When Noelle walked out of the washroom, Hendrix was still standing there.His coat was still with Noelle, and he was only wearing a shirt. The cufflinks were undone, and he had rolled up the sleeves, revealing his fair and toned forearms.With his distinguished demeanor and striking features, passersby couldn't help but glance his way. But he seemed used to being watched, keeping his eyes fixed on his phone without even lifting his gaze.Noelle watched him. Her steps, which had been headed toward him, came to a halt. Hendrix still kept his head down.Normally, he wouldn't have noticed the attention from those around him, but when Noelle looked at him, it was as if he sensed something. He quickly lifted his head.After biting her lip, Noelle walked over to him."Your clothes got dirty," Noelle said softly. "I'll wash them and return them to you."Hendrix was about to say it wasn't necessary, but after glancing at her, he suddenly changed his mind and just gave a quiet "mm".Th
Hendrix's words stunned Noelle.And he glanced at her suddenly.That look made Noelle tense up instantly. It was as if she were eagerly trying to get involved with him in some way.Noelle bit her lip and was about to say something, but Hendrix spoke first, "I just don't want you getting too close to Brandon. Now that Sandra is engaged to Maxwell, I don't want to become fodder for their gossip or used for publicity. Do you understand?"His analysis remained calm and collected.Noelle wanted to say something else, but Hendrix quickly made the decision for her. "This is how it's going to be. Keep this business card, and if you need anything while you're here, just contact her."Noelle, I only have one request for you right now. Don't cause me any trouble. Understood?"…When Jennifer called, Noelle was on the hotel bed."Ms. Swanson, hello." Jennifer's voice was soft and alluring. "I'm Jennifer Weber, the guide Mr. Freeman arranged for you. I was wondering if you have any plans f
In the days that followed, Noelle didn't see Hendrix at all. Jennifer, however, proved to be a very competent guide. Over the past few days, she had taken Noelle to explore many places in Sintrun. They weren't all the typical tourist hotspots, either. Jennifer arranged the itinerary thoughtfully, with a perfect balance of activity and rest, making the outings enjoyable and never tiring."There's going to be a fireworks show tonight," Jennifer said as they ate. "It's not an everyday event. It's for Thanksgiving. I've reserved a spot for you upstairs—at one of the most famous viewing points. Once we finish dinner, head up there and take a look. It's absolutely spectacular!""Are you not going to be with me?"Jennifer smiled and said, "Ms. Swanson, I have a boyfriend, too. I have been ignoring him the past few days. If I don't go back now, he's going to be mad.""I'm sorry. You…""It's nothing, really. This is my job, and it's what I should do. If you're truly satisfied with my a
The rooftop grew increasingly crowded, with the sound of fireworks blooming above adding to the chaos. But for some reason, Noelle suddenly felt as if everything around her had gone quiet. It was as if the entire world had faded away, leaving just the two of them.The people, the noise, even the fireworks overhead, all seemed to vanish.Then, the words Jennifer had told her some time ago began to echo in her mind. At the time, she hadn't reacted to Jennifer's words. On the surface, she had even dismissed them as nonsense.After all, Hendrix didn't seem like someone who would ever do such a thing. Even if he did, it wouldn't be toward her. However, those words had been like a stone dropped into the calm surface of her heart. It hadn't caused a storm, but it had left ripples that lingered. Those ripples hadn't faded, even until tonight.And now, Noelle saw Hendrix's steps shifting forward one step closer. That single step felt like a jolt of adrenaline, shooting straight into her
The snow outside the window continued to fall. Inside, the heating was on full blast, and Noelle didn't feel cold at all.In fact, she thought the room's temperature might be too high, leaving her emotions feeling overly saturated.It wasn't just her. Hendrix felt the same. Only a month ago, they had been arguing. She had even resolved never to see him again in this lifetime. Yet, she always found it so easy to forgive him. He was like a persistent illness lodged in her heart. She had tried countless times to heal it. Yet, it kept flaring up again and again.The step he took toward her on the rooftop earlier had been enough to give her boundless courage. After all, he was someone she had loved for so many years.No one could resist imagining being with the person they loved. What one couldn't have would always leave regret. No one would want to live with regret.Noelle turned her head to look at the snowflakes falling softly outside, paired with the glittering night view of Sint
Seeing how Noelle wouldn't believe her, Jennifer paused for a moment before saying, "Why not think about it from a different perspective?""What do you mean?""For example, what if all of this was actually arranged by Mr. Freeman, and I was just the one carrying it out?"Jennifer's words made Noelle pause in surprise, but she quickly dismissed the idea. "Impossible," said Noelle.Jennifer replied, "Why is it impossible? Do you still doubt Mr. Freeman's efforts for you? And think about it. What kind of man is he? "If he were just looking for a woman, why would he go to all this trouble with you? To be honest, I even thought about throwing myself at him back then."She had said it with such frankness that Noelle couldn't tell if she was joking or serious."But I do have some self-awareness," Jennifer added, candidly recounting what had happened that evening. She continued, "From the moment he looked at me, I knew he wasn't interested. A man like him, someone who rejects so de
