"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
Even until now, Hendrix hadn't admitted to liking her—not even once. But then again, even if he did, Noelle wasn't sure she'd believe him, and that made her desire an answer even more.Hendrix glanced at her briefly before asking, "What do you think?"Noelle pressed her lips together. "If you don't want to say it, forget it." She tried to pull her hand away again, prompting Hendrix to tighten his grip even more."It seems your temper has grown sharper these days," he said with a soft chuckle."My temper has always been like this, Mr. Freeman," Noelle retorted with a thin, sarcastic smile. "But of course, it's nothing compared to Sandra's and Ms. Wright's delicate charms."Her words caused Hendrix to pause for a moment. Then, he unexpectedly laughed. Without warning, he turned the steering wheel sharply and pulled the car over to the side of the road. Before Noelle could process what was happening, Hendrix leaned over her. "'Mr. Freeman'? Sounds like a certain Ms. Swanson is stil
Noelle had just returned to her flat on Serene Street when she received a call from Beatrice."Are you free?" Beatrice's tone was as clear and decisive as ever. "Let's meet."Noelle knew she couldn't avoid this meeting. And, truth be told, there were things she wanted to ask as well. So, she didn't hesitate to agree.Beatrice suggested meeting at an exclusive café, and by the time Noelle arrived, she was already settled in a private room. Beatrice was wearing a white dress as usual with her hair elegantly styled up. The passing of time seemed to have left no mark on her face—it was still as smooth and flawless as ever.As Noelle entered the private room, Beatrice smiled and gently set a cup of coffee in front of her. "Try this. It's a new batch of Blue Mountain for this year. I remember you've always liked it."Noelle thanked Beatrice. She picked up the cup and took a sip of the hot coffee."So, when did you and Hendrix get back together?" Beatrice's question came out of the bl
"Oh, are you referring to the rumors about what your adoptive father did to you? Well, yes. I've heard about them," admitted Beatrice, unperturbed. "People say all sorts of things. Besides, I've known you long enough to know exactly what kind of person you are."Her voice remained as calm and composed as ever.Noelle felt something warm slowly spreading within her chest. She couldn't help but clench her fists, and then she whispered, "Thank you.""Now that we've talked about you and Hendrix, it's time to focus on me." With a sudden shift, Beatrice's tone changed. "Thank you for what you did today.""T-There's no need to thank me."Beatrice couldn't help but laugh at Noelle's stunned reaction. "What's the matter? Did I surprise you?""No, not exactly. It was just unexpected.""Why, though? It is because you're used to seeing me as Hendrix's mother and forget that I'm just an ordinary woman, too?"Noelle found herself at a loss for words. She lowered her gaze, and after a long si
"Noelle."Noelle paused mid-stride when she heard a crisp voice calling out from behind her. But then, she quickly pretended she hadn't heard anything and continued on her way.Seeing this, Sandra rushed up and grabbed Noelle's hand just as she was about to get into the elevator. "Noelle, why are you ignoring me? Is this where you live now? Why do you put yourself through all this suffering? If you need—""Let go," Noelle ordered, her face devoid of any emotion.Standing there, Sandra locked eyes with Noelle for a second before breaking out into a smile. "Noelle, don't be like this. Do you know what the situation at home is right now? Mom has fallen ill, and things in the company aren't that great, either. It's all because—""Weren't you the one who set all of this up?" asked Noelle, cutting in mid-sentence."I…" Sandra wanted to defend herself, but Noelle continued to say, "Do you remember the talk we had in the car that night? Well, I had secretly recorded everything you said
Noelle and Hendrix were already divorced. How could there still be any contact between them? After all, Hendrix wasn't crazy. And with Noelle stuck in her current mess, who in their right mind would want to be associated with her?After waiting for a few more minutes, Sandra felt her worries leaving her completely. She glanced toward the driver and said, "Let's go.""Sure. Where to?" the driver asked briskly, but his question was met with silence. When he glanced back curiously, he noticed her staring fixedly out the window."Wow! Is that a Maserati? Fancy car for this part of town," the driver mused.Sandra, however, didn't react. Her eyes stayed glued to the vehicle. She was biting her lips so hard that the skin had split, leaving a faint trace of blood. Yet, she didn't feel the pain at all.It couldn't be Hendrix. It was impossible. There was no way he would come here. No way he'd have anything to do with Noelle again.Her gaze faltered, losing focus, and her clenched jaw sudd
Three days after Sandra's visit, Noelle finally went to the hospital.She had a mask over the lower half of her face. Through a quick conversation with one of the nurses, she was able to confirm that Matilda was indeed hospitalized. However, when she pressed for details about the illness, the nurse refused to provide any further information.Left with no choice, Noelle silently stepped into the elevator and rode it to the designated floor. As she approached the hospital room, she heard Matilda and Sandra talking."I think Maxwell is a good match. After marrying him, I'm sure you—""But Mom, I don't even like him!" whined Sandra, close to tears. "And he doesn't like me, either. Did you know that he didn't get his injuries from a car accident at all? It was because—"She abruptly stopped speaking."Because of what?" pressed Matilda."In any case, he doesn't love me, and I don't want to marry him, either!"Matilda fell silent.Sensing an opening, Sandra clutched Matilda's hand ti
"If I had known what you would go through, I would've kept you by my side, never letting you stray even a step away from me. But Noelle, as hard as those years were for you, they weren't any easier for me. "You once nearly became a mother yourself. Surely, you can understand the love a mother has for her child, can't you?"Tears streamed down Matilda's face.Noelle stared at her for a long moment. "Just say it. What is it that you want from me?"Her voice was unnervingly calm. It was clear she refused to pay along with Matilda's charade.Matilda looked up at her in disbelief. "H-How could you speak to your own mother like that?""Did I guess wrong?" Noelle smiled faintly. "If this isn't about anything, that's even better. I'll be on my way, then."Seeing Noelle actually stand to leave, Matilda couldn't hold back any longer. "Wait!"It was exactly as Noelle had expected. She didn't respond right away. Instead, she turned and looked at Matilda with mockery in her eyes.Matilda
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