Hendrix gazed at her in silence.Noelle could barely stand at this point. She was relying entirely on the last thread of willpower left in her mind to hold herself up. But the moment the elevator doors opened and she saw Oliver standing outside, that last thread of willpower instantly snapped.Noelle knew precisely what Dominic's intentions were. Although she had come alone tonight, she had sent Oliver a message earlier, informing him that he would need to pick her up when the time came.Oliver, knowing exactly where to find her, had been anxiously scanning the restaurant lobby. So when he finally spotted her in the elevator, he let out a sigh of relief.Ignoring Hendrix standing nearby, Noelle staggered a few steps toward Oliver before collapsing entirely. Without a second thought, Oliver rushed to catch her."Take me to the hospital," Noelle managed to whisper through the pain before everything went black and she passed out.Oliver didn't have the chance to ask what had happene
"Didn't you meet with Hendrix last night?" Craig mercilessly exposed her lie.Noelle fell silent.Craig, as if he knew what she was thinking, said, "Amity Group is planning something big over in Vinton City. By now, you should have a clear understanding of the current market trends there. If you can secure this partnership, you should know what it means for Elm Group."You wouldn't want to stay stuck in that subsidiary company forever, would you? If this partnership is finalized, it will prove your capabilities to everyone. When that time comes, I will officially transfer you back, and no one will question your position as a successor."Craig's words were unhurried.Noelle was tempted to take him up on his offer, but she was also well aware that he absolutely wouldn't really agree to let her go back and become the successor.The death of Matilda had always stayed with him, and the only reason he let Noelle stay in the company was merely because she was his only biological daughte
After seeing Clayton off, Noelle stood alone in front of the café. The heatwave rolling in from the street was a sharp contrast to the cool air from the air conditioning inside, and it made her throat itch uncomfortably.Fighting the urge to cough, Noelle pulled a throat lozenge from her bag and popped it into her mouth just as a call from the office came through, urging her to return for a meeting.The meeting's agenda was similar to what Craig had mentioned to her a few days ago. The past two years had seen a sluggish market, but Amity Group, as the industry leader, seemed untouched by the downturn.The incident with Beatrice had caused quite a stir at the time, and Hendrix was labeled as cold and unfilial by the media. He was also accused of pushing Beatrice to the brink, leaving her with no choice but to take that tragic path.Meanwhile, the couple who had lost their son, Lloyd, took every opportunity to find reporters to smear his reputation. Hendrix seemed completely unconcer
"We're at Neufit Sports Arena. Mr. Freeman mentioned he'd like to speak to you personally," said Julio.Noelle froze for a moment, then frowned. "With me?""Yes. Where are you right now? Should I have the driver come pick you up?""No need. I'll drive myself over."Noelle wasn't sure what Hendrix wanted, but since Julio was Craig's man and had already made it clear she should go, refusing would undoubtedly result in a report back to Craig. Reluctantly, she headed over.Hendrix and Julio were at the tennis court. Today, Hendrix was dressed casually in a white sweatshirt, his bangs falling over his forehead, giving him a slightly youthful, almost boyish look."Noelle's here." Julio quickly walked over and patted Noelle's shoulder in a mentor-like manner. "Even though she's only been with the company for a few months, her performance has been outstanding. "Take this recent project proposal for the Continental Reach—her ideas were so impressive that I—""Ms. Swanson, is it true th
"Noelle," Julio called her name as soon as she stepped out of the restroom.He was frowning deeply—it was clear he wasn't pleased with how she acted earlier."You know how important this project is to the company, don't you?"Noelle simply nodded."Then, why are you acting so cold toward Mr. Freeman?" Julio's eyes darkened. "Don't tell me you can't tell what he's hinting at."A project as massive as Continental Reach was still in its early stages, and the workload Hendrix had to be managing was beyond imagination. Yet today, he had spent time playing tennis and having dinner with them.And before Noelle's toast, that deliberate glance he gave her—it didn't take a genius to figure out his intentions. But Noelle didn't take the bait."I'm already divorced from him," she said after meeting Julio's gaze for a moment.Julio chuckled lightly. "So what if you're divorced? Does that mean you're married to Mr. Carter and Mr. Russo now?"Noelle's expression changed instantly, her eyes s
"I can't give you this project directly, but I can provide a fair chance for competition," Hendrix said.Noelle sneered. "What's the condition?"The moment she finished speaking, Hendrix laughed. His lips were arched, and even the smile in his eyes deepened, making him appear delighted."How do you know I have a condition?"Noelle did not reply and just stared at him.Hendrix quickly dropped his smile, and his fingers caressed the coffee cup in his hands. He said, "What Lana and I have are only scandals. It was done for a public stunt."Noelle didn't know why he was explaining himself, so she frowned."The doctor said… my mother's condition has improved. It's very possible for her to wake up," continued Hendrix. "For the previous matter…""Mr. Freeman," Noelle cut him off. "Do you remember the things you've said to me in Dynalis? You said we are impossible."Hendrix remained silent."It might seem like I'm getting ahead of myself when I say this, but by what you meant just no
