That was why Noelle could be brought down by Quentin's gentle gaze and soothing tone.Quentin's hand clasped around hers as he gave her a serious look. "Elle, promise me you won't be with John."This was his only request. In the three years they had been married, Quentin hadn't realized how much Noelle meant to him. He had taken her for granted, believing she would always be with him whether he needed her or not.He couldn't care less about her until he realized someone else had set their eyes on her. That was when he started fearing he might lose her.At that moment, he knew without a doubt that he did not want to lose her.Noelle's heart skipped a beat. Quentin seemed to mean every word he said, and he sounded like he was pleading with her. She was admittedly shocked to the core.Quentin could be fooling her right now with such sentimental talk. Not wanting to let herself hope, Noelle pulled away from his grip and walked to the window. "John and I aren't like that. I don't th
"Mrs. Lowe…" Xyla greeted Janet feebly. She didn't expect Janet to show up, and there was fear in her eyes as she regarded the older woman apprehensively.Janet nearly rolled her eyes at Xyla's act. "Spare me the theatrics. Quentin isn't here, and your little act won't work on me. Get up. Mr. Lowe Senior wants to see you."With that, Janet walked up to Xyla and pulled off the covers. Xyla cried out in alarm."What's the matter with you? Ms. Cadwell is a patient!" Gloria protested angrily from one side of the room.Janet didn't so much as glance at Gloria as she retorted, "You don't get to talk. Now, scram!"Intimidated by Janet's abrasive tone, Gloria stopped in her tracks and did not draw any closer to the bed.There was no sympathy in Janet's eyes as she sneered at Xyla, "You're always sick, and you've been in and out of the emergency room so many times that it's a wonder you're still alive. "Shouldn't you be dead if you were in such a critical condition?"Xyla swallowed as
Xyla had no choice but to lie about her intentions for now."Fine, then. Both of you can get up now. From now on, Quentin's promise to marry you will no longer be valid. You may leave," Fred declared.Xyla felt her stomach turn into lead after Fred dismissed her with only a few sentences.However, as offended as she was, she dared not reveal it. She gave Quentin a pained look and did not turn away until she was sure he had seen the tears in her eyes.Quentin didn't expect Fred to pull such a stunt. He felt bitter as he watched Xyla leave, and he couldn't help the guilt that coursed through him."Grandpa," he began to argue."Shut up!" Fred snapped. He did not want to hear whatever Quentin had to say.Quentin wisely kept quiet after that. His fortune was at stake here.Fred addressed Noelle indulgently, "Elle, if this bastard ever hurts you or meets up with Xyla again, I want you to come straight to me. I'll make him give you all his fortune as a punishment!"Noelle was rendere
Quentin's voice was getting softer with every word. He truly was unwell.Seeing this, Noelle spared him from any more talking and said, "All right, that's enough. Just get some rest."She had never wanted any part of the Lowes' shares, and she would have said no even if Fred were to offer them to her.Just then, the door opened. Martin entered the room, holding up his phone as he announced, "Mr. Lowe, Layla has apologized."He handed the phone to Quentin, who took it and clicked on the video. At once, Layla appeared on the screen with streaming down her swollen cheeks. "Mrs. Lowe and I got into a minor dispute, and I put up that post to drag her name through the mud as payback."In truth, Mrs. Lowe had met up with Mr. Xenos for legitimate reasons, and there was nothing salacious going on between them. "I hereby apologize for hurting Mr. and Mrs. Lowe as well as Mr. Xenos with my post."Layla did not mention Xyla in her apology and confessed that the picture of Noelle in the p
The couple from Dragfort were understandably upset at how things had turned out. They wrapped up their post by tagging John, Noelle, and Quentin in an offer. "If any of you wish to file legal proceedings, know that our law firm will offer you our services for free."Noelle responded to this by replying, "Great. I might just take you up on that offer."At once, the netizens voiced their support by sharing her post and captioning it, "Go, Mrs. Lowe! Stand up for yourself! Don't let those scumbags get away with this!"Quentin woke up feeling much better. He turned and saw Martin in the chair next to his bed, earnestly reading something on his phone. Noelle was nowhere to be seen."Where's Noelle?" Quentin asked.Martin jumped when he heard Quentin's voice and nearly dropped his phone. He quickly backed out of the comments section and answered, "Mrs. Lowe has gone home."Quentin frowned, displeased that Noelle had gone home and left him alone in the hospital. He was sick and in nee
Noelle was replying to messages on her WhatsApp, most of which were from concerned classmates and clients, when the doorbell rang.When she opened the door and saw Quentin standing there, she frowned. "What brings you here, Mr. Lowe?"Quentin felt somewhat bitter that Noelle chose to address him so formally. He wondered when she had started calling him "Mr. Lowe" instead of his first name.Before they were married, Noelle used to call him Quint like the other younger ones did. After they got married, Noelle called him by his first name. In bed, she called him "darling", and that usually came with a lot of blushing.Now, she addressed him as though he were a stranger."I missed you," Quentin said grimly as he brushed past her.Noelle thought he was more likely to miss Xyla than he did her. She couldn't believe he would be so shameless as to show up at her apartment like this.Just as she put out an arm to stop him from going any further, Quentin pointed out icily, "I'm wounded.
"I don't remember," Quentin said as he eased back onto the couch and stared at Noelle's beautiful silhouette as she turned to look at him.She raised a brow and pointed out dryly, "I guess you're not as serious about dating me as I thought. Oh, well. I was going to give you a chance to start things over with me. Too bad."With that, she left him alone on the couch and made her way up to the second level.Quentin called after her, "Noelle!"She stopped on the stairs."What about a new test? I can buy you a house. Maybe someplace with a courtyard in Collinview City or even a castle abroad," he suggested.Noelle's lips pressed into a thin line. She turned ever so slightly to face him so that he could see her pretty side profile. "Mr. Lowe, I don't need a house. Besides, what would a single woman like me do with so many houses?"What she needed were the receipts for all the things Quentin bought Xyla.Quentin drew in a sharp breath and said nothing more.Noelle was tired, and know
Noelle hated herself for wanting to cry at that moment.She could not bring herself to shove Quentin away. It was almost as if her limbs had a mind of their own.She let Quentin hold her like that for a while before she suppressed the emotions swelling up in her and said, "Mr. Lowe, I'm going to make breakfast now. "Once you're done eating, go back to the hospital before the doctors realize you're not in your room and call the police."Quentin chuckled and looked up from her waist, the playful glimmer in his eyes making her heart race.He straightened up slightly and cupped Noelle's face in his hands, then kissed her on the lips.Noelle went still as she blanked out, her senses narrowing to the feel of his lips on hers. When she realized she was melting into the kiss, she quickly pushed Quentin away. "No breakfast for you unless you behave yourself!" she warned.Quentin was weak from his injuries, and one light shove from Noelle was enough to make him stagger. He had to grip
"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