Noelle felt uncomfortable with Hendrix's current actions. She was about to grab the towel from his hands when Hendrix suddenly spoke, "I heard some news today." Noelle froze, her eyes locking onto his. "I might have a brother I don't know about," he said calmly.Noelle's eyes widened."What do you mean?""I mean my father might have an illegitimate child," Hendrix replied, his tone still eerily calm, as though he were discussing something entirely unrelated to himself.Noelle had no idea why he was suddenly sharing this with her.When they were married, they'd never had heart-to-heart conversations like this. She rarely asked him anything personal, and Hendrix had been even more tight-lipped.Sometimes, they'd go days without seeing or speaking to each other, even under the same roof. It was absurd for a married couple to live that way.And yet, Hendrix was now opening up about a deeply private family matter.Was it because she was no longer his wife, so he didn't feel t
Noelle and Hendrix had never shared a bed before. No matter how exhausted he left her, she would always remember to return to her own room. In truth, Noelle had always felt that they weren't really husband and wife. They were more like partners, both in bed and in life.To Noelle, lying together in the same bed without doing anything was far more intimate than sex. Only people who were truly in love could do that. And she and Hendrix clearly weren't.Now, she crouched beside the bed, watching him as he slept. She was very familiar with his face. She could clearly picture the sharp lines of his features even with her eyes closed. When she was younger, she had drawn his face more times than she could remember.Back then, Hendrix, in a crisp white school uniform, had been the center of attention at their school.Then, he grew up. His face became more striking and refined with age. His elegant demeanor only intensified. Noelle always felt worlds apart from him even when he was stan
Hendrix eventually went on the date.He was slightly surprised to see who his date was."Hello, Mr. Freeman," the woman said with a bright, dazzling smile. "I think you might remember me?""Yvonne Wright." Before Hendrix could respond, she extended her hand and supplied the answer. "We danced at the masquerade ball.""Ms. Wright, a pleasure," Hendrix replied, shaking her hand briefly. He made no mention of what happened at the ball, keeping his response curt."Why did you leave so suddenly that night?" Yvonne asked."An urgent matter came up," he said smoothly."Is that so?" Yvonne's smile deepened, carrying a subtle undertone that Hendrix didn't care for.It wasn't that her knowing look rattled him—he wasn't concerned about being caught in a lie. It was the energy she exuded—a kind of calculated playfulness—that made him uneasy. Hendrix didn't mind dealing with intelligent people, but he had no patience for those who fancied themselves too clever.Sensing the shift, Yvonn
Sandra's hands clenched into fists. "Why haven't I heard that you two are together?" "Maybe your sources aren't very reliable," Yvonne replied with a cheerful smile.Sandra couldn't come up with a response. She could only turn her gaze to Hendrix.But Hendrix wasn't paying attention. He was staring off into the distance, lost in thought. He finally snapped out of it, turning to look at her."Hendrix?" Sandra called his name softly."Didn't you say you had something to do? You should head out," Yvonne interjected before Hendrix could respond.Sandra glared at Yvonne for interrupting her, but Yvonne only smiled sweetly, meeting her gaze without a care."Fine. I'll be going, then," Hendrix said bluntly before turning and walking away.Sandra instinctively moved to follow him, but Yvonne stepped in her way. "Ms. Swanson, is there something else you need?""I want to talk to Hendrix. Why are you getting in the way?""Oh, that reminds me. I haven't had the chance to congratulate
Noelle studied Carl in front of her for a long moment before finally speaking, "Mr. Townsend, you should know who I am.""I do. I think we've even crossed paths at a few parties before, haven't we?" Carl asked."I just got divorced," Noelle added, her tone matter-of-fact."Yes, I heard. I have to say, I admire how decisively you ended things with Hendrix."Clark responded to everything Noelle said with an easy smile, which left her uncomfortable. She finally sighed and said, "I'm not interested in dating anyone right now.""That's fine," Clark replied with a grin. "We don't have to date. We can start as friends."Noelle found herself at a loss for words."Does that mean you agree? Great! Let's go!" Clark said as he reached for her hand.Startled, Noelle instinctively took two steps back.Clark looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong? Do you think my hand's poisonous?""No, I suddenly remembered I have something to take care of. I can't go.""Oh? What is it?""Work," Noell
Inside Percy Gardens, Hendrix sat in his study, scanning emails on the screen as his fingers drummed lightly on the phone beside him.Notifications kept popping up on his feed, but he only glanced at them, uninterested.It was past 11:00 pm when the front door creaked open.Hendrix stopped tapping on his phone but didn't get up. Instead, he turned off his screen with an unreadable expression.Noelle moved quietly, her steps barely making a sound. She checked his bedroom first, but when she found it empty, she headed to the study. The door was closed, and she stood outside for a while, not making a move. Hendrix ignored her, his face blank as he looked at the computer screen.Two minutes passed before she finally knocked. However, Hendrix didn't respond. After a brief hesitation, Noelle turned the handle and opened the door."You're... still working?" she asked softly, standing in the doorway.Hendrix finally looked up. Noelle had just showered, her damp hair clinging to
