"And since she doesn't exist, you might as well marry a woman who can help you with your career," argued Beatrice, all logic.Hendrix was familiar with this side of her. After all, he wouldn't be where he was now if she hadn't brought him up that way.After staring intently at her for a while, he finally asked, "Why must I get married?"His question stumped Beatrice.Hendrix chuckled softly. "It's true I don't have anyone I like right now, but that doesn't mean I'll be willing to use my marriage as a barter. So, no. I'm not going to marry Yvonne, nor will I have any other relationship with her once the collaboration between our companies ends."He was about to walk away when Beatrice asked, "But haven't you done it once already? What does it matter if you do it again? Or could it be the reason you were willing to do it the first time was because the woman you were marrying was Noelle?"Her last question made Hendrix stop in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder and questioned,
For some reason, Hendrix found himself at Serene Street. Gripping his steering wheel, he glanced at the winding alleys ahead a few times but ultimately didn't get out of the car. Instead, he turned the car around.Soon, he saw Noelle. She was walking out of a pharmacy with her hands in her pockets, eyes lowered, and head bowed. The temperature in the city was very low today, so she was dressed in a black down jacket. She looked very soft and serene with her hair falling over her shoulders and the tip of her nose slightly red.As Hendrix watched her, he suddenly recalled what Beatrice had said to him earlier tonight. Indeed, he had no intention of using his marriage to gain anything, but back when the two families met to discuss his and Noelle's marriage, Hendrix didn't feel much resistance to the idea.He had always thought it was Beatrice's words that had stirred something in him. So he figured, why not fulfill Gerald's dying wish if marrying anyone was the same to him? But now,
As soon as Maxwell spoke, Noelle noticed the smell of alcohol on him. His eyes were slightly red, and he certainly didn't look sober."If you have something to say, just say it," Noelle said.Maxwell stood by the door, staring at her for a while before finally asking, "Why didn't you come to my engagement party?"The two of them hadn't had any contact with each other since the last incident, so Maxwell's question actually caught Noelle off guard.But she quickly regained her composure. "There was no need for me to attend.""What do you mean, 'No need for you to attend'? Aren't we friends?"The word "friends" sounded incredibly awkward when Maxwell said it.Noelle looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "No. We haven't been friends since you and Sandra teamed up to hurt me.""So you chose Brandon as your way of getting back at me?" All the expressions on Maxwell's face suddenly vanished as he locked his eyes on her. "Is getting married to him another way of getting back at me?"
As Maxwell spoke, his breath brushed against Noelle's cheek. That sensation suddenly reminded her of the times she had faced William, causing the same nauseating feeling to surge up within her in an instant.Clenching her teeth, she fixed her eyes on Maxwell in front of her. "Maxwell, if you so much as lay a finger on me, I'll call the police immediately.""Go ahead. Call them," Maxwell replied with a chuckle, then added, "Do you really think that with your current reputation, anyone will believe a word you say? Believe me when I say that everyone will just assume it was you who seduced me."Maxwell's face was lit with a subtle smile. It was the same smile Noelle was so familiar with. But now, that familiar face felt more like the devil's. She suddenly found herself at a loss for words. She parted her lips to speak, but in the end, no words came out.Maxwell's smile deepened further when he saw her like that. He tightened his grip on her shoulder while his other hand slid around
It was precisely because of Hendrix's calm demeanor that Noelle felt an even deeper sense of fear. This was the first time she had ever seen him like this.Normally, someone fought when they were driven by anger. But it was the complete opposite with Hendrix just now. Noelle could sense that he was unnervingly calm.In that brief moment, she couldn't shake the feeling that Maxwell was nothing more than an insignificant object in Hendrix's eyes—something he could control at will. Whether Maxwell lived or died seemed of no concern to him.When Hendrix spoke again, Noelle was still frozen in shock. Without sparing her another word, he glanced at her once more before pulling out his phone. Just as he was about to call the police, Noelle rushed forward and grabbed his hand to stop him."Don't…"Hendrix lowered his gaze to her, his eyes still devoid of any emotion."Let's get him to the hospital first." At last, Noelle found her voice.Hendrix didn't respond, nor did he move.After w
Hendrix's voice remained cold, but his grip on Noelle's wrist tightened. His actions gave Noelle an unsettling feeling, as if one wrong answer from her was enough reason for him to crush her bones."It's not that I don't want to see you," replied Noelle.Hendrix didn't respond immediately. Instead, he lifted his gaze to meet hers."It's just… I don't see the need to." Noelle pressed her lips together. "We—""Why did you marry me in the first place?" interrupted Hendrix.Noelle hadn't expected the question. The suddenness of it caused her expression to change, but she quickly regained her composure. "It was something our families decided.""Was that really the only reason?""What other reason could there be?"Hendrix fell silent, but his grip on her wrist loosened every so slightly.Noelle initially thought the conversation had come to an end, but the next moment, Hendrix spoke again, his voice calm but deliberate, "Noelle, based on your ability to sever ties with the Swanson f
