them on WhatsApp."Clever, but also pretty shameless," Christian thought, his gaze unreadable.As they pieced together what was happening, Christian's friends began recalling various idioms that describe imitating others poorly or taking over something that isn't rightfully theirs.They felt that this rare talent was like a poor imitation or an intruder, and th
Noelle paused for a moment when she saw Christian."It's you! What are you doing here?"Having just missed Emmie again, Noelle's spirits were low. As she spoke, her long lashes trembled slightly, masking a trace of sadness.Christian noticed something was off with her. Tilting his head, his glassy eyes studied her curiously. "Babe, who made you cry? What's wrong?"He frowned, concern knitting his brow.Noelle took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. His words nearly broke through her defenses, sending waves of emotion crashing over her."It's nothing," she said, turning away to hide her vulnerability.Christian placed his hands on her shoulders, gently but firmly turning her back to face him.His gaze was warm and comforting, his forehead almost touching hers. "Come on, tell me who upset you? Your husband will take care of it."Noelle quickly shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes before spilling over.She was too caught up in her emotions to notice the word he'd u
"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