The hospital at midnight carried an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.The glaring emergency light at the end of the corridor, glowing like fresh blood, tightened the knot in one's chest.To Noelle's surprise, the person sitting outside the emergency room wasn't just Dan but also Sandra. There seemed to be blood on her clothes, and her face was pale.The moment she saw Hendrix, she rushed toward him. "Rix!"It was like she had found her relief, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, "I… You're finally here. What should we do? Madam Freeman seems to be badly injured. Do you think she…"Hendrix glanced at her, then looked at Dan by his side."The accident is still under investigation, but according to the witnesses, there were no other cars at that time. Madam Freeman's car suddenly lost control." Dan sounded hesitant as he added, "Mr. Sanchez was also in the car. The doctor has announced that he has passed."Dan tried to be as indirect as possible, but Hendrix's face turned ev
Later, Dan went up to Hendrix and said something.There was no expression on Hendrix's face, and he did not respond as well."Mr. Freeman, if the rumor spreads tomorrow…""Contact someone to handle it. Also, contact Lloyd's family members." Hendrix sounded very calm, as if he was handling a very simple matter. "I'll handle the situation at Freeman Manor." With that said, he walked out. When he passed by Noelle, he thought of something and said, "I'll send you home first.""I… Should I stay the night at the hospital?"Although Noelle knew there was nothing she could do with Beatrice being in the ICU, she was scared of being alone with Hendrix now. She did not deny anything Sandra had said earlier, but she really did not know that Beatrice had made such a decision. She thought that Beatrice was really chasing after her own happiness, but now…"Follow me back." Without saying anything further, Hendrix walked forward.Noelle hesitated for a moment before following behind him."
When Sandra found Noelle, the latter had just returned from the supermarket.She was carrying bags in her hands, and the moment she saw Sandra, her grip instinctively tightened.Sandra stood on the steps, smiling brightly at her. "You're back?"Noelle didn't respond, simply meeting her gaze in silence.Sandra's smile widened. "Surprised to see me?""I just thought I'd come by to see how you're doing," Sandra said with a blink of her eyes. "Rix has been so busy lately, he probably doesn't have time for you. As your sister, and considering you're all alone here, I thought I should check in on you.""You can leave now," Noelle replied, stepping around her and continuing forward.In the past, if Sandra had seen this kind of attitude from Noelle, she would have exploded in anger. But this time, she didn't. Instead, she looked at Noelle and laughed. "Noelle, do you really think Hendrix is still here to back you up?""Have you not realized it yet? You and Rix are impossible now."San
Noelle tried calling Hendrix, but he seemed to be on the phone with someone else. Feeling helpless, she called Dan."Mr. Freeman is still in a meeting, but I think he might be too busy to see you today. What about…"Dan sounded like he was stuck in between, but Noelle immediately knew what he meant.Of course, Hendrix wasn't too busy to see her.Noelle remembered that he was busy some time ago. However, no matter how busy he was, he would still find time to see her. Sometimes, when he went on business trips, he would even come to her even if he landed in the middle of the time. Now, he didn't even want to answer any of her calls.Many thoughts crossed Noelle's mind, but she did not ask a question and just said, "Alright. Got it."With that said, she turned around and left.When the taxi asked her where to, she said, "Percy Gardens."It had been a long time since she last came here. When Hendrix criticized her place back then, he would ask her to come live with him here, but Noe
When Hendrix finished speaking, Noelle remained quiet for a long time.The door behind her had not fully closed, and the cold wind seeping in contrasted sharply with the warm air inside.Noelle couldn't tell whether her body was cold or hot. She only felt her mind was blank.After a long while, she finally found her voice. "So, you don't want to hear my explanation anymore, do you?"Hendrix looked at her. "Noelle, in this world, many things are judged by the consequences."As his words sank in, Noelle lowered her head and gave a small, bitter laugh.Result? What was the result?The consequence was that Beatrice now lay unconscious in the hospital. The consequence was that the letter, indeed, had been passed from her hands to his. The consequence was that he said there was no need for them to meet anymore.He couldn't even spare her a simple breakup.Noelle looked at him and recalled the times when they spent time together, the words he said to her, the way he gazed at her, and
The wine tasted even worse than the first sip he took, so Hendrix couldn't help but frown.Then, he saw that figure in white.He stood on the high floor, and everything below seemed to become just a blur of spots. But even then, Hendrix instantly recognized her. He could even see her standing by the trash can, throwing something into it. His grip on the glass tightened instantly.After a long pause, he slowly released it.Hendrix knew that he had never been someone driven by intense emotions. It stemmed from Beatrice's teachings when he was young. Now, when he thought of her, the first thing that came to his mind was still her calm tone and the smile that always seemed too polished.Hendrix once believed that he had no attachment toward her until the moment she was in danger.He suddenly realized something. She was the person in this world who was closest to him and blood-related to him. He had once existed inside of her. A tiny umbilical cord had connected them, tying them toget
Of course, Hendrix knew who they were referring to. This was the first time he asked the security guards of the hospital to kick these people out.The two elderly, despite their frail appearance, shouted with full force as they were dragged out, claiming they would go to the press and make sure everyone knew that Lloyd was killed by the Freeman family.At that moment, Hendrix coldly responded, "Go ahead."His fearless attitude sent a chill down their spine, but he didn't look at them again.After a while, Dan arrived and told him that his items from Serene Street had been moved to Percy Gardens.Hendrix only responded with a hum.Dan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I saw Mrs…. Ms. Swanson didn't look good. She might be sick."Hendrix didn't reply."Mr. Freeman, actually Ms. Swanson isn't at fault in this matter. Are you sure you want to take it out on her…"Dan hadn't finished speaking when Hendrix suddenly glanced at him.Although Hendrix didn't say a word, that one g
Noelle remained silent. She wanted to explain, but she just didn't know how to start. But when the words reached her lips, she ultimately said nothing, quietly swallowing her voice instead.Hendrix had probably long forgotten these things. Otherwise, he wouldn't have suggested vacationing in that same place.So, Noelle understood that what they once called their "intense" emotions was nothing but an illusion. because if he truly liked her, he wouldn't have forgotten about this incident.Just like her—when she liked him, she wanted to engrave every moment and every detail of their time together into her memory. But Hendrix didn't, which meant he never really liked her.He had chosen her, but it was only because of the compatibility of their bodies.This time, Noelle came to Dynalis alone, but she had meticulously planned her trip. She even found a professional local guide online.The guide was a student studying abroad, sporting clean, short hair and exuding a warm and outgoing pe
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