Noelle swallowed back her words and glared at Hendrix with gritted teeth.Hendrix smiled out of the blue. "I just realized something. I can't seem to marry anyone else. But the strange thing was, when I was about to marry you, I didn't feel much resistance. Can you tell me why that is?"Noelle felt as though everything before her was unreal. It was as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff, one foot already slipping, her whole body about to plummet. But instead of the expected shattering impact, nothing came.On the contrary, it felt like she had fallen onto a vast, soft cloud. A cloud that was warm and sweet, a sensation she had never even dared to imagine before. Slowly, Noelle opened her eyes. The warmth of the sunlight greeted her. There was no cliff, no cloud, but the familiar bedroom in Percy Gardens.So that meant everything that had happened last night was not just a dream. As Noelle sat there, lost in thoughts, the phone next to her suddenly dinged. It was a messa
"I—" Noelle had just uttered the first word when Hendrix interrupted her, "You're still inside the apartment, right? I'm downstairs."Noelle's expression instantly changed when she heard that. She instinctively wanted to sneak a glance at the couple behind her, but as soon as she lifted her gaze, she saw their reflections in the mirror across from her.Coincidentally, Beatrice happened to lift her gaze as well. When their eyes met in the mirror, Noelle immediately calmed down."What are you doing here?" she finally asked Hendrix."To bring you out to eat," answered Hendrix matter-of-factly."I'm already in the elevator. Wait for me in the parking lot," Noelle replied quickly, pressing the button for the first floor.Beatrice stood silently behind her. She was the first to step out when the elevator arrived at the first floor. Her companion, seeming a bit slow to react, didn't say anything but gave Noelle a brief glance before following Beatrice out.Noelle quickly pressed the
The moment Hendrix fixed his eyes on Noelle, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words. As their eyes met, even the tips of her ears began to flush red without her realizing it."Why are you looking at me like that?" Noelle couldn't help but ask."So, have you remembered everything?" Hendrix asked instead. "Everything about us?""No," Noelle replied, turning her head away. "My head hurts. Didn't you say you were going to get the doctor? You can go—"But before she could finish, Hendrix suddenly grabbed her hand. His grip wasn't strong, but the way his fingers gently moved across hers felt like an intimate caress.Noelle couldn't help but tremble, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.But then Hendrix suddenly said, "Actually, even before we got married, I'd seen you many times."Noelle hadn't expected him to bring this up. She froze for a second. Then, she quickly said, "I know. Back then at college—""Not just at college. After I graduated, I went to see you,
"Who are you?"That was the first thing Noelle said when she opened her eyes.Hendrix had still been basking in the relief of her waking up, but the moment he heard those words, the expression on his face vanished completely."What did you say?" he asked, his voice slightly strained.Noelle didn't answer. She simply stared at him, confusion clear in her eyes.Hendrix clenched his fists tightly. Maybe it was because he had gone through something like this before that he was able to calm himself down quickly this time."I'm your husband. My name is Hendrix Freeman. Do you still remember your own name?" he asked."Husband?" Noelle frowned slightly. "As in—we're married?""Yes. And we have a daughter. Her name is Rosie. She's three years old. This is her picture."As he spoke, Hendrix started to pull up a photo on his phone.But Noelle quickly asked, "Then why don't I remember you?""You were injured. But don't worry. I'll get the doctor to take a look at you."As Hendrix moved
Dylan had been wrong all along.Money and power—none of that had ever been what he was truly meant to chase. Because no one could stay at the center of power forever, and no one could possess those things for all time. What he should have been chasing was just that one light. That one light that would stay on for him late into the night. But now, he knew it was all too late.As he closed his eyes, Dylan suddenly thought of his mother, Leah. He remembered how, as a child, he had longed for a new set of paintbrushes. He had asked his parents for them many times. He even wanted to use his own Christmas money to buy them. But they refused.They believed it was wasteful. It didn't align with the frugal and disciplined lifestyle they lived by. So in the end, Dylan stole the set of paintbrushes from the stationery store.Because he came from a prestigious scholarly family and always kept a refined, gentlemanly image in public, the store owner never suspected a thing.But his parents fo