Noelle left the restaurant soon after.Earlier, she had actually taken Julio's advice to heart—to treat Hendrix as just another client or business partner, like before.She'd use the faint, ambiguous connection between them to achieve her goals.Although Noelle had always loathed gender discrimination and preferential treatment in the workplace, she realized after stepping into this complicated world that her ideals couldn't change anything. She even found herself skillfully leveraging those very dynamics to her advantage.But when the person involved was Hendrix, she discovered she couldn't handle it as calmly as she thought.She had once loved him sincerely for many years, after all. There was even a time when her feelings were reciprocated. She had felt, however fleeting, a genuine warmth in him.Even though all of it eventually turned out to be nothing but an illusion, she still couldn't treat him like a stranger. Not even when Julio bluntly reminded her that this was just bu
Dylan was dressed in a beige trench coat, his short hair neat and clean, and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. Overall, he looked elegant and refined.He quickly walked over. "Have you been waiting long?"Noelle sent off her message and replied, "Not really. I just got here.""Alright. Let's go." Dylan nodded, pulling his suitcase with one hand while slightly bending the other arm.Understanding his gesture, Noelle quickly put away her phone and took his arm."Shall we grab dinner first?" Dylan asked.Noelle nodded. "Sure.""Your voice doesn't sound quite right," he remarked.Noelle coughed lightly. "Caught a cold a while back, but I'm much better now. Just a bit of a cough left.""I'll get you some cough syrup later.""Okay."…At Amity Group's subsidiary company in Vinton, Hendrix was sitting in front of his desk with a poker face, staring at the photo he just received on his phone.It was a photo of a couple, looking like a good match.H
Dylan had originally promised Noelle that he would wrap up the situation with Dyno Corporation within a month. He had even booked tickets to a seaside amusement park in advance, saying he wanted to bring Rosie there.Rosie had been looking forward to it for a long time and even asked Noelle to take her to the mall to buy a new swimsuit. But two days before the planned trip, Dylan suddenly called Noelle to say he wouldn't be able to keep his promise."There's an investor from abroad I need to meet. If the deal goes through, there might still be a chance to turn things around, so…"Dylan's voice carried a hint of guilt.But Noelle quickly smiled and said, "It's fine. You go ahead and do what you have to do. I can take Rosie by myself.""I can arrange for someone to go with you. It'll be too tiring for you to handle it alone.""It's okay. I've managed on my own before, haven't I?" Noelle said, her tone light. "So, is there a chance to save the company?"Dylan could hear the joy in
But now, Dylan had taken the initiative to hold Jean's hand. Just as Jean looked down at his hand, he had already pulled her into the building.Then, he abruptly let go."What are you doing here?" he asked in a low voice.Jean looked down at her now-empty wrist. After a moment, she raised her head to look at him. "Why can't I be here? I've served my sentence and been released."Dylan pressed his lips together. "You know that's not what I meant.""Then, what did you mean?" Jean feigned confusion. "Shouldn't I come to see you? My parents are gone, and my old friends won't even meet me. In this city, I'm no better than a beggar on the street. Given the circumstances, who else can I turn to if not you?"As Jean spoke, she took a step closer to him. Her movement was small, even cautious. But Dylan reacted as if he'd seen something terrifying. His expression changed instantly, and he took several steps back. It was as if Jean were some kind of deadly virus, and just being near her woul
"What brings you here, Ms. Fisher?" Hendrix asked, cutting through the small talk.Jean knew she wasn't in a position to exchange pleasantries with him. Thus, she didn't beat around the bush. "Mr. Freeman, as you know, all of my family's assets have been confiscated, and my parents are no longer in this world."So, it makes no difference whether I'm in or out of prison. I have no one in this city and no place to turn to. I can't even support myself. But I heard you've been dealing with something troublesome lately—so I came to ask. If I can help you solve it, would you be willing to pay me?"Hendrix slowly narrowed his eyes and chuckled softly. "Continue.""I know why you've been putting so much pressure on Dylan. It's all because of Noelle, isn't it? But what you probably don't realize is that Dylan doesn't care as much about power and status as you think."Yet, ironically, that's the only leverage you have over him right now. But honestly, breaking him and Noelle apart doesn't h
