Xyla appeared to be innocent and unharmed. She was akin to a flower. Those who didn't know her would easily be fooled. During her time in the entertainment industry, she had carefully cultivated such a delicate image. Quentin had his back turned to Xyla as she walked in, so he couldn't see her. Noelle seized the opportunity to playfully stroke Quentin's leg under the table with her heels. Quentin furrowed his brow but continued eating, unfazed. Noelle persisted in teasing him. A flirtatious atmosphere lingered at the table.Quentin glanced up. His voice was low but audible. "Are you feeling horny?" Noelle flushed at his question. How could he relate everything to sex at every chance? "Let me satisfy you in a few days," Quentin said nonchalantly. Noelle was taken aback by how straightforward Quentin was. She seemed to have pleased him adequately last night. Noelle wanted to hide under the table and vanish. Noelle had tried to seduce Quentin to annoy Xyla, but now the tables
"Two, please," a man's distinct voice called out.Noelle turned her head to see John standing before a cotton candy stall, where the vendor handed him two sticks of cotton candy as he scanned the code for payment.John walked over, holding the cotton candy sticks. Noelle couldn't suppress a laugh.The sight of a well-dressed, middle-aged, elegant, and handsome top-tier businessman, who usually appeared so poised and refined at social gatherings, walking over with two sticks of cotton candy was just too amusing for her. "Laughing, are you?" John handed Noelle one of the sticks, a smile playing on his refined features. "I've never tried this before. It's my first try, thanks to you," John said as he brought the cotton candy to his lips and took a tentative bite.He had never been fond of sweets, but for her, he was willing to try.All of Noelle's sorrow disappeared in an instant. She licked the cotton candy and giggled.Meanwhile, Tristan took some photos of the two of them in
Was Martin hinting that Quentin and Xyla had a messy breakup? Quentin was visibly troubled after posing his question. He loosened his tie in frustration. On the other hand, Yvette dragged Noelle to play golf and introduced her to some of her college mates.Yvette solemnly introduced her to everyone. "Meet my cousin's wife, Noelle! She is the most renowned interior designer in the industry. If anyone needs renovation work, she's the one to go to!" One guy joked, "Seriously? I mean, the Lowe family is loaded. Why is your cousin's wife still working? Couldn't she just ask her husband for a project and be set for years?"The Lowe family's properties were distributed across the country, each ready to move in with pre-furnished interiors ready.Noelle pursed her lips and remained silent. Quentin had never allocated any projects to her, even though several of the Lowe family's houses were move-in ready with fully furnished interiors.However, Noelle had no intention of relying on
That bitch! If Xyla hadn't had to maintain her image in front of everyone, she would have stormed over and torn Noelle apart. When Yvette noticed Xyla's complexion had turned pale, she burst out laughing. Her laughter caused her to double over. "This is so funny! Noelle, let me have a go!" Yvette snatched the cue stick from Noelle's hand, ready to take a shot. Xyla's face turned as white as a sheet. "Yvette!" Suddenly, a stern voice interrupted, freezing everyone in place.Yvette looked at the approaching handsome man and pouted defiantly before dropping the cue stick. Noelle glanced at Quentin, her gaze cold and unwavering.Xyla, whose eyes were welling up with tears and about to burst, watched as Quentin strode towards her. "Are you okay?" Quentin murmured softly to Xyla. Xyla's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice was faint and shaky. "Don't be upset with Noelle, Quint. It's on me."I always hurt myself. She probably thinks I'm vying for your attention, so she aime
"Yvette!" Quentin called out in a low voice.Reluctantly, Yvette walked over. Quentin murmured a few words to her, and Yvette entered the changing room begrudgingly.After getting dressed, Noelle emerged from the changing room. Quentin was smoking outside. She glanced at him briefly, then walked away with Yvette.Quentin followed shortly after. While Yvette's friends hopped into another car, Noelle hopped into Yvette's. Quentin told Martin to drive behind them.Soon, they arrived at Bellagio Bistro. Noelle and her group walked into the restaurant. Quentin exited the car and instructed Martin, "Bring that bottle of Romanée-Conti!""Yes, Mr. Lowe!"Martin got out of the car and retrieved the wine from the trunk. Quentin then walked into the restaurant.The door to the private room was open, so Quentin stepped in and sat casually next to Noelle. He had requested that Yvette reserve the seat for him.Noelle groaned and turned away, refusing to look at his face. She briefly looked a
Noelle swiftly downed her wine. Quentin's handsome eyes fixed on her. The way she suddenly toasted him with such a formal gesture seemed suspicious to him. He smirked, hoisted his glass of wine, and smiled at Noelle. "You're welcome." Quentin downed his wine, too. Noelle continued, "Hey everyone, let's raise our glasses to Mr. Lowe for joining us amidst his busy schedule!" Yvette's classmates immediately followed suit, raising their glasses. Seeing Noelle finish her drink in her toast to Quentin, they felt obliged to do likewise despite the seeming extravagance. Quentin was left speechless, sensing it was a deliberate test. With everyone finishing their wine, he had no option but to reciprocate the gesture. He instructed Martin, "Get another bottle of wine!"Martin promptly brought in another bottle. Quentin poured himself drink after drink, accepting each toast from Yvette's friends.Noelle smirked and thought to herself, "Just wait! You'll suffer later." After dinner, N
Once, Noelle tended to Quentin like her own man, but now she tended to him for Xyla's sake. She believed Quentin would eventually be Xyla's, and she wasn't that naive. Noelle delved into Quentin's pocket in search of his phone, but the ringing sound emanated from somewhere around his waist. It seemed Quentin had dropped his phone when he lay down. Noelle lowered her body, her head nearly touching his abdomen, and slid her hand underneath. Beneath her skirt, her undergarments peeked out, but she assumed Quentin wouldn't stir in a while.Unbeknownst to her, Quentin had already awoken, stealing a glance beneath her skirt. If only it were completely bare.Quentin had managed to free his arms without Noelle noticing. With surprising ease, he lifted her and gently placed her on the bed, causing Noelle to scream in surprise. Nolle looked up and found herself face-to-face with Quentin's enlarged, handsome visage. She was fuming with rage and held her breath. "You were pretending to b
Quentin's phone buzzed urgently in the dead of night, disrupting his sleep. Irritably, he grumbled as he answered the call.Gloria's urgent voice on the other end jolted him awake. "Ms. Cadwell has fainted, Mr. Lowe!"Quentin's breath caught, and all traces of weariness vanished. He sprang out of bed, quickly dressed, and dashed out.Still groggy from sleep, Noelle was roused by the muffled sound of Quentin's call. Intrigued, she decided to follow him and investigate. She immediately changed, drove, and trailed behind Quentin.The wind had stopped, and the night was unusually peaceful. There were few cars on the road, so Noelle drove aggressively. She followed Quentin from afar, eventually arriving in an upscale residential neighborhood where she assumed Xyla resided.Noelle watched Quentin exit the car and enter the building with long strides. Moments later, he reappeared, cradling Xyla in his arms, trailed by Gloria.Xyla appeared unconscious, her limp posture suggesting she wa
"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