"Are you crazy? Noelle, let go of the wheel!" Dylan struggled to regain control of the car, but Noelle held onto the steering wheel tightly, refusing to let go.The car didn't slow down. On the contrary, it raced forward at an even faster pace.How long did this go on? Maybe it lasted only dozens of seconds. But for Dylan, it felt like the blink of an eye. Because the next moment, he saw the oncoming car.That car was speeding as well.Dylan didn't even have time to grab his gun. Just as he was about to slam on the brakes, the two cars collided at high speed. There was a deafening crash as the cars were thrown into the air, then slammed back down.Dylan's eyes widened. But in that instant, his first instinct was to turn and look at Noelle. Her eyes were already closed. She looked as if she had been prepared to face death all along. She must have known what he intended to do, and she also knew he didn't actually want to die.The only reason he took her away was so he could use her
Erwin was just about to repeat his question when a voice came from behind."Excuse me, but I think I know where your wife is."Hendrix spun around immediately.Standing behind them was a woman with long hair and big eyes. "I saw her just now in the backyard. Someone was taking her away. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was Mr. Pritchett from Morphy Fund?"At the mention of Dylan, Hendrix's expression turned dark as thunder. He charged up to the woman. "Where did they go?""I'm not sure. But I did take down his license plate number. Do you need it?""Where is it?" Hendrix barked.The woman held out her hand. "I'll give it to you for 1,000 dollars."Hendrix didn't carry cash with him. But he shoved his bank card into her hand without hesitation. "The license plate number!"The woman looked at the card, a little dissatisfied. But considering Hendrix's status, she figured he likely wouldn't care about such a small amount of money. Thus, in the end, she still showed Hendrix the phot
"Erwin!"The voice came just as Erwin stood on the terrace, smoking a cigarette in frustration.Although they had technically won the battle and he had earned a great deal from it, he felt, strangely enough, not the slightest trace of satisfaction. Maybe it was because Hendrix had forced him into the game. Or maybe, by now, winning and losing simply didn't stir anything in him anymore.At the beginning, Erwin had been somewhat excited. He had thought Dylan would be a difficult opponent—someone who could cause serious trouble, maybe even defeat them entirely. That would have been interesting. But instead, everything had gone far too smoothly. There had been no twists and no turns. Just a clean finish. It was boring, to say the least.And the current victory party? Equally so.Hendrix had insisted Noelle attend the party, saying she had flawlessly completed her part of the plan and that this victory was also hers. So, the party had turned out very wholesome, or rather, dull.Erwi
Erwin still showed signs of dissatisfaction. It seemed he was saying something, but Noelle could no longer hear him. She didn't look back either, instead turning her gaze to the other people at the party.The loud music continued, and the excitement and energy of the crowd remained high. But Noelle knew that this wasn't the usual celebration. This, in fact, was just Hendrix's way of making her adapt and accept the situation.Though she had known this for some time, the realization still made Noelle uncomfortable. Then, she suddenly remembered something Dylan had told her a few days ago about her past with Hendrix.Even though she knew Dylan's words weren't necessarily true, that didn't mean everything he said was a lie. How much of the past he mentioned was real, and how much was false?Noelle actually thought her life was fine now. She was willing to accept her past choices and believed in Hendrix's feelings for her. At least, this was what she thought sometimes.But at other tim
Dylan didn't dare to stay there. He immediately drove back to his place.He wanted to take Noelle with him and leave. Even if she didn't have her passport, it didn't matter. After all, there were definitely people looking for him right now.But no matter what, he was going to protect her. Even if they had to roam the world, it didn't matter. As long as they were together, it was fine. Even if it was just a shabby house, as long as there was a light on, that would be their home.However, when Dylan returned to the apartment, he found Noelle nowhere in sight. Gone also were all her things. The desk and floor were spotless, as if nothing had ever existed there.Dylan remained standing where he was. It took him several minutes to finally process what he was seeing. Then, he couldn't help but laugh. It was as if he had just heard the biggest joke—he laughed so hard that his whole body shook.Of course, how could he have thought she would be waiting for him here? How could she possibly
"I'm damned for ever believing your words! Now, just die!" George didn't give Dylan another chance to speak. He pulled the trigger, aiming to shoot a bullet through Dylan's forehead.In that instant, Dylan finally understood. This time, Hendrix didn't intend to leave him alive.If the goal had only been to swallow up Morphy Fund and make Dylan lose everything, the matter would have ended there. However, it seemed that Hendrix must have said something to George, which led him to believe that Dylan and Hendrix were working together—that Dylan had betrayed Morphy Fund.At this point, George had no way out. So, it wouldn't be surprising if he shot Dylan in the head. What Hendrix wanted was for him to die.Dylan didn't know what he was thinking at that moment. By the time he reacted, he had already grabbed the gun's barrel and twisted it violently. The bullet scraped past his head.Without hesitation, George moved to pull the trigger again when Dylan, still holding onto his wrist, forc