"And I believe that even without the company, even if I have to start over from scratch, I can still live a good life. And even if I don't, I won't blame anyone, least of all you," Dylan said.After he finished speaking, Noelle finally felt herself relaxing. "So, that's what you've been doing all day? Worrying and overthinking about this whole thing?""Yeah," Noelle replied, then suddenly thought of something. "And you shouldn't pick a fight with your mother over this. She was just looking out for you.""Don't worry. I won't," Dylan responded without hesitation.But to Noelle, it almost sounded like he was brushing her off. This caused her to frown slightly.As if he could read her mind, Dylan quickly added, "I was upset earlier because I thought you were going to give up on me. But now I see it was just a misunderstanding. So, don't worry. I won't fight with my mother."Only then did Noelle feel reassured. "Okay. Where are you now?""I'm still at the office, but I'm about to
Dylan had told Noelle he would call her at 11:00 pm. But it wasn't until midnight that she finally received his call."Is Rosie asleep?" he asked.Noelle walked over to the balcony attached to the living room with her phone before answering, "Yup.""Sorry. I was going to call you around ten something, but something came up, and I've been busy until now.""It's okay. I was still awake anyway," Noelle replied quickly."Okay."Then, silence suddenly fell between them.The quiet stretched on just a little too long—long enough for both of them to sense that something felt off.Dylan was the first to break it. "Did something happen?""No," Noelle answered hastily, then asked, "Are you still really busy lately?""Yeah, more or less. It's mainly dealing with some shareholders pulling out. You know how it is—the company hasn't officially gone bankrupt yet, but if they all pull out at once, it'll have a more direct impact. So I—"Dylan's voice trailed off. Then, he chuckled and said,
"And yet, Dylan still chose to be with you. So, Ms. Swanson, the only reason you lasted this long with him is because he was willing to put up and make compromises with you. But what have you ever done for him?"With those final words, Leah left.Her last sentence wasn't spoken loudly, but it still felt like a heavy blow to Noelle's chest, reverberating in her mind.It wasn't until some time later that Rosie came out of her room. She looked up at Noelle with concern and confusion. "Mommy?"Hearing her voice, Noelle finally snapped out of her daze and turned to her."Was that Mr. Pritchett's mom just now?" Rosie asked. "Why was she being so mean to you?"Noelle forced a smile. "She wasn't being mean. It's just a mother's instinct. Just like how I would chase away all the bad guys who try to hurt you, she's just trying to protect her own child.""But Mommy, you're not a bad guy." Rosie looked even more confused."Wasn't she?" Noelle asked herself.Over the past two days, she had
After Leah finished speaking, Noelle fell silent."So, you do know that you're the one who's dragging him down, don't you?" Leah looked at her, the sarcasm in her smile deepening."What do you want me to do?" Noelle asked."Isn't it obvious? I want you to leave him, of course!"Noelle pursed her lips. "But Mrs. Pritchett, Dylan is an adult. He knows what he's doing. Besides, we've made a promise to each other. How could I abandon him now when he has stuck with me through it all?""Abandon?" Leah let out a sharp laugh. "Don't act like you don't know what's going on. His company was doing just fine before, so why is it suddenly being targeted? It's all because of you! Think about it—has anything good ever happened to him since he met you?"Every single time something bad happened to him, you were the reason behind it! Even back then! Do you really not know that his grandfather was accused of money laundering because of Hendrix? If not for that, Dylan wouldn't have gotten engaged to
"Is that a yes or a no?" Leah narrowed her eyes."He was here a couple of days ago, but he left last night.""Is that so?" Leah responded indifferently, as if it didn't matter. "Just as well, because I have something to say to you."Noelle didn't refuse. She simply stepped aside to let her in.Dressed in a custom-tailored dress and leather shoes, Leah took one step inside and immediately frowned. She swept her gaze across the room, her dissatisfaction evident."Would you like something to drink?" Noelle asked.Leah didn't answer. Instead, her gaze slowly settled on Rosie.Despite her young age, Rosie had the sharp intuition that all children possessed. Thus, she could tell at a glance who was kind and who was not.As Leah scrutinized her, Rosie instinctively shrank behind Noelle, peeking out with wary eyes.Seeing this, the disdain in Leah's gaze deepened.Noelle gently patted Rosie on the shoulder. "Rosie, be a good girl and wait for me in your room, okay?"Rosie didn't res
Seline was the one who sent Hendrix the screenshot. She didn't add any commentary—just a simple screenshot. But the message she was conveying couldn't be any clearer. She wanted to tell him that he was out of the game.Hendrix stared at the screenshot expressionlessly for a moment before deleting it and promptly blocking Seline. Then, he turned his attention back to the computer screen. The data was still there, but he couldn't focus on a single number.Even though he had deleted the screenshot from his phone, he still felt as if it had been burned into his mind. He pressed his lips into a thin line as he slowly balled his hands into fists.After a while, he finally couldn't take it anymore. He shot up from his seat and grabbed his car keys before walking out. He drove fast, though he didn't really know where he was going.Eventually, he stopped in front of a new construction site. He had bought this plot of land a year ago. Construction had only started a few months ago because it