When this question surfaced in Noelle's mind, she suddenly thought of the couple from the Swanson family. Facing them, she had asked herself this same question countless times.But deep down, she had always known the answer. No matter how many disappointments she had endured, she couldn't help but cling to hope again once those wounds healed, until they smashed her heart to the ground and crushed it completely.Yes, what was she hoping for? Was she hoping they would love her or that Hendrix would treat her differently? For the past two years, she hadn't been able to warm his heart—how could he possibly draw closer to her suddenly?She had overestimated herself, or maybe she was just delusional. It was just like the time when she was a child. She stood outside the school gate and stared at the old man running a cotton candy stall. On his stand were cotton candies in various colors and flavors.At the time, she wanted so badly to have just one bite, but she had no money. So, all sh
Yvonne didn't give Noelle a chance to refuse. There was nothing Noelle could do now. Before long, the two of them were seated in the café."When did you arrive in Sintrun?" Yvonne asked directly.Noelle held her cup and calmly answered, "A few days ago.""Oh? By yourself?"Noelle didn't reply. She simply lifted her gaze to look at Yvonne.After holding her gaze for a moment, Yvonne suddenly smiled and placed a few photos in front of Noelle. "The person in these photos is you, isn't it?"In the photo, two people were kissing on a lively rooftop while fireworks lit up the night sky. Hendrix's face was unmistakable. He was holding Noelle in his arms, with one hand gently cradling her cheek. Her face, however, was mostly obscured.At this point, denying it clearly held no meaning. After clenching her hands briefly, Noelle finally nodded and said, "Yes.""Ms. Swanson, then, you must also know that Hendrix is no longer your husband but my fiancé, right?" Yvonne continued slowly, "I
Noelle had already muted the group chat, but private messages kept popping up.They were from the mothers she'd met in the apartment complex while taking Rosie out to play. They were all asking when Hendrix would arrive today. Some even said that if he wasn't coming, he should've given them a heads-up, since their kids had been looking forward to it all day.Noelle stared at the messages blankly. Truthfully, she should've seen this coming from the moment Hendrix started this charade. Manipulating people and controlling them like puppets were the things he had always excelled at.She had finally found some stability in this apartment complex, but now, he had ruined it. He certainly understood the saying, "Give someone an inch, and they'd take a mile", better than anyone.And the money he spent on all those toys? It meant nothing to him. What he really wanted was to control people's minds and shatter Noelle's peace."Mommy! Mommy!"Rosie's voice brought Noelle back to reality. She
Rosie's straightforward answer made Noelle smile. "Alright. Let's go home, then."With that, they walked away hand in hand, as if the noise and excitement behind them seemed to have nothing to do with them.…The next day, Hendrix came again. This time, he wasn't alone, as several bodyguards followed him, each carrying heavy bags.Without Hendrix even saying a word, all the children rushed over. Even kids from neighboring apartments had heard about it and came running.Hendrix didn't discriminate—any child who approached was given a gift. Today, he didn't need to interact with them personally, so he had time to glance over at Noelle to gauge her reaction. However, he quickly realized that Noelle and Rosie were no longer there. He hadn't even noticed when they had left.The same thing happened on the third and fourth days, but by the fifth day, Hendrix didn't show up. But after several days of free gifts, both the children and their parents had gotten a taste for it. Now, they
"So, does that mean you're not going to accept my apology?" Hendrix asked.Noelle finally snapped out of her daze. She stared at him for a moment before picking up her glass and lightly clinking it against his.Noelle wasn't sure what Hendrix was trying to do. After all, based on his past behavior, he wasn't the type to just apologize like that. Yet here he was, doing exactly that. She found it strange but decided not to dwell on it, pretending nothing had happened as she took a sip of her water.Hendrix didn't say much after that.Surprisingly, the meal passed in relative peace. Noelle couldn't even remember the last time they had shared a meal so quietly.So, when Hendrix later suggested that he might occasionally come over to have meals with Rosie, Noelle was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.Hendrix, however, took her silence as permission granted. He then pulled a plushie from a bag and handed it to Rosie. It was a character from the stage performance they had seen a