Hendrix never brought up that night again, and Noelle didn't, either.Two days later, Clark asked her out again, saying he wanted to grab some sliders.It was the first time Noelle realized asking someone out could be that simple.Clark was fun to be around. He loved a good time and always knew how to make it happen. He grew up in Coppersville, where nearly everyone in his circle knew him. Yet he wasn't drawn to flashy, extravagant clubs or bars. Instead, he preferred taking Noelle down old alleyways. Sometimes, they'd try a local delicacy, and other times, they'd pick up quirky trinkets.Hendrix, who also grew up in Coppersville, never took Noelle to places like that. They went out alone only a few times, and when they did, it was always to high-end restaurants.The only exception was when Noelle took him to a barbecue joint, though they didn't even manage to finish their meal that time.Clark was the complete opposite of Hendrix. He didn't carry the aloof, superior attitude t
Noelle didn't answer. She slowly took the stuffed animal from Clark's hands.Clark immediately noticed something was off. "What's wrong?"Noelle didn't respond. She lowered her eyes and murmured, "It's nothing. Let's go.""What happened?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.She took a deep breath. "Someone bumped into me just now."Clark froze for a second. Then, as realization sank in, his expression shifted. "Which one?""What?""I said, which one?" His voice was sharp, and without waiting for her answer, he turned, scanning the crowd.At that moment, the man who'd bumped into Noelle walked up to another girl, still wearing that same sleazy grin."Is that him?" Clark asked, eyes narrowing.Before Noelle could respond, he had already rushed forward and punched the man in the nose."How dare you?" he yelled...."Mr. Freeman, the painting's been delivered. Here's the acceptance form," Dan said, handing Hendrix the paper.Hendrix nodded without a word.Dan hesitated.
Noelle's slap was purely reflexive, as Hendrix was far too close to her. In truth, she knew that with his reflexes, he could have easily caught her hand and stopped her if he wanted to. But he didn't.The handprint from last night still lingered on his face, and now, it had been joined by a fresh one. A darkly ironic thought crossed Noelle's mind—at least his face was symmetrical now."Did you have a nightmare?" Hendrix asked, seemingly unfazed by the pain.Noelle didn't answer."Everything's okay. It's just a dream," Hendrix said, as if to himself. He continued getting dressed. "I'll be very busy today, so I won't join you for breakfast. You can go visit Craig at the hospital later. Oh, and while you're there, let him know the wedding with Dylan has been called off. As for the company, once I've taken care of things, I'll explain it to him myself."His words were succinct, leaving no room for discussion."What are you planning to do?" Noelle asked.Hendrix's hand paused sligh
Now that Noelle had withered and faded away, any belated attention and care were meaningless.She was about to close her eyes again, but in the next moment, something on the dressing table caught her attention. If she wasn't mistaken, the set of skincare products sitting there was from her usual brand.Then, her gaze shifted to the curtain ties on the bay window, followed by the glass doors of the walk-in closet across the room. Through the transparent panels, she spotted clothes that looked all too familiar.It was at that moment Noelle realized—he had brought over all the things she had once left behind here. But the truth was, those items weren't really hers.The clothes had been the ones Beatrice insisted she buy, so she could live up to the title of "Mrs. Freeman" whenever she stepped out. They weren't bought with her own money, which was why Noelle hadn't taken them when she left.As for the skincare products, they were probably expired by now.Just as Noelle's thoughts wan
Noelle had never imagined that returning to Nivis Villa would look like this. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, on the day she left, she hadn't thought she would ever come back at all.It seemed Hendrix had dismissed all the maids, as the villa was completely dark when they entered.Hendrix led Noelle directly upstairs to the master bedroom. The furnishings inside seemed to have changed, but before Noelle could take in what was different, Hendrix had already pushed her onto the bed.He hadn't spoken a single word the entire way, though his face remained clouded with anger. Now, his actions were devoid of any gentleness. But Noelle had expected this, so she wasn't surprised in the slightest.She didn't resist either and simply lay there expressionlessly.Her unresponsive demeanor must have provoked Hendrix's dissatisfaction, because the next instant, he lowered his head and sank his teeth into her neck.He bit hard—so hard that Noelle could feel his teeth breaking her s
