Christian's porcelain-like fingers gently pinched Noelle's cool cheek, the gesture brimming with affection.Noelle rolled her eyes at him. "You're so full of it!"Christian laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he watched her feigned annoyance. "Well, you've definitely got me wrapped around your finger!"Noelle's lips twitched as she tried to suppress a smile. Playing along, she asked, "How old are you, anyway?"Christian smirked. "Not much, just three years older than you."She was 24, and he was 27.Noelle narrowed her beautiful eyes playfully. "And you've never been wrapped around someone else's finger before?"Her gaze was teasing, almost mischievous, but there was a hint of curiosity in her tone as if she were probing for something deeper.Christian's captivating eyes met her, their gazes locking in a silent exchange.He could sense the subtext in her question—was she trying to get a read on him?A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he let out a soft chuck
A wave of fear surged through Noelle's heart, and she abruptly pushed Christian away, turning to run back the way she had come.The confusion arising in Christian's eyes gradually faded.He began walking in the direction she had fled.When Christian returned to the building, Noelle was nowhere to be seen.He stood in the light near the entrance, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat, thick brows furrowed in frustration.He sighed, exasperated with himself. He had been too eager, and it had scared her off.Meanwhile, Emmie left the restaurant and stepped into an elevator.A tall figure dressed in a sleek black suit followed her inside.Emmie turned around, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw the familiar, handsome face.As the elevator doors closed behind Michael, he arched a dark eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What's the matter, can't handle it? Professor Fox is into Elijah. What I do with other women has nothing to do with you, does it?"His slende
Morton hissed as he rubbed his slapped cheek, brushing it off with a smirk. "Well, it's because you won't let me touch you.""Shut up!" Lia snapped angrily, her eyes darting around nervously.After ensuring no one was paying attention, she turned on her heel and stormed off.Once inside the car, Morton's hands snaked around her waist, his fingers drifting toward her lower stomach. "Is it mine, or his?"Lia shoved him away harshly. "Keep your mouth shut! Of course, it's his!"She quickly adjusted her hair, glancing nervously at the taxi driver.He seemed focused on the road, oblivious to their conversation. Even if he had overheard, he wouldn't know who she was.Relief washed over her.Michael's desires weren't like those of other men. He seemed more invested in his scalpel than in her. They were intimate maybe once a month, at most.When she couldn't take it anymore, she turned to Morton.The baby, she knew, was mostly likely not Michael's. But she had to make sure he belie
Noelle couldn't understand why Kara was acting this way.Wasn't being a doctor about saving lives and putting patients first?"You didn't mean it? Then what did you mean, Noelle? I've put up with you long enough! Just because you have a boyfriend, you think you're something special?" Kara exploded.Noelle stared at her, bewildered.What did having a boyfriend have to do with anything, and why was it setting Kara off like this?Because Christian sent her elaborate flower arrangements every day, people at the hospital assumed he was her boyfriend—even though few had actually seen him.Before Noelle could respond, a tall figure in a white coat appeared in the doorway, followed by an assistant."Is arguing part of your job description?" Michael's cold voice broke the tension.His sharp gaze swept over Noelle and Kara, his expression stern and filled with displeasure.Noelle froze when she saw Michael.She remembered he had a surgery scheduled today for a high-profile political fi
At the end of her shift, Noelle ran into Michael in the elevator.His surgery had lasted ten hours, and though there was a trace of fatigue in his eyes, his sharp, stern demeanor remained unchanged.His tall figure stood with hands clasped behind his back, and beside him was his assistant, Russ Warren.Russ nodded at her. "Ms. Xanthos."Noelle gave a quick nod in return. "Mr. Warren."She turned her back to Michael, facing the elevator doors, not wanting to engage with him.The air grew heavy with silence, broken only by the soft hum of the elevator descending. Soon, they reached the ground floor.Without a trace of emotion, Michael spoke from behind her. "You'll be assisting with the surgery the day after tomorrow."Before she could respond, his dark figure swept past her as he exited the elevator.Noelle paused for a moment before stepping out. By the time she reached the lobby, Michael's car had already pulled away.Later that evening, she had dinner with Sarah at a steakh
"Dr. Poole," Noelle greeted Kara.Kara didn't lift her eyes, but her response was calm. "Mm."Noelle started packing her things to leave when, suddenly, the door burst open.A man stormed in, striding straight to Kara. Grabbing her by the collar, he yanked her out of her chair. "Kara, if you don't want me seeing Tabitha, then get a divorce! What do you mean by telling the family about this?"As he spoke, he raised his hand and delivered a loud, hard slap.The sharp sound echoed through the room.Kara yelped in pain, and five red fingerprints immediately marked her face.Andrew's eyes blazed with anger, his entire body radiating fury. Still unsatisfied, he kicked Kara hard in the chest.She crumpled to the floor, clutching her chest, struggling to breathe.Andrew looked like he was about to hit her again.Noelle grabbed a chair and swung it at Andrew's back. "Touch her again, and I'm calling the cops!"Andrew staggered from the blow, then spun around in fury.Seeing it was j
Leonard wasted no time.He walked over and kicked the man fumbling with his zipper square in the back, sending him flat on his face just as he was about to expose himself.Then, without missing a beat, Leonard delivered a hard slap to the other man's face.Noelle scrambled to her feet and darted behind Leonard, trembling.Leonard positioned himself protectively in front of her. "Noelle, don't be scared, I'm here! Damn it, these idiots! Just what I needed—a reason to beat someone up!"He grabbed one of the men by the collar and started pummeling him, then turned to deliver a beating to the other.They were just a couple of workers Andrew had bribed, and neither tried to fight back.Within minutes, Leonard had them both on the ground, beaten senseless.Thinking quickly, Leonard pulled out his phone and called Christian. "Christian, someone tried to mess with Noelle!"Meanwhile, Andrew, who had been watching from a distance, had already bolted.Noelle couldn't believe something
Another time, Quentin had promised to pick Noelle up from her studio but never showed. Instead, a group of thugs arrived.Not only did they trash her studio, but they almost assaulted her. She escaped only by smashing a flowerpot over one of their heads.Back then, she had been terrified, but she never expected Quentin to be of any help.She had no choice but to endure the fear alone, retreating to her tiny apartment, quietly nursing her wounds by herself."Okay, I'll stay with you," Christian said softly.His tone was incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to the carefree man she usually knew.His beautiful eyes were filled with tenderness—so careful and deliberate as if he were handling something fragile.He held her still-cool hand."Just lie down for a bit. Philbert will be here soon with some food, alright?"Noelle dozed off for a while, and Christian softly patted her shoulder. "Wake up, babe. Time to eat."She groggily sat up, greeted by the comforting smell of food.Chr