Noelle had been to this restaurant a few times before with Dylan, so the server immediately recognized her. One of them started approaching her with a warm smile, but the moment she saw the man walking behind Noelle, her expression faltered slightly.Noelle ignored her reaction and simply said, "I'll have my usual order and an omelette for my daughter.""Got it," the server said with a nod, though she couldn't help but sneak a few glances at Hendrix before turning and heading back to the kitchen."Have you been here before?" Hendrix asked.Though the restaurant was decently decorated, it showed its age. The tables and chairs were made of lacquered wood, clean but with a noticeable sheen of grease from years of use.Noelle noticed Hendrix frowning slightly, but he didn't say anything. The frown lasted only for a brief second before he sat down as if nothing had happened. Then, he looked at her, waiting for her answer."Yeah. I've been here a few times.""With Dylan?" Hendrix aske
"Mommy, why hasn't Mr. Pritchett come to see me lately?"Rosie's sudden question caught Noelle off guard. She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "He's been really busy lately, so he can't find the time to come."Rosie let out a soft "oh" and continued swinging. Her movements were gentle, and Noelle sat quietly beside her, watching.But after a while, Rosie suddenly hopped off the swing and ran over to Noelle, tightly grabbing her hand.Noelle was puzzled, but still she hugged her quickly. "What's wrong?"Rosie didn't say a word, her eyes fixed straight ahead. It was then Noelle noticed the man standing there.It was early autumn in Stormridge, and the man was dressed in a crisp, well-tailored suit. His tall, slender figure and strikingly handsome face instantly drew the attention of several people in the apartment complex.It was a weekday, and most of the people playing with the children downstairs were their grandparents. Their gazes were anything but subtle, openly sw
Noelle couldn't help but clench her hand.She had no idea how long the silence stretched before Dylan suddenly burst into laughter. It was as if he had just heard an unbelievably funny joke. His laughter echoed through the phone, carrying a hint of finality.Then, he said, "You want me to be honest? Do you really think we'll have a future together if I were to be honest with you? Do you think if I tell you everything now, we can live happily ever after? As if I'm ever going to believe that."The answer Noelle had been dreading finally came crashing down. She slowly unclenched her fist. Her lips parted, about to say something, but Dylan beat her to it."You're right. I did lie to you. The so-called investor is actually Jean. Her father left her some assets abroad, and I'm going with her to retrieve them."Yes, I'm with her again, but you know how I feel about her. I've never liked her, and I'm just using her. Besides, you should know that the reason I'm doing all this is so that I
Noelle had just finished putting Rosie to sleep when Dylan sent over the e-tickets for the amusement park."I just checked. There'll be plenty of staff on-site. So when you're there with Rosie, you can just go straight to them if you need anything," his message read.He seemed to know she'd be busy settling Rosie, so he didn't call. Instead, he sent a thoughtful, detailed text, listing out several precautions for their upcoming trip.After reading through his message, Noelle hesitated for a moment before dialing his number.Dylan picked up almost immediately. "Hey, is Rosie asleep?"His voice was the same as always, no different from what Noelle had heard over the past few days.But this time, she paused. It took her a moment before she finally answered, "Yeah, she's asleep.""Did you see the list I sent? The staff should have most things covered, but you should still bring a couple of towels. And don't forget Rosie's favorite floatie—""Dylan," Noelle suddenly cut him off.Ju
Noelle raised her head, her eyes locking onto Jean's. "I thought you hated me? So, why are you telling me all this?""Because I hate Dylan even more. I know it was him who set me up back then. If it weren't for his tip-off, my father would never have fallen from grace. So, how could I not hate him?""So, the assets you mentioned were just a lie to fool him?""Of course." Jean nodded without hesitation, turning to face Noelle with a smile. "So, are you going to tell him that?"Noelle pressed her lips together. "I don't believe you're doing this alone.""What?""You said it yourself—Dylan was the one who reported your family, leading to the investigation. He knows exactly what happened to your family, so he'd know whether your father left you any overseas assets or not."And you just got out of prison. Even if you wanted to forge an asset certificate, you'd need a professional to help you with that. Dylan has been in the business world for years, so it wouldn't be easy to fool him
"You must be wondering why I'm telling you all this, right?" Jean chuckled softly. "To be honest, I still hate you. Or maybe it's more accurate to say I'm jealous of you. Because you have so many things I wanted but could never have."Just look at your face. With that alone, you can easily get whatever you want. Thinking about it makes me seethe with envy and drives me mad.""Ms. Fisher, you once had plenty of things yourself," Noelle said.Jean paused, caught off guard by the response. Then, she nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, you're right. But what does that matter now? I've already lost everything. Well, not everything. I still have some connections my father left me, along with a few assets abroad."She slowly shifted her gaze back to Noelle. "So, do you understand now what my advice to you really means?"Noelle frowned."Dylan must have told you he's going on a business trip abroad soon, right?" Jean continued, her lips curling into a sly smile. "To be frank, he's going wit