"Noe—" Dylan started, but Noelle didn't even glance at him.Instead, she strode directly toward Hendrix, stopping in front of him. "Let's go," she said hoarsely.Hendrix narrowed his eyes.Noelle, however, wasn't in the mood to think about anything else. She reached out and grabbed his arm without hesitation.Hendrix didn't put up any resistance, but just as they were about to leave, Dylan seemed to snap out of his daze and grabbed Noelle's other hand.The movement made Hendrix's expression darken, and he was about to say something when Noelle turned to Dylan first."There's no need to feel bad about this. I didn't choose you, either. With Elm Group in its current state, I can only take the path that benefits the company the most. I'd been thinking about how to tell you, but now, it doesn't matter. Neither of us has to feel guilty anymore. "As for the wedding… let's cancel it."With that, she pried Dylan's hand off her wrist and firmly pulled Hendrix forward.The club was sti
Hendrix didn't reply. Instead, he simply tossed the folder in his hand to Dylan.Dylan glanced down at the folder. Something flickered across his eyes, but in the end, he reached out and took it.The moment he skimmed the first few pages, his face turned as pale as a sheet, and his grip on the documents tightened instinctively.After a moment, Dylan finally looked at Hendrix. "What's the meaning of this?"Hendrix let out a soft laugh. "What do you think it means?"Dylan quickly regained his composure and asked, "Where did you get these?""That's not something you need to concern yourself with.""So? What do you want?"Sitting on the couch, Hendrix leisurely poured him a glass of wine and took a sip. Throughout the entire process, he maintained his usual elegance and composure, whereas Dylan's expression grew darker and darker.Finally, Hendrix said, "What do I want? I thought I'd already made it very clear.""Mr. Freeman, we're both men. Don't you think using tactics like thi
Hendrix grew exasperated. When he heard the sound of the door lock turning, he lifted his head and barked, "Get lost!"The single, decisive shout silenced everything outside instantly. Even the woman in his arms went completely still.Noelle seemed to realize that her resistance was futile. The hands she had been pressing against his chest slowly dropped away, and even the tears in her eyes vanished in that moment.She slowly sank back and tilted her head upward. Then, she simply stared at the glaring incandescent light with eyes filled with emptiness.Hendrix stared at her for a while before suddenly laughing. "Are you really that upset? Or do you feel wronged? Does it really hurt you so much to leave him?"He was smiling, even forcing a mocking tone into his words, but his hands were trembling uncontrollably. It was a pain that started deep in his chest, spreading through his bloodstream until it reached his fingertips.Noelle didn't answer him, but her expression was as good a
Hendrix reached out and gripped Noelle's chin. In a deep voice laced with a clear trace of anger, he asked, "You've fallen for Dylan, haven't you?"Noelle didn't answer, but she pressed her lips tighter and tighter. Her eyes still brimmed with tears, but the moisture only made them shine more brightly, more vividly. In their reflection, Hendrix could see himself clearly, and he could also see the unmistakable hatred within them.She hated him. Hendrix knew that, of course. From the moment he decided to take this path, he had already anticipated how she would react.But so what? Was he supposed to stand by and watch as they became nothing more than strangers who had nothing to do with each other?If that were the case, Hendrix would rather she hated him.He could live with that outcome—it wasn't something he couldn't accept. But the one thing he absolutely couldn't tolerate was her heart belonging to someone else.She could hate him because of the incident with Elm Group, beca
As soon as Hendrix finished speaking, Noelle suddenly stepped forward and raised her hand. But her slap never landed. Hendrix had caught her wrist, his face completely expressionless."You're crazy!" Noelle said.Hendrix smiled faintly. "Yeah, I know."Noelle didn't say another word, but she trembled even more violently as tears began to fall. Still, it seemed she refused to show any weakness in front of Hendrix. So, she quickly wiped away her tears."Dylan's grandfather is sick," she finally told Hendrix. "Alzheimer's. His condition is deteriorating quickly, and he might not remember anything soon. That's why Dylan proposed to me."But when she finished speaking, the answer she wanted never came.Hendrix's gaze remained cold as he looked at her. When he noticed Noelle was still staring at him, he even asked, "So? What does that have to do with me?"Noelle took a deep breath. "So, could the wedding—""No," Hendrix cut her off without hesitation, and Noelle's question was left u
Noelle's expression changed as she heard Hendrix's words, and she turned to look at him.Her expression made Hendrix feel like something was stabbing into his heart. It seemed like he was right.That contractual relationship seemed more than that now. Noelle had fallen for Dylan. If not, what could explain the look in her eyes now?Noelle didn't even react this way when he brought up her and Elm Group.The dull pain quickly spread across Hendrix's chest, accompanied by a familiar metallic taste. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and after taking several deep breaths, he finally managed to suppress the feeling and said, "It seems like you really care about him.""Hendrix, this is between us. Can you stop being so despicable and dragging innocent people into this mess?""Innocent?" Hendrix chuckled. "It seems like you really don't know much about your fiancé. Do you know what he's been doing behind your back?"Before Noelle could respond, Hendrix handed her a file. "Take a look