"I'm Stanley Gardner. My family owns half the pharmacies in Collinview City."Noelle's expression turned cold. "I don't care who you are. I don't know you. Leave now, or I'll call the police."Stanley leaned on the desk in front of her, one arm on his hip, his lips curling into an amused smirk. "Your family already accepted my gift. You don't get to reject me! I'll let it slide since you don't know me yet. "After your shift tomorrow morning, you'll come with me to meet my parents, and we'll settle things. We'll be married before the new year—my parents are ready for grandkids."With that, Stanley straightened up and left.Noelle's mind raced back to the call from the Xanthos residence earlier that evening. Could this guy be someone Mabel had arranged for her?As she pondered, her phone rang again. The caller ID showed it was from Xanthos' residence.Noelle answered, and this time, it was Mabel's voice on the line."Elle, I need you to come over tomorrow morning. Grandma's fo
On his way to Neon Nights, Stanley called up a few friends.In the private room, his friend, Gerald Davison, wasted no time asking, "Where've you been these past few days? We've been trying to reach you, but you've been MIA!"Another friend, Cliff Sherman, gave Stanley a once-over, taking in his sharp suit, neatly styled hair, and the gel holding it all in place. "All polished and proper. Did you go on a date or something?"Stanley tugged at his tie, sitting down on the couch with a serious expression. "The Xanthos family's little lady is going to be my wife."Gerald raised an eyebrow. "The Xanthos family? As in the big-shot medical family?"Stanley nodded. "Who else? Do you think there's another Xanthos family with a daughter worthy of me?"Gerald let out a low whistle, then burst into laughter. He playfully slapped Stanley on the shoulder. "Man, you've hit the jackpot. You're marrying into a high-class family! So, how's the girl? She must be pretty, right?"None of Stanley's
Quentin stood there, his gaze lingering on Noelle with an unreadable expression.Suspicious, Noelle picked up the envelope and opened it. Inside, she saw a blur of white. She pulled out one of the photos.The image showed three men and one woman in a depraved, disturbing scene—something far beyond what she could have ever imagined. Her stomach lurched violently, and she immediately felt her breakfast rising in her throat.Covering her mouth, she bolted from the room.The photo fluttered to the floor.Quentin picked it up and tucked it back into the envelope.Only one other student was in the office, but they were seated far enough away that they hadn't noticed what was happening. They glanced up briefly, but seeing nothing unusual, returned to their work.Quentin slipped the envelope into his coat pocket and followed Noelle toward the restroom.From the hall, he could already hear the sound of her retching. He raised an eyebrow and thought, "What taste I must have, fallin
"Thank you, Dr. Poole," Noelle said, taking the meal box from Kara and sending her the money for it.Kara glanced at Quentin, who stood tall not far away, then leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Your ex-husband?"Noelle nodded softly as she opened the box and started eating. "Mm-hmm."Kara sighed. Quentin was impossibly handsome, almost unreal, but clearly, he didn't know how to value a woman like Noelle.Quentin left soon after, making a call to Martin as he walked away. "Keep an eye on Stanley."Noelle wasn't a concern anymore.There was no way she'd fall for someone as repulsive as Stanley, but Quentin still worried Stanley might try something stupid. And Lia—well, she definitely needed to be taught a lesson, too.Stanley came looking for Noelle again. She had just finished her shift. When he noticed her slender frame walking out of the outpatient building, he shut his car door and strode toward her."Elle, I'm here to pick you up. Surely you have time to meet my fam
Stanley was already plotting how to ease Noelle into getting comfortable with his "friends." Once she got used to them, everything would fall into place.He gave them a reminder, "Listen, behave yourselves tonight. She's my future wife. Well… our wife," he added in a lower voice, smirking.Miles Cantrell grinned. "What kind of woman could make someone like Stanley, who's seen it all, fall head over heels? I can't wait to meet her."Brian Medina chimed in, "Same here. I'm dying to see what she's like."Stanley flashed a confident smile. "You guys act like I'd go after anything less than perfection."Knock, knock."Stanley?" A man's voice called from outside, calm and neutral, impossible to read."Who the hell is that?" He walked to the door and opened it, glancing left—nothing. He turned right...Suddenly, a hand like a steel vice grabbed his throat, yanking him forward. Before Stanley could even process what was happening, his head slammed against the wall with a sickening th
Noelle tilted her head up, locking eyes with Christian's cold, stormy gaze.Gone was the charming, playful man she once knew. His eyes were like a turbulent ocean, the dark blue depths swirling with danger. Looking into them was like staring into an abyss.She struggled in his grip. "Let me go!"Christian's hold only tightened, his breath a mix of icy chill and burning heat as if he were both freezing and smearing her at the same time. There was no escape."If you've got the strength, go ahead—free yourself," he challenged, making it clear he had no intention of letting her go.Noelle tugged harder, but his grip was unyielding.His hand clamped around her wrist like a vice, holding her as if she were a helpless animal caught in a trap.Furious, she grabbed his arm with her free hand and leaned down, sinking her teeth into his wrist.Christian was wearing a black leather coat, with just a sliver of skin exposed at the cuff. Noelle didn't hold back, biting down as hard as s
Noelle struggled in disgust, but Christian's arm was like a black iron, pressing down on her shoulder, unmoving.The more she squirmed, the harder he pressed.Frustrated that she couldn't break free, Noelle mentally cursed Christian several times over.Quentin's dark eyes swept over her, trapped under Christian's arm. "She doesn't look too willing, Mr. Blackwood. Didn't you notice? Or do I need to call the police for you to let go?"There was a menacing edge in his tone, subtle power radiating from his figure wrapped in that black coat."I'm willing! Who said I'm not!"Noelle leaned closer to Christian's side. She didn't want to deal with either of these men, but she didn't want to give Quentin the satisfaction of thinking he had the upper hand.Her soft body pressed against Christian's solid frame. His lips curved into a crooked smile, and the look in his eyes softened slightly as he glanced down at her, his grip loosening but still keeping her close. He raised a brow at
Noelle felt her breath catch in frustration once again. "You..."It was clear now—neither of these men would let her off easy. Furious, Noelle spun around and stormed off.Behind her, sparks flew between Quentin and Christian, the thick tension hanging like the smoke of an impending battle.Meanwhile, Lia slowly came to, her vision adjusting to the sterile white ceiling above. For a moment, she didn't recognize where she was until her gaze landed on Michael, sitting nearby. Her heart clenched, and she immediately sat up. "Michael, no—I swear, I don't know what happened!"A dull pain throbbed in her lower abdomen, but it wasn't just there—her entire body ached, and certain places even more so. As fragmented memories of the private room flooded back, she quickly covered her mouth, her eyes widening in horror."You mean to tell me you had no idea Stanley was capable of that? Or were you unaware the baby wouldn't survive?" Michael's tone was calm, almost too casual